Self-disclosure

• What does self disclosure mean?

  Revealing personal information about yourself e.g. thoughts, feelings and experiences.
• What is the link between self disclosure and attraction?

  More disclosure = greater feelings of intimacy
• What is self disclosure within social penetration theory as described by Altman & Taylor (1973)?

  • Major concept within social penetration theory
  • Gradual process, revealing inner self to someone
  • Reciprocal exchange of information between partners
  • Displays trust, your partner must also reveal sensitive information for trust to deepen
  • Gain a greater understanding of eachother
  • As each partner increasingly reveals more and more information about one another, romantic partners ‘penetrate’ more deeply into each other’s lives, gaining a greater understanding of each other and a deeper connection.
• What is the onion analogy for self disclosure?

  • We reveal superficial info first (outer layers of onion) , we then move onto intimate details later (inner layers of onion)
  • Breadth is restricted at first as some topics are ,,off limits’’. As depth increases so can breath
• What are the three effects of self disclosure as found by Collin and Miller?

  1. Those who engage in ,,intimate disclosures’’ are generally more liked
  2. People disclose more to those they like in the 1st place
  3. The act of self-disclosure makes us like the person we are talking to
• What did Sprecher and Hendricks (2004) find in their studies about satisfaction and self-disclosure?

  Studied heterosexual dating couples and found strong correlations between measures of satisfaction and self-disclosure
• What did Laurenceaue et al (2005) find in their studies about intimacy and self-disclosure?

  Used a method involving writing daily diary entries. Found self-disclosure and the perception of self disclosure in a partner was linked to higher levels of intimacy.
• What were the findings of Sprecher et al (2013) study into reciprocal self disclosure?

  Whether reciprocal self-disclosure was more influential in determining attraction than one-sided self-disclosure and listening. Participants in the reciprocal Dyads reported more liking, perceived similarities, and enjoyment of the interaction than those in the non-reciprocal dyads. This difference continued after participants switched disclosure roles. This showed that turn-taking self-disclosure reciprocity is more likely to lead to positive interpersonal outcomes than extended reciprocity 
• Give one strength and two limitations of self disclosure as a factor influencing attraction?

  STRENGTH:

  • Real world applications (can help improve communication in couples)

  LIMITATIONS:

  • Cultural differences
  • Causation vs correlation
• Give one study into the cultural differences of self disclosure?

  Tang et al (2013) reviewed literature regarding sexual self-disclosure.

  • They concluded men and women in the USA (individualist) self disclosure more sexual thoughts and feelings than men and women in China (collectivist).
  • Both levels of self-disclosure are linked to relationship satisfaction in those cultures.
• Why is causation vs correlation a limitation of self disclosure in relationships?

  Most of the self disclosure research is correlational. Although it is usually assumed that greater self disclosure creates more satisfaction, a correlation doesn’t tell us if it is a valid conclusion to draw.