In relationships, the vast majority of us draw lines around the places where we’re receptive to sharing our feelings and where we’re not.

But what influences whether we’re open to divulging what we feel or lean toward keeping our emotional world under wraps? Likewise, what sways whether someone we’re close to is ready to tell us about their feelings instead of deciding to withhold what’s happening inside? Is there something we’re doing (or could do) that might help open the door to a loved one’s inner emotional life?

In a newly released study, a pair of investigators examined this question by advancing prior research in this area. They referred to earlier work establishing that we humans tend to share what we feel when we believe the person we’re talking to really values our wellness; these individuals are “communal partners.” But why is this the case? The research team looked at two potential reasons. The first is that people decide to disclose more when they sense that the person listening is doing their best to grasp........

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