DP #1

Chapter three is heavily centered around the things that we think and feel about ourselves

and the world around us. This is a very complex thing, because humans are very complex

organisms. Psychology tells us that we are “feeling machines that think” and I find this to be

quite true. We are driven and motivated by our feelings. Whether those feelings are physical,

emotional, or psychological, we are motivated to change these feelings from negative to positive.

The whole concept of behaviorism where our behavior can be explained in terms of experience

rather than a product of thought processes, has been tossed out the metaphorical window. We

now understand that behavior is the product of a long equation of experiences, cognition, stimuli,

and psychological factors as well. We humans are also meaning makers, meaning that we like to

believe that there is a “why” behind each outcome and behavior that we see. Whether these

outcomes get attributed to dispositional or situational factors is something that we find very

important to us. We like to believe that there is intention and purpose behind actions, which

explains why we have Kelly’s Covariation Model, to help us explain the causalities behind

behaviors, and why we attribute behaviors to certain things. To expand on the idea that us

humans are inquisitive beings and we like to know everything we can about everything, this

gives us quite a bit of trouble. Especially in the sense that the more we learn, the more we realize

that we do not know everything. This idea shows itself in the form of uncertainty and in

cognitive dissonance. These are things that we constantly struggle to reduce and eliminate

through the communication process. The basis of Uncertainty Reduction Theory states that the

primary goal of communication is, in fact, to reduce any uncertainty we feel. This shows exactly

how much we find ourselves in a position where we want to know everything, but the very

pursuit causes us cognitive dissonance through uncertainty. To connect this concept to the real
world, I will use the current situation I find myself in, as it relates to uncertainty reduction. Right

now, I am in the process of finding, applying, and interviewing for a full-time job after I

graduate. The reason why I am searching, is to reduce the uncertainty I get when asked the

question, “what is your plan after you graduate?”. I could also attribute my desire to search for a

job as a dispositional, but it also comes from the desire to reduce that uncertainty I have about

my future in this world. Additionally, with the job searching process comes the time to meet new

people, sell myself, and appeal to the interests of those who may hire me. To do this, and to do

this in a manner where I feel confident in myself, I need to reduce a lot of uncertainty. I have

uncertainty about job responsibilities and tasks there are under the job I am applying for. I have

uncertainty about meeting a lot of new people who will be interviewing me for the job. I have

uncertainty about who my boss will be, about how much money I will be making, the list goes

on. So, what are some things that I can do to reduce this uneasy feeling I get while I am in this

position? I can do some research about the company online. I can use active uncertainty

reduction methods like; read reviews about the job, about the corporate structure, about the pay

structure, and about the management. Additionally, I could use interactive uncertainty reduction

methods by asking the interviewer or employers direct questions to fill in the gaps of my

knowledge base. The list goes on and on.

This makes me curious. What are some ways that others go about reducing uncertainty that they

may have in their own job search, or in any position people may find themselves in?

Additionally, based off what we know about communication, and people in general, what do we

think most motivates us to reduce uncertainty that we have in our lives? Is it threats to our basic
psychological needs (Maslow’s Hierarchy)? Or does it come from something more

situational/dispositional?