ABSTRACT
THE assumption that individuals try to reduce uncertainty in initial interactions with strangers underlies uncertainty reduction theory (Berger, 1979). Uncertainty in this context refers to two phenomena: the ability to predict accurately how others will behave and the ability to explain why others behave the way they do (Berger & Calabrese, 1975). Uncertainty reduction, therefore, involves the creation of proactive predictions and retroactive explanations about others’ behavior. The desire to reduce uncertainty, however, does not stop with initial interactions with strangers. Rather, as Berger (1979) argues, “the communicative processes involved in knowledge generation and the development of understanding are central to the development and disintegration of most interpersonal relationships” (p. 123).
