Communication Accommodation TheoryBy: Howard Giles

Introduction CAT explains the adjustments in speech, vocal patterns, and gestures that

people make to accommodate others. Focused primarily on accommodations made when conversing with members

of culturally diverse groups. Accommodation = adjusting, modifying or regulating behavior in response to

others. Reasons for accommodating:

o wanting to elicit approval,o maintain a positive social identity, oro achieve communicative efficiency

An application of Social Identity Theory1. Social identity (and self-esteem) come in part from group memberships.2. That sense of identity is enhanced through comparison to out-groups.3. Individuals tend to see their group(s) as relatively better than other groups.4. How we perceive the speech and behaviors of another person will contribute

to the evaluation process.5. Language and behaviors impart information about social status and group

belonging.

Ways to Adapt Convergence Divergence Overaccommodation

CritiqueStrengths CAT has been applied to a variety of communication contexts. Simple; easy to understand

Criticisms Perhaps conversations are typically too complex to be reduced to a

dichotomy of convergence versus divergence. (Couldnt people engage inboth processes during an interaction?)