Predicting Self-Disclosure Anxiety in the Marital Relationship

Summary This study examined a model of marital interaction among American student couples in which self-disclosure anxiety was determined by the combined effects of subject's self-esteem and spouse's reported aversiveness. The model was entirely supported for wives and partially for husbands. Spouse's scores on self-esteem, self-disclosure, and aversiveness were moderately correlated, affirming the reciprocal or systemic nature of the marital relationship. The results also illustrate the advantages of measuring the perceptions of both spouses rather than those of only one family member when conducting research on the quality of marital interaction.