Shon and Ja (1982) presented a case of a Malaysian mother from a lower class whose son wanted to date the daughter of a higher-class family. The mother from the higher class served tea and bananas, and they talked about everything but their children. The mother from the lower class told her son that he could not date the other woman's daughter because of her ability to
A) understand high-context communication.
B) understand low-context communication.
C) read minds.
D) see that her son would not feel comfortable with this woman.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct answer is A) understand high-context communication. In high-context cultures, much of the communication is understood through implicit messages, context, and nonverbal cues rather than explicit words. The mother's ability to pick up on the subtle cues during the interaction, where nothing was directly said about their children dating, demonstrates her understanding of high-context communication.

Shon and Ja (1982) Presented a Case of a Malaysian