Suspicious Receivers’ Goals and Behaviors 12
support the partner.
Active Strategies
Seeking information from the third parties or manipulating the social environments to
test the partner’s truthfulness seem to be other possible behavioral alternatives of a suspicious
receiver. Individuals were found to utilize such behavioral strategies for uncertainty reduction in
other contexts (e.g., testing the state of relationship). It was found that people arrange some
“secret tests” when they were unsure about relationship definition (Baxter & Wilmot, 1984; Bell
& Buerkel-Rothfuss, 1990). Individuals would ask third parties in their social network about
their perceptions of the relationship (Baxter & Wilmot, 1984; Bell & Buerkel-Rothfuss, 1990;
Emmers & Canary, 1996). Also, people would use “Triangle test” (i.e., forming a false three-
person relationship) to see the partner’s behavior in certain situations (Baxter & Wilmot, 1985;
Bell & Buerkel-Rothfuss, 1990). With regard to suspicion, it is speculated that a suspicious
receiver would attempt to do some “research” on one’s partner by consulting the social network
members or by manipulating the environment specifically related with the issue in suspicion to
check the partner’s truthfulness.
Interactive Strategies
Passive and active strategies discussed above are the strategies used out of interaction
with the partner. Due to their non-interactive nature, individuals have less concern on the self-
presentation, which is inherent to the interpersonal interaction (Berger & Kellermann, 1994).
However, there are times that individuals utilize interactive strategies to reduce uncertainty,
because interactive strategies can be more efficient and directed.
Planalp and her colleagues (1985; 1988) indicated that individuals attempt to
communicate about the problem with their partner when the problem increases uncertainty.
Arguing over the issue, talking over the issue, and talking around the issue were reported to be
Convention