Self-Disclosure in
Social Media
Kole Dudley
Danny Belanger
Key Theorists
 Valerian Derlega
 B.A. City College of New York
 University of Maryland M.A.
 Now teaches Psychology Old Dominion University

(ODU,2013)
Key Theorists Continued
 Janusz Grzelak
 Professor of Psychology
 Warsaw University

Dean of Psychology Faculty

Most Respectable Authorities of Polish Psychology

(APA, 2008)
Sandra Petronio
 SUNY at Stony Brook B.A.
 University of Michigan M.A.
 University of Michigan PhD.
 (IUPI, 2013)
What is Self-Disclosure?
 Functional Model of Disclosure
 Motivational Reason vs. Potential Risks
 Release

Social Influence

Manipulation

Identity Management

Derlega, Grzelak, 1979
Continued…
 Communication Privacy Management Theory
 Privacy Rules
 Privacy Boundaries
 Boundary Coordination Patterns
 Risk of Violated Privacy Boundaries

(Petronio, 2002)
Visual Model
Individual
• Privacy Rules
• Privacy Boundaries
• Boundary
Coordination
• Risk of Violated
Privacy boundaries
To whom and
what you decide
to disclose
Examples

Exploring Privacy Management on Facebook: Motivations and
Perceived Consequences of Voluntary Disclosure

Susan Walters


James Ackerman


Auburn University
Ozarks Technical Community College
Managing Impressions Online: Self-Presentation Processes in the
Online Dating Environment

Nicole Ellison


Michigan State University
Rebecca Heino

McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University
Critique
 Interpretive Approach
 Open-ended questions in Petronio’s, Derlega’s, and
Grzelak’s research
 We have the power to self-disclose what we put on the
internet.

Race
 Age

Religion
Activity
 Would you put this on your Facebook/Twitter?
 Your hobbies
 Likes/Dislikes in Music
 Your guiltiest secrets
 Details of the happiest moment(s) of your life?
 Your most significant fears
Discussion Questions
 Were all the answers the same? Why or Why not?
 Is it a high risk, high reward to self-disclose?
 What can be gained from self-disclosing?