Week 11 Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Being an interpersonal theory, this theory would involve relationship between individuals. When strangers meet for the first time, their first primary concern would be to reduce their uncertainties about one another due to the fact they feel uncomfortable knowing little about each other. (West & Turner 2010)

This is something that we all face every day upon meeting someone new. When we meet someone new, there will always be that uncertainty, that curiosity of needing to know. Who is that person? Where is he/she from?

Stacks & Salwen (2008) have cited Berger et al (1991) where individuals must reduce their uncertainties to some degree in order to be able to fashion verbal discourse and actions that will allow them to achieve their interaction goals.

West & Turner (2010 pg 150) have listed the assumptions of this theory;

• People experience uncertainty in interpersonal settings.
• Uncertainty is an aversive state, generating cognitive stress. 
• When strangers meet, their primary concern is to reduce their uncertainty or to increase predictability. 
• Interpersonal communication is a developmental process that occurs through stages.
•  Interpersonal communication is the primary means of uncertainty reduction. 
• The quantity and nature of information that people share change through time. 
• It is possible to predict people’s behavior in a lawlike fashion. 

Individuals can be uncertain in two ways; behavioral or cognitive.

Behavioral; Some individuals may be unsure on how to behave in a particular environment or setting or how others will behave as well.

Cognitive; some individual may be unsure on how the other person is or how that other person think about the individual

.

All this uncertainties can be reduced through following certain protocols or guidelines or basically acquiring information concerning the uncertainties.

For this theory, I will be using the movie ‘The Lake House’ as my example.

A little synopsis; 

Kate Forster is moving out from her lake house, built all of it with glass. She is a doctor and has just begun to work in a hospital in Chicago, moving to a new flat in the center of the city. Alex Wyler is the new owner of the lake house, a young architect who's working in the construction of a new complex of houses at the city skirts. Alex and Kate are maintaining a correspondence, talking about the house matters, sending each other letters, which are put in the lake house's letter box. But a strange thing is happening, because both of them find out that the letter box is working as a kind of time communication channel, between the year 2004, where Alex's living, and 2006, the year that Kate's actually living. After sending each other many letters talking about their lives, and Kate talking to Alex about how life will be in two years, it seems like they're falling in love each other. (IMDb 2012)

In this movie, it involves two strangers who communicate through letters. How at first Kate just wanted to inform Alex that she used to be the tenant to the lake house. The letter that Kate left for the future tenant went 2 years back to the previous tenant which is Alex. Alex being confused with the letter sent a reply saying that he is the first tenant of the lake house. From the confusions or uncertainties, they communicate through letters where they talk about each others lives, reducing their uncertainties with one another.

The creator of this theory Charles Berger, as cited by Griffin (2012 pg 127-129) have proposed a series of axioms to explain on his theory.

Axiom 1: Given the high level of uncertainty present at the onset of the entry phase, as the amount of verbal communication between strangers increases, the level of uncertainty for each interactant in the relationship will decrease. As uncertainty is further reduced, the amount of verbal communication will increase.

Axiom 2: As non-verbal affiliative expressiveness increases, uncertainty levels will decrease in an initial interaction situation. In addition, decreases in uncertainty level will cause increases in nonverbal affiliative expressiveness.

Axiom 3: High levels of uncertainty cause increases in information-seeking behavior. As uncertainty decline, information-seeking behavior decreases.

Axiom 4: High levels of uncertainty in a relationship cause decreases in the intimacy level of communication content. Low levels of uncertainty produce high levels of intimacy.

Axiom 5: High levels of uncertainty produce high rates of reciprocity. Low levels of uncertainty produce low levels of reciprocity.

Axiom 6: Similarities between persons reduce uncertainty, while dissimilarities produce increases in uncertainty.

Axiom 7: Increases in uncertainty level produce decreases in liking; decreases in uncertainty produce increases in liking.

Axiom 8: Shared communication networks reduce uncertainty, while lack of shared networks increases uncertainty.

Referring to the example, the axioms by Berger seems to fit in well. Axiom 1 is very obvious where both Alex and Kate were total strangers at first. With the continuous communication through letters, their uncertainties between one another decreases. In other words, their verbal communication also increase.

Axiom 2 is somewhat agreeable to the example. They show non-verbal warmth through their letters, through their exchange of stories and their memories of meeting each other before before they ended up exchanging letters at the lake house mailbox.

Axiom 3 does indeed fit with the example. Both Alex and Kate have high uncertainties about each other thus the increase in information seeking behaviour. With the questions they asked about each other through the letters such as are you married? your occupation? and others. 

Axiom 4 & 5 also fits with the example. With the high level of intimacy between Alex and Kate, there is low level of uncertainties. There is also reciprocity between them. 

One of the axioms; axiom 6 may not fit in most relationship cases. In the example, Alex and Kate are both different individuals, different family backgrounds, different professions and even different time periods.However, both of the still fell in love with each other. In other words, uncertainty decreases with dissimilarities in some cases. 

Axiom 7 is another obvious fit. Both Alex and Kate fell in love with one another as their uncertainties of one another decreases.

Axiom 8 does not seem to fit fully with the example as both were from time zone. However, viewing it from a logical perspective. It is not possible to be communicate between two time zones. But in the movie, from their past memories before the lake house, they indeed have met through their friends, which is considered a shared communication network. Thus axiom actually does fit.

This theory by Berger has been subjected to criticism. West and Turner (2010) has cited Sunnafrank (1986) where he stated that it is not always primary concern of individuals to reduce uncertainty upon meeting someone new. He continues adding that their primary concern is actually to maximise 'relational income'. To benefit from a particular relationship.

Kellerman & Reynolds (1990) actually pointed out that Axiom 3 can be problematic. In their study, it is not that lacking knowledge that increases seeking information behaviour but wanting knowledge is the one that increases seeking information behaviour.

References:

IMDb (2012) Synopsis for The Lake House. Retrieved on March 14 2012, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410297/synopsis

Kellermann, K., & Reynolds, R. (1990). When ignorance is bliss: The role of motivation to reduce uncertainty in uncertainty reduction theory. Human Communication Research, 17, 5–35.

Stacks,W., D., Salwen, B., M., (2008) An Integrated Approach To Communication Theory and Research. London. Routledge.

West, R., Turner, L., H., (2010) Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and Application (4th Edition). New York. McGraw Hill.