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Painful Self-Disclosures of Older Adults in Relation to Aging Stereotypes and Perceived Motivations

Georgia State University, joujls{at}langate.gsu.edu

Mary Lee Hummert

University of Kansas

Painful self-disclosures (PSDs) have been described as an elderly phenomenon, yet prior research has not empirically tested possible consequences of PSDs or potential motivations behind them. This study investigated the influence of disclosure type (PSDs vs. nonpainful self-disclosures [NPSDs]) and participant age (young vs. old) on perceptions of disclosure characteristics, discloser traits, and motivations. After watching videotaped interactions, participants completed an impression questionnaire. Participants rated PSDs as more painful, more intimate, and less appropriate than NPSDs, with an interaction effect of age and disclosure type on the PSD ratings. Also, participants rated disclosers of PSDs lower on positive stereotype traits and higher on negative stereotype traits than disclosers of NPSDs, with another interaction effect on the set of positive stereotype traits. Finally, participants rated various motives differently, according to disclosure type and age of participant. These results are discussed within the framework of the communicative predicament of aging model.

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