Increasing mediators’ perceived responsibility: The role of persuasive attacks in vicarious relative-led family mediation

This paper examines the underexplored area of vicarious relative-led family mediation, wherein mediation is facilitated by a third party assuming a relative role, Laoniangjiu, analyzing how disputants use persuasive attacks to increase mediators’ perceived responsibility and how mediators, often perceived as biased in Chinese culture, enact conditionally appropriate responses. By analyzing 30 episodes of a family mediation reality TV show, we find that disputants use three main persuasive tactics: attacking (in)actions, attacking consequences, and attacking character. These tactics can successfully attract mediators to their side. However, mediators also consciously avoid showing favoritism by strategically employing biased tactics like ‘balancing’ and ‘minimization’. This behavior may stem from shifts in individuals’ sense of responsibility, influenced by contemporary educational initiatives in China. This study offers insights into relative-led family mediation and highlights disputants’ active role in the mediation process.