UNCERTAINTY REDUCTION THEORY

Charles Berger noted that “the beginning of a personal relationships are fraught with uncertainties”. Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT) focuses on how human communication is used to gain knowledge and create understanding (Griffin, 2009, p. 125). According to Whaley & Samter (2009), people can manage uncertainty that they have about others through communicating and that talking will help us answer our questions and find other means of coping with uncertainty (p. 224).

Berger added on that there are three conditions which act as a booster for us to reduce uncertainty about the other person: anticipation of future interaction (we know we will see them again), incentive value (they have something we want) and deviance (they act in a weird way). He believes that out purpose of communicating is to “make sense” out of our interpersonal world (Griffin, 2009, pp. 125-126).

According to Berger, on our first meeting with a person, we will be facing two types of uncertainty: 

- Behavioural questions -  which is often followed by procedural protocols in easing the behavioural uncertainty can cause

- Cognitive questions – aimed to discover what is unique about the other person as an individual

He also proposes a series of axioms (self evident truths that require no additional proof) which are central to his concept of uncertainty and eight key variables of relationship development:

Axiom 1: Verbal Communication – if the amount of interaction between strangers increases, the level of uncertainty between them will decrease. As uncertainty decreases, verbal communication will increase.

Axiom 2: Nonverbal Warmth - as nonverbal warmth increases on the first meeting, the uncertainty level will decrease.

Axiom 3: Information Seeking – information seeking behaviour increases when there’s a high level of uncertainty. The information seeking behaviour will decrease when there’s a decline in uncertainty.

Axiom 4: Self disclosure – high levels of uncertainty in a relationship cause decreases in the intimacy level of communication content. Low levels of uncertainty produce high levels of intimacy.

Axiom 5: Reciprocity – high levels of uncertainty produce high rates of reciprocity. Low levels of uncertainty produce low levels of reciprocity.

Axiom 6: Similarity – similarities between persons reduce uncertainty, while dissimilarities produce increases in uncertainty.

Axiom 7: Liking – increases in uncertainty level produce decreases in liking; decreases in uncertainty produce increases in liking.

Axiom 8: Shared Networks – shared communication networks reduce uncertainty, while lack of shared networks increases uncertainty.

Berger’s message plans to cope with uncertain responses

1.      Seeking information – passive strategy, active strategy and interactive strategy

2.      Choosing plan complexity – a characteristic of a message plan based on the level of detail it provides and the number of contingencies it covers

3.      Hedging – use of strategic ambiguity and humour to provide a way for both parties to save face when a message fails to achieve its goal.

4.      The hierarchy hypothesis – the prediction that when people are thwarted in their attempts to achieve goals, their first tendency is to alter lower level elements of their message

For example:

The above image is an English novel adaptation movie which tells the story of a girl named Georgia and how she ended up in a relationship with Robbie who has just moved to Eastbourne. Georgia first saw Robbie on the first day of school and became instantly attracted to him. She and her friends went to spy on Robbie and his brother right after school while they were exploring the new place (passive strategy) to see what the two cute brothers were like (axiom 3: information seeking). Georgia set up a plan to get closer to Robbie by pretending to Robbie that her cat Angus went missing since she noticed Robbie likes cat (interactive strategy). While searching for Angus, Georgia asked Robbie about him, why did he move to Eastbourne and so on and in return Robbie asked her questions as well (axiom 4: self-disclosure and axiom 5: reciprocity). They found out that they share the same taste in music when Robbie told her that he played in band other than having the same interest in cats (axiom 6: similarity).

References:

Griffin, E. (2009). A first look at communication theory. (7^th ed). New                 York: The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Whaley, B. B., & Samter, W. (2009). Explaining communication:                         contemporary theories and exemplars. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.bn/books? id=58elr6iOOxsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=explaining+communication+-+contemporary+theories+and+exemplers&hl=ms&sa=X&ei=vhOLT-v4CsTZrQe9rpnTCw&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=explaining%20communication%20-%20contemporary%20theories%20and%20exemplers&f=false