Self-Disclosure

• Self-disclosure is the act of revealing personal information about oneself to another person
• Self-disclosure is not a set and stable type of communication and varies per individual depending on:

  • age
  • relationship status
  • mood
• Social Penetration Theory was proposed by Altman and Taylor in 1973
• Social Penetration Theory describes the process of Self-disclosure beginning with shallow levels of disclosure and gradually progressing deeper
• Social Penetration Theory (1973):

  1. Superficial (breadth not depth)
  2. Intimate (ambitions)
  3. Personal (hopes, desires and insecurities)
  4. Core (innermost fears)
• Social penetration theory suggests that as each ‘layer’ is peeled away the relationship becomes stronger
• Social Comparison Safety was proposed by Festinger (1954)
• Social Comparison Theory (1954) describes the ways in which an individual will assess their own worth and value by comparing themselves to others
• Social Comparison Theory (1954):

  1. Upward comparison - feel that their partner is superior to them (e.g. better-looking, richer)
  2. Downward comparison - feel that their partner is inferior to them
• Social Comparison Theory (1954) states that disclosure could lead to self-validation or determining how similar you are to a person
• How does Self-Disclosure affect attraction and relationships?

  • SPT argues that SD is essential for a relationship
  • SPT claims that SD is a glue that reinforces a bond
• How does Self-Disclosure affect attraction and relationships?

  • Disclosing high personal details can lead to vulnerability
  • SCT suggest that people engage in social comparison via SD to determine whether to pursue the relationship
• Self-Disclosure Research - Collins and Miller (1994):

  A meta-analysis showing that SD plays a key role in relationship maitenance
• Self-Disclosure Research - Tang et al (2013):

  American couples make more Self disclosure then Chinese couples but relationship satisfaction was high in both (cultural variation)
• PEEL Paragraphs - Self Disclosure:

  1. Strength - Real life application
  2. Strength - Supporting Study
  3. Weakness - Subjective explanation
  4. Weakness - Not a full explanation
  5. Weakness - Cultural variations
• Self-Disclosure PEEL Paragraph 1:

  Strength - RLA - Self-disclosure emphasis open communication and can be used to inform relationship counselling
• Self-Disclosure PEEL Paragraph 2:

  Strength - Supporting Study - Sprecher and Hendrick (2004) - studied heterosexual dating couples

  • found a strong correlation between satisfaction and disclosure
  • SD led to more satisfied and committed relationships
• Self-Disclosure PEEL Paragraph 3:

  Weakness - SD is subjective, therefore it is hard to operationalise

  • lacks features of science
• Self-Disclosure PEEL Paragraph 4:

  Weakness - not a full explanation - SD doesn’t account for all relationships and they are still healthy
• Self-Disclosure PEEL Paragraph 5:

  Weakness - Cultural differences - findings are often from western cultures and so can’t be generalised

  (Tang et al)