Self‐disclosure avoidance: Why I am afraid to tell you who I am

This research sought to determine relationships between self‐disclosure and self‐disclosure avoidance. Results of stepwise multiple regression and stepwise multiple discriminant analyses indicated that although there is some similarity in the reasons why males and females avoid self‐disclosure, coherent differences exist. Generally, males avoid self‐disclosure in order to maintain control over their relationships; females avoid self‐disclosure in order to avoid personal hurt and problems with their interpersonal relationships.