Self-disclosure Of Middle School Students And Its Relationship With Self-esteem

Self-disclosure is one of the most important topics in psychological research. Because of its strong influence on adolescents' mental health, and its complex relationship with self-esteem, a self-disclosure questionnaire for Chinese middle school students was devised, the characteristics of their self-disclosure were investigated, and the relationship between self-esteem (including explicit and implicit self-esteem) and self-disclosure was explored in the research.In the 1^st study in which 576 middle school students participated, Self-disclosure Questionnaire for Middle School Students was developed on the basis of the analysis of the previous researches and interviews with 28 middle school students. The questionnaire includes three sub-questionnaires: behaviour questionnaire, cognition questionnaire, and emotion questionnaire. Self-disclosure behaviour questionnaire consists of six dimensions: tastes and interests, attitudes, academic performance, interpersonal interaction, physical development, and personality. Self-disclosure cognition questionnaire consists of three dimensions: self-disclosure functions, the appropriation of disclosing inclination and the appropriation of disclosing content. Self-disclosure emotion questionnaire contains two sub-questionnaires: positive emotion questionnaire and negative emotion questionnaire. The reliability and validity of the questionaire is acceptable in psychometrics.630 middle school students participated in the 2^nd study, and they were asked to complete Self-disclosure Questionnaire for Middle School Students. In this study, the characteristics of their self-disclosure were investigated. 344 middle school students took part in the 3^rd study, and they were asked to complete Self-disclosure Questionnaire for Middle School Students, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and Self-esteem IAT. In this study, the relationship between self-esteem (including explicit and implicit self-esteem) and self-disclosure was explored.The results of the two studies are as follows:1. Self-disclosure of girls is in significantly higher level than that of boys on different topics (towards intimates and mother) and self-disclosure emotion; self-disclosure of junior high school students is in significantly lower level than that of senior high school students on different topics (towards intimates in both the same and the opposite gender), self-disclosure cognition, and self-disclosure emotion, but it is in significantly higher level than that of senior high students on different topics towards classmates, father, and mother in different topics; self-disclosure of high and average achieving students is in significantly higher level than mat of low achieving students.2. The explicit self-esteem of middle school students is positively related to self-disclosure cognition and positive self-disclosure emotion; however, it is negatively related to negative self-disclosure emotion. The implicit self-esteem is not significantly related to self-disclosure.3. The implicit self-esteem of middle school students plays a moderator role in the relationship between explicit self-esteem and self-disclosure behaviour (towards classmates) and the appropriation of disclosing inclination.4. The discrepancy between implicit self-esteem and explicit self-esteem of middle school students is negatively related to self-disclosure cognition and positive self-disclosure emotion; but is positively related to negative self-disclosure emotion.