Chapter Nine: Social Penetration Theory

(Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor)

COM 252 Interpersonal Communication

Professor Arrington
Intimacy

 Emotional
 Physical
 Intellectual
 Shared activities
Distance

 Avoiding
 Becoming reserved
 Shortening interaction
 Restricting topics
 Restraint
 Deception
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
Personalities as Onions?

 Personality structure as a multilayered

onion
– Outer layer
– Inner core
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
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 Out:Interpersonal

Effectiveness and Self-Actualization (Boston: Allyn
and Bacon) 1997 ,p.33.
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
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.
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.
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?
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?

Self-Disclosure Tests
 For individuals:
http://psychologytoday.psychtests.com/tests/s
elf_disclosure_general_access.html
 For couples:
http://psychologytoday.psychtests.com/cgi-
bin/tests/transfer_ap.cgi?partner=pt&part=1&t
est=self_disclosure_couples_r&AMT=9.95&it
em=Self-
Disclosure%20Test%20for%20Couples%20-
%20R
A Contextual Self-Disclosure Test
(from http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/comm321/gwalker/relationships.htm)

 Step 1: Identify a relationship

– Stranger
– Co-worker
– Employer/supervisor
– Acquaintance
– Friend
– Intimate partner
– Family member
– Peer in this class
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
Step 3: The Items
 My religious beliefs  My feelings about my
 My attitudes toward parents
other religions,  My past intimate
nationalities, ethnic relationships
groups  My ideal mate
 My economic status  My sexual fantasies
 My parents’ attitudes  My doubts about myself
about other religions,  My hopes and fears
nationalities, ethnic
groups
Step 3: Continued

 My drinking and/or  My relationship

drug-taking behavior satisfaction or
 My political beliefs dissatisfaction
 My job satisfaction  My feelings about
or dissatisfaction the people in the
relevant group (e.g.
peers in this class,
co-workers, family
members)
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?