Egyptian and American compliments: A cross-cultural study

Abstract

This study investigated Egyptian and American compliments using both qualitative and quantitative methodology. Extended interviews were conducted with 20 Egyptian and 20 American university students. Egyptians were interviewed in Arabic in Egypt and Americans were interviewed in English in the United States. On audiotape, subjects described in detail the most recent compliment given, received and observed, providing a corpus of 60 Egyptian and 60 American compliments. Interview data were analyzed to determine 1) compliment form, 2) attributes praised, 3) relationship between the compliment giver and recipient, 4) gender of compliment giver and recipient and 5) compliment frequency. Interview data were used to construct six forms of a questionnaire, varying the recipient of the compliment between a male/female family member, a male/female close friend and a male/female acquaintance. Approximately 240 Egyptian students and 240 American students, about 50% male and 50% female, completed the questionnaire using a variation of Barnlund and Araki's (1985) Complimentary Mode Questionnaire for responses. Students' responses indicated preferences for direct or indirect means of complimenting. The Egyptian questionnaires were in Arabic and the American questionnaires in English. Major findings suggest that both Egyptian and American compliments tend to be adjectival; both frequently compliment personal appearance; Egyptian compliments tend to be longer than American compliments and contain more comparatives, references to marriage and metaphors; Americans tend to compliment more frequently than Egyptians; Egyptians tend to compliment personality traits, whereas Americans tend to compliment skills and work; and both Egyp tians and Americans prefer direct rather than indirect means of complimenting.