uncertainty reduction theory, expectancy violation theory + some AUMT/RTT

uncertainty reduction theory

communication is goal-driven, goal is to reduce uncertainty

antecedent conditions for URT

• anticipation of future interaction (going to spend time together in the future?)

• incentive value (does person have value to me?)

• deviance from the norm (is the person weird?)

2 types of uncertainty are:

behavioral & cognitive

behavioral uncertainty

not knowing what behaviors are appropriate in a situation

cognitive uncertainty

not knowing what to think about something

8 axioms of uncertainty

• verbal

• nonverbal

• info-seeking

• self-disclosure

• reciprocity

• similarity

• liking

• shared networks

verbal uncertainty axiom

talking more reduces uncertainty, and less uncertainty makes people talk more

nonverbal (immediacy behaviors) uncertainty axiom

friendly body language lowers uncertainty, and less uncertainty makes people more nonverbally warm

information-seeking uncertainty axiom

when unsure, people ask more questions. as uncertainty goes down, questions decrease

self-disclosure uncertainty axiom

when unsure, people share less personal stuff. less uncertainty leads to more personal sharing

reciprocity uncertainty axiom

high uncertainty makes people copy each other’s actions more. less uncertainty means less copying.

similarity uncertainty axiom

being similar reduces uncertainty, being different increases it

liking uncertainty axiom

more uncertainty means less liking; less uncertainty means more liking

shared networks uncertainty axiom

having mutual friends reduces uncertainty; not having mutual friends increases it

uncertainty reduction strategies

• passive

• active

• interactive

• extractive

passive UR strategy

observing in-person

active UR strategy

talking to others about person, manipulating a situation to observe their course of action

interactive UR strategy

interact with target of interest

extractive UR strategy

stalk or lurk online

anxiety/uncertainty management theory

anxiety and uncertainty have minimum and maximum levels to create effective communication

relational turblence theory

uncertainty is heightened during transitions in relationships that cause turbulence

expectancy violation theory

EVT attempts to predict reactions to a breach of expectation

expectancies are based on:

• relationship

• context

• communicator’s characteristics

Communicator reward valence

we evaluate communicators as rewarding depending on their characteristics

communicator reward valence is positive if

they have positive characteristics

communicator reward valence is negative if

they have unattractive characteristics

EVT conclusion

sometimes violating expectations is a better strategy than conforming to expectations