Uncertainty Reduction Theory, developed by Charles Berger, states how communication is used to acquire knowledge, create understanding, and reduce uncertainty ( Griffin, 1991, p.136). Both articles used in the research for this task incorporate many viewpoints or points seen in uncertainty reduction theory. Article no. 1, Interrogative strategies and information exchange in computer-mediated communication, uses processes of uncertainty reduction in relation to the development of the relationship, which is naturally facilitated by the use of questions. The relationships under study are those that take place on the Internet through e-mail (Pratt, Wiseman, Cody, Wendt, 199, p.46). Article no. 2, Reduction of uncertainty and communication satisfaction during the initial interaction: initial test and replication of a new axiom, states that communication satisfaction is positively associated with the reduction of uncertainty during the initial interaction (Neuliep, Grohskopf, 2000 , p.67). This article focuses on interpersonal communication, while article number one focuses on computer-mediated communication. In any case, both articles demonstrate that some aspects of the URT are compatible with the studies conducted. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Uncertainty reduction theory (URT) was originally proposed by Berger and Calabrese in 1975 as an account of strategies employed to reduce uncertainty to improve understanding others (Pratt et al., 1999, p .49). Berger's uncertainty reduction theory focuses on how human communication is used to acquire knowledge and create understanding (Griffin, 1991, p.136). Berger believes it's natural to have doubts about our ability to predict the outcome of initial meetings. Berger also believes that early relationships are full of questions, anxiety, and confusion. URT focuses on predictability, which comes directly from Shannon and Weavers' information theory. As people's ability to predict which alternative(s) are likely to arise next declines, uncertainty increases (Griffin, 1991, p.137). Berger states that there are two different types of uncertainty a person may face when encountering their first experience. meeting someone. Since not everyone is 100% sure about how they should act, one type of uncertainty ends with behavioral questions, which are questions used to relieve the stress that behavioral uncertainty can cause. The second type focuses on cognitive questions, which aim to discover who the other person is as an individual (Griffin, 1991, p.137). Some assumptions of the URT are as follows; all social interaction is goal-driven, uncertainty is central to all social interaction, interpersonal communication reduces uncertainty, and it is possible to predict people's behavior (Garard, 2001). The theory of uncertainty reduction is based on a set of axioms. Axioms are self-evident truths that require no additional proof. Berger's eight truths about initial uncertainty are based on: verbal production, nonverbal warmth, information seeking, self-disclosure, reciprocity, similarity, liking, and shared networks (Griffin, 1991, p.137). Once the validity of the eight axioms was guaranteed, pairs were put together to produce a greater understanding of relational dynamics. Overall, the pairs of axioms generate 28 different theorems (Griffin, 19991, p.140-41). Berger mentions three strategies we can use toreduce uncertainty; the passive strategy, which is simply observing the other person, the active strategy when information is requested from a third person, and the interactive strategy, which is face-to-face self-disclosure (Garard, 2001). Criticism of this theory mainly includes doubts about theorem 17, which predicts that the more you like people, the less you will search for information about them. Although some aspects of Berger's theory may be questionable, the URT is praised for its originality and also for its important contribution to communication studies (Griffin, 1991, p.145). Article no. 1, Interrogative strategies and information exchange in computer-mediated communication, reports a content analysis of the interrogative strategies used in e-mail messages exchanged over a six-month period between intergenerational groups of elderly and young people. Much relational development is made possible by the use of questions, which are an important part of the uncertainty reduction process (Pratt et al., 1999, p.46). This study incorporates aspects of URT, which deals primarily with interpersonal issues. communication, in relationships that are created through computer-mediated communication (CMC). Researchers state that, we naturally seek to form social and personal relationships with others and have shown remarkable adaptation in achieving this across different media (Pratt et al., 1999, p.46). The chosen form of media used in this study is email, which according to Rafter (1997) is one of the most popular and ever-present forms of online communication. In this study, researchers set out to examine a specific component of natural message exchanges between email pen pals (e-pals) that occurred over a five- to six-month period. In particular, the nature and use of questions and/or information needs among e-pals represents a key element of the investigation. Questions are seen as the primary means of seeking information to reduce relational uncertainty and facilitate relational development, both desirable outcomes that help meet our human social needs. Just as face-to-face engagements require a shared information source to grow, if relationships develop in the cyber society, they also require a shared information base to support relational growth (Pratt et al., 1999, p.46- 47). The main theory around which this investigation is centered is the theory of uncertainty reduction; researchers are trying to demonstrate that there are aspects of the theory that fit CMC as well as interpersonal communication. Many researchers argue that CMC should be viewed as an interpersonal medium stating that as long as two humans use a CMC medium, even if its channel capacity is limited to written forms, they will find ways to make the medium interpersonal (Pratt et al. ., 1999, p.47-48). Walther recently argued that CMC should be considered interpersonal when users have time to exchange information and share values ​​that provide a basis for creating impressions (Pratt et al., 1999, p.48). A content analysis on hard copies of email messages between and -pals was the primary analytical method. The various types of questions asked, the politeness of the interrogative expressions and the responsiveness of e-pal to the questions asked of them in previous messages were the main focuses of the coding operations in the content analysis of the email transcripts (Pratt et al ., 1999, p.50). Participants included older adults and young school-aged adults in various locations across the United States. For the final analysis, 109 pairs of electronic friends were usedjunior-senior. A total of 2,526 messages were generated by the e-pals, although each group of e-pals produced a varying number of messages over the life of the project (Pratt et al., 1999, p.51).2 out of 4 of the hypotheses were supported, (1 and 3). H1 predicted that politeness in questions would be higher during the initial phases of the interaction compared to the later phases of the interaction, which also proved to be true in the URT. H3 predicted that the number of questions asked by e-pals will be greater during the initial interaction phase than the number of questions asked during any of the subsequent phases, this hypothesis also proved to be true for the URT (Pratt et al., 1999, p.54-55). The remaining research questions, 1-3, sought to examine the effects of time on the flow of e-pal communication. R1 indicated that a shorter time interval between messages is associated with a greater likelihood that an electronic friend will eventually offer a delayed response to a posed question. R2 revealed that there was no significant relationship between the length of time between messages and the total or type of questions asked (Pratt et al., 1999, p.55-56). Some of the results presented in the article provided support or parts of URT, and some others did not. Higher levels of politeness occurred most early in the interaction and then spiraled downward as the relationships matured. This statement corresponds to one of the main assumptions of uncertainty reduction mentioned above, according to which people are motivated to reduce their own uncertainty in order to make good relationships with others possible. The URT also predicts that more questions will be asked early in the relationship, this statement was supported by the evidence found in H3. Cognitive questions about attitudes, opinions and/or preferences were very strong in the first phase and occurred more frequently than demographic questions, which goes against one of the basic assumptions of the URT, questions in the initial interaction should concern issues external to the dyad. Pratt et al., 1999, p.58). The results of this study incorporated URT into understanding email communication. Article no. 2 focuses on reducing uncertainty and satisfying communication during the initial interaction. It involves an initial test and replication of a new axiom. The two studies conducted support the hypothesis that communication satisfaction is positively associated with the reduction of uncertainty during the initial interaction between two people at an interpersonal level (Neulip, Grohskopf, 2000, p.58). In the first study, participants engaged in the initial interaction for a short period, then completed measures of communication satisfaction and uncertainty. As expected by the researchers, a positive and significant correlation was observed between the two concepts. The second study replicated and then extended the first study by modifying the nature of the experiment and adding measures of communication competence. In the second study, participants were asked to interview candidates for teaching assistantships. Participants completed the same measures of communication satisfaction and uncertainty reduction used in the study. The results of Study 2 replicated those of Study 1 (Neulip, Grohskopf, 2000, p.68). The most important finding of this study demonstrates that in initial interaction situations, uncertainty and communication satisfaction are linearly related. Candidates who can reduce uncertainty are perceived as communicatively competent, which leads to more favorable hiring decisions. The general statement that uncertainty reduction leads to positive communication outcomes is.