Communication Accommodation Theory

Based on the research of Howard Giles

1. Communication Accommodation Theory Based on the research of Howard Giles

2. what is accommodation? defined as the ability to adjust, modify, or regulate one’s behavior in response to another.-

3. Outline What is Communication Accommodation Theory? Social Psychology and Social Identity Assumptions of Communication Accommodation Theory Ways to Adapt Convergence Divergence Overaccommodation

4. What is Communication Accommodation Theory? - underlying motivations and consequences of what happens when two speakers shift their communication styles. During communication encounters, people will try to accommodate or adjust their style of speaking to others.

5. Social Psychology and Social Identity Recognizing the importance of the self and its relationship to group identity, Henri Tajfel and John Turner (1986) developed Social Identity Theory . This theory suggests that a person’s self-concept is comprised of a personal identity as well as a social identity. Social identity , then, is primarily based on the comparisons that people make between in-groups (groups to which a person feels he or she belongs) and out-groups (groups to which a person feels he or she does not belong).

6. Assumptions of Communication Accommodation Theory • Speech and behavioral similarities and dissimilarities exist in all conversations. • The manner in which we perceive the speech and behaviors of another will determine how we evaluate a conversation. • Language and behaviors impart information about social status and group belonging. • Accommodation varies in its degree of appropriateness, and norms guide the accommodation process.

7. Ways to Adapt Convergence: Merging Thoughts Ahead Divergence: Vive la Différence Overaccommodation: Miscommunicating With a Purpose

8. convergence Strategy whereby individuals adapt to each other’s communicative behaviors. People may adapt to speech rate, pause, smiling, eye gaze, and other verbal and nonverbal behaviors.

9. divergence When there are no attempts to demonstrate similarities between speakers. In other words, two people speak to each other with no concern about accommodating each other.

10. Overaccommodation A term attributed to people who, although acting from good intentions, are perceived, instead, as patronizing or demeaning.

11. Sensory overaccommodation overly adapting to others who are perceived as limited in their abilities (physical, linguistic, or other) Overaccommodation

12. Dependency overaccommodation, which occurs when a speaker places the listener in a lower-status role, and the listener is made to appear dependent on the speaker. Overaccommodation

13. Intergroup overaccommodation occurs when speakers place listeners in cultural groups without acknowledging individual uniqueness Overaccommodation

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