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. © 2010 by the society for personality and social psychology,inc.