Abstract
Recipients of extended sequences of conversation display alignment to the speaker not only through response tokens such as continuers and assessments but also through various interrogative formats for (1) initiating repair, (2) formulating understandings, (3) seeking agreement, and (4) soliciting elaboration. This article examines the use of four types of questions (specifying, follow-up, leading, and summarizing) and illustrates what marks an interaction as polite and friendly in Japanese conversation. It is proposed that listeners initially offer support for the speaker’s perspective, even if they will go on to disagree with it, in order to construct and sustain a positive affiliation with the speaker. In this collaborative process, affect is jointly negotiated and constructed. This type of interaction has interesting implications for universality and cultural specificity when it comes to conversations.
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