self-disclosure

what is self-disclosure?

when a person reveals intimate personal information about themselves to another person

what was sprecher et al’s aim?

to find out whether reciprocal self-disclosure was more influential in determining at

what was sprecher at al’s procedure?

• 156 undergrad students of US uni

• unknown individuals into pairs

• 2/3 f-f & 1/3 f-m

• engaged in self-disclosure over skype

• reciprocal & non-reciprocal condition

what happened in the reciprocal condition?

dyad members immediately took turns asking questions & disclosing

what happened in the non-reciprocal condition?

one person asked questions in the first interaction while the other disclosed, and switched roles in the second interaction

what did the researchers assess after each interaction?

• liking

• closeness

• perceived similarity

• enjoyment of the interaction

what did sprecher et al find?

• those in the reciprocal condition reported higher in all categories

• difference remained after pps in the non-reciprocal condition switched disclosure roles

what did sprecher et al conclude?

turn-taking self-disclosure reciprocity is more likely to lead to positive interpersonal outcomes than extended reciprocity

who first used the term self-disclosure?

sidney jourard, 1971

what does self-disclosure lead to?

greater feelings of intimacy

what did collins & miller find about self-disclosure?

• people reveal more intimate info to those they like

• people like those who have revealed intimate info to them

what distinguishment does research make?

• self-disclosure given

• self-disclosure received

what kind of self-disclosure is a better predictor of liking & loving?

self-disclosure received

what research supports that self-disclosure is positively related to relationship stability?

sprecher

• 50 dating couples

• the amount of overall disclosure was predictive of staying together more than 4 years

what are the different types of self-disclosure?

• indiscriminate self-disclosure

• intimate self-disclosure

what are norms of self-disclosure?

the unwritten rules that people should follow when self-disclosing

what is an example of a norm of self-disclosure?

people should engage in only a moderately personal level of self-disclosure in the early stages of a relationship

what did derlega & grzelak find about disclosure in an early relationship?

it should not be:

• so personal to appear indiscriminate

• so impersonal to appear uninterested

what is the norm of reciprocity?

people expect others to provide the disclosure they do

what is social penetration theory?

as relationships develop, a person’s communication changes from superficial to deeply personal topics

who came up with social penetration theory?

altman & taylor

what are the stages of social penetration theory?

1. superficial

2. social

3. core

what are the strengths of self-disclosure?

• research support - collins & miller - meta-analysis - those who engage in intimate self-disclosure are more liked than those who don’t - stronger if selective

• research support - has & hartford - 57% gay men and women considered open self-disclosure as a main way to maintain a relationship - population validity

• sprecher et al

what are the weaknesses of self disclosure?

• cultural differences - tang et al - literature review - sexual self-disclosure - USA disclose more sexual thoughts than china - relationship satisfaction high in both - individualist v collectivist

• boom & bust phenomenon - cooper & sportolari - people reveal more about themselves earlier in online relationships - intense fast - lack of trust & true knowledge makes difficult to sustain