本研究的目的為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,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,本研究因此推論: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程度;在雙方彼此疏遠的情況之下,則會促進。但在台灣文化中,則觀察不到這個現象。研究一做台日跨文化調查,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模型之差異。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,卻觀察不到這個影響。透過本研究可以推論出: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,則是以個人作為主體,來判斷自己人�他人。
The purpose of this study is to investigate difference of the behavioral norms of modesty between Japanese and Taiwanese. 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 social-structure 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-/out-group according to each family’s relation to the nested structure of public. But Taiwanese make the judgement according to one’s relation with each “independent family”.