Why Does Someone Reveal Highly Personal Information? Attributions for and against Self-Disclosure in Close Relationships

Abstract

Via open-ended responses, we examined causal attributions generated for disclosing or not disclosing personal information to one's mother, father, same-sex friend, and dating partner. Participants (238 male and female college students) frequently mentioned having a close relationship/trusting the other and seeking social support to explain disclosure, as well as protecting the other and fear of losing the other's respect as reasons not to disclose. Certain attributions (e.g., duty to inform, privacy concerns, protecting the other, superficial relationship) were mentioned selectively to explain disclosure or nondisclosure to particular types of relationship partners. The findings illustrate goals that are consistent with social exchange/interdependence and privacy theories of disclosure decision-making.

Keywords:

• Causal Attributions
• Close Relationships
• Dialectical Theories of Privacy
• Disclosure Decision-Making
• Self-Disclosure
• Social Exchange/Interdependence Theories

Notes

Note. The n at the top of each column refers to the number of research participants who disclosed personal information to a relationship target. In each column, the numbers in the cells refer to how many times a particular reason was mentioned for disclosing to a target, whereas the numbers in parentheses refer to the percentage of times a particular reason was mentioned (number of times a reason was mentioned over the total number of attributions mentioned in a column).

Note: The n at the top of each column refers to the number of research participants who did not disclose personal information to a relationship target. In each column, the numbers in the cells refer to how many times a particular reason was mentioned for not disclosing to a target, whereas the numbers in parentheses refer to the percentage of times a particular reason was mentioned (number of times a reason was mentioned over the total number of attributions mentioned in a column).

Note: The n at the top of each column refers to the number of research participants who disclosed personal information to a specific combination of relationship targets (e.g., mother and father). The numbers in each cell refer to the percentages of participants who cited a particular reason for disclosing to a target. Cells with contrasting percentages reflect differences that are significant based on the Cochran's Q test (p < .05).

Note: The n at the top of each column refers to the number of research participants who did not disclose personal information to a specific combination of relationship targets (e.g., mother and father). The numbers in each cell refer to the percentages of participants who cited a particular reason for not disclosing to a target. Cells with contrasting percentages reflect differences that are significant based on the Cochran's Q test (p < .05).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Valerian J. Derlega

Valerian J. Derlega (PhD, University of Maryland, 1971)

Barbara A. Winstead

Barbara A. Winstead (PhD, Harvard University, 1980) are professors of psychology at Old Dominion University.

Alicia Mathews

Alicia Mathews (MS, Old Dominion University, 2004) is a former graduate student in psychology.

Abby L. Braitman

Abby L. Braitman (MS, Old Dominion University, 2007) is a doctoral student in the Applied Experimental Psychology PhD program at Old Dominion University.