Adaptation Theory

The adaptation theory is based on our expectations and requirements when speaking or interacting with others. When people speak with one another, often there will be some sort of verbal or non verbal feedback in return. Usually, the best way of seeing others feedback is by holding a conversation in person. An example of adaptation theory is when I spoke to my friends about a recent suicide in my hometown this week. Midweek, I received a text from my boyfriend who said a young girl from my high school committed suicide. The response I received from others when I told them I knew someone who had just killed herself was the response I was expecting to get. I knew that once I told my story to others they would either listen or get freaked out about the situation. Some of my friends asked questions, covered their mouths, said oh my God, and even began a conversation about other related stories. One thing I noticed was that everybody had the same initial reaction but responded differently. What I mean by this is some people felt sad in the beginning and then told similar stories, and some were eager to find out what happened. Although I told more than three people about the suicide, the way I responded was also an example of how I applied adaptation theory to my boyfriend’s question. When I received his text I responded my asking who the girl was, if I knew her, and how old she was. After my boyfriend saw that I was curious as to finding out what happened, he responded by telling me how he felt about the situation and how he knew the girl for years. This is an example my feedback towards his question and the response he was looking for. Similar, when I told my friends I was with, they responded by giving me feedback on their experiences with knowing people who committed suicide and how interested they were as to finding out what had really happened to the girl. The topic of the conversation was suicidal death; I feel that most people responded in a similar manner to the topic because they all have been affected by it in some way.