The Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale (ESDS)

Abstract

The Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale (ESDS) is a 40-item psychological scale designed to quantify the extent to which an individual reveals or discusses specific emotional states with another person, often within a therapeutic or close relational context. Developed primarily by William E. Snell, Jr. in the late 1980s, the ESDS serves as a specialized tool within the broader study of self-disclosure, focusing exclusively on the communication of emotional content rather than factual or demographic information. The instrument assesses eight distinct dimensions of emotional experience, ranging from positive states like happiness and calmness to negative or avoidant states such as depression, anxiety, and apathy.

The scale is structured to measure the frequency or degree of disclosure across these 40 specific emotional items, providing researchers with detailed insight into communication patterns related to affective vulnerability and emotional processing. Its development was foundational in exploring how variables such as culture, gender roles (e.g., the masculine role), and the nature of the disclosure recipient influence emotional transparency.

Keywords

Emotional Self-disclosure, ESDS, Counseling, Psychometrics, Depression, Anxiety, Anger, Apathy, Psychological Assessment, Communication.

Authors

William E. Snell, Jr., R. S. Miller, S. S. Belk, R. Garcia-Falconi, J. E. Hernandez-Sanchez.

Purpose

The central purpose of the ESDS is to provide a quantitative measure of emotional self-disclosure across a standardized set of affective domains. It allows researchers and clinicians to assess individual variability in communication patterns, specifically concerning vulnerable or intimate emotional material. The scale is particularly useful in research examining gender differences, cultural influences, and the impact of disclosure on relational well-being and therapeutic outcomes.

The scale was initially developed in the context of examining emotional transparency, especially concerning the impact of the masculine role and recipient type on disclosure frequency, highlighting its utility in gender studies and counseling psychology. By isolating emotional content, the ESDS offers a fine-grained analysis of the aspects of the self that individuals are most or least willing to share.

Construct

The ESDS measures Emotional Self-Disclosure, a specific psychological construct defined as the voluntary communication of intimate or personal emotional feelings, thoughts, and experiences to another person. Unlike general self-disclosure scales that might cover non-emotional topics (e.g., hobbies, background facts), the ESDS isolates disclosure behavior related exclusively to internal affective states.

The construct is conceptualized as multi-faceted, encompassing eight primary emotional clusters, allowing for differential analysis of how readily individuals disclose emotions related to distress (e.g., fear, depression) versus positive or neutral states (e.g., happiness, calmness). This differentiation is crucial for understanding emotional regulation, communication styles, and the psychological costs associated with emotional inhibition.

Validity

While specific psychometric data are not fully detailed in the source content, the development literature suggests strong evidence for construct validity, primarily through the successful identification of the eight proposed emotional subscales via factor analysis. This structure confirms that the items effectively measure distinct underlying emotional dimensions of disclosure, supporting the scale’s theoretical foundation.

Furthermore, early studies demonstrated criterion validity by showing expected correlations between ESDS scores and related measures of personality, adjustment, and relationship quality, supporting the scale’s ability to predict relevant behavioral and psychological outcomes, such as relationship satisfaction and coping mechanisms.

Reliability

The ESDS has demonstrated robust internal consistency reliability, typically indicated by high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients across the total scale and its eight individual subscales in various populations. This suggests that the 40 items are highly correlated within their respective emotional domains and consistently measure the intended construct of emotional disclosure.

Additionally, the scale is expected to exhibit satisfactory test-retest reliability over short intervals, indicating the temporal stability of an individual’s self-reported emotional disclosure habits, making it a reliable instrument for longitudinal research or repeated clinical assessment.

Factor Analysis

The development of the ESDS relied upon comprehensive factor analysis to establish the underlying structure of emotional disclosure. This analysis consistently yielded an eight-factor solution, which directly corresponds to the eight named subscales, providing strong empirical support for the scale’s internal structure.

These eight factors—Depression, Happiness, Jealousy, Anxiety, Anger, Calmness, Apathy, and Fear—represent distinct clusters of emotional content that individuals disclose differentially. This clear factorial structure allows researchers to move beyond a single global score of disclosure to examine specific emotional domains where an individual may be inhibited or overly expressive.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychological Assessment Tool

Format: 40 items utilizing a 5-point Likert-type response format.

Language Available: English (Original development). Potential for other languages based on subsequent research use.

Population Group: General adult population; frequently used in university, relational, and counseling psychology research.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically 18 years and older).

Population Details: Primarily developed and validated using college student samples, though applicable to broader adult populations interested in communication and emotional health. The response key specifically references disclosure to a “counselor.”

Test Methodology: Respondents rate the extent to which they have discussed each of the 40 emotional items (e.g., “Times when you felt depressed”) with a specified recipient. The 5-point scale measures the degree of discussion, ranging from “I have not discussed this topic” to “I have fully discussed this topic.”

Keywords

Emotional Communication, Interpersonal Relationships, Psychometrics, Self-report, Affective States, Therapeutic Process, Emotional Inhibition, Gender Studies.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source).

Affiliation Email addresses: Contact William E. Snell, Jr. (Information not provided in source).

Correspondence Address: Correspondence generally directed to the Psychology Department, Southeast Missouri State University (Affiliation inferred).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed in the late 1980s, with key publications appearing in 1988 and 1989. The scale is typically made available for academic research use by contacting the primary author, William E. Snell, Jr. Users should consult the author’s official website for the most current permission requirements and any associated fees.

Test Year: 1988 (Year of initial development publication).

The instrument can be found online at: http://www4.semo.edu/snell/scales/ESDS.htm and related testing information is at: http://www4.semo.edu/snell/TESTING.HTM

Reference’s

• Snell, W. E., Jr., Miller, R. S., & Belk, S. S. (1988). Development of the Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale. Sex Roles, 18, 59-74.
• 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. (1990). The Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale (ESDS).

Items of the The Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale (ESDS)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

ESDS

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

Response Format (Example focusing on disclosure to a counselor):

• 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:

Subscales are:

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).