Abstract
Guided by the theory of communication privacy management, this study examines recipients’ communicative and relational responses to disclosures of transgender identity. Participants (N = 207) completed an online survey and reported on a time they learned about a close other’s transgender identity. Results indicated that perceived disclosure strategy influenced recipients’ supportive communication, avoidance, aggression, and relational distancing. Recipients’ feelings of sympathy and anger moderated the effects of disclosure strategies on recipient responses. A general pattern emerged, suggesting the effects of disclosure strategies on recipient responses are amplified at low levels of sympathy and high levels of anger.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1. We thank an anonymous reviewer for this suggestion.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Jenny L. Crowley
Jenny L. Crowley (Ph.D., The University of Iowa) is an assistant professor in the School of Communication Studies at The University of Tennessee.
Jennifer A. Jackl
Jennifer A. Jackl (Ph.D., The University of Iowa) is an assistant professor in the Communicating Arts Department at the University of Wisconsin Superior.