Abstract

This study investigates how positive interpersonal meanings are discursively constructed in Chinese live-stream e-commerce, examining the evaluative discourse of an influential anchor’s promotional talk through the lens of Appraisal Theory and Positive Discourse Analysis. Drawing on three highly viewed live-stream sessions by Yuhui Dong, the analysis combines manual annotation with qualitative illustration to trace the patterned distribution of Attitude resources in real-time consumer interaction. Findings reveal a systematic preference for positive stance-taking, with Affect emerging as the most salient attitudinal domain. Expressions of dis/inclination are particularly prominent, foregrounding forward-looking emotional alignment and shared optimism. Judgement resources are dominated by veracity, naturalizing sincerity, transparency, and ethical reliability as key foundations for trust-building. Appreciation mainly concentrates on valuation, positioning commodities in terms of pragmatic usefulness and embodied benefit rather than technical specification. Across these systems, positivity is not merely a matter of enthusiastic tone, but an interactional strategy calibrated to cultivate affiliation, mitigate perceived risk, and construct consumption as a socially meaningful, emotionally anchored practice. The study demonstrates that persuasive force in live-stream e-commerce rests on the orchestration of affective resonance, moral credibility, and value-centered framing. By showing how evaluative meanings accumulate across interactional phases to stabilize alignment and motivate purchase intention, the research extends the analytical reach of Positive Discourse Analysis into digital retail contexts. The findings contribute to emerging understandings of stance work in mediated marketplaces and offer discourse-based insights for fostering ethical, trust-oriented engagement in contemporary online commerce.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.