▁communication ▁episodes : ▁▁ ▁Communic ation ▁effic acy ▁– ▁An ▁individuals ’ ▁per ception ▁that ▁they ▁have ▁the ▁communication ▁skills ▁to ▁successfully ▁complete ▁the ▁task ▁at ▁hand . ▁ ▁Cop ing ▁effic acy ▁– ▁An ▁individuals ’ ▁belief ▁that ▁they ▁can ▁or ▁cannot ▁co pe ▁with ▁what ▁information ▁they ▁might ▁discover ▁from ▁seeking . ▁ ▁Target ▁effic acy ▁– ▁consist ▁of ▁two ▁distinct ▁components : ▁target ▁ability ▁and ▁target ▁willing ness . ▁Thus , ▁this ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁an ▁individual ' s ▁per ception ▁of ▁the ▁target ▁person ’ s ▁ability ▁and ▁willing ness ▁to ▁provide ▁information ▁that ▁will ▁reduce ▁the ▁uncertainty ▁dis cre p ancy . ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁The ▁theory ▁arg ues ▁that ▁outcome ▁expect ancy , ▁which ▁is ▁an ▁individual ' s ▁assess ments ▁of ▁the ▁benefits ▁and ▁costs ▁of ▁information ▁seeking , ▁impact ▁their ▁effic acy ▁jud g ments . ▁However , ▁these ▁assess ments ▁have ▁little ▁direct ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁seek ▁information . ▁In ▁other ▁words , ▁T M IM ▁assign s ▁effic acy ▁as ▁the ▁primary ▁direct ▁predict or ▁of ▁that ▁decision . ▁ ▁The ▁Dec ision ▁Ph ase ▁ ▁The ▁decision ▁phase ▁is ▁where ▁individuals ▁decide ▁whether ▁or ▁not , ▁to ▁eng age ▁information . ▁T M IM ▁propos es ▁three ▁ways ▁of ▁doing ▁so : ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 1 . ▁Se ek ▁Re levant ▁information : ▁ ▁Several ▁studies ▁have ▁found ▁that ▁when ▁individuals ▁decide ▁to ▁seek ▁information ▁relevant ▁to ▁their ▁uncertainty , ▁they ▁usually ▁adopt ▁a ▁communication ▁strategy ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁(