The Effects of Physical Attractiveness and Need for Approval on Self-Disclosure

Ninety-six female college students, who had obtained either low, moderate, or high scores on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, believed that they would meet a physically attractive or unattractive male as part of a study on the acquain tance process. After viewing a photo of the bogus partner, sub jects wrote a self-description which would ostensibly be shown to him. Results indicated that intimacy of self-disclosure was greater to the attractive than unattractive target persons, and that intimacy of self-disclosure was inversely related to subject's need for approval. Implications of the physical attractiveness effects on self-disclosure for the process of friendship formation were also discussed.