Positive Secrets Energize People, Study Finds

Columbia University Research Reveals Internal Motivation Behind Keeping Good News Secret

Keeping positive secrets, such as a surprise or personal achievement, can make people feel more energized, according to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
The study, led by Michael Slepian, PhD, an associate professor of business at Columbia University, involved experiments with over 3,000 participants.
Participants who reflected on their positive secrets reported feeling more energized than those who thought about their good news that was not secret.
People often keep positive secrets for their own enjoyment or to make a surprise more exciting, rather than due to external pressures.
Even when positive secrets aren’t intended to be revealed, people still get excited about them, feeling more in control and energized.