Uncertainty Reduction Theory
Do you dislike uncertainty? Well, Spongebob understands. In a popular meme, it shows an overly cheery Spongebob with the caption: “when you first start talking to someone and you act all proper because you aren’t sure when you can start acting weird.” This relatable meme actually demonstrates the initial thought process people go through when meeting new people, directly correlating with the uncertainty reduction theory. This theory states that the main goal whenever you meet a stranger is to reduce the unknown between the two of you, thus increasing your own ability to predict each other’s future behavior. Since you learn more about the other person, you can use this information and the history of your relationship to guess how they will interact
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In the process, this defensive behavior leads to misunderstandings and uncivil discourse. By understanding the uncertainty reduction theory, the fears and anxieties that come with uncertainty can be dispelled as social information is exchanged, thereby tearing down the barriers that prevent civil communication from taking place. For example, in the children’s novel It Ain’t so Awful Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas, Cindy, a young Iranian immigrant living in America during the Iranian hostage crisis, is feared and shunned by other children at her school simply due to her ethnicity, however, the few children who took the time to learn about her and the Iranian hostage crisis were actually able to relate enough with Cindy to become her friend. By learning more about Cindy, these children were able to see how similar they are to her despite their vastly different cultures and therefore had no fears or anxieties preventing them from communicating civilly. As the world becomes more globally connected, it is becoming even more important that uncertainties between individuals of different cultures, countries, age, etc are reduced to facilitate civil communication. With the understanding of the uncertainty reduction theory, people will understand that obtaining social information such as belief, demographics, and
In the process, this defensive behavior leads to misunderstandings and uncivil discourse. By understanding the uncertainty reduction theory, the fears and anxieties that come with uncertainty can be dispelled as social information is exchanged, thereby tearing down the barriers that prevent civil communication from taking place. For example, in the children’s novel It Ain’t so Awful Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas, Cindy, a young Iranian immigrant living in America during the Iranian hostage crisis, is feared and shunned by other children at her school simply due to her ethnicity, however, the few children who took the time to learn about her and the Iranian hostage crisis were actually able to relate enough with Cindy to become her friend. By learning more about Cindy, these children were able to see how similar they are to her despite their vastly different cultures and therefore had no fears or anxieties preventing them from communicating civilly. As the world becomes more globally connected, it is becoming even more important that uncertainties between individuals of different cultures, countries, age, etc are reduced to facilitate civil communication. With the understanding of the uncertainty reduction theory, people will understand that obtaining social information such as belief, demographics, and