本研究的目的在於探討日本與台灣之間的謙虛行為規範之文化差異。在東亞各國的語言中,由於社會結構的不同,當發話者向談話對象謙虛地描述內團體成員時,有相對敬語/絕對敬語兩種不同的語言用法。本研究據此推論:日本和台灣的文化之間,不只是在語言上,而且在謙虛的行為規範裡也有文化差別。研究一假設:在日本文化中,當發話者和談話對象十分親近的情況,將會壓抑內團體謙虛的程度;在雙方彼此疏遠的情況之下,則會促進內團體謙虛行為。但在台灣文化中,則觀察不到這個現象。研究一作台日間的跨文化比較,結果支持本研究的假設。為了解釋上述的台日差異現象,研究二更進一步探討儒家思想和台日各自文化的傳統社會結構之差異。研究結果顯示:導入「上位的公(上位團體)」的情境因素時,在日本文化中,將壓抑內團體謙虛程度。但在台灣文化中,卻觀察不到這個現象。經由本研究可以推論出:在日本文化中,個人會以自己和對方之間所屬的「公家」社會結構關係來判斷自己人/他人。相對之下,在台灣文化中,則是以個人所屬團體作為主體,來判斷自己人/他人。
The purpose of this study is to investigate the difference of norms of modesty between Japanese and Taiwanese. Due to the difference of social structures among East Asian countries, when a person describes his in-group members to an outsider in a modest way, he may represent it in either relative or absolute honorific expressions. Study 1 focused on relative / absolute honorific expressions featuring the comparative linguistics of East Asian countries, and inferred that: when a person describes his in-group members to an out-group target, there is not only linguistic, but also behavioral and psychological differences between customs of Japan and Taiwan. Results of Study 1 indicated that, in Japanese culture, speaker’s in-group modesty is promoted when the relationship between speaker and target who belongs to out-group was intimate. Vice versa, it is restrained when it was not intimate. In contrast with Japan, this factor does not influence the in-group modesty in Taiwanese culture. In order to explain this difference, Study 2 studied model of traditional socialstructure in Japan and Confucian thoughts in Taiwan. Results of Study 2 indicated that, if there exist ”upper public” above one self (in-group) and target (out-group) in Japanese culture, in-group modesty is restrained. However, this factor does not influence the in-group modesty in Taiwanese culture. It was inferred through these studies that Japanese judge in-/outgroup according to each family's relation to the nested structure of public. But Taiwanese make the judgment according to one's relation with each ”independent family”.