3rd Question of the Week Poll Results: He Said, She Said

The poll results are in and the responses to the question, "Do women talk more than men?" were fairly evenly spread among the three possible answers: yes, no, or yes and no. And now I must admit that I am guilty of using a trick question. According to the book "Language Myths," all three answers are correct depending on the situation. The considerations that must be taken into account are: the social context of the talk, the type of talk, and the speaker's familiarity with the subject matter. Studies have shown that, in general, men talk more than women when informative, persuasive talk is valued in public and formal situations. Men are also known to use talk to increase societal status. Women, conversely, talk more in informal, private situations and are known to use talk to maintain relationships. Of course, keep in mind that these are generalities - think pillow talk.