Deck 8: Social Penetration Theory

Question 1

Identify a true statement about closeness through self-disclosure.

A) The main route to deep social penetration is through verbal self-disclosure.
B) The depth of penetration and the degree of personal disclosure are mutually exclusive.
C) The exchange of biographical information through self-disclosure is difficult to achieve at the first meeting.
D) Future privacy is easily achievable even after deep penetration through self-disclosure.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

To explain self-disclosure, Altman and Taylor compare people to a(n):

A) flower.
B) seashell.
C) onion.
D) water body.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In their framework of social penetration theory, which of the following was an observation outlined by Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor about the penetration process?

A) Peripheral items are exchanged later and less frequently than private information.
B) Self-disclosure is reciprocal, especially in the early stages of relationship development.
C) Penetration is slow at the start, but it gains momentum quickly as the tightly wrapped inner layers are reached.
D) Relational retreat is unlikely to lead to the deterioration of a warm friendship.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A gradual process of layer-by-layer withdrawal is called:

A) deterioration.
B) depenetration.
C) anti-disclosure.
D) re-closure.

Question 5

Psychologist Paul Wright believes that:

A) the self most likely approximates a fountain with many diverse sources of water.
B) friendships often reach a point of such closeness that self-centered concerns are no longer salient.
C) one must apply a dialectical model to the process of self-disclosure.
D) the self most likely approximates a fountain with many diverse sources of water, and one must apply a dialectical model to the process of self-disclosure.

Question 6

Social exchange theory predicts that a battered wife will leave her husband only when:

A) CL_alt > Outcome.
B) CL_alt < Outcome.
C) CL > Outcome.
D) CL < Outcome.

Question 7

The threshold above which an interpersonal outcome seems attractive is called the:

A) reward level.
B) comparison level of alternatives.
C) comparison level.
D) satisfaction level.

Question 8

When gauging relational satisfaction, optimum situation is when both parties find:

A) Outcome < CL_alt < CL.
B) Outcome > CL > CL_alt.
C) CL_alt > Outcome > CL.
D) Outcome > CL_alt > CL.

Question 9

Unlike most social scientists, ethical egoists ________.

A) are motivated by selflessness rather than self-interest
B) believe that it is unethical to look out for number one
C) limit their study to what is rather than what ought to be
D) claim that people should act selfishly

Question 10

Irwin Altman studied social penetration in dorm living at the University of Utah and found that students were more likely to remain at the university when they:

A) honored their need for territoriality.
B) discouraged discussions by playing loud music.
C) scored low on the need for psychological boundaries.
D) used wall decorations that revealed a narrow range of interests.

Question 11

Social penetration theory has been criticized because:

A) it relies too heavily on gender distinctions.
B) it places too much emphasis on dialectical issues.
C) it equates self-disclosure with relational closeness.
D) it places too much emphasis on dialectical issues, and it equates self-disclosure with relational closeness.

Question 12

Social penetration theory asserts a law of reciprocity that is defined as a paced and orderly process in which openness in one person leads to openness in the other.

Question 13

While depth is crucial to the process of social penetration, breadth is equally important.

Question 14

The tension between openness and closedness results in cycles of disclosure or withdrawal.

Question 15

Experiences that take place early in a relationship will have relatively little impact on the relationship.

Question 16

The sexual connotations of the penetration analogy were intended by Altman and Taylor.

Question 17

A warm friendship will deteriorate if friends begin to close off areas of their lives that had previously been opened.

Question 18

Social exchange theorists assume that we can accurately gauge the payoffs of a variety of interactions.

Question 19

Unlike the principle of utility, the minimax principle of human behavior claims that people seek to minimize their benefits and maximize their costs in relationships.

Question 20

If Outcome > CL_alt, then stability of relationship is unlikely.

Question 21

________ is defined as the process of developing deeper intimacy with another person through mutual self-disclosure and other forms of vulnerability.

Question 22

Social penetration theory predicts that for someone who leaves an abusive partner, their relationship falls short of their ________.

Question 23

Discuss the difference and relationship between the depth and breadth of self-disclosure.

Question 24

What does reciprocity mean with regard to self-disclosure? What prompts this reciprocity?

Question 25

What is the relationship between social penetration theory and social exchange theory? Why has Griffin included both theories in the same chapter?

Question 26

According to social penetration theory and social exchange theory, how and why do relationships deteriorate? Explain the process.

Question 27

What metaphors or analogies can you provide that characterize the relationship between communication and close friendship? What are the theoretical strengths and weaknesses of such constructs?

Question 28

What is the index of relational satisfaction? How does it explain why people who have fallen out of love remain in a relationship?

Question 29

What do social penetration theory and social exchange theory tell us about the ideal conditions for a high level of self-disclosure?

Question 30

Explain the meanings of and the relationships among the following terms: outcome, CL, and CL_alt. How do they help us to predict the context for optimal self-disclosure? What do they tell us about victims of domestic violence?

Question 31

Does the communication between you and your roommate or your closest friend seem to follow the patterns set forth by social penetration theory and social exchange theory? Elaborate.

Question 32

Compare social penetration theory's conception of the self with those developed by coordinated management of meaning and symbolic interactionism.

Question 33

Is there a relationship between expectancy violations theory and social exchange theory?

Question 34

Is the self static or dynamic? How does the explanation given by Altman and Taylor differ from that given by Mead?