Reexamination of uncertainty reduction theory in intercultural communication: A case study of Korean-Americans

The purpose of this study is to extend uncertainty reduction theory into intercultural communication between Korean-Americans (first generation of Korean immigrants) and Americans by specifying the targets of uncertainty, uncertainty toward Americans and uncertainty toward themselves.

In Hypothesis 1 the relationship between the amount of verbal communication and the level of uncertainty of Korean-Americans toward Americans was hypothesized as a negative one. The hypothesis was not confirmed. Korean-Americans' uncertainty level toward Americans did not decrease as their amount of verbal communication increased.

Hypothesis 2 predicted a nonsignificant relationship between the amount of verbal communication of Korean-Americans with Americans and their uncertainty level toward themselves. The hypothesis was confirmed.

Hypothesis 3 predicted a negative relationship between the intimacy level of communication content and the uncertainty level of Korean-Americans toward Americans. The hypothesized relationship was strongly supported. As Korean-Americans' intimacy level of communication content increased, their uncertainty level toward Americans decreased.

Hypothesis 4 predicted a nonsignificant relationship between the intimacy level of communication content and the uncertainty level of Korean-Americans toward themselves. The hypothesis was supported. As Korean-Americans' intimacy level of communication with Americans increased, their uncertainty level toward themselves did not decrease.

We may conclude, therefore, that Axioms 1 and 4 of Berger and Calabrese (1975), taken together, proved to be only a partially useful formulation for understanding intercultural communication between Korean-Americans and Americans. In order to better understand these somewhat surprising results, four important variables in intercultural communication between Korean-Americans and Americans were considered: (1) cultural differences between Korea and the United States, (2) Korean-Americans' degree of cultural and social assimilation, (3) the conflict between Korean-Americans' need for assimilation and their preference for maintaining ethnicity, and (4) Korean-Americans' feeling toward Americans.

Gudykunst and his associates are very near to opening the question of uncertainty toward the self (Gudykunst and Hammer, 1988a; Gudykunst and Hammer, 1988b) in terms of anxiety and social identity. This investigator recommends that their concepts of anxiety and social identity should be investigated with regard to both targets of uncertainty: uncertainty toward others and uncertainty toward self. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)