ArticleBMC psychology2026
Punishment sensitivity and life satisfaction: the mediating role of self-concealment and secrecy-induced cognitive preoccupation.
Article in BMC psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Life satisfaction is central to well-being, yet how punishment sensitivity is associated with life satisfaction remains insufficiently understood. Across two studies, we examined concealment-related processes that may help explain this association at different levels of analysis. In Study 1 (N = 284), punishment sensitivity was positively associated with self-concealment and negatively associated with life satisfaction; self-concealment was also negatively associated with life satisfaction. A mediation model indicated a significant indirect association linking punishment sensitivity, self-concealment, and life satisfaction, even after controlling for negative affect, age, and gender. In Study 2 (N = 249), participants recalled either a high-burden or low-burden secret. Participants in the high-burden secret recall condition reported greater cognitive preoccupation and lower state life satisfaction than those in the low-burden condition. Cognitive preoccupation partially explained the association between the high-burden secret recall condition and lower state life satisfaction. Moderated mediation analyses further showed that punishment sensitivity amplified the association between the high-burden secret recall condition and cognitive preoccupation, with conditional indirect effects emerging at mean and high levels of punishment sensitivity. Together, the findings are consistent with an RST-informed account in which punishment sensitivity is associated with both enduring self-concealment tendencies and immediate cognitive costs in secrecy-related contexts.
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