Confession and self-control: A prelude to repentance or relapse?

Confessions are commonplace. Even when embarrassing or otherwise damaging, we seem intrinsically motivated to open up to others and confess mistakes we have made. Although there may be many reasons one might choose to disclose one's "sins," very little is known about what confession actually does, particularly concerning its effect on future behavior. This work examines confession in the context of one's personal self-control failures in...