Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT) was developed in 1975 by Charles Berger and Richard Calabrese to explain how people communicate at the beginning of interactions in order to reduce uncertainty. URT posits that when strangers meet, they immediately seek ways to predict each other's behaviors and reduce uncertainty. While URT focuses on reducing uncertainty in initial interactions, Michael Sunnafrank's Predicted Outcome Value Theory argues that people are more motivated by potential rewards than uncertainty reduction. URT also identifies three strategies for reducing uncertainty: passive observation, active information-seeking from third parties, and direct interactive communication through interrogation or self-disclosure.