The theory that describes speakers as either converging toward or diverging away from their audience linguistically in order to achieve social approval or assert group distinctiveness is
A) Communication Accommodation Theory.
B) Revised W-Shaped Adjustment Theory.
C) Compact and Verbose Interaction Styles Theory.
D) Traditional transmission theory.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The theory described is known as Communication Accommodation Theory, which posits that speakers adjust their language based on their perception of their audience in order to either gain social approval or distance themselves to assert group distinctiveness. Option B) and C) are not recognized theories, and option D) is unrelated to this concept.

The Theory That Describes Speakers as Either Converging Toward or Diverging