Demographic and Religious Differences in the Dimensions of Self-Disclosure Among Hindus and Muslims in India

Abstract

This paper discusses a survey, carried out by the authors, of Hindu and Muslim men and women in six Indian states to determine if social/cultural identities influenced self-disclosure. Specifically, an individual's sex, religious, and state identity were investigated. Results indicated that across religions, women disclosed more than men. Comparisons based on religious identification and state of birth revealed significant differences between Hindus and Muslims and between states of birth on self-disclosure. Results also suggest the predictive power of religious identification and state of birth vary dependent upon the dimensions of self-disclosure. Implications for future research include further examination of aspects of identity related to self-disclosure.

Keywords:

• Self-Disclosure
• Identity
• Culture
• India
• Demographic Differences

Notes

Note

[1] In a previous confirmatory factor analysis of the measure of religiosity, the results were: χ²= 139.45, RMSEA = .077, CFI = .926, p = .041. The reference for this CFA was excluded but provided to the editor to protect the blind-review process.