Affordances/
Affordance Theory

Alena Pospíšil Macková, Masaryk University, Czechia
amackova@fss.muni.cz

Martina Novotná, Masaryk University, Czechia
martina.novotna@mail.muni.cz

Affordances refer to the perceived or actual functionalities and possibilities that a technology or platform offers to its users. The concept of affordances is rooted in Gibsonian ecological psychology, emphasising the relationship between an organism and its environment. Affordances in his theory refer to the possibilities for action that the environment offers to an individual. The term ‘technological affordances’ was later coined by Ian Hutchby as a reaction against social constructivism to describe the materially based constraints on what could be done with technological artifacts. Scholars often apply affordance theory to understand how features and design of certain technologies shape communication dynamics and users' activities, and how users perceive and interact with technologies. Communication researchers adopt relational approach on affordances acknowledging that while the material characteristics of technology shape user interactions, they do not solely dictate the range of possibilities available to users. Affordances thus empower users with a sense of agency, allowing them to perform specific actions. For instance, the ‘like’ button on social media platforms allows users to express approval or agreement with the content. Affordance theory hence examines users' perceptions of what they can do with a particular technology. In the case of social media, it could include the perceived possibilities for communication, self-presentation, sharing information, or connecting with others. The affordance theory has faced criticism for potential technological determinism and has undergone refinement to incorporate contextual factors, user agency, and the dynamic nature of technology use. However, the conceptualisation of ‘affordances’ and its application significantly differ across studies. Additionally, the theory plays a crucial role in design, where designers use affordances to predict user interactions with a product or platform.

Keywords: affordances, user agency, technological determinism

Related Entries: Communication, Opinion, Public Opinion

References:
Boyd, D. (2010). Social network sites as networked publics: affordances, dynamics, and implications. In Papacharissi Z (ed.) Networked self: Identity, community, and culture on social network sites (pp. 39–58). Routledge
Evans, S. K., Pearce, K. E., Vitak, J., & Treem, J. W. (2017). Explicating affordances: A conceptual framework for understanding affordances in communication research. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 22(1), 35–52. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12180
Gibson, J. J. (1977). The theory of affordances. In R. Shaw & J. Bransford (Eds.), Perceiving, acting, and knowing: Toward an ecological psychology (pp. 67–82). Erlbaum.
Hutchby, I. (2001). Technologies, texts and affordances. Sociology, 35(2), 441–456. https://doi.org/10.1177/S0038038501000219
Ronzhyn, A., Cardenal, A. S., & Batlle Rubio, A. (2023). Defining affordances in social media research: A literature review. New Media & Society, 25(11), 3165-3188. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221135187