ABSTRACT
The ultimate goal of self-presentation is to elicit liking from another; therefore, self-presentation is more like creating a desired impression than a revelation of one's true self. People vary aspects of their physical environment in the service of self-presentation. To some extent, such seemingly rational choices as where and how to live may be partly influenced by self-presentational concerns. For instance, some people go to great lengths to avoid living in the suburbs and would think nothing of passing up a bargain on a minivan because it would not fit the image they are trying to project. Similar self-presentational concerns may influence the choice of furnishings and coffee-table books. Self-disclosure in developing relationships follows a fairly predictable path, which has been captured by several theoretical models. With respect to reciprocity of self-disclosure, a slightly more complicated picture emerged from a study that looked at research participants who were either high or low on private and public self-consciousness.
