Self Disclosure Flashcards
Research support for the importance of self-disclosure:
Evidence has found sd was positively related to relationship stability.
-Sprecher et al found, using an experimental method with pairs of students, that individuals in the reciprocal disclosure condition reported more liking, closeness, perceived similarity and enjoyment of the interaction than those in the non-reciprocal condition, where one person asked questions in the first interaction while the other person disclosed.
-These findings showed that turn-taking self-disclosure reciprocity is more likely to lead to positive interpersonal outcomes.
-Additionally, a meta-analysis carried out by Collins and Miller (1994) found that people who
engage in intimate disclosures tend to be liked more than people who disclose at lower levels
-All this research suggests that men and women who use self-disclosure were more committed to, and satisfied with, their romantic relationship.
Real-life applications of self-disclosure research
-key strength of research into self-
disclosure is that it has real-life applications.
-Research into self-disclosure can help people who want to improve communication in their relationships.
-It is argued romantic partners use
self- disclosure deliberately and skilfully from time to time to increase intimacy and
strengthen their bond.
e.g. Hass & Stafford (1998) found that 57% of gay men and women in their study said that open and honest disclosure was the main way they maintained and deepened their committed relationships. If less-skilled partners, for example, those who tend to limit communication to ‘small-talk’, can learn to use self-disclosure then this could
bring several benefits to the relationship in terms of deepening satisfaction and commitment.
-This demonstrates the value of psychological insights into self-disclosure in improving
relationships allowing for useful real-life application
Self-disclosure differs between online and face-to-face relationships: the ‘boom and bust’
phenomenon
The evolution of technology means a major issue with self-disclosure research is it has quickly become dated. Internet relationship formation involve higher levels of self- disclosure than in face-to-face relationships often due to anonymity.
-Cooper & Sportolari
(1997) believe this is one element of the ‘boom and bust’ phenomenon. When people reveal more about themselves earlier than they would in a face-to-face interaction, relationships get intense very quickly (boom).
-However, because the underlying trust and true knowledge
of the other person are not there the relationship becomes difficult to sustain (bust).
-This is highlighted by instances where people who are certain they have found their ‘soulmate’
online, have left an established relationship, to meet a person who does not turn out to be
what they first seemed.
-This suggests that self-disclosure is still an important factor in modern
relationships however much more contemporary research needs to be done in order to understand the psychology of the use of technology in relationship development.
