Self-disclosure in isolated groups

Analyzed the self-disclosure behavior of navy recruits under different conditions of social isolation. Results replicate earlier findings and generally confirm hypotheses derived from social penetration theory. Major findings link self-disclosure to environmental parameters and group processes. Analyses of predisposition for high revealing and its effects on actual disclosure during confinement demonstrated a relationship between mission completion and amount of disclosure to partner. High revealers disclosed more to their partners, over days, than did low revealers at each level of intimacy. These differences were more pronounced, however, at high levels of intimacy. Finally, aborters, whether high revealers or low revealers, showed different disclosure patterns from completers. Completer groups had disclosure patterns that conformed to earlier findings and theoretical predictions; however, low revealers who aborted overdisclosed to their partners, while high revealers who aborted exhibited less than normal amounts of disclosure to their partners. (15 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).