Perceptions of Risk in Intimacy in Dating Couples: Conversation and Relationship Quality

Intimate self–disclosure is an important factor contributing to relationship quality. In the present study, it was proposed that perceiving intimacy as risky would be associated with less intimate self–disclosure and lower relationship quality. Sixty-four heterosexual couples discussed topics of a personal nature in the laboratory. These conversations were rated for the intimacy level of conversational disclosure by two coders who were blind to the participants' scores on the Risk in Intimacy Inventory (Pilkington & Richardson, 1988). Participants also reported their level of disclosure and partner warmth during the conversation and completed measures of relational disclosure and relationship quality. Higher risk in intimacy scores were negatively related to relationship quality, and this relationship was mediated by relational disclosure and warmth. This suggests that when relationships are perceived as being risky, levels of self–disclosure decrease and the quality of the relationship suffers.