Lesson 2: Self Disclosure

Question 1

Self disclosure

Answer 1

• the revealing of personal information, such as thoughts, feelings and experiences to another person

Question 2

Altman and Taylor (1973)

Answer 2

• self disclosure is a central concept in social penetration theory proposed by Altman and Taylor
• theory claims that by gradually revealing emotions and experiences to their partner, couples gain a greater understanding of each other and display trust. Therefore, self disclosure will increase attraction.
• as people build trust, the breadth and depth of self-disclosure will increase. In the beginning, people will disclose superficial details and gradually reveal more intimate details. Self-disclosing too quickly can reduce attraction.

Question 3

Reciprocal self-disclosure

Answer 3

• people expect the same level of self-disclosure from others as they actually give. The more self-disclosure someone gives, the more self-disclosure they expect in return.

Question 4

Altman and Taylor (strength)

Answer 4

• research conducted by Altman and Taylor (1973) support the theory of self-disclosure. They found that self-disclosure on the first date is inappropriate and did not increase attraction levels. The person who was self-disclosing was seen as maladjusted and not very likeable.

Question 5

Tal-Or (2015) (strength)

Answer 5

• conducted research which agrees with the fundamental concept of self-disclosure being a gradual process that can affect attraction for romantic relationships. Analysis of reality TV shows like Big Brother revealed that viewers did not like contestants who self-disclosed early on. They preferred the contestant who self-disclosed gradually.

Question 6

Kito (2010) (strength)

Answer 6

• found research evidence to support the idea of self-disclosure across different cultures. Kito investigated Japanese and American students in different types of relationships, and found that self-disclosure was high for Japanese and American students in romantic relationships that were heterosexual.

Question 7

Sprecher (2013) (weakness)

Answer 7

• found research evidence that the level of self-disclosure received is the best predictor of liking and loving, rather than the amount of self-disclosure given. This goes against the idea of reciprocal self-disclosure.

Question 8

Other factors (weakness)

Answer 8

• it seems unlikely that attraction to a potential partner is based on self-disclosure alone. Self-disclosure might be an important element, but other factors are also needed in order to increase attraction, such as physical attraction, similarity of attitudes and complementarity of needs.