Reconceptualizing uncertainty in illness: commonalities, variations, and the multidimensional nature of uncertainty

Communication scholars have been long interested in uncertainty and its connection to communicative actions. Since the special issue of Journal of Communication on uncertainty and communication [Babrow, (2001a). Introduction to the special issue on uncertainty, evaluation, and communication. Journal of Communication, 51, 453–455. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2001.tb02890.x], there is growing literature, including both theoretical advancements and empirical investigations, in this area of research, especially in health communication contexts. However, substantial variation exists in how uncertainty is defined across different research traditions, with a heavy yet narrow emphasis on probability and information deficit perspective. This paper reviews and synthesizes conceptualizations and operationalizations of uncertainty and highlights its multidimensional nature. Given that uncertainty and uncertainty management is context-specific, this paper focuses primarily on illness uncertainty. Theoretical and practical implications for understanding uncertainty and uncertainty management are discussed.