Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping02:05

Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping

39.1K
People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about...
39.1K
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

18.4K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.  
18.4K
Cognitive Dissonance01:38

Cognitive Dissonance

32.7K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
32.7K
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification03:00

Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

5.2K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
5.2K
Deindividuation00:57

Deindividuation

26.5K
Deindividuation is a form of social influence on an individual’s behavior such that the individual engages in unusual or non-normal behavior while in a group setting. Why? Because in these group settings, the individual no longer sees themselves as an individual anymore, disinhibiting their behavior and personal restraint.
26.5K
Structure of Self01:29

Structure of Self

469
Sigmund Freud's model of the human psyche is often illustrated using an iceberg analogy. The iceberg's visible tip represents the conscious mind, which includes thoughts and perceptions that individuals are immediately aware of. However, the larger, submerged portion of the iceberg represents the unconscious mind, a reservoir of repressed desires, instincts, and memories. According to Freud, human behavior is primarily shaped by this hidden realm.
Components of the Mind: Id, Ego, and...
469

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Player-Facing Casino Employees: Engagement with Responsible Gambling Programming and its Association with Referring Players.

Journal of gambling studies·2024
Same author

Community peer support among individuals living with spinal cord injury.

Journal of health psychology·2023
Same author

Factors promoting greater preoccupation with a secret.

The British journal of social psychology·2021
Same author

Secrets, Psychological Health, and the Fear of Discovery.

Personality & social psychology bulletin·2020
Same journal

Identifying Robust Longitudinal Transactions Between Loneliness and the Big Five Personality Traits.

Journal of personality·2026
Same journal

The (Simp)le Truth About Excessive and Obsessive Romantic Behaviors in Men.

Journal of personality·2026
Same journal

The Robust Quadratic Association Between Resting Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia and Agreeableness: The Evidence From Two Samples in China.

Journal of personality·2026
Same journal

Ego, Elevation, and Exclusion: Bidirectional Prospective Associations Between Narcissism and Status and Inclusion.

Journal of personality·2026
Same journal

Life Narratives and the Ten Aspects of the Big Five Across Open-Ended and Targeted Prompts.

Journal of personality·2026
Same journal

Life Stories Matter: The Contribution of Narrative Identity to Personality Functioning and Functional Impairment.

Journal of personality·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 6, 2025

The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling
06:51

The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling

Published on: April 6, 2018

8.5K

Self-concealment, secrecy, and guilt.

Christopher G Davis1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Journal of Personality
|March 20, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Individuals who conceal secrets experience more negative emotions due to preoccupation and suppression. This study confirms that self-concealing behaviors lead to increased anxiety and guilt in relationships.

Keywords:
guiltsecrecyself-concealmentsuppression

More Related Videos

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
07:36

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime

Published on: May 3, 2016

8.6K
Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
07:01

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

8.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 6, 2025

The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling
06:51

The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling

Published on: April 6, 2018

8.5K
An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
07:36

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime

Published on: May 3, 2016

8.6K
Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
07:01

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

8.0K

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Relationship Science

Background:

  • Individuals concealing unflattering information often experience preoccupation and negative affect.
  • Theoretical models suggest negative affect arises from conflicting motivations: authenticity versus fear of disclosure consequences.
  • This conflict can lead to suppression, exacerbating negative emotional experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To empirically test a key component of the self-concealing model.
  • To investigate the mediating roles of preoccupation and suppression in the relationship between self-concealing and negative affect.

Main Methods:

  • Two studies surveyed 635 adults in romantic relationships who were keeping secrets.
  • Data were collected over four biweekly occasions.
  • Multilevel mediation analyses were employed to examine the proposed model.

Main Results:

  • Self-concealers reported higher levels of preoccupation and suppression compared to non-concealers.
  • Both preoccupation and suppression significantly mediated the relationship between self-concealing and negative affect.
  • Increased negative affect and guilt were directly predicted by higher levels of preoccupation and suppression.

Conclusions:

  • Findings support the hypothesis that self-concealing leads to a cycle of preoccupation and suppression.
  • This cycle contributes to heightened negative affect, including anxiety and guilt, in individuals.
  • Insecurities and fear of disclosure consequences appear to drive this detrimental emotional pattern in relationships.