Conceptualizing Communication

Abstract

This chapter provides theoretical justification for the model described in the previous chapter. The evolutionary drive to create and sustain a comfortable personal world is first explored, giving consideration not only to the imperatives of physical survival and procreation but also social ‘survival.’ Altruism is discussed, as a potential countercase to the model’s claim that interaction always pursues outcomes beneficial to the speaker. The model’s concept of ‘context’ is considered in relation to pragmatic theory and theories of persuasion and formulaic language, before various issues directly relating to the Context, Resources, and Processing components are explored, including the management of explicitness.