Self Disclosure

• What does self-disclosure refer to in relationships?

  Revealing private thoughts and feelings
• How does self-disclosure affect intimacy in relationships?

  It increases feelings of intimacy
• What are the two important factors of self-disclosure identified by Altman and Taylor?

  Breadth and depth of information shared
• What is social penetration in the context of self-disclosure?

  Sharing deeper personal information over time
• What happens if one partner shares more than the other?

  It may lead to a breakdown of trust
• What did Aron et al. (1997) find about self-disclosure?

  by providing a list of questions to pairs of people intimacy increased as questions progressed
• What role did the four-minute stare play in Aron’s research?

  It contributed to increased intimacy
• What correlation did Sprecher and Hendrick (2004) find in their observations?

  Between satisfaction and self-disclosure levels
• What limitation exists in self-disclosure research?

  It is often correlational, not causal
• At the start of a relationship self disclosure is likely to cover a range of topics but these topics are relatively superficial. As the relationship develops the self disclosure may be more high-risk
• an important aspect of self disclosure is reciprocity