“Why can’t men ever give a straight answer to a simple question?”(woman) “Frankly, your questions aren’t all that simple. In general, when a woman asks a question, she has a correct answer in mind.”(man)

“Women will always ask questions that have no right answer, in an effort to trap you into feeling guilty.”(man)

LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES Males and females may believe that they are connecting eye to eye, but many times….. Males and females may believe that they are connecting eye to eye, but many times…..

Stereotyped Perceptions MEN B bold and straightforward B aggressive talk B provide suggestions and opinions WOMEN WOMEN B empty, unassertive, submissive talk B keeps them inferior B more supportive B talk social life

Vocabulary Differences MEN B power slang B men use fillers as a floor holding device B men do not use as many descriptors WOMEN B women are vague B “like, “right”, “awfully”(5-6X ) B women describe B women hypercorrect more

Differences in Questions MEN B direct questions B fewer questions WOMEN B compound requests B tag question- statement plus a ? B 3X as many questions

Why the Differences ? Notion: Men dominate Roles: superiority, inferiority, equality- we all move in and out of these roles Assumption: Male speech is the norm

Why the Differences? Men=task oriented, instrumental, aggressive, ambitious Women=relational, nurturing, caring Why=social expectancies, influence causes behavior “Victims of discrimination learn to adapt to their situation without an awareness of having made such adaptations.”

Making Changes... B Should women adapt a male style? B Should men adapt a female style? B Solution? Alter both sides and fit to the situation.

Why are men so uncommunicative?(woman) “You’d learn to keep your big mouth shut too if every time you open it, you get into trouble with your mate.”(male)

“Women love to talk. Silence intimidates them and they feel a need to fill it, even if they have nothing to say.”(man)