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Comparing the Communication Styles of Men and Women

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Abstract This paper discusses the differences in the verbal and non-verbal communication styles of men and women. There is in reality less variation in the communication styles of men and women than is generally assumed. This is due to gender stereotypes and an academic bias towards women. Gender miscommunication occurs when participants fail to address the content and relationship aspects of the communication situation. Communication effectiveness is also compromised when participants fail to comply with the prescribed norms of the social role as opposed to the gender stereotypes. Communication effectiveness between men and women can be improved through empathy for the communication goals and communication needs of the other along with an understanding of the social context and purpose of the communication. Communication Style Differences Between Men and Women Introduction The question of differences in the communication styles of men and women has been the source of much debate over the years. This has given rise to a lot of folk wisdom and academic research. However, both have been shown to be prejudiced against presenting women in a submissive or incompetent role through findings such as "women talk more than men" or that "women are capable of maintaining relationships while men are more capable of analyzing complex information." The differences between the communication styles of men and women show less difference compared to the difference within each group. Both

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