Adolescents' and emerging adults' reminisces about emotions in the context of disclosing, concealing, and lying to parents

The present study examined early and middle adolescents' and emerging adults' emotions associated with salient experiences of disclosure, concealment, and lying to parents about their routine activities. US middle class youth (n = 131; Ms = 12.74, 15.81, 20.40 years, respectively) recalled a time they disclosed, concealed, and lied to parents; using directed questions, participants were asked to recall their emotions when the events happened and in thinking about the events now. Youth reported more relief but also more distress and anxiety when reminiscing about the time they disclosed than they reported at present, whereas they reported more happiness at present than when they disclosed. Youth reported more undifferentiated negative emotions and more guilt-but unexpectedly, also less shame-when reminiscing about the time they concealed and lied than they reported at present; emerging adults reported more guilt than did early and middle adolescents, but only when reflecting on their past experience and not when considering their guilt about that experience now. Middle adolescent females recalled more anxiety and distress when they lied than did either same-age males or older females. Findings shed light on the role of emotions in disclosure, concealment and lying and their implications for self, identity, and moral development.