This study is designed to verify aspects of dialogue tactics in TV discussion program by analyzing dialogues among debaters. TV discussion is defined as a 'task-based competitive dialogue to persuade opponents and the audience who is a third party in ...
This study is designed to verify aspects of dialogue tactics in TV discussion program by analyzing dialogues among debaters. TV discussion is defined as a 'task-based competitive dialogue to persuade opponents and the audience who is a third party in TV program among more than two debaters with different opinions in relation to a topic'. Debaters strategically express their opinions using various tactics in order to prove justification of their opinions or their group's. The purpose of this strategical speech act is to content for victory through disagreement among over two groups with different viewpoints on a discussion topic.
This study, therefore, aims to examine concrete kinds and use aspects of tactics in two categories, 'attack tactics' and 'defense tactics' what debaters use in discussion, focusing on its disputatious characteristics.
In chapter Ⅰ, research directions were suggested by describing research targets, purposes and methods and reviewing existing studies. Prior to the study, it was found that there were rarely pragmatic studies on TV discussion and although, macroscopic studies on dialogue 'strategies' have been conducted, pragmatic studies on dialogue 'tactics' have not hardly been conducted, while studies on debate of elective candidates in press and political academic world have been actively done. For that reason, this study focuses on analyzing aspects of dialogue tactics in TV discussion program. Three video recordings of 'MBC 100-minute debate' were used in this study to analyze dialogue tactics of debaters.
In chapter Ⅱ, theoretical foundation was constructed by observing concepts and characteristics of TV discussion. TV discussion is a 'task-centered competitive dialogue' for debate and competition over a particular topic. This TV discussion is performed through particular medium, television and thus, is differentiated from general discussion. This difference is appeared from limitation in discussion time and speech acts of participants, participation of audiences and viewers and participation methods. TV discussion also proceeds in order of 'introduction process-discussion process-conclusion process' and each process is classified into subordinate process.
In chapter Ⅲ, dialogue tactics in TV discussion programs were analyzed in earnest. First of all, dialogue tactics were clearly defined and then, dialogue tactics used by debaters were divided into 'attack' and 'defense' aspects. 'Attack' aspect was divided into 'evidence-based tactics' and 'baseless tactics', and 'defense' aspect was divided into 'evidence-based tactics' and 'baseless tactics' as well.
Analysis results show there were total 10 evidence-based tactics in 'attack' aspect; ① suggestion of concrete solution, ② suggestion of expected results after assumption of situation, ③ pointing out contradictory logics, ④ speaking at similar situation, ⑤ proposing objective evidences, ⑥ quoting opinions of opponents, ⑦ calling attention of knowledge or experience of opponents, ⑧ showing attacker's knowledge or experience, ⑨ explaining the appropriateness, and ⑩ generalizing negative properties of objects'. Of them, '⑦ calling attention of knowledge or experience of opponents' and '⑧ showing attacker's knowledge or experience' were divided into 'showing knowledge' and 'showing experience' respectively. Nextly, there were total 4 baseless tactics of 'attack' aspect; ① criticizing, ② sarcasm, ③ expressing regret, and ④ persisting.
In 'defense' aspect of debate, there were total 6 evidence-based tactics; ① denying facts, ② explaining intention of comments, ③ explaining reasons, ④ explaining the appropriateness, ⑤ speaking at similar situation, and ⑥ modifying data. Also, there were total 6 baseless tactics in 'defense' aspect; ① criticizing, ② apologizing, ③ ignoring, ④ skipping, ⑤ persisting, and ⑥ sarcasm.
In addition, it was observed which tactics debaters preferred the most to hold fast to their logics and how they realized their dialogue tactics concretely. First of all, use frequency of each tactic was computed and statistical results were derived using t-test to identify whether this use frequency is statistically significant. As a result, it was found that most of debaters overwhelmingly preferred 'evidence-based tactics' in all of 'attack' and 'defense' aspects.
This implies what every debater recognized that correctly and properly grounded 'logicality' is needed to make their opinions reliable and persuasive in discussion. In 'evidence-based tactics' and 'baseless tactics' of 'attack aspect', respectively, 'pointing out contradictory logics' and 'criticizing' were used the most. On the other hands, in 'evidence-based tactics' of 'defense aspect', 'explaining intention of comments' and 'modifying data' were used the most, and in 'baseless tactics of 'defense aspect', 'criticizing' was utilized the most.
In chapter Ⅳ, results of this study were summed up and implications were suggested in conclusion. Furthermore, limitation of this study and proposal on how this study should go on, were described.