Relationship - 2. Factors Affecting Attraction in Romantic Relationships: 1. Self-Disclosure

Question 1

What is the first factor affecting attraction in romantic relationships?

Answer 1

Self-disclosure

Question 2

What is relationship formation based on?

Answer 2

Trust with another person

Question 3

How is trust with another person build in a romantic relationships?

Answer 3

Through revealing information like thoughts and feelings

Question 4

What does the development of trust in a romantic relationship lead to?

Answer 4

Greater intimacy (sexual and conversation) in romantic relationships, leading to more satisfaction

Question 5

Two main dimensions of self-disclosure

Answer 5

Breadth and depth

Question 6

What metaphor is used to describe the dimensions of self-disclosure?

Answer 6

The onion metaphor

Question 7

As trust is build in a romantic relationship what type of information is shared more?

Answer 7

The depth of information shared grows as trust is built

Question 8

What is the top layer of the onion (onion metaphor)?

Answer 8

We disclose a lot of information about ourselves at the beginning, but it’s mainly ‘low-risk’ information, like the top layer of an onion

Question 9

What happens to the breath of disclosure in a romantic relationship?

Answer 9

The breadth of disclosure is narrow to begin with but gets deeper over time as more trust is generated

Question 10

Who said that in order to a romantic relationship to develop there has to be an even exchange is self-disclosure?

Answer 10

Reis and Shaver

Question 11

Who conducted a study into self-disclosure of gay men and women?

Answer 11

Has and Stafford

Question 12

What did Has and Stafford find about self-disclosure in gay men and women?

Answer 12

57% of gay men and women said that open and honest self-disclosure was the main way they maintained and deepened their committed relationships

Question 13

What did Sprecher et al study into self-disclosure?

Answer 13

He investigated the role of reciprocal self-disclosure in relationships (both revealing things to each other)

Question 14

Sample of Sprecher et al’s study into self-disclosure

Answer 14

156 American University Students, female-female or male-female had a Skype conversation

Question 15

2 conditions of Sprecher et al’s study

Answer 15

Condition 1 - self-disclosure in a reciprocal manner
Condition 2 - self-disclosure wasn’t reciprocal

Question 16

Findings of Sprecher et al’s study

Answer 16

Condition 1 participants reported greater liking, closeness, similarity and enjoyment to one another compared to condition 2

Question 17

Limitation of self-disclosure: culture

Answer 17

May not be applicable to all cultures. Men and women in the USA (individualistic) self-disclose significantly more sexual thoughts/feelings than men and women in China (collectivist)

Question 18

Limitation of self-disclosure: bad side of self-disclosure

Answer 18

It may actually contribute to the breakdown of relationships instead of greater intimacy

Question 19

Limitation of self-disclosure: research

Answer 19

Research is correlational

Question 20

What is the second factor contributing to attraction in romantic relationships?

Answer 20

Physical attractiveness