Self Disclosure Flashcards
SELF DISCLOSURE
Revealing personal information
Initial attraction = similarity
Plays an important part in
relationships beyond initial attraction
SOCIAL PENETRATION THEORY 1
Reciprocal exchange of information
Increased intimacy = penetration of understanding
Feature of romantic relationships
SOCIAL PENETRATION THEORY 2
The gradual process of revealing your inner self to
someone else.
In romantic relationships it involves the reciprocal
exchange of information between intimate partners.
When one partner reveals some personal information they display trust; to go further the other partner must also reveal sensitive information.
As they increasingly disclose more, they ‘penetrate’ more
deeply into each other’s lives and gain a greater understanding of each other.
This is a basic feature of a romantic relationship.
BREADTH AND DEPTH
Initially disclosure is superficial and low risk with
some topics off limits
Over time the disclosure becomes deeper and
wider
BREADTH AND DEPTH OF SELF DISCLOSURE
Breadth is narrow as many topics are off limits early in
a relationship
Eventually we are prepared to reveal intimate, high
risk information
RECIPROCITY
Disclosure needs to be reciprocal for a relationship to develop
RECIPROCITY OF SELF
DISCLOSURE
For a relationship to develop there needs to be
a reciprocal element to disclosure
Once you have decided to disclose, your partner
will hopefully respond in a rewarding way
This creates a balance of self disclosure –
increasing feelings of intimacy and deepening
the relationship
FACTORS AFFECTING ATTRACTION: SELF-DISCLOSURE
Collins and Miller (1994) suggest that Self disclosure (telling intimate information) has been shown to influence attraction in 3 ways:
those who engage in ‘intimate disclosures’ are generally liked more that those who do not.
people disclose more to those they like in the 1st place.
the act of self-disclosure makes us like the person we are speaking to.
Self-disclosure works best when it is reciprocal (it is returned)
A03 Research Support Sprecher & Hendrick
SPRECHER ET AL (2013)
Looked at the effects of self-disclosure reciprocity (vs. non-reciprocity) on liking in
initial encounters.
Involved pairs of unacquainted individuals participating in a structured self-disclosure activity.
Participants in some pairs took turns asking and answering questions in two
interactions (reciprocal disclosure).
In other pairs, participants either disclosed or listened in an initial interaction
(non-reciprocal disclosure) and then switched disclosure roles in a second interaction.
Participants who disclosed reciprocally reported greater liking, closeness, perceived similarity, and enjoyment of the interaction after the first interaction than participants
who disclosed non reciprocally.
These differences remained after the second interaction, even though participants in
non-reciprocally disclosing dyads switched roles (i.e., disclosers became listeners) and therefore experienced extended reciprocity.
Concluded that turn-taking self-disclosure reciprocity in the acquaintance process
increases the likelihood of positive outcomes (e.g., liking).
REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS
Romantic partners probably use self disclosure
deliberately to increase intimacy
Hass & Stafford (1998) found that 57% of gay men and women said that open and honest self disclosure was the main way they maintained and deepened their committed relationships
Partners who limit communication to small talk can learn to use self disclosure to have more satisfied relationships
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
Type of self disclosure can vary according to culture
In USA (individualist culture) more sexual thoughts and
feelings are disclosed than in China (collectivist
culture)
Theory is limited as it is based in findings from western cultures – not necessarily generalizable to others
