Inter-Asian Variability in Intergenerational Communication

Abstract

This study compared Japanese and Thai younger adults' intra-and intergenerational communication. Both groups linearly increased communicative respect and avoidance, beliefs about politeness, and deference norms as interlocutors got older (from young to middle-aged to older adult). Cross-culturally, the Thais reported more respectful communication to younger adults than did the Japanese, while the Japanese were more likely to be avoidant of communication with middle-aged adults. Both politeness and deference norms were more strongly endorsed by the Thais than Japanese. Via regression analysis, the deference norm positively predicted respectful communication to middle-aged and older adults in Japan, and for young and middle-aged targets in Thailand. Avoidant communication was found to negatively predict conversational enjoyment and satisfaction in both countries.

Effects of Past and Present Intergroup Communication on Perceived Fit of an Outgroup Member and Desire for Future Intergroup Contact

“…Most notably in terms of work on aging, our data show unusually positive perceptions of older people on the competence dimension. This might signal a shift in younger people's perceptions of older adults: Perhaps the current cohort of college students have grandparents who are more active, healthy, and societally involved than the grandparents of college students 20 years ago (reflecting broader cultural changes: Ota et al, 2012), and the grandchildren's evaluations of older people draw on their grandparents. Or perhaps advocacy for older adults and societal moves against ageism are affecting either younger people's perceptions of older adults or their willingness to express negative attitudes.…”

The Role of Communication Perceptions in the Mental Health of Older Adults: Views From Thailand and the United States

“…From prior research conducted with young adult respondents, we know that young adults in Western countries are less likely to report avoidance of old-age others than are their same age peers in Eastern countries (Ota et al, 2012). In the workplace, younger Thai workers have also been found to perceive other younger Thai workers and older Thai workers as exhibiting more avoidant communication than their counterparts from the United States (McCann & Giles, 2006).…”

“…Some research conducted over the past few years has explored the role of avoidant communication in intergenerational contexts and its critical role in Asian cultures (e.g., Ota, McCann, & Honeycutt, 2012). Overaccommodation (and its importance in some Asian quarters) has also received noticeable attention in the research literature.…”

“…Asia had been viewed as a sort of "communicative Shangri-la," where older people were revered and communication directed toward them was positive and respectful. Of course, the reality of today's Asia (and today's "West") has turned out to be much more complex (for the importance of considering inter-Asian variability in communication, see Ota et al, 2012). We do wonder whether these results may derive, in large part, from the transfer of social power, finance, and influence from older to younger people-as well as the strong resistance to such changes by some older people-in recent, highly technologically developing and Westernizing times.…”

Young Adults’ Perceptions of Intergenerational Communication: Mongolian and American Data

“…Similarly, the findings showed only a minimal increase in avoidance between young adults and the middle-aged in comparison to the more drastic increase seen in the U.S. sample. Middle-aged adults tend to hold a significantly higher level of group vitality within a society (Giles et al, 2000, Ota, McCann, & Honeycutt, 2012, Table 3 Regression Results for USA Data (Middle-Aged Adults) Table 4 Regression Results for Mongolia Data (Middle-Aged Adults)…”