As Weick uses the term, uncertainty dentes a lack of information. People who are uncertain look for more facts and a way to interpret them. Equivocality, on the other hand, refers to ambiguity. The problem is one of confusion rather than ignorance--too many possible meanings rather than not enough.When words or events are equivocal, people don't need more nformation. They need a context or a framework to sort through the information that they already have--a filter to screen out interpretations that would turn out to be counterproductiove. Making sense out of abundant, sometimes conflicting information, is the goal of this theory.
As a college student, I am continually exposed to equivocality because college is essentially an information processing system. Take ,for example, an ambiguous term paper assignment. When presented with an assignement without a clearly defined agenda, it is hard to produce a product that you are confident in. Weick cites the word of communication specialists Geoge Huber and Richard Daft to show how important face-to-face interaction is in such a situation: When confronted with an equivocal event, managers use language to share perceptions among themselves and gradually define or create meaning through discussion, groping, trial and error, and sounding out
Essentially, Information Systems Theory is designed to make sense out various confusing situations. It is especially relevant to people searching for an answer to ambiguous questions. Another theory, developed by Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor, attempts to predict how humans will react in certain situations. Check out the work done by some fellow Ohio University InCo 234 students by clicking on
Social Penetration Theory. Notice the parallels between Information Systems theory and Social Penetration theory.
Other Links:
For more information on this theory, check outKarl Weick'sInformation Systems Theory Title Page
Check out Communication Theory: Aims and Scopes. It is an international journal that publishes high quality, original research into the theoretical development of communication from across a wide array of disciplines.
The University of Oregon Institute of Cognitive & Decision Sciences offers an assortment of communication scholars.
Muzafer Sherif's Social Judgement Theory
Charles Berger's Uncertainty Reduction Theory
Coordinated Management of Meaning Theory
Check out Dr. Judith Lee's Communication Theory Pages.
This page was created by Matt Basinger and last modified on November 18, 1998.