In attempting to reduce that uncertainty, people tend to utilize passive, active,

interactive and extractive strategies to help predict and explain someone’s behavior
during an interaction.

FIRST: PASSIVE

Observing others while avoiding direct interaction with them is a passive strategy.
Regardless of whether we really overhear the talks, research by Berger and his
colleagues suggests that we like to see the persons who are the subject of our anxiety
interact with others. Consider your own encounters with people you are attracted to but
don't really know during social occasions. Watching someone interact with others
teaches you more about them than watching them sit by themselves. You may learn a
lot about a person by observing their nonverbal cues, like their sense of humor, warmth,
friendliness, enthusiasm, etc. We find it more interesting to watch other people in
various social contexts, both formal and
casual, as a means of learning more.

SECOND:

In contrast to the passive strategy, the active strategy makes indirect strategic efforts to
gather information about the target, such as Googling them or asking others about
them, but it does not directly interact with them. A more credible source of knowledge
can be obtained by asking others. Naturally, the reliability of any information obtained
from a third party relies on how trustworthy the third party is. Although using an indirect
approach to questioning spares you from the shame or threat of asking the person
directly, there may be both positive and bad consequences if the person discover you
have been questioning them.

THIRD:

Direct communication with the other person is the third method we employ to gather
information. During a conversation, interaction strategy emphasizes seeking information
by either posing questions or requesting reciprocity of self-disclosures. When meeting
someone for the first time, we usually follow a get-to-know-you routine that starts with
asking questions and ending with giving replies to the first four or five minutes, after
which the topic of conversation frequently shifts to a few popular subjects.
According to Berger, asking too many questions during the first exchange might be
negative because it makes a person feel questioned. Nevertheless, when doubts about
someone's behavior arise in our interpersonal relationships, we frequently ask direct
inquiries to find out or discover the situation.

FOURTH:

Creating an impression of a subject by researching it online.

For example, checking someone on facebook, clearly already learned the extractive
strategy of searching for information online. Although this method was not part of
Berger’s original three uncertainty reduction strategies, his colleagues believe that the
Internet creates a new way for us to reduce uncertainty. Sometimes a name is all that’s
necessary to search for blogs, archived newspaper articles, tweets, and more—an
unobtrusive process that’s something like “conducting a personalized background
check.”

REASONS TO REDUCE UNCERTAINTY

1. In other words, as people anticipate interacting with others in the future, their
desire to learn more about them increases since their cognitive uncertainty about
them is increased. As a result, people who are planning on interacting with others
want to learn more about them to lessen uncertainty.

2. People desire information about individuals who have the power to influence their
lives either positively or negatively, such as employers, teachers and politicians.

3. People want to reduce their uncertainty about odd, eccentric individuals who
behave contrary to one’s expectations or social norms.