Family Secrets: Forms, Functions and Correlates

Abstract

What types of information do families keep secret? What are the functions that family members perceive secrets to serve? Is secrecy associated with family satisfaction? Two studies were conducted to examine such issues. The first study revealed that family secrets fall into three categories: taboos, rule violations and conventional secrets. Functions of secrets involve bonding, evaluation, maintenance, privacy, defense or communication problems. In the second study, the number of secrets that family members perceived their family to hold in comparison to other familieswas inversely correlated with family satisfaction. In addition, individuals' perception that some of their family members held secrets concerning taboo topics from other members was negatively related to satisfaction. Overall, results suggest that the association between secrecy and family satisfaction is influenced by the form, topic and function of the secret.