The disclosure processes model: Understanding disclosure decision making and postdisclosure outcomes among people living with a concealable stigmatized identity.
2010/03/01 by Stephenie R. Chaudoir, Jeffrey D. Fisher · 901 citations
Psychology · #Antecedent (behavioral psychology) #Attachment and Relationship Dynamics #Identity (music) #Interpersonal communication #Interpersonal influence #Interpersonal relationship #Mental Health Treatment and Access #Mental Health via Writing #Psychology #Self-disclosure #Social group #Social identity theory #Social psychology
paper · open access · doi:10.1037/a0018193
published in Psychological Bulletin 136(2), 236-256 (American Psychological Association)
openalex publication_date 2010/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
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.
Citations
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