The Cultural Difference In Nonverbal Expressivity Is Moderated By The Extent of Subjective Self-Construal: A Two-Study Examination Targeting Japanese And Korean Individuals

Paper Details

Authors: Yuk Y.; Kikutani M.

DOI: 10.36923/jicc.v26i1.1389

Journal: Journal of Intercultural Communication

Year: 2026

Publisher: Immigrant Institutet

Document Type: Article

Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access

Cited by: 1

Abstract

This research comprises two studies that examined cultural differences in nonverbal expressivity between Japan and Korea. While prior research has highlighted East–West contrasts, less attention has been given to distinctions within collectivistic cultures. Employing the psychological construct of self-construal (subjective, objective, and autonomous selves), which is thought to distinguish Japanese and Korean cultures, we investigated how these dimensions relate to nonverbal expressiveness. Two questionnaire-based studies were conducted with Japanese and Korean undergraduates. The study measured participants’ extent of the three types of self-construal and nonverbal expressivity. Study 1 included 284 Japanese and 272 Koreans. Autonomous self-construal was omitted in this study. Study 2 replicated the design with 189 Japanese and 199 Koreans, incorporating autonomous self-construal. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine whether culture (Japan and Korea), the three types of construal, and culture × self-construal interaction predict nonverbal expressivity. The main effect of culture was observed in both studies, indicating greater expressivity among Koreans. Also, the culture × subjective self-construal interaction was consistently found, showing that higher subjective self-construal predicted greater nonverbal expressivity among Koreans but lower expressivity among Japanese. Subjective self-construal signifies motivation to influence others in interpersonal relationships, and the interaction effect is interpreted in relation to culturally endorsed communication styles in Japan and Korea. Objective and autonomous self-construal were not strongly related to nonverbal expressivity. The present findings challenge the assumption that nonverbal communication styles are relatively uniform across collectivistic cultures and underscore the importance of self-construal for understanding cultural variations in emotional communication. © 2026 by author(s).

Keywords

Emotion Expression; Emotional Communication; Japanese and Korean cultures; Nonverbal Communication; Self-Construal

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