Self-Disclosure and Privacy

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10 Inter-Act, 12th Edition

Disclosure and Privacy
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• Self-Disclosure
• Divulging biographical data, personal ideas, and
  feelings

• Privacy
• Withholding personal information to enhance
  autonomy or minimize vulnerability

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The Disclosure-Privacy Dialectic

• The tension between sharing personal information
  and keeping personal information confidential
  also called the openness and closedness dialectic

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Communication Privacy Management (CPM) Theory

• CPM provides a framework for understanding the
  decision-making process people use to manage
  disclosure and privacy
• Rules designed to maximize benefits of disclosure
  while minimizing risks

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CPM Theory Rules

• Culture
• Individualistic cultures value privacy more than
  collectivist cultures
• Americans tend to disclose more than most
  cultures
• Gender
• Men tend to disclose less strong and silent
  type
• Women tend to disclose more nurturing and
  sensitive type

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CPM Theory Rules (contd)

• Motivation
• Disclose more to people we know or want to know
• May disclose secrets of those we dont like
• Context
• Disclose to a professional
• May tell when another is in danger
• Risk-benefit analysis
• Weigh the advantages/disadvantages of disclosing

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Social Penetration Theory

• Over time relationships move from lesser to
  greater intimacy based on the increasing number
  of topics that partners discuss and the degree of
  personal information disclosed on those topics
  (Altman and Dolman)

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Effects of Disclosure and Privacy on Relationships

• Disclosing secrets may damage/end relationship
• Partners dont disclose at the same time/rate
• Disclosing to a third party may damage trust
• Some may choose to protect others by not
  disclosing information

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Appropriate Self-Disclosure

• Self-disclose the kind of information you want
  others to disclose to you.
• Self-disclose more intimate information only when
  you believe the disclosure represents an
  acceptable risk.
• Continue intimate self-disclosure only if it is
  reciprocated.

• Move self-disclosure to deeper levels gradually.
• Reserve intimate or very personal self-disclosure
  for ongoing relationships.

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Reciprocal self-disclosure has the
greatest positive effects.
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Skills for Self-Disclosure and Privacy Management

• Owning feelings and opinions
• Making I statements
• People often dont do this for two reasons
• To strengthen the power of their statements
• To escape responsibility

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• Describing Feelings
• Explaining emotions one feels in a precise and
  unemotional manner

• Displaying Feelings
• Showing emotions through facial reactions, body
  language, or paralanguage

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Managing Privacy

• Making a conscious decision to withhold
  information or feelings from others
• Change the subject
• Mask feelings
• Tell a white lie
• Establish boundaries

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Giving Personal Feedback
Describing Behavior Recounting specific
behaviors of another without commenting on
appropriateness
Constructive Criticism Describes the
negative behaviors of another and their effects
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Describing Behavior

• Identify the overall impression you are
  experiencing
• Recall the specific behaviors that led to the
  impression
• Form a message to report only what you have seen
  or heard without drawing a conclusion about the
  behaviors

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Giving Constructive Criticism

• Begin by describing the behavior
• Preface a negative statement with a positive one
• Be as specific as possible
• Suggest how the person can change the behavior

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Praising
Describing specific positive behaviors or
accomplishments of another and the effects of
the behavior
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Asking for Feedback

• Think of feedback as in your best interest.
• Be prepared for an honest response.
• Take the initiative to ask for feedback.
• Specify the kind of feedback you are seeking.
• Avoid loaded questions.
• Try to avoid negative verbal and nonverbal
  reactions to feedback.
• Paraphrase what you hear.
• Show gratitude for the feedback.