Expectancy Violation Theory in Interpersonal Communication (Research Paper Sample)

Expectancy violation theory in interpersonal communication
Introduction
The research reviews expectancy violation theory and its significance in understanding interpersonal communication. The theory highlights the unexpected behavior of human being while interacting (Dainton, 2011). This theory is based on the reduction uncertainty where ambiguity on behaviors of others is reduced through interaction. Expectancy violations theory offers some prospect to compare the personality of traditional empiricism with humanism. The theory was developed from the Nonverbal expectancy violation model of Burgoon who describes the nature of response of human beings to the theory (Dainton, 2011). People anticipate and foresee a particular behavior while interacting and the violation to these expectations can be perceived positively or negatively. This is normally characterized by the relationship between the people who describe the interpersonal space to illustrate how human beings respond to the violation. Thus, it is true that human beings expect and estimate a certain behavior during the interaction. Therefore the vibration of these expectations can be apparent with certainty or depressingly as characterized by the relationship which exists among human being.
Methodology and results
The methodology for this study involves the focus groups who observes an activity and offers a feedback in response (Baxter, 2008). The response can be used to give answers to the to the questions under study. The expectancy question dictates the focus group to react to the emotions and discuss their reactions while recording to be used meaningful data (Baxter, 2008).Focus groups survey conducted by the Gonzaga University about the impact of organizational change of the theory indicated the use of some participate in three sessions. The 4-5 participants filled questionnaires with their responses on the activity. The aim was to determine the organizational change interactions that violate expectations. The results obtained indicate difficult layoff interactions. Expectancy violation theory involves the exchange of high relational and satisfied information. This information which is regarded as either positive or negative usually violates expectations of another. The Individual understanding assumes that when the expectations are violated, they will make people respond in explicit ways (Baxter, 2008). Therefore, when the unpredicted dispersed favorable interpretation during a positive evaluation, it will generate more favorable results compared to an expected act done with similar interpretation and evaluation (Gudykun, 2005).The methodology in the study centers on an individual faction. While the theory is interpersonal in nature and usually happens in our lives, it focuses on how interpersonal communication are conversed and received .This always involve several conversations for instance teacher–student, parents–children or boss–employee to enable people realize certain expectancies on their roles. For example, teacher–student interpersonal communication during the first day of class instills some expectancy for the students who are filled with certainty that their teacher will teach them with empathy and effort .However, if the teacher violates this, he or she would have violated the expectancy theory.
In developing this theory and determine its significance, a two-part experiment was conducted by Burgoon. However, lack of empirically knowledge about what comprises expected and unexpected behavior in interpersonal communication enables her to conduct the study with simple assumptions (Gudykunst, 2005). The assessed results was done using contact, exchange distance and attitude as the non-verbal variables, in addition, the communicator restrained effects of status and gender were also examined by the use of male and feminine respondents. The respondents endorsed their communication as lower condition interaction. Men outline of posture and closeness were rated by the respondents correctly by the use of the experimented behavior. The results obtained confirmed that several behaviors are that expected and they are generally positively balanced. Other results indicated positive or negative expectations variations. For instance, attractiveness indicated expectancies while gender and status as per the results indicated limited effects in the expectancies (Gudykunst, 2005).Burgoon examined some important concepts of expectancy violations theory and established that this kind of theory relates to emotional communication. He further researched to illustrate the positivity or negativity of the violations on emotional expression expectancy in interpersonal communication.
Inferences for information processing and nonverbal expectancy violations theory
To establish the relevance of emotional expectancy in the theory, Burgoon illustrated the nature the of expectancies in the expectancy violations in its attempts to predict and explain the concept of the research (Baxter, 2008). Burgoon’s experiment was done on simple assumptions by the use of previous studies and information. Burgoon assumed that communicators normally decide their expectancy toward others by observing their relational and context characteristics. This will give the communicator an opportunity to either endorse the behaviors violating the expectancy or not (Baxter, 2008).The concept of expectation indicates an enduring pattern of estimated behavior which is either generalized as specific or unspecific. According to Cappella and Greene (1982), it is specific since it is a moderately fixed standard of anticipated behavior. It is unspecified since it is a derivative of social and situational norms together with past experience and characteristics. Burgoon regarded these expectations as a mixture of both social norms and known habit.
According to nonverbal expectancy violations theory, the interpretation is given to the behavior, which is largely influenced by social norms and desirability or evaluation of the behavior .This is influenced by collective principles and personal preference factors. These factors acts as actors responsible for influencing (Baxter, 2008).Communication style .This is responsible in determining the expected or unexpected nonverbal behaviors. The behaviors which involves touch and postural behavior provides a larger part of complex closeness behaviors which also influences the behavior of others (Griffin, 2006).By using all his projected analyses, Burgoon (1993) exposed that the usual interpersonal model relates to emotional communication. Burgoon discovered that when the relationships become more close, human being develop individual expectations which when enacted, its depicts some characteristics which will determine which emotions are acceptable or displayed. In his experiments concerning the association of closer partners in justifying the theory, Burgoon articulated distant relationship contributing to lesser negative sentiments.
This is accurate according to the communicator’s anticipation. Since their awareness especially with a familiar person offers much influence than the same communication with the stranger. Positive or negative violation within human beings makes them understand more their relationship. They will capture strong certainty in their expectancy level. Therefore, violating the expectancy level by the same communicator will end up into some effects in the communication. Additionally, Burgoon (2007) expressed that rapid increase in the cherished relationships between male and female to a degree may be due to the many positive violations of emotional expectations.
However, due to her lack of research information about expectancy violation in nonverbal communication, Burgoon hypothesized that proximity and touching as the forms of nonverbal communication are an element of emotional expression (Griffin, 2006).
The theories of connectionist and cognitive learning which relates to implicitly or explicitly notion of expectations such as the drive reduction theory allows people to execute roles based on norms and rules. In the expectation states theory, the endorsed norms and policies becomes the source of shaping the individual behavior expectations. People usually have a idea of endeavoring and depending on another person’s behavior to develop expectancies. For instance, Burgoon’s nonverbal expectancy violations theory is significant in the social functioning since it is vital in tackling divergence from expected behavior (Gudykunst, 2005).In the nonverbal ground, the uncertainty about expectancies is worrying in the sense that it can create a lot of controversy especially in meaningful and consistent interpretation.
The consistent expectations by people about the nonverbal actions of others will make them recognize violations full of controversy due to its communicative impact during the communication. Expectations...