Research On Intercultural Communication Effectiveness In Light Of Uncertainty Management Theory

In our daily life, we usually define a communication as effective by checking whether wanted information is obtained in the communication process. However, this communication effectiveness is based on the fact that the communicators are willing to reveal information. When one participant is reluctant to disclose himself to the other participant, uncertainty is produced. In this situation, communication effectiveness largely depends on the way uncertainty is dealt with. In the context of intercultural communication, uncertainty is more easily produced especially when the two participants are strangers. Intercultural TV talk show belongs to such a situation in which interviewees come from various language and cultural backgrounds. They may not always be willing to reveal information needed by the program because of their identities or other factors. Thus uncertainty will come into being. As to how to deal with uncertainty, communication scholar William B. Gudykunst put forward Uncertainty Management theory. He believes that effective communication not necessarily requires that uncertainty is reduced or even eliminated. As long as the level of uncertainty is controlled between the maximum and minimum level, communication is likely to be effective; so uncertainty becomes the first cause influencing communication effectiveness. But the level of uncertainty is mediated by various factors like empathy, identity, tolerance for ambiguity and etc; these factors are called secondary causes affecting communication effectiveness.This thesis chooses20episodes of the intercultural TV talk show Yang Lan One on One. The20episodes involve20interviewees interviewed from2009to2013. And the videos of the20episodes are transcribed into English texts as the data of the present research. The current research aims to explore how empathy, identity and tolerance for ambiguity can influence intercultural communication by mediating the level of uncertainty. The research findings can help potential audience to review the TV talk show Yang Lan One on One from the perspective of intercultural communication. What’s more, the research findings can also provide implications for interviewers of other bilingual TV talk show to make them more capable in intercultural communication.The research findings are concluded as follows.(1) Empathy influences intercultural communication effectiveness mainly through reducing uncertainty produced in intercultural communication. Empathy is an important and useful communication skill that can reduce uncertainty. (2) Identity affects intercultural communication through influencing the way communicators construct their turns. When a certain topic may threat identities of communicators, they tend to keep uncertainty in language so as to maintain their identities.(3) A higher tolerance for ambiguity is a very necessary communication skill effective for intercultural communication. When one of the participants cannot or is not willing to reduce uncertainty, a higher tolerance for ambiguity is a necessary attitude to deal with such situation.(4) Empathy, identity and tolerance for ambiguity are not separated but are interrelated in influencing intercultural communication.This thesis is made up of five chapters.The introductory chapter represents background of the research, purpose and significance, as well as research questions.The next chapter focuses on the literature review of communication effectiveness and Uncertainty Management theory related to the present research.In chapter three, the research design is introduced to show how the research is carried out methodologically.And in chapter four, also the most important part of the whole thesis, the effectiveness of the intercultural communication between the Chinese interviewer and some foreign interviewees in the bilingual TV Talk Show Yang Lan One on One is examined based on the theory of Uncertainty Management Theory.Then in the last chapter, the author will summarize the main findings of the research and point out the limitation of the research as well as suggestions for future researches.