Self-Disclosure
Ashley Eggers
Stevens Henager Online
SELF-DISCLOSURE 2
Self-Disclosure
“Self-disclosure is not simply providing information to another person. Instead, scholars define self-disclosure as sharing information with others that they would not normally know or discover. Self-disclosure involves risk and vulnerability on the part of the person sharing the information.” (Brochers, 1999) How much do we actually know about ourselves? Do others know us better than we do? According to Tim Brochers (1999), The Johari Window is a useful way of showing us how much we know. There are four panes to the Johari Window; Open Pane, Hidden Pane, Blind Pane, and Unknown Pane. Open Pane is all information based on physical appearance, Hidden Pane is the information only you know, Blind Pane is the information you do not realize or see but others do, and Unknown Pane is the information that nobody knows, including yourself. According to Richard West and Lynn Turner (2006), self-disclosures occur between two people in a relationship, they are reciprocal, occur in the context of time, and we disclose a great deal in few interactions. I went to PsychologyToday.com and took a couple of their multiple choice quizzes to learn a little more about myself. I took the Anger Test, Arguing Style, Attention Span Test, and the Happiness Quiz. My score for the Anger Test was a 36. They said it was low which means I can cope well with angering situations but I could also be denying my true feelings. My Arguing Style quiz score was an 84. The description says that I argue in ways to end fights fast and to where the person and I are both satisfied. The third quiz, Attention Span Test, I scored a 63 and their description of my outcome was basically that I sometimes have a hard time focusing on some tasks or projects. Lastly, my Happiness score was a 70. They say I am happy with my life even if it’s not perfect and I don’t have
References: Brochers, T (1999). Interpersonal Communication: Self-Disclosure. Retrieved July 7, 2011, from http://www.abacon.com/commstudies/interpers West, R. and L.H. Turner, Understanding Interpersonal Comm. – Making Choices in Changing Times, 1st Ed, Thomson Learning, 2006. ISBN 10: 0495908754