Chapter Nine: Social Penetration Theory (Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor)

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Chapter Nine Social Penetration Theory (Irwin
Altman and Dalmas Taylor)

• COM 252 Interpersonal Communication
• Professor Arrington

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Intimacy

• Emotional
• Physical
• Intellectual
• Shared activities

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Distance

• Avoiding
• Becoming reserved
• Shortening interaction
• Restricting topics
• Restraint
• Deception

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Dialectical Tension

• Closeness ? privacy
• Interdependence ? autonomy
• Intimacy is NOT essential for a positive
  relationship. Obsession with intimacy can lead
  to a less satisfying relationship.
• The desire for intimacy in a relationship can wax
  and wane.
• Hold me tight put me down leave me alone

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Personalities as Onions?

• Personality structure as a multilayered onion
• Outer layer
• Inner core

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Social Penetration Theory (SPT) Key
Points SPT is a theory about the development
of relational closeness. Relational closeness
can progress from superficial to intimate.
Closeness develops through self-disclosure.
Closeness varies according to the following
factors Rewards/benefits Costs/vulnerability
Satisfaction Stability and security
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Self-Disclosure
Self-disclosure is sharing with someone
information which helps him or her understand
you. Self-disclosure is most revealing when the
sharing is in the present and least revealing
when the sharing is about the past.  -- D.
Johnson, Reaching OutInterpersonal Effectiveness
and Self-Actualization (Boston Allyn and Bacon)
1997 ,p.33.
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Self-disclosure

• Peripheral items exchanged sooner, more
  frequently than private information
• Self-disclosure as reciprocal, especially early
  in relationship development
• Penetration is rapid at the beginning of a
  relationship but slows down as we move from outer
  to inner layers
• Depenetration gradual process of layer-by-layer
  withdrawal

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• Self-Disclosure Definitions S. Jourard (in
  The Transparent Self) defines self-disclosure as
  making ourselves "transparent" to others through
  our communication--i.e., when we tell others
  things about ourselves which help them to see our
  uniqueness as a human being.
• Culpert distinguishes between self-description
  vs. self-disclosure. Self-description involves
  communication that levels "public layers" whereas
  self-disclosure involves communication that
  reveals more private, sensitive, and confidential
  information.
• Pearce Sharp make an interesting distinction
  among three related terms Self-disclosure,
  confession, and revelation.
• Self-disclosure -- voluntarily communication of
  information about one's self to another.
• Confession -- forced or coerced communication of
  information about one's self to another.
• Revelation -- unintentional or inadvertent
  communication of information about one's self to
  another.

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• Findings of Self Disclosure Research
• Disclosure increases with increased relational
  intimacy.
• Disclosure increases with the need to reduce
  uncertainty in a relationship.
• Disclosure tends to be reciprocal.
• Disclosure tends to be incremental.
• Disclosure tends to be symmetrical.
• Liking is related to positive disclosure, but not
  to negative ones.
• Positive disclosure does not necessarily increase
  with the intimacy of the relationship but
  negative disclosure is directly related to the
  intimacy of the relationship.
• Relational satisfaction and disclosure have a
  curvilinear relationship -- satisfaction is
  highest with moderate levels of disclosure.

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• Theory into Practice Guidelines for
  Self-Disclosure
• Is the time, place, and information appropriate
  and/or relevant?
• Is the audience appropriate for your
  self-disclosure?
• Might the information you are about to disclose
  reflect badly on others known to the group?
• Will your self-disclosure demonstrate respect for
  another individual's or group's opinion?
• Is the situation one in which you trust the other
  person(s) to listen and show courtesy toward you?
  
• Do you have a relationship with the other
  person(s) which allows for mutual disclosure? How
  close are you to the other person?
• How much personal detail do you need to go into?
  Might you embarrass yourself or others?
• Have you developed adequate rapport with the
  other person? Do you feel pressured to
  self-disclose? Is this something you really want
  to do?

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• Theory into Practice Guidelines for
  Self-Disclosure

• Can you trust the other person(s) to maintain
  confidentiality if necessary?
• Do you feel comfortable self-disclosing in the
  situation you are in?
• What impact will your self-disclosure have on the
  other person?
• Do you have a relationship with the other
  person(s) which allows for mutual disclosure? How
  close are you to the other person?
• How much personal detail do you need to go into?
  Might you embarrass yourself or others?
• Have you developed adequate rapport with the
  other person? Do you feel pressured to
  self-disclose? Is this something you really want
  to do?
• Can you trust the other person(s) to maintain
  confidentiality if necessary?
• Do you feel comfortable self-disclosing in the
  situation you are in?
• What impact will your self-disclosure have on the
  other person?

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Self-Disclosure Tests

• For individuals http//psychologytoday.psychtest
  s.com/tests/self_disclosure_general_access.html
• For couples http//psychologytoday.psychtests.com
  /cgi-bin/tests/transfer_ap.cgi?partnerptpart1t
  estself_disclosure_couples_rAMT9.95itemSelf-D
  isclosure20Test20for20Couples20-20R

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A Contextual Self-Disclosure Test(from
http//oregonstate.edu/instruct/comm321/gwalker/re
lationships.htm)

• Step 1 Identify a relationship
• Stranger
• Co-worker
• Employer/supervisor
• Acquaintance
• Friend
• Intimate partner
• Family member
• Peer in this class

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Step 2 Rate the items that follow using the
following scale

• 1 would definitely self-disclose
• 2 would probably self-disclose
• 3 uncertain if I would self-disclose
• 4 would probably not self-disclose
• 5 would definitely not self-disclose

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Step 3 The Items

• My religious beliefs
• My attitudes toward other religions,
  nationalities, ethnic groups
• My economic status
• My parents attitudes about other religions,
  nationalities, ethnic groups

• My feelings about my parents
• My past intimate relationships
• My ideal mate
• My sexual fantasies
• My doubts about myself
• My hopes and fears

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Step 3 Continued

• My drinking and/or drug-taking behavior
• My political beliefs
• My job satisfaction or dissatisfaction

• My relationship satisfaction or dissatisfaction
• My feelings about the people in the relevant
  group (e.g. peers in this class, co-workers,
  family members)

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Your SD score

• The LOWER your score, the HIGHER your SD score
  is.
• Score a 75 you HARDLY EVER self-disclose
• Score a 15 you SELF-DISCLOSE to extremes
• Maybe we should work on a nice happy medium?