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Altman & Taylor’s Social Penetration Theory, Study notes of Communication

Altman & Taylor’s Social Penetration Theory:Important People In Our Lives

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Altman & Taylor’s Social Penetration
Theory:
Important People In Our Lives
R. Smith Spring 2002
Many people come into and go out of our lives; some have a larger impact
than others. As humans we interact with each other on a daily basis and
relationships are developed, some you may refer to as acquaintances,
some friends, and others as intimate friends. This is a very complex
process that we go through every day of our lives, repeating it over and
over, encountering people that we may end up either knowing or not until
the day we die. There are also people that you go so as far as to love them,
which for me is the highest level of human communication and
involvement. Using the word love is the highest honor that I can give
someone because it puts him/her at the same level as the woman that gave
me life, my mother. My research topic is based on the Altman & Taylor’s
social penetration theory, “The idea that relationships become more
intimate over time when partners disclose more and more information
about themselves.”(Littlejohn250). This may sound like common sense but
it is a large part of how the world works with social and interpersonal
communication.
Altman & Taylor looked at the way that the social penetration was not just a
part of social psychology, but how it is a matter of interpersonal
dissonance. This looked at how an individual develops a personal bond
with another person. The research led to the development of ‘privacy
regulation theory’ (Berkowitz112). Tests were done to demonstrate the
effect of “personal space, territory, crowding, and privacy”(Berkomitz112).
This theory was used to better understand the framework of developing a
relationship. The research took a scientific look at how a relationship
develops, looking at it from the beginning (first sight) to the development
of relationships and put them at different levels.
Altman & Taylor developed a pattern that is broken into “four stages of
relational development”(Littlejohn250). The first is described as
‘orientation of interaction’ and is postulated to occur at the periphery of
personality in ‘public’ areas. “During these initial encounters, individuals
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Altman & Taylor’s Social Penetration

Theory:

Important People In Our Lives

R. Smith Spring 2002

Many people come into and go out of our lives; some have a larger impact than others. As humans we interact with each other on a daily basis and relationships are developed, some you may refer to as acquaintances, some friends, and others as intimate friends. This is a very complex process that we go through every day of our lives, repeating it over and over, encountering people that we may end up either knowing or not until the day we die. There are also people that you go so as far as to love them, which for me is the highest level of human communication and involvement. Using the word love is the highest honor that I can give someone because it puts him/her at the same level as the woman that gave me life, my mother. My research topic is based on the Altman & Taylor’s social penetration theory, “The idea that relationships become more intimate over time when partners disclose more and more information about themselves.”(Littlejohn250). This may sound like common sense but it is a large part of how the world works with social and interpersonal communication.

Altman & Taylor looked at the way that the social penetration was not just a part of social psychology, but how it is a matter of interpersonal dissonance. This looked at how an individual develops a personal bond with another person. The research led to the development of ‘privacy regulation theory’ (Berkowitz112). Tests were done to demonstrate the effect of “personal space, territory, crowding, and privacy”(Berkomitz112). This theory was used to better understand the framework of developing a relationship. The research took a scientific look at how a relationship develops, looking at it from the beginning (first sight) to the development of relationships and put them at different levels.

Altman & Taylor developed a pattern that is broken into “four stages of relational development”(Littlejohn250). The first is described as ‘orientation of interaction’ and is postulated to occur at the periphery of personality in ‘public’ areas. “During these initial encounters, individuals

make only a small part of themselves accessible to others.” (Roloff259). An example of this is the way an individual interacts with others at a party. If the person is outgoing, he/she is perceived as a laugh-out-loud, fun-loving guy/girl with a positive attitude. The behavior of a person says a lot more than is consciously portrayed to others. The way you portray yourself in a public setting is very important. There are many different ways within a social stigma to do this. One example is, you are what you wear, this can be from a bad boy look to a country boy look. Another, is what people can tell about you when they first see you, also known as the ‘orientation of intervention’ effect. That is why they say your first impression is the most important impression.

The second stage is known as the “exploratory affective exchange.” This is when you are just starting to get a feel of a person’s personality. At this point you let down your guard and begin to explore each other. Michel E. Roloff stated it as the, “Expansion of richness of communication in public areas; aspects of personality that were guarded earlier are now revealed in more detail, and less emphasis is placed on caution.” (Roloff259). What this means is that the ice has been broken, and now they can start on a new level of communicating, where people begin to share certain attributes. If both parties find this stage rewarding they are more willing to move on to the next stage of building a relationship.

‘Exploratory affective exchange’ is simply that, exploring and learning more information about each other on a personal level. The, “Initial expansion of information and movement to a deeper level of disclosure take place.”(Littlejohn250). Roloff explains this as, “Relationships at this stage are generally more friendly and relaxed, and movement toward intermediate areas of intimacy is begun.”(Roloff259). The movement that they mention is the same as expansion of personal information because it would be hard not to be friends with someone that knows a lot about you. With intimate knowledge comes caring. When you have passed through the first stage of orientation you begin to develop a deeper sense of trust and a willingness to communicate. With this willingness to communicate you begin to share details about your life. You talk about family and friends, who are an important part in your life. With this openness you begin to share more of your feelings and soon become comfortable enough to let the other person in. This is the beginning of a new friendship. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English language says that a friend is defined as, “A person whom one knows, likes and trusts.”

process of peeling away the outer layers that are used to protect themselves from the world.

One must really take a look at and examine the Social Penetration Theory to be able to understand the interactions people face everyday. We all begin, and usually desire to have the stable exchange, which is the final stage with selected people. In order to obtain the intimacy of the final stage we must learn to break down the barriers that we have built up as our safeguards to protect us from being hurt or damaged. We all must go through the social penetration steps in order to achieve the desired relationship and/or friendship. We meet different people in our lifetime, yet we choose only a handful that we truly let into our soul.

Works Cited

Altman, Irwin. “Dialectics, Physical Environments, and Personal Relationships.” Communication Monographs 60 (March 1993): 26-29.

Berkowitz, Leonard. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. New York: Academic Press, Inc.1981.

Littlejohn, W. Stephen. Theories of Human Communication. Albuquerque: Wadsworth Group, 2002.

Roloff, Michael, and Gerald R. Miller. Interpersonal Processes. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications, Inc. 1987.