self disclosure Flashcards
what is self disclosure?
Self disclosure is the idea that relationship formation is built on trust with another person which is demonstrated by gradually revealing personal information
what is the social penetration theory?
altman and taylor
This theory claims that by gradually revealing emotions and experiences and listening to their reciprocal sharing, people gain a greater understanding of each other and display trust.
Reis and Shaver
reciprocity of self disclosure
breadth and depth are not enough for a relationship to develop. There must be a reciprocal element to disclosure
what can reciprocity of self disclosure do ?
This balance of self disclosure between partners in a successful romantic relationship, which increases feelings of intimacy and deepens the relationship.
what is the onion metaphor?
As they build trust in their partners’ understanding, breadth increases and then depth also increases. gradually move to revealing more intimate details
evaluation: strength
boom and bust = cooper and sportolari
importance of establishing trust in an apartment before revealing more intimate information about ourselves
they found that anonymity of online interactions gave web- users a sense of security and made them disclose personal information much earlier in relationships than they would face- to - face.
However because the necessary trust foundation had not been established, the intensity of the relationship was impossible to sustain , leading to break up
what does the boom and bust phenomenon show?
this shows that the breadth of relationships needs to be established first before proceeding to a deeper self disclosure, just as social penetration theory suggests.
evaluation : strength
support by has and hartford (gay men) research
Has and Hartford found that 57% of gay men and women considered open self disclosure as a main way to maintain close relationships
what does has and hartford research into gay men and women show.
this demonstrated the importance of self disclosure in romantic relationships just as the theory has predicted
evaluation: weakness
western individualistic cultures
may not apply to collectivist cultures.
Tang et al found that men and women in the USA tended to disclose more sexual thoughts and feelings than romantic partners in China;
what does tang et al study of disclosure in the USA and china show?
this shows that self disclosure is not a requirement for successful relationships in all cultures
therefore this makes the social penetration theory culturally biassed
evaluation: strength
real life applications
the concept of self-disclosure has strong everyday life applications, as it could help improve partners’ communication skills in intimate relationships.
by increasing self-disclosure, couples can achieve higher intimacy and relationship satisfaction
