Effect of Telephone and Face-to-Face Communication on Rated Extent of Self-Disclosure by Female College Students

Abstract

70 female college students volunteered to be interviewed by a female interviewer on a highly intimate topic, sexual behavior. Half of the subjects were randomly assigned to a group interviewed over the telephone and half to a group interviewed in a face-to-face situation. Responses were rated on the basis of two scales, a 5-point Extent of Self-disclosure Scale and a 5-point Impression Scale. Oneway analysis of variance suggested that the measures of self-disclosure were reliable and showed convergent validity. Self-disclosure was not influenced by the communication medium. Suggestions for research using different communication situations, different measures of self-disclosure and different intimate topics are given.