The Benefits of Identity Integration across Life Domains

A significant portion of Americans identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB). Troubling then is the fact that many of these individuals lack federal protections, with two-thirds reporting that they experience discrimination. This creates a difficult disclosure dilemma for LGB individuals. On one hand, self-verification theory and the work of Dr. Gregory Herek indicate that there are psychological benefits to being open about one's identity in the workplace and social situations. In contrast, disclosing may open these individuals up to discriminatory experiences. To analyze the benefits and consequences of disclosure decisions across life domains, we collected survey data from 184 LGB individuals working at least 30 hours per week in the United States of America. Regression analyses showed that life satisfaction was maximized when disclosure was high and concordant across life domains. In other words, LGB individuals experienced the highest levels of life satisfaction when they were able to be open about their identity in work and non-work situations (i.e., identity integration). Notably, the most negative outcomes (e.g., worsened life satisfaction) were observed when identity disconnects (e.g., high disclosure at work, low disclosure in non-work domains) or identity denial (i.e., low disclosure in both domains) were present, confirming seminal theories of disclosure decisions across life domains. Our findings indicate that we should strive to create disclosure-supportive environments in work and non-work domains, with supportive organizational policies and active allies playing a crucial role in this process.