Abstract
The present study investigated differences between voluntary and elicited self-disclosure. University students were divided into 2 groups: one in which the personal information to be disclosed was socially desirable (N=159), and another in which it was socially undesirable (N=156). The students completed a questionnaire on the extent of self-disclosure, the reasons for self-disclosure, and their feelings after self-disclosure, in 2 conditions: voluntary self-disclosure and elicited self-disclosure. The results were as follows: (1) When the personal information to be disclosed was socially undesirable, the extent of self-disclosure was higher for elicited than for voluntary self-disclosure.(2) Voluntary self-disclosure tended to be motivated by emotion, whereas elicited self-disclosure tended to be motivated by a desire to conform to social norms.(3) No significant differences were found between voluntary and elicited self-disclosure for negative feelings such as post-disclosure anxiety. Voluntary self-disclosure tended to be accompanied by a higher degree of relief, whereas elicited self-disclosure tended to be accompanied by a higher degree of self-esteem.
