A Critique of Berger's Uncertainty Reduction Theory
How do people get to know each other? Bugs Bunny likes to open up every conversation with the question, "What's up Doc? Why does he do this? Is Bugs Bunny "uncertain"? Let's explore this idea of uncertainty. Shifting focus now to college students. As many other college students at Ohio University, I am put into situations that make me uncertain of my surroundings almost every time I go to a class for the first time, a group meeting, or social event on the weekend. Berger's Uncertainty Reduction Theory tackles the concept of how people meet other people. In order to explain the relationship between uncertainty and the seven key variables that Berger identifies in this area of communication, he created seven axioms. These axioms touch upon the ideas of verbal output, nonverbal warmth, information seeking, self-disclosure, reciprocity, similarity, and liking(Griffin 154). I'm going to critique his theory according to the five scientific standards that are identified by Griffin's text A First Look at Communication Theory.
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The Explanation
Charles Berger happens to be an exquisite writer. His style comes across very smooth without a problem, hence the Uncertainty Reduction Theory tends to be easy to follow. Berger seems to realize that many factors contribute to the uncertainty between people. Appropriately, the problems have been condenced into seven easy to understand axioms with explanations to each one. In addition to explaining what they are, Berger also explains why they are. Logically, when we meet someone for the first time we are uncertain of the situation. This concept of uncertainty plays ou...
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...ory falls into the Behavioralist realm of communication, whereas I am definitely a Humanist by thought. I don't like the fact that Berger sets up parameters with his theory.
Everything it regards is very black and white. However, in my mind there are a plethora of greys. I also don't like Bergers "matter-of-fact" statements. I'm positive that some think this theory is applicable, I just know I'm not one of them.
Uncertainty Reduction Theory relies on the participants to be of the same culture. Well, what happens if they are from different cultures? William Gudykunst's Anxiety/Uncertainty Management takes a look at this dilemma. If you would like to view an application of Anxiety/Uncertainty Management by another student from Dr. Lee's, Inco 234 course then
Works Cited
Griffin, Em. A First Look at Communication Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.
Uncertainty in organizations is a key element to be dealt with in the areas of technology, rules and rituals (Hofstede, 1980). The notion of uncertainty is frequently connected to the perception of environment as the ‘environment is taken to include everything not under direct control of the organization as a source of uncertainty for which the organization tries to compensate’ (Hofstede, 1980: 155). The organization deals with uncertainty in the way in which uncertainties are observed inside the business. According to Torrington, uncertainty avoidance is the degree to which the future is always unknown (1994). Some cultures socialize their participants to accept this idea and take risks. Whereas members of other cultures have been socialized to be made worried or threatened by this and therefore, search for reparation through the ‘security of law, religion or technology’. (Torrington, 1994:
All living organisms require energy. In order to obtain energy, cells within the organisms must go through the processes of cellular respiration and/or fermentation. The way in which “oxidation of glucose leads to ATP production” is emphasized in cellular respiration (Freeman et al., 2014).
The relationship between certainty and doubt has been a heavily debated topic throughout history and especially in the mid-1800s. For most people, having some doubt on one’s opinions is much more beneficial than having absolute certainty because doubt allows one to review his potential choice and leaves room for him to make improvements on his choice. Someone who lives with absolute certainty cannot weigh the pros and cons because he has the confidence that what he believes is the right decision for everyone; however, there are situations in one’s life where absolute certainty is necessary, such as in team sports. With the exception of competitions, however, it is more important for one to have doubt in his or her life because doubt allows
Thirdly, some of Ned Blocks objections to the Higher Order Thought Theory will be considered and review in order to reaffirm the validity of the main argument. Block's objections will be taken as the main challenge to Rosenthal's HO theory....
This emotional appeal to his audience, most people like children, is a way to their interest to watch more. Wont add any information that disproves his thesis.
...forming bench research at Barry University and Weill Cornell Medical College in the Traveler’s Research Fellowship, I have been exposed to the side of medicine where scientists work every day to find cures for diseases and save lives. Experiencing different aspects of medicine has made me a more competent individual to thrive in this field and has deepened my interest and passion to pursue medicine as a career.I believe that those who fight with so little against so much truly need others to help them in their struggle. Being a physician is not only becoming a successful professional. I will work hard to bring about necessary changes to end social disparities, so that more groups in society receive the best healthcare. By making a difference in their lives, I will receive rewarding experiences that are worth all the hard work and sacrifice my chosen career requires.
Beebe, Steven A., Susan J. Beebe, and Mark V. Redmond. "Understanding Self and Others." Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others. Boston: Allyn and Bacon/Pearson, 2009. 43. Print.
The film, The Breakfast Club, is an impressive work of art, addressing almost every aspect of interpersonal communication. This is easily seen here, as I’ve gone through and shown how all these principles of interpersonal communication apply to real-life, using only two short interpersonal interactions from the movie. I’ve explained aspects of interpersonal communication, nonverbal communication, verbal misunderstandings, communication styles, gender issues, and self-disclosures. With that said, I believe I have demonstrated my ability to apply principles of interpersonal communication with simulated real-life examples.
Throughout the semester, we have studied numerous communication theories. Their purpose is to help understand exactly what happens when we interact with others. We might not necessarily agree with all of the theories, but the idea is to develop tools to evaluate situations we may encounter. Often, when the theories are explained in the readings or lecture, it is beneficial to apply the concepts to a "real life" situation. Using this approach, I will use a situation that many of us have faced, or will face, and analyze it according to a particular communication theory.
Analysis of the Uncertainty Reduction Theory on Interpersonal Communication. Through this paper, I will conduct an analysis of the uncertainty reduction theory and will then apply it to my own experience here at Colorado University. This theory has been subject to many articles and studies in the communication and social departments. Indeed, studying this theory can help us understand human relations in interpersonal communication.
Fine arts classes benefit students and schools alike. Fine arts are needed courses, not just as electives but as core classes that promote learning and creativity in the lives of students. There are three different styles of learning: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Fine art provides an avenue for all of these learning styles to be utilized during one class period; therefore, all students are able to understand and benefit from the curriculum. In a normal academic setting all types of learning may not be used, so a percentage of the classroom will not understand the lessons as well as it could have if it had arts incorporated into the class. It may seem impossible to include arts into an academic setting, but it is possible, effective, and fun. According to Barry Oreck, it has been proven that students learning molecular bonding through a dance had a more proficient understanding of the concept. He states, “We have found that if you learn something through a theater game, you can still answer a test question” (new horizons Dickerson 3). This statement proves that arts are extremely important and beneficial. With fine arts, students have a safe environment to express themselves, a motivation to stay in school, and higher test scores. The fact that fine arts are needed is evident, but will schools respond or live in denial?
...e. This theory went a lot deeper than I thought it would, I was genuinely surprised. Most of the interpersonal communication theories that are taught arguably are common sense theories. Yet, when you consider when these theories were constructed and the certain events that took place inspiring the ideas in the first place…it’s actually quite remarkable. Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann had a fundamental idea inspired by researchers before her time, an idea that explains why all humans think a certain way or don’t think a certain way. Quite remarkable.
Glucose is the fuel cells use for respiration, carbon dioxide. Glycolysis occurs in the cytosol and creates two 3-carbon molecules of pyruvate and two molecules of ATP by breaking down glucose. During the aerobic process, pyruvate will lose one of its three carbons as a molecule of 〖CO〗_2, leaving behind a two-carbon acetyl group. Oxygen is re...
The value of branding in healthcare is very important because the changes happening in health care today will put a new premium on strong and trusted brands. As health care leaders, we recognize the value of great brands in this sector such as the Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, or Mayo Clinic. Strong brands can play such important roles, including creating strategic and thus fi...
Theiss, J.A., & Solomon, D.H. (2008). Parsing the mechanisms that increase relational intimacy: the effects of uncertainty amount, open communication about uncertainty, and the reduction of uncertainty. Human Communication Research, 34(4), 625-654. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2958.2008.00335.x