COMM330 Final Exam Study Guide TOPICS Social Penetration Theory Attraction Intimacy and Relationship Development Healthy vs Unhealthy Conflict Relationship Disengagement Page 131 138 Self Disclosure Self Disclosure and Privacy Even in the closest of relationships still times when people keep information a secret In close relationships people expect their partners to be open and tell them everything but this does not always happen Dialectical perspective to explain how people navigate between expressing some parts of themselves to others while keep other parts a secret Push and pull of the forces of disclosure and privacy evident in all types of interpersonal communication including cell phones o Feature people like most AND least is being in contact with people 24 7 People express themselves through self disclosure but maintain privacy using topic avoidance setting boundaries and keeping secret Self Disclosure Communication primary vehicle for developing relationships and creating feelings of connection and closeness Self disclosure helps move people from being strangers to becoming close Self disclosure o Traditionally defined as verbal communication that reveals something about a person to others o Today some non verbal aspects come into play Ex Wearing a cross disclosing info about religion or FB pics Most self disclosure is verbal o Ranges from impersonal to personal and increases as relationships get closer decreases as relationships deteriorate Dimensions of Self Disclosure According to Social Penetration Theory o Self disclosure usually increases gradually as people develop their relationships o Self disclosure conceptualized in 6 dimensions 1 Depth and Breadth Most central to the process of relationship development Depth How personal or deep the communication is Breadth How many topics a person feels free to discuss Relationships develop Increase in breadth AND THEN depth Visualize as the slow unpeeling of an onion o Thin and flimsy outer layer peel more layers gets harder and harder Three basic layers of self disclosure o 1 Superficial easy to penetrate Reveal common place facts that are not threatening Ex Name Major Etc o 2 Social or personal layer easy for friends lovers family to penetrate secret Likes dislikes hopes fears deepest hopes and dreams still a Ex Talk about unhappy childhood but no details o 3 Intimate layer seldom revealed only people who are completely trusted All the personal details that make them who they are Ex Exposing negative childhood experiences or telling someone how much they mean to you etc 2 Frequency and Duration Frequency how often people self disclose Duration how long people self disclose Encounters can be described differently based on these dimensions o Ex Working on a class project with someone you don t know that well depth and breadth low but frequency high o Illustrates important point Frequent self disclosure can lead to liking and relationship development Possible to have self disclosures of limited frequency but long duration o Ex Stranger on the plane I m never going to see this person again it is the limited frequency that allows you to engage in SD that is high in depth and duration o Another example online research show people disclose more online then in depth handle One reason this is true is because rejection may be easier to Also more anonymity and more easy to control communicate Some engage in frequent but short disclosures o Ex People in an office only talking on coffee breaks o Duration of face face interaction is more strongly related to closeness in friendships than is the frequency of interaction o Friendships regarded as especially close and intimate tend to be characterized by high levels of in depth communication o Friends do not need frequent contact to stay close as long they periodically have long in depth conversation 3 Valence and Veracity Specific content revealed by the self disclosure Valence the positive or negative charge of the SD o Ex Disclosing dreams positive valence o Ex Disclosing fears negative valence Crucial to SD because it helps determines how people feel about one another o THINK Friend complains all the time making you feel depressed and you want to avoid situation Couples show increase in depth of SD when they are continually arguing or relationship declines me o Commitments are negatively valenced Why don t you ever listen to Depth and valence work TOEGTHER to create the emotional climate of SD Some negatively valenced SD can draw people closer o Ex When people reveal parts of themselves and become closer key is to limit negative valence disclosures relative to positive Veracity how honest or deceptive SD is o True SD is honest reveals something real to other people o However sometimes false info passes as SD Ex People want to impress others at first so sometimes they exaggerate the truth men more about job and women more about appearance aka using make up o Information that looks like SD but isn t can backfire creating a lack of trust and hinder relationship development o SD is the only real path for developing closeness o Studies have shown people meet online and are more likely to have a successful offline relationship if their online disclosure has been honest and in depth Self Disclosure and Liking SD conveys trust and closeness SD helps people uncover similarities and reduce uncertainty about one another SD increases gradually as people get to know like and trust one another o If people don t develop trust or liking SD with not progress very far Disclosure Liking Hypothesis Predicts that when a sender discloses to a receiver the receiver will like the sender more o Appears to be strong among acquaintances that strangers o Online When people received more in depth disclosure they felt more liking and closeness to their partner o People are more likely to disclose to close relational partners and to people to whom they are attracted to Not all disclosure leads to increased liking Circumstances that affect whether SD leads to liking or disliking o How personalistic disclosure that people think is directed at them because they are trustworthy and have a close relationship with the sender disclosure is o The channel or means by which someone discloses o The partners response to disclosure 1 The Timing of SD SD violates normative expectations will not lead to liking Disclosing too much too quickly or not enough dislike SD usually a gradual process depth of disclosure reflects the