Disclosiveness and the provision of comfort to strangers.

摘要

The present study explores the relationship between disclosiveness and comforting behavior. It is claimed that individuals who score high on a self-report measure of disclosiveness will perceive higher levels of similarity, be more interpersonally attracted, and therefore be more comforting to individuals making a deep, negative disclosure to them. To test this model, participants were paired with a same-sex confederate under the guise of an educational media study. Pending completion of a short educational film, the confederate made a deep, negative disclosure concerning the discovery of a potentially cancerous bump on their stomach. Subsequent participant behavior was videotaped and coded for comforting behavior employing Applegate's hierarchical coding scheme (1980). Results do not fit the proposed model and suggest three changes. First, anxiety, not disclosiveness, surrounding the deep, negative disclosure seems to be a force acting upon the processes influencing comforting. Second, significant gender differences in these processes are noted. Third, despite model failure, some findings concerning disclosiveness do appear to be influencing the processes leading to comforting. Discussion provides arguments for these changes despite their post hoc nature.