Compliment Responses on Social Media: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1504.07Keywords:
compliment response, social media, cross-culture, response strategiesAbstract
This systematic review was completed to examine studies on compliment responses on social media, focusing on studies published between 2014 and 2024. The analysis aims to understand how people react to compliments on online social platforms, spot important themes and patterns, and investigate the social and psychological effects of these exchanges, which are the objectives of the analysis. Relevant data was gathered by exploring Scopus and Web of Science databases. An initial search of primary research from 2014 to 2024 identified 68 studies related to the topic. Following a thorough review of abstracts and the removal of duplicates, 12 studies were selected for detailed analysis. The results show that users on various social media platforms use a variety of response strategies, which are influenced by social norms, cultural background, and self-esteem. Reciprocal compliments, self-deprecating comments, and expressions of gratitude are typical response patterns. The analysis also demonstrates how compliment responses influence people's mental health and interpersonal connections; positive reactions can boost self-esteem, while dismissive or negative reactions may have unfavorable consequences. In addition, it was clear that there were cross-cultural differences, with cultural norms and values influencing differences in response styles and motivations. The review points out gaps in existing literature, especially the need for additional studies on the psychological effects of compliment interactions over the long term and the impact of platform-specific features.
References
Bolton, R. N., Parasuraman, A., Hoefnagels, A., Migchels, N., Kabadayi, S., Gruber, T., Komarova Loureiro, Y., & Solnet, D. (2013). Understanding Generation Y and their use of social media: a review and research agenda. Journal of Service Management, 24(3), 245-267. https://doi.org/10.1108/09564231311326987
Cenni, I. (2023). Responding to compliments online: The case of Airbnb online experiences. Sintagma: revista de lingüística, 35, 2023, 119-135.
De Wolf, R., Willaert, K., & Pierson, J. (2014). Managing privacy boundaries together: Exploring individual and group privacy management strategies in Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior, 35, 444-454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.010
Dehkordi, Z. G., & Chalak, A. (2015). English Compliment Response Strategies on Social Networks by Iranian EFL Learners. Journal of Language Teaching & Research, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0602.28
Dendenne, B. (2021). Complimenting on-the-go: Features from colloquial Algerian Arabic. Journal of Pragmatics, 172, 270-287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2020.11.013
Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook “friends:” Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. Journal of computer‐mediated communication, 12(4), 1143-1168. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x
Eslami, Z. R., Jabbari, N., & Kuo, L.-J. (2015). Compliment response behaviour on Facebook: A study with Iranian Facebook users. International Review of Pragmatics, 7(2), 244-277. https://doi.org/10.1163/18773109-00702005
Eslami, Z. R., & Yang, X. (2018). Chinese-English bilinguals’ online compliment response patterns in American (Facebook) and Chinese (Renren) social networking sites. Discourse, Context & Media, 26, 13-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2018.04.006
Herbert, R. K. (1990). Sex-based differences in compliment behavior1. Language in society, 19(2), 201-224. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0047404500014378
Hudson, S., Huang, L., Roth, M. S., & Madden, T. J. (2016). The influence of social media interactions on consumer–brand relationships: A three-country study of brand perceptions and marketing behaviors. International journal of research in marketing, 33(1), 27-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2015.06.004
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business horizons, 53(1), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003
Kavada, A. (2010). Between Individuality and Collectiveness. International Journal of E-Politics, 1(1), 41-56. https://doi.org/10.4018/jep.2010102203
Mao, S., Guo, L., Li, P., Shen, K., Jiang, M., & Yin, L. (2023). New Era of Medical Education: Asynchronous and Synchronous Online Teaching During and After COVID-19. Ajp Advances in Physiology Education, 47(2), 272-281. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00144.2021
Moghaddam, M. M. (2019). Appraising and Reappraising of Compliments and the Provision of Responses. Pragmatics Quarterly Publication of the International Pragmatics Association (Ipra), 410-435. https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.18016.mor
Mokoginta, K. (2023). Compliments in Indonesian Cultures: A Literature Review, 260-270. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-070-1_22
Morady Moghaddam, M. (2019). Responses to compliments in online English chat: a comparison between Iranian EFL learners and native English speakers. Journal of Multicultural Discourses, 14(2), 167-187. https://doi.org/10.1080/17447143.2019.1611836
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E., Mayo‐Wilson, E., McDonald, S.,…Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 Statement: An Updated Guideline for Reporting Systematic Reviews. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 134, 178-189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.03.001
Placencia, M. E., Lower, A., & Powell, H. (2016). Complimenting behaviour on Facebook: Responding to compliments in American English. Pragmatics and Society, 7(3), 339-365. https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.7.3.01pla
Pomerantz, A. (1978). Compliment responses: Notes on the co-operation of multiple constraints. Studies in the organization of conversational interaction/Academic Press.
Pour, V. S., & Zarei, G. R. (2016). Investigating the Use of Compliments and Compliment Responses in Persian: Effect of Educational Background. International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature, 6(1), 227. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.6n.1p.227
Sanmas, M., Qadir, A., Nahria, N., & Laili, I. (2024). The Role of Interpersonal Communication in Enhancing Teamwork Effectiveness in the Digital Era. Literatus, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.37010/lit.v5i2.1503
Twenge, J. M. (2000). The age of anxiety? The birth cohort change in anxiety and neuroticism, 1952–1993. Journal of personality and social psychology, 79(6), 1007. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.79.6.1007
Walther, J. B. (1996). Computer-mediated communication: Impersonal, interpersonal, and hyperpersonal interaction. Communication research, 23(1), 3-43. https://doi.org/10.1177/009365096023001001
Yu, M.-C. (2005). Sociolinguistic competence in the complimenting act of native Chinese and American English speakers: A mirror of cultural value. Language and speech, 48(1), 91-119.
Yusof, S. Y. A. M., & Hoon, T. B. (2014). Compliments and compliment responses on Twitter among male and female celebrities. Pertanika Journal of Social Science and Humanities, 22, 75-96.
