Interaction between Social Status and Self-Disclosure on Perception of Liking

Self-disclosure is sharing of personal information with a targeted person. Some research confirmed self-disclosure brings intimacy in interpersonal relationships while other results demonstrated social rejection and negative evaluation. The current study explores the consequences of self-disclosure and whether the social status of the disclosing party would have an effect on participants’ perception of liking. In perceiving others, previous research suggested that strangers of higher social standing are more likable compared to those of lower social standing. However, the pratfall effect revealed when a social embarrassing event performed by the higher status individual, it will humanize the person and others would forgive his mistakes easily. The mistake in this study is disclosure of sensitive personal information. The design of the study consisted of two groups: disclose and non-disclose, within each group contained three levels of status: high, average, and low. The non-disclose groups were the controlled group served as a baseline to see the effects of disclosure. Due to the sensitivity nature of the message, disclose, it was hypothesized that disclose groups would be disliked and that intensity of liking varied with status. Likability scales and adjective list were used to measure participants’ responses. It was found that between disclose groups and non-disclose groups, participants responded negatively to the disclosure groups regardless their status. Interaction between Social Status and Self-Disclosure on Perception of Liking Self disclosure is a tool used by many as a way to establish relationships through exchange of personal information including personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings. These information regarding the disclosing party has to be shared with a targeted person and must verbally communicated to the target person. Antaki, Barnes & Leudar (2005) also found self disclosure by one often causes the partner to feel comfortable to also engage in self disclosure. Henceforth, when this interaction is repeated several times, a deeper level of interpersonal intimacy can be achieved. The feeling of being able to relate to another human being through self-disclosure increases 2 SELF-DISCLOSURE, SOCIAL STATUS AND LIKING psychological well-being which is vital for human survival. For instance, personality psychologist such as George Kelly suggests that a significant trait of the well-functioning person is his ability to share kinship and commonality with others members of society (Cloninger, 2008). In a way, sharing of information through self-disclosure is an adaptive strategy for humans to connect and relate oneself to society at large. Many studies have been done on this social performance and provided a more refined definition to it. Antaki, Barnes, and Leudar (2005) outlined three key features that distinguished self disclosure from a confession in a courtroom or gossip for example. It is important to note that selfdisclosure occurs in daily normal conversations with anyone. Self-disclosure does not only occur exclusively in a specific setting that only includes certain people of significance such as disclosing secrets to a close friends. In this particular study, the authors analyzed conversations among individuals and noted three key patterns that consistently surfaced. Firstly, the disclosed information has to be ‘owned’ by the disclosing party, meaning it refers to a private preference of the person such as a piece of personal past history. Another defining feature of self disclosure is disclosing party makes the information sound significant by using extremities in their description in a circumstance. This reflects their established feelings towards something and in a way reveals some information about the person or his personality. Lastly, disclosure of information is volunteered, the disclosing party should not feel pressured in any way to reveal personal information. These guidelines portrays a basic structure of how self-disclosure functions. And the next important thing to probe into is the content embedded in messages used in the process of selfdisclosure as the types of content weighs relative importance in causing an effect. Types of Disclosure Different types of message disclosed create different reactions, for example, opening up a piece of information that is relatable to the targeted person encourages him or her to do the same as well. This reciprocity pattern needs to be repeated in order to facilitate liking, possible blossoming of new relationships and positive perception. On the other hand, when the recipient of disclosure is unable to identify with the disclosing party undesirable effect may occur in which the disclosing party will be negatively evaluated and disliked. Therefore the type of information should weigh in some importance in creating different effects in self-disclosure. Laurenceau, & Pietromonaco (1998) found a significant difference between two types of message consistently used in selfdisclosure: emotional (evaluative) and factual (descriptive). An emotional disclosure reveals a 3 SELF-DISCLOSURE, SOCIAL STATUS AND LIKING person’s insights such as private feelings, thoughts, judgments, and opinions (for example, “I felt really sad after the break-up”) while the factual disclosure contains personal facts about oneself (for example, “I was involved in three different relationships over the year”). Result of the study demonstrated that self-disclosure with emotional content tend to generate greater intimacy of interpersonal relationship. Although both types of message reveal some aspects of the self, the emotional disclosure lies much closer to the core of self-definition, therefore generating a greater intimacy. And this development of interpersonal intimacy is an example of the positive outcome to self-disclosure. The Positive Side of Self-Disclosure Previous findings suggest this social performance entails both benefits and negative results. Self-disclosure is significant in human relationships in a sense that the reciprocity nature enhances social intimacy in terms of creating relatedness, liking, and respect among people. This relationship is portrayed in a study by Mattei (2008) which examined the perceptions of therapists’ selfdisclosure. In addition, it also demonstrated the effects of social role on perception when selfdisclosure is used during therapy. Participants read vignette of a therapist helping a client with an alcohol problem. The scenarios varied, one condition involved the therapist verbally disclosing about his/her personal struggle with alcohol in the past and the other condition, disclosure was not involved. As a result, a positive relationship between self-disclosure and perception of therapists’ attractiveness and expertise was found. Participants in the self-disclosing condition also perceived the therapist to be trustworthy. Result of this study suggests self-disclosure entails some benefits; in this case, self-disclosure can provide for establishing a positive relationship between the client and therapist in clinical settings. Self-disclosure is also beneficial in interpersonal relationship in a way that it creates close relationship and maintains an individual’s psychological well-being (Collins & Miller, 1994). From this meta-analyses review, the authors looked in depth at disclosure-liking relations and suggested three types of responses to this: people like to disclose information to others, we like those who engage in self-disclosure, and in turn we like to disclose to these people. From the theoretical work provided, intimacy of relationship develops as self disclosures gradually increase in depth (quality) and in breadth (quantity). Self-disclosure is socially rewarding for the recipient in a sense it suggests the disclosing party’s interest to initiate a more intimate relationship. In addition, positive beliefs about the disclosing party are confirmed through self-disclosure, leading to more attraction. 4 SELF-DISCLOSURE, SOCIAL STATUS AND LIKING In other words, an association between self-disclosure and liking is mediated through this positive belief. And on the contrary, when self-disclosure does not confirms the recipient’s positive beliefs regarding the disclosing party, social rejection and dislike are bound to happen. The Other Side of Self-Disclosure Although self-disclosure is a catalyst in bringing people closer together, it can inflict tension resulting to social isolation as well. Marck, Woods, & Ridosko (2005) studied the disclosure of trichotillomania (a form of impulse control disorder involving a person pulling out one’s hair and also known as TTM) on peer perceptions and social acceptability. Participants read vignettes of either conditions involving a character disclosing about TTM or condition of non-disclosure. The disclose group led to an increase in negative social perceptions compared to the non-disclose, characters in the disclose group evaluated more negatively and were more socially rejected. This research negates the notion that self-disclosure only results in positive social benefits, mainly the increase of social intimacy. This effect seems takes place in another study by Ahrens, Campbell.Sefl (2007) found that when rape survivors actively sought help from formal support providers (professionals including police and medical personnel) by disclosing their sexual assault, they received more negative reactions than positive ones. But this is not the same when the roles were reversed. Rape survivors disclosed their assault after help was initiated from the formal support providers themselves, these survivors would exclusively receive positive reactions from them. Similarly, in another study on disclosure of HIV status to one’s sexual partner, Parsons, VanOra.Gomez (2004) found both positive and negative consequences. Negative consequences included rejection, stigma, loss of intimacy, and thre