Factors affecting attraction; self-disclosure

Question 1

what is self-disclosure

Answer 1

revealing personal info about self
- as relationship develops, partners reveal more about themselves

Question 2

effect of self-disclosure

Answer 2

revealing one’s deepest thoughts/feelings, when used appropriately = strengthen romantic bond

Question 3

who came up with the social penetration theory

Answer 3

Altman and Taylor 1973

Question 4

what does SPT suggest

Answer 4

gradual process of revealing inner self to someone else, giving away deepest thoughts/feelings

• involves reciprocal exchange between partners, by revealing more, they ‘penetrate’ more deeply = allows to gain deeper understanding

revealing sensitive info = ‘i trust you’

Question 5

onion analogy linked to elements of self disclosure

Answer 5

at the start = disclose superficial/’low-risk’
info, = peeling away at outer layers of onion

*little breadth and depth

as relationship develops = reveal more about self, ‘high-risk’/intimate info,
- e.g., goals, deeply held fears/fantasies
= more inner layers removed

• more breadth and depth

Question 6

2 elements of self-disclosure

Answer 6

1. breadth
2. depth

Question 7

term used to describe how dissatisfied partners self-disclose less as they gradually disengage from relationship

Answer 7

depenetration

Question 8

what did reis and shaver identify is needed for relationships to develop (aside from breadth and depth)?

Answer 8

reciprocal element to disclosure

= balance of self disclosure between partners required in successful romantic relationship

= increase feelings of intimacy and deepens relationship

Question 9

what 4 factors are considered when self-disclosing

Answer 9

1. gender
   (females tend to disclose more)
2. content
   (what is acc shared can affect attraction)
3. appropriateness
   (depending on situation, e.g., first date vs established relationships)
4. attribution
   (intention behind person’s disclosure)

Question 10

strength of self-disclosure theory

Answer 10

research support

sprecher and hendrick = studied heterosexual couples
- found strong correl. between several measures of satisfaction and self-disclosure

• those who used self-disclosure and believe partners did also = more satisfied with/committed to relationship

= increase validity of theory that reciprocal self-disclosure leads to more satisfied relationships

Question 11

further strength of self-disclosure theory

Answer 11

real world app.
= can help ppl wanting to improve communication in relationships

=deliberate and skillful increase of SD can help achieve greater intimacy and relationship satisfaction

• shows SPT has real life value in enhancing romantic relationship experiences/ sorting out relationship issues

Question 12

weakness of self-disclosure

Answer 12

cultural differences
tang et al = reviewed self-disclosure research
- concl. US (individualist) self-disclosed sexual thoughts sig. more, than China (collectivist)
= did not affect levels of satisfaction (was same level)

• suggests limited explanation as based on individualist culture, not necessarily generalisable to other cultures and there is not necessarily direct relationship between increasing self-disclosure and increased satisfaction