Self-Disclosure Flashcards
What is self disclosure
The revealing of personal information, such as thoughts, feelings, & experiences to another person
What theory is self disclosure a central concept in
Social penetration theory
Who proposed social penetration theory
Altman & Taylor (1973)
What does social penetration theory claim
that by gradually revealing
emotions and experiences to their partner, couples gain a greater understanding
of each other and display trust. Therefore, self-disclosure will increase
attraction.
Self disclosure @ diff stages of the relationship e.g. start, vs as people get closed
As people build trust in their partner, the breadth and depth of self-disclosure
will increase. In the beginning, people only disclose superficial details about
themselves, such as hobbies and interests, and gradually reveal more intimate
details, such as family values and difficult experiences. Self-disclosing too
quickly (e.g. on a first date) can reduce attractio
What is reciprocal self-disclosure
People expect the same level of self-disclosure from others as they actually
give. The more self-disclosure someone gives, the more self-disclosure they
expect in return.
Altman and Taylor (1971) to support self-disclosure
Afound that self disclosure on the first date is inappropriate and didn’t increase atttaction levels
-> the person self-disclosing was seen as maladjusted / unlikeable
Tal-Or (2015)
conducted research which agrees with the fundamental concept
of self-disclosure being a gradual process that can affect attraction for
romantic relationships. Analysis of reality TV shows like Big Brother revealed
that viewers did not like contestants who self-disclosed early on. They
preferred the contestant who self-disclosed gradually.
What did Kito find when investigating self disclosure across different cultures
Kito investigated Japanese and American students in different types of relationships, and found that self-disclosure was high for
Japanese and American students in romantic relationships that were
heterosexual.
What evidence did Sprecher find to go against the idea of self-disclosure
that the level of self-disclosure
received is the best predictor of liking and loving, rather than the amount of
self-disclosure given. This goes against the idea of reciprocal self-disclosure
Although self disclosure might be an important element, what other ones are also needed in order to increase attraction
Physical attraction
Similarity of attitudes
Complementarity of needs
