Responsiveness and Self-Disclosure

In recent years, the concept of responsiveness has been used in investigations of self-disclosure (e. g., Berg & Archer, 1980, 1983; Davis & Perkowitz, 1979), social exchange phenomena (e. g., Berg, Blaylock, Camarillo, & Steck, 1985; Clark & Mills, 1979; Kelley, 1979), and friendship formation (e. g., Berg & Clark, 1986; Berg & McQuinn, 1986). It is the intent of this chapter to explore the applicability of responsiveness to self-disclosure phenomena in a more extensive and systematic fashion than has been heretofore possible. In doing this, I will first review usages of the term responsiveness and the research that supports its existence as an independent construct. In so doing, a distinction will be made between two general forms of responsiveness: conversational responsiveness and relational responsiveness. The consequences of responsive action and the aspects of an action that lead to its being judged as responsive are then presented. Following this presentation of the concept of responsiveness, various aspects of self-disclosure and findings in the self-disclosure literature will be examined as they relate to responsiveness. Finally, the limitations of present findings dealing with responsiveness and self-disclosure will be noted, and directions for future investigation will be discussed.