ABSTRACT
This study investigated self-esteem, personality-type and gender as factors in self-disclosure of persons living with HIV/AIDS. Three hundred (300) persons living with HIV/AIDS (120 males and 180 females) aged 18-60 years with a mean age of 39 participated in the study. Three instruments were used for data collection: Index of self-esteem (ISE), Eysenck’s Personality Questionnaire (EPQ)-Adult, and Self-Disclosure Index (SDI). The result indicated that self-esteem - F(1,292) = 16.12, p < .001, and personality-type - F(1,292) = 27.72, p < .001 were statistically significant factors in self-disclosure, where participants with high self-esteem, and those who are extraverted scored higher than their counterparts in self-disclosure. A very significant interaction was found between self-esteem and personality type. It was concluded that Psychological tools and therapy should be fully exploited in facilitating the self-esteem of persons living with HIV/AIDS to enable them reach out to other persons in openness for necessary psychosocial support.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Table of Contents v
List of Tables vi
List of Figures vii
Abstract viii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
Statement of the Problem 11
Purpose of the Study 11
Operational Definition of Terms 12
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 13
Theoretical Review 13
- Social Penetration Theory 13
- Social Exchange Theory 14
- Social Comparison Theory 16
- Uncertainty Reduction Theory 17
Empirical Review 21
Summary of Literature Review 28
Hypotheses 30
CHAPTER THREE: METHOD 31
Participants 31
Instruments 31
Procedure 33
Design/Statistics 34
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULT 35
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION 38
Implication of the Result 40
Limitation of the Study 42
Recommendation for Further Studies 42
Summary and Conclusion 43
References 44
Appendices:
Appendix A: Index of Self-Esteem 52
Appendix B: EPQ (Extraversion-Introversion) 53
Appendix C: Self-Disclosure Inventory 54
Appendix D: Univariate Analysis of Variance 55
Appendix E: Reliability and Validity Statistics for the Instruments 58
