Information Type Influences Students’ Perceptions of Faculty Self-Disclosures

Abstract

Background: Faculty might disclose personal information in order to illustrate a concept related to course material. However, the impact of self-disclosing potentially personal information (e.g., medical or mental health) is unclear. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine how students perceive professors who self-disclose personal information during lectures, given that some conditions may be viewed negatively. Method: Introductory psychology students ( N = 137) completed an online survey in which they rated female professors in vignettes describing course lectures. Each lecture was one of the following topics: bipolar disorder, opioid addiction, breast cancer, brain tumor, and animal learning (control). At the end of each vignette, the professor self-disclosed personal information related to that lecture. Results: Overall, students perceived professors who disclosed physical (breast cancer and brain tumor) conditions more positively compared to psychological (bipolar and opioid addiction) conditions. Highest approval ratings were given to the professor with breast cancer. Conclusion: Students’ perceptions of self-disclosure depended on the type of personal information, providing a springboard for future studies on this topic. Teaching Implications: Given the different levels of approval for each professor, we cannot make a blanket recommendation as to whether personal information should be shared in the classroom.