Communication Accommodation Theory Paper

1060 Words3 Pages

Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) is a concept that explains how people modify their communication styles to accommodate other people during interactions (Giles & Ogay, 2007). In this paper I will be discussing how Communication Accommodation Theory is used in the context of clinical therapy work. For the purposes of this paper, Communication Accommodation Theory will be referred to as CAT. I will use the term mental healthcare professional (MHP) to encompass all professionals who work in the field of mental healthcare, regardless of credentials or licensing. I will refer the individual seeking mental healthcare to the client. Communication Accommodation Theory-Fundamental Concepts Social psychologist, Howard Giles developed Communication …show more content…

This might include their gender, culture, ethnicity, or status within the relationship. These identities influence how people feel about themselves and how they perceive others, which influences the way they communicate. How CAT works in all this is that with the knowledge interactants receive through exchanges of information and identity perception, they will modify their communication styles to either conform with or distinguish themselves from others. An example would be the formality with which one would speak with an employer versus how that same person would speak with their spouse. Third, interactants have expectations about how much they should modify their communication style to accommodate one another. People bring expectations of how they should accommodate others, based on the context of the relationship. These expectations are formed by preconceived notions about different social groups and the social norms that govern a specific situation. They will also assess how they are being accommodated by the other interactants, i.e. whether they feel the other interactant is not accommodating, under accommodating or over accommodating them. Based on the perception of the

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