Uncertainty Management Theory Essay - 1614 Words

Concept 1—Uncertainty. Uncertainty is the cognitive occurrence of a person’s inability to predict or explain both one’s own or others’ behavior, feelings, attitudes, beliefs, and etc. (CITE) Essentially, it is a person’s thought processes of not being able to fully and completely know what to expect during an interaction. This concept is usually discussed in conjunction with anxiety when evaluating its relationship with effective communication (communication in which misunderstandings are minimized) under the anxiety/uncertainty management theory; however, since there seems to be a causal relationship between uncertainty and anxiety (uncertain thoughts leading to anxious feelings), it is worth exploring how one might control their†¦show more content†¦For example, during a discussion group I was leading in the American Studies class, Kazuki asked what the word ‘cop’ meant. I did my best to explain the word by seeing if he knew the term ‘police man,’ then—at a blank expression—backtracking and seeing if he knew what laws were. I continued by trying to explain that cops uphold the law and make sure no one breaks it. During the explanation, from my perspective Kazuki showed no signs of understanding what I was saying. My inability to tell if my words were being understood led to a faltering in my confidence and influenced how well I got the idea across. This is an example of uncertainty between the thresholds; I was not overconfident in my ability to predict, and I was also not so unconfident that I stopped gathering information or disengaged from that interaction. There were times when my uncertainty level went outside the optimal range as well. One behavioral consequence that can occur when one experiences levels of uncertainty above the maximum threshold (and subsequently high levels of anxiety) is avoidance of interactions with strangers (Duronto, Nishida, Nakayama, 2005). Avoiding interactions outright is in no way helpful for achieving the goal of effective communication. In one instance, my level of uncertainty grew above the maximum threshold, and brought with it high levels of anxiety, leading to avoidance behavior inShow MoreRelated The Anxiety/Uncertainty Management Theory Essay686 Words   |  3 PagesThe Anxiety/Uncertainty Management Theory According to William B. Gudykunst in his article A Model of Uncertainty Reduction in Intercultural Encounters, the uncertainty reduction theory explains initial interactions between two strangers from the same culture. Studies, however, suggest this theory can also be extended to interpersonal communication between two people from different cultures. Uncertainty refers to how well you can accurately predict how strangers will behave during theirRead More William Gudykunsts Anxiety / Uncertainty Management Theory Essay530 Words   |  3 PagesAnxiety / Uncertainty Management Theory Everyone has experienced cross cultural differences one-way or the other. Even if you have not been to another country, you probably have experienced the frustration, nervousness, or difficulty in communicating with someone from a different culture. Dealing with the difference in slang, dialects, and overall cultural diversity, can be a very difficult situation to manage. 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