Dainton and Zelley present the notion that both politeness theory and communication accommodation theory suggest people are more likely to adjust their behavior if they have less power than their interactional partner. Explain and discuss why this is the case.

What will be an ideal response?

People will likely engage in more politeness or will converge to their partner if they perceive this person as having more power. This is often the case when a student speaks with a professor or an employee speaks with a boss or company owner. Responses may include understanding of the power differential in every communication interaction. Describe commonalities across the theories studied.