self disclosure

what are the 3 elements of self disclosure?

1. social penetration theory

2. breadth + depth of self-disclosure

3. reciprocity of self-disclosure

outline self disclosure + how it relates to relationships

• it is the sharing of personal information about the self which leads to increased attraction

• it is a basic feature of romantic relationships + when it begins to occur, indicates that the new relationship has the potential to last

• it is a major concept within Altman + Taylor’s social penetration theory of how relationships work

explain what the social penetration theory is

• it focuses on the gradual process of revealing your inner self to someone else, of revealing your deepest thoughts + feelings

• in romantic relationships, this involves the reciprocal exchange of information between intimate partners

• when one partner reveals some personal info, they are signalling that they trust the person they are self-disclosing to

• for the relationship to develop, the other partner must do the same in return + reveal sensitive info

• as each partner gradually discloses more + more info, they ‘penetrate’ more deeply into each other’s lives + gain a greater understanding of each other

self disclosure has the two elements — bread + depth, how do these affect attraction?

as each of these increases, romantic partners become more attracted to each other

outline how the breadth of disclosure changes throughout the relationship + why

• at the start of relationship, we disclose ‘low-risk’ info we would share with many other people

• this is because if we reveal too much about ourselves too soon, this can reduce the attractiveness of a person

• as the relationship develops, self disclosure becomes deeper as we progressively reveal more about ourselves

• a wider range of topics are covered as we gradually discuss those things that matter most to us → ‘high risk’ info eg painful memories, strongly held beliefs + secrets may be discussed

what element is key to have when it comes to high-risk disclosure?

a reciprocal element

outline what it means by reciprocity of self disclosure + how it affects attraction

• there is an expectation that as one person has begun to self-disclose, particularly if the info is high risk, that any response will be understanding + empathetic

• this increases attraction due to increased intimacy that deepens the relationship making it more likely to be maintained

give 2 strengths of self disclosure as a factor of attraction

1. supporting evidence by Sprecher + Hendrick

2. practical application

explain how self disclosure has supporting evidence using PEEL

P - A strength of the role of self-disclosure is that there is supporting evidence from Sprecher and Hendrick (2004).

E - They conducted a longitudinal study of mainly white, middle class heterosexual dating couples using questionnaires and found strong correlations between several measures of satisfaction and reciprocal self-disclosure. They found both men and women who self-disclosed and believed that their partner did likewise were more satisfied with, and committed to, their relationship than those for whom this was not the case.

E - This is a strength of self-disclosure as it supports its claims.

L - Therefore, their findings support that self-disclosure plays a large part in relationship satisfaction and adds validity to this claim.

Counterargument: However, this supporting evidence may be culturally biased as Sprecher and Hendrick (2004) studied mainly white, middle-class couples in America. However, Tang et al’s (2013) meta-analysis concluded that men and women in the USA (an individualist culture) self-disclose significantly more sexual thoughts and feelings than men and women in China (a collectivist culture). Each of these levels of self-disclosure was linked to relationship satisfaction in those cultures suggesting that high levels of sexual self-disclosure are not a key feature of relationships in China but are in the USA.

explain how self disclosure has practical application using PEEL

P - A strength of research into self-disclosure is that it can offer practical applications.

E - It can help people who want to improve communication in their relationships and strengthen their romantic bond with their partner. Hass and Stafford (1998) found that 57% of gay men and women in their study said that open and honest self-disclosure maintained and deepened their relationship.

E - This is a strength because if less-skilled individuals, for instance, those who tend to limit communication to 'small talk' can learn to use self-disclosure effectively then this could bring benefits to their relationships in terms of satisfaction.

L - Therefore, effective applications in relationship counselling suggests that self-disclosure leads to more satisfying relationships and is therefore valid. Such real-life application demonstrates the value of psychological insight.

give 2 limitations of self disclosure as a factor of attraction

1. supporting evidence is correlational

2. is culturally biased

explain how self disclosure is limited by the fact that its supporting evidence is correlational

P - A limitation of self-disclosure is that this research evidence is correlational.

E - Much self-disclosure research is correlational (such as that of Sprecher and Hendrick 2004) which does not demonstrate causation.

E - This is a limitation because the evidence does not enable us to conclude self-disclosure causes a partner to be seen as attractive but could be another factor such as perceived similarity. Factors other than high levels of self-disclosure may explain why some romantic relationships are successful and others fail.

L - Therefore, there is only weak evidence for the social penetration theory of factors affecting attraction in romantic relationships and it is likely that several factors play a role in attraction to a potential partner.

explain how self disclosure as a factor of attraction is culturally biased

P - A limitation of self discloure as a factor of attraction is that it is culturally biased. 

E - Theories of attraction have been proposed by Western researchers. In these cultures the choice of a romantic partner is up to the individual. Individualistic cultures place value on what benefits the individual in the couple rather than the wider family. The view is that attraction and intimacy are important features in a relationship. Whereas collectivist cultures prioritise family alliances. The choice of partner is from the wider family and the decision is seen as permanent. Therefore, the amount of self disclosure + attraction would not be important.  

There are also cultural variations in the amount and content of self-disclosure. For example, in the USA (individualistic) men and women are more likely to talk about sexual thoughts and feelings than in collectivist cultures

E - This theory of attraction should only be applied to western cultures. Otherwise, they would be classed as ethnocentric by suggesting that Western values are the norm and superior and apply universally.