Understanding and Applying Self-Disclosure in Relationships

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Self-Disclosure I understand that you have tried to speak to Sandy about your feelings but she has just accused you of not wanting to listen or be there for her. Although, it will be difficult it is important push the topic and share your true feelings with Sandy. I truly believe that by disclosing your feelings it will lead to a more balanced friendship. According to Adam N. Joinson in his article Self-disclosure in computer-mediated communication: The role of self-awareness and visua anonymity he defined self-disclosure as, “the `act of revealing personal information to others.’ Although usually discussed in light of the development of close relationships” (Joinson 178). Within self-disclosure there are two models that can help you decide how to confront this problem. The first model is the social penetration model often referred to as the onion model. The social penetration models measure the breadth and depth …show more content…

This model is a linear model combining of ten stages. These stages are initiating, experimenting, intensifying, integrating, bonding, differentiating, circumscribing, stagnating, avoiding and terminating (Alder et al 261). For the purposes of your friendship with Sandy I am going to look at only a couple of these stages to help you understand where your relationship sits. From my knowledge and understanding of your relationship with Sandy I believe you two are around the stagnating and avoiding stages. The stagnating stage is when the relationship begins to stagnate, meaning there is no growth and your friendship is just following the same old routines. The avoiding stage happens when, “people in a relationship begin to create distance between each other by avoiding” (Adler et al 266-267). In your letter you explain how you have started to avoid Sandy’s messages because you do not want to always talk about her

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