Nonverbal Communication: Body Accessibility Among Japanese

This study is a preliminary investigation of one component of nonverbal communication in Japanese social relations.Body accessibility with different interactors was investigated for 175 unmarried Japanese subjects.143 females and 32 males were administered a Japanese translation ofJourard's body contact questionnaire.Scores for the target persons, intercorrelations between these scores as well as the frequency of each of the 18 body regions were computed and analyzed.Comparison of American and the Japanese data showed the cross-cultural applicability of Jourard's method.Japanese females have more physical contact in relationships than Japanese males.Japanese subjects appear to use the nonverbal tactile communication channel less than American subjects, in particular in heterosexual relationships.Implications of the present results and cautions against overgeneralization are discussed.