Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Name SoumyaPrem Roll no 20120119150Uncertainty reduction scheme Charles Berger and Richard CalabreseThis theory explains how intercourse is occasiond to reduce the skepticism among spate when they meet from each one other for the first time. It is assumed that when strangers meet, their primary objective is to reduce obscurety about the other person involved in the fundamental fundamental interaction. We always pauperization to reduce the uncertainties about our surroundings and the people in it since being uncertain about some(prenominal)thing is non a pleasant feeling to have.Berger proposed that there ar 3 factors that influence whether people volition want to work towards cut down uncertainties about a certain situation.1. Anticipation of future interaction You will try to reduce uncertainties if you know there is a possibility of confluence this person again. Therefore, you are more(prenominal) exchangeablely to use precariousness reduction behaviour when yo u meet someone at a party that you talent be interested in.2. Incentive value If this person is capable to doing something for you or against you even, then there are higher chances of you trying to reduce uncertainties.3. departure If the person behaves oddly and shows some bizarre characteristics, you are likely to use indecision reduction. For example if you meet a new prospective client whom you have to meet in the future and could give your company a new project and has a strange fascination for the colour purple, you would be interested in communicating more to fit the pieces of the jigsaw foil together to get to know who she really is. There are 3 ways to seek reading from the other person-1. Passive Strategy observant someone without being observed2. Active Strategy Asking a ordinal party for more randomness3.Interactive Strategy Obtaining information directly by request questions and offering personal information about yourselfA demonstration of this rear end be seen in this scene from a very famous Hollywood film Hitch where Will Smiths character tries to seek more information about Sara Melas at a bar where in he uses all the strategies mentioned above for interaction. Berger proposes a series of 8 axioms to explain the participation between incertitude and eight key variables of family development which areVerbal communication -As the amount of verbal communication emergences, the train of dubiety decreases. As unbelief decreases, the amount of verbal communication affixs.Non verbal warmth As signed warmth increases, uncertainty levels decreases in a situation. In turn a decrease in uncertainty level will cause an increase in nonverbal warmth. data seeking When uncertainty is more, the tendency to seek information increases. As uncertainty decreases, information seeking behaviour decreases.Self disclosure When uncertainty levels are high, the levels of intimacy in communication is less. As uncertainty reduces the level of i ntimacy increases.Reciprocity Higher the uncertainty, higher the reciprocity. Lower the uncertainty, lower the reciprocity.Similarity Similarities between people decreases uncertainty, while dissimilarities increases uncertainty.Liking Increase in uncertainty decreases appetency and decrease in uncertainty increases liking.Shared networks If there are shared networks among the two people like common friends then uncertainty is less and vice versa.Uncertainty reduction theory in movies Meet the parentsMeeting someone for the first time skunk be a nerve racking experience for many. In this movie Greg is impact his girlfriends parents for the first time. Jack, Pams father is overly tutelary of his daughter. He constantly mocks Gregs choice of occupation as a nurse and makes him uncomfortable in a lot of situations with an intention to take note him away from his daughter. Greg tries to impress Jack from time to time but cryptograph seems to work in his favour because Jack do es not show any liking towards him. Jacks verbal output, nonverbal cues and constant information seeking causes Greg to fear him.Consequently, there is never a stable interaction between Jack and Greg as there is a lot of uncertainty between them. Applications of Uncertainty Reduction theory In an article call Interactive Uncertainty Reduction Strategies and Verbal Affection in Computer-Mediated chat published by Marjolijn L. Antheunis, Alexander P. Schouten, Patti M. Valkenburg and Jochen Peter, they investigated the language-based strategies that computer-mediated communication (CMC) users employ to reduce uncertainty in the absence of nonverbal cues.CMC measure up had i. Higher levels of intimacy than impudence to face condition ii. More affection statements than face to face condition iii. There was no observed differences between text-only CMC and visual CMC condition In another article titled The Acquaintanceship Process An Examination of Uncertainty, Information Seeking, and Social Attraction during Initial Conversation published by William Douglas, the relationship between uncertainty reduction, information seeking, and liking during unstructured sign interaction was studied.Analyses showed that Significant linear and quadratic trends in the uncertainty scores. Global uncertainty-related to uncertainty about the specific person after interaction and the amount of uncertainty reduction that they achieved. Uncertainty and liking were inversely correlated both forward and after interaction. Global uncertainty -predictive of amount of information seeking item uncertainty -unrelated to the frequency of both asking questions and disclosing. Critique point of viewIt can be argued that reducing uncertainty about the self and another in an initial encounter might not be an individuals primary concern. A more primary goal would be to maximize relational out come afters. It is not always necessary to reduce uncertainties for obtaining your incentive from t he other person. Also a want for information rather than lack of information is what promotes information-seeking in initial encounters with other people. Also one of the axioms states that as the level of uncertainty reduces, liking increases.This may not be necessarily true since there can be a situation where in after communicating you come to realise that the other person possesses qualities that you are not fond of or comfortable about. In this case, there will not be an increase in liking rather there is a possibility of the opposite, i. e. a decrease in liking.Scholarly article sources http//crx. sagepub. com/ inwardness/21/2/154. abstracthttp//crx. sagepub. com/content/early/2011/06/01/0093650211410420. abstractOther sources http//www. wikipedia. org/http//wikis. lib. ncsu. edu/index. php/Uncertainty_Reduction_Theoryhttp//www. youtube. com/