Examples Of Social Penetration Theory

Social Penetration Theory (Ch. 10) Recently, I met a guy at a party. He was very polite and charming to say the least. We have been on three dates in the past two weeks. I obviously do not know him very well, which is why applying Social Penetration Theory is an acceptable approach to analyzing this relationship. We are both very similar and seem to enjoy one another’s company. On the first date, our conversations were slightly awkward. By our third date, we have become more comfortable. Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor conceptualized Social Penetration Theory (SPT) to better understand relational closeness (West & Turner, 2010). There are four primary assumptions of SPT. The first assumption is “Relationships progress from non-intimate to

73). It is important to keep in mind that SI’s conception is a compilation of multiple individuals including George Herbert Mead, Ralph LaRossa, Donald C. Reitzes, John Dewey, William James, Herbert Bulmer, and many more. Through the integration of all of these researchers there are seven primary assumptions of SI. I will highlight the most relevant assumptions to this relationship. The first assumption is that “humans act toward others on the basis of the meanings those others have for them” (West & Turner, 2010, p. 81). Next, there is the assumption that “meaning is created in interaction between people” (West & Turner, 2010, p. 81). The third assumption is that “meaning is modified through an interpretive process” (West & Turner, 2010, p. 81). The seventh assumption is “social structure is worked out through social interactions” (West & Turner, 2010, p. 81). Self-concept or a “set of perceptions people old about themselves” is an important aspect of SI, because people develop self-concepts through social interactions (West & Turner, 2010, p. 77). The grander scheme of SI is the relationship between the individual and society. The social structure of society and personal factors influence self-conception and behaviors (West & Turner,

There are five assumptions of CPM. The first assumption is that “humans are choice makers, and the second assumption is that “humans are rule makers and rule followers” (West & Turner, 2010, p. 218). The third assumption is “humans’ choices and rules are based on a consideration of others as well as the self” (West & Turner, 2010, p. 218). The final two assumptions are “relational life is characterized by change,” and “contradiction is the fundamental fact of relational life” (West & Turner, 2010, p. 218). The primary principles of CPM are focused on the management of private information. Private information is “information about things that matter deeply to a person” (West & Turner, 2010, p. 219). The five principles of CPM include the ownership, control, rules, co-ownership/guardianship, and boundary turbulence of private information (West & Turner,