The Social Penetration Theory Of Communication - 1509 Words

The Social Penetration Theory and Its Application to Plot Lines for Successful Films Everyone goes through situations in which they form new relationships with people they previously did not know. For example, when a student moves onto a college campus for his or her freshman year, the student will have to go through the process of making new friends and getting to know his or her roommate. The social penetration theory of communication explains how new relationships form and the levels a relationship must go through before it can be described as being friends. The social penetration theory can be described as a theory of self-disclosure. Altman and Taylor created the social penetration theory to explain how†¦show more content†¦The layers of self-disclosure can be identified as layers of an onion. Self-disclosure can be referred to as layers of an onion because in the relationship you peel back a layer at a time. The outer layer of the onion is only superficial communication that is not as intimate and can be seen by any of the public. This communication ca n include height, weight, where someone works or goes to school, etc. The inner layer of the onion includes more personal communication that is not always seen by the public. This inner layer can include communication that involves a persons goals, values, and beliefs. In a study done in 2012, bloggers tended to stick to the outer layers of the onion when discussing topics in their blogs (Tang). The social penetration theory and social media’s impact on the theory will be expanded upon more later on in the paper. Two big pieces of this social penetration theory puzzle are depth and breadth of self-disclosure. The depth of self-disclosure is how deep someone can penetrate the layers of the onion or how deep your self-disclosure goes. The more intimate someone is in the relationship the more depth of self-disclosure that relationship will have. Where-as the breadth of self-disclosure is the range of topics in which disclosure takes place within a relationship. Younger people t end to have more breadth where-as the older generation tends to take partShow MoreRelatedThe Social Penetration Theory Of Interpersonal Communication814 Words   |  4 PagesThe Social Penetration Theory interpersonal communication was proposed by the psychologists and theorists, Altman and Taylor in 1973, with the idea of offering an explanation for the closeness or intimacy that can develop between two people. â€Å"The social penetration theory states that as relationships develop, communication moves from relatively shallow, no intimate levels to deeper, more personal ones.†(Altman and Taylor in 1973.) They also proposed that this process towards closeness, is regulatedRead MoreThe Effects of Facebook Communication on Social Penetration Theory1456 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract The Effects of Facebook Communication on Social Penetration Theory This paper examines a possible study to measure how CMC -- specifically Facebook communication -- is changing and evolving social penetration theory (Altman Taylor, 1973). More specifically, the surveys are designed to determine if self-disclosure is happening more quickly in Facebook relationships. Altman and Taylor examine the stages of self-disclosure in social penetration theory and this study will determine if theRead MoreSocial Penetration Theory827 Words   |  4 PagesFounder of the theory The founders of the theory were Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor. Altman is a distinguished professor of psychology at the University of Utah whereby Taylor is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, Arlington. Altman and Taylor developed this theory to provide an understanding of the closeness between two individuals. Apparently, social penetration is defined as a process that moves a relationship from non-intimate to intimate. The theory states that thisRead MoreSocial Penetration Theory : Arizona Sate University1581 Words   |  7 Pages Social Penetration Theory Conner Farquharson Arizona Sate University For a young child, telling a secret to the person he or she likes is a big deal. But the secrets that are told are minor, probably about a favorite item or candy. Not knowing at the time but social penetration theory is going on. Information about oneself is communicated to friends, loved ones, and acquaintances on a daily basis, sometimes without knowing we are revealing personal information. As weRead MoreSocial Penetration Theory : Crazy, Love1117 Words   |  5 PagesMaggie Decena Professor McNelis September 22nd, 2017 Application of Social Penetration Theory The film Crazy, Stupid, Love depicts the dissolution of Cal Weaver’s once perfect life. High school sweethearts living in a suburban town with steady jobs and kids, Cal and his wife Emily share the illusion of a picture-perfect love story. However, when Emily reveals her act of adultery, she asks Cal for a divorce. Cal falls into a deep depression that leads him to bask in his sorrows at singles barsRead MoreAnalysis Of 500 Days Of Summer1714 Words   |  7 Pagesimportant communication theory. In this paper, I would like to focus on the social penetration theory revealed in 500 Days of Summer. In this movie, some essential perspectives of penetration theory are revealed: depth and breadth of penetration, stages of the penetration theory, and verbal and non-verbal communication. In this essay, I am going to discuss these three characteristics revealed in the movie, 500 Days of Summer with my observations. First of all, depth and breadth of penetration is revealedRead MoreSocial Penetration Theory And The Theory981 Words   |  4 Pages Social Penetration Theory Yunsik Jung Western Kentucky University Abstract Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor originally created the Social Penetration Theory and the theory deals with the ways in which relationships develop and progress. It explains how communication enriches the relationship of two or more individuals. The theory states that closeness develops if communication begins at relatively shallow non-intimate levels and moves in gradual and orderly fashion to deeper more personal levelsRead MoreSocial Penetration Theory By Irwin Altman And Dalmas1511 Words   |  7 Pages Irwin Altman and Dalmas introduces Social Penetration theory in chapter 8 and they explain the theory as â€Å"the idea that relationships become more intimate over time when partners disclose more and more information about themselves† (Littlejhon, 2002). This paper will showcase social media and how it relates to how individuals self-disclose in social penetration theory. A short history of social media and the direction it’s headed will also be included. Facebook, a platform has become a phenomenonRead MoreThe Breakfast Club Movie Analysis1668 Words   |  7 Pagesfirsthand. Throughout the movie, communication and the formation of relationships prove to be main focal points. Using concepts such as the Social Penetration Theory, the Uncertainty Reduction Theory, and the Turning Point Model, the famous movie The Breakfast Club successfully demonstrates the many forms of interpersonal communication and the stages of relationship development. The first theory exemplified in the film is the Social Penetration Theory. This theory, developed by Dalton and TaylorRead MoreSocial Penetration Theory ( Altman And Taylor s Theory882 Words   |  4 Pages Social Penetration Theory Hermeet Kalsi, Ancheta Aaron, Millie, Stephanie, Lucà ­a Skinner Mission College â€Æ' Social Penetration Theory (Altman and Taylor’s, 1973) The Social Penetration Theory interpersonal communication was proposed by the psychologists and theorists, Altman and Taylor in 1973, with the idea of offering an explanation for the closeness or intimacy that can develop between two people. â€Å"The social penetration theory states that as relationships develop, communication