Teaching expectancy violations theory and self-disclosure through social media profile building

Abstract

Courses: Interpersonal Communication, Computer-Mediated Communication, and Communication Theory.Objectives: This activity introduces students to expectancy violations theory through building a hypothetical social media profile for themselves or a fictional character and then assessing the impact of both positive and negative expectancy violations on anticipated interactions through the site. Students learn how social media can impact daily interactions through the progressive use of question and answer. The authors employ a pragmatic approach to teaching students communication theory, challenging students first to understand basic concepts of the theory, then to synthesize and apply the information, and finally to make critical evaluations of the theory's effectiveness in an online setting reminiscent of students’ own daily lives.