relationships- factors affecting attraction: self-disclosure Flashcards
self disclosure
-revealing intimate information to another person
-e.g. revealing your likes and dislikes, hopes and fears, interests and attitudes. We share what really matters
-most are careful about disclosing too much too soon
-S-D plays an important role in developing a relationship beyond initial attraction
social penetration theory: S-D limited at start
-Altman and Taylor (1973) it its gradual process of revealing your inner self to s/o else
-revealing personal info is a sign of trust
-partner has to reciprocate and reveal personal info
social penetration theory: penetration
-leads to development
-romantic partners increasingly disclose more info as the ‘penetrate’ more deeply into each other’s lives
-depenetration describes how dissatisfied partners s-d less as they disengage from relationship
social penetration theory: breadth
-narrow to begin with
-both breadth and depth of S-D are key according to SPT (‘layers of onion metaphor’)
-breadth narrow at start of relationship bc if too much info revealed may be off putting and one partner may be decided to quit relationship
social penetration theory: depth increases
-as relationship develops more later gradually revealed
-likely to reveal more intimate info including painful memories, secrets, etc
reciprocity for self disclosure
-reciprcity needed for relationship to develop
-Reis and Shaver (1988) suggest in addition to broadening and deepening of S-D must be reciprocated also
-relationships involve disclosure from one partner which is received sensitively by the other partner
-this should then lead to further S-D from other partner
ao3 of S-D: from research studies
-Sprecher and Hendrick (2004) found strong correlations between several measures of satisfaction and S-D in heterosexual couples
-M and W who used S-D (and believed partners also disclosed) were more satisfied with and committed to their romantic relationship
-supports the validity of the view that reciprocated S-D is key part of satisfying romantic relationship
ao3 of S-D: CA to research studies
-Sprecher and Hendrick found strong positive correlations but this does not mean that self-disclosure causes relationships to be satisfying -It may be that satisfied partners disclose more, or both caused by time spent together.
-suggests that S-D’s may not cause satisfaction directly, reduces the validity of SPT
ao3 of S-D: real world application
-to improve communication
-Hass and Stafford (1988) found 57% homosexual men and women reported they used open and honest S-D as a relationship maintenance strategy
-couples who limit communication to ‘small talk’ can be encouraged to increase S-D in order to deepen their own relationships
-highlights the importance of S-D and suggests the theory can be used to support people having relationship problems
ao3 of S-D: not satisfying in all cultures
-Tang et al. (2013) concluded that people in the US (IC) self-disclose significantly more sexual thoughts and feeling that people in china (CC)
-even though level of disclosure lower in China, relationship satisfaction was no different from US
-so, SPT is limited in explanation of romantic relationships bc it’s not necessarily generalisable to other cultures
ao3 of S-D:
-SPT claims (and research shows) that S-D in relationships is associated with satisfaction
-However, when a relationship breaks down partners often disclose more often and more deeply to increase their satisfaction, but this often does not save the relationship (Duck
2007)
-challenges SPT because deeper S-D does not lead to a deeper relationship (and may contribute to its breakdown).
