© 1997 World Association for Public Opinion Research
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN LISTENING STYLE PREFERENCES: A COMPARISON OF YOUNG ADULTS IN GERMANY, ISRAEL, AND THE UNITED STATES1
Christian Kiewitz is a graduate student in the Department of Communication and research assistant in the Behavioral Research Laboratory at Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
James B. Weaver, III is an Associate Professor of Communication and Psychology and Director of the Behavioral Research Laboratory in the Department of Communication, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
Hans-Bernd Brosius is a Professor of Empirical Communication Research at the Institut fur Kommunikationswissenschaft, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat, Munich, Germany.
Gabriel Weimann is a Professor of Communication and Sociology and the Chair of the Department of Communication at Haifa University, Haifa, Israel.
Correspondence should be addressed to James Weaver, Director, Behavioral Research Laboratory, Department of Communication, Tichenor Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849-5211, USA. e-mail: jim.weaver{at}mail.auburn.edu
Abstract
Do the listening styles preferred by young adults in Germany, Israel, and the USA differ significantly? In order to address this question, college students in all three countries completed versions of the Listening Styles Profile (LSP; Watson et al. 1995) presented in their native languages. Factor analysis revealed four predominant constructs underlying the LSP, which were designated as people, action, content, and time listening styles. Comparisons between the three cultures revealed distinctively different patterns of listening style preferences, with Germans preferring the action style, Israelis endorsing the content style, and Americans favoring both the people and time styles.