Expectancy Violations Theory
General Purpose: Expectancy Violations Theory (EVT) is a theory about message processing.
Specific Purpose: EVT is a theory about how individuals expect particular nonverbal messages, how nonverbal messages that are contradictory to expectations are processed, and most importantly, how perceptions of attraction, credibility, and involvement can differ because of the message production process.
Key terms, concepts, and definitions: There are three key terms in EVT, and each of these terms represent the underlying nonverbal message interpretation and evaluation process.
Expectancies are predictions or expectations about the nonverbal messages which will occur in interaction. These expectancies are shaped by a variety of sources, including socialization. Individuals develop expectancies for what nonverbal messages are acceptable in particular experiences observations and prior experiences. Similarly, there are expectancies derived from the context in which the nonverbal messages will occur as well as expectancies from the appearance and style of the communicator.
Violation Valence captures how nonverbal messages that violate our expectancies are interpreted. The valence of the message represents the general response to the nonverbal violation. These violations can be interpreted as having a positive or negative valence. When describing the violation valence, it is important to realize that it is not the nonverbal message itself that is considered always positive or negative, but the valence of the nonverbal message is based on how this message is processed, specifically how it is interpreted by the message recipient (their thoughts about the nonverbal message), and their evaluation of the message as having either a positive or negative valence.
Communicator Reward Valence recognizes that in some cases, the violation valence is not easily interpreted and evaluated as clearly positive or clearly negative. If the interpretation of a violation remains ambiguous (instead of positive or negative), individuals turn towards evaluating the valence of the communicator, or person sending the nonverbal message. Communicators with positive valence are seen as having attractive qualities including high social status, are perceived as similar, trustworthy, and as having the ability to offer rewards. Violations where communicators are positively valenced are then evaluated as positive. Communicators with negative valence are seen as having unattractive qualities including poor social status, are perceived as dissimilar, untrustworthy, and do not offer the ability for rewards, but rather punishments. Violations where communicators are negatively valenced are then evaluated as negative.
What does the theory do?
EVT provides an explanation for what happens when individuals are exposed to nonverbal messages that violate the norms for a situation, and how individuals interpret these messages based on the message itself as well as characteristics of the communicator.
Where can it be applied?
One area rich for the application of EVT is seen in how individuals evaluate communicators and nonverbal messages based on a variety of socio-demographic variables (e.g., age, gender, perceived attractiveness) about the communicator, as well as situational variables about where, when, and how nonverbal messages are presented and in turn, interpreted.
Summary source:
Burgoon, J. K. (1978). A communication model of personal space violations: Explication and an initial
test. Human Communication Research, 4, 129–142. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2958.1978.tb00603.x
Exemplar article:
Burgoon, J. K. (1988). Nonverbal expectancy violations: Model elaboration and application to
immediacy behaviors. Communication Monographs, 55, 58-79. doi:
10.1080/03637758809376158
Specific Purpose: EVT is a theory about how individuals expect particular nonverbal messages, how nonverbal messages that are contradictory to expectations are processed, and most importantly, how perceptions of attraction, credibility, and involvement can differ because of the message production process.
Key terms, concepts, and definitions: There are three key terms in EVT, and each of these terms represent the underlying nonverbal message interpretation and evaluation process.
Expectancies are predictions or expectations about the nonverbal messages which will occur in interaction. These expectancies are shaped by a variety of sources, including socialization. Individuals develop expectancies for what nonverbal messages are acceptable in particular experiences observations and prior experiences. Similarly, there are expectancies derived from the context in which the nonverbal messages will occur as well as expectancies from the appearance and style of the communicator.
Violation Valence captures how nonverbal messages that violate our expectancies are interpreted. The valence of the message represents the general response to the nonverbal violation. These violations can be interpreted as having a positive or negative valence. When describing the violation valence, it is important to realize that it is not the nonverbal message itself that is considered always positive or negative, but the valence of the nonverbal message is based on how this message is processed, specifically how it is interpreted by the message recipient (their thoughts about the nonverbal message), and their evaluation of the message as having either a positive or negative valence.
Communicator Reward Valence recognizes that in some cases, the violation valence is not easily interpreted and evaluated as clearly positive or clearly negative. If the interpretation of a violation remains ambiguous (instead of positive or negative), individuals turn towards evaluating the valence of the communicator, or person sending the nonverbal message. Communicators with positive valence are seen as having attractive qualities including high social status, are perceived as similar, trustworthy, and as having the ability to offer rewards. Violations where communicators are positively valenced are then evaluated as positive. Communicators with negative valence are seen as having unattractive qualities including poor social status, are perceived as dissimilar, untrustworthy, and do not offer the ability for rewards, but rather punishments. Violations where communicators are negatively valenced are then evaluated as negative.
What does the theory do?
EVT provides an explanation for what happens when individuals are exposed to nonverbal messages that violate the norms for a situation, and how individuals interpret these messages based on the message itself as well as characteristics of the communicator.
Where can it be applied?
One area rich for the application of EVT is seen in how individuals evaluate communicators and nonverbal messages based on a variety of socio-demographic variables (e.g., age, gender, perceived attractiveness) about the communicator, as well as situational variables about where, when, and how nonverbal messages are presented and in turn, interpreted.
Summary source:
Burgoon, J. K. (1978). A communication model of personal space violations: Explication and an initial
test. Human Communication Research, 4, 129–142. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2958.1978.tb00603.x
Exemplar article:
Burgoon, J. K. (1988). Nonverbal expectancy violations: Model elaboration and application to
immediacy behaviors. Communication Monographs, 55, 58-79. doi:
10.1080/03637758809376158