Uncertainty Management Theories

Problematic Integration Theory

One of the primary goals of PIT is to show the many meanings that individuals give to uncertainty, the many forms that uncertainty takes, and the complex ways in which individuals respond to it. At its core, PIT argues that individuals make predictions about what they expect to occur (the probabilistic orientation), then evaluate those expectations on a continuum of positivity-negativity (the evaluative orientation). Uncertainty comes into play as an important part of individuals' probabilistic orientations because people hold expectations with varying degrees of certainty.

These two orientations are combined to characterize how individuals experience events in their lives, thus the inclusion of integration in the theory's title. The idea of problematic integration reflects cases when the mix of expectations and evaluations is experienced by individuals as problematic. Examples include situations when people are relatively certain that a negative outcome will occur, or when people are relatively uncertain that a positive outcome will occur. Both these situations, and many others, can lead to problematic integrations in which people struggle with how to manage their level of uncertainty-certainty. Certainty about negative outcomes may promote a desire for more uncertainty, while uncertainty about positive outcomes may lead to uncertainty-decreasing efforts.

[Page 974]PIT considers communication as a source, medium, and resource for these uncertainty management decisions. It is a source because individuals fully shape both probabilistic and evaluative orientation through communication with others. It is a medium in that individuals decide how to proceed with these problematic integrations through discussion with others. Finally, it is a resource in that it is through communication that people cope with these integrations. In the end, the theory brings awareness to the many uncertainty management choices open to those facing problematic integrations.

...