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  • January 26, 2016
  • Article
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Hiding Personal Information Reveals the Worst

By: Leslie K. John, Kate Barasz and Michael I. Norton
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Abstract

Seven experiments explore people's decisions to share or withhold personal information and the wisdom of such decisions. When people choose not to reveal information—to be "hiders"—they are judged negatively by others (experiment 1). These negative judgments emerge when hiding is volitional (experiments 2A and 2B) and are driven by decreases in trustworthiness engendered by decisions to hide (experiments 3A and 3B). Moreover, hiders do not intuit these negative consequences: given the choice to withhold or reveal unsavory information, people often choose to withhold, but observers rate those who reveal even questionable behavior more positively (experiments 4A and 4B). The negative impact of hiding holds whether opting not to disclose unflattering (drug use, poor grades, and sexually transmitted diseases) or flattering (blood donations) information including across decisions ranging from whom to date to whom to hire. When faced with decisions about disclosure, decision makers should be aware not just of the risk of revealing but of what hiding reveals.

Keywords

Disclosure; Transparency; Policy-making; Privacy; Information; Corporate Disclosure; Decision Choices and Conditions; Trust

Citation

John, Leslie K., Kate Barasz, and Michael I. Norton. "Hiding Personal Information Reveals the Worst." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113, no. 4 (January 26, 2016): 954–959.
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About The Authors

Leslie K. John

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
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Michael I. Norton

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
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More from the Authors

    • November 2022
    • Psychological Science

    Opportunity Neglect: An Aversion to Low-probability Gains

    By: Emily Prinsloo, Kate Barasz, Leslie K. John and Michael I. Norton
    • October 17, 2022
    • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

    Relational Diversity in Social Portfolios Predicts Well-Being

    By: Hanne K. Collins, Serena F. Hagerty, Jordi Quoidbach, Michael I. Norton and Alison Wood Brooks
    • August 2022
    • Journal of Marketing Research (JMR)

    The Bulletproof Glass Effect: Unintended Consequences of Privacy Notices

    By: Aaron R. Brough, David A. Norton, Shannon L. Sciarappa and Leslie K. John
More from the Authors
  • Opportunity Neglect: An Aversion to Low-probability Gains By: Emily Prinsloo, Kate Barasz, Leslie K. John and Michael I. Norton
  • Relational Diversity in Social Portfolios Predicts Well-Being By: Hanne K. Collins, Serena F. Hagerty, Jordi Quoidbach, Michael I. Norton and Alison Wood Brooks
  • The Bulletproof Glass Effect: Unintended Consequences of Privacy Notices By: Aaron R. Brough, David A. Norton, Shannon L. Sciarappa and Leslie K. John
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