Self-disclosure
Is one of the most effective strategies for learning about another person. When you are willing to share personal information about yourself with others, it’s common for others to share with you. Self-disclosure is usually reciprocal. Is not storytelling or sharing secrets, but rather is revealing how you are reacting to the present situation and giving any background information that is important for understanding your reaction.
Carl Rogers
Stressed the importance of understanding self and others through self-disclosure, feedback, and sensitivity to the disclosures made by others. Weak relationships are characterized by inhibited self-disclosure.
Self-disclosure theory
If you want to know something about someone, rather than ask her, you should volunteer information about yourself. Your listener will respond with information about herself
-The transparent self-Jourard in ideal interpersonal relationships, People allow others to experience them fully and are open to experiencing others fully.
Research findings on self-disclosure
- Disclosure increases with increased relational intimacy
- When rewarded, disclosure increases
- Disclosure increases the need to reduce uncertainty in a relationship
- Disclosure tends to be reciprocal
- Women tend to disclose more than men
- Women disclose more with people they like; men disclose more with people they trust
- Disclosure is regulated by norms of appropriateness
- Attraction is related to positive disclosures, but not to negative disclosures
- Positive disclosure is more likely in non-intimate or moderately intimate relationships
- Negative disclosure occurs with greater frequency and highly intimate settings, than in less intimate ones
Altman and Taylor proposed social penetration.
Communication is rapid and broad at superficial levels of information, but gets increasingly slower and more limited in areas such as emotion and self-esteem. They believe that disclosure is a gradual, developmental process
- Visualize as a dartboard:
1. The outermost ring is superficial with many items that are factual in nature
2. Deeper layers represent more personal ideas, beliefs, or emotions. Talking about your religion or feelings are in these inner rings.
3. The innermost circle, or bull’s-eye, symbolizes the fundamental core characteristics of personality that relate to and influence peripheral items. These include a person self-concept and basic values. - -The depth dimension of personality has some similar connections to Hall’s proxemics theory.–Interpersonalness
- Depth of disclosure is connected to time-We think negatively toward people who disclose only positive information early in the relationship, we tend to view those who are willing to disclose negative information early as honest and responsible
Altman and Taylor Triangular sections
Are the substantiative areas of personality that are labeled categories. This breadth dimension groups similar personality items into a variety of categories. People divide their interests into major topics, such as family, work, hobbies, and so on.
- -Social interaction is generally predicted to proceed only gradually and systematically from superficial to intimate topics.
- In casual relationships you may share much breadth of information but not much depth. Intimate relationships you share both breadth and depth of information.
People who disclose too much Intimate information too early…
Are seen as indiscreet and untrustworthy
People who try to get us to disclose when we’re not comfortable disclosing…
Are pushy.
Powell’s developmental hierarchy takes place on five levels
- Outer level-cliché conversation, Biographical detail and polite compliments
- Second-level is limited to factual reporting of impersonal information
- Third level Exploratory in nature-Reveal more personal information and cautiously test your listeners receptiveness
- Fourth level emotional communication-people exchange uniquely personal feelings
- Core level peak communication-people accomplish nearly complete disclosure and empathy at the peak level-The ideal married couple
- -First two levels typify interactional, impersonal interaction
- -Later three stages of disclosure represent transactional communication
What is Disconfirmation?
A pattern typified by ignoring someone’s communication or presence.
What is an indifferent response?
Typified by denying the existence or relationship with the other person.
What is an impervious response?
One that shows a lack of awareness of another’s perception. Denies what a person really feels or believes. “Don’t say that I know you don’t mean it.”
What is a disqualifying response?
- Speaker disqualification:verbal or nonverbal, consists of a direct attack, blame, criticism, name calling, sarcasm, heavy sigh, or a tsk when a person speaks. Sends a message of worthlessness.
- Message disqualification:takes place when someone makes a statement, but is ignored or answered in only a very tangential way. Rolling your eyes or sighing when a group member makes a comment.
What is confirming response?
Serves to socially validate people in their relationships, and although not as specific as disconfirming bias, center on three clusters:
- recognition- expressed by the degree to which partners physically attend to each other. Eye contact, touching for example. Shows respect.
- Acknowledgment- acknowledge another person by making direct and relevant responses to his or her comm. not agreeing but actively listen.
- endorsement-any responses that express acceptance of the others feelings as true accurate and ok. “I will let you be who you are”
