The event-specific benefits of writing about a difficult life experience
Author(s) / Creator(s)
Stapleton, Charles Matthew
Zhang, Hui
Berman, Jeffrey Scott
Abstract / Description
Previous research demonstrates that writing about life’s difficult moments benefits the writer cognitively and emotionally. However, it is unclear whether the benefits of writing are specific to the event written about or whether the benefits are global. This study was designed to address this issue. Participants were 120 undergraduate students who had experienced at least two difficult life events. Participants were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. Experimental participants wrote about one of these difficult events and control participants wrote about an interesting life event of their choosing. Experimental participants reported their positive and negative emotions as well as their cognitive avoidance and intrusion concerning the event written about and another event not written about. Control participants reported their emotions and cognitions concerning two difficult life events. All participants also reported their general distress. These assessments were done immediately after writing and one week later. The results indicated that experimental participants were emotionally stronger, less upset, and less cognitively avoidant about the particular difficult life event they wrote about compared to an event they did not write about. Similar comparisons between ratings of a written-about and a not-written-about event were not significant for passion, fear, and cognitive intrusion. There was evidence for a possible indirect effect of writing on general distress through changes in event-specific cognitions and emotions. Discussion of these results focuses on how writing may specifically help change a writer’s feelings and thoughts about a particular situation.
Keyword(s)
expressive writing specificity effects cognitive avoidance intrusive thoughts positive emotions negative emotionsPersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2021-02-26
Journal title
Europe's Journal of Psychology
Volume
17
Issue
1
Page numbers
53–69
Publisher
PsychOpen GOLD
Publication status
publishedVersion
Review status
peerReviewed
Is version of
Citation
Stapleton, C. M., Zhang, H., & Berman, J. S. (2021). The event-specific benefits of writing about a difficult life experience. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 17(1), 53-69. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.2089
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ejop.v17i1.2089.pdfAdobe PDF - 251.55KBMD5: 7cff5529c6dd4414c03323a30ceab6fd
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There are no other versions of this object.
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Stapleton, Charles Matthew
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Zhang, Hui
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Berman, Jeffrey Scott
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PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2022-04-14T11:20:19Z
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Made available on2022-04-14T11:20:19Z
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Date of first publication2021-02-26
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Abstract / DescriptionPrevious research demonstrates that writing about life’s difficult moments benefits the writer cognitively and emotionally. However, it is unclear whether the benefits of writing are specific to the event written about or whether the benefits are global. This study was designed to address this issue. Participants were 120 undergraduate students who had experienced at least two difficult life events. Participants were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. Experimental participants wrote about one of these difficult events and control participants wrote about an interesting life event of their choosing. Experimental participants reported their positive and negative emotions as well as their cognitive avoidance and intrusion concerning the event written about and another event not written about. Control participants reported their emotions and cognitions concerning two difficult life events. All participants also reported their general distress. These assessments were done immediately after writing and one week later. The results indicated that experimental participants were emotionally stronger, less upset, and less cognitively avoidant about the particular difficult life event they wrote about compared to an event they did not write about. Similar comparisons between ratings of a written-about and a not-written-about event were not significant for passion, fear, and cognitive intrusion. There was evidence for a possible indirect effect of writing on general distress through changes in event-specific cognitions and emotions. Discussion of these results focuses on how writing may specifically help change a writer’s feelings and thoughts about a particular situation.en_US
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Publication statuspublishedVersion
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Review statuspeerReviewed
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CitationStapleton, C. M., Zhang, H., & Berman, J. S. (2021). The event-specific benefits of writing about a difficult life experience. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 17(1), 53-69. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.2089
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ISSN1841-0413
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Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/5305
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Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.5909
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Language of contenteng
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PublisherPsychOpen GOLD
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Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.2089
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Is related tohttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4616
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Keyword(s)expressive writingen_US
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Keyword(s)specificity effectsen_US
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Keyword(s)cognitive avoidanceen_US
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Keyword(s)intrusive thoughtsen_US
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Keyword(s)positive emotionsen_US
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Keyword(s)negative emotionsen_US
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Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
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TitleThe event-specific benefits of writing about a difficult life experienceen_US
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DRO typearticle
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Issue1
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Journal titleEurope's Journal of Psychology
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Page numbers53–69
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Volume17
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Visible tag(s)Version of Recorden_US