Expectancy Violations Theory

Today I think is the perfect time to talk about Expectancy Violations Theory. There were two incidents's that happened around me this week that could really help illustrate this theory. First off, expectancy is defined as what people predict will happen in an interaction (rather than what they desire.) All of our expectations are based on relationship factors, context, and communication characteristics. All of us create communication norms which help us decide what we should and shouldn't expect. Our understanding of norms is based on expectations. When people violate expectations, we are forced to re-evaluate how to communicate. The last part of this theory is the violation variance. This is the positive or negative we assign to any unexpected behavior, for example a random kiss from your crush (good) or a random person yelling about how Area 51 is real and you will get abducted (bad in most circles). First Example: I was walking out of the library when a man holding a sign saying "You deserve to go to hell" yelled at me. I was somewhat taken back but also had my ear buds in so in reality it just looked like a random guy with a sign was dancing along to "Song of the South" by Alabama. Now normally this doesn't happen to me, I can't just chalk that up to a normal Tuesday so it violated my expectations. The communication norms I had constructed had to be re-evaluated because usually I don't get yelled at by crazy people (That is saved for Thanksgiving). Here is a perfect example of a violation of expectations i.e the working of the expectancy violations theory: Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPCjIGyrtYc Second Example: A girl with stilts was walking down the sidewalk I was on. I don't really know how I felt about it until she handed me three free Baja Fresh coupons. Obviously my mind was blown. I wasn't expecting to be given anything, let alone see her to begin with. There was no context for her to be there, I don't think it was 'Walk on Stilts Day' and it was definitely out of the norm. Needless to say I had a pretty good day after that. That just goes to show you that just because your expectations are violated it doesn't mean that it is necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes that violation of the norm can be just the push you need to start doing something.

Introduction!

Hey everyone! My name is Alec Grevstad and am studying speech communication. I've always like this field because I have always liked the aspect of interacting with other people. I feel communicating with others is not only necessary but also a fun way to interact with people with different views than yourself. I want to become a motivational speaker after I graduate and think picking up a speech communication major and a writing minor will help me get closer to my goal. I had a radio show at KBVR for three years and also was on the speech and debate team. I was also on the news team; really anything that involved talking with others. I've never made a blog before but hopefully you will enjoy the things I post! I believe motivation is one of the biggest tools towards success. I like the idea of speech communication because it revolves around the ideology that talking with others can and will advance ourselves. Sometimes I think we forget this. On the other side of the spectrum I believe humor is crucial to daily life. Motivation isn't just nice landscapes; it can be anything, even if it involves laughing at yourself. My blog will have pictures and philosophies of motivation, funny anecdotes, and maybe the occasional enchilada recipe.

My Bio

Hey everyone my name is Alec Grevstad and I am majoring in speech communication with a minor in writing. I would like to use my degree towards becoming a motivational speaker and will hopefully be graduating this year. I am from Gresham, Oregon and recently turned 21! In my free time I like to workout, hang out with friends, and watch movies. I look forward to working with everyone throughout the term!