Bloggers’ Speech Behavior: Analysis and Diagnosis of Personal Traits from the Perspective of Implicit and Functional Pragmalinguistics

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive methodology for conducting both traditional and modified content analysis using transcripts of spoken language from video bloggers as source material. The specific focus of this research centers around video content dedicated to reviewing retro automotive vehicles. The authors delve into two fundamental branches of pragmalinguistics, namely the implicit and functional aspects, while also detailing the analytical techniques employed within these paradigms. The practical application of these methods is illustrated using the oral speeches of the blogger Alexander Chikunov as a case study, providing a clear and tangible demonstration of the process for diagnosing individual personality traits. The initial phase involves an analysis of the material through the lens of implicit pragmalinguistics, encompassing the frequency analysis of speech patterns within the context of selected linguistic strategies, coupled with rigorous statistical data processing. The outcomes pertaining to a specific blogger are subsequently juxtaposed against data from other bloggers within the same genre, thereby facilitating the identification of shared, stereotypical, and unique personality characteristics attributed to the blogger. Moving forward, this article highlights individual traits of the blogger, which were discerned through traditional content analysis techniques. Finally, the study involves an insightful interpretation of the acquired data, culminating in the development of a nuanced portrait of Alexander Chikunov’s speech behavior. A notable aspect of this research lies in its pioneering effort to discern and systematize linguistic features exclusively found within the domain of video blogs. This is achieved by utilizing unscripted spoken language from bloggers as empirical evidence, adding a distinctive dimension to the study’s scientific novelty.