本研究旨在探討兒童讚美語回應的發展情形，同時也探討讚美者性別與社會地位和讚美主題對判斷以及回應讚美語的影響狀況。本研究方法包含看圖判斷讚美語實驗與看圖回應讚美語實驗。受試者由幼稚園中班、大班、小一、小二、小三以及大學生共一百四十四位學生所組成，依年齡分為六組，每組二十四人，男生女生人數各半。
判斷讚美語實驗結果顯示，不論兒童或成人對於不同主題的讚美或來自不同性別、不同社會地位讚美者的讚美在判斷它們是否為讚美方面未達到顯著差異。然而，回應讚美語實驗的結果顯示，讚美者的性別與社會地位會影響受試者回應讚美語。受試者傾向於接受來自女性或高地位讚美者的誇獎，而拒絕來自男性或低地位讚美者的誇獎。受試者對於不同主題的回應雖未達到顯著差異，受試者對於較具體主題的讚美給予較多的回應。此外，男性受試者對關於「能力」的誇獎給予較多的回應，女性受試者則對於「外貌」或「物品」相關的讚美給予較多的回應。
回應讚美語實驗也顯示，以中文為母語的兒童大約於五歲已能依讚美者性別和地位或讚美主題的不同使用不同的回應策略。然而，兒童在讚美語回應策略的使用能力仍不及成人。在八歲以前，幼童大多直接接受別人的讚美，在此階段的受試者也多僅使用單一策略來回應讚美語。八歲以上的受試者開始減少直接接受讚美策略（Direct Acceptance）的使用，並多使用間接接受的策略（Indirect acceptance），這個年紀的兒童也能使用更多的合併策略。成人則能使用更多的合併策略以同時接受讚美並避免自我讚美。

The present study investigated the development of compliment responses among Mandarin-speaking children. It also explored the effect of the gender and social status of the complimenter, and compliment topics in the perception of and in the response to a compliment. This study employed a comprehension task and a production task. A total of 144 students participated in this study, including five-year-olds, six-year-olds, seven-year-olds, eight-year-olds, nine-year-olds, and undergraduates. There were 24 subjects (12 males and 12 females) in each age group.
No significant differences were found in the subjects’ perception of compliments concerning gender, status, and topics. However, the effect of the complimenter’s gender and status can be seen in the production data. The subjects tended to accept compliments from female complimenters or speakers of higher social status and were more likely to reject compliments given by male complimenters or speakers of lower social status. Although there were no significant differences, it was found that the subjects gave more responses to compliments on concrete topics. Furthermore, our male subjects responded more to compliments about topics like “Ability” while the female subjects to compliments about topics such as “Possession” and “Appearance”.
It was found that the responses from children as young as five years old already showed influences of the gender and status of the complimenter, and compliment topics. However, developmental changes were observed in the subjects’ use of compliment responding strategies. Our children, before the age of eight, used mainly the strategy of Direct Acceptance. Also, the children at this stage rarely produced combined strategies. As they reached eight, they started to use mainly the strategy of Indirect Acceptance to accept compliments and they could produce more combined strategies. Adults, to accept compliments indirectly, relied mostly on combined strategies, which allowed them to simultaneously accept a compliment and avoid self praising.

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