Abstract
Both amount and content of self-disclosure may vary with sex role. Both adult and preadolescent females have been reported as engaging in greater amounts of self-disclosure than males; the present study attempted to replicate these findings with preadolescents, and to investigate sex differences in the content of self-disclosure. A self-disclosure questionnaire covering a wide range of subjects was administered to 307 urban children. The sex difference on the total number of items revealed to a friend closely approached significance, with girls showing greater disclosure. When only “intimate” content items were examined, the sex difference reached clear significance. Content analysis showed that girls were more willing to reveal items related to emotionality, anxiety, and dependence.
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O'Neill, S., Fein, D., Velit, K.M. et al. Sex differences in preadolescent self-disclosure. Sex Roles 2, 85–88 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289302
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289302