The Concept Of Self-Disclosure

The guiding assumption of this paper is that expressing oneself through written or verbal modes of communication has a positive impact on the well being of a person. Expressions help people understand their experiences and in turn themselves in a better way. Studies have revealed that it is beneficial for people to have some understanding and awareness of their thoughts and feelings. For most people, the medium of expression is language – written or verbal. The process of constructing stories is a natural human process and allows one to organize and remember events in a coherent fashion while integrating thoughts and feelings (Pennebaker & Seagal, 1999). Studies suggest that when a person is able to integrate his thoughts and feelings, there is a sense of control he/she experiences which in turn means he/she is able to express what he/she goes through – trauma, situations where they experience emotional distress or situations where they experience joy. It might also be said that self-disclosure is therapeutic.

While most studies look at self-disclosure as a form of therapy for overcoming negative situations and events, this paper will also look at the …show more content…
There are often arguments about what might or might not be defined as self-disclosure. Ideally, self-disclosure can be said to define ‘something’ about us. However, it can be argued that even non-verbal communication reveals ‘something’ about us, but is a form of involuntary communication. While research studies give the concept of willful and non-willful disclosure, they are very different from each other. Consistent with the notion of willful disclosure, Derlega et al. (1993) define self-disclosure as an interaction between at least two individuals where one intends to deliberately divulge something personal to