本研究探討臺灣電視節目(例如頒獎典禮與訪談節目)裡的讚美行為，並且觀察這些讚美是否符合Rau（2012）裡提到的三大讚美行為之比喻，即送禮、得獎與賄賂。除了三大比喻，另一探討重點為嘗試觀察語料中是否有其他類型之表面讚美行為。結果顯示，讚美行為可區分為四大類型，即上述所提之三大比喻與「諷刺」。「送禮」是出現頻率最高的類型，推測這可能與華人在給予或回應讚美時，傾向透過較多互動與交談以和對方建立良好關係有關。「得獎」的應對常是簡單扼要。「賄賂」則較常發生於地位低者讚美地位高者的情況，通常地位低者的目的是想從地位高者那裏得到好處。至於「諷刺」，表面上看來的確是讚美，但事實上帶有諷刺意味或言外之意。

This study investigated compliment exchanges in Chinese TV talk shows and award ceremonies in order to see whether the spoken data can be accounted for by three metaphors: gift exchange, giving a trophy, and bribery. In addition to the three metaphors, the spoken data also produced examples of sarcasm, which on the surface appears to be a type of compliment exchange. The results show that the spoken data can be categorized into four types: three metaphors of compliment exchange and sarcasm. The first metaphor, gift exchange, is the most common type in the collected spoken data, perhaps due to the fact that Chinese tend to have certain kinds of interactions or small talk with their interlocutors in compliment exchanges to establish human relationships. The second metaphor, giving a trophy, is usually followed by a short acknowledgment. Bribery, on the other hand, often happens when the complimentee has a higher status than the complimenter or when the complimenter intends to benefit from the complimentee. Finally, with sarcasm a compliment seems to be offered, but the complimenter actually intends to express an ironic meaning.