As an example of a chain of effects which conforms to this abstract description, consider the effects of the expression of thanks in Figure 1. The usual effect of a Thank act is a belief of the hearer that the speaker feels gratitude. If the feeling is mutual, the two individuals might enter into a cordial relationship. A network of abstract act effects The network depicted in Figure 2 is useful for the analysis of the effects of many speech acts. Figure 3 illustrates several such analyses for acts which culminate in a positive effect on cordial relationships.
Preconditions are as important to the success of social acts as to the success of physical acts.
For example, inappropriate praise may appear awkward or even sarcastic to a hearer, which would thwart any motive the speaker may have to ingratiate himself. As in many physical domains, social act effects and act preconditions often mesh to form standard sequences of interaction, such as a speaker's praising of a hearer followed by the hearer's thanking of the speaker for his praise. These standard sequences or scripts often create expectations to which one must be sensitive as a social participant. For example, a speaker who praises a hearer but does not receive any thanks in return is likely to believe that the hearer is ungrateful. Avoiding such perceptions seems to be a motivation for many social actions.