Communication and Uncertainty Management

Brashers, Dale E.

doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2001.tb02892.x

Cited by 1,407Risk Perception and ManagementPatient-Provider Communication in HealthcareMedia Influence and Health

Communication and Uncertainty Management

Brashers, Dale E.·2001·Journal of Communication

DOI 10.1111/j.1460-2466.2001.tb02892.x

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Abstract

The fundamental challenge for refining theories of communication and uncertainty is to abandon the assumption that uncertainty will produce anxiety. To better explain processes of communication and uncertainty management, we must answer questions about (a) the experience and meaning of uncertainty, (b) the role of appraisal and emotion in uncertainty management, and (c) the range of behavioral and psychological responses to uncertainty. This paper outlines and extends a theory of uncertainty management and reviews current theory and research in this area. In addition to the theoretical advances promised by this perspective, the paper describes applications to health communication practice. The drive in disease prevention to reduce uncertainty about the state of health and illness has led to a “culture of chronic illness.” Constant surveillance of people's health, combined with improved methods for screening and monitoring, virtually guarantee finding something wrong with every person, creating a society divided into the chronically ill and the worried well (i.e., those waiting to be diagnosed).

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Management of uncertainty is a complex process, and reduction or resolution are not the only strategies people pursue in the face of uncertainty.
“Management of uncertainty is a complex process, and reduction or resolution are not the only strategies people pursue in the face of uncertainty [140].”
From Impact of Media-Induced Uncertainty on Mental Health: Narrative-Based Perspective. (2025) · cites this paper as [140]

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Self-citation

Authors: Brashers, D. E.
Affiliations: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
Corresponding author: Brashers, Dale E.
Venue: Journal of Communication
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published: 2001-09-01
Volume: 51
Issue: 3
Pages: 477-497
ISSN: 0021-9916 (ISSN-L)
1460-2466
DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-2466.2001.tb02892.x
OpenAlex: W1995399706
Cited by: 1,407
References: 112
Citations by year: 2026: 104 · 2025: 92 · 2024: 97 · 2023: 99 · 2022: 115 · 2021: 115 · 2020: 92 · 2019: 78 · 2018: 60 · 2017: 58 · 2016: 66 · 2015: 69 · 2014: 56 · 2013: 47 · 2012: 50
FWCI: 27.45
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: doi.wiley.com/10.1002/tdm_license_1.1 (tdm, 5113 d)
Locations: Journal of Communication (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Risk Perception and Management
Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare
Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Media Influence and Health
Keywords: uncertainty management, communication theory, anxiety, appraisal, emotions, health communication, chronic disease, disease prevention, health surveillance, screening, worried well

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Communication and Uncertainty Management

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Integrity signals

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