The role of need satisfaction in self-concealment and well-being.
The present research tests a model derived from self-determination theory to explain why self-concealment (the tendency to keep distressing personal information secret) is associated with negative well-being outcomes. Two studies tested a model in which self-concealment predicts the thwarting of basic needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, which then results in negative psychological outcomes. Study 1 involved a cross-sectional design. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that the model provided an acceptable fit to the data. Study 2 involved a multilevel design. Participants completed daily measures of self-concealment, need satisfaction, and well-being over 16 days. Results supported the proposed mediation model. Furthermore, the associations between daily self-concealment, daily need satisfaction, and daily well-being were independent of trait self-concealment. Overall, the findings suggest that concealing personal distressing information is detrimental to the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, which in turn predicts negative well-being.
Uysal
Ahmet
A
University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004-5022, USA. auysal@uh.edu
Lin
Helen Lee
HL
Knee
C Raymond
CR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D018907:Privacy / Q000523:psychology; D012650:Self Disclosure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult