A Meta-Analytic Review of Gender Variations in Adults' Language Use: Talkativeness, Affiliative Speech, and Assertive Speech

Abstract

Three separate sets of meta-analyses were conducted of studies testing for gender differences in adults' talkativeness, affiliative speech, and assertive speech. Across independent samples, statistically significant but negligible average effects sizes were obtained with all three language constructs: Contrary to the prediction, men were more talkative (d = -.14) than were women. As expected, men used more assertive speech (d = .09), whereas women used more affiliative speech (d = .12). In addition, 17 moderator variables were tested that included aspects of the interactive context (e.g., familiarity, gender composition, activity), measurement qualities (e.g., operational definition, observation length), and publication characteristics (e.g., author gender, publication source). Depending on particular moderators, more meaningful effect sizes (d > .2) occurred for each language construct. In addition, the direction of some gender differences was significantly reversed under particular conditions. The results are interpreted in relation to social-constructionist, socialization, and biological interpretations of gender-related variations in social behavior.

Gender differences in narcissism: A meta-analytic review.

“…This timing thus makes it difficult in a practical sense to comprehensively evaluate whether gender differences in narcissism are decreasing on the basis of women's changing social roles (because most of the social role change predates the boom in quantitative research on narcissism in the U.S.). By contrast, all of the other previously mentioned studies on women's changing agentic characteristics over time covered considerably longer time spans than that available for narcissism; that is, Eagly and Karau (1991) extended back to 1956; Konrad et al (2000) extended back to 1972; Leaper andAyres (2007) extended back to 1962;Su et al (2009Su et al ( ) extended back to 1965Twenge (1997Twenge ( ) extended back to 1973and Twenge (2001) extended back to 1931. Twenge, Konrath, Foster, Campbell, and Bushman (2008) briefly discussed changes in the narcissism gender difference over time in the context of a meta-analysis focused on "generation me" or increases in undergraduates' narcissism over time.…”

Gender differences in response to Facebook status updates from same and opposite gender friends

“…Gender differences in peer activities when children are growing up lead to gender differences in language use in adulthood (Maltz & Borker, 1982Leaper & Ayres, 2007, Leaper, 2014 Females use language to create and maintain social closeness through supportive and inclusive forms of talk, whereas males use language to assert their dominance through commands and challenging statements. Gender differences in language will be greatest in same gender interactions, because partners of the same gender share similar social norms concerning language and communication (Carli, 1989(Carli, , 1990Leman, Ahmed, & Ozarow, 2005;Leman, Macedo, Bluschke, Hudson, Rawling, & Wright, 2011, Leaper, 2014.…”

“…Girls' interactions are more likely to involve cooperative social dramatic activities, and boys are more likely to participate in more solitary or competitive group play (Maccoby, 1998). These gender differences in activities lead to gender differences in language use (Maltz & Borker, 1982Leaper & Ayres, 2007, Leaper, 2014 where boys use language to assert their dominance through commands and challenging statements, whereas girls learn to use language to create and maintain social closeness through supportive and inclusive forms of talk. This theory predicts that gender differences in language will be greatest in same gender interactions (i.e.…”

“…The second social explanation is the social context, or social constructivist approach (Leaper & Ayres, 2007). It emphasizes the social interactive impact of context, rather than individual factors.…”

“…The first social explanation is the socialization approach (Maltz & Borker, 1982Leaper & Ayres, 2007, Leaper, 2014, which emphasizes the impact of children's participation in gender stereotypical activities in same sex peer groups. Children develop different norms and social identities and use language differently when they participate in gender segregated peer groups.…”