Uncertainty and Relationship Development

Uncertainty is inextricably linked to relationship development. People enter initial interactions with a considerable lack of information about their communication partner. Whether partners seek further interaction and develop their relationship depends on their ability to communicate effectively despite this uncertainty and in ways that decrease this uncertainty. As relationships escalate, partners continue to gather and provide information that alleviates uncertainty as they assess the viability and desirability of further relationship escalation. Uncertainty persists within mutually committed relationships, contributing to dialectical tensions and manifesting as questions about a person's own interest in the relationship, the partner's involvement in the association, and the nature of the relationship in general. Because uncertainty can arise whenever conditions within and surrounding a relationship change and because uncertainty complicates interpersonal communication, it influences the development and maintenance of intimacy across the relational lifespan.