“There is nothing bad in being talkative”: Meanings of talkativeness in Estonian and Swedish adolescents

The present study compared the meanings of talkativeness for 216 Estonian and 163 Swedish adolescents. Although both nations have stereotypically been described as taciturn, the results of the study suggested that Estonians differed from Swedes in having a more negative or neutral attitude towards talkativeness. Swedes, on the other hand, emphasized more frequently that the positive or negative interpretation of talkativeness depends on the person, on the topic, on the amount of talk, and on the situation. Both Estonian and Swedish adolescents regarded talk as a tool for communication with others rather than a tool for self-expression. Talking for communication with others dominated in the answers of Swedes, whereas Estonians mentioned talking as a tool for conveying information as frequently as a tool for communication with others.