Self-disclosure is a communicative act that helps people develop close relationships (Altman and Taylor, 1973) through reciprocal sharing of per- sonal information, promoting maintenance of trust and security (Bruss and Hill, 2010). It is defined as the “process of making the self known to others” (Joinson and Paine, 2007), often by sharing one’s personal thoughts, opinions, or experiences. For example:

• When I was 19 years old,I met a man on the internet. He was 21 years old, 2 years older than me.

• My name is Amy and I live in Australia.

• I have suffered from migraines for three years.

In addition to facilitating social bonds, self- disclosure in general produces a wide variety of health benefits