The struggle to manage the demands of college course work and the inherent stress associated with such a struggle is timeless. Most college graduates hold memories of an ill-fated college course that challenged their intellect, tested their resiliency, and shattered their sense of intellectual confidence. Yet through such challenges and tests, the average student rises to accept his or her diploma and take a place among the ranks of the college-educated. As academic advisers, personal stories of scholastic struggle must not be forgotten, for, if utilized appropriately, these messages can become the foundation for genuine and effective advising. Indeed, the use of personal self-disclosing messages within academic advising is a fundamental tool for building rapport and facilitating growth in students.
Self-disclosing messages are best defined as an adviser's verbalized personal experiences shared with students. Self-disclosing messages focus on the present or past life experiences of advisers that are similar to those faced by students. Such messages differ directly from self-involving messages, an adviser's commentary on the advising process, or emotions felt for a student (Hepworth, Rooney, & Larsen, 1997).
esearch on the effectiveness of self-disclosing messages is prevalent within the field of psychotherapy. Such research establishes self-disclosure as a valuable tool for rapport-building within a counseling relationship (Strickler & Fisher, 1990; Watkins, 1990; Weiner, 1983). Watkins, for example, found that self-disclosing counselors were viewed as more trustworthy and empathetic than their non-disclosing counterparts. Such favorable views of counselors, in turn, yield improved client self-exploration. Doster and Brooks (1974) and DeForest and Stone (1980) noted the tendency for individuals to increase levels of sharing in response to counselor self-disclosure.
Additionally, when the field of psychotherapy focused its research on the client's views of self-disclosure, the findings were also favorable. Hendrick (1988) found that clients want counselors to share information regarding their successes and failures and their experiences coping with problems and handling interpersonal relationships. Further, clients reported that self-disclosure increased feelings of similarity between themselves and counselors (Edwards & Murdock, 1994). The resulting feelings of similarity between clients and counselors were particularly effective in cross-cultural counseling (Cashwell, Shcherbakova, & Cashwell, 2003; Helms & Cook, 1999; Sue & Sue, 1999). Overall, Peca-Baker and Friedlander (1989) found that self-disclosure contributed to client comfort and support, leading clients to feel less alone with their personal problems.
Guided by the documented effectiveness of self-disclosure within counseling relationships, the contribution of self-disclosing messages to the field of academic advising is promising. Indeed, using self-disclosing messages can educate students and build relationships between advisers and students by imparting trustworthiness, increasing students' feelings of support, reducing the dissimilarity between advisers and students, and encouraging student feedback. The questioning and help-oriented nature of academic advising has, in most instances, utilized variations of self-disclosure. Yet, as academic advising becomes more advanced, advisers must begin to review their art and use tools such as self-disclosing messages as conscious and intentional techniques for academic success.
The premise of self-disclosing messages is simply that individuals learn best from experience and from knowing another's reality. As such, the sharing of personal struggles and experiences when relevant to a student's concerns becomes a parable for growth and development. That is, if an adviser can share a personal struggle with a course or degree that resulted in his or her eventual triumph, the story becomes a model for success and a reminder that education is attainable despite hardships.
A positive effect of self-disclosure in advising is the impression that an adviser is open and honest. This impression creates an advising environment in which a student no longer feels alone in his academic struggles but instead feels supported by an empathetic mentor. Additionally, through the use of such self-disclosing messages, advisers become similar to students, thereby reducing differences such as age, education, socioeconomic status, and culture. When a student possesses an understanding of an adviser's humanness, the adviser is no longer seen as an administrator. By courageously stepping outside his or her professionally sanctioned role, an adviser ultimately becomes the very model of openness that universities strive to foster in their students. That is, in sharing histories and experiences, advisers encourage students to reciprocate with similar trust and openness.
The use of personal self-disclosure in academic advising should not be done with reckless abandon but should be used judiciously within a student-centered approach to advising. That is, disclosures must be in the student's best interest and must relate directly to the student's experience. Self-disclosure simply for the sake of small talk can be detrimental to the advising relationship as it shifts the attention away from the student to the adviser and his or her concerns. As such, each adviser-student relationship must be evaluated to ensure that disclosure is matched with student needs.
The variability in the utility of self-disclosing messages must also account for client diversity. A student's age, culture, or his or her comfort and familiarity with an adviser can be factors that contribute to the success of self-disclosures. Weiner (1983), for example, found that adolescents were more receptive to self-disclosure and the relationship-building outcomes of self-disclosing messages and were more likely to use such messages within their character formation. There are, however, no steadfast student characteristics that can ensure the successful use of self-disclosure.
In the end, attention must be paid to a student's verbal and nonverbal reactions to disclosure. A student who demonstrates interest through questions and receptive forward leaning is better suited for repeated self-disclosure than a student who provides little or no response. Additionally, as academic advising begins to incorporate self-disclosure into its repertoire of tools, advisers must be true to their personal levels of comfort. That is, self-disclosing messages undertaken with reservation and discomfort will ultimately fail in any attempt to establish empathy, build trust, and foster rapport.
The use of self-disclosing messages holds great promise for the field of academic advising, for it is a conscious technique that encourages learning, increases comfort, and fosters feedback with students. Use of such messages, however, should be done with a professional understanding of the technique and both its benefits and limitations.