Theory of Motivated Information Management

The theory of motivated information management (TMIM) is a theoretical framework designed to understand why individuals seek out or avoid information on a particular issue. Specifically, it focuses on how individuals manage uncertainty surrounding an issue that they deem to be important or challenging. According to the theory, this process is initiated by a gap between the level of uncertainty a person possesses and the level of uncertainty that person wishes to have. The entire process occurs in three phases, the end result being a decision as to which form of information management an individual engages in.

According to the theory's authors, the process of information management occurs in three phases: the interpretation phase, the evaluation phase, and the decision phase.