Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to research the effect of counselor's high or low intimacy self-disclosing response on client's self-disclosure under client's high or low need for approval. Counselor's self-disclosure has been demonstrated to elecit client's self-disclosure. And it is reported that counselor's high intimacy self-disclosing response is more effective than low intimacy self-disclosing response on client's perception of counselor and client's self-relevant statements. But there are many exceptions to this findings. One of some possible explanations for the contradictory result is that S variables that might be important in understanding reactions to the counselor's disclosure have received little attendlng. S variable that seems important to investigate is need for approval. The social desirability approval motives should be related to self-disclosure because it is hypothesized that Ss with high social desirability tend to protect their vulnerable self-esteem by being conforming, conventional, and generally self'protective. Of additional interest is the finding that Ss with high need for approval have been noted to be more persuable in verbal conditioning studies. Based on the previous studies, research predicions in the study are formulated as follows: 1. When listened to the record of counselor's high or low-intimacy self-disclosing response, high need for approval Ss would increase the level of self-disclosure more than low need for approval Ss. 2. High need 'for approval Ss listening to the record of counselor's high intimacy would increase self-disclosing response more than those being listening the record of counselor's low intimacy self-disclosing response. Subjects for the study were 56 female college students enrolled in physical education classes at SNU. 56 Ss identified as high or low in need for approval wrote the free essay for 5 min. about their own view of ethies. After 1 week they listened to taped-recorded interview between a high intimacy self-disclosing counselor or low intimacy self-disclosing counselor and a female client. Ss then wrote the free essay for 5 min, about campus life and interpersonal relationship which they were willing to disclose to the counselor in tape. Each of the essays was rated for disclosing level of Ss by two raters who are counselors of SNU Student Guidence Center. Disclosure ratings were made in terms of Bugental's 5-points self-disclosure scale. The result of the present study showed that the research predictions were all not accepted at statistically significant level. However, it was found that the high need for approval Ss would increase the level of self-disclosure more than low need for approval Ss being listened record. The explanations of the result are that client's need for approval is a important factor of the clients's self-disclosure, and the effect of counselor's high or low intimacy self-disclosing response should be reexamined. Interpretation of the result, limitation of the present study, and the implication for the inventory measuring the social approval were discussed.