Adaptation Theory

            The adaptation theory is connected to the way individuals react through interpersonal communication. The person that you are speaking to connects with a combination of expectations, requirements, and even desires that they take into consideration throughout the conversation. Out of three conversations that I had, one in particular seemed to make the most impact. When communicating with a friend of mine, she had asked me how my day was. This is a typical and familiar question that is asked throughout day to day conversation. I responded to the question by saying.” To be honest it has been a horrible day. My phone won’t turn on and my mom is mad at me and nothing seems to be going my way.” I was actually having a great day but I wanted to see what my friend’s reaction would be when answering in such a way.

            The adjustments that were made occurred when responding to my friend. I made sure to speak at a very monotone level, indicating that I wasn’t in a very happy mood. I made sure to use little to no facial expressions, which is something that I do all the time. I needed to make sure that my friend could tell that I wasn’t my usual fun and humorous self. Those adjustments had to be made in order to receive feedback. My friend immediately went for my shoulder in order to indicate that she was there to help me get through the horrible day that I was having. Additionally, she stepped in closer to my body to show that our relationship was a close one and that she would always be there for me. Finally, she hugged me to ensure that everything was going to be okay.

            The topic plays an important role when it comes to adaptation theory, for non verbal and verbal messages rely on the context. If it was a much more serious matter, something such as loosing a loved one or maybe telling her that I was moving would have made her more emotional and react in a different way than she did. Although my situation was a negative one, it called for a different way of responding and adapting than other situations would. The adjustments are made depending on the party. In this case this was a very close friend of mine. She was someone who was going to be there for me whether I was having a great day or a bad day. If I had told this to an acquaintance or someone I rarely speak to, they would have responded differently. They would have probably just felt sorry and that would have been the end of it. I wasn’t surprised at the way my friend responded because that is how I would have responded to someone else. Adaptation theory depends on the person you are speaking to and knowing how they express themselves in other various situations.