Chapter 10 Uncertainty Reduction Theory By Charles Berger Intro encounters Its natural to have doubts about our ability to predict the outcome of initial The beginnings of personal relationships are fraught with uncertainties Uncertainty Reduction Theory URT is used to gain knowledge and create understanding Primary concern when strangers meet is either reducing uncertainty or focuses on how human communication increasing predictability Factors that drive us 1 Anticipation of the future interaction will we see them again 2 Incentive value they have something we want 3 Deviance they act in a weird way main purpose of talking to people is to make sense of our interpersonal world Uncertainty Reduction To predict explain Attribution theory Do it to predict explain behavior The more knowledge we have of a person the better we can predict people draw inferences about why people do what they do future interactions Behavioral cognitive questions for interactions URT focuses on cognitive what to ask An Axiomatic Theory Certainty about Uncertainty Axiom Berger proposes a series of axioms to explain the connection between his self evident truth that requires no additional proof concept of uncertainty and 8 key variables of relationships 1 Verbal Communication 2 Nonverbal Warmth 3 Information seeking 4 Self disclosure 5 Reciprocity 6 Similarity 7 Liking 8 Shared Networks Axiom 1 Verbal Communication As the amount of verbal communication between strangers increases the level of uncertainty for each interactant in the relationship will decrease Verb Comm Uncertainty Axiom 2 Nonverbal Warmth Head nods smiles decrease uncertainty Warmth Uncertainty Axiom 3 Information Seeking High levels of uncertainty causes an increase in information seeking behaviors Uncertainty Info Seeking behavior Axiom 4 Self Disclosure High levels of uncertainty in a relationship causes a decrease in the intimacy levels Uncertainty Self Disclosure Axiom 5 Reciprocity High levels of uncertainty high levels of reciprocity Reciprocal vulnerability is important in the early stages of a Uncertainty Reciprocity relationship Axiom 6 Similarity Similarities between persons decreases uncertainty Similarity Uncertainty Axiom 7 Liking If you know more about someone you ll like them more Liking Uncertainty Axiom 8 Shared Networks Shared communication networks reduces uncertainty Shared Networks Uncertainty Theorems The Logical Force of Uncertainty Axioms 28 logical extensions of the 8 axioms theorem proposition that logically follows from 2 axioms If similarity reduces uncertainty and reduced uncertainty increases liking then similarity and liking are positively related Message Plans to Cope with Uncertain Responses Social interactions are goal driven mental representations of action sequences that may We constantly construct cognitive plans to guide our social actions Message plans be used to achieve goals Plans are hierarchically organized Overall strategy at the top with other goals objects trickling down how do individuals cope with the inevitable uncertainties they must face when constructing messages Seeking Information active strategy 3 approaches we can use to find out how others might react to our messages passive strategy unobtrusively observe others form a distance ask a 3rd party for information fly on the wall must be able to filter our bias to gain valuable information interactive strategy ask specific questions quickest route to reducing uncertainty talk face 2 face with the other person Choosing Plan Complexity Complexity of a message is measured in 2 ways level of detail the plan includes of contingency plans complexity fallbacks Hedging Use of strategic ambiguity humor to provide a way for both parties to save face when a message fails to achieve its goal The Hierarchy Hypothesis When people are thwarted in their attempts to achieve goals their 1st tendency is to alter lower level elements of their messages Quick fix instead of repairing a faulty plan Anxiety Uncertainty Management AUM Theory William Gady Kunst Applies axioms theorems of URT to intercultural settings Strangers undergo anxiety increased uncertainty Don t feel secure don t know how to behave AUM theory High levels of uncertainty anxiety lead to greater misunderstandings when strangers don t communicate mindfully Differs in 5 ways from URT 1 Anxiety feeling of being uneasy tense about what might happen similar to uncertainty both anxiety uncertainty go together uncertainty cognitive anxiety emotional 2 Effective Communication Minimize misunderstanding 3 Multiple Causes of Anxiety Uncertainty vast array of axioms 4 Lower Upper Thresholds of Fear Doubt anxiety uncertainty aren t always bad small amount of both being vigilant low threshold enough doubt so we aren t bored high threshold paralyzed by fear 5 Mindfulness the process of thinking being open to new info recognizing multiple perspectives to reduce anxiety uncertainty mindfulness trumps axioms of reducing uncertainty anxiety Chapter 11 Social Information Processing Theory By Joseph Walther Computer Mediated Communication CMC CMC text based messages that filter out nonverbal cues Differences between CMC face 2 face communication Two of the following theories were created before picture and audio were available for internet interactions Social presence theory sense that another actual person is involved in the interaction Communication becomes more impersonal individualistic task text based messages deprive CMC users of the orientated Media richness theory convey rich relational messages with emotions Flaming growth hostile language that creates a toxic climate for relational limited bandwidth of CMC makes it difficult to Cues filtered out as a fatal flaw for using the internet as a medium for relational development interpretation of CMC that regards a lack of nonverbal cues Social Information Processing SIP was Walters 1st theory of how subsequent relational growth can come form CMC Was limited to text only online communication Boundary condition holds true New forms of communication such as social networking sites do not a statement that limits the context in which a theory meet the boundary condition CMC vs face 2 face A SIP instead of a Gulp Relationships only grow considering that parties first gain information about each other and use that info to form interpersonal impressions SIP is consistent with social penetration uncertainty reduction theories SIP focuses on the personal information
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