Editing Uncertainty avoidance (section)

==Key concepts==
There is a wide scale on where specific cultures fall under the uncertainty avoidance. Three types of uncertainty avoidance are high, low, and moderate uncertainty avoidance. Hofstede's uncertainty avoidance scale shows the want to reduce any visible uncertainty that is placed in the life of a person.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Krys|first1=Kuba|last2=Hansen|first2=Karolina|last3=Xing|first3=Cai|last4=Szarota|first4=Piotr|last5=Yang|first5=Miao-miao|date=2014|title=Do Only Fools Smile at Strangers? Cultural Differences in Social Perception of Intelligence of Smiling Individuals|journal=Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology|language=en|volume=45|issue=2|pages=314–321|doi=10.1177/0022022113513922|s2cid=145344182 |issn=0022-0221}}</ref>

===High uncertainty avoidance===
There are many ways to detect if someone has a high amount of uncertainty avoidance. Typically, the use of formality in interaction with others, dependence of formalized policies and procedures, apparent resistance to change, and intolerance of nontraditional ways are all characteristics of high uncertainty avoidance.<ref name="HofstedeInsights" />

Also, people from high uncertainty avoidance cultures demonstrate higher stress and anxiety levels.<ref name="Hofstede2001" /> These individuals have a high value on control, which means that having a set structure in everything of their life helps. The use of rigid rules assists them with defining what they believe in and how they behave. The development of new ideas makes them uncomfortable and only take risks that they know have high success rates.<ref name="McCornack2017" /> Older people in high UA are highly respected and feared.<ref name="Hofstede2001" /> When children are being taught the beliefs of their culture, they cannot question them.<ref name="McCornack2017" /> 

People in high uncertainty avoidance societies may be afraid of people who are different from them. They may show signs of [[Xenophobia]].<ref name="TenMinutes" />

====High uncertainty avoidance countries====
Some of the highest uncertainty avoidance countries include Finland, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, and South Korea.<ref name="Anbari2003">{{cite web|last1=Anbari|first1=F.|last2=Khilkhanova|first2=E.|last3=Romanova|first3=M.|last4=Umpleby|first4=S.|title=CROSS CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGING INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS|date=2003|url=https://www2.gwu.edu/~umpleby/recent_papers/2003_cross_cultural_differences_managin_international_projects_anbari_khilkhanova_romanova_umpleby.htm|access-date=14 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313200929/https://www2.gwu.edu/~umpleby/recent_papers/2003_cross_cultural_differences_managin_international_projects_anbari_khilkhanova_romanova_umpleby.htm|archive-date=2016-03-13|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Low uncertainty avoidance===
In contrast, people can also exhibit characteristics of low uncertainty avoidance. Unlike high UA, those with a low level use informality in interaction with others, they often rely on informal norms and behaviors in most matters. Also, they will show moderate resistance to change.<ref name="HofstedeInsights" />

Individuals that come from a culture with low UA care about letting the future come without the control or plan of it. Rules that are placed do not have an influence on them. Those with a low UA believe that it is okay to question the people in higher positions.<ref name="McCornack2017" /> They have lower stress and anxiety rates. Younger people in low UA are respected<ref name="Hofstede2001" /> and when they are being taught the beliefs within their culture, they do not have to follow them right away. When new ideas are brought up, they are open-minded when hearing about them.<ref name="McCornack2017" /> People from low UA don't find situations that aren't clear as problems that might cause them trouble. Originality will have higher value and likely to be taken into consideration.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Adair|first1=Wendi L.|last2=Xiong|first2=Tracy X.|date=2018|title=How Chinese and Caucasian Canadians Conceptualize Creativity: The Mediating Role of Uncertainty Avoidance|journal=Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology|language=en|volume=49|issue=2|pages=223–238|doi=10.1177/0022022117713153|s2cid=149267350 |issn=0022-0221}}</ref>

Additionally, people with low uncertainty avoidance do not have any difficulty with interacting with people who are different from them.<ref name="TenMinutes" />

====Low uncertainty avoidance countries====
Some of the lowest uncertainty avoidance countries include Jamaica, Denmark, Singapore, Sweden, and Ireland.<ref name="Anbari2003" />

===Moderate uncertainty avoidance===
People of moderate uncertainty avoidance cultures take some characteristics from both types of avoidance. The people with moderate UA are those who live in the United States and Canada.<ref name="McCornack2017" />

===Risk===
Uncertainty avoidance is commonly mistakenly associated with risk avoidance. However, UAI does not deal with risk avoidance. In fact, it deals with the habits and rituals in which a society feels comfortable practicing.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 6D model of national culture|url=http://geerthofstede.com/culture-geert-hofstede-gert-jan-hofstede/6d-model-of-national-culture/|website=Geert Hofstede|date=1 February 2016}}</ref>