The use of honorifics is closely related to Japanese social structures and hierarchies. For example, a 1986 study on the notion that Japanese women spoke more politely than men examined each sex's use of honorifics found that while women spoke more politely on average than men, both sexes used the same level of politeness in the same relative situation. Thus, the difference in politeness was a result of the average social station of women versus men as opposed to an inherent characteristic. Usage in this respect has changed over time as well. A 2012 study from Kobe Shoin Women's University found that overall use of honorific suffixes and other polite speech markers has increased significantly over time, while age, sex, and other social variables have become less significant. The paper concluded that the usage of honorifics has shifted from a basis in power dynamics to one of personal distance.