The Level of Relational Self-Construal Moderates the Relationship between Disclosure and Well-Being

The present study was a quasi-experiment studying whether relational self-construal moderates the relationship between dyadic self-disclosure and well-being. Pairs of high or low relationals were randomly assigned to one of two disclosure conditions: closeness-generating or small-talk generating. After the conversation, participants completed well-being measures. It was hypothesized high relationals would experience higher well-being (higher happiness, state self-esteem, positive affect, and life satisfaction, and lower negative affect and loneliness) in a closeness-generating condition than in a small-talk condition. It was predicted low relationals would experience lower well-being (lower happiness, state self-esteem, positive affect, and life satisfaction, and higher negative affect and loneliness) in the closeness-generating condition than in the small-talk condition. Although no support was found for the hypotheses, high relationals rated themselves higher on happiness and positive affect than low relationals. It was also found that those in the closeness-generating condition had higher state self-esteem and life satisfaction ratings than those in the small-talk condition