Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Sunday, April 15, 2012 9:30 PM

New relationships involve uncertainty, and these uncertainties are
uncomfortable, and so people communicate to relieve them from these
discomforts. Basically, when we meet someone new, there's always an
urge to know the other party better, either to get information or just
simply, to interact, all in all, we will always try to reduce uncertainty
that we have towards the other person.
As what Charles R. Berger and Richard J. Calabrese (1975) had
mentioned, Information exchange is a basic human function in which
individuals request, provide, and exchange information with the goal of
reducing uncertainty. Health and Bryant (2000) state: One of the
motivations underpinning interpersonal communication is the
acquisition of information with which to reduce uncertainty Thus
saying, we communicate and exchange information so we can reduce
uncertainty and improve their predictability and then develop the
relationship reflecting upon those uncertainties. Hence, the more you
communicate with another individual, the more certain you are towards
them.
The motivation towards wanting to reduce these uncertainties revolves
around their expectation regarding the relationship. Whether you expect
to interact with the other person again and then have a continued
interaction, or having a purpose of accomplishing stated goal from the
relationship or even deviance, when that person turns out to counter your
expectations, you would be most likely want to reduce uncertainty about
the individual.
Griffin, 2009, said that there are 2 types of uncertainty, firstly,
behavioral questions and then cognitive questions. Behavioral questions
is what you ask yourself, on how to act and behave when you're with
certain individuals. This is usually taken care of by you following certain
rules or protocol to meet different criteria. Cognitive question is
questions like, "Who is this person?", questions that usually triggers

your curiosity towards the other person. This is then taken care of by
acquiring more information about the other person.
Lets base this theory by inflicting the story of how the usual boy meets
girl works, using the scenes in the romantic comedy drama, Crazy
Stupid Love (2011).
Jacob (Ryan Gosling) and Hannah (Emma Stone) met in a club when
Jacob tried to flirt and seduce Hannah similar to what he did to other
girls. This womanizer always succeed on getting his one night stand with
women. In the case of Hannah, he didn't, which made him ask cognitive
question on who this woman is. Hannah's deviance, her rejection to his
never-turn-down proposal, was what made him eager to know more
about her. There was also anticipation of future interaction, similar to
what Griffin said. His strategy to reduce uncertainty about Hannah was
an active strategy: observing the target.
Hannah, on the other hand, had a different motive in mind. The reason
she got back to Jacob, after turning down his preposition, was that she
wanted to accomplish a stated goal. After being angry from her false
hope towards another guy, she was wanting to try something she never
done before, which is to form a relationship based on their physical but
not on trust. That was her motivation to search for information. She
made herself ask behavioral questions, on "what would happen if or
what should i do". Hannah, on the other hand, uses interactive strategy:
talk directly to the target. Another strategy is passive, asking others on
the target, which not used here.
Once they got together, the supposedly be one-night-stand thing, end up
being something different. Self disclosure happened and then uncertainty
reduction happened. They came from being strangers, to lovers. How do
they get there? It's because of how they are now more certain on the
other individual.
During their "self-dislosure" phase, they followed through Berger's 8
different axioms, to reduce uncertainties.

1) Through verbal communication: They talked on matters such as,

Hannah asking Jacob on how he usually handle women on the onenight-stand situation.
2) Non-verbal warmth: They fell asleep next to one another.
3) Seeking information: Hannah asking Jacob on how he gets to be rich,
which ended up with Jacob talking about his father.
4) Intimacy: They cuddled in bed.
5) Reciprocity: "More i tell you stories, now you tell me yours". They
were exchanging stories throughout the night.
6) Similarities: They are both Americans
7) Liking: They both like each other therefor less uncertainty.
8) Shared Networks: It is revealed at the near end of the movie, that Cal
(Steven Carell) who was Jacob's friend, is Hannah's dad, hence, less
uncertainty.
From the 8 axioms, Berger formulated 28 theorems, by combining any
of the two different axioms.

In conclusion, the uncertainty reduction theory has it's strength and

weaknesses. It is helpful to predict the initial interaction among
strangers. It helped to identify their motives by looking at their strategy
and their initiation towards the communication.
However, Kellerman and Reynolds (1990), pointed out that there are
high level of uncertainty in interaction that no one wants to reduce. It is
also stated that some theorems are illogical. For example, Theorem 17
(the more you like people, the less you seek information about them) .
This does not make sense. This thus conclude, that some theorems are
flawed, creating weaknesses on the theory itself, whilst it can also be
useful to simply observe stranger and see what their motives are.
References:
Griffin, Em. (2009) A First Look At Communication Theory. 7th ed.
New York: McGraw-Hill.
Berger, C. R., Calabrese, R. J. (1975). Some Exploration in Initial
Interaction and Beyond: Toward a Developmental Theory of
Communication. Human Communication Research,

Miller, K. (2005). Communication theories: Perspective, processes and

contexts (2nd ed). NY: McGraw Hill