REVEALING FAMILY SECRETS - THE INFLUENCE OF TOPIC, FUNCTION, AND RELATIONSHIPS

Nearly every family has secrets. Some of these secrets are told; other s are carefully hidden. Why is it that some people reveal their family secrets while others choose to conceal them? Two studies were conduct ed to investigate this issue by examining the association between the likelihood of revealing family secrets and (a) the topic of the secret , (b) the function of the secret, (c) satisfaction with one's family, and (d) the quality of the relationship with the potential target of t he revelation. The correspondence between the number and function of f amily secrets and family satisfaction was also investigated. The data suggested that the function of secrets, family satisfaction, and the r elationship people had with the target of their disclosure were relate d to whether family members were likely to reveal their secrets. The l ink between secret topic and the tendency to reveal secrets was unreli able, but there was an association between family members' perceptions of topic intimacy and the likelihood of revealing secrets.