Johari Window

The Johari window is an investigative tool developed by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham to illuminate and detail, in a somewhat measured way, interpersonal awareness. (The “Johari” in the name is a combination of the researchers’ first names.) The window is made up of four quadrants conceptualizing how one sees oneself and is seen by others. The Johari window can be used to help a person understand his or her behavior and how it affects other people in ways that the person previously did not recognize. It is made up of four areas: the open area, the blind area, the hidden area, and the unknown area.

Most often, the users of the Johari window have a goal to expand their open area. The open area represents what the users know, and what others know, about themselves. This could include information such as height, weight, ethnicity, skin color, mood, and manner of dress. In addition, information the user may have shared, such as preferred food, movie, pastime, and/or religion, may be known to others. Information in the open area includes information the user wants people to know in order to establish common bonds and friendships. As a person ages, more information may become visible (known) in this area, as more is disclosed, shown, and observable.

The blind area represents what other people know about a person that is unknown to the person himself or herself. This could include information about the person’s past that was never revealed to the person, or feelings that the person has trouble facing, but are evident to others. By getting feedback from others, a person can reduce this area in relation to the other areas and increase the person’s self-awareness.

The hidden area represents what a person knows, but others do not know, about himself or herself. This could include a fear of success or feeling uncomfortable when speaking in public. This area can be reduced in size when a person establishes trusted relationships with others so the person can safely disclose upsetting and embarrassing moments from the past, moving them to the open area.

The unknown area involves what neither the person nor others know about that person. This could include the person’s abilities to save someone in an emergency, which until the emergency arises is unknown to that person or others.

See also Qualitative Research Methods