Study On Hedges In Chinese Doctor-patient Dialog From Pragmatic Perspective

The use of hedges is a common phenomenon in language communication, no matter in verbal communication or written communication. More and more people prefer to use hedges to convey information, for hedges function differently and uniquely, which can not be replaced by precise language. The appropriate use of hedges can enhance the communicative effect of language, making the expressions more objective, proper, and polite, thereby help maintain a good interpersonal relationship in communication and achieve the communicative goal successfully. For that reason, recent years witnessed an increasing number of literatures on hedges studies. However, it was found that only fewer attempts were made in exploring the role of hedges used in hospital settings, where conflicts occur between doctors and patients from time to time because of the misuse of language. The purpose of this study is to analyze the hedges in doctor-patient dialogs by using pragmatic principles to discuss whether hedges are an effective communicative strategy to avoid misunderstandings on both sides and to smooth the process of medical diagnosis.This study specifically addresses four questions:1. Are there any similarities and differences between Chinese doctors'use of hedges and patients'? How and why?2. What functions of hedges are realized in Chinese doctor-patient dialog?3. What is the frequency of each category of hedges in Chinese doctor-patient dialog?4. Do women use hedges more frequently than men regardless of their role as doctor or patient, how and why?All data was collected through recordings and questionnaires for analysis in Luoyang No.1 People's Hospital, and Cooperative Principle and Politeness Principle were used to explain the use of hedges in doctor-patient dialog and the results of data analysis.Through the analysis of collected data, findings are presented as follows:Concerning the first question, it was found that there were some differences in doctors'and patients'use of hedges, though doctors and patients shared several similarities in using hedges. CP and PP can be used to analyze the reasons and effects of using hedges by both doctors and patients. Since 6 in 10 doctors, in 10 questionnaires, presented that there is no absoluteness in medical field and, so hedges can help avoid conflict between doctors and patients when doctors could not give patients affirmative response. As for patients, they lacked medical knowledge and had difficulties in remembering the past events or specific frequency of occurrence of some symptom when describing symptoms, which would make troubles with doctors during diagnosis. So it is suggested that hedges should be used properly by both of them, avoiding negative effect on diagnosis.In relation to the second question, it was found that hedges function in Chinese doctor-patient dialog to express politeness and respect; to qualify a proposition in terms of accuracy; to show self-protection.With regard to the third question, rounders had been used most frequently by doctors and patients, while attribution shields were used least. Patients used a significantly larger number of adaptors and rounders than the doctors. But doctors used relatively more plausibility shields and attribution shields than patients.As for the last question, it was found that women did use hedges more frequently than men regardless of their status as doctor or patient, especially the use of plausibility shields. This study shows that gender is significant in accounting for the use of hedges and then supports Lakoff'theory that women use hedges more frequently in their speech than men do.Based on the above researches, this study provides doctors and patients with insights on how to improve their communicative skills through the use of hedges.At the end of the thesis, the author brought forward theoretical and practical implications as well as suggestions, which aimed at improving doctors'communicative competence to manage the communication between doctors and patients skillfully and naturally, and arousing people'conscious of using hedges, when visiting doctors in hospital.