Sharing affect with the unacquainted: the role of conversational humor in initial interactions among Mandarin Chinese speakers

Abstract This paper examines the strategic deployment of humor by Mandarin Chinese speakers during first conversations as a way of sharing affect and establishing interpersonal connections. Through this detailed analysis of first conversations, three distinct humor practices emerge as particularly salient: teasing, animated performance, and conventionalized language play. These practices are manifested through distinctive vehicles to generate humor and establish relational connections. The findings reveal that humor practices play an important role that extends beyond mere amusement, particularly in the context of initial interactions. By deploying these practices, speakers of Mandarin Chinese create moments of shared affect that help them build relational connections with their unacquainted interlocutors. This research contributes to our understanding of the intricate relationship between humor, affect-sharing, and interpersonal connections, demonstrating how speakers of Mandarin Chinese index their affective stance in order to establish relational connections with their unacquainted counterparts.