Factors Affecting Attraction: Self - Disclosure Flashcards
What is self-disclosure
Revealing personal info about your self
What is the social penetration theory
Theory of how relationships develop through the gradual process of revealing your inner self to people and of giving away your deepest thoughts and feelings
Who discovered the social penetration theory
Altman and Taylor (1973)
What does the process of increasing disclosure allow
Allows the partner to penetrate into into the others life leading to an increased understanding of the other partner
What indicates and displays trust towards the other partner as a result of self disclosure
When a partner is willing to share sensitive info about themselves
What are the 2 elements of self disclosure
Breadth and depth
What happens when both breadth and depth increases
Romantic partners become more committed to one another
When is low risk info revealed
Early on in relationship
When is high risk info revealed
As the relationship progresses
What is low risk info
Info we would reveal to anyone, superficial - breadth of disclosure is narrow as at this stage many topics are ‘off limits’ in early stage
What happens if too much info is revealed too soon
May be too much info possibly threatening the relationship before it gets going
What is high risk info
Painful memories or experiences
What did Reis and Shaver (1988) make clear
That for a relationship to develop there needs to be a reciprocal element to disclosure, needs to be a balance of self-disclosure between both partners in a successful romantic relationship which increases feelings of intimacy and deepens the relationship
