Factors affecting attraction- SD

Question 1

what is self disclosure?

Answer 1

Revealing information about yourself. Romantic partners reveal more about their true selves as their relationship develops
- SD is compared to an onion

Question 2

what is social penetration?

Answer 2

social penetration is defined as a process that moves a relationship from relatively shallow and non-intimate to deep and intimate
- As they increasingly disclose more and more information to each other, romantic partners “penetrate” more deeply into each other’s lives, and gain a greater understanding of each other
- this process occurs primarily through self disclosure

Question 3

who created the social penetration theory?

Answer 3

Altman and Taylor

Question 4

What are the factors of self disclosure ?

Answer 4

• breadth and depth
• at the start partners superficial and low risk info, as the relationship progresses, they remove more layers to reveal our true selves

Question 5

what is depenetration?

Answer 5

Altman and Taylor use depenetration to describe how dissatisfied partners self-disclose less as they gradually disengage from the relationship

Question 6

what is reciprocity in self disclosure?

Answer 6

Reciprocity: The exchanging of things with others for mutual benefit
- Reis and Sayer (1988) for a relationship to develop as well as breadth and depth, there needs to be a reciprocal element to disclosure
- this balance increases intimacy and deepens the relationship

Question 7

(A03) what is the research support for self disclosure

Answer 7

P: Self-disclosure and social penetration theory have been supported by research.
EE: Sprecher and Hendrick (2004) found strong correlations between satisfaction and self-disclosure for heterosexual partners. Men and women who used self-disclosure were more satisfied and committed to their relationship. Sprecher et al (2013) also found that relationships are closer when partners take turns to self-disclosure
L:These findings increase the validity of the theory that reciprocated self-disclosure leads to more satisfying relationships.

Question 8

(A03) What is the real world application of self disclosure

Answer 8

P: Self disclosure can help people who want to improve communication in their relationships
EE: Haas and Stafford (1998) found that 57% of gay couples said that open and honest self-disclosure was the main way they maintained/ deepened their relationships
Those who struggle with communication could benefit from the use of self-disclosure
L:This shows that psychological insights can be valuable in helping people who have problems in their relationships.

Question 9

(A03) why is self disclosure is culture bound?

Answer 9

P: One limitation is that self disclosure is not true for all cultures
EE: Tang et al (2013) found that people from the US (individualistic culture) self-disclose more sexual thoughts and feelings than people in China (collectivist culture).
Despite low levels of disclosure in China, levels of satisfaction were not different from those in the US.
L:Therefore, self-disclosure is a limited explanation of romantic relationships because it is based on findings from individualist cultures which aren’t generalisable to other cultures.