Uncertainty, Value, Communication, and Problematic Integration

This essay discusses problematic integration (PI) theory, a general perspective on the nature of the dynamic relationship between communication and tensions among expectations and desires and considers the relevance and potential value of PI theory to questions foundational to the field of communication research. The paper begins with a discussion of the main propositions of PI theory, then considers the relationship between the theory and emerging analyses of uncertainty, attending in particular to the meanings of uncertainty and the tensions among uncertainties, wants, and wishes.

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