To Tell or Not to Tell: Self-(Non)Disclosure to Parents Across Three Cultures

Abstract

In Western contexts, self-disclosure is commonly considered beneficial, while nondisclosure is often viewed as dysfunctional. The current research challenges the universality of this assumption about nondisclosure by examining the tendencies, mechanisms, and psychological consequences of self-disclosure from young adults to their parents across three distinct cultural contexts: Euro-Canadian (independent), Chinese (self-effacing interdependent), and Mexican (expressive interdependent) cultures. We found that self-disclosure is generally more essential in the independent culture, as evidenced by members’ higher disclosure tendencies, higher consideration of personal benefits in disclosure decision-making, and greater psychological benefits from disclosure. In contrast, nondisclosure, especially of negative events, may serve more relationship-protective functions in the self-effacing interdependent culture than in the independent culture. People from the expressive interdependent culture appear to use disclosure and nondisclosure situationally to balance personal needs with group responsibilities. These empirical findings support our proposed culturally situated self-(non)disclosure model (PRISM), which synthesizes the functions of self-(non)disclosure into four categories: personal benefit, relational promotion, individuality protection, and social safeguarding. According to this model, different cultural backgrounds shape unique (non)disclosure considerations, decisions, and consequences through individual, familial, and cultural factors. Conceptualizing self-(non)disclosure under this new framework advances theoretical understanding of disclosure behaviors across cultures and offers crucial insights into the unique features of different types of cultures.