Strategies for the Act of Complaint Used by Children
Strategies for the Act of Complaint Used by Children

Summary/Abstract: The study aimed to determine in what ways preschool children of ages 5 and 6 are distinct from adults in using complaining strategies and in choosing complaint strategies as a type of pragmatics. Participants of the study were two groups comprised of children and adults and the survey model was used for the study. In the first group, 110 children between the ages of 5 and 6 who studied in preschool institutions were included while the second group consisted of 110 adults who were involved in the study to determine the complaint strategies used in Turkish culture and the Turkish language. The data were collected through a Discourse Completion Test prepared to be equivalent for children and adults. Children were interviewed in the data collection process since they did not know how to read and write, whereas adults were presented with written forms. Responses of participants were evaluated by two scholars in the field to determine the corresponding strategies for the responses. Frequency and rating calculations for complaint strategies used by children and adults in certain contexts were made, and the obtained results were reported comparatively. According to the conclusions reached in the research, the choice of complaint strategies differed greatly between children aged 5 to 6 and adults.

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