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