According to cross-culturally known stereotypes, Americans are talkative, loud, and physically expressive in their communication. They prefer direct communication but are often not sensitive to indirect cues of the social context of a situation, such as double meanings, implicit messages, the tone of voice, and body posture. On the one hand, they prefer to keep a physical distance in interpersonal interactions, but on the other hand, they appear physically accessible in intimate relationships (Karandashev, 2021a).
How typical are these features of communication for all Americans? Are these behaviors the same in all situations of interaction?
In reality, however, it is difficult to generalize because American society in the United States of America is very culturally diverse. Do all Americans have anything in common? Yes, they do. Not all, but at least many, especially those of European descent.
This is why people in other countries can relatively easily recognize a foreigner as an American. For example, the common stereotypes and, frequently, the reality are that Americans are loud in speaking and physically expressive in communication.
Let us consider some of the research findings which elucidate the American culture of emotional expression.
The North American High-Contact Culture of Communication
North Americans belong to low-contact cultures. In this regard, they are similar to northern Europeans and Asians. Their communication style is different from that of Latin Americans, Arabs, and southern and eastern Europeans, which are characterized as high-contact cultures.
People from North America prefer to maintain a physical distance, keep slightly indirect body orientations, and avoid frequent touch in interpersonal communication compared to people from high-contact cultures (Karandashev, 2021a).
The Interpersonal Distance that Americans Prefer
However, North Americans differ from other low-contact societies in other ways as well, for example in physical contact as an indicator of interpersonal distance. Studies have shown that Americans tend to maintain more frequent physical contact with a person than Japanese do in various kinds of personal relationships (Karandashev, 2021).
Americans appear to be more physically expressive and more physically accessible. In close relationships, Americans feel comfortable having physical contact with friends of the opposite sex in any area of the body.
Americans Prefer Direct Communication Styles
People in their interactions with others in relationships use both direct and indirect messages of verbal and nonverbal communication (Karandashev, 2021).
Americans, in this regard, prefer to be direct in their messages. They tend to be open, explicit, and confident in their social interactions. They are chatty in small talk.
However, they are frequently insensitive to context or situational cues, both verbal and nonverbal. Therefore, they sometimes miss such nonverbal cues as double meanings, vague statements, hidden messages, subtle shifts in the voices of communicators, breathing, and slight changes in body posture. They often miss the fact that “yes” does not always mean “yes”, and “no” does not always mean “no”.
Americans Are Talkative, Expressive, and Assertive
North Americans tend to be open, talkative, and assertive in their emotional communication. Americans are welcoming, appear very personal, and polite in interpersonal communication and relationships.
For instance, in their expression of emotions, they are different from the Japanese. The personality profiles of the American and Japanese expressive cultures are highly consistent. Here are the American and Japanese perspectives on how they perceive each other and themselves.
Americans view themselves and are also viewed by the Japanese as “informal,” “talkative,” “frank,” “self-assertive,” and “spontaneous”.
Japanese view Americans as “humorous,” while Americans view themselves as rather “impulsive.”
Americans prefer informal encounters. They tend to be self-expressive, talkative, spontaneous, and self-assertive. They are open and frank when sharing their emotional experiences.
When Americans and Japanese disclose themselves non-verbally and verbally in various situations, they express this culturally differently. Americans generally show a higher level of self-revelation than the Japanese. On average, the levels of disclosure among Americans are much higher than among Japanese people. It is true even in intimate relationships. Americans in romantic relationships and other close relationships need to hear from their partners over and over that they love them (Barnlund, 1975).
In another article, I described the main features of the German and French styles of communication.