Jacob B. Hirsh, Raymond A. Mar, and Jordan B. Peterson (2012)
Abstract
Entropy, a concept derived from thermodynamics and information theory, describes the amount of
uncertainty and disorder within a system. Self-organizing systems engage in a continual dialogue with the
environment and must adapt themselves to changing circumstances to keep internal entropy at a
manageable level. We propose the entropy model of uncertainty (EMU), an integrative theoretical
framework that applies the idea of entropy to the human information system to understand uncertainty-related
anxiety. Four major tenets of EMU are proposed: (a) Uncertainty poses a critical adaptive
challenge for any organism, so individuals are motivated to keep it at a manageable level; (b) uncertainty
emerges as a function of the conflict between competing perceptual and behavioral affordances; (c)
adopting clear goals and belief structures helps to constrain the experience of uncertainty by reducing the
spread of competing affordances; and (d) uncertainty is experienced subjectively as anxiety and is
associated with activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and with heightened noradrenaline release. By
placing the discussion of uncertainty management, a fundamental biological necessity, within the
framework of information theory and self-organizing systems, our model helps to situate key psychological
processes within a broader physical, conceptual, and evolutionary context.
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