Chapter 12 Outline:
Self-Disclosure
Loneliness
Self-Esteem
Solitude
Self-Disclosure
➔ Revealing intimate information about oneself to another person
➔ Important for personal growth and happiness
➔ Acknowledged for its role in psychotherapeutic process
➔ Self-disclosure plays a key role in the development of personal
relationships. However, researchers find that this is rarely one-sided.
Instead, relationships develop as each person reveals intimate information
about him/herself at roughly the same level of intimacy.
Disclosure Reciprocity
➔ People involved in a conversation reveal information about themselves at
approximately the same level of intimacy
➔ Self-Disclosure leads to feelings of attraction and trust
Progession of intimacy during dyad conversation
Self-Disclosure Among Friends and Romantic Partners
➔ People who knew each other have highest level of disclosure reciprocity
➔ Amount of self-disclosure in a marriage is a strong predictor of relationship
satisfaction
Disclosing Men & Women
, ➔ Women disclose more intimately and to more people than men do
➔ Self-disclosing men are considered more adjusting when they talk about
masculine topics
➔ Men and women are more likely to be accepted when they disclose within
the appropriate societal roles for their gender
Disclosing Traumatic Experiences
➔ Leads to improvements in physical health and psychological well-being
◆ Beneficial regardless of the medium of disclosure
➔ People who conceal unpleasant personal information tend to experience
depression and a lower sense of well-being
Mean Number of Visits to the Health Center as a Function of Experimental
Condition
Loneliness
➔ Occurs when a person’s network of social relationships is smaller or less
satisfying than the personal desires
➔ Causes and consequences of loneliness vary as a function of culture
➔ Individual’s vulnerability to loneliness becomes relatively stable over time
Chronically Lonely People
➔ High scores on loneliness scales are related to
◆ High levels of social anxiety and self-consciousness
◆ Lower levels of self-esteem and assertiveness
◆ Pessimism and negative mood
Pathways Between Loneliness and Health
Self-Disclosure
Loneliness
Self-Esteem
Solitude
Self-Disclosure
➔ Revealing intimate information about oneself to another person
➔ Important for personal growth and happiness
➔ Acknowledged for its role in psychotherapeutic process
➔ Self-disclosure plays a key role in the development of personal
relationships. However, researchers find that this is rarely one-sided.
Instead, relationships develop as each person reveals intimate information
about him/herself at roughly the same level of intimacy.
Disclosure Reciprocity
➔ People involved in a conversation reveal information about themselves at
approximately the same level of intimacy
➔ Self-Disclosure leads to feelings of attraction and trust
Progession of intimacy during dyad conversation
Self-Disclosure Among Friends and Romantic Partners
➔ People who knew each other have highest level of disclosure reciprocity
➔ Amount of self-disclosure in a marriage is a strong predictor of relationship
satisfaction
Disclosing Men & Women
, ➔ Women disclose more intimately and to more people than men do
➔ Self-disclosing men are considered more adjusting when they talk about
masculine topics
➔ Men and women are more likely to be accepted when they disclose within
the appropriate societal roles for their gender
Disclosing Traumatic Experiences
➔ Leads to improvements in physical health and psychological well-being
◆ Beneficial regardless of the medium of disclosure
➔ People who conceal unpleasant personal information tend to experience
depression and a lower sense of well-being
Mean Number of Visits to the Health Center as a Function of Experimental
Condition
Loneliness
➔ Occurs when a person’s network of social relationships is smaller or less
satisfying than the personal desires
➔ Causes and consequences of loneliness vary as a function of culture
➔ Individual’s vulnerability to loneliness becomes relatively stable over time
Chronically Lonely People
➔ High scores on loneliness scales are related to
◆ High levels of social anxiety and self-consciousness
◆ Lower levels of self-esteem and assertiveness
◆ Pessimism and negative mood
Pathways Between Loneliness and Health
