| Abstract: | When people discover their romantic partner is keeping a secret from them but allow their partner to believe the secret is still unknown (creating what Caughlin, Scott, Miller, and Hefner referred to as a putative secret), this can have negative implications for their relationship. This study examined how putative secrets influence conflict in romantic relationships over time and whether certain factors (including perceived reasons for the secrecy, use of deception, and relationship satisfaction) moderate this association. The sample consisted of 305 dating individuals. Participants reported on a current putative secret, a putative secret kept in the past, or no secret, and then completed 3-week online diary entries tracking their conflict. The results revealed that individuals who were currently managing a putative secret had higher levels of conflict and more changes in conflict in their relationship over time than individuals who experienced a putative secret in the past or no putative secrets at all. Although individuals' attributions for their partner's secret keeping were important, they often depended on relationship satisfaction and currency of the putative secret. Relationship satisfaction significantly moderated the association between putative secrets and conflict, such that individuals who reported current putative secrets and were more dissatisfied reported the most intense conflict and the greatest changes in conflict over time. |
