Patterns of self-disclosure across social support networks: elderly, middle-aged, and young adults

Self-disclosure has generally been examined as a unidimensional construct which relates to intimacy in developing relationships. Self-disclosure also serves many functions in established relationships, such as with close friends and family. Moreover, the functions served by self-disclosure may vary depending upon the adults' gender and stage in the life-span. In this study, such issues are examined with regard to elderly, middle-aged, and young adults' use of four functions of self-disclosure: self-expression, self-clarification, social control, and social validation. Findings support the claim that greater intergenerational distance is related to less self-disclosure among members of a social network. Further, elderly adults self-disclose more often to family than to friends, while young adults self-disclose to friends more often than to family. Implications for self-disclosure within the areas of gender, social support, and social comparison are discussed, and the appropriateness of adults' disclosure patterns within a framework of life stages is considered.