ABSTRACT
In this chapter, author Cindy H. White discusses the conceptual foundations of expectancy violations theory and interaction adaptation theory and provides an overview of research utilizing these theories. Expectancy violations theory was developed to understand how communicators assess and respond to violations of interaction expectations, particularly as it relates to nonverbal behavior. The theory has been used to examine a wide variety of interaction contexts including interpersonal relationships, work and political contexts, as well as online communication. Interaction adaptation theory extends key concepts from expectancy violations theory to more fully predict patterns of interaction between communicators that emerge during interaction. Interaction adaptation theory provides insight into factors that influence the initial stance an individual takes in interaction to more fully explicate how individuals respond to one another during interaction and to predict how patterns of interaction are related to outcomes of interaction.
