Forms of communication: A cross-cultural comparison of older married couples in the USA and Japan

Abstract

Interviews were conducted with 24 older couples in the USA and Japan. Spouses participated in a causal conversation during which they discussed their marital history. The dialogue between the spouses was examined in relation to five forms of communication: prompting, questioning, echoing, contradicting, and teasing. Results from this analysis challenge some of the stereotypes concerning Japanese and American communication patterns. Couples in both countries engaged in teasing but the purpose of these kinds of exchanges differed for the American and the Japanese spouses. Findings are discussed in relation to cultural and gender differences and similarities in forms of communication between older spouses.