Communication Privacy Management Theory Flashcards

Study Notes

Communication Privacy Management Theory Overview

Communication Privacy Management Theory (CPM) serves as a framework for understanding how individuals manage their privacy in communication.
Privacy boundaries refer to barriers that control the sharing of personal information.

Three Main Parts of the Privacy Management System

Privacy Ownership: Represents personal information and the individual's boundaries around it.
Privacy Control: Involves the decisions made regarding sharing private information.
Privacy Turbulence: Occurs when management of private information doesn't proceed as expected, leading to conflict.

Five Core Principles of CPM

Individuals believe they own their private information and have rights to control it.
Personal privacy rules are created to regulate control over private information.
Sharing private information with others allows those individuals to become co-owners.
Co-owners must negotiate privacy rules about sharing the information with others.
Boundary turbulence results from failures in negotiation and adherence to jointly established privacy rules.

Concept of Ownership and Control

The term "disclosure of private information" is preferred over "self-disclosure" for various reasons, highlighting nuances in the act of sharing.
Ownership of private information grants individuals the autonomy and motivation to establish control over it.

Developing Privacy Rules

CPM functions as a rules-based theory, with personal privacy rules guiding the management of private information.
Five factors influence individual privacy rules: culture, gender, motivation, context, and the perceived risk/benefit ratio.

Co-Ownership and Disclosure

Disclosing private information creates a confidant who becomes a co-owner of that information.
The collective privacy boundary blurs the original ownership, emphasizing shared responsibility among co-owners.

Coordinating Privacy Boundaries

Co-owners must negotiate mutual privacy boundaries to balance rights and responsibilities in managing shared information.
Types of confidants include:
- Shareholders: Agree to original owner's privacy rules.
- Deliberate Confidants: Actively seek private information and may have less control over the information.
- Reluctant Confidants: Do not wish for disclosure and feel less compelled to protect the shared information.
Boundary Linkage: Integrates the confidant into the privacy boundary, determining who else may have access to the information.
Boundary Permeability: Refers to how open or closed privacy boundaries are, affecting the flow of information.

Boundary Turbulence Consequences

Boundary turbulence results from ineffective negotiation of privacy rules, potentially damaging relationships.
Reactions to turbulence often involve attempts to restore disrupted relationships.
Fuzzy Boundaries: Occur without clear mutual understanding of privacy rules.
Intentional Breaches: Happen when a confidant deliberately reveals confidential information.
Confidentiality Dilemmas: Arise when the confidant must balance the original owner's wishes against well-being issues.
Mistakes and timing misjudgments can also lead to boundary turbulence.

Critique of CPM

CPM fulfills many criteria for a robust interpretive theory but lacks aesthetic appeal and clarity.
A gap exists in offering guidance on conducting negotiations or resolving boundary turbulence situations.
Over 35 years, Petronio has acknowledged ambiguities and worked to enhance clarity within the theory.

Description

Explore the fundamental concepts of Communication Privacy Management Theory through these flashcards. Understand how privacy boundaries influence the sharing of personal information and the intricate system proposed by Petronio. Perfect for students looking to grasp the essentials of privacy management in communication.