Conceptualization

Feeling

Cognitive psychology

Biology

Isolation (microbiology)

Secrecy

Social psychology

Computer security

Economics

Solitude

Computer science

Psychology

Task (project management)

Management

Psychotherapist

Microbiology

Artificial intelligence

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

Past research has conceptualized secrecy as speech inhibition during social interaction. In contrast, the current research broadens the understanding of secrecy by conceptualizing it as the commitment to conceal information. Seven experiments demonstrate the implications of this broader conceptualization for understanding secrecy's consequences. The results demonstrate that thinking about secrets-relative to thinking about personal information unknown by others that is not purposefully concealed (i.e., undisclosed information)-indirectly increases the experience of fatigue by evoking feelings of isolation and a motivational conflict with one's affiliation goals. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the fatiguing effects of secrecy have consequences for task persistence and performance. Integrating theories of motivation, fatigue, and social isolation, we offer new directions for research on secrecy.

The Solitude of Secrecy: Thinking About Secrets Evokes Goal Conflict and Feelings of Fatigue