Language Expectancy Theory: Expectancy Violations of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping

Sample

Many of us have seen one person say something and be praised, while another person says the exact same thing and is met with outrage. Such situations make us wonder, “Why do some people get away with saying things that others cannot?” This question is at the very heart of Language Expectancy Theory (LET). LET explains that we have general beliefs about the kind of language certain speakers can use. The theory also explains why certain individuals are able to use unconventional language and still be persuasive. LET has three primary strengths as a theory. First, it is message-focused. Few theories are concerned with the wording of messages and the effects therein. Second, LET can be applied across contexts. Burgoon, Denning, and Roberts (2002) argued that theory building had been context-driven with little applicability beyond the specific context. LET makes specific predictions from a sociocultural perspective, providing broad explanatory power. Third, LET is ripe for new research. Any number of language or expectancy variables could be examined in combination to find the ideal wording for a variety of source characteristics. To demonstrate the strengths of LET, the theory will be explained in greater detail and a case study of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping will be presented.