The relationship between uncertainty and desire for feedback: A test of competing hypotheses

• Main Authors: ANSEEL, Filip, LIEVENS, Filip
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2007
• Subjects: Industrial and Organizational Psychology; Organizational Behavior and Theory
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/5510; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6509/viewcontent/desire.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

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.