Two dogs sniffing each other
If we were dogs, we would be sniffing a new canine acquaintance. But since we don't have that skill, we try to reduce uncertainties that beset the beginnings of new relationships.
Here is where Charles Berger's Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT) comes in handy. The theory focuses on how communication helps us reduce uncertainties.
Berger says the need to reduce uncertainties becomes more apparent (1) whenever there is the possibility of future interaction with the other person, (2) whenever the other person has something we want, and (3) whenever the other person piques our curiosity because s/he acts differently.
Berger agrees with Fritz Heider's Attribution Theory, giving explanations for and predicting other people's behavior.
As our ability to explain people's behavior increases, our ability to predict what they will do next also increases. And when we our ability to predict increases, our uncertainty about other people decreases. And vice versa.Of course, we don't want uncertainty, particularly in interpersonal relationships. It becomes natural for us to reduce any uncertainty about other people.
There are two kinds of uncertainties: behavioral (what should I do, how should I act) and cognitive (what is the other person like). URT focuses on reducing these cognitive uncertainties.
Berger looks at eight variables or axioms (originally seven, the eigth was added later on) of relationship development:
- verbal communication
- nonverbal warmth
- information seeking
- self-disclosure
- reciprocity
- similarity
- liking
- shared networks
When combined, these axioms produce 28 theorems of interpersonal development (see "Course Materials" on sidebar for Griffin's Figure of Theorems of URT).
Berger, according to Griffin, says we can predict outcomes based on relationships (negative/positive) between axiom variables. For example: If an increase in communication (A) causes lower uncertainty (B), and perceived similarities (C) cause lower uncertainty (B), then (A) must be positively related to (C).
Berger believes that "most social interaction is goal-driven" (Griffin 135). In other words, we make plans on how to achieve our set goals. Our plans are "'hierarchically organized with abstract action representations at the top of the hierarchy and progressively more concrete representation toward the bottom'" (Berger, as quoted in Griffin 136).
Berger then combines concepts in URT with plan-based message production, and outlines several strategies people use to avoid embarrassing situations:
- seeking information (passive, active, interactive)
- choosing plan complexity (level of detail and number of contingency plans)
- hedging (face-saving strategies: ambiguous statements, humor)
- hierarchy hypothesis (altering lower level actions to avoid frustration)
Berger's URT, however, has faced some rather damaging critiques, particularly in reference to Theorem 17. It seems that there is more of a need to seek information about a person that you like, and some scholars have gathered empirical data to support this contention.
Nevertheless, Berger's theory remains a breakthrough in its focus on reducing uncertainty through the production of communicati
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