Mitigation: The combined effects of imposition and certitude

Abstract

This investigation examines the degree to which linguistic mitigation is motivated by levels of imposition and speaker certitude in dialogic interactions in Spanish. In an experimental approach, native speakers of Mexican Spanish participated in four role play scenarios, each varying in the levels of imposition and certitude. Mitigation was measured using a density measure of mitigation markers (i.e., interpersonal markers, discourse markers, and epistemic markers). Results indicated that severe imposition and speaker uncertainty motivate mitigation. A significant interaction between imposition and certitude showed that the combined effect of severe imposition and speaker uncertainty motivates the highest degree of mitigation, confirming the hypothesis. Specifically, the impact of certitude was shown to be modulated by imposition. Subsequent quantitative and qualitative analyses demonstrated that epistemic markers were unexpectedly limited. Interpersonal and discourse markers interacted differently with the two motivations of mitigation, aligning with distinct coping mechanisms.