Factors Affecting Attraction in Romantic Relationships - Self-Disclosure

Question 1

What is the definition of self-disclosure?

Answer 1

The process of deliberately revealing significant information about oneself that would not normally be known by others.

Question 2

Is self-disclosure verbal or non-verbal?

Answer 2

Can be either.

Question 3

What does self-disclosure involve?

Answer 3

Risk.

Question 4

In what 3 ways does self-disclosure involve risk?

Answer 4

Others can share the info.
Other gains power.
Other can reject or disapprove of you.

Question 5

What does self-disclosure open you up to?

Answer 5

Vulnerability.

Question 6

What are the two types of information you may disclose during self-disclosure?

Answer 6

Low risk information and High risk information.

Question 7

What is low risk information?

Answer 7

Personal information that doesn’t make a difference to you or them.

Question 8

What is an example of low risk information?

Answer 8

Shoe size.

Question 9

During the disclosure of low risk information and high risk information, which are you likely to lie in and why.
Which do you tend not to lie in?

Answer 9

Low - tend to misrepresent ourselves to encourage conversation and similarities.

High - tend not to misrepresent ourselves.

Question 10

What is high risk information?

Answer 10

Information that poses a risk to the relationship.

Deeper information.

Question 11

What are 3 examples of high risk information?

Answer 11

Political.
Religious.
Previous relationships.

Question 12

What is a normal relationship in terms of self-disclosure?

Answer 12

Disclosure increases over time.

Reciprocal.

Question 13

What are the three key words/phrases when talking about self-disclosure as a definition?

Answer 13

Deliberate.
Significant.
Not normally known by others.

Question 14

In what theory is self-disclosure a major concept?

Answer 14

Altman and Taylor’s Social Penetration Theory.

Question 15

What does the Social Penetration Theory focus on?

Answer 15

How a relationship develops over time.

The development of a relationship over time.

Question 16

According to the Social Penetration Theory, what are relationships?

Answer 16

A gradual process of revealing your inner self to someone.

Question 17

In romantic relationships, according to the Social Penetration Theory, what does it involve?

Answer 17

Reciprocal exchange of information.

Question 18

According to the Social Penetration Theory, what is demonstrated when one person reveals some personal information, and to go further, what does the other partner need to do?

Answer 18

Trust towards the other person.

Also reveal sensitive information.

Question 19

According to the Social Penetration Theory, as each partner increasingly reveals more information about one another, what happens?

Answer 19

They ‘penetrate; more deeply into each other’s lives, gaining a greater understanding of each other and a deeper connection.

Question 20

What is the food related metaphor that is used to explain the Social Penetration Theory?

Answer 20

An Onion, the closer to the centre, the higher risk information.

Question 21

What are the 6 layers of the onion metaphor used to explain the Social Penetration Theory?

Answer 21

Outer layer - Biographical data.
2 - Preferences (clothes, food, music).
3 - Goals and aspirations.
4 - Religion.
5 - Deeply held fantasies or fears.
Middle -Concept of self.

Question 22

What are the the norms of self-disclosure?

Answer 22

1 - Early in the relationship, only moderately personal levels of self-disclosure should be shared.

2 - Norm of reciprocity - The more one person discloses to another, the more disclosure is expected in return.

Question 23

What was the study done into the Social Penetration Theory?

Answer 23

2 conditions of a Skype call.

Question 24

What were the two conditions in the study done into the Social Penetration Theory?

Answer 24

1 - Reciprocal - Asked questions and also answered them.

2 - Non-reciprocal - No turns taken.

Question 25

What were the findings in the study done into the Social Penetration Theory?

Answer 25

Reciprocal condition = more liking.

Question 26

What did the study into the Social Penetration Theory conclude?

Answer 26

That turn-taking self-disclosure reciprocity in the acquaintance process increases the likelihood of positive outcomes.