Self-disclosure and its relationship to marital intimacy

Abstract

Examined the relationship between marital intimacy and self-disclosure from a multidimensional framework within a sample of 10 clinical and 10 nonclinical married couples. The linear combination of various parameters of self-disclosing behavior was able to account for 71.7% (R = .853) of the variance in intimacy ratings derived from a structured interview. Results are discussed in terms of both the role that self-disclosure plays in the development of marital intimacy and its therapeutic benefits and limitations in marital therapy.