Self Disclosure

• What does self-disclosure involve?

  Revealing personal information about yourself
• How do romantic partners typically change their self-disclosure as their relationship develops?

  They reveal more about their true selves
• What effect does appropriate self-disclosure have on a relationship?

  It strengthens the relationship
• What is Social Penetration Theory?

  • Proposed by Altman & Taylor (1973)
  • Gradual process of revealing your inner self
  • Involves reciprocal exchange of deepest thoughts and feelings
  • Sign of trust through revealing personal information
• What must happen for a romantic relationship to deepen according to Social Penetration Theory?

  The other person must also reveal sensitive information
• What is depenetration in the context of self-disclosure?

  It is when dissatisfied partners self-disclose less as they disengage
• What are the two elements of self-disclosure?

  Breadth and depth
• How does increasing breadth and depth of self-disclosure affect romantic partners?

  It leads to greater commitment to each other
• Why is the breadth of disclosure narrow in the early stages of a relationship?

  Many topics are considered 'off-limits'
• What happens to self-disclosure as a relationship develops?

  It becomes deeper, revealing more layers of the true self
• What type of information are partners eventually prepared to reveal?

  Intimate, high-risk information such as painful memories
• What is the concept of reciprocity in self-disclosure according to Reis & Shaver (1988)?

  • Involves a broadening and deepening of self-disclosure
  • One partner's disclosure is sensitively received by the other
  • Leads to further self-disclosure from the other partner
• What did Sprecher & Hendrick (2004) find regarding self-disclosure in heterosexual couples?

  Strong correlations between satisfaction and self-disclosure
• What was the finding of Laurenceau et al’s (2005) study on self-disclosure?

  It involved writing daily diary entries about self-disclosure
• What is a counterpoint to the findings of Sprecher and Hendrick (2005) regarding self-disclosure?

  Self-disclosure may not directly cause relationship satisfaction
• What real-life application of self-disclosure was found by Hass & Stafford (1998)?

  • 57% of homosexual men and women used self-disclosure as a relationship maintenance strategy
  • Encourages couples to increase self-disclosure to deepen relationships
• What cultural difference did Tang et al (2013) find regarding self-disclosure?

  People in the US self-disclose more sexual thoughts than those in China
• What was the relationship satisfaction finding between the US and China despite differences in self-disclosure?

  Relationship satisfaction was no different between the two cultures
• What does the cultural difference in self-disclosure suggest about Social Penetration Theory?

  • Indicates that self-disclosure may not be universally applicable
  • Suggests cultural context influences relationship dynamics