SELF-DISCLOSURE IN SPOUSE AND STRANGER INTERACTION - A SOCIAL-RELATIONS ANALYSIS

The purpose of this study was to examine self-disclosure as both a per sonality trait and an interaction process. Forty men anti women engage d in dyadic conversations with three same and three opposite-sex stran gers and their spouses on each of three occasions. The conversations w ere coded for type of self-disclosure (descriptive vs. evaluative) and level of intimacy, The data were analyzed using Social Relations Anal ysis. The results of the study provided little support for individual differences in self-disclosure. In general, individuals were inconsist ent in how much they self-disclosed to others and in how much self-dis closure they elicited from others. There were no sex differences in se lf-disclosure. There was qualified support for the process model of se lf-disclosure. The level of the relationship (spouse vs. stranger) aff ected self-disclosure, and self-disclosure was reciprocal for both spo uses and strangers. However, theta were no relationship differences in self-disclosure and self-disclosure was not related to liking.