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At the Heart of Mentorship, a Q&A with Dr. Hilary Dutton

Dr. Hilary Dutton is a Pākehā/Māori (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) youth development researcher at the University of Canterbury. Her research focuses on the relational processes that contribute to developing high quality mentoring relationships, particularly self-disclosure. In 2021 she was awarded a Rutherford Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship to undertake a two-year project exploring youth perspectives on disclosure in youth-adult […]

New insights into mentor-mentee communication patterns within the context of relationship quality

Dutton, H., Deane, K. L., & Overall, N. C. (2023). Using observational dyadic methods in youth mentoring research: Preliminary evidence of the role of actors’ and partners’ self-disclosure in predicting relationship quality. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 52, 1157–1169. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01757-y Summarized by Ariel Ervin  Notes of Interest: Self-disclosure is an excellent communication tool for developing relationships. Although self-disclosure […]

What factors correlate with Black youth intimate disclosure? New study has answers!

Rivens, A. J., Billingsley, J. T., & Hurd, N. M. (2021). Understanding Factors Associated With Intimate Disclosure Between Black Youth and Nonparental Familial Adults. Journal of Research on Adolescence. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12682 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: While youth undergo developmental changes during adolescence, many of them simultaneously become more interested in exploring their identities and […]

What are the benefits and drawbacks of self-disclosure in youth mentorships?

Dutton, H., Deane, K.L., & Bullen, P. (2021). Exploring the benefits and risks of mentor self-disclosure: relationship quality and ethics in youth mentoring. Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1080/1177083X.2021.1951308 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Even though self-disclosure can have a significant impact on interpersonal relationships, not much is known about the positive and […]

To disclose or not to disclose?

Edited by Renée Spencer Editor’s Note: Much like therapists, mentors are often confronted with making decisions – often on the spot – about what kind of information to share with their mentees and when. Laura Yoviene’s summary of a recent review article on therapist self-disclosure offers some insights and food for thought for tackling the […]

Identifying key features of mentor self-disclosure in the context of youth mentoring

Dutton, H., Deane, K. L., & Bullen, P. (2020). Opening up: An exploration of youth mentor self-disclosure using laboratory-based direct observation. Children and Youth Services Review, 108, 104654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104654 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Self-disclosure helps strengthen existing relationships as well as help create new ones Despite the importance of having close mentoring […]

Two people having a conversation. Mentors, mentees. Self-disclosure.

New research looks at mentor self-disclosure in mentoring pairs

Dutton, H., Bullen, P., & Deane, K. (2019). “It is OK to let them know you are human too”: Mentor self-disclosure in formal youth mentoring relationships. Journal of Community Psychology, 47(4), 943-963. Summarized by Jeremy Astesano Notes of Interest: Self-disclosure is an important way for mentors and mentees to build closeness, but there isn’t a wealth […]

When mentors and mentees communicate, what role does self-disclosure have?

Dutton, K.L. Deane, P. Bullen, Opening up: An exploration of youth mentor self- disclosure using laboratory-based direct observation, Children and Youth Services Review (2019), doi: https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104654 Summarized by Jeremy Astesano Notes of Interest: These authors sought to understand how communication, a crucial element of building strong relationships, occurred in a mentoring context. Specifically, they […]

Two new studies explore how teens decide when to disclose to parents

Editor’s note: Two new studies explore the topic teen disclosure to their parents. The implications for mentors are clear. Mentors need to consider the role of culture, autonomy, and the context that give rise to spontaneous disclosure  Yau, J. (2015). Adolescent nondisclosure in cultural context: Voices of Chinese American adolescents and parents. Journal of Adolescent […]

Getting Closer: The Art of Self-Disclosure

By Jeremy Dean, Ph.D. (excerpt) In explaining how people form strong relationships, psychologists – along with other social scientists – have long been interested in what personal information people reveal to each other.  Not just deep and meaningful Research on self-disclosure is enormous, addressing issues such as when people choose to self-disclose, for what reasons […]