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Influence of Self-disclosure in the Acquaintance Process on Changes in People’s Self-concept, How People Feel About Themselves, and How People Feel About Others

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Interpersonal Relationships and the Self-Concept

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Abstract

Self-disclosure —the process of revealing personal information to others about the self—can be particularly intense at the very beginning stages of relationships. The self-disclosure that occurs in the process of becoming acquainted can lead to changes in the interacting partners’ self-concept , self-esteem, and the degree to which they view their self-concepts to overlap. This chapter synthesizes different areas of research that provide insight into how self-disclosure during the acquaintance process can lead to self-changes . Self-disclosure at the start of relationships can occur both in face-to-face interactions and through the Internet (e.g., online dating profiles). Implications of disclosure for creating self-changes in both types of settings are discussed. Laboratory research conducted by the author with a version of the Fast Friends procedure (e.g., Aron et al., 1997) to examine the consequences of self-disclosure in getting-acquainted pairs is highlighted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA

    Susan Sprecher

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  1. Susan Sprecher
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Correspondence to Susan Sprecher .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA, USA

    Brent A. Mattingly

  2. Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Kevin P. McIntyre

  3. Department of Psychology, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ, USA

    Gary W. Lewandowski, Jr.

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Sprecher, S. (2020). Influence of Self-disclosure in the Acquaintance Process on Changes in People’s Self-concept, How People Feel About Themselves, and How People Feel About Others. In: Mattingly, B.A., McIntyre, K.P., Lewandowski, Jr., G.W. (eds) Interpersonal Relationships and the Self-Concept. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43747-3_3

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