Factors affecting attraction in romantic relationships: self-disclosure
Self-disclosure means sharing personal information with another person. Gradually revealing more about yourself builds trust and increases attraction in romantic relationships.
Real World
Research on long-distance couples found that partners who used video calls to share personal fears and daily struggles reported stronger emotional bonds than those who only exchanged surface-level texts — supporting Jourard's claims about reciprocal disclosure.
Exam Focus
Name Jourard and describe the reciprocity of self-disclosure — vague answers about 'opening up' without theory won't reach top bands.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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