The effects of politeness in shaping discourse in online debates

Abstract

Computer-supported collaborative argumentation is an online activity that can engage students in deep discussion and analysis of complex problems. Given the potentially confrontational nature of argumentation, using polite language becomes a strategic approach to prevent breakdowns in group communication and nurture productive dialogues. This study aims to understand how politeness and argumentation moves influence subsequent conversation dynamics in online debates. Student postings in threaded discussions (from 20 online debates containing 2,008 messages posted by students across five semesters of a graduate-level course on distance education) were coded and scored on politeness and impoliteness using natural language processing software. The scored postings were examined to determine how impoliteness and politeness impact students’ proclivity to engage in and produce more sustained argumentative exchanges to evaluate presented claims thoroughly. The findings show that impoliteness steadily increased by up to 84% as contentious discussion threads reached 7 levels deep, and impoliteness was significantly higher in frequency in postings presenting challenges. Correspondingly, the use of politeness increased steadily by up to 139% as discussion threads reached 6 levels deep, with the frequency of politeness nearly equal across postings presenting challenges, explanations, and evidence.

Keywords:

• computer-mediated communication
• argumentation
• politeness
• critical thinking, interaction analysis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Allan Jeong

Allan Jeong is Associate Professor in Instructional Systems & Learning Technology at Florida State University. His research is focused on developing learning analytic tools and methods to measure, visualize, model, and support critical thinking processes.

Ming Ming Chiu

Ming Ming Chiu is Director of the Analytics & Assessment Research Centre at EdUHK conducting research and developing learning analytic tools to study group process, inequality, corruption, and online sexual predators.