Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale – ESDS
Measures an individual's self-reported willingness to disclose specific emotional states to others.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale – ESDS was developed by William E. Snell, Jr., Roland S. Miller, Sharyn S. Belk (1988). It is designed to measure Emotional Self-Disclosure. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 40 items organized into 8 factors/subscales: Depression, Happiness, Jealousy, Anxiety, Anger, Calmness, Apathy, Fear.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Depression | 1,9,17,25,33 | 5 |
| Happiness | 2,10,18,26,34 | 5 |
| Jealousy | 3,11,19,27,35 | 5 |
| Anxiety | 4,12,20,28,36 | 5 |
| Anger | 5,13,21,29,37 | 5 |
| Calmness | 6,14,22,30,38 | 5 |
| Apathy | 7,15,23,31,39 | 5 |
| Fear | 8,16,24,32,40 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = I HAVE NOT DISCUSSED THIS TOPIC WITH MY COUNSELOR, 2 = I HAVE SLIGHTLY DISCUSSED THIS TOPIC WITH MY COUNSELOR, 3 = I HAVE MODERATELY DISCUSSED THIS TOPIC WITH MY COUNSELOR, 4 = I HAVE ALMOST FULLY DISCUSSED THIS TOPIC WITH MY COUNSELOR, 5 = I HAVE FULLY DISCUSSED THIS TOPIC WITH MY COUNSELOR.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 5 to 25. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Disclosure: 5 – 11
- Moderate Disclosure: 12 – 18
- High Disclosure: 19 – 25
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified in source text.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.