The multiple audience dilemma is a communication theory that describes what happens when a person (or group) creates different images of themselves when communicating with different audiences. For example, a study investigated the behavior of participants who were instructed to portray themselves as a "nerd" to one group and a "party animal" to another. Individuals engage in a network of ongoing relationships. The dilemma arises when a message is intended for different groups of people who may have varying levels of knowledge and understanding, different cultural backgrounds, diverse interests and expectations. Therefore, when the person and the different audiences meet together, the person must somehow present a common image that both audiences find acceptable. The multiple audience dilemma might happen through choosing to act in a specific way to convey a personality that matches both images of the self that both audiences are familiar with, as a way of compromising for both audiences without one or both. This is also known as the multiple audience problem, or the multiple audience predicament.
Psychological mechanisms Several underlying psychological mechanisms create conflicting goals and pressure on individuals to communicate effectively with multiple audiences. The multiple audience dilemma highlights the complex nature of one's social identity, as well as the challenges one may face as they navigate through different social contexts and expectations. Consequently, when an individual communicates with different audiences, they may switch between these different social identities depending on the situation at hand or type of audience they are interacting with. There are often, however, conflicting norms and expectations held by the different groups. This creates a dilemma for the individual about how to communicate effectively with each audience. For example, one may act differently with their friends as compared to with their family, or one may act differently in a professional setting as compared to when they are with peers. This conflict often creates a psychological tension, known as cognitive dissonance, as the individual tries to maintain a sense of coherence in their behavior and identity while satisfying the expectations of the different groups. The individual may experience stress or anxiety as they try to balance such competing demands, which in turn is likely to impact their sense of self-worth and self-esteem. Additionally, the Self-Presentation Theory, also known as impression management, suggests that people strategically present themselves in ways that are likely to be perceived favorably by their audience. In the case of the multiple audience dilemma, individuals may feel pressure to present themselves differently to each audience in order to meet their expectations and avoid negative evaluations. Moreover, the Attribution theory proposes that individuals make attributions about the causes of behavior based on their observations of others. In the case of the multiple audience dilemma, one may be concerned about how their behavior will be attributed by each audience, hence may adjust their behavior accordingly.
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