Analysis and Evaluation of Expectancy Violations Theory

communication. Additionally, positive and negative violations can be applied to not only

communication with embodied agents, but also face to face communication. If a person violates

expectations in a conversation, such as hugging someone that wasn’t expected to be hugged, it

can be interpreted positively or negatively. The receiver of the hug has personal expectations for

the communication episode, and thus will decide if the hug is a positive or negative violation.

Although Burgoon, et.al. (2016), originally applies EVT to nonverbal and in-person

communication, she also acknowledges the potential extensions of EVT. In this, case, “embodied

agents” are being referenced, but the adaptability of this theory allows it to be applied to a wide

range of communication forms, including through social media, on the phone, or even in letters

or written notes.

Expectancy Violations Theory and Group Settings

Nicholls and Rice (2017) discuss how expectations in society, and in the online

community specifically, are based on social norms. They argue that this idea is strongly

reinforced in group settings, where norms influence what the ultimate expectations are for that

specific group. Additionally, Nicholls and Rice contend that groups tend to set group specific

norms, in the online and offline setting. These norms can be explicit or implicit, but they are

generally understood throughout the group and can establish how communication within the

group reacts to violations of expectations. As an example, Nicholls and Rice explained how, “if a

group member consistently violates norms of behavior within a group, the expectation would be

for that individual group member to violate future norms as well” (p. 244). This consistent

violation can be interpreted negatively or positively by the other group members, thus

establishing an opinion of communication within the group as a whole.

Nicholls and Rice reference three main sets of characteristics which influence the