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Uncertainty Reduction Theory Explained
- 2. The Goal of the Uncertainty Reduction Theory: To discover how communication is used to gain knowledge and understanding. According to Chuck Berger, the goal in new interactions is increasing predictability.
- 3. Uncertainty Reduction Three things will motivate us to decrease uncertainty: Anticipation of future interaction Incentive Value (cost v. benefit) Deviance (finding the cause of strange behaviour) Our ultimate goal in communication: to order our world
- 4. Types of Uncertainty Behavioural uncertainty - can be reduced with actions such as good manners Cognitive uncertainty - Berger’s primary concern Berger developed 7 axioms of initial uncertainty Axiom: “a self- evident truth that requires no additional proof” (126)
- 5. 8 Axioms of the Uncertainty Theory Verbal Communication: As communication increases, uncertainty decreases Nonverbal Warmth: Increases in nonverbal expressions cause uncertainty to decrease (and as uncertainty decreases, nonverbal expressions increase) Information Seeking: As uncertainty decreases, information-seeking behaviours decrease Self-disclosure: As intimacy of communication increases, uncertainty decreases (the converse is true) Reciprocity: “High levels of uncertainty produce high levels of reciprocity.” Similarity: Personal similarities reduce uncertainty Liking: Liking decreases when uncertainty increases (and increases as uncertainty decreases) Shared networks: Having mutual friends decreases uncertainty
- 6. Plan-Based Message Production “Social interaction is goal-driven.” Both parties have goals, motives, and meanings that cause them to individually filter things in a certain way. Plan-based message production: you want a person to do something for you, so you behave and speak in such a way to subtly encourage them to do what you want Plans are not guaranteed to succeed.
- 7. Information Seeking Passive: observation Active: phone a friend Interactive: speak directly
- 8. Formulating a Plan Plan complexity: the level of detail of the plan combined with the number of backup plans in place determine the plan's complexity Hedging: allowing for correction when something goes wrong Hierarchy Hypothesis: lower-level get changed first if somthing goes wrong
- 9. Anxiety/Uncertainty Management Theory William Gudykunst applied Berger's research to intercultural interactions and developed the Anxiety/Uncertainty Management Theory: Anxiety and uncertainty combined are our primary communicational motivators. Uncertainty: mental Anxiety: emotional "Self-esteem, cognitive complexity, perceived similarity, positive power, shared networks, and cooperative tasks"affect uncertainty and anxiety (133)
- 10. Finding Balance There is a minimum amount of uncertainty we should have in order to maintain our interest in the conversation, but we should also not reach the point of anxiety where we are paralyzed with fear and unable to listen or communicate properly.
- 11. Mindfulness Mindfulness transcends cause and effect. The ability to be aware of self and your own beliefs while learning new things and allowing the old and the new to exist in harmony.
Editor's Notes
- If we know generally what to expect, we are not fearful (uncertain) Incentive value: similar to the social penetration theory, they have something that we want. Deviance: they are strange to us and we want to normalize them in our minds.
- Verbal Communication: as verbal communication increases, uncertainty decreases. Nonverbal warmth: as nonverbals become less tense and more natural, uncertainty decreases Information seeking: uncertainty causes awkward, analytical, probing behaviour. As uncertainty decreases, so does information seeking. Self- Disclosure: the level of uncertainty and the level of conversational Intimacy are inversely related. "Most people wait to express attitudes, values, and feelings until they have a good idea what the listener's response will be." Reciprocity: as uncertainty increases, reciprocity increases because no participant inthe conversation wants to allow the other to have the upper hand. In the early Stages of the relationship, The amount of intimate or embarrassing information shared by each person is about equal, but as the relationship progresses, uncertainty decreases and the even distribution of information can fluxuate Similarity: similarity reduces uncertainty Liking: as liking increases, uncertainty decreases Shared networks: mutual friends(common ground) and shared means of communication decrease uncertainty. (Not part of Berger's original theories, but developed later and works) These axioms can be combined to create 28 theorems.
- Message Plans: often in new relationships, We plan our interactions in order to (Social penetration) get what we want from someone through subtlety E.g. trying to get a job (Hierarchy) Plans are not guaranteed to succeed because of miscommunication, misunderstanding, and opposing plans potentially held by the other party
- Since plans are not guaranteed to succeed, how can we try to make things go as smoothly as possible? Seeking Information: passively observing an individual in order to" Read" their potential behaviour Actively asking someone else who knows the individual Interactive strategy is talking with the Individual directly and asking them Questions(reciprocity)
- Choosing plan complexity: the level of detail of the plan combined with the number of backup plans in place determine the plan's complexity. when developing a plan, it is important to evaluate the Situation to see what sort of plan it will require Hedging: allowing for correction when something goes wrong Hierarchy Hypothesis: when plans go awry, the lower levels of the hierarchy are changed first
- Anxiety: instead of uncertainty (simply not knowing) being the primary communicational concern, G. believes it is both uncertainty and anxiety (uneasiness caused by uncertainty). U: mental, A: emotional The AuM theory's primary goal is to improve communication rather than stem personal discomfort (quote 132) Also, in addition to Berger’s axioms, G. believed there were a number of other factors that would influence anxiety and uncertainty communication: "self-esteem, Cognitive complexity, perceived similarity, positive power, shared networks, and cooperative tasks" without these, A and u increase, making communication, particularly intercultural communication more difficult
- G. claims that small amounts of A and U actually help us communicate, but large amounts are a hinderance There is a minimum amount of uncertainty we should have in order to maintain our interest, but we should also not reach the point of anxiety where we are paralyzed with fear and unable to listen or communicate properly.
- Mindfulness is objectivity. It is a way of finding a balance of uncertainty and anxiety that most effectively helps the conversation It transcends cause and effect (which is the basis of Berger’s theory) The ability to be aware of self and its own beliefs while learning new things and allowing the old and the new to exist in harmony Gudykunst believes that while Berger’s axioms are a good start, they have too many errors. Instead of believing that uncertainty reduction drives our communication, (Predicted outcome value:(social penetration theory) cost/benefit analysis of friendship) POV is what drives early interactions Berger acknowledges his miistakes, but still believes that uncertainty, not value, motivates us to communicate.