Expectancy violations theory
[16] Communicator characteristics lead to distinctions between males and females in assessing the extent to which their nonverbal expressions of power and dominance effect immediacy behaviors.
It can be represented by several features, such as communicators with high social class, reputation, knowledge, positive emotional support, physical attractiveness, and so on.
In 1998, more than twenty years after the theory was first published, several studies were conducted to catalog the types of expectancy violations commonly found in close relationships.
People expect their friends to act in a social manner and adhere to all of our personal rules they set in their minds, such as being nice, kind, considerate, and refraining from any comment that puts another down.
Relationships, whether it be with the same sex or not, tend to fail over time when one or both parties do not adhere the norms that the other is accustomed to and engage in behaviours such as hostile attitudes, sharp comments, distancing from the other, etc.
However, the presence of cell phones and the expectation to be constantly available (Ling, 2012) impacts partners' abilities to give full attention to one another" (Miller-Ott, A., & Kelly, L. 2015).
Regardless of where the romantic relationship takes place, people are likely to have negative valence about cell phone usage, including texting, viewing news and playing games, if their expectations of attention and intimacy are violated.
DelGreco and Denes found when it comes to a woman receiving a compliment from a man using an online dating tool, her response can leave a lasting impact if it violates expectations.
Cell phone usage behaviors that do not contradict intimate moment are viewed as positive violations, including sharing interesting messages and playing online games together.
[51] EVT analysis approach also show that if the negative valence happens when partners find the other to be unrewarding, it results in destructive communication, leading to breakups.
Maria DelGreco and Amanda Denes investigate men and women's expectations and interpretations of communicative cues in the initiation stage of heterosexual online dating.
[9][27] Virtual realities created online through computer-mediated communication (CMC), especially those which evoke strong visual presence through media, can increase arousal levels, such as those with high violent or sexual content.
[58] Their research documented inconsistent findings which revealed in some instances relationships were enhanced and in others they were dampened, indicating the expectations, evaluations, and outcomes associated with initial modality switches varied amongst individuals.
[61] Then the researchers showed each participant an extremely offensive fake anti-Asian post on the platform from either a white or black poster indicated by the profile picture.
[62] Research indicates that the perception of this act as a negative expectancy violation is influenced by factors such as the duration of the Facebook friendship and the nature of the personal ties between the individuals involved.
Longer-standing Facebook friendships, as well as stronger personal connections, tend to result in the unfriending action being viewed as a more significant breach of social norms and expectations.
The research highlights the intricate dynamics of online social interactions and the weighted considerations behind the decision to unfriend, reflecting the nuanced nature of digital relationships and the expectations that govern them.
The impact of clothing on expectations, where attire considered appropriate to the teaching context bolstered perceptions of a teacher's potential for student academic success.
Most American colleges and universities employ course rating surveys as a method to gauge teacher effectiveness and the degree to which students are satisfied with the pedagogy of their professors.
Sora Kim asserts that "expectancy violations caused by a crisis tend to increase uncertainty about an organization's performance in the crisis-related area".
Sora Kim also exposes similar findings in her study, specifically on how expectations violations produces uncertainties in stakeholders and the public during times of crisis.
A more productive approach than focusing on whether a specific word is offensive may be to make sure that those engaging in workplace swearing are aware of how they and their messages might be perceived in multiple ways (Johnson, 2012).
Research discussed that moral violations negatively influence relationships with athletes, damaging their positive and energetic appearance expected by the public.
[103] Stephanie Smith examines how recent college graduates react to expectation violations in job searching and career development through communication.
This theory assumes that humans can assess and interpret the relationship and liking between themselves and their conversational partner, and then make a decision whether or not to violate the expectations of the other person.
[111] Another critique of the theory is the assumption that expectancy violations are mostly highly consequential acts, negative in nature, and cause uncertainty to increase between communicators.
While it is true that many expectancy violations carry a negative valence, numerous are positive and actually reduce uncertainty because they provide additional information within the parameters of the particular relationship, context, and communicators.
According to Burgoon's early model, Andre made a mistake when he crossed Griffin's threat threshold; the physical and psychological discomfort the lecturer might feel could have hurt his cause.
The theoretical scoreboard read: However, when Griffin applied the revised EVT standards on his responses to "the proxemic violations of Andre, Belinda, Charlie, and Dawn," the scorecard "shows four hits and no misses.
The study asserts that such kinds of violations related to MRE result in responses such as combative attitude and silent treatment, which is harmful to long-term romantic relationships.
