Cultures can also be described as high or low context. In high-context cultures, such as China, Korea, and Japan, people use relatively vague and ambiguous language and even silence to convey important meanings. (High-context cultures are often collectivistic as well.) People in such cultures often talk indirectly (using hints or suggestions) because they presume that members of their ingroup will know what they’re trying to say. As a result, they don’t feel the need to provide a lot of explicit information.

In low-context cultures, people tend not to presume that others share their beliefs, attitudes, and values. Thus, they strive to be informative, clear, and direct in their communication (E. T. Hall & Hall, 1987). Many low-context cultures are also individualistic; as a result, people openly express their views and try to persuade others to accept them (E. T. Hall, 1976, 1997a). Within such cultures, which include Germany, Scandinavia, Canada, and the United States, people work to make important information obvious, rather than hinting or implying.

How does the difference between high-context and low-context cultures play out in real interactions? Consider the experiences of Steve’s friend Naomi Kagawa, a Japanese communication professor. Growing up in Japan—a high-context culture—Naomi learned to reject requests by using words equivalent to OK or sure. The Japanese reject requests this way because it maintains the harmony of the encounter. These words, however, are accompanied by subtle vocal tones that imply no. Because all members of the culture know this practice, they recognize that such seeming assents are actually rejections. In contrast, in the United States—a low-context culture—people often come right out and say no, then apologize and explain why they can’t grant the request. When Naomi first visited the United States, this difference caused misunderstandings in her interactions. She rejected unwanted requests by saying, “OK,” only to find that people presumed she was consenting rather than refusing. And she was surprised, even shocked, when people rejected her requests by explicitly saying no.