low-context communication, which puts meaning explicitly in the words, and high-context communication, which relies more on relationship, situation, and shared understanding.
I come from two different cultural backgrounds, and I find this funny, because from the Mexican side of the family, the proper response to "How are you" is a full conversation surrounding how you have truly been, whereas with my Danish family, the responses are shorter and to the point. Both sides of my family have their own communication styles, and while one is not more correct than the other, they both work.