From defense to reconstruction: The hostility-meaning dual-path model of how observing others’ adversity influences distress disclosure

Objective This study explored the mechanism by which observing peers’ adverse experiences influences distress disclosure of negative information through two progressive studies. Methods Study 1constructed a moderated mediation model to analyze the relationships among stress, self-esteem, hostility, and disclosure. Study 2 employed a situational experiment to test a chain mediation model which supplemented by multi-group analysis. Results Study 1 showed that stress directly inhibited disclosure and indirectly inhibited it via reduced self-esteem, with hostility moderating the stress–self-esteem relationship. Study 2 confirmed a full chain mediation effect under adversity perception, with significant path coefficient differences across groups: participation willingness promoted disclosure in the adversity group but inhibited it in the prosperity group. Limitations This study did not examine the moderating effects of cultural values, nor did it control for potential confounding variables such as gender, age, social desirability, and self-selection bias. Conclusions This research reveals the dual-path mechanism of imperfect models: they can trigger either defensive hostility or meaning reconstruction depending on situational perception, expanding the application of the Meaning Maintenance Model in the study of role model effects and informing psychological interventions.