The Psychology of Gender 4th Edition

Friendship 271

Situational Variables

Situational variables also affect self-disclosure.

Studies have shown that men’s levels of self-

disclosure can be increased if they are moti-

vated to self-disclose. In one study, researchers

manipulated whether participants believed

there was the possibility of a future interaction

with the other person in the experiment (Shaf-

fer, Pegalis, & Bazzini, 1996). The investigators

predicted that men would be especially likely

to self-disclose to women if they believed there

was the possibility of a future interaction. They

also expected this effect would be strongest for

traditionally masculine men.

Shaffer and colleagues (1996) had un-

dergraduates work on a first task with a part-

ner and then led them to believe they would

be working on a second task with or without

their partner. This was the manipulation of

future interaction. The initial task was dis-

cussing four different topics (the most im-

portant decision I ever made, sacrifices I

made for others, aspects of personality I dis-

like, past and present things of which I am

ashamed) with a stranger who was really a

confederate. Conversations were audiotaped

and evaluated by two raters for intimacy of

self-disclosure. Women were more intimate

when they disclosed to female than male tar-

gets. Men’s self-disclosure was influenced by

their masculinity scores, the sex of the tar-

get, and the possibility of future interaction.

As shown in the right panel of Figure 8.7,

men who scored high on masculinity self-

disclosed more to female than male targets

when there was the possibility of a future in-

teraction (PFI). When there was no possibil-

ity of a future interaction (NPFI; left panel

FIGURE 8.7 Men who score high on masculinity are motivated to self-disclose to a fe-

male they have just met and with whom they have the possibility of forming a relationship.

High-masculine men self-disclosed more intimately to a female than a male target, only when

there was the possibility of a future interaction (PFI). Where there was no possibility of a fu-

ture interaction (NPFI), high-masculine men’s disclosures were equally intimate toward a male or

female target.

Source: Shaffer, Pegalis, and Bazzini (1996).

Male Target

NPFI

(a)

Female Target

Intimacy of Disclosures

11.0

11.5

12.0

12.5

13.0

13.5

14.0

14.5

+

+

Low-Masculine Men

High-Masculine Men

Male Target

PFI

(b)

Female Target

Intimacy of Disclosures

11.0

11.5

12.0

12.5

13.0

13.5

14.0

14.5

+

+

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