Exam 10: Intercultural and Intergroup Relations

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Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor (1973) proposed social penetration theory to explain the development of relationships through the exchange of information. This theory states that, as an interpersonal relationship develops, the interpersonal exchange of information moves from superficial and impersonal to intimate and personal. The depth of information exchange reflects one of four stages of relationship development: orientation, exploratory affective exchange, affective exchange, and stable exchange. The orientation stage is characterized by superficial information exchange about weather or demographic information. The exploratory affective stage involves an exchange of information on the periphery of our personalities, such as who you are and how you evaluate yourself (e.g., intelligent or hardworking). In the affective exchange stage, people feel more comfortable exchanging opinions and attitudes, such as 'I think Jenny is too bossy and arrogant'. At the stable exchange stage, an intimate relationship is developed and people freely express their true feelings. The frequency and amount of interaction also increase as the relationship develops. A key concept in the social penetration theory is self-disclosure, which refers to the process of revealing personal information that another person would be unlikely to discover through third sources. Although self-disclosure is used in almost all cultures as a means of developing relationships, cultural norms and values govern the degree to which it is acceptable in interpersonal relationships.