Factors affecting attraction in romantic relationships (self disclosure)

Question 1

what is self disclosure?

Answer 1

-the extent to which a person reveals and shares personal information, such as their intimate thoughts, feelings and experiences about themselves to
another person.
-it has the general effect of increasing attractiveness and closeness and encourages reciprocal disclosure.

Question 2

What is reciprocity in self disclosure?

Answer 2

-SD has a vital role in the development of romantic relationships beyond initial
attraction.
-People reveal more intimate information to those who they like and tend to like somebody more if that person has self-disclosed to them (Collins & Miller, 1994) therefore for a relationship to develop there needs to be a reciprocal (two way) element to disclosure.
Once an individual has decided to disclose something, hopefully their partner will respond in
a way that is rewarding and empathetic, and in return disclose their own intimate thoughts
and feelings.
-This norm of reciprocity (Berg & Archer, 1980) governs much of our social behaviour; the more one person discloses to another, the more disclosure is expected in
return.
-Thus, there needs to be a balance of self-disclosure between both partners for a romantic relationship to be successful

Question 3

What are the two elements of self disclosure?

Answer 3

breadth and depth

Question 4

As both breath and depth increase, what happens?

Answer 4

eadth and depth. As both increase romantic partners become more committed to each other- We disclose a lot about ourselves at the start of a relationship, but it is usually low-risk information that we would reveal to friends and work colleagues.

Question 5

what is breadth? (not definition?

Answer 5

narrow with many topics off limits at the start of a relationship

Question 6

What can over disclosure do?

Answer 6

can significantly lessen attraction

Question 7

what did Derlega and Gzrekak 1979 suggest?

Answer 7

a moderate level of self-
disclosure in the early stages of a relationship where disclosure should be neither so personal
that the discloser appears indiscriminate for revealing deeply personal material to a relative
stranger, nor so impersonal that the listener is unable to know the discloser better as a result.

Question 8

what happens as the relationship develops?

Answer 8

-self-disclosure becomes deeper to reveal our true selves and
encompassing a wider range of topics, concerning those things that matter to us most.
-Eventually we are prepared to reveal intimate high-risk information for example, painful memories and experiences.