A new psychological study has revealed that people who think about their secrets more than others are more prone to imagination and daydreams related to them. Researchers explained that when people deliberately recall their secrets for imagination or daydreaming, they may feel positive emotions. However, when they think about them to analyze their meaning or impact, they may temporarily feel negative emotions, although this way of thinking may help them solve the problem or overcome it in the long run. The research team hopes to continue studying whether deliberate and repeated thinking about a secret can sometimes help mitigate its psychological impact on its keeper.
The study showed that an average person keeps about nine secrets that they consider to be of medium importance. These secrets are often related to lying or personal matters concerning appearance, money, or romantic relationships. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Melbourne to understand the nature of the secrets people keep and how they can affect their mental state and daily life.
Previous estimates indicated that an average person keeps about five secrets they have never told anyone, but the new study focused on what researchers called 'medium-importance secrets,' which were found to average nine per person, according to iflscience. Researchers believe that secrets can become a psychological burden on the person keeping them, as they can lead to feelings of anxiety or depression.
To obtain more accurate results, the research team recruited 240 volunteers, who were asked to keep diaries about their thoughts and feelings related to the secrets they carry. Over a two-week period, participants completed a total of 2764 daily surveys, which provided a detailed database on the nature of secrets and their psychological impact.
When participants were asked about the nature of the secrets they keep, the results were as follows: lying — 78%, secretly dissatisfied with a physical trait — 71%, financial secret — 70%, secret romantic desire — 63%, secret behavior — 57%.
Researchers warned against generalizing the results to the entire society, as study participants were selected on the condition that each had at least one secret, which means that some people who do not keep any secrets may not have been represented in the sample.
