Communication Accommodation Theory

Abstract

A lack of face-to-face interactions affects society while digital influences on the world create and sustain communications characterized by limited feedback, incomplete information, tentative connections, and misunderstandings. Thousands of digital messages lack the full communication components—sender-receiver-feedback—creating barriers to communication completion. The ability to adapt to the receiver and the medium is enhanced in face-to-face communication, as defined within communication accommodation theory (CAT). CAT allows all parties to emphasize or minimize differences in verbal and non-verbal conversations.