Factors Affecting Attraction in Romantic Relationships Flashcards
Self-disclosure AO1
Relationships develop when we disclose personal and emotional information to a potential partner.
In the early stages of a relationship we disclose a breadth of information as we talk about a range of “low risks” topics which fit desired social norms about how we behave (e.g. how we like to go the cinema).
As time goes on, we gradually increase the depth of the self-disclosed information (giving more private and personal information), showing we want to develop trust and intimacy, sending messages that we are attracted to the other person. In this way we gradually reveal our inner-self to ‘penetrate’ more deeply into each other’s lives.
For a relationship to develop, disclosure needs to be reciprocal (from both partners) whilst non-reciprocal disclosures (an imbalance in how much each partner shares) usually do not lead to the formation of a relationship.
Disclosing personal disappointment or accomplishment, and information about previous sexual relationships has a greater influence on relationship satisfaction than more ‘neutral’ types of self-disclosure.
Similarly, the timing of the disclosure is important. Disclosing intimate information too early in the relationship can be harmful
Strength
(P) Supportive evidence for the role of Self-Disclosure as a factor in relationships comes from (
E) Sprecher and Hendrick (2004)
(E) who found, in a study of heterosexual couples at the start of their relationship, positive correlations between measures of satisfaction and commitment with reciprocal self-disclosure.
(L) This shows that individuals who use self-disclosure are more committed to each other and satisfied with their relationship, at least in its early stages.
Limit
P: A limitation of Self-Disclosure is that it is beta-biased,
E: which is when a theory inappropriately minimises differences between men and women.
E: This is because it suggests that both men and women rate the importance of disclosures in the same way. However, Dindia and Allen (1992) found women thought an intimate disclosure by a male partner was more of a sign of closeness than a man.
L: This means that self-disclosure better explains attraction in women.
Strength 2
Additionally, (E) Laurenceau (2005)
(E) found evidence of the role of self-disclosure in married couples through a study where partners kept diaries. They found that even the perception of self-disclosure in a partner was linked to higher levels of intimacy in married couples.
This shows that simply an illusion of disclosure is an important factor affecting attraction regardless of whether the disclosure is accurate.
Strength 3
(P) A strength of the concept of Self-Disclosure is that it can be praised for its practical application,
(E) which is when a theory has real world applications.
(E) For example, Hass and Stafford found that 57% of gay relationships used self-disclosure to deepen and maintain their relationship.
(L) This means that, by identifying how a relationship can breakdown without self-disclosure, it can be used to save the relationship by developing maintenance strategies. These findings also suggest that Self-Disclosure is an important factor in homosexual relationships too, increasing the validity of the explanation.
