Sex differences in conversation

Abstract

Three observers tallied topics of conversation at nineteen concerts over a period of six months during ten-minute intermission periods. Samples of 601 conversations among adults were thus obtained. "The leading topics of men's conversation are money and business, other men, women, other amusements, and sports. The leading topics of women's conversations are other women, men, clothes, other amusements, and immediate surroundings. Clear sex differences are found in four topics; money and business, sports, women, and clothes, the men conversing more about the first two topics, the women more about the latter. Women converse to a significantly greater degree than men about 'personalities.' The conversation of mixed groups tends to be dominated by topics of either equal or little interest to the sexes conversing separately." (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)