U.S. and British Self-Disclosure, Anxiety, Empathy, and Attitudes to Psychotherapy

Abstract

U.S. and British Ss (total n = 152) responded to the following scales: Jourard's Self-Disclosure Scale, Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, Hogan's Empathy Scale, and Attitudes to Psychotherapy by Fischer and Turner. U.S. Ss were predicted to be more self-disclosing and more positive to psychotherapy than the British. High self-disclosure was predicted to relate to low anxiety and high empathy for U.S. Ss but not for British Ss, and to positive attitudes to psychotherapy. U.S. Ss were more self-disclosing, empathic, and favorable to psychotherapy than the British. Predicted interactions between nationality and self-disclosure were not confirmed.