C OLLABORATIVE P LURAL

Using in-group identity is one of the positive politeness strategies because the

speaker treats the hearer as an in-group or a friend, and the addressee’s positive face is

maintained. Aronsson and Sätterlund-Larsson (1987) pointed out that during medical

consultation, doctors tended to use collaborative plurals (“我們 we”) as a positive

politeness strategy to involve both themselves and the patients in the decision-making.

However, from our observation, most of the time when the doctor used collaborative

plurals, it did not mean that the both of them are the subjects of the activity, only the

patient or the doctor was. But using the collaborative plurals gave patients a sense that

they were standing together and working as a group, which benefited the doctor-patient

communication greatly. Below are excerpts containing collaborative plurals.

Excerpt 3 Examination

1 DOC: 主要還是白內障啦厚

The main problem is still cataract.

2 PAT: 嗯 Mmm.

3 DOC: 視網膜是還好啦 好 如果沒有問題我們就 半年來看就好了厚

The retina is fine. Alright. If there is no problem let’s just meet in half a year. Ok.

5 DOC: 你如果 還可以看得到就沒有關係厚 If you can still see then it’s fine. Ok.

6 好 我們就約半年再來追蹤厚 好 好

Ok. Let’s meet in half a year for the follow-up. Ok. Ok.

7 PAT: 藥還是拿相同的

The prescription is still the same.

8 DOC: 嘿 對 開一樣的藥厚 好半年再追蹤

Hey. Yes. I’ll prescribe the same medicine. Ok. Our follow-up is in half a year.

9 NUR: 外面等厚 外面等一下

Wait outside. Ok. Wait outside for a while.

The doctor used collaborative plurals to include both him and the patient into the

decision-making which is a way to maintain the patient’s positive face (in Line 3 and 6).

The use of “我們 we” implied that both the doctor and the patient work as a group to

make the decision together (though the time for next follow-up was totally decided by

the doctor). The collaborative plurals here referred to the doctor and the patient. To

some extend, both doctor and patient needed to appear in the next follow-up and their

interaction needed their cooperation. The use of collaborative plurals here somehow

reflected how we perceived the interaction.

Interestingly, because the patient visited the doctor regularly and he was familiar

with the procedure of the consultation and his previous medical treatments, he

mentioned the prescription first which is usually proposed by the doctor during medical

consultation. The doctor confirmed that he would prescribe the same medicine and

reminded once again that the follow-up would be in half a year (Line 8).

Excerpt 4 Examination

1 DOC: 看正前方... 看天花板... 看左邊.. 上方一點點… 看右邊…

Look at the front… look at the ceiling… look to the left… a little bit higher… look to the right.

2 好 很好厚 看起來都 OK 了 好

Ok. Good. OK. Everything looks fine. OK.

3 不舒服的話我們還是可以開一份藥水厚 不舒服點一下 厚

If your eyes don’t feel well we can still prescribe eye drops. OK. Apply them when [your eyes] feel uncomfortable. Alright.

4 那視網膜都OK 就平常還是不要過度使用眼睛喔 厚

The retina is OK. Just don’t overuse yours eyes. Alright.

5 還是半年來 追蹤就好了 厚 好 沒問題 厚 嘿

Just come back in half a year for a check-up. Ok. Alright. No problem.

Okay.

6 PAT: 好 謝謝

OK. Thank you.

7 DOC: 下次來測個視力 散瞳 好 沒問題

Next time you will have a vision test, pupil dilated. OK. No problem.

In the excerpt above, the doctor used collaborative plurals when he prescribed the

medication. In Line 3, the doctor said “不舒服的話我們還是可以開一份藥水厚 If

your eyes don’t feel well we can still prescribe eye drops. OK.” However, only the

doctor can make prescriptions, so the subject should be “I” instead of “we” here. The

statement should be, “If your eyes don’t feel well, I can prescribe eye drops for you.

The usage of collaborative plurals from the doctor may make the patient feel that he was

involved in prescribing the eye drops together with the doctor. The doctor used first

personal plural to include the patient in the action, which was a positive politeness

strategy because the doctor treated the patient as an in-group and to satisfy the patient’s

need.

The cataract looks fine. Or maybe the problem has to do with macula?

4 PAT: 對那個有個醫生 我們那邊那個王 OO 醫師

Yes, there’s this doctor in our neighborhood, Dr. Wang.

5 他是說 跟我說是黃斑部的問題 病變

He said [he] told me it’s related to macula, degeneration.

6 DOC: 沒關係我們帶你去做個檢查回來就知道了厚

It’s ok. Let’s do a test and we’ll know the results.

7 PAT: 好 OK.

The in-group identity markers that appeared in doctor’s request illustrate one of the

positive politeness strategies. In Line 1 and 6, the doctor used “我們 we” twice when

he asked the patient to undergo some examinations. The first “我們 we” on the surface

indicated the doctor and patient. However, only the patient needed to undergo the

examinations. At the end of Line 1, the doctor used a tag question to seek the patient’s

agreement. (And the patient immediately agreed in Line 2.) In fact, using a question

with request is a negative politeness strategy because the patient’s action was

constrained by the doctor’s request. Therefore, Line 1 contained positive and negative

politeness strategies at the same time. The second “我們 we” in Line 6 referred to the

staff, which were the nurse and the doctor. But there was only the nurse who would take

the patient to the exam room. In short, when the doctor used the collaborative plurals,

the patient may feel that they are in the same group and become more willing to follow

the doctor’s instructions.