The Influence of Ethnicity and Sex on Social Penetration in Close Friendships

Abstract

Social penetration theory (Altman and Taylor, 1973) is one of the frameworks used to explain the process of relationship development. According to Altman and Taylor, disclosure plays a central role in interpersonal intimacy, with relationships viewed as developing from more superficial exchanges of information to more personal levels of interactions. This process involves greater frequency of communication (breadth of penetration) and increasingly more intimate disclosures (depth of penetration). Altman and Taylor further suggest that relationships tend to pass through four stages of development: orientation, exploratory affective exchange, full affective exchange, and stable exchange; with orientation having the least degree of social penetration and stable exchange having the broadest and deepest disclosure pattern.' A number of studies have been conducted that support the basic tenets of social penetration theory (e.g., Altman and Haythorn, 1965; Taylor, 1968; Won-Doornink, 1979, 1985), however, no study has examined the effects of ethnicity on social penetration in close friendships (Altman and Taylor's,