Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Name SoumyaPrem Roll no 20120119150Uncertainty reduction speculation Charles Berger and Richard CalabreseThis theory explains how intercourse is used to constrain the skepticism among people when they occupy each separate for the first time. It is assumed that when strangers meet, their primary documentary is to reduce equivocalty about the separate person involved in the interaction. We continuously sine qua non to reduce the uncertainties about our surroundings and the people in it since being uncertain about anything is not a harming feeling to have.Berger proposed that thither argon 3 factors that influence whether people will want to work towards cut down uncertainties about a certain situation.1. Anticipation of future interaction You will try to reduce uncertainties if you have intercourse at that place is a possibility of clash this person again. at that placefore, you argon to a greater extent probable to use suspicion reduction doings when you me et some ace at a party that you readiness be concerned in.2. Incentive value If this person is qualified to doing something for you or against you even, then there are higher chances of you trying to reduce uncertainties.3. aberrance If the person behaves oddly and shows some unconventional characteristics, you are likely to use perplexity reduction. For example if you meet a smart prospective client whom you have to meet in the future and could give your participation 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 puzzle in concert to get to know who she re totallyy is. there are 3 ways to seek entropy from the other person-1. Passive system Observing someone without being observed2. prompt Strategy Asking a 3rd party for more selective development3.interactive Strategy Obtaining information directly by asking questions and crack personal information about yoursel fA intro of this tin be seen in this prospect from a very famous Hollywood movie 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 connection mingled with suspicion and eight key variables of kindred developing which areVerbal communication -As the join of communicatory communication make ups, the level of irresolution change magnitudes. As incredulity decreases, the tote up of verbal communication increases.Non verbal cacoethes As communicative warmth increases, doubtfulness levels decreases in a situation. In turn a decrease in uncertainty level will run an increase in sign-language(a) warmth.Information desire 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 l evels of intimacy in communication is less. As uncertainty reduces the level of intimacy increases.Reciprocity high 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 longing and decrease in uncertainty increases wish.Shared networks If there are shared out networks among the two people like familiar friends then uncertainty is less and debility versa.Uncertainty reduction theory in movies live up to the parentsMeeting someone for the first time can be a nerve pace experience for many. In this movie Greg is meeting his girlfriends parents for the first time. diddley, Pams father is overly protective of his daughter. He constantly mocks Gregs choice of bank line as a nurse and makes him uneasy in a lot of situations with an inclination to keep him away from his daughter. Greg tries to im press sea dog from time to time but zippo seems to work in his favour because Jack does not show any passion towards him. Jacks verbal output, nonverbal cues and constant information seeking causes Greg to charge him.Consequently, there is never a motionless interaction between Jack and Greg as there is a lot of uncertainty between them. Applications of Uncertainty Reduction theory In an bind titled Interactive Uncertainty Reduction Strategies and Verbal middle in Computer-Mediated Communication 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 condition had i. Higher levels of intimacy than wait to face condition ii. More warmth statements than face to face condition iii. There was no observed differences between text-only CMC and optical CMC condition In other art icle titled The Acquaintanceship Process An interrogative sentence of Uncertainty, Information Seeking, and Social Attraction during sign Conversation published by William Douglas, the relationship between uncertainty reduction, information seeking, and liking during unstructured initial interaction was studied.Analyses showed that important linear and quadratic trends in the uncertainty scores. Global uncertainty-related to uncertainty about the particularized person aft(prenominal) interaction and the amount of uncertainty reduction that they achieved. Uncertainty and liking were inversely correlated both in the first place and after interaction. Global uncertainty -predictive of amount of information seeking Specific uncertainty -unrelated to the frequency of both asking questions and disclosing. criticism 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 go al would be to maximize relational outcomes. It is not forever necessary to reduce uncertainties for obtaining your incentive from the 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 needfully 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 raw 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/content/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/