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Abstract
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Why do individuals conceal personal information that others need to know? On the surface, the answer seems obvious. Individuals withhold personal information because they believe that disclosure will do more harm than good. Yet, researchers and practitioners would benefit from a deeper examination into this issue. In the present paper, we describe the interpersonal conditions that create disclosure dilemmas. These conditions provide a theoretical foundation, rooted in interdependence theory, for understanding and managing information non-disclosure. We demonstrate the utility of this social dilemma model of personal information disclosure by applying it to concussion self-reporting.
Under-reporting of concussions is a well-known public health problem. Unfortunately, concussion researchers and practitioners do not have an explicit theoretical foundation for understanding the psychology of concussion non-disclosure. We used interdependence theory, a theory based on the structure of social relationships, to develop a social dilemma model of personal information non-disclosure and apply it to the concussion domain. Self-disclosure becomes problematic when individuals perceive a need to report their concussions but also perceive that disclosure could be detrimental in some way. Individuals who experience these disclosure dilemmas can evaluate the value of concussion self-disclosure using direct outcomes (e.g. losing scholarships, improved recovery), self-concept outcomes (e.g. viewing disclosure as "weak" or "sensible"), and social status outcomes (e.g. being perceived poorly or favorably by teammates). These immediate, personal outcomes are integrated with relationship-specific motives and ethical considerations ultimately leading to disclosure or non-disclosure. Providing an explicit theoretical basis for self-disclosure dilemmas is critical for understanding concussion non-disclosure and mitigating its corresponding harm. Our social dilemma model highlights (a) the foundational psychological basis for concussion non-disclosure, (b) possible reasons that initiatives designed to increase concussion disclosure have been ineffective, and (c) the need to consider the decision-making autonomy of concussed individuals. Although we explain our social dilemma model using concussion self-reporting, we believe that this model is applicable to any domain where individuals are reluctant to disclose personal information to others who need it.
Keywords Concussion, brain injury, dilemma, disclosure, non-disclosure, reporting, athletes
Language: en |