Differences in Disclosure

1. In any culture, people vary widely in the degree to which they self-disclose. Some people are naturally transparent, others are more opaque (Jourard, 1964).
2. People across cultures differ in their self-disclosure. For instance, people of Asian descent tend to disclose less than do people of European ancestry; Japanese disclose substantially less than Americans in both friendships and romantic relationships, and view self-disclosure as a less important aspect of intimacy development than do Americans (Barnlund, 1975).
3. People disclose more quickly, broadly, and deeply when interacting online than face-to-face. One reason for this is that during online encounters, people can’t see those with whom they are interacting, and so the consequences of such disclosure seem less noticeable (Joinson, 2001).
4. Self-disclosure appears to promote mental health and relieve stress (Tardy, 2000). Especially when the information is troubling, keeping it inside can escalate your stress levels substantially, resulting in problematic mental and physical symptoms and ailments (Kelly & McKillop, 1996; Pennebaker, 1997).
5. Little evidence exists that supports the stereotype that men can’t disclose their feelings in relationships. In close same-sex friendships, for example, both men and women disclose deeply and broadly (Shelton et al., 2010). And in cross-sex romantic involvements, men often disclose at levels equal to or greater than their female partners (Canary et al., 1997). At the same time, however, both men and women feel more comfortable disclosing to female than to male recipients (Dindia & Allen, 1992). Teenagers are more likely to disclose to mothers and best female friends than to fathers and best male friends—suggesting that adolescents may perceive females as more empathic and understanding than males (Garcia & Geisler, 1988).