Page 53 - Essentials of Human Communication

32 CHapTer 2 Perception of Self and Others

Information face-to-face On a Social On the phone
Communication Media Site
My attitudes toward other religions,
nationalities, and races
My financial status: how much money I earn,
how much I owe, how much I have saved
My feelings about my parents
My sexual fantasies
My physical and mental health
My ideal romantic partner
My drinking and/or drug behavior
My most embarrassing moment
My unfulfilled desires
My self-concept

HOw DID YOu DO? There are, of course, no right or wrong answers to this self-test. The higher your scores, the
more apt to disclose you are in this channel. Generally, people will self-disclose most in interpersonal communica-
tion situations, least in public communication situations, and somewhere in-between in online communication.
wHAt wIll YOu DO? Taking this test, and ideally discussing it with others who also complete it, should get
you started thinking about your own self-disclosing behavior and especially the factors that influence it. How
does your personality influence your self-disclosure behavior? Are there certain topics on which you are less will-
ing to disclose than others? Are you more likely to disclose positive secrets than negative ones? Are there topics
about which you wish you had the opportunity to self-disclose but somehow can’t find the right situation?

Self-disclosure often brings rewards, but it can also create problems.
Whether or not you self-disclose will depend on your assessment of
the possible rewards and dangers.

Self-DISClOSure rewArDS
There are many rewards related to self-disclosure :

● Self-knowledge. Self-disclosure helps you gain a new perspective on
yourself and a deeper understanding of your own behavior. As you
talk about yourself and listen to the reactions of others, you’re likely
to learn a great deal about yourself.
● Improved coping abilities. Self-disclosure may help you deal with a
variety of problems. By verbalizing any problem or perceived fail-
ure, you’ll likely see it more objectively and dispassionately. And,
assuming you receive support rather than rejection from the other
person, you’ll likely be better able to cope with these and future
problems or failures.
VIewpOIntS
Self-Disclosure and Culture ● Communication enhancement. Self-disclosure often improves com-
munication. You understand the messages of others largely to the
Different cultures view self-disclosure differently. Some cultures extent that you understand the individuals. You can tell what cer-
view disclosing inner feelings as weakness. Among some
groups, for example, it would be considered “out of place” for a tain nuances mean, whether a person is serious or joking, and
man to cry at a happy occasion such as a wedding, whereas in whether the person is being sarcastic out of fear or resentment.
some Latin cultures that same display of emotion would go un- ● More meaningful relationships. By self-disclosing you tell others
noticed. Similarly, it’s considered undesirable in Japan for work- that you trust, respect, and care enough about them and your re-
place colleagues to reveal personal information, whereas in lationship to reveal yourself. This, in turn, is likely to lead the
much of the United States it’s expected (Barnlund, 1989; Hall & other individual to self-disclose and forms at least the start of a
Hall, 1987). How would you describe your own culture’s unwrit- relationship that is honest and open and allows for more complete
ten rules for appropriate self-disclosure?
communication.