Do Females Have Better Verbal Abilities than Males?

I.    What are verbal abilities?

II.    Are there sex differences in verbal abilities?

III.    Why is there a belief that women have superior verbal abilities?

IV.    Do Women and Men Communicate Differently?

        A.    Fishman:  "Interaction:  The Work Women Do" Social Problems 25 (1978): 397-406

        B.    Tannen:  You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation.  NY:  Ballentine, 1990

                1.  intimacy & connection v. independence & status
                2.  framing conversations
                3.  understanding v. advice
                4.  same sex interaction
                5.  asking questions
                6.  rapport talk v. report talk
                7.  why are there communication differences?



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