Conversely, a positive proactive and positive reactive context (external locus) will encourage direct disclosure, whereas an interpersonal context that discourages both proactive and reactive disclosure usually makes a request for feedback from others (indirect disclosure) even more risky and inappropriate. The relationship between interpersonal context and indirect disclosure is a bit more complex than that between interpersonal context and direct disclosure. On the one hand, we are more likely to ask for feedback in a positive, supportive context than in a negative, threatening context. On the other hand, we may be less in need of this feedback in a positive, supportive context, since other people are more likely to share their own Quad Two information about us without having to be asked.
Perhaps we have another curvilinear relationship: very negative and very positive interpersonal contexts will discourage indirect disclosure, while moderately positive contexts encourage our request for feedback (indirect disclosure). I will avoid feedback or even find a way (often nonverbal) to request that another person not give me feedback (“Don’t tell me”) if the context is threatening and non-supportive, and won’t need to say anything if the context is positive. Ultimately, I may claim my internal locus of control when confronted with an interpersonal context that is negative by avoiding this interpersonal context all together: “if this isn’t a safe place, if you don’t really care about me, or if I don’t really know what is appropriate or inappropriate to disclose, then I’m going elsewhere—to a place that is safe, caring and clear!”
