Self-concept clarity as a predictor of self-disclosure in romantic relationships

Abstract

Several studies have examined the role of self-esteem in self-disclosure while overlooking a potentially important confounding variable: self-concept clarity. Across three studies, we found an association between self-concept clarity and self-disclosure to one’s romantic partner. This incremental effect held even when the variance attributable to self-esteem was statistically controlled in a multiple regression analysis. Moreover, in two of the three studies, self-esteem was no longer a significant predictor of self-disclosure after controlling for the variance in self-concept clarity. These data suggest that self-concept clarity is an important predictor of self-disclosure—one that is conceptually and empirically distinct from self-esteem. That self-concept clarity tended to supplant self-esteem in the multiple regression models suggests that disclosing the specific aspects of the self that one clearly perceives (one’s attributes, goals, motives, values, etc.) might be more essential to everyday self-disclosure than disclosing only whether one has a globally positive or negative self-view. Future research should explore the causal relationships involved with the aid of experimental studies.