Tim Lee

Dr. Black

PSCI 344

7 February 2022

Theory Applications

Constructivism:

As a pre-teen, I was much less aware of other people’s emotions and was very naive. If I were to

take an RCQ test as a pre-teen, I would have most likely scored very low. When talking with my

cousin from Korea, we were talking about college and what she wanted to pursue career-wise.

When she said that she wanted to go to an Ivy League school, I laughed at her, saying that there

was no way that was going to happen. To me, it was a ridiculous idea, and I thought she was

joking, but to her, she was dead serious. Especially in Korean culture, education is at the top in

terms of importance, which I knew but did not take into account at that time. Unable to realize

her discomfort, I proceeded to keep talking, in which she responded in a much softer tone, but I

had no awareness at that time to see her current emotional state. Later, my mom called me to her

room and questioned me about what had happened. This was because my cousin called her mom

in Korea, crying and talking about what I had said to her. I had a very limited amount of

interpersonal constructs, so I was unable to understand her personality or behavior, therefore

failing to create a person-centered message. Had I put myself in her shoes and “taken the role of

the other,” I would have been able to adjust and realize what message I should have sent, rather

than the insult I threw at her.

Expectancy Violations:

During the summer, I play a lot of pick-up basketball. At my home gym, usually, you go in with

a group of friends, you find a court, and you start to play with the people you know. When you
Tim Lee

Dr. Black

PSCI 344

7 February 2022

do play with strangers, it’s all business. A short greeting, and then you don’t talk until the very

end of the game. However, one day there is an old man who walks into the gym and asks if he

can play. He strikes up a conversation with me and is way in my personal space, despite meeting

him for the very first time. He is telling me stories and jokes during breaks and the game, like

how he played at the same high school as a random NBA player, as well as what he did for a

living. For me, this was very much unexpected, as most people at the gym only talk to the people

they know, and even then, not to this extent. However, in terms of the violation valence, I

actually placed a positive value on it. Although he was breaking pick-up basketball social norms,

the conversation was one that I enjoyed listening and interacting with, and I even reciprocated

whatever information he was sent to me. While what I expected and desired when coming to the

gym was much different than the old man, I think both of us had positive experiences because

the old man was willing to break social norms to reach a higher level of communication with me.

Social Penetration Theory:

Every year, at my church, there was a winter break retreat that I would go to. From 6th grade up

to 10th grade, I went with the same group of guys. What was interesting was during the retreat,

the level of self-disclosure was very high. Everyone would talk about their intimate experiences

with God, any struggles they were going through, and more. Towards the end of the retreat, the

depth of penetration was very deep, and it seemed like the group had this intimacy with each

other. However, immediately after the retreat, the process of depenetration would start. The same

questions and concerns that our leaders asked us were answered in a more closed-off, less
Tim Lee

Dr. Black

PSCI 344

7 February 2022

personal matter. Guys who would open up about everything had absolutely nothing to say during

Sunday small groups; they closed up that part of their lives. And that deeper connection we all

felt in our relationships faded away. What was also interesting was it was reciprocal, all of us

disclosed more intimate stories at the retreat, but we would all hold back during Sundays. It was

almost as if it was a social rule to do so, and this happened for four years. In addition, at the

retreat, our small group would only interact with those in the group, no one else. During the

retreat, our CL levels were satisfactory, and in terms of salt, there were no other relationships

that had a better outcome. However, when we went back to our church, people from our group

would hang out more with other members of the church or stay with their family members. This

is because those relationships had a more positive value and outcome to them.

Social Information Processing Theory:

When talking to people in real life, I have a tendency to not think before I say something, and

often I would say something that would be strange, misinterpreted, or even harmful. My mother

often called me out on this because it would often be such a common occurrence. However,

when I finally got my first phone in the 8th grade, having that asynchronous channel and being

able to communicate on my own time rather than having that face-to-face pressure made me

more relaxed and thoughtful of what I was going to say. Many times I would have something

typed out on my phone, but after thinking it through, I would delete the message and type out

something else. I think especially the second part of Walther’s hyperpersonal perspective

involving the medium; of being able to edit and contemplate my ideas and messages is especially
Tim Lee

Dr. Black

PSCI 344

7 February 2022

implemented in my life. Whether it be with friends, family, lab partners, or teachers, I never just

send the message. Rather, I plan the message out, read it again, and take out some things if I

have to before I click send. That is why on sensitive and risky topics, I would prefer the channel

of online communication, due to the fact that the user is given more time and opportunity to

present the best message possible, allowing for arguably a more meaningful conversation.

Uncertainty Reduction Theory:

When going to college, I often found that uncertainty drove my actions whenever I was picking

what class I should take. Amongst the four strategies, I would use an active and extractive

strategy to try to lower my uncertainty. I would ask classmates and friends about their

experiences in a certain class. I also found myself often looking on the internet on

ratemyprofessors.com, as well as the online course catalog and description, constantly

“information seeking” in order to try to reduce my uncertainty as much as possible. When the

start of a new semester came, I would go to class with still a very high uncertainty, but many

times this level of uncertainty would drop drastically after the first day. This is because I would

be able to receive verbal communication and information from the Professor, see his/her body

language throughout the class period, as well as find any similarities based on her introduction.

By receiving an increase of those axioms, my uncertainty is decreased; therefore, I am able to

gain more knowledge of the anticipated relationship and be able to communicate in a manner

that allows me to achieve my goals with the relationship. In addition, by receiving a calendar and
Tim Lee

Dr. Black

PSCI 344

7 February 2022

syllabus, one is able to anticipate future interactions in a more informed way, allowing one to be

able to predict more accurately the next interaction.