A risk interpretation of self-disclosure

Several reward/cost factors influencing self-disclosure were examined within the alleged context of developing an audio-visual training program in the evaluation of facial cues. Tested individually, 40 male and 40 female subjects were led to believe that their facial expressions either did or did not reveal when they were lying. The consistency of this information with their expectations and whether personal or impersonal disclosure would be favourably evaluated were also manipulated. Based on exchange theory considerations of risk and trust, these variables were expected to interact such that they would alter the perceived rewards and costs associated with disclosing information about oneself. A number of personality variables influencing disclosure were controlled for in the experiment. – Subjects chose 20 topics, from a list of 35 topics varying in intimacy value, which they wished to discuss while being videotaped. The self-rated anxiety was also assessed. The results of the analyses of covariance on these two variables did not offer general support for the risk interpretation of self-disclosure although specific results offered partial support for the model. Two significant interactions suggested the operation of other variables related to the control people feel they have over their facial expressions and the causes to which they attribute their behavior. It was suggested that these variables may have affected how the experimental variables were interpreted by the subjects and thus, did not provide a very powerful test of the risk model of self-disclosure. It was suggested that these variables be examined in terms of how they alter the reward/cost outcomes in the present experimental context