Ivy-league researchers say secrecy played a role in the 2016 election in at least one definitive way and it doesn't necessarily have to do with the actions of candidates.
According to a new study from Columbia University that surveyed 1,000 voters, people who cast their ballots for President Donald Trump in a 2016 race against candidate Hilary Clinton were twice as likely to keep their choice 'secret.'
The study, titled 'Motivated Secrecy: Politics, Relationships, and Regrets,' found that of the respondents, 53 percent who kept their ballots hidden from friends and relatives voted for Trump while 27 percent voted for Clinton.
A new study from Columbia University found people who cast their ballots for Donald Trump in a 2016 race against candidate Hilary Clinton were twice as likely to keep their choice 'secret'
The remaining 19 percent voted for one of the third-party candidates.
One of the driving factors behind the secrecy of Trump voters' decision, say authors Michael Slepian, Rachel McDonald, Jessica Salerno, and Katharine Greenaway, was their reputation.
'Because concern with one’s reputation is a fundamental social motive, people might worry that revealing undesired behaviors could damage their reputation in their own eyes or the eyes of others,' reads the study.
Specifically, as Slepian told Yahoo News: 'Trump voters were more concerned about their reputation than Clinton supporters.'
Before and during the campaign, Trump was often noted for his brash and sometimes offensive actions, which included mocking a disabled reporter and bragging about how he was allowed to grab models 'by the p****' in taped audio with television host, Billy Bush.
To avoid being associated with those statements and actions among their peers, researchers say some voters chose to keep their political preference hidden.
Voters who cast their ballots for Donald Trump in 2016 were far more likely to keep their decision secret according to a new study.
The likelihood of whether someone was more likely to secretly vote for Trump also correlated to where they sat on the political spectrum, say researchers. Those voters who identified as more conservative were more likely to be open in their support while 'moderates' tended to hide the decision.
'The more conservative
