The Nature and Consequences of Mind-Wandering to Secrets

Secrets are on people’s minds more than they are held back in conversation. Research suggests that such mind-wandering to secrets can be problematic for well-being, yet the mechanisms behind this link are still unclear. To better understand what may underlie the harm of mind-wandering to secrets, we conducted two studies. First, in a 14-day daily diary study (Study 1, N = 240) we investigated what people think about when mind-wandering to their secrets, and how these thoughts come to mind in daily life—spontaneously or deliberately. Second, in a 7-day experience-sampling study (Study 2, N = 207) we probed the directionality of relationships between the two types of mind-wandering and affective experiences about secrets. Across studies, when secrets came to mind spontaneously, but not deliberately, people reported feeling greater negative emotion both in the moment (Study 1 and 2) and approximately 2 hours later (Study 2). Our findings point to spontaneous mind-wandering to secrets as a primary player in the well-being costs of secrecy. Further, we offer the first investigation into spontaneous and deliberate mind-wandering to the same target thought in daily life, capturing the temporal dynamics between mind-wandering and emotional well-being. By yielding insights into the way secrets weigh on people’s minds, this research suggests possible ways to manage the well-being costs of secrets, and perhaps other ongoing concerns, in everyday life.