Factors Affecting Attraction In Romantic Relationships - Self-disclosure Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is self-disclosure?
The sharing of personal information about the self which leads to increased attraction
What are the 3 factors of self-disclosure?
- Social penetration theory
- Breadth and depth
- Reciprocity
What is social penetration?
The gradual process of revealing your inner self to someone else - deepest thoughts and feelings
What does social penetration involve?
Reciprocal exchange of information between intimate partners
What does sharing more information imply to one’s partner?
That the partner trusts the other and they are forming a more deep and close relationship
What is breadth and depth?
Breadth - more information is shared
Depth - deeper information is shared
Why is breadth classed as low risk information?
This is information we would share with many other people - revealing too much too soon can reduce the attractiveness of a person
Why is depth classed as high risk information?
This information isn’t easily shared as it’s about painful memories, strongly held beliefs and secrets
What is reciprocity?
The expectation that when one person shares a level of information the other person does the same thing
What is the supporting evidence for self-disclosure?
Sprecher and Hendrick 2004
What was the study of Sprecher and Hendrick 2004?
They did a longitudinal study of mainly white, middle class heterosexual dating couples using questionnaires and found strong correlations between several measures of satisfaction and reciprocal self-disclosure
What are the evaluation points for self-disclosure?
+ Supporting evidence - Sprecher and Hendrick 2004
- Evidence is correlational - can’t demonstrate causation
+ Can offer practical applications
