Changing patterns of self-disclosure among Soviet immigrants to the United States

The primary aim of this study was to examine changes in the nature of Russian immigrants' self-disclosure patterns after having emigrated to the United States. Specifically, this study examined how and whether the targets and topics of disclosure changed for these immigrants as they moved from a closed and repressive society to a more open and democratic one. Data were collected by two methods: (a) questionnaires placed on the internet and (b) follow-up interviews conducted in-person or over the phone. The online questionnaire consisted of a series of demographic questions, an acculturation measure, the Soviet Immigrant Disclosure Inventory (SIDI), and a scale measuring life satisfaction. A total of 118 participants completed the on-line questionnaire; 21 of these participants agreed to a follow-up interview.;While findings suggest significant changes in the nature and extent of self-disclosure by Russian immigrants of certain topics to both In-Group and Out-Group targets, overall, Russian immigrants remain guarded with their self-disclosures to others, even after having lived in the United States for a significant amount of time. Findings also support hypotheses relating to the effects of acculturation on self-disclosure. Likewise, findings suggest that certain demographic variables like age of immigration, gender marital status, number of children at the time of emigration are significant predictors of self-disclosure in this group of immigrants.;The results of this study suggest that feelings of hypervigilance and fear associated with the exercise of free speech in non-democratic countries may be so deeply ingrained in the personality structure of the individual that such feelings may be extremely difficult to disavow, regardless of the safety of the current environment. More generally, the results of this study indicate that psychotherapists need to understand how clients' culture (including the circumstances underlying immigration), life experiences, and family history have influenced their communication patterns with others, including their willingness to disclose in therapy.