Pragmatic Functions of Emotive Language in Saudi Doctor-Patient Discourse: A Study of Co-Act Proposals and Self-Realization Acts

Much research suggest how patients express their emotions in medical settings is crucial for improving doctor-patient communication. In Saudi Arabia, this discourse contains numerous emotive nuances that affect meaningful patient-doctor interactions. Hence, this study investigated the pragmatics of the use of emotive language during medical consultations in Saudi Arabia. Using a qualitative exploratory approach, a discourse analysis of 40 audio-recorded consultations was conducted with 46 participants. Reich's (2011) Model of Communication Acts (RMCA) was used to examine patients' communicative acts using the co-act proposals (CAPs) and the self-realizing communicative act (SCA) to classify the relationships. Pragmatic analysis of the contextual factors was used to interpret language use, including the social dynamics and situational constraints that influence communication. The findings found that Saudi patients primarily used emotive SCAs rather than emotive CAPs, indicating a preference for expressing personal insights. The findings contribute to improving doctors' communication and social skills, developing an emotion-annotated corpus.