Shonna Sutton
COM200
November 29, 2011
Rosa Farmer
Self-Disclosure, Gender, and Communication
After reading the article on “Can we talk? Researcher talks about the role of communication in marriages”. The author does provide enough information on self-disclosure in relationship for me. Self-disclosure is when you share personal feelings and information with an individual. The author states “In 1987, a review in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy found that higher rates of self-disclosure were tied with higher rates of marital satisfaction. Expression of love and support was also linked to happy marriages (SCHOENBERG, 2011). ” Now with this been said it hit all area of self-disclosure because when you are in a marriage you are looking for the fulfillment from your partner. Self-disclosure brings a sense of relief because it allows you to be who you are and the same time improves your relationship when an individual accepts what you tell them about you.
Basically getting a point of freedom with your with yourself. Good example of this would be how my brother kept a secret from his fiancé about been on the run from probation. What I am trying to say is he never told her about it but when it came time to free himself from the madness. She still went on with the wedding and they got married after he serve four months for running six years while on probation. The key here is having large amount of acceptance because to much of self- disclosure can kill a relationship. When there are control issues in a relationship it can hurt self- disclosure because the fear of another individual gaining power through the fact been told.
Looking at this paper I would have to say yes that self-disclosure is important and directly related to satisfaction in relationships. The reasoning been is that without a self-disclosure in a relationship then it the relationship itself would be in jeopardy out of the gate. A relationship