March blog

Luckily, this past month both of my communication classes have discussed interpersonal communication. This has enabled me to dive deeper learning more about interpersonal communication and its relationship to self-disclosure. First, in chapter ten of Communication: A Critical/Cultural Introduction, written by John T. Warren and Deanna L. Fasset, interpersonal communication is described as “the interaction or exchange that occurs between people who are in an interdependent relationship” (192). All humans have interpersonal relationships and it has been fascinating to learn how much our relationships impact our everyday life. Interpersonal relationships have a huge effect on self-disclosure. Self-disclosure is described as “revealing information about yourself that another person would not readily know” (202). Different relationships you have can be at different levels of self-disclosure.

I have always noticed that my relationships with people vary. I share more personal information with some friends rather than others, and that is just the way it has been. Until I read more about it in class I have realized that relational dialectics relate to the amount of information I disclose with different individuals. Once I have reached a level of interdependency meaning trust has been built more information about my life is revealed. Part of being me is enjoying my privacy, I am an open person when it comes to my close relationships. Other than that I don’t disclose much to peers in my classes or friends who I haven’t developed that bond with.

Why is it important to understand self-disclosure? It is important to see and understand levels of self-disclosure in order to evaluate the different relationships you have in your life. I have learned about the factors that contribute to higher levels of self-disclosure. Moving forward this will allow me to think more about my interpersonal relationships from more of an academic standpoint. This knowledge has also opened my eyes to the difficulties of self-disclosure. It takes a lot to reveal personal information. As a listener to my friends, I will now pay more attention when friends are opening up and truly try to understand them to not only help them but strengthen our relationship.