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Self-disclosure in same-sex friendship dyads from Australia, Japan, and the United States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2015

Don Munro  and
Christine Riney
Don Munro
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Australia
Christine Riney
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Australia
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Abstract

A total of 202 unmarried males and females from the United States, Japan and Australia were recruited through personal contacts and completed two copies of the Jourard (1958) Self Disclosure Questionnaire, one for a same-sex friend of the same nationality as themselves and one for an equally close friend in one of the other two countries. Psychometric and factor analyses indicated that the scale was acceptably internally consistent but possibly measures more than one dimension of self-disclosure. Sex differences in favour of higher disclosure by females was taken as indicative of cross-cultural validity. There were highly significant differences between countries in scores for both own-country and other-country friends, and a general bias towards disclosing more to own-country friends. However, Japanese respondents disclosed more to other-country friends, particularly Americans. While Australians showed little bias, there was a strong tendency to disclose less to them, particularly by Americans. These results are interpreted in terms of cultural values and communication norms. Further psychometric and substantive investigations of self-disclosure across cultures are suggested.

Type
Articles
Information
South Pacific Journal of Psychology , Volume 9 , 1997 , pp. 31 - 47
Copyright
Copyright © University of Papua New Guinea & the University of Newcastle, Australia 1997

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