Table of Contents
Intrapersonal Communication (Persuasion) Applied Contexts Last updated February 19, 2001 |
SPRING 2001 THEORY WORKBOOK INTERCULTURAL
CONTEXT
Anxiety Uncertainty Management Theory Explanation of Theory:"Intercultural encounters are characterized by high levels of uncertainty and anxiety, especially when cultural variability is high. Effective communication is made possible by our ability to mindfully manage our anxiety and reduce our uncertainty about ourselves and the people with whom we are communicating" (Griffin, p. 496). Theorists: William B. Gudykunst Date:1985 Primary
Article:“A model of Uncertainty Reduction
in Intercultural Encounters,” Journal of Language and Social Psychology,
vol. 4, 1985 pg. 79-97
Individual
Interpretations:Whenever two people meet for
the first time, there is uncertainty accompanied by feelings of uneasiness
known as anxiety. These feelings are heightened whenever there is
an intercultural encounter between.
Metatheoretical Assumptions: Ontological
Assumptions:n/a
Epistemological
Assumptions:n/a
Axiological
Assumptions:n/a
Critique:1.
Explanatory: AUMT has ample explanatory power, it explains human
behavior
Ideas
and Implications:Gudykunst provides an excellent
explanation for why strangers in intercultural encounters feel anxious
and uneasy. He also gives many axioms and explanations for phenomenon
that happen in situations within the intercultural context. For example,
axiom 12 states "An increase in our ability to complexly process information
about strangers will produce an increase in our ability to accurately predict
their behavior." Griffin 413
Example:
Out watching a basketball game with her friends, Laura notices a guy with
a puzzled look on his face. Bobby, thinks he recognizes Laura from
his communication class on Tuesdays and Thursdays and begins to approach
her. Filled with uncertainty and anxiety about seeing a man she does
not know walking towards her, Laura's face lets Bobby know that she does
not recognize him. Realizing he has made a mistake, Bobby turns around,
Laura is not the person he thought he recognized from class. However,
he still could have made an initiative by saying "Hello, I am sorry, I
thought you were someone else, my name is…" for example. However,
feelings of anxiety and uncertainty prevented both strangers from introducing
themselves to one another. These feelings are more intense if the
two people involved are from different cultures.
Relevant
Research:n/a
Location in Eight (8) Primary Communication Theory Textbooks: Anderson, R., & Ross, V. (1998). Questions of communication: A practical introduction to theory (2nd ed.). New York: St. Martin's Press. N/A Cragan, J. F., & Shields, D.C. (1998). Understanding communication theory: The communicative forces for human action. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. 274-276 Griffin, E. (2000). A first look at communication theory (4th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. 393-404 Griffin, E. (1997). A first look at communication theory (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. 407-417 Infante, D. A., Rancer, A. S., & Womack, D. F. (1997). Building communication theory (3rd ed.). Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press. 410-415 Littlejohn, S. W. (1999). Theories of human communication (6th ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. N/A West, R., & Turner, L. H. (2000). Introducing communication theory: Analysis and application. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield. N/A
Wood, J. T. (1997). Communication theories in action: An introduction.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. N/A
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