While finances are known to be a source of uncertainty for couples (Knobloch, 2008), the specific sources of financial ambiguity and the ways in which they are appraised and negotiated have not been explored. Framed by the lens of Uncertainty Management Theory (UMT; Brashers, 2001), the current study used face-to-face, semi-structured interviews of 40 diverse participants in married or cohabiting relationships to provide new insight into uncertainty management. The investigation uncovered the types of uncertainty experienced by participants (economic, personal, family, communication, and chronic), the ways in which people managed uncertainty (reducing, maintaining, and adapting to it through a variety of practical strategies), and barriers to uncertainty management (information, time management, sociocultural, and communication obstacles), shedding light on why people are (not) successful in managing their finances. Consistent with the tenets of UMT (Brashers, 2001), communication (or lack thereof) was critical to the process of uncertainty management, particularly with respect to reducing and maintaining uncertainty. However, this study uniquely found that collective negotiation of financial uncertainty was particularly salient. In many ways, financial uncertainty management can be conceptualized as a joint enterprise. Just as individuals negotiate uncertainty by seeking information through computer-mediated communication (e.g., the internet), mass media (e.g., magazines), and external interpersonal sources (e.g., financial advisors), this investigation found that people frequently negotiated their uncertainty with their romantic partner through communal coping. This study provides important insight into the ways in which financial uncertainty can influence people's communication, behavior, and relationships and proposes extending the theory to take into account the role that dyads, culture, and individual factors can play in shaping uncertainty management. / text

Immigration of Latinx people into the United States has grown in recent decades, with immigrants from Mexico making up about a quarter of the immigrant population. Similar trends are observed in Texas higher education institutions. This expansion of racial-ethnic diversity calls attention to the importance of understanding how social dynamics and personal beliefs may play a salient role in intercultural encounters within academia. Guided by contact theory and anxiety/uncertainty management theory, the current study adopted a multidimensional approach to understand pre-existing attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs that may influence an individual's willingness to interact with an outgroup member. Undergraduate participants (N = 302) from an Hispanic serving institution (HSI) completed a survey that included measures of culture and interaction that may precede intercultural contact. Findings suggest that (a) willingness to interact interculturally was inversely associated with ethnocentrism and negative attitudes toward immigrants, (b) negative attitudes were positively impacted by ethnocentrism, and (c) intergroup anxiety was an important predictor in the study of willingness to interact interculturally. Discussion includes applied and future research implications.

Public speaking has been found to be one of the greatest fears people face in their lifetime. Students, in particular, may feel extremely nervous about public speaking or the anticipated event of speaking to an audience. The purpose of this research study is twofold: (1) investigate the contemplative practice of mindfulness meditation, and (2) to understand the experiences of students who practice mindfulness meditation while enrolled (or previously enrolled) in a Public Speaking course at a community college. Data was collected using a Transcendental Phenomenology methodological approach. Moreover, methods used included open-ended, semi-structured interviews as well as descriptive field notes. Qualitative data was transcribed, coded and categorized into salient thematic findings. The findings of this study detail students’ perceptions about the use of mindfulness meditation. This study informs Public Speaking practitioners about how to proactively manage anxiety and uncertainty by employing contemplative practices to increase successful communication outcomes.

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