Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale (ESDS)

Background:

People vary in how willingly and how often they discuss their emotional experiences with others. Research indicates that men and women sometimes diverge in their disclosure tendencies, usually in response to unique characteristics associated with the topic and recipient of the disclosure.The Emotional Self-Disclosure Survey (ESDS) consists of 40 topics concerned with the types of feelings and emotions that people experience at one time or another in their life. This survey is concened with the extent to which you have discussed these feelings and emotions with your counselor.

Psychometrics:

For psychometric details of scale, see Snell, W. E., Jr., Miller, R. S., Belk, S. S., Garcia-Falconi, R., & Hernandez-Sanchez, J. E. (1989).  Men’s and women’s emotional disclosures: The impact of disclosure recipient, culture, and the masculine role.  Sex Roles, 21, 467-486.

Author of Tool:

Snell, W. E., Jr., Miller, R. S., & Belk, S. S.

Key references:

Snell, W. E., Jr., Miller, R. S., Belk, S. S., Garcia-Falconi, R., & Hernandez-Sanchez, J. E. (1989).  Men’s and women’s emotional disclosures: The impact of disclosure recipient, culture, and the masculine role.  Sex Roles, 21, 467-486. Snell, W. E., Jr., Miller, R. S., & Belk, S. S. (1988).  Development of the Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale. Sex Roles, 18, 59-74.

Primary use / Purpose:

This scale facilitates the investigation of people’s tendency to be open and revealing about their emotions, both positive and negative.

 

Emotional Self- Disclosure Scale (ESDS)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Listed below are 40 topics concerned with the types of feelings and emotions that people experience at one time or another in their life. This survey is concened with the extent to which you have discussed these feelings and emotions with your counselor. Before each item you will notice a single column. For this column you are to indicate how often you have discussed each specific topic with your counselor. To respond, use the following scale to indicate which letter (A, B, C, D, OR E) corresponds to your response:

A = I HAVE NOT DISCUSSED THIS TOPIC WITH MY COUNSELOR:

B = I HAVE SLIGHTLY DISCUSSED THIS TOPIC WITH MY COUNSELOR:

C = I HAVE MODERATELY DISCUSSED THIS TOPIC WITH MY COUNSELOR: D = I HAVE ALMOST FULLY DISCUSSED THIS TOPIC WITH MY COUNSELOR: E = I HAVE FULLY DISCUSSED THIS TOPIC WITH MY COUNSELOR

NOTE:

The letter that best describes your reaction to each statement is the one which you will darken for that item on the computer scoreable answer sheet.

Now, go ahead and respond to the statements, using the answer sheet and a #2 pencil.

Be sure to answer every question, even if you are not sure.

Also, please be honest in your responses.

 

  1. (#1). Times when you felt
  2. (#2). Times when you felt
  3. (#3). Times when you felt
  4. (#4). Times when you felt
  5. (#5). Times when you felt
  6. (#6). Times when you felt
  7. (#7). Times when you felt
  8. (#8). Times when you felt
  9. (#9). Times when you felt
  10. (#10). Times when you felt
  11. (#11). Times when you felt possessive.
  12. (#12). Times when you felt troubled.
  13. (#13). Times when you felt infuriated.
  14. (#14). Times when you felt quiet.
  15. (#15). Times when you felt indifferent.
  16. (#16). Times when you felt fearful.
  17. (#17). Times when you felt pessimistic.
  18. (#18). Times when you felt jouous.
  19. (#19). Times when you felt envious.
  20. (#20). Times when you felt worried.
  21. (#21). Times when you felt irritated.
  22. (#22). Times when you felt serene.
  23. (#23). Times when you felt numb.
  24. (#24). Times when you felt frightened.
  25. (#25). Times when you felt sad.
  26. (#26). Times when you felt delighted.
  27. (#27). Times when you felt suspicious.
  28. (#28). Times when you felt uneasy.
  29. (#29). Times when you felt hostile.
  30. (#30). Times when you felt tranquil.
  31. (#31). Times when you felt unfeeling.
  32. (#32). Times when you felt scared.
  33. (#33). Times when you felt unhappy.
  34. (#34). Times when you felt pleased.
  35. (#35). Times when you felt resentful.
  36. (#36). Times when you felt flustered.
  37. (#37). Times when you felt enraged.
  38. (#38). Times when you felt relaxed.
  39. (#39). Times when you felt detached.
  40. (#40). Times when you felt alarmed.

 

Scoring Instructions for the Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale (ESDS)

The Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale (ESDS) consists of 8 subscales, each containing five (5) separate items.

The labels and items for each of these subscales are listed below

  1. Depression emotional-disclosure subscale: (Items 1, 9, 17, 25, 33).
  2. Happiness emotional-disclosure subscale: (Items 2, 10, 18, 26, 34).
  3. Jealousy emotional-disclosure subscale: (Items 3, 11, 19, 27, 35).
  4. Anxiety emotional-disclosure subscale: (Items 4, 12, 20, 28, 36).
  5. Anger emotional-disclosure subscale: (Items 5, 13, 21, 29, 37).
  6. Calmness emotional-disclosure subscale: (Items 6, 14, 22, 30, 38).
  7. Apathy emotional-disclosure subscale: (Items 7, 15, 23, 31, 39).
  8. Fear emotional-disclosure subscale: (Items 8, 16, 24, 32, 40).

 

CODING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ESDS ITEMS:

Each and every item is coded so that: A=0, B=1, C=2, D=3, and E=4. The five items on each subscale are then summed, so that higher scores correspond to greater emotional disclosure for each type of emotion, as measured by the eight subscales on the ESDS.

Emotional Self-Disclosure to Male and Female Friends and Therapists:The Influence of Gender and Ethnicity

Abstract

Research indicates that men and women sometimes diverge in their disclosure tendencies, usually in response to unique characteristics associated with the topic and recipient of the disclosure. The present research was designed to further investigate the relationship between gender and emotional disclosure, by having women and men from the United States and Mexico complete the Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale (ESDS) for four disclosure recipients: male and female friends and therapists. The results showed that men’s and women’s emotional disclosures depended on their ethnicity- culture, the specific content of the emotional disclosure, and the personal characteristics of the disclosure recipient. Although there were no significant differences in men’s and women’s emotional disclosures to their male friends, women reported more extensive disclosure of their feelings of depression, anger, anxiety, and fear to their female friends. In addition, Mexican women reported revealing more personal information about their feelings of depression, happiness, jealousy, anxiety, anger, calmness, apathy, and fear to female and male therapists than did men from Mexico and women and men from the United States.

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