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McCornack, S. (2013). Reflect & relate: An introduction to interpersonal communication (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins.

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Ted Mosby and the Uncertainty Reduction Theory

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Ted Mosby and the Uncertainty Reduction Theory

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Interpersonal communication is full of uncertainty. When meeting new people, we try to collect as much information about them as we can in order to reduce this uncertainty. When there is less uncertainty surrounding a person, we tend to like them more and feel more comfortable pursuing further relationships. The Uncertainty Reduction Theory suggests three strategies to reducing uncertainty. We commonly use these strategies when we find someone attractive. You could start by using the passive strategy and observe their behavior and interactions with other people. "Stalking" the person on social media is also a commonly used passive strategy. After this, you could start asking other people about the person you're interested in, this is known as the active strategy. The problem with this though, is that the information may be false or misleading. The most efficient and direct way of reducing uncertainty is the interactive strategy, which involves actually going up to the person and introducing yourself (McCornack, 2013).

Ted (Josh Radnor) prefers to use the passive strategy when interested in women, watching them from afar before approaching them. Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), Ted's self-proclaimed wingman, forces him to use the interactive strategy by playing "Have you met Ted?" Let's take a look at this theory in action:

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Lilly and the Communication Accommodation Theory

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Lilly and the Communication Accommodation Theory

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Think about the way you talk with your friends. Would you speak the same way to your professors or boss? Probably not. The language we use with others varies based on the context or environment we're in. This is explained by the Communication Accommodation Theory, which suggests we are more willing to adapt our language when we seek social approval, want to build relationships with others, or when we consider the other person's language appropriate. When we can successfully adapt our language to different situations, we are seen as having high communication skills and are more competent in speaking with people from different cultures (McCornack, 2013).

When Lilly's (Allyson Hannigan) friend from high school, Michelle, comes to New York to visit, she drastically changes her language to reflect Michelle's. You can notice an abrupt shift in her tone of voice and use of slang as soon as Michelle enters the scene. Lilly could be doing this for a host of reasons, but she is most likely trying to rekindle the friendship they had in high school.

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One of my favourite scenes from the show! I'm really sorry for the obvious edit, but it was the only way I could upload this video due to copyright :( Well anyways enjoy!! :D S03E16 ''Sandcastles in the Sand'' Song: Duice - Dazzey Duks

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Barney and the Implicit Personality Theory

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Barney and the Implicit Personality Theory

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The Implicit Personality Theory suggests that we have personal beliefs about different types of personalities and the ways in which traits cluster together.  This theory is used when first meeting people, as we take a little information we notice about a person and assume other things about their personality.  For example, you see a coworker walk into a meeting late.  Without any prior interactions with this person, you might assume they are disrespectful and don't take their work seriously (McCornack, 2013).

One of the recurrent themes in How I Met Your Mother is Barney's elaborate schemes to pick up women. When observing Barney perform these ridiculous tricks, one might assume that he is dishonest, misogynistic, and sleazy.  Let's take a look at some of Barney's craziest moves from "The Playbook."

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How I Met Your Mother - Barney's Playbook

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Now that Barney is back on the market, he has decided to crack out his playbook on how to pick up chicks and give them the bizness... we'll see if it works as well as he thinks. Catch all-new episodes of 'How I Met Your Mother' Mondays on CBS!

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The Dyadic Power Theory states that people with mediocre power are more likely to be controlling in relationships. Since they have limited power, they tend to overuse this power to ensure they get what they want. You may have experienced this with an older coworker.  Since they have worked there longer than you, they feel they have power over you and try to tell you how to things (McCornack, 2013).

Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) has little to know power over his friends, and the others in the group even consider him obnoxious or annoying at times. Despite this, he frequently tries to manipulate them into doing things and drags them into his shenanigans. For example, Barney always tells Ted to "suit up," even though Ted rarely does so.

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All of Barney's memorable moments where he quotes " Suit Up ! " in many forms. Enjoy :)

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Family Communications Patterns and Ted's Parents

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Family Communications Patterns and Ted's Parents

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Effective communication is key to a healthy and happy family life. Family communication styles are classified according their orientation to two characteristics: conversation and conformity.  Conversation is referred to as the degree to which members participate in discussions on a wide variety of topics.  Families high in conversation (such as the Tanners from Full House) feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and opinions with each other, and openly confront their problems.  Conformity, on the other hand, is the level of uniformity or diversity that is encouraged within a family.  Families high in conformity tend to be more "traditional," as the parents have more control over children and expect them to share common beliefs (McCornack, 2013).

There are four styles of family communication based on their level of conversation and conformity.  Families high in both of these areas are defined as consensual. These families tend to openly discuss various topics, but members of the family are expected to hold the same beliefs.  Pluralistic families are those that are high in conversation but low in conformity.  Like consensual families, they openly talk about things, but opposing viewpoints are accepted and even encouraged.  As a result, pluralistic families tend to be most effective in conflict resolution.  Families low in conversation but high in conformity are known as protective families. Importance in these families is placed on obedience to family norms rather than discussion of ideas.  Laissez-faire families are low in both conversation and conformity.  These families believe members should have independent ideas but form few emotional bonds due to a lack of discussion.  Because protective and laissez-faire families are low in conversation, they typically avoid dealing with conflict (McCornack, 2013).

Ted's (Josh Radnor) family shows a low level of conversation, as his parents avoid talking about anything that isn't baseball related. In this episode, Ted learns that his parents have been divorced for nearly a year, but haven't told him to avoid conflict.

(11:30-12:30)

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How I Met Your Mother - S 2 E 3 - Brunch

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Watch the video "How I Met Your Mother - S 2 E 3 - Brunch" uploaded by How I Met Your Mother on Dailymotion.