COMM 250 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5b: Social Penetration Theory, Relational Dialectics, Mikhail Bakhtin
30 Apr 2018
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Social Penetration Theory
• Altman & Taylor (1973)
o Social Penetration: The Development of Interpersonal Relationships
• Goal: To explain how relational closeness develops
• Explain how we develop intimate relationships
Concepts of SPT
• Social penetration- The process of relational bonding whereby people move from
superficial communication to more intimate communication
o How relationships develop through communication
• Self disclosure- Purposeful process of revealing information about ourselves to another
o Talking about ourselves
o Believe communication is intentional
• Reciprocity of self disclosure- You give what you get
o Ex: I give me my name and hometown, you tell me your name and hometown
o Mostly only in the beginning of the relationship
• Intimacy- Intellectual or emotional closeness
Assumptions of SPT
• Relationships…
o Progress from non-intimate to intimate
o Develop systematically and predictably
o Include de-penetration (backwards of intimacy level) and dissolution (break-up)
o Develop through self disclosure
Breadth and Depth of Self Disclosure
• Breadth- Number of topics we discuss with another person (a lot or very few)
• Depth- Level of intimacy of topics
• Non-intimate information first
• Self disclosure leads to vulnerability
o Risk and trust
• Self disclosure is reciprocal in early stages
• Self disclosure begins fast but tapers off
o SD and liking (dump truck effect)
• The more we self disclose in the beginning, the more the other person likes us
• If we disclose too much at once, it results in a decrease of liking
o Stranger on the train syndrome
• Sitting next to someone you don't know and disclose very intimate information
about your life with them because you don't have anything to lose (never going
to see the person again)
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