Living expressions and their effects on primary recipients

"Living Expressions" are formal events where appreciative feelings are disclosed to a living recipient by friends and/or relatives. Effects of events on the self-esteem of recipients and recipient's relationships with disclosers were studied. Self-esteem and self-disclosure are components of personal and relational health. Living Expressions were expected to enhance self-esteem and personal relationships through self-disclosure. Living Expressions have semblance to ideas contained in eulogies, Gestalt and other therapies and group theories. Self-enhancement and self-consistency theory conflicts were considered. Social penetration theory and self-disclosure studies were reviewed. Eleven recipients were subjects in this multi-case, qualitative study. The combined self-enhancement/self-consistency theory and social penetration theory were supported. Positive effects on self-esteem were negligible, however, the benefits of self-disclosure were substantial and all relationships were enhanced. Limitations of measures, communication difficulties, and temporal effects, were discussed. Further research was recommended.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Communication Studies

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Year

1999

Author dc:creator

• Galbavy, Dana Lynn

Contributors dc:contributor

• Leesa Dillman

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/rtds/972

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:oasis.library.unlv.edu:rtds-1971