Adjustment and Disclosure Reciprocity

The consistent finding that normal but not neurotic subjects reciprocate the level of self-disclosure they first receive from a stranger was investigated. Seventy-four subjects (40 normals and 34 neurotics) rated tape recordings and transcripts of interactions that were either reciprocal or nonreciprocal in terms of the intimacy of the self-disclosure taking place. Both groups proved to be accurate assessors of self-disclosure and both rated reciprocal disclosure as more appropriate than nonreciprocal. However, neurotic subjects had very different expectations than normals regarding their ability to successfully and rewardingly engage in reciprocal self-disclosure. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.