Expectancy Violation Theory

Judee Burgoon, " Expectancy Violation Theory" tackles the violation valence, expectancy, and communicator reward valence. Edward Hall discussed proxemics, which consisted of four personal zones in which the Americans correspond with each other:

a) intimate distance

b) personal distance

c) social distance

d) public distance.

EVT is practical in the real world and applicable for many reasons. This theory helps in how to change your relationship and keep it alive. The breaking of norms, such as getting into the proxemics zones of friends is not always necessarily bad, and can stimulate a friendship.

The theory also teaches you not to break the proxemics zones with certain people. The reward valence is practical although sounding shallow, it is true. You are friends with people that can do things for you, although you also do things for you friends. When some one changes their normal response or look at you in an unexpected way, it now can be proven why. Also this theory proves why or why not people do certain body gestures in certain instances.

EVT offers a " soft determinism" rather than hard-core universal laws. Her belief that too many factors affect communication to allow us ever to discover simple cause-and-effect relationships. Added that ' expectancy' is predicted to occur rather than what is desired.

For Griffin: EVT described the word " expectancy" as a situation that your trying to accomplish or simply your desire. That personal space depends on each person's cultural norms. This also link the social status of communicators. In their age/sex/place-of-birth and also each physical appearance.

Example for a Violation theory

A shy girl went to a party , then there was a guy who got so close to her, talking his very private life. It is expected that she would feel not comfortable since they never established relationship with this guy.

Another example to help understand Expectancy Violations Theory can be demonstrated when Pokwang goes for a job interview. She feels that he is not getting very positive feedback from the potential employer, so she knows he should not violate expectancies and further hurt his chances of impressing the interviewer. However, if Pokwang suddenly felt more confident about the relationship she was building with the interviewer, she might consciously violate his or her expectations. She could pick up a picture on his or her desk and comment positively on the picture, hoping that this act would make him positively stick out in the employer's mind later.