Communication and Uncertainty Management

Abstract

The fundamental challenge for refining theories of communication and uncertainty is to abandon the assumption that uncertainty will produce anxiety. To better explain processes of communication and uncertainty management, we must answer questions about (a) the experience and meaning of uncertainty, (b) the role of appraisal and emotion in uncertainty management, and (c) the range of behavioral and psychological responses to uncertainty. This paper outlines and extends a theory of uncertainty management and reviews current theory and research in this area. In addition to the theoretical advances promised by this perspective, the paper describes applications to health communication practice. The drive in disease prevention to reduce uncertainty about the state of health and illness has led to a "culture of chronic illness." Constant surveillance of people's health, combined with improved methods for screening and monitoring, virtually guarantee finding something wrong with every person, creating a society divided into the chronically ill and the worried well (i.e., those waiting to be diagnosed).When making decisions, planning events, and interacting with others, people experience uncertainty. Decision alternatives may appear equally attractive (or equally unattractive) if people lack the information needed to distinguish them. Important event contingencies frequently are probabilistic ("Is it likely to rain if we have the reception outdoors?") and differently valued ("Would it be good or bad if it rained?"; see Babrow, 1992, for a discussion of probability and value in determining human action). The behavior of interactional partners may be unpredictable, perhaps because people communicating with new acquaintances lack information on which to base their judgments or because they witnessed inconsistencies during prior interactions with others. In many such situations, people encounter the complexity that characterizes everyday life.Communication researchers have turned their attention to questions about the forms of uncertainty experienced in different contexts and the varied behavioral Dale E. Brashers is associate professor of speech communication at the University

The uncertainty of innovation: a systematic review of the literature

“…For Galbraith (1977) uncertainty means "the gap between the amount of information required to perform the task and the amount of information already possessed by the organization". Paralelly, Brashers (2001) claim that uncertainty exists when "details of situations are ambiguous and complex; when information is unavailable or consistent; and when people feel insecure about their own knowledge or the state of knowledge in general". Defining uncertainty as a situation where there is a lack of information also implies the notion that uncertainty can be reduced by increasing the available amount of information (cf.…”

Enabling Innovation in Complex Welfare Service Systems

“…Decision uncertainty is partly due to a lack of information [55] and partly due to the existence of multiple interpretations [56]. Whether uncertainty is a result of information scarcity or information ambiguity, it is obvious that uncertainty is, in most cases, an uncomfortable state for individuals [38], and, this being the case, people seek information that helps them to distinguish between the options and make one appear more attractive or more likely than another [57]. In other words, individuals seek information in order to create a feeling of control over events [58].…”

Communication and Human Factors

“…First, lack of information does not necessarily motivate information seeking. Responses to uncertainty are shaped by appraisals of the situation and emotional reactions to the context in which uncertainty arises (Brashers, 2001). Second, people tend to respond to uncertainty based on their assessments of the valence (positive or negative) and probability of an event happening (Babrow, 2001).…”