Communication Accommodation Theory Flashcards
What is the Communication Accommodation Theory?
Stating that we switch our communication styles to fit into the group that we are communicating with
What is accommodation?
Constant movement toward and away from others by changing communicative behavior.
What is non-accommodation?
Behavior that maintains or increases social distance, used in intergenerational context.
What is convergence?
Strategy through which you adapt communication behavior to become more similar to another person
- adapt sound and cadence
- talk in a way thats easy to understand
- discourse management
- satisfy another persons emotional needs
What is divergence?
strategy of accentuating the difference between yourself and another person
What is self handicapping and maintenance?
self-handicapping- a face serving strategy that invokes age as a reason for not performing well
maintenance- persisting in your original communication style regardless of the communication behavior of the other
What is over-accommodation?
Demeaning or patronizing talk, message simplification or repetition
What is social identity?
group memberships and social categories that we use to define who we are as we become aware through intergroup contact
Convergence vs Divergence
Listeners regard convergence as positive and divergence as negative. It is not important how the communicator converged or diverged, but how the other perceived the communication behavior.
Listeners who interpret convergence as a speakers desire to break down cultural barriers react favorably
What is attribution?
Perpetual process by which we observe what people do and then try to figure out their intent or disposition.
What is the police offer civilian interaction study example?
The study predicted that interracial interactions would be less accommodating that those where officer and driver were the same race. The driver and the office being the same race is convergent and the drive and officer being different races is divergent.
