Relationship among identified problem areas, choice of helpers, and sex-role differentiation in grade eleven students

This research study investigates, with a group of 181 grade eleven students, the relationships among a number of self-reported variables: identified problems, disclosure likelihood on these problems, and choice of helper. Students, grouped by biological sex and psychological sex-role orientation (Bern, 1978), were asked by means of a two-part questionnaire the extent to which each of eleven problem topics was a problem for them (Part I of the study), how likely they would be to talk about each of the problem topics, and with whom (Part II of the study). In Part I of the study, both the main effect for identified problem and the interaction between identified problem and sex of student were significant, though sex of student was not significant. When students were grouped by psychological sex-role orientation, only the main effect for identified problem was significant. In the second and larger part of the study, there were significant main effects and lower order interactions with regards to biological sex and psychological sex-role orientation of the discloser, gender and location of the helper, and the problem topic to be talked about. What is most notable, however, is the number of significant higher order interactions which indicate the complexity of conditionality for self-disclosure. This is to say that the subjects in this study report that the degree of their self-disclosure depends specifically on who they are in terms of their biological sex and psychological sex-role orientation, what the topic is, and to whom they are disclosing. The antecedents of self-disclosure are varied and complex.Education, Faculty ofGraduat