Given that the experience of uncertainty, in some form, is a part of nearly every interaction, it should come as no surprise that new theoretical efforts to understand it are foundational to the study of interpersonal communication and continue unabated today. Uncertainty reduction theory (URT; Berger & Calabrese 1975) served as the field’s initial, and
Uncertainty reduction theory explains both how interpersonal communication is affected by a lack of knowledge and how people use communication to gather information. This theory was founded on the observation that initial interactions between strangers routinely involve an exchange of demographic and public information, and these interactions change in predictable ways as they progress (Berger
Relational uncertainty is the degree of confidence people have in their perceptions of involvement within interpersonal relationships. The construct has its roots in Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT; Berger & Calabrese 1975), which emphasized the relevance of uncertainty to interactions between strangers. As scholars began to examine URT in the domain of close relationships, they recognized
William B. Gudykunst (1985) extended Berger and Calabrese’s (1975) uncertainty reduction theory to explain the reduction of uncertainty in intergroup encounters as the first step in developing anxiety/uncertainty management (AUM) theory. He developed a model of intergroup communication by integrating URT and social identity theory in several stages. Gudykunst and Hammer (1988) also developed a
Uncertainty has been an important concept in communication theory for many decades. Understanding how people respond to uncertainty in developing relationships and in intercultural encounters has been the foundation of a large body of interpersonal communication research. This work has demonstrated complex relationships between communication, information seeking, and the management of uncertainty. Recent theory building
Background The past two decades have seen a revolution in the science that underpins new health technologies. Many new technologies offer hope for previously untreatable conditions and potential step changes in the outcomes of care for many others. Regulators committed to supporting the translation of the breakthroughs in biomedical knowledge into the clinic often approve