The Influences of Attribution, Context, and Heterosexual Self-Presentation on Perceived Appropriateness of Self-Disclosure in Same-Sex Male Friendships

Abstract

Although same-sex male friendships are often characterized as relatively non-disclosive, context normativeness and heterosexual self-presentation may explain variation in the attribution process affecting self-disclosure. In this study, 130 heterosexual men completed a self-presentation scale, read scenarios depicting self-disclosure among male friends in more and less normative contexts, and rated disclosure appropriateness and likely person and situation attributions in each context. As predicted, heterosexual self-presentation was negatively related to perceptions of disclosure appropriateness. Also, self-disclosure was judged as more appropriate and, more important, more likely due to contextual influences (rather than features of the discloser) in more, as compared to less, normative contexts.

Keywords:

• Attribution
• Context
• Friendship
• Same-Sex
• Self-Disclosure
• Self-Presentation

I thank Gwen Wittenbaum and members of his graduate steering committee for their guidance on previous versions of this project, portions of which have been presented at the Western States Communication Association annual convention and the International Association of Relationship Research biennial convention. The project initially was derived from my preliminary examination.

Notes

Initially, there was some concern that participants were able to figure out the true nature of the study because they received both levels of context normativeness. However, individuals who completed the survey early on were regularly debriefed in a post-experiment interview to determine whether they had developed any understanding of the nature of the research question. These initial participants were unable to identify the key manipulated variables of the study during post-experimental interviews; as such, no additional attempts were made to interview and debrief all 135 of the subsequent research participants. Admittedly, it would have been useful, upon further reflection, to continue post-experimental interviews with each of the participants and remove the data associated with any respondents who expressed any awareness about the context normativeness manipulation. That being said, there is little concern about the potential for a demand effect, given the responses of those initial participants during the post-experiment interview. Also, it is expected that the randomization of the order in which participants received the context normativeness manipulation would only serve to attenuate the otherwise significant findings reported in the study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jonathan M. Bowman

Jonathan M. Bowman (PhD, Michigan State University, 2005) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of San Diego.