COMM 305 1nd Edition Lecture 8 Outline of Last Lecture1. Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT)a. Motivational Force: Uncertainty Reductionb. Axioms of URTc. Putting the Axioms Together2. Problems with URT3. Uncertainty Management Theorya. Sources of uncertaintyb. Appraisals and emotionc. Danger versus opportunity appraisals, and communicative uncertaintymanagement Outline of Current Lecture1. b. Axioms of URTa. Putting the Axioms Together2. Problems with URT3. Uncertainty Management Theory Current Lecture URT Axioms1. Verbal Communication (-) The more we talk we become less uncertain. 2. Nonverbal Expressiveness (1) As we reduce uncertainty we are more nonverbal expressive. 3. Information Seeking (+) You find out more information. 4. Intimacy (-) More uncertainty means you won’t be very intimate in the topics you discuses. 5. Reciprocity (+) As we are uncertain about someone the more we will reciprocate in our disclosures. Reciprocity - you tell me something, I’ll reciprocate and tell something similar. Ex: you tell me about your home town, I will tell you about mine. The more uncertain we are the more we reciprocate. The more we know the less we feel the need to reciprocate.COMM 305 1nd Edition6. Similarities (-) The more alike we find ourselves to be the less uncertainty we will experience. If Mable is a dog person and you are too then you can know what kind of a person she isbased on her liking for dogs. The more similar you are to someone the less you will experience uncertainty. 7. Liking (-) The more uncertain you are the less you like them. Through reducing uncertainty you grow to like the person. To dislike someone is to be uncertain of them. We dislike people we can’t explain and whose behavior we can’t predict. We can use the positive and negatives to figure out which ones go together. Not all the theorems are completely sensible. Numbers 3 and 7. 1. Many critiques are not good because they ignore the scope of the situation. 2. Conceptualization of uncertainty is inherently flawed. If they have uncertainty wrong they have everything wrong. URT says if you want a relationship to move forward you always want to reduce uncertainty. DRT says sometimes you want to reduce uncertainty other times relationships needspontaneous. We aren’t trying to explain all uncertainty only some. Uncertainty Management Theory The way we react to uncertainty depends on how we appraise it. We manage our uncertainty through communication. It can include reducing, maintaining, or increasing uncertainty. We need information so we feel uncertain. Getting information itself can lead to uncertainty. If you are on University and are trying to pick out where to eat sometimes you have to manychoices. The main problem these days is not a lack of information but that we have to muchinformation. You can never be 100% sure. Uncertainty is a fact of life.You know that a restaurant is usually good. One time your friend went there and got sick. Therestaurant may have not been good once but usually is. Uncertainty is a big part of oureveryday lives. Uncertainty can come from relationships. You may not be uncertain of theperson but of the relationship. You could be uncertain about yourself in the relationship, aboutthe other person.COMM 305 1nd Edition Emotion is important. We don’t always react rationally. Your emotional reaction is important. 1. Relevance - is the source of the uncertainty relevant to me and my goals? Is the experienceand the source uncertainty relevant to my goals? 2. Congruency - is the uncertainty congruent or incongruent with my goals. 3. Coping skills - can I do anything about it? What resources do I have for managing this? If you are staying in all weekend you don’t care if it will rain. If you are tail gating you will check the rain closely because it will affect you. Uncertainty can produce fear and anxiety some factors are negative. Uncertainty can also beexciting. If you have a crush on someone sometimes you don’t like to ask someone out right awaybecause you can dream instead of focusing on reality. Uncertainty can have a neutral or no emotional reaction.Sometimes uncertainty can have a mix. Uncertainty isn’t always one way or another. Sometimes you can feel both. You experience uncertainty, if it is irrelevant you will be in indifference - you will probably stopappraising it. In a danger appraisal the uncertainty is incongruent with your goals. If you are tailgating and you don’t want it to rain that is a danger appraisal.You will communicate to reduce uncertainty. Opportunity appraisal leads to communication to increase or to maintain uncertainty. Rose movie clip - was Roses experience of uncertainty reflect danger or an