ABSTRACT
An array of questions arise for individuals who are negotiating close relationships (Berger & Bradac, 1982; Knobloch, 2008). "Why did he do that?" "What should I say?" "Does this person want to invest in a relationship?" "How should we spend our time together?" "Does she care about me?" "Do I still want to be involved in this relationship?" "What does the future hold for us?" Communication is key to how people navigate the questions they have about participating in close relationships. Individuals possess a variety of communication options for dealing with uncertainty: They can constructively seek information, destructively seek information, constructively avoid information, or destructively avoid information (e.g., Knobloch & Solomon, 2003; Planalp & Honeycutt, 1985). People's choice of how to manage their questions has important consequences for the wellbeing of their relationships. Indeed, how individuals communicate under conditions of uncertainty may determine whether their relationships develop or dissolve (Planalp, Rutherford, & Honeycutt, 1988).
