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Discussion Questions
Chapter 4: Making Sense of Our World: Managing Uncertainty and Expectancy
Violations
1. How does it feel when you are unable to predict or explain someone’s attitude or behavior? How can
this harm or benefit our self-uncertainty? Uncertainty in our partners and possible relationships?
2. How can some uncertainty reduction strategies be harmful to our relationships? Do you see manners
in which the secret tests can positively reduce uncertainty or benefit someone in a relationship? What
might be some alternatives to the secret tests?
3. Reflect on a time someone’s behavior surprised you. How were your perceptions or expectations
positively or negatively affected? Does expectancy violations theory help explain your reaction? Did that
experience change how you react to similar moments? How?
4. Do you have any relationships that are exclusively or primarily online? Where is the relationship
similar to your face-to-face relationships? If or when you met the person did you become closer? More
distant? How was the uncertainty in the relationship mediated given the online aspects of
communication?
5. Suppose a friend came to you to discuss uncertainty he or she has with his or her sexual relationship.
What strategies would you recommend to your friend to help him or her reduce his or her uncertainty?
