Uncertainty Reduction Theory

The concept of uncertainty reduction suggests that individuals are motivated to seek information to reduce uncertainty. The concept has implications for exploring communication as a means for resolving incompatibilities and inconsistencies in human relationships as well as experiences and behaviors in various settings. Through communication, individuals reduce uncertainty that emerges when experiences do not correspond to expectations or when relationships change. This concept can also be applied to public relations, which is primarily concerned with public relationships.

In 1986, Richard L. Daft and Robert H. Lengel posited that message ambiguity is a critical concept and that people will select a mode of communication that assists with clarification of ambiguity (i.e., how people seek information about one another in interpersonal communication). Further, James J. Bradac indicated, in 2001, that a major assumption of uncertainty reduction theory is the human motivation to reduce uncertainty about oneself and others in initial interactions. Uncertainty refers to a person's subjective framework of the number of alternative predictions available when thinking about another person's future behavior. A greater number of perceived alternatives produce a greater sense of uncertainty and a stronger drive for uncertainty reduction. Gaining individual knowledge, about human nature and the surrounding world, is aligned with this process but, ultimately, the person is moving in the direction of increasing simplicity so that assessed alternatives will be reduced.

From the uncertainty reduction perspective, a high level of uncertainty is a stimulus for seeking information as well as an inhibitor of attraction. The theory predicts that lack of knowledge about other people leads to attempts to reduce uncertainty through information seeking. Attraction for others (consistencies in organizational relationships, friendships, romantic interests) is suspended until knowledge about the individual is gained. In the course of human affairs, total uncertainty reduction is impossible because past experiences do not always accurately predict future behaviors. However, each person has a threshold in terms of how much uncertainty one is willing to accept in a relationship. This threshold will vary, depending on assessments of the behaviors of others, past experiences, and general tolerance for risk.

Generally, the most widely held uncertainty reduction principle is that increased information seeking corresponds with decreased levels of uncertainty. Intuitively, this seems to make sense, but [Page 872]according to Kathy Kellermann and Rodney A. Reynolds (1990), there is some inconsistency in the research results. The authors indicate, however, that both uncertainty reduction and question asking jointly decrease as the number of conversations increase.

In terms of organizations and public relationships, the concept of environmental uncertainty is often reviewed. Environmental uncertainty can be viewed in two ways, externally and internally. External uncertainty is primarily concerned with perceptions about the nature of changes in the external environment (i.e., market situations, competitor reviews, regulatory constraints) as well as informational quality. Internal uncertainty, according to J. D. Jorgensen and J. L. Petelle, refers to daily operations and interactions within an organization. This type of uncertainty involves items such as employee behavior, information load, and job security. The authors argue that the notion of relational uncertainty is critically important in these organizational relationships. For example, the reduction of uncertainty in dyads merits attention, because it may be linked to openness within these relationships. These relationships could be among team members, between a supervisor and his/her subordinate, or between a public relations account executive and a client representative.

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