Facework in Japan and the United States

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between cultural variability and facework strategies. Responses to the individualism-collectivism items, strategy items, and face concern items were factor analyzed. Data were collected from university students in Japan and the United States. Results indicated that there are two dimensions regarding individualism-collectivism —a low versus high collectivism continuum and a low versus high individualism continuum. Japanese respondents reported more collectivistic tendencies and more individualistic tendencies than U.S. respondents. North Americans reported using more antisocial, self-presentation, self-attribution, and hint strategies than Japanese respondents. Japanese respondents reported using more indirect facework strategies than North American respondents. Males reported using more antisocial, order, and self-presentation strategies than females. Finally, the covariates of social face concern and pride/status influenced the antisocial factor. Pride/status influenced the hint, order, self-presentation, and indirect factors. This study serves as the first step in developing a typology that can be used to compare facework in various cultures.