Lecture 9 - Friendship and Love Flashcards
(89 cards)
What is Social Penetration Theory?
A theory that describes moving a relationship from superficial to deeper levels of intimacy
Developed by Altman & Taylor in 1973
What is self-disclosure?
Voluntarily sharing information about oneself to another person
Important in building and maintaining relationships
How does self-disclosure relate to friendships?
It is crucial for developing and maintaining friendships by allowing personal sharing
Involves sharing deeper personal information over time
What are the two dimensions of self-disclosure?
Breadth and depth
Breadth refers to the range of topics shared, while depth refers to the degree of personal information
What does ‘depth’ in self-disclosure refer to?
The degree of information from superficial to private
Indicates how personal the shared information is
What does ‘breadth’ in self-disclosure refer to?
The wider range of topics shared, such as opinions, interests, and attitudes
Indicates the variety of subjects discussed
How is social penetration described metaphorically?
Like peeling an onion, moving from superficial to core layers of personality
Each layer represents different levels of intimacy
What are the levels of social penetration?
Superficial, Intimate, Personal, Core
These levels represent different depths of personal sharing
What is the norm of reciprocity in social penetration?
The expectation to share similar depth and breadth of information
Helps relationships develop at a comfortable pace
True or False: Relationships typically start with deep self-disclosure.
False
Relationships usually start slow at a superficial level
Fill in the blank: Social penetration is the process of peeling back the layers of _______.
personal information
This process reveals deeper aspects of an individual’s personality
What are the stages of social penetration?
The stages are: Orientation, Exploratory Affective exchange, Affective exchange, and Stable exchange.
What characterizes the Orientation stage?
Orientation involves superficial information, cautious and careful behavior, public self, and socially desirable behaviors.
Examples include first dates and acquaintances.
What occurs during the Exploratory Affective exchange stage?
Exploratory Affective exchange involves less cautious self-disclosure, a breadth of topics, and is limited to the public self.
Examples include first dates and casual acquaintances or friends.
What are the properties of the Affective exchange stage?
Affective exchange includes some private or intimate information, commitment and comfort, and the initiation of conflict.
What defines the Stable exchange stage?
Stable exchange is characterized by openness, breadth, depth, honesty, and intimacy, involving the most intimate information.
Examples include close friends and romantic partners.
What happens if self-disclosure is too quick or too much?
The recipient may feel threatened and evaluate the disclosure negatively.
How should self-disclosure be managed?
Self-disclosure should be properly paced and matched to the other’s level of self-disclosure.
What is defenestration in the context of relationships?
Defenestration is when a person emotionally withdraws from a relationship by reducing the quantity and intimacy of the information they disclose.
What is the main finding of Social Penetration Theory?
People who take part in intimate disclosure are liked more than those who disclose less.
How does liking influence self-disclosure?
People disclose more to people they like more.
What effect does self-disclosure have on interpersonal relationships?
People like others more following self-disclosure.
What is a limitation of Social Penetration Theory?
It is limited in scope and doesn’t apply to coworkers, neighbours, or acquaintances.
What aspect of relationships does Social Penetration Theory not address?
It does not describe or explain established relationships.