Theories of Communications & Persuasion

Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Lecturer: Duong Trong

Hue

Group members:

Tran Nguyen Ly (s3309992)

Trieu Vi Xung (s3312602)

Table of Contents

• Historical Background

• The UCT

• Case study: KOREA vs. USA in communications

Historical Background

• First introduced in 1975

• Proposed by Charles R. Berger, professor of communication at University of California, Davis, USA

Based on the idea that:

New relationships cause uncertainty

=> Uncertainty is uncomfortable

=> People communicate to alleviate discomfort

Charles R. Berger

Activity..!! =]

Your girlfriend/boyfriend asks you

to have dinner with his/her family

at their place.

FOR THE FIRST TIME…!!

What would you do to get to know them?

YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES…!!

The strategies

Active strategy

Passive strategy

Interactive strategy

= Observe the target

= Ask others for more

information

= Talk directly to the target

Three types of solution for message receivers to reduce

uncertainty:

But how to develop a strategy…?!

The developmental phases

When there is communication between two strangers,

three phases of relations occur.

Heath & Bryant (2000)

=> The axioms of UCT

The 8 axioms

Verbal communication

Nonverbal warmth

Seeking information

Intimacy

Axiom: A self-evident truth that requires no additional proof

(Griffin 2009)

= More talking, less

uncertainty

= More ‘body language’, less

uncertainty

= More uncertainty, more info-

seeking

= More intimate, less

uncertainty

The 8 axioms

= More uncertainty, more ‘I told

you my stories, now you tell

yours’

= More similarities, less

uncertainty

= More ‘I like this guy’, less

uncertainty

= More communication networks

in common, less uncertainty

Reciprocity

Similarity

Liking

Shared networks

The theorems

From the 8 axioms, Berger formulated 28 theorems.

Theorem: A proposition that logically and necessarily follow

from two axioms(Griffin 2009)

Verbal Communication

s

Non-verbal warmt

h

Self-Disclosure

Info-Seekin

g

Reciproci

tyLiking

Similarity

Shared Network

s

Verbal Communications

+ + - - + + +

Non-verbal

warmth+ + - - + + +

Self-Disclosur

e+ + - - + + +

Info-Seeking - - - + - - -

Reciprocity - - - + - - -

Liking + + + - - + +Similarity + + + - - + +

Shared Networks + + + - - + +

Strengths & Weaknesses

• There are high level of uncertainty in interaction that no one wants to reduce.

(Miller 2005)

• Some theorems are illogical.

(Griffin 2009)

• Helpful for predict initial interaction among strangers.

HOWEVER….

CASE STUDY…!!

DICUSSION

What kind of topics would people use for

conservations when they first meet..?

Any difference between Korea and

Amercia..?!

YOU HAVE 3 MINUTES..!!

KOREA vs. USA in communications

A study was conducted using students from South Korea and the United States who were chosen to represent high- and low-

context cultures respectively

88 Korean students vs. 62 native American English speakers

To determine the kind of information they would exchange upon first meeting

someone`

Applications

• Predict initial interaction events, including intercultural

ones

• Organizational socialization

• Marketing

References:

Griffin, E 2009, ‘Uncertainty Reduction Theory’, A first look at communication theory, 7nd edn, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, USA, pp.125-136.

Heath, RL, Bryant, J 2000, Human Communication Theory and Research: Concept, Context and Challenges, Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

hkeener 2008, ‘Meet The Parents’, video recording, YouTube, 8 October, viewed 8 September, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmhGzTEGa70&feature=related>.

Kim, M, Yoon, T 1987, A Comparative Study of Uncertainty Reduction Theory in High- and Low-Context Cultures, Yonsei University, South Korea.

Laracroft 2008, Meet the Parents Poster, image, Whosdatedwho, viewed 6 September 2011, <http://www.whosdatedwho.com/tpx_636669/meet-the-parents/poster>.

Miller, K. 2005, ‘Communication theories: Perspective, processes and contexts, 2nd edn, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, USA.