Arguer’s Identity and Authorization for Phatic and Emotive Moves: A Proposal for an Extension to Inference Anchoring Theory

Barbara Konat Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań ; Angelo Delliponti Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań ; Eliza Wessel Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań ; Monika Obrębska Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań

Abstract

This paper proposes an extension of Inference Anchoring Theory (IAT) that incorporates speaker-centered pragmatic phenomena: arguer identity, phatic speech acts, and emotive speech acts into the analysis of natural-language argumentation. While recent work has shown how ethos can be operationalized within IAT, the theory has not yet accounted for how pathos and phatic functions shape the dialogical conditions under which argumentative acts become felicitous. We argue that the felicity of phatic-maintaining, emotion-appealing, and emotion-expressing acts depends on the speaker’s perceived authorization, and that this authorization is conditioned by the identity projected through personality-based dispositions. We formalize these acts as additional illocutionary types within IAT and model how their acceptance or rejection influences the authorization of a subsequent act of arguing. A qualitative case study of the highest- and lowest-rated speakers in a competitive debate illustrates how differences in personality correspond to distinct patterns of phatic and emotive behavior, resulting in different evaluations of Perceived Argument Strength. The proposed extension provides a framework for analyzing how identity-sensitive authorization dynamics operate in dialogue and offers a foundation for future corpus-based and experimental research on the role of the arguer in argumentation.

Journal
Argumentation
Published
2026-09-16
DOI
10.1007/s10503-026-09731-1
CompPile
Open Access
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