Cultural Similarities and Differences in Judgments of Rapport

Abstract

Rapport is a fundamental building block of human relationships across cultures; yet, there is still a dearth of systematic, cross-cultural research on this important topic. This study contributes to a small but growing literature on the nature of rapport across cultures by examining judgments of rapport by observers from different culture/language groups of interactions involving investigative interviews conducted in different languages. Observers from four culture/language groups (English, Spanish, Arabic, and French) rated rapport in nine video clips consisting of three interview languages (English, Spanish, and French) and three segments within each interview. Findings demonstrated that rapport judgments reduced to a bidimensional model of positivity and negativity across the observer culture/language groups; that considerable cultural similarities in rapport judgments existed across the ebb and flow of the interviews; and that there were some possible cultural differences in rapport judgments and the constructs contributing to those judgments, notably French observers’ judgments of mutual respect and seriousness. These findings suggested both major similarities and potential differences in judgments of rapport across cultures.