Intrinsic Value of Self-Disclosure Across Adolescence

Adolescence is a critical period of development characterized by significant changes in social contexts. Amidst shifting networks of social support, adolescents’ decisions about how much and with whom to develop intimacy can be critical for buffering against risks of maladjustment to these changes. Prior research indicates that one such means of developing strong interpersonal relationships is self-disclosure – or sharing information about oneself with other people. The primary goal of the present study was to investigate developmental differences in self-disclosure behavior, in particular, the differential intrinsic value accorded to sharing with specific target audiences versus others. Using a behavioral paradigm, we collected data from 112 adolescents (61 female, aged 11.8-23.0 years) on value for sharing to parents, close friends and peers. Adolescents significantly valued self-disclosure, choosing to forego 33% of potential earnings to share information about themselves with others rather than to keep it private. While the average value of self-disclosure did not vary across age groups, they did differ in valuation of self-disclosure to specific target audiences. In particular, mid-adolescents valued sharing with unfamiliar peers more highly than parents or friends. In comparison, early and late adolescents did not evidence significant differential valuation of self-disclosure across the three target audiences. Male adolescents exhibited less overall value for disclosure than females, and exploratory analyses revealed that males with greater value of disclosure to friends and peers reported less engagement in substance use and deviant peer affiliation. In summary, the findings highlight continued valuation of parents and close friends across the adolescent period, but also suggest important differences in the functional implications of disclosure to different targets. These results extend both self-report and task-based assessments of the intrinsic value of self-disclosure.