Just teasing: A conceptual analysis and empirical review

Drawing on E. Goffman's concepts of face and strategic interaction, the aut hors define a tease as a playful provocation in which one person comments o n something relevant to the target. This approach encompasses the diverse b ehaviors labeled teasing, clarifies previous ambiguities, differentiates te asing from related practices, and suggests how teasing can lead to hostile or affiliative outcomes. The authors then integrate studies of the content of teasing. Studies indicate that norm violations and conflict prompt teasi ng. With development, children tease in playful ways, particularly around t he ages of 11 and 12 years, and understand and enjoy teasing more. Finally, consistent with hypotheses concerning contextual variation in face concern s, teasing is more frequent and hostile when initiated by high-status and f amiliar others and men, although gender differences are smaller than assume d. The authors conclude by discussing how teasing varies according to indiv idual differences and culture.