Communication Accommodation Theory

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for effective open disclosure communication of the doctor-patient interaction (Watson & et al., 2015) It is also possible to say that CAT will improve social interactions among interactant(s) (Ayoko & et al., 2002). These improved social interactions can occur at the workplace, school, church, social gatherings and events. Communication accommodation theory may predict how individuals regarded as inferior to others will use the concepts of CAT to foster, sustain and reenact a positive social identity during the times of need such as experiencing an identity conflict. Improving upon how a speaker would speak to enhance his or her competence is roughly what CAT will predict. Lastly, receiving the respect of a highly favored, admirable and well-respected individual that someone likes is included in what CAT will predict about the subject.

Previous research has not found a multitude of effects that communication accommodation theory renders. However the main issue that previous research has not found was how interactant(s) juggle multiple social identities parallels to the management of multiple goals in interaction. Once an individual sees the person that he or she takes a likely in, instantaneously, he or she accommodates to the communicative styles of their interlocutor(s). However, imagine that same person is in the midst of multiple or group of interlocutors what occurs when there are various communication styles and techniques being interacted. What is that one person supposed to do when they encounter such an instance? Now the capacity as to how many social identities can be used while applying communication accommodation theory to situations as such. Another issue is how long will it take to converge each identity to reach their goal and will converging o the converser(s) communicative behaviors lead to that converser(s) to diverge? Eventually accommodating to that interlocutor(s) can backfire and communication competence will not be accomplished.

Previous research has not found how communication accommodation theory juggles multiple identities parallel to the management of multiple goals in an interaction. This is because for every social identity identified, one has to recognize that a goal is associated to that identity during an interaction. An individual may have an identity such as being a homosexual human being. When that individual comes upon an interaction that involves a group of elites as his or her interactant(s), that individual, if he or she takes a liking into the group, will accommodate to their communicative styles for social approval and respect. He or she has the desire to be liked and wanted in the presence of those elites therefore, accommodation occurs. However, if that same individual encounters another communication interaction with another social identity goal, then it concludes that individual has multiple identities. In certain circumstances, the roles of identity can be flip flopped among the interactant(s). One individual who already has or is aware oh their own identity and wants to accommodate to the social identity of their interactant(s) becomes a gap in the research.

Researchers need to conduct a study that includes experimental, descriptive qualitative and descriptive quantitative to study the communication behaviors and styles when a new person moves into an unfamiliar area or introduced to new people. The study should include 6 individuals for a short period of time, intermediate, and long term (permanent). Place the first set of three in an unfamiliar environment and the other three in a relatively familiar environment. With further researching into this experiment, it is agreeable to say that this research will broaden and create new conclusions from CAT.  

References

Giles, H. (2009). Accommodation Theory. In S. W. Littlejohn & K. A. Foss (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Communication Theory (Vol. 1, pp. 1-4). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Reference. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3201900014&v=2.1&u=psucic&it=r&p=GVRL&asid=8412b2b053fb64a6dc23bc119549e4b3

Bielenia-Grajewska, M. (2014). Accommodation. In L. H. Cousins (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Human Services and Diversity (Vol. 1, pp. 11-13). Los Angeles: SAGE Reference. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX6500600016&v=2.1&u=psucic&it=r&p=GVRL&asid=4f126591bac24dba37bc11fd8e86dec5

Giles, H., Linz, D., Bonilla, D., & Gomez, M. L. (2012). Police Stops of and Interactions with Latino and White (Non-Latino) Drivers: Extensive Policing and Communication Accommodation. Communication Monographs, 79(4), 407-427. doi:10.1080/03637751.2012.723815

Ayoko, O. B., Härtel, C. J., & Callan, V. J. (2002). RESOLVING THE PUZZLE OF PRODUCTIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE CONFLICT IN CULTURALLY HETEROGENEOUS WORKGROUPS: A COMMUNICATION ACCOMMODATION THEORY APPROACH. International Journal Of Conflict Management, 13(2), 165.

Pitts, M. J., & Harwood, J. (2015). Communication accommodation competence: The nature and nurture of accommodative resources across the lifespan. Language & Communication, 4189-99. doi:10.1016/j.langcom.2014.10.002

Gasiorek, J., Van de Poel, K., & Blockmans, I. (2015). What do you do when you can’t accommodate? Managing and evaluating problematic interactions in a multilingual medical environment. Language & Communication, 41. 84-88. doi:10.1016/j.langcom.2014.10.005

Scott, M.A., & Caughlin, J. P. (2015). Communication Nonaccommodation in Family Conversations About End-of-Life Health Decisions. Health Communication, 30(2), 144-153. doi:10.1080/10410236.2014.974128

Hehl, J., & McDonald, D. D. (2014). Original Article: Older Adults’ Pain Communication During Ambulatory Medical Visits: An Exploration of Communication Accommodation Theory. Pain Management Nursing, 15466-473. doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2012.03.007

Watson, M. B., Angus, D., Gore, L., & Farmer, J. (2015). Communication in open disclosure conversations about adverse events in hospitals. Language & Communication, 41. 57–70. doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2014.10.013

Hewett, G. D., Watson, M. B., Gallois, C. (2015). Communication between hospital doctors:

Underaccommodation and interpretability. Language & Communication, 41. 71-83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2014.10.007