What is it about revealing secrets that is beneficial?

Two studies explored what it is about revealing secrets that makes people f eel better about them. In Study 1, undergraduates (N = 137) indicated wheth er they had gained new insights or catharsis from revealing secrets to conf idants in the past. Gaining insights predicted feeling positive about the s ecrets, whereas gaining catharsis predicted feeling negative about them. In Study 2, undergraduates (N = 85) were randomly assigned to write about the ir (a) secrets while trying to gain new insights, (b) secrets while trying to gain catharsis, or (c) previous day. The new insights group felt more po sitive about their secrets than did the other groups and came to terms with their secrets more than did those in the catharsis group. Not coming to te rms with the secrets was associated with feeling negative about them. It is suggested that focusing solely on venting emotions may be art unhelpful or even harmful way of dealing with secrets.