Self Disclosure

Jourard 71

• extent to which an individual reveals personal information about themselves
• Important in the development of relationships
• greater disclosure = greater feelings

Given and Received

Sprecher 2013

• SD recieved was a better predictor of liking and loving than SD given
• Found SD was positvely correlated with stability
• 50 couples - disclosure predicted staying together for more than 4 years

Types of Self Disclosure

Sprecher 87

• Type disclosred predicts relationship satisfaction
• Personal disappointments and accomplishments as well as previous sexual relationships have a greater influence than neutral

Norms of Self Disclosure

Norms

• Early stage - moderate
• not too personal = indiscrimiate
• not to impersonal - can't get to know you
• Reciprocity - expect others to return services provided

Key Study

How

• 156 UG
• 2 person dyads
• Skype disclosure task
• 2/3 female - female 1/ 3 female - male
• Reciprocal took turns asking questions and disclosing
• Non-reciprocal - one asked the other answered - they then switched (extended reciprocity)

Findings

• Reciprocal higher in
• liking, closeness, perceived similarity and enjoyment
• Turn taking self-disclosure is more likely to lead to positive interpersonal outcomes than extended

Evaluations

Research Support

Collins and Miller - Meta analysis

• Those that reveal more intimate information tend to be liked more
• Liking was stronger of they felt the information was shared only with them

Internet - Boom or Bust

Boom and Bust - Cooper and Sportalari 97

• Internet = high levels of self disclosure (anonymous)
• High SD = intense very quickly (boom) or lack of underlying trust is in place (bust)

Untitled Slide

• Some leave partners for their online soulmate only to discover they are not what they first seemed

Norms run deep

Norms run deep Tal-Or and Shitrit

• Reality TV shows
• Viewers liked those that disclosed early on
• but prefered gradual self disclosure
• Like relationships to evolve as in real life

Greater face to face

Face to face - Knopp 2016

• members of social group disclosed more face to face rather than the internet
• Goes against sterotype
• Non-verbal cues such as eye contact and attentive silence are important

Cultural Differences

Cultural Diffs - Chen

• West - typically more intimate self disclosure
• Cultural norms shape how men and womem feel about self-disclosing
• Japanese women prefer low levels of SD compared to men (Nakanishi 86)
• Western women disclose more than western men