How we are versus how we are feeling: The role of emotional intelligence and mood in reactions to impoliteness in L1 and L2

Abstract

Previous (im)politeness research has tended to focus on socio-cultural influences, thus largely neglecting the role of individual differences. This study takes a socio-cognitive approach to investigate how personality––measured through emotional intelligence (EI)––, mood, and language (first versus second language) influence responses to impoliteness. The study was pre-registered prior to data collection and analysis. One hundred and four Spanish-English bilinguals completed an EI questionnaire and underwent mood induction, before responding to a Discourse Completion Task (DCT) involving ten impolite workplace scenarios. A mixed-methods approach was used, and data were analysed by means of mixed-effects regression models, Chi-squared tests, and content analysis. Sociability, a facet of EI, appeared to influence responses to impoliteness, possibly indicating individual levels of assertiveness played a role. Mood had an impact on response types, with participants in a negative mood responding with more offensive counter-attacks and those in a positive mood responding with more acceptance. However, offensive responses within the positive mood group were also found to utilise more bald on record impoliteness, thus suggesting cognitive processes do vary depending on mood. Language did not have an effect, perhaps signalling similarities between Spanish and English or lending support to the role of pragmatic transfer.