Observation 4

Observation #4: Persuasion Paper Participants: 6 children, ages 8 – 13; 2 males, 4 females Setting: Gamestop video game store, San Francisco Description of Interaction: Interaction Encounter 1: Female – age 9

Communication Acts

Girl:

Indication

Mom, look! That’s the game I wanted!

Mom: Not right now, baby. Go catch your brother. Girl:

How come he gets one?

Appeal

Mom: Because he’s paying for it. Encounter 2: Female – age 8 Girl:

I need a game for my DS, Daddy.

Dad:

That’s not why we’re here, is it?

Girl:

Pleeeeeeease, daddy?

Polite Statement

I’ll do the dishes when we go home!

Interaction

Dad:

We’ll talk about it later.

Girl:

I’ll do the dishes every day for… a week!

Dad:

Later, sweetie.

Need Statement

Interaction

Encounter 3: Male – age 13 Boy:

Mama, did you see they have Smash Brothers?

Indication

Mom: Oh yeah? Boy:

Can we get it today?

Interrogative

It’s only $49 dollars.

Advertisement

Mom: I can’t afford it right now, mijo. Boy:

Can I use my allowance to get it later?

Discourse

Mom: That’s up to you, son. Encounter 4: Female – age unknown (possibly 8 or 9) Girl:

I want the same one as Sarah.

Direct request / Imperative

Mom: I don’t think so. Girl:

Whyyyyyyy?

Appeal

If you get it, I can play with her.

Discourse

And then we can trade puppies.

Advertisement

That’s how the game works, mommy.

Indication

Mom: I said no. Encounter 5: Male – age 11 Boy:

Mario Kart comes with a steering wheel!

Dad:

Sounds cool.

Boy:

I can’t wait to play it!

Indirect request / Expression

Jake from class has one already.

Hint / Advertisement

Dad:

Indication / Advertisement

Maybe he’ll let you play his then.

Encounter 6: Female – age 10 Girl:

Can I get this one too?

Polite Request

Mom: Maybe when it’s your birthday. Girl:

But that’s like forever away!

Appeal

That’s not fair, mommy!

Appeal

You said I could have one.

Interaction

Mom: You keep it up and you won’t even get a party.

My Thoughts: Following the Axia model of observing persuasion and politeness strategies as presented in How to Persuade Mum to Buy a Toy, I spent the day observing a collection of children who either entered or walked past the Gamestop video game store in Stonestown Mall. In keeping with the results of their findings, I chose to include the speech codes analyzed in Axia’s findings, in addition to the directive categorizations identified by Erwin-Tripp. Encounter 1 maintained a simple request, which was immediately rebuffed by the child’s mother. The nine year-old girl first indicates the game she wants, using an embedded imperative to reinforce her desire. When her mother rejects her request, she attempts to persuade her mother with an appeal based on her brother’s ability to purchase his own game. In Encounter 2, the young girl began with a strong need statement, resorting to a more polite request after her request was denied, and following up with attempts at bargaining for the game in exchange for additional house chores. Her father, having never completely rejected her offer, instead dismissed the child’s attempts at negotiation to be reconsidered (or possibly forgotten) at a later date. The child in Encounter 3 seemed to exhibit the most sincere display of sensitivity to his mother’s point of view. After indicating the game he wanted, including offering the sales price (almost suggesting that it was already a cheap rate), the boy’s mother explained that they could not afford the game. This prompted the child to then suggest

that he pay for it himself by means of his own allowance, relieving the financial burden from mother to child. This example reinforces Axia’s findings that older children make better use of discourse and negotiation than younger children. Encounter 4’s child used strategies across the board, attempting to gain her mother’s compliance first through an imperative, then alternating persuasion strategies between an overtly simple appeal, a bargain, added value, and finally drawing attention to the game’s function. In the end, however, all proved for naught. In Encounter 5, the child first used an attention-getting strategy by identifying the name of the video game, then advertising its increased value with the mention of the included ‘steering wheel’ accessory. He then expressed his interest for the game while also indirectly making the request to own it, and finally hinted at his desires by increasing its value among his classmates. Finally, in Encounter 6, the child first attempted a polite request to gain parental compliance. When she is rejected, the young girl resorts to a less mature, simplified process of appeals, until ultimately she attempts to compromise by turning her own mother’s words against her, which only backfired with the threat of additional consequences.