Comm 330 Exam 2 Guide Chapter 2 Communicating Identity Three interrelated theoretical perspectives illuminate how people use communication to present themselves in a positive light 1 self presentation 2 Goffman s dramaturgical approach that suggests people are similar to actors on a stage and 3 Brown and Levinson s politeness theory including preventive and corrective facework o Our efforts at self presentation reflect the things we do to portray a particular image of self while the latter two approaches involve activities that are a part of everyday interaction Self presentation is usually a matter of highlighting certain aspects of ourselves for different audiences Attractiveness deception is a ubiquitous form of online identity enhancement Display rules pretending to understand someone hiding your anger from people putting on a happy face All of these are part of face maintenance Emotional labor people must display certain attitudes or emotions at work When deception is detected it produces detrimental personal and relational consequences The ideal self presentation strikes a balance between positivity and plausibility Role flexibility can help us be more effective communicators as long as we re not manipulating others for evil purposes Affinity seeking behavior actions designed to attract others These include attending to how we look appearing interested in conversations emphasizing similarities and portraying an image as a fun person Most of our self presentational strategies are relatively habitual and performed unconsciously Goffman maintained that we constantly enact performances geared for audiences with the purpose of advancing a beneficial image of ourselves 3 conditions why impression management is important o The behavior reflects highly valued core aspects of self We are more concerned about the success of our impression management when we try to portray an image that is at the core of our identity than less central aspects of ourselves o Successful performance is tied to vital positive or negative consequences if your success in a cherished relationship depends on your ability to convince your partner of your commitment the importance of impression management heightens o The behavior reflects directly on valued rules of conduct some people think PDA is inappropriate and when they re violated frequently it leads to face threatening When a performance is threatens the image that one wants to convey to a certain audience it is reserved for the back stage We expect other people to accept our identities and to help us save face when we accidentally display an undesired image Brown and Levinson developed politeness theory which focuses on the specific ways that people manage and save face using communication Positive face is the favorable image that people portray to others and hope to have validated by others Reflects our desire to be liked by others Negative face reflects our desire to be free from imposition and restraint and to have control over our own territory possessions time space and resources Politeness theory revolves around 4 general assumptions o Threats to positive and negative face are an inherent part of social interaction Positive and negative face needs are managed in every interaction o The assumption that people s positive and negative faces can be either validated or threatened by interaction Face threatening acts individual s identity by threatening either their positive or negative face desires FTAs are behaviors that detract from an o Both members of an interaction are motivated to avoid threatening either their own or the interaction partner s face needs o The severity of FTAs depends on several factors 6 factors affect the degree to which an FTA is perceived to be severe The more important the rule that is violated the more severe the FTA The more harm the behavior produces the more severe the FTA The more the actor is directly responsible for the behavior the more severe the FTA The more of an imposition the behavior is the more severe the FTA The more power the receiver has over the sender the more severe the FTA The larger the social distance between sender and receiver the more 5 options that individuals have when considering FTA severe the FTA o The bald on record strategy is characterized by primary attention to task and little attention to helping the partner save face This is the most efficient strategy but also the most face threatening Used when maximum task efficiency is important or where a large difference in power or status exists between actors o The positive politeness strategy is intended to address the receiver s positive face while accomplishing the task o The negative politeness strategy tries to address the receiver s negative face while still accomplishing the task The key is that the receivers do not feel coerced into complying but feel that they are performing the act of their own volition o The going off record strategy is characterized by primary attention to face and little attention to task o Decide not to engage in the FTA individuals often choose to forgo face threatening tasks completely in favor of preserving face Preventive facework Preventative strategies seek to prevent future damage by framing the message in friendlier softer terms is characterized by efforts to avoid or minimize potential face threat o Disclaimers o 5 general disclaimers that individuals use before saying or doing something that is are the most common form of preventative facework face threatening 1 hedging 2 credentialing 3 sin license 4 cognitive disclaimer 5 appeal for suspended judgment o Verbal self handicapping minimize the face threat of a potentially poor performance people will sometimes offer an excuse that serve to o The various disclaimers all serve to soften the potential face threat that might result from impending action Corrective facework is characterized by efforts to repair an identity already damaged by something that was said or done May be performed by the person whose face was threatened 6 general corrective strategies for repairing a damaged face o Avoidance o Humor o Apologies o Accounts attempts to explain the FTA excuses justification o Remediation attempts to repair physical damage o Aggression PAGES 174 180 Supportive Communication Supportive communication verbal and nonverbal behavior produced with the intention of providing assistance to others perceived as needing that aid Several different types of