Factors Affecting Attraction: Self-disclosure Flashcards
Outline self-disclosure
Refers to revealing intimate information to another person
E.g. Revealing likes or dislikes
What people share really matters
Most people are careful about disclosing too much too soon
Play important role in development of a relationship
What did Altman and Taylor study?
Self-disclosure
Why do people self-disclose
Revealing information is a sign of trust, partner then has to reciprocate and reveal personal information
What leads to development
Penetration
What is penetration?
As romantic partners increasingly disclose more information they penetrate more deeply into each other’s lives and gain a greater understanding of each other
What are key according to the social penetration theory
Both breadth and depth
Explain breadth
It is narrow at the start of a relationship - if too much information is revealed this may be off-putting and one partner may decide to quit the relationship
Explain how depth increases
As a relationship develops more layers are gradually revealed - we are likely to reveal more intimate information including meaningful memories
What is needed for a relationship to develop?
Reciprocity
What did Reis and Shaver suggest
In addition to a broadening and deepening of self-disclosure there must be reciprocity
What did Reis and Shaver suggest a successful relationship should include
Self-disclosure from one partner which is received sensitively by the other partner - should lead to further self disclosure
What is a strength of self-disclosure
Support from research studies - Sprecher and Hendrick
What did Sprecher and Hendrick find?
Strong correlations between several measure of self-disclosure in heterosexual couples - people who used SD and those who believed their partners also disclosed were more satisfied and committed to romantic relationships
How does Sprecher and Hendrick’s research support the concept of self-disclosure
Being a key component of committed romantic relationships
What is a weakness of self-disclosure
Doesn’t apply to all cultures- Tang et al
What did Tang et al do?
Concluded that people in the US (individualist culture) self-disclose significantly more sexual thoughts and feelings than those in China (collectivist culture)
What did Tang et al find
Both levels of self-disclosure are linked to relationship satisfaction in those cultures but the pattern of self-disclosure is different
What does Tang et al’s research suggest
Social penetration theory is a limited explanation of romantic relationships and not necessarily generalisable to other cultures
