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The Relationship Between Uncertainty and Desire for Feedback: A Test of Competing Hypotheses 1
Author(s) -
Anseel Frederik,
Lievens Filip
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00197.x
Subject(s) - certainty , psychology , uncertainty reduction theory , social psychology , curvilinear coordinates , negative feedback , positive feedback , contrast (vision) , test (biology) , mathematics , computer science , paleontology , physics , geometry , quantum mechanics , electrical engineering , biology , engineering , voltage , artificial intelligence
The relationship between uncertainty and desire for feedback was investigated in 2 studies. Results of Study 1 showed support for a curvilinear relationship. People were interested in feedback at high and low levels of uncertainty, as opposed to moderate levels of uncertainty, indicating the activation of both uncertainty reduction and self‐verification motives. In Study 2, the curvilinear relationship with uncertainty was replicated for indirect feedback‐seeking behavior. In contrast, we found a negative relationship between direct feedback seeking and uncertainty, moderated by certainty orientation. People seemed more motivated by self‐verification vs. uncertainty reduction strivings, depending on their certainty orientation. These findings suggest that the relationship between uncertainty and desire for feedback is less simple than previously thought.