CMN 120 Midterm 2 Review

Self Description

information that is true about you that you feel very comfortable revealing to other people – low risk information. Varies between people.

Example of self-description

Your gender, where you’re from, favorite color, favorite animal

Self disclosure

Information about you that you think of as private that is your own – previously unknown information that carry some kind of risk, you have to be comfortable sharing that information

Private Disclosure

sharing someone else’s secret

What makes something considered self-disclosure?

Must be intentional and involve some risk

If someone unintentionally find out about our private information without us sharing, is this considered self-disclosure?

No, self-disclosure must be intentional.

Characteristics of self-disclosure

Breadth, Depth, typically occurs in a dyad, usually reciprocal, occurs over time, not that common

Breadth as a characteristic of self disclosure

Topics we are willing to talk about depending on the person

Example of having a lot of breadth

Knowing a lot of different topics about someone, where their kids went to school, what you ate for lunch, where you bought something, etc.

Depth as a characteristic of self disclosure

How intimate are you willing to go in the things you say or disclose. Can vary depending on the person and can co-occur with breadth but can also occur separately.

Example of having a lot of depth

Relationship with your doctor – they know a lot of deep information such as your medical history (only one topic) but not about simpler information.

Typically occurs in a dyad as a characteristic of self-disclosure

Occurs between two people — can occur in a group but mostly 2. Carries risk if one other person cn control risk.

Usually reciprocal as a characteristic of self disclosure

When you self disclose something, you influence that person to disclose something of similar risks. This is the norm but not guaranteed because it depends on the closeness of the relationship.

Example of reciprocal in self-disclosure

Sharing that you in Cuarto and someone else shares that they live in Tercero.

Occurring over time as a characteristic of self disclosure

Acts as a primary vehicle for relationship development. As you self disclose, relationships will develop. If you don’t self disclose, it is more difficult to develop a relationship.

Is it good to self disclose too much and too fast in the beginning stages of relationship development?

No, doing so may scare the person.

What does it mean by self-disclosure is not that common?

• Only 30-40% face to face interactions will contain at least 1 self-disclosure interaction.

• The vast majority don’t have self disclosure

If you interact online, what is the percentage of interactions containing 1 self disclosure and why?

80% because things are visually anonymous, you need to find ways to fill in the gaps so self disclosure is a way to do so.

Evaluative

• Carries a judgement of some kind

• You see things like feelings getting self disclose

• If we are assessing our feelings, we are evaluating

What is are some examples of evaluative?

• I am very excited to go to Puerto Rico.

•  I am nervous about my exam next week

• Both examples contain an assessment of your feelings about the topic.

Descriptive

A statement only containing the information.

What is are some examples of descriptive?

• Ex: I am going to Puerto Rico.

• Ex: I am taking an exam next week.

• Both examples only contain the information

What are the four stages of the Johari Window Model?

Open, hidden, blind, unknown

Open stage of Johari Window Model

•  Known to self, known to others

  • Information that you know and you self disclose it yourself

  • Has been disclosed

Hidden stage of Johari Window Model

• Known to self, unknown to others

  • Information that you have not disclosed to other people but you know the information

  • Could be disclosed but hasn’t

Blind stage of Johari Window Model

• Unknown to self, known to others

  • Information that we don’t know but other people know it.

What is an example of the blind stage of the Johari Window Model?

Personality trait – others observe us and know that we are a particular type of person but we don’t know it ourselves.

Unknown stage of Johari Window Model

• Unknown to self, unknown to others

  • Can still very much impact the way we interact with other people

Example of unknonw stage of Johari Window Model

• Your attachment style – unless you’ve taken a class or the other person has taken a class in human development, you don’t know about anything bout attachment style. 

  • Your attachment style can impact the way you form relationships but that doesn’t mean you know what it is or the other person know what it is

Is window sizing (Johari Window Model) the same across different relationships?

No, different relationships result in different window sizing.

What are the functions of self-disclosure?

Relational escalation, catharsis, seek clarification, self-awareness

Relational escalation as a function of self-disclosure

• Helps you develop and progress a relationship

• Our primary vehicle for relationship development

  • You can’t develop or progress in a relationship very well without self disclosure

Catharsis as a function of self-disclosure

• We can feel like we have relieved ourself after revealing information

• Revealing information can make you feel better

  • Risk is acceptable

What would someone experience when they say“I got that weight off my shoulder”?

Catharsis

Seek clarification as a function of self-disclosure

• Asking questions by saying “I don’t know what you mean” – revealing your lack of understanding

  • Seeking clarification function in that self disclose sentence

• Could be nonverbal – Inquisitive look

Self-awareness

• Understanding who we are as a person better based on our willingness or unwillingness to self-close.

• Teach us information about ourselves in what we are comfortable or uncomfortable with revealing

What are two factors as to why we might not self disclose?

Risk and Appropriateness

Risk

What we disclose can be problematic and so if the risk is high then we won’t disclose it

Incremental disclosure

you self disclose in small chunks and then decide the risk

Appropriateness

Knowing when will be the right time to self-disclose. A wise communicator will gauge the strength of a relationship before making a decision about the depth and intimacy of the information at is about to be disclosed.

What is the exception to appropriateness in self-disclosing?

Stranger on a Plane (Free of risk since you will never see them again)

Social Penetration Theory

Explains how interpersonal relationships evolve from superficial interactions to deep emotional intimacy through systematic self-disclosure. Describes this procedure as similar to an onion.

What is the connection between an onion and relationship development in Social Penetration Theory?

An onion has many layers that you can peel away before you get it its core. People also have layers and so as we develop a relationship and get to know someone better, we move through the layers of an onion and begin peeling away each layer of an onion until you get to the core of who they are.

What are the four stages of Social Penetration Theory?

Orientation, Exploratory Affective Exchange, Affective Exchange, Stable Exchange

Orientation Stage

This is the first meeting or interaction you have with someone, where there is very little self-disclosure and the information you share is usually limited to basic details you feel comfortable revealing, such as your hobbies, hometown, or major (self-description).

Exploratory Affective Exchange

It is like dipping your toe into the waters of self-disclosure, where you test the waters by sharing small amounts of personal information to see how the other person responds without revealing anything too intimate just yet.

Affective Exchange

Assuming previous self-disclosure went well, both people begin sharing more personal information with greater breadth and depth because they feel comfortable with each other and are more willing to open up and reciprocate when the other person self-discloses.

Stable Exchange

At this stage, self-disclosure begins to slow down because both people have already shared much of their personal information, including their most intimate thoughts and feelings. Self-disclosure may become less reciprocal because it is no longer necessary to maintain the relationship, and there is a strong sense of trust, assurance, and longevity that the relationship will last.

Guttman Progression (Domino Affect)

Anything that is true in the previous stages of social penetration theory would still be acceptable in the later stages.

Norm of Reciprocity

If you want intimacy and relationship progress, both sides need to self-disclose.

De-penetration

• Doing all the stages of Social Penetration Theory in reverse (i.e. Stable exchange → affective exchange → exploratory affective exchange → orientation)

• There can be some back and forth between the stages

  • Not linear

• You can’t skip the steps though

What type of study did Hays (1985) conduct?

A longitudinal study

How was Hays (1985) conducted?

Participants built relationships with acquaintances. Researchers measured self-disclosure, interaction frequency, and liking every 3 weeks for a semester, plus a 3-month follow-up.

What percentage developed close friendships in Hays’ longitudinal study?

63% of 168 relationships

How were breadth and depth related to friendship intensity?

Both were positively correlated with friendship intensity.

What are the three dimensions of relationship development?

Cognitive (thoughts), Affective (feelings), and Behavioral (actions)

What are examples of cognitive development?

Thinking of someone as your romantic partner or wanting to spend your life with them.

What are examples of affective development?

Missing someone when they're away or feeling a strong emotional connection.

What are examples of behavioral development?

Saying "I love you" or taking a vacation together lasting over 3 days.

How long did behavioral phenomena take to occur on average?

3.16 months

How long did affective/cognitive phenomena take to occur on average?

4.88 months.

Which developed sooner: behavioral or affective/cognitive?

Behavioral (3.16 months vs. 4.88 months).

What is computer-mediated communication (CMC)?

Human-to-human communication through electronic devices instead of face-to-face interaction

How do Meier and Reinecke (2021) define CMC?

Human-to-human social interaction mediated by information and communication technologies.

Does talking to AI count as interpersonal CMC?

No. CMC refers to human-to-human interaction. Using AI to help with human communication like asking them how to talk to a girl would.

What are examples of CMC?

Texting, email, phone calls, Zoom, FaceTime, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Why aren't video calls considered face-to-face communication?

They provide some social cues, but not ALL the cues available during in-person interactions.

What are affordances?

Possibilities for action that technology provides but may not exist in face-to-face communication.

What is an example of an affordance in CMC?

Editability in texting (being able to change a message before or after sending).

How do affordances differ between CMC and face-to-face communication?

CMC provides unique capabilities that change how people communicate.

Do all affordances apply to every form of CMC?

No. Editability applies to texting but not Zoom or FaceTime.

Does every form of CMC have affordances?

Yes, but the affordances vary depending on the technology.

What are different types of affordances?

Limited socials/bandwidth, Social presence, Time availability, editability, cognitive reallocation, persistence, accessibility, social awareness

What are social cues?

The verbal things that you say and nonverbal things that you do

Why does CMC have limited social cues?

Technology limits the verbal and nonverbal cues people can communicate.

What are rich and lean communication channels?

Rich channels provide more social cues; lean channels provide fewer.

Which communication channel has the most bandwidth?

Face-to-face (most verbal and nonverbal cues).

Which communication channel has the least bandwidth?

Email (fewest social cues).

How do social cues decrease across communication channels?

Face-to-face → Video calls → Phone calls → Text messages → Email.

Why aren't video calls as rich as face-to-face communication?

They lack certain cues, such as touch, smell, and physical proximity.

Social Presence

• The feeling that another person is physically or socially present with you, even when they are not physically nearby.

• Saying do we feel like the other person is present with us – near us? Around us? Am I sitting near them?

Can you feel social presence without being physically close to someone?

Yes. For example, you can feel close to family across the world through a video call.

What can increase social presence?

Social cues, immediacy, and attention during an interaction.

What do immediacy and attention contribute to social presence?

They help people feel that the other person is engaged and present in the interaction.

“The more cues you have, the more social presence you have”– Why is this not always the case now?

Because Social presence also depends on the quality of the interaction, including immediacy and attention.

What does time availability mean in CMC?

CMC allows people more time to think about and prepare their responses before sending them.

What is asynchronous communication?

Communication where people do not have to respond immediately. For example, email.

What is synchronous communication?

Communication that happens in real time, with immediate responses. For example, face-to-face conversations.

What is semi-synchronous communication?

Communication that happens mostly in real time but may have slight delays. For example, Zoom calls.

How does CMC differ from face-to-face communication in terms of time availability?

CMC gives people more time to think about their responses, while face-to-face conversations usually require more immediate responses.

Editability as an affordance

• You can write a message and revise it before you send it (time to rewrite and think).

• Not present in all CMC

• But present in email, text message, social media 

Cognitive reallocation

The ability to focus more of your mental effort on composing and sending a message rather than managing other aspects of an interaction like your nonverbal behaviors or your surroundings.

What is an example of cognitive reallocation?

During a difficult conversation, face-to-face communication requires you to think about what to say while also controlling your nonverbal behaviors, such as gaze, and paying attention to your surroundings. In CMC, you can focus mainly on carefully choosing your words and making sure your message says exactly what you want it to say, without worrying as much about given and given-off behaviors.

Environmental Scanning

The ongoing, real-time process where individuals read, observe, and interpret the verbal and nonverbal cues of others and the immediate social, emotional, and physical context.

Persistence

Archivability, recordability, reviewability – the ability to look back on what you said in the past

What are examples of persistent CMC messages?

Text message histories, emails, social media posts, and screenshots. Phone calls can also become persistent if they are recorded.

How does CMC persistence contribute to a digital footprint?

Messages and posts can remain accessible even after the conversation ends, leaving a record of your online activity.

Accessibility

Ease of use; if you say that a platform is easy to use, you are saying that they have this affordance.

Social Awareness: What is presence signaling in CMC?

Indicating whether you are available or unavailable to receive messages.

What are examples of presence signaling?

• Green light: Indicates someone is active or available.

• Yellow light: Indicates someone is away or inactive.

• Do Not Disturb / Silence Notifications: Signals that someone may not be available to respond to messages.