Questions and Answers
What is self-disclosure?
Define social probing.
Attempting to indirectly discover others' feelings about a particular issue without risking embarrassment or rejection.
What is the primary purpose of humor in social probing?
To gauge others' feelings about a subject
The act of trying to save face when embarrassed is known as ______.
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Which of the following is an example of social disclosure and social probing?
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Using gallows humor can help gauge whether others feel distress.
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What is the role of humor in enforcing social norms?
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How can one use humor to handle a serious or embarrassing situation?
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Study Notes
Self-Disclosure and Social Probing
- Humor serves as a socially accepted method to discover individuals' feelings about sensitive topics without direct confrontation.
- Self-disclosure involves revealing personal information that may risk embarrassment or humiliation due to others' judgments.
Social Probing
- Involves seeking to indirectly assess another's feelings on a matter while minimizing the danger of rejection.
- Humor can act as a preliminary gauge, allowing one to understand the other person’s opinions before disclosing personal information.
- Positive or negative reactions from the conversation partner can indicate their potential response to future disclosures.
Examples of Social Disclosure and Probing
- Imagining dating someone significantly older can be approached humorously to assess a friend’s reaction, gradually leading to more serious discussions based on their feedback.
- A comment like wanting to date a 40-year-old for homework help can elicit reactions that inform future disclosures about genuine feelings.
Navigating Sexual Interest
- Using sexual innuendos allows for gauging interest without risking embarrassment from direct rejection.
- Positive reactions, such as laughter, suggest comfort and openness, while negative responses signal the need to withdraw.
Probing Emotional States
- Humor is utilized across various sensitive topics such as sexuality, politics, and personal beliefs to measure emotional responses.
- In high-stress situations, "gallows humor" may reveal the emotional state of colleagues; laughter indicates commonality in distress, while silence may signal deeper fear.
Decommitment
- When faced with embarrassment or failure, individuals may try to save face by disowning previous actions or statements.
- Humor can be an effective strategy to frame past behaviors as jokes, preventing potential humiliation.
Maintaining Credibility Through Humor
- In conflict situations, humor can ease tension and preserve relationships by portraying threats as non-serious or playful.
- Balancing humor with the need to maintain credibility is crucial; failing to follow through on a serious threat can damage reputation, but framing it humorously can mitigate this.
Enforcing Social Norms
- Humor often manifests as teasing or sarcasm, serving as a tool for groups to criticize behaviors that deviate from accepted norms.
- Ridicule through humor can reinforce group standards and discourage undesirable traits or attitudes.
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Description
Explore key concepts from Chapter 5 of Psychology with these flashcards, focusing on self-disclosure and social probing. Understand how humor can facilitate discussions about sensitive topics. Enhance your grasp of psychological terms and their implications in social contexts.
