Chapter 6: Expectancy Violations Theory

Personal Space

Burgoon; The invisible, variable volume of space surrounding an individual that defines that individuals’s preferred distance from others

Proxemics

Edward Hall; The study of people’s personal space

Intimate distace

0-18 inches

Personal distance

18 inches to 4 feet

Social distance

4 to 12 feet

Public distance

12 to 25 feet

Core concepts of EVT

1. Expectancy

2. Violation Valence

   1. Communicater Reward Valence

Expectancy

What is predicted to occur rather than what is desired

Context

Cultural norms and setting of conversation

Relationship

Similarity, familiarity, liking, and relative status

Communicator characteristics

Age/sex/place of birth demographic facts, physical appearance, personality, and communication style

Violation Valence

The positive or negative value we place on a specific unexpected behavior, regardless of who does it

Communicator Reward Valence

Sum of positive and negative attributes the person brings to the encounter plus the potential they have to reward or punish in the future

Social Penetration Theory

We live in an interpersonal economy in which we all “take stock” of the relational value of others we meet