| Acknowledgements | 第5-6页 |
| Abstract | 第6-7页 |
| 摘要 | 第8-11页 |
| 1. Introduction | 第11-15页 |
| 1.1 Research Background | 第11-12页 |
| 1.2 Research Significance | 第12页 |
| 1.3 Research Purpose and Research Questions | 第12页 |
| 1.4 Research Methodology | 第12-13页 |
| 1.5 Data Collection | 第13-14页 |
| 1.6 Organization of the Thesis | 第14-15页 |
| 2. Literature Review | 第15-21页 |
| 2.1 Definition of Conflict Talk | 第15-16页 |
| 2.2 Previous Studies on Conflict Talk | 第16-19页 |
| 2.2.1 Previous Studies on Conflict Talk Abroad | 第16页 |
| 2.2.2 Previous Studies on Conflict Talk at Home | 第16-18页 |
| 2.2.3 Previous Studies on Conflict Talk between Couples | 第18-19页 |
| 2.3 Conflict Talk and Impoliteness | 第19-21页 |
| 3. Theoretical Framework | 第21-30页 |
| 3.1 Theoretical Preliminaries | 第21-24页 |
| 3.1.1 Brown and Levinson's Politeness Model | 第21-22页 |
| 3.1.2 Culpeper's Impoliteness Model | 第22-24页 |
| 3.2 Bousfield's Definition of Impoliteness | 第24-25页 |
| 3.3 Framework of Impoliteness Strategies | 第25-26页 |
| 3.4 Bousfield's Response Options to Impoliteness | 第26-30页 |
| 4. Analysis of Conflict Talk between Couples with Impoliteness Model | 第30-61页 |
| 4.1 Realization of Impoliteness Strategies in the Data | 第30-48页 |
| 4.1.1 Challenges | 第31-34页 |
| 4.1.2 Seek disagreement | 第34-36页 |
| 4.1.3 Hinder /block | 第36-38页 |
| 4.1.4 Criticize | 第38-41页 |
| 4.1.5 Be uninterested, unconcerned, unsympathetic | 第41-42页 |
| 4.1.6 Sarcasm | 第42-44页 |
| 4.1.7 Condescend, scorn or ridicule | 第44页 |
| 4.1.8 Disassociate from the other | 第44-46页 |
| 4.1.9 Use inappropriate identity markers | 第46-47页 |
| 4.1.10 Conjecture the other | 第47页 |
| 4.1.11 Expose the other's privacy | 第47-48页 |
| 4.2 Response Patterns to Impoliteness | 第48-55页 |
| 4.2.1 Offensive-offensive Pairing | 第49-51页 |
| 4.2.2 Offensive-defensive Pairing | 第51-55页 |
| 4.3 Gender Differences in the Employment of Impoliteness Strategies andResponse Patterns to Impoliteness | 第55-61页 |
| 4.3.1 Gender Differences in the Employment of Impoliteness Strategies | 第55-57页 |
| 4.3.2 Gender Differences in Response Patterns to Impoliteness | 第57-59页 |
| 4.3.3 Factors leading to the Differences | 第59-61页 |
| 5. Conclusions | 第61-64页 |
| 5.1 Summary of Major Findings | 第61-62页 |
| 5.2 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research | 第62-64页 |
| Bibliography | 第64-67页 |
| Publications during the Postgraduate Program | 第67页 |
