Expectancy Violations Theory
In
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Introduction
I have seen a lot of films before, but lately I had watched one which is really different from the others. Well, it’s no big deal. It’s just that I need to explain the movie in connection with the theory “Expectancy Violations”. I really need to analyze the movie entitled “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” in relation to that communication theory.
In
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Introduction
I have seen a lot of films before, but lately I had watched one which is really different from the others. Well, it’s no big deal. It’s just that I need to explain the movie in connection with the theory “Expectancy Violations”. I really need to analyze the movie entitled “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” in relation to that communication theory.
I believe that explaining it is quite difficult. Studying Communication is just like Science, you need to explain the “how and why” of things which regards to communication processes. Same with the scientific method of inquiry (a step by step process), there are proposed theories to further explain and elaborate the ways of communication in every living things especially “we people”.
Summary of the Movie
Romance, comedy, action, drama and a whole lot more are all in the Paramount Picture’s film “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”. This is a story of a “How to Girl” columnist Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) who works in a woman’s magazine “Composure”. She’s expected by her boss to write something new aside from the latest fashion news, trends and tips. She’s about to write an article of recent origin and exciting to read for their next edition. Well, Andie planned to write on “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”, she got that idea from her officemate Michelle’s depressing love life experience. She thought that this could be a great scheme and for the readers to be thrilled. Andie would definitely find the lucky guy, date with him, do such annoying things to drive him crazy, and later on she will dump him after 10 days. She will dare to do anything by herself alone, and jot down everything based on her experiences.
Then, it was Ben, a successful advertising guru (Matthew McConaughey) who was chosen to be the lucky man. He’s working from the Delure Diamonds Company. Not knowing that both had set their own plans and strategies to win their bets. The two of them thought that having each other would be a great privilege, and to be able to reach their specific goals. But both fell in love with each other. They gave in and things turn out unexpectedly. They were both caught on their set traps in the end.
This movie could be further explained through the Expectancy Violations Theory. My explanation on this film is divided into different parts: Definition of EVT, Analysis and Conclusion.
Definition of EVT
Expectancy Violations Theory is a communication theory which is proposed by Judee Borgoon. This theory is based from Edward Hall’s coined term “Proxemics”. It refers to the appropriate personal space within specific cultures. “He claimed that Americans have four proxemic zones.” They are intimate, personal, social and public space and each has a specific personal distance, relating to the relationships. Without Hall’s idea that each individual has its personal space where his/her norms are molded within, EVT will not be understood. It is also explained in proxemics in which we people uses our personal space where we can be our own selves and we can choose to be away from others. In connection with EVT, there are instances that others will violate our own private zones—even our expectations in a given situation.
“The theory’s assumptions and its core concepts clearly demonstrate the importance of nonverbal messages and information processing”. (West, pg.128). But her theory broadened in 1980, as “Burgoon had realized that proxemic behavior is part of an interconnected system of nonlinguistic cues. She began to apply the model to a host of other nonverbal variables—facial expression, eye contact, touch and body lean” (Griffin 2006, pg.84). Burgoon didn’t stop there as she continued to research and bloom this theory in what it has evolved into today. “It has since been expanded to include behaviors other than non-verbal”.
Let’s see how these explications will work in connection with the film. In order to understand EVT, we need to elaborate its 3 core concepts: Expectancy, Violation Valence, and Communicator Reward Valence.
Expectancy- “it is what is predicted to occur rather than you desired”. As if you are really sure of your predictions on what will be the possible outcomes, the moment you’ve met a particular person.
Andie and Ben met on a particular night, where it was just their first meeting. They were just strangers then, but they had those flirtatious gestures, eyes gazing with each other and talk in gentle and tempting styles. With those cues, Ben expected that Andie will fall for him; and Andie thought the same. In that certain context/place where they’re in a convention hall, 4 to 10 feet distance is expected since they’re just new acquaintances, but it turned out to be in its intimate distance which is 0 to 18 inches. It’s somehow a violation of space for others, but for them they had dared to do it for the sake of winning their desires and bets—for their works.
The two people had in their minds that they will be a perfect match since they’re professionals in their own ways. They have similarities in their respective aspects and that could be a start of a new relationship. On the other hand, Burgoon explained it this way, “People of all ages and situations in life anticipate that lower-status people will keep their distance from others”. Well, I could say probably that if a she, acts and looks like a high-class and sociable being then, you would certainly suspect that you will click—just like Ben and Andie’s expectations.
Communicators’ characteristics also affect your expectancy. When you see a person who is pretty, adorable, and complaisant you will definitely keep an eye on her—just like Andie. She is a beautiful young lady, with blonde hair and blue eyes, has a fair complexion, and having that sexy and oozing body that no man could ever resist. Ben believes that he’s really on the verge to win the bet for having Andie and meeting her.
Violation Valence- Let’s talk about this other core concept of EVT. “It is a positive or negative value to each unexpected behavior. When the violation valence occurs it is likely to first interpret its meaning, and then lead into deciding if it is positive or negative value”.(Griffins, 200g, 89).
After their first meeting, it happened that Andie is in Ben’s place. As days passed by, she has been starting to do such annoying and foolish things. She brought those stuffs which are usually used by girls—like make-ups, foundation, sanitary napkins, etc.; and put those stuffs on Ben’s cabinet. She changed the color of Ben’s bed cover and replaced it with those pink, girly stuffs and toys. She didn’t even mind to ask Ben’s permission if she’s able to do those awkward deeds. Andie has been violating Ben’s personal space and interrupted every personal routines of Ben. Those were negative impacts for Ben. He had thought that Andie was a well-organized woman. But she absolutely turned out to be Ben’s worst nightmare. Despite all of these, he tried to be patient to accomplish his mission.
Communicator Reward Valence- causes the question, “What can you do for me?” (Griffin, pg. 91) “Burgoon thinks the issue of reward potential moves from the background to the foreground of our minds when someone violates our expectations and there’s no social consensus as to the meaning of the act.” (Griffins 2006, pg. 91)
Both Ben and Andie, made those non-verbal and verbal cues which could make each other fall in love. They had done different things for their ‘works’. Whether it turned out to be positive or negative (referring to the things they had done while still dating), they both seized the moment and opportunities. They tried to understand each flaws in order to maintain their relationship. But all their plans failed, since both cheated, it ended hurting each other.
The reward for the two of them is that even though there were conflicts in the situation they had entered; Ben was able to accomplish his bet, he was able to make an advertisement in endorsing the diamonds for the Delure Diamond Company. Andy, on the other hand was able to write her article and published it.
Conclusion
I had come to the point, wherein, I was able to understand Burgoon’s theory. Yes, we are living in a world where people tried to violate our personal space and so with our expectations. Wherever we are and whatever we do there are always violators—in school, office, and other centrums. In a relationship, there are expectancies. If it’s not fully discussed and understand, we tend to violate them. In the situation of Ben and Andie, their relationship turned out to be an awkward one. They violated their specific norms of conducts as well as their expectancies towards each other. Both had lied and tricked in order to win their bets.
“It is hard to drawl from a hypothesis and receive exact results, as critiques have said, but it causes one to reevaluate their relationships with an understanding of positive or negative value, and finding their reward valences”.(Deanna Williams,2007.)
References:
Griffin, Em. A First Look at Communication Theory. 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2006.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Dir. Donald Petrie. Perf. Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. 2002. DVD. Paramount.
