Factors Affecting Attraction in Romantic Relationships: Self-Disclosure

What is the definition of self disclosure?

The process of deliberately (telling someone directly) revealing significant information about oneself that would not normally be known by others.

What are examples of high risk information?

religious beliefs, children

What are examples of low risk information?

what you have recently eaten

What is social penetration theory?

The gradual process of revealing your inner self to someone else.

Reciprocal exchange of information

Increased intimacy = penetration of understanding

How does romantic relationships involve reciprocal exchange between intimate partners?

• When one partner reveals some personal information they display trust; to go further the other partner must also reveal sensitive information

• As they increasingly disclose more, they ‘penetrate’ more deeply into each other’s lives and gain a greater understanding of each other

What is the breadth and depth?

• Initially disclosure is superficial and low risk with some topics off limits

• Over time the disclosure becomes deeper and wider

• Breadth is narrow as many topics are off limits early in a relationship

• Eventually we are prepared to reveal intimate, high risk information

Reciprocity and self disclosure

• For a relationship to develop there needs to be a reciprocal element to disclosure

• Once you have decided to disclose your partner will hopefully respond in a rewarding way

• This creates a balance of self disclosure – increasing feelings of intimacy and deepening the relationship

• needs to be subjective reciprocity

A03 Research Support: Sprecher & Hendrick

• Looked at the effects of self-disclosure reciprocity (vs. non-reciprocity) on liking in initial encounters

• Involved pairs of unacquainted individuals participating in a structured self-disclosure activity

• Participants who disclosed reciprocally reported greater liking, closeness, perceived similarity, and enjoyment of the interaction after the first interaction than participants who disclosed non-reciprocally

Real Life Applications

• Romantic partners probably use self disclosure deliberately to increase intimacy

• Hass & Stafford (1998) found that 57% of gay men and women said that open and honest self disclosure was the main way they maintained and deepened their committed relationships

• Partners who limit communication to small talk can learn to use self disclosure to have more satisfied relationships

Cultural differences

Type of self disclosure can vary according to culture

In USA (individualist culture) more sexual thoughts and

feelings are disclosed than in China (collectivist culture)

Theory is limited as it is based in findings from western

cultures – not necessarily generalizable to others