An Experiment on the Effects of Self-disclosure on Perceived Partner Responsiveness and Intimacy in Zero-Acquaintance Relationships

ABSTRACT

Self-disclosure and perceived partner responsiveness are the key ingredients in intimacy development. Using the interpersonal process model of intimacy as a theoretical framework, this article proposes that participants’ own self-disclosure affects their perceptions of partner responsiveness, even when the partner’s actual responsiveness is held constant, and that this perceived partner responsiveness increases relational intimacy. Findings from an experiment (N= 253) showed that participants’ high (vs. low) intensity self-disclosure led to higher perceived partner responsiveness, which in turn increased intimacy. The valence and channel of self-disclosure did not moderate the link between the intensity of self-disclosure and perceived partner responsiveness, but the channel of self-disclosure affected perceived partner responsiveness, with participants who interacted face-to-face reporting higher perceived partner responsiveness than those who interacted over computer-mediated communication. Theoretical and practical implications for the intimacy process are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Self-disclosure
• perceived partner responsiveness
• intimacy
• communication channel

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary Material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2022.2084429.

Notes

1. The intensity of self-disclosure is also called as the intimacy of self-disclosure in the literature (e.g., Caltabiano & Smithson, 1983; Taylor & Belgrave, 1986). Since the dependent variable of our study is also intimacy, we use the term “intensity” instead of “intimacy” for clarity purposes.