| Title | The disclosure processes model: understanding disclosure decision making and postdisclosure outcomes among people living with a concealable stigmatized identity. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2010 |
| Authors | Chaudoir, Stephenie R., and Jeffrey D. Fisher |
| Journal | Psychological bulletin |
| Volume | 136 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pagination | 236-56 |
| Date Published | 2010 Mar |
| ISSN | 1939-1455 |
| Keywords | Comprehension, Decision Making, Goals, Humans, Identification (Psychology), Inhibition (Psychology), Psychological Theory, Self Disclosure, Social Support, Stereotyping |
| Abstract | Disclosure is a critical aspect of the experience of people who live with concealable stigmatized identities. This article presents the disclosure processes model (DPM)-a framework with which to examine when and why interpersonal disclosure may be beneficial. The DPM suggests that antecedent goals representing approach and avoidance motivational systems moderate the effect of disclosure on numerous individual, dyadic, and social contextual outcomes and that these effects are mediated by three distinct processes: (a) alleviation of inhibition, (b) social support, and (c) changes in social information. Ultimately, the DPM provides a framework that advances disclosure theory and identifies strategies that can assist disclosers in maximizing the likelihood that disclosure will benefit well-being. |
| DOI | 10.1037/a0018193 |
| Alternate Journal | Psychol Bull |
