Interpersonal Correlates of Trust and Self-Disclosure

An individual's concept of and ability to self-disclose is in part a product of trust. The primary concern was evaluating the relation of interpersonal trust and self-disclosure and to examine the influencing factors. 100 undergraduates were asked to complete three questionnaires, a demographic questionnaire, a self-disclosure questionnaire, and an interpersonal trust scale. A significant low correlation of .236 between trust and self-disclosure was found. There were significant effects of sex and race on trust and self-disclosure. Also, results supported the prediction that individuals low and high in trust disclose to different people. Research should address such issues as predicting trustworthy individuals and disclosure of critical information. Development of trust in the client-therapist relationship should also be examined.