Self-disclosure

what is self-disclosure?

the extent to which a person reveals personal information about themselves

what can greater disclosure lead to?

greater feelings of intimacy

how does the level of self-disclosure affect relationships?

• those who reveal nothing remain a mystery and may appear guarded

• those who disclose more are liked more than those who disclose less - people reveal more to those who they like?

what were the two conditions in sprecher et al. (2013) research?

• reciprocal condition → Ps immediately took turns asking a Q and disclosing

• non-reciprocal condition → one P asked Qs while the other disclosed

then they switched roles for the second interaction

what happened after the Ps switched roles in the second interaction in sprecher et al. "(2013) study?

reciprocal condition had higher mean values for liking, closeness, similarity, and enjoyment than those in the non reciprocal dyads

what 3 things did sprecher et al. (2013) conclude from his study?

• level of self-disclosure received in a romantic relationship was a better predictor of liking and loving than level of self-disclosure that is given

• self disclosure is positively related to relationship stability

• overall disclosure was predictive of whether couples stayed together longer than 4 years

what did sprecher (1987) find about self-disclosure relating to relationship satisfaction?

disclosure of personal disappointments, accomplishments and info about previous sexual relationships have a greater influence on relationships satisfaction than ‘neutral’ types of self-disclosure

what are the norms of self-disclosure?

• early stage of relationship = moderately personal self-disclosure

• not too personal or impersonal

• highly intimate info may be seen as inappropriate in early stages = sign of poor social skills

what does ‘peeling the onion’ mean?

we reveal more about ourselves as the relationship develops

who engages more in self-disclosure - westerners or non-westerners?

westerners

self-disclosure is likely to react with other factors affecting romantic attraction such as:

• physical attraction

• culture

• influence from friends and family

what does the ‘boom’ phenomenon suggest?

if people reveal a lot about themselves early then the relationship becomes intense very quickly

what is the ‘bust’ phenomenon?

the relationship is difficult to sustain and it ends

why does the ‘boom’ phenomenon lead to the ‘bust’ phenomenon?

true knowledge of the other person is limited

what is the impact of internet relationships compared to face-to-face?

• internet = absence of verbal cues

• anonymity may lead them to reveal more about themselves

what assumption does knop et al. (2016) research challenge and how?

• assumption that people disclose more in offline relationships

• in the study, people disclose more in online than face-to-face

what does research show about gradual self-disclosure and TV contestants?

viewers preferred disclosure to evolve gradually and become more intimate just like in real life

these characters are liked more

how does self-disclosure differ across cultures?

people engage in more intimate self-disclosure in the west than non-westerners

e.g. USA more than in china or japan

how do western women differ from japanese women?

west → women prefer to disclose more than men

japan → women prefer a lower level of personal conversation than japanese men