Intimate Disclosure Research Articles

The generational shift towards the reciprocal disclosure of intimacy in daughter–father relationships through physical activity in the UK

Within family sociology during the past 30 years, while a general consensus has developed that most parents and children in the Western world have come to share relationships characterised by a greater degree of intimate disclosure, the extent to which parent–child relationships have become ‘purer’ and more egalitarian remains a contested issue. Although there has been a developing interest in involved fathering through sport and physical activity over the past decade, research has yet to concentrate on the consequences of this transformation for daughters. This article applies Mannheim’s tenet of generation entelechy to life history interviews with 14 women born between 1950 and 1994 to argue that involved fathering through physical activity offers conditions for daughters to realise a long-held desire to establish more emotionally reciprocated intimate bonds with fathers. Daughters described a shift from viewing fathers as emotionally uninvolved workers to becoming interdependent intimates.

Decoding ethnic food selection at religious tourism sites: exploring self­congruity and the influence of social media celebrities’ intimate selfdisclosure

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of symbolic and functional congruity on pilgrims’ intention to buy ethnic food which leads toward behavior in the religious tourism context. Moreover, the moderating effect of social media celebrities’ intimate disclosures (SMCs-ISD) on the association between intention and behavior is also tested. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted to collect data, and 443 participants provided valid responses. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The findings demonstrate that actual and ideal self-image significantly influence the symbolic congruence whereas quality, health and price are significantly associated with functional congruence. In addition, symbolic and functional congruence is significantly related to pilgrims’ intention to use ethnic food which in turn influences their behavior. Moreover, the moderating effect of SMCs-ISD is also found significant. Originality/value Grounded in self-congruity theory, this study explores the impact of functional and symbolic congruity on pilgrims’ intentions to buy ethnic food in religious tourism. It addresses the intention-behavior gap by examining the moderating effect of SMCs-ISD through the lens of parasocial relationship theory. This dual theoretical approach offers new insights into how self-congruity and social media influence shape consumer behavior in this unique context.

Who’s Viewing My Post? Extending the Imagined Audience Process Model Toward Affordances and Self-Disclosure Goals on Social Media

This study investigates how individuals use the imagined audience to navigate context collapse and self-presentational concerns on Instagram. Drawing on the imagined audience process model, we analyze how structural (i.e., social media affordances) and individual factors (i.e., self-disclosure goals) impact the imagined audience composition along four dimensions: size, diversity, specificity, and perceived closeness. In a retrospective diary study of U.S. Instagram users, we compared the imagined audiences on Instagram posts versus Stories ( n = 1,270). Results suggested that channel ephemerality predicted a less diverse and less close imagined audience; however, channel ephemerality interacted with self-disclosure goals to predict imagined audience composition. Imagined audience closeness was positively related to disclosure intimacy, but size, diversity, and specificity were unassociated. This study advances communication theory by describing how affordances and disclosure goals intersect to predict the imagined audience construction and online self-presentation.

Parental separation and children’s well-being: Does the quality of parent-child relationships moderate the effect?

A considerable body of literature takes a deficit perspective and shows that children who experience a parental separation have more disadvantages than children who live in a two-biological-parent family. This article argues that not all children respond identically to their parents’ separation, and examines whether there are heterogeneous effects based on parent-child relationship quality. We expect that having a good relationship with the resident parent can buffer the potentially negative effects of parental separation on a child’s well-being. Using longitudinal data from waves 2 to 13 (2009/2010 – 2020/2021) of the German Family Panel pairfam, we estimate fixed-effects models based on a sample of 2,057 children aged 7 to 15, 99 of whom experienced the separation of their parents. We find that children who had a high level of conflict with the resident parent had significantly more emotional problems after parental separation, whereas children who had few conflicts with the resident parent had significantly fewer emotional problems after separation. Similarly, we find that only children in a parent-child dyad with a low level of intimate disclosure had more behavioral problems after parental separation than before.

Value of Self-Disclosure to Parents and Peers During Adolescence.

Self-disclosure is a crucial part of developing close interpersonal relationships during adolescence. In particular, sharing information with a greater depth of intimacy is thought to strengthen social bonds and thus support mental health. The current study investigated the value for different depths of self-disclosures to close others (mothers and best friends) during adolescence and its association with mental health and well-being. Fifty-four girls (11.0-15.9 years) completed a forced-choice monetary paradigm to assess value for self-disclosures and questionnaires on mental health. Participants significantly valued (i.e., forfeited monetary reward) for disclosures to both mothers and best friends, although intimate disclosures were more "costly" than superficial disclosures. Greater value for intimate self-disclosures to mothers was also associated with better mental health and well-being.

Intimate partner violence disclosure and associated factors among pregnant women attending a city hospital in South-Western Uganda: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is a public health problem in Uganda that negatively impacts maternal and newborn health outcomes. However, IPVdisclosure and associated factors among pregnant women have remained poorly documented in southwestern Uganda. Therefore, this study determined IPV disclosure and associated factors among pregnant women attending a large City hospital.MethodsIn a cross-sectional design, 283 women attending Mbarara City Hospital Antenatal care (ANC) clinic were consecutively recruited into the study. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. This was administered by the research team and the exercise took over a month. That is; from 7th January 2019 to 7th February 2019. The collected data was entered in STATA, and it was analyzed using chi-square, and univariate logistic regression statistics.ResultsOut of the 283 pregnant women who participated in the study, 199 of them, representing seventy-point three percent (70.3%), had reportedly experienced at least one type of IPV during their current pregnancy. However, nearly fifty percent of those that experienced IPV (49.7%, n = 99) disclosed it to a third party, while the majority disclosed it to their biological family member (66.7%), followed by their friends (55.5%), members of their husband’s family (35.3%), neighbors (12.1%), healthcare providers (9.1%), religious leaders (8.1%), and the police (3.1%). Gravidity, OR = 1.9(95% CI: 1.07–3.31, p = 0.027), parity OR = 1.9(95% CI: 1.08–3.34, p = 0.026) and witnessed IPV OR: 5.4(95% CI: 1.93–14.96; p = 0.001) were significantly associated with IPV disclosure.ConclusionA large proportion of the pregnant women who experienced IPV did not disclose it to any third party. In addition to the above, pregnant women's characteristics seem to have a strong influence on IPV disclosure. Therefore, it is important for healthcare providers to routinely screen for IPV during antenatal care if a high IPV disclosure rate is to be achieved.

Intimate disclosure: Below Sea Level and documentary humanism

Gianfranco Rosi’s mode of filmmaking apprehends the human ‘subject’ of documentary cinema in its uncertainty and unpredictability. Rosi’s cinema can be situated in the context of observational cinema, and like other filmmakers working in this vein, he focuses his camera on human subjects who we come to know across his films’ duration. In Below Sea Level (2009), Rosi focuses on the lives of people living marginal existences, on the edges of society, in a desert in southern California. These people disclose themselves (and are disclosed by Rosi’s shooting and editing) in an elliptical fashion that frustrates the desire for complete knowledge about their lives. In this method of intimate disclosure, in which there is a refusal to coax reassuring certainties from the people encountered in making this film, Rosi demonstrates the possibility of a humanist documentary cinema, insofar as ‘human’ in ‘humanist’ refers to an unpredictable becoming.

Revitalization, Growth, and Fabulous Functional Narcissism

ABSTRACT Deriving from Freud’s initial concerns, the classical tradition regarded the analyst’s self-disclosure as being technically problematic. Yet with contemporary theorizing, there has been an appreciation of how the analyst can also function as a new object in the transference to facilitate the emergence of the patient’s potential. Viewed from this perspective, the analyst’s judicious use of self-disclosure can be the impetus for becoming this new object. In a recent choice to create and perform in a well-publicized musical autobiography entitled Dr. Bradley’s Fabulous Functional Narcissism, I had to consider that my audiences would be partially made up of my patients. What would they make of the tell all intimate disclosure that made my show so compelling? This paper discusses the surprisingly powerful positive impact my musical autobiography had on their psychotherapy with me. I illustrate how this extra analytic contact (seeing their analyst perform) created both generative and revitalizing enactments that fostered my patient’s growth. Seeing the transference as involving this provisional dimension opens up the possibility that extra-analytic contacts can meet the patient’s emerging transference needs and free the patients to experience and explore new realms. Two cases examples are cited.

Dimensions of compulsive internet use as a function of attachment style

ABSTRACT Despite offering the potential for increased connection, intimacy, and positive outcomes, online social interaction also holds the potential to become problematic and create negative outcomes. The present study sought to address the question of the role of attachment style in affecting online behavior, as well as to better understand the way in which specific dimensions of online interaction may correspond to specific attachment styles. The study explored attachment style, particularly anxious and avoidant attachment, in predicting problematic internet use, online intimate self-disclosure, and positive and negative attitudes toward technology in a sample of young adults aged 18–25. A quantitative approach employing correlations, regressions, and ANOVAs was used. It was found that both anxious and avoidant attachments were positively related to and both predicted problematic internet use. Although neither anxious or avoidant attachment style predicted online intimate disclosure, preoccupied individuals were found to disclose significantly more online than fearful individuals. Both anxiety and avoidance positively related to negative attitudes toward technology, with avoidant attachment style significantly predicting it, while only anxious attachment predicted positive attitudes toward technology.

Understanding Factors Associated With Intimate Disclosure Between Black Youth and Nonparental Familial Adults.

Self-disclosure is an important relational process during adolescence. Given that Black adolescents contend with developmental changes and contextual risks, they may stand to benefit greatly from disclosing personal information to supportive nonparental adults. This qualitative study explored factors associated with youth intimate disclosure among 24 dyads of Black youth and their adult relatives. Analyses identified four types of adult behaviors associated with youth intimate disclosure: (1) setting the tone for youth disclosure, (2) expressing interest in youth well-being, (3) supportive engagement during disclosure, and (4) acting on youths' disclosure. Findings suggest that when adult relatives demonstrate interest and attunement to youths' needs, youth may feel more motivated to disclose. Implications for adults interested in supporting Black youths' disclosure are discussed.

Intimate partner violence disclosure among Muslim-Americans: a survey study of disclosure likelihood to varying networks and the roles of relational context, religiosity, and marginalization

ABSTRACT This study examined the roles of relational context, religiosity, and marginalization in Muslim-American adults’ (N = 314) disclosure of intimate partner violence (IPV). Participants responded to scenarios involving IPV perpetrated by Muslim or non-Muslim partners. When IPV perpetrators were non-Muslim, disclosure likelihood was higher to non-Muslim networks (e.g., law enforcement, non-Muslim friends), whereas when perpetrators were Muslim, disclosure likelihood was higher to Muslim networks (e.g., family members, Muslim shelters). Religiosity was positively associated with disclosure likelihood to Muslim networks, but negatively associated with disclosure likelihood to non-Muslim networks. This pattern of association was most pronounced in the Muslim partner scenario. For Muslim and non-Muslim partners, marginalization was negatively associated with IPV disclosure likelihood to law enforcement and, unexpectedly, family members. In the non-Muslim perpetrator scenario only, marginalization was negatively linked to disclosure to Muslim friends. Results support interventions involving tailored disclosure conditions, enhanced culture-based training, and stronger secular and faith-based organizational partnerships.

How Chinese Web Users Value Their Personal Information: An Empirical Study on WeChat Users.

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to investigate Chinese web users’ monetary valuation of their personal information (PI) and its psychological driving factors, and thereby promote the establishment of the PI market in China.MethodsIn this study, a survey was conducted with 710 Chinese WeChat users to determine how they perceive the monetary value of their PI.ResultsThe survey results demonstrate that the “endowment effect” exists among Chinese web users, indicating different allocations of PI property rights may elicit distinct outcomes. The results also reveal that Chinese web users’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) is mainly driven by privacy concern and intimacy of disclosure, and their willingness-to-accept (WTA) is mainly driven by privacy concern, intimacy of disclosure and psychological ownership.ConclusionThe results imply that market players in China can use these driving factors to increase consumers’ valuation of their PI to maintain a stable user base, and a portion of users will choose paid but privacy-guaranteed services to protect their PI. Furthermore, our findings indicate that when there is a formal monetary PI market, a privacy class may emerge.

A Qualitative Research of Perception Investigations in Caregivers Under the COVID-19 Pandemic

We enthusiastically read the article entitled “The experiences of health-care providers during the COVID-19 crisis in China: a qualitative study” by Liu and colleagues [1]. Although this study highlights the support needed to protect the physical and mental wellness of caregivers in the COVID-19 pandemic, the potential limitations that existed in its qualitative research methods may undermine the accuracy of data collection indicated by our previous work [2,3]. First, the information gleaned from the participants could have been more productive if the authors used focus group as it leverages the power of the group dynamics to encourage back and forth conversation leading to fully exploring and expanding participant’s true feelings, thoughts, and experiences toward the COVID-19 compared to the in-depth interviews [4]. Even though some researchers claim that in-depth interviews (e.g., phone interview) are better to investigate a sensitive subject like the COVID-19 crisis that participants may feel uncomfortable to share their thoughts in front of a group of people, the recent study confirms that 1) sensitive and intimate disclosures are more likely to occur in the focus group; 2) some certain sensitive themes only happen in the focus group; and 3) neither sensitive themes emerged exclusively nor frequently in indepth interviews compared to focus group [5]. Second, ensuring the homogeneity of interest is way more critical than the general heterogeneity like the demographics of the recruited participants [6,7]. Specifically, the desirable combination of interest consensus and common ground with diverse experience is important to generate rich information. However, the perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic may be different between physicians and nurses based on the duty of these two different professional roles. This is because nurses are more likely to interact with COVID-19 patients directly and more frequently than physicians. Therefore, according to the primary research interest that investigates the experiences of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the participants should have been limited to nurses as the frontline caregivers to maintain the homogeneity of interest. Third, considering that all participants were recruited from one local hospital, convenient sampling appears better than snowball sampling as the authors can recruit participants based on their availability and accessibility [8]. This is because scheduling participants at a time when they have more energy may yield richer information data than reaching out to them through phone interviews. These suggested changes in data collection and participant enrollment should be implemented in future qualitative research for the investigation of global pandemic crisis to reach more convincing conclusions.

‘Endure and excuse’: a mixed-methods study to understand disclosure of intimate partner violence among women living with HIV in Uganda

Intimate partner violence and HIV remain significant health challenges among women living with HIV. Intimate partner violence has been linked to negative health outcomes and poorer HIV care engagement. This study examined intimate partner violence among Ugandan women living with HIV, their experiences disclosing such violence and how culturally normative factors affected disclosure-related outcomes. In a mixed-methods study conducted in Uganda in 2018, 168 women participated in interviewer-administered surveys; a sub-set who reported experiencing intimate partner violence participated in in-depth interviews (IDIs). Intimate partner violence was prevalent among women in the sample (68.0%); almost half experienced emotional violence (45.2%), while a smaller proportion had experienced physical (32.1%) and/or sexual violence (19.6%). Most women living with HIV (61.8%) had disclosed their experience of intimate partner violence to someone. Women who experienced intimate partner violence had higher odds of disclosure if they feared their partner and perpetrated violence against their partner. Thematic analysis of IDIs revealed enduring violence and blaming alcohol for men’s perpetration of violence. Traditional cultural and gender norms, especially concerning motherhood and partnership, influenced women's experiences of intimate partner violence and disclosure. Multi-sectoral responses to challenge and reform cultural norms that perpetuate violence are needed, including mobilising key stakeholders (e.g. family, community, policy-makers) to serve as catalysts for change and encourage resource- and safety-seeking for women living with HIV to escape violence.

Advanced Sexual Counseling and How to Ask Patients About "Intimate Disclosure".

At the forefront of female sexual and reproductive health, OBGYNs play a pivotal role in assessing and managing sexual satisfaction and dysfunction. Satisfying sexuality often relates to a woman’s ability or likelihood to relay to her partner the steps and actions required for her to reach orgasm. Female orgasms, in contrast to male orgasms, can be related to different areas of stimulation and processes (clitoral/vaginal (G-spot)/anal). Despite this knowledge, OBGYNs rarely discuss orgasm with patients or the importance and vulnerability of disclosing this information to their partners to enhance sexual satisfaction. Many women may not realize that sexual complaints are an acceptable subject to discuss at gynecologic visits, while others may feel uncomfortable in general talking about sex. But as the topic of female sexual dissatisfaction becomes less taboo thanks to social media, patients are increasingly likely to turn to their health-care providers to evaluate and treat sexual complaints. While conducting a thorough history, sexual history, physical exam and laboratory tests can help to rule out any biological, physiological or psychological causes of sexual dissatisfaction, it is only one half of the equation. Discussion of the steps and actions required for them to reach orgasm with their partners is paramount in working to achieve satisfying sexuality and orgasm. Despite the importance of satisfying sexuality in a relationship, this topic often leads to feelings of trepidation and vulnerability on behalf of the patient. Recognizing and providing acknowledgment of these feelings help patients feel listened to and validated.

Helicopter Parenting and Perceived Overcontrol by Emerging Adults: A Family-Level Profile Analysis

Helicopter parenting (HP) is associated with poorer adjustment and worse relationships with parents among emerging adults, but these associations may depend on interpretations of HP and the family context in which it occurs. This study examined within-family patterns of mothers’ and fathers’ HP behavior and youth felt overcontrol, and their associated adjustment, relational, and demographic correlates. Participants were 282 U.S. college undergraduates (Mage = 19.87 years, SD = 1.27, 71% female, 52% White, 25% Asian). Using surveys from a single time-point, students reported on HP and felt overcontrol by mothers and fathers and their own adjustment and relationship quality with each parent. Latent profile analysis revealed four profiles: Autonomous (low HP, low felt overcontrol—71%), Mother Overcontrol (high mother HP and felt overcontrol—11%), Father Overcontrol (high father HP and felt overcontrol—6%), and HP Acceptors (high HP, low felt overcontrol—12%). Internalizing problems and relationships with parents were worst among students in the overcontrolled profiles. HP Acceptors were highest in parental warmth and intimate disclosure with parents but no better than overcontrolled students on internalizing symptoms. Academic performance did not differ among profiles, but academic motivation was highest among the Mother Overcontrol group. Results show that families differ in relative levels of HP among mothers and fathers and that these patterns may impact emerging adults’ interpretations of HP. In turn, emerging adults’ interpretations of HP as overcontrol have important implications for their relationships with parents but less so for psychological adjustment.

Adolescent Peer Experiences and Prospective Suicidal Ideation: The Protective Role of Online-Only Friendships

Objective: This study examined characteristics of online-only friendships among suicidal and non-suicidal adolescents. In addition, the extent to which adolescents’ online-only friendships may offer a protective function, buffering the effects of peer stressors (i.e., friendship stress, relational victimization) on prospective suicidal ideation, was examined. Method: Adolescents aged 10 to 14 (n = 630) were assessed at baseline (Time 1) and one-year follow-up (Time 2). Measures of suicidal ideation, sociometric relational victimization, friendship stress, depressive symptoms, online-only friendship status and quality, and online-only friendship quality compared to in-person friendship quality, were obtained at Time 1 using sociometric procedures and self-report questionnaires. Self-report measures of suicidal ideation were collected at Time 2. Results: Descriptive results suggested that online-only friendships are relatively common among youth (38.3%), particularly for those experiencing suicidal ideation (46.3%). Suicidal and non-suicidal adolescents reported comparable levels of intimate disclosure within their online-only friendships. Although adolescents without suicidal ideation endorsed more support from in-person friendships, suicidal adolescents endorsed similar levels of support from their online-only and in-person friendships. Moderation analyses indicated that the association between both relational victimization and friendship stress and prospective suicidal ideation was attenuated among youth who reported having one or more online-only friend. Conclusion: Online-only friendships are common and may offer protective benefits for youth, particularly those experiencing suicidal ideation. Future studies should examine the specific mechanisms by which online-only friendships may confer this benefit.

Children's friendship quality trajectories from middle childhood to early adolescence and prediction from sex.

We investigated the development of children's self-reported positive (Companionship and Recreation, Validation and Caring, Help and Guidance, Intimate Disclosure, and Conflict Resolution) and negative (Conflict and Betrayal) friendship quality from the third to sixth grades using The National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development data (NICHD SECCYD; n = 1,364; M age = 9.03 years; 51.70% boys at recruitment). Consistent with expectations, growth models suggested that children reported higher positive, and lower negative, friendship quality with age. Boys had significantly lower positive friendship quality at third grade and slower increases than girls. Boys had slower decreases in negative friendship quality than girls. It is possible that different social orientations explain sex differences in friendship quality trajectories. Further research is needed to explore other factors that might account for individual differences in friendship quality trajectories.

Qualidade da amizade na adolescência e ajustamento social no grupo de pares

As amizades na adolescência são fundamentais para o desenvolvimento social, emocional e cognitivo. Porém, diferenças na qualidade da relação com um melhor amigo podem também estar associadas ao ajustamento psicossocial dos adolescentes. Este estudo procurou identificar diferentes perfis de qualidade de amizade, contrastando-os relativamente a dimensões positivas e negativas dessa relação, bem como ao ajustamento social dos adolescentes no grupo de pares. 821 participantes do 7º ano de escolaridade (M=13 anos), reportaram a sua percepção da qualidade da melhor amizade e nomeações sociométricas permitiram aceder às dimensões do ajustamento social no grupo de pares. Uma análise hierárquica de clusters baseados nas dimensões positivas da qualidade de amizade permitiu identificar três tipos de perfis, nomeadamente de qualidade alta, média e baixa (QA, QM, QB), que se distinguiram significativamente na qualidade global e em todas as dimensões positivas da amizade: as amizades QA caracterizaram-se por mais companheirismo, validação, ajuda, suporte, intimidade e estratégias de resolução de conflitos, enquanto as amizades QB foram marcadas por valores inferiores nestas dimensões. Diferenças de sexo demonstraram que as raparigas experienciaram mais partilha de intimidade e validação e cuidado nas suas díades de amizade. Também nos aspectos negativos (conflitos e traições), as amizades QA se distinguiram por apresentarem níveis menos frequentes. Quanto ao ajustamento social, os adolescentes com amizades de alta qualidade foram considerados pelos pares como os menos socialmente retirados, excluídos e vitimizados, mas os mais pró-sociais e populares/sociáveis. Adolescentes com amizades de baixa qualidade foram caracterizados com valores opostos. Estes resultados mostram a importância da amizade neste período do desenvolvimento e permitem compreender, em particular, a influência da qualidade dessa relação no contexto social dos jovens.

Barriers to uptake of early infant HIV testing in Zambia: the role of intimate partner violence and HIV status disclosure within couples

BackgroundEarly detection of pediatric HIV through uptake of infant HIV testing is critical for access to treatment and child survival. While structural barriers have been well described, a greater understanding of social and behavioral factors that may relate to maternal uptake of early infant HIV testing services is urgently needed. The aim of this study was to explore how gender power dynamics within couples affect HIV-positive women’s uptake of early infant HIV testing at a large health center in Lusaka, Zambia.MethodsIn 2014, 320 HIV-positive married postpartum women were recruited at a large public health facility in Lusaka to participate in a cross-sectional survey. Data on uptake of early infant HIV testing by 4–6 weeks of age was collected through medical records. Simple and multiple logistic regression models determined significant predictors of maternal uptake of early infant HIV testing.ResultsIn the adjusted model, uptake of early infant HIV testing was associated with female-directed emotional intimate partner violence (aOR 0.41; 95% CI 0.21–0.79; p < 0.01), HIV status disclosure to the male partner (aOR 13.73, 95% CI 3.59–52.49, p < 0.001), and maternal postpartum ART adherence (aOR 2.28, 95% CI 1.15–4.55, p < 0.05).ConclusionsDomestic relationship dynamics, including emotional violence and HIV status disclosure to the male partner, may play an important role in maternal uptake of early infant HIV testing. These findings provide additional evidence for the link between intimate partner violence against women and poor HIV-related health outcomes. Programs that adequately screen for and address various forms of intimate partner violence within the context of prevention of mother-to-child transmission are recommended.