A theory of cognition and negative affect: Extending Gudykunst and Hammer's theory of uncertainty and anxiety reduction

Abstract

The present work builds on Gudykunst and Hammer's (1988a) uncertainty/anxiety reduction theory of cross-cultural adaptation. Gudykunst and Hammer (1988a) suggest that anxiety and attributional confidence (the inverse of uncertainty reduction) play crucial roles in predicting cross-cultural interaction processes. The purpose of this essay is to (a) specify why, and (b) predict when, adaptation and/or communication effectiveness occur in a cross-cultural encounter. Specifically, two parallel processes are proposed to explain the degree of adaptation and/or communication effectiveness a sojourner might have in a cross-cultural encounter. Drawing on Witte's (1992a) fear appeal theory, it is argued that in cross-cultural encounters individuals engage in either uncertainty control processes which lead to adaptive outcomes (intercultural adaptation, communication effectiveness), or anxiety control processes which lead to maladaptive outcomes (isolation, withdrawal). Individuals are motivated to control their uncertainty when they believe they can predict how members of another culture will act, but do not feel too anxious about the encounter (i.e., high attributional confidence/low anxiety). In contrast, individuals are motivated to control their anxiety if they believe they cannot predict how a member of another culture will act or respond to them, and they are experiencing high levels of anxiety (i.e., low attributional confidence/high anxiety). A formula designed to predict which process is dominating, and which outcomes to expect (i.e., adaptive or maladaptive), is presented.