[un]expected turns

[un]expected turns.

Expectancy Violations Theory by Judee Burgoon

It was a sunny day. The clouds were up high and birds were singing their merry song. A gentle gale was felt at that time but still was warm, though. It looks like we have got another typical day-Or not.

Suddenly, a well-dressed man steps up at the middle of the road and signals to ride the same bus as you are in. Prim and proper did he look and as blank as a dead pan was his face which showed not a single drop of emotion at that time. He sits down. The ride continues. After a minute or so, he stands up and sings Mariah Carrey’s I Will Always love you at the top his lungs.

Quite unexpected, right?

Judee Burgon, a communication scholar tells us about EVT- the theory that’s quite unexpected. Expectancy Violations Theory (EVT) has its simple principle: Expectations are always present and are imposed on people on whether how they should look, act and respond to different stimuli. When the expectations are violated a reward (feedback/response to the violation) is present. Whether positive or negative, there would always be a reward for the violator.

To further understand this theory, let us take a look at its core concepts:

Expectancy. Refers to what is predicted to occur than what is desired. A bus passenger is expected to behave in the bus that he/she is riding with respect to the social norms, relationship and other factors which affects the expectations at hand.

Violation Valence. Simply stated in Em Griffin’s perspective, this violation valence is the positive or negative value that we impose on the violations done regardless of who does it. Singing on a bus at the top of one’s lungs may be a violation but it could also bear positive valence if he had a nice performance or negative if it is the other way around. This valence then leads us to the third core concept;

Communicator Valence Reward. “what can you do for me?” is the primary question for this concept. The reward valence is sum of the positive and negative attributes that a person brings plus the potential that he/she has in the future. In the example, the violator may be kicked out of the bus as a negative reward because the people did not like his song; or may have a positive reward if the passengers liked the performance and instead was treated by paying his fare for him.

The society may impose the ideal paradigms yet still, violating these expectancies may be, at the end be conventional at all.

So, the next time someone sings at a bus ride, why not sing with him.