The relation between self-disclosure to friends of three different levels of intimacy and affiliation motive in university students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of three levels of intimacy of friendship (newfound friend, potential best friend, and best friend), two affiliation motives (affiliative tendency and sensitivity for rejection) and the four levels of depth of self-disclosure (from level one to four) on self-disclosure of university students. One hundred and eighty students completed one of three questionnaires that differed in intimacy levels of friendship. The results showed that the deeper levels of contents (level three and four) were more likely to be disclosed to best friend than to potential best friend and newfound friend. In addition,it was found that students for high group than for low group of affiliative tendency and sensitivity for rejection showed more self-disclosure. The implications of the findings for clinical relationship between counselor and client were discussed