Reciprocal Negative Disclosures: An Application of Expectancy Violations Theory

Social support can dramatically improve an individual’s ability to confront and negotiate stressful life changes, and self-disclosure is one means through which individuals can create and maintain interpersonal relationships that can result in that much-needed social support (Cohen, Mermelstein, Kamarck, & Hoberman, 1985; Cohen & Wills, 1985; Cobb, 1976). However, during communication the relationship between the people interacting can influence what disclosures adhere to the communicators’ expectations and what types of disclosures violate those expectations. Experiencing a communication expectation violation can impact (negatively or positively) individuals’ perception of both their peer and the interaction itself (Burgoon, 1978). This study utilized Expectancy Violations Theory (EVT) to examine graduate students’ expectations of reciprocal negative disclosures with their peers. Within the academic context it is important to better understand the disclosure expectancies that graduate students have of their peers. This is because self-disclosure can serve as a key means by which students develop interpersonal relationships and gain social support from one another as they navigate the challenges of graduate school and the organizational culture of their programs. No literature exists that utilizes expectancy violations theory to examine the impact that violating organizational cultural expectations