Commissives

Definition

Commissives are a type of speech act in which the speaker commits to a certain course of action or future behavior. These acts express intentions, promises, or offers and are significant because they bind the speaker to follow through on what they have stated. By making a commissive, the speaker not only conveys information but also creates an obligation to fulfill the commitment made through their words.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Commissives include promises, threats, and offers, all of which demonstrate a speaker's intention to commit to a future action.
2. The effectiveness of a commissive often depends on the context in which it is made and the relationship between the speaker and the listener.
3. Commissives can be explicit, like stating 'I promise to help you,' or implicit, where the intention may be inferred from context or tone.
4. In order for a commissive to be valid, it generally must be made by someone who has the authority or capability to fulfill the commitment.
5. The failure to adhere to a commissive can lead to social repercussions or loss of credibility for the speaker, as it breaks trust.

Review Questions

• How do commissives function within the broader framework of speech acts, and what role do they play in communication?
  • Commissives are an essential subset of speech acts that involve making commitments regarding future actions. They function by expressing the speaker's intention to perform an act, like promising or offering something. In communication, commissives build trust and establish relationships by binding the speaker to their word, creating expectations for future behavior.
• Discuss how context influences the interpretation and validity of commissives in conversational settings.
  • The context in which a commissive is made greatly affects how it is interpreted and its overall validity. Factors such as the relationship between speaker and listener, cultural norms, and situational cues all contribute to understanding whether a commitment is genuine and whether the speaker has the capacity to fulfill it. For instance, a casual promise among friends may carry different weight than a formal contract made in a business setting.
• Evaluate the implications of failing to fulfill a commissive on social interactions and personal credibility.
  • Failing to follow through on a commissive can have significant implications for social interactions and personal credibility. When someone does not honor their commitments, it can lead to disappointment and distrust among peers. This breach of expectation not only damages relationships but also impacts how others perceive the individual's reliability and integrity. Over time, repeated failures can diminish one’s reputation and ability to effectively communicate intentions in future interactions.

Related terms

speech acts: Speech acts are communicative actions that convey meaning and perform functions beyond mere words, including asserting, questioning, requesting, and committing.

performative utterances:

Performative utterances are statements that perform an action simply by being spoken, such as 'I promise' or 'I apologize,' where the act is completed through the speech itself.

illocutionary force: Illocutionary force refers to the intended meaning behind a speech act, which indicates what the speaker aims to achieve through their utterance.