ABSTRACT
Uncertainty is a state of mind that arises when one does not know how to order alternatives or how to choose among them. The amount of opinion change that occurs is assumed to be directly related to the degree of uncertainty that an individual experiences. The uncertainty model described attempts to account for the interactive effects of several variables upon curvilinear attitude change. The curvilinear relationship of uncertainty to communication discrepancy follows from the manner in which the discrepant message is evaluated by the recipient. The additional uncertainty induced by discrepant communications is lower for rehearsed opinions than for unrehearsed opinions. The likelihood of obtaining a boomerang effect is greater for rehearsed than for unrehearsed opinions. In addition to the discrepancy of the communication, the prestige of the communicator would also be expected to affect the amount of uncertainty that is induced by a communication. Belief instability is one of the most important moderator variables affecting the discrepancy-uncertainty relationship.
