What is the expressive writing technique by Pennebaker?

What is the expressive writing technique by Pennebaker?

James Pennebaker was the first researcher that studied therapeutic effects of writing. He developed a method called expressive writing, which consists of putting feelings and thoughts into written words in order to cope with traumatic events or situations that yield distress (Pennebaker & Chung, 2007). The expressive purpose is used to communicate, or express, the personal feelings or thoughts of the writer. This kind of writing is concerned primarily with the writer as an individual. Much expressive writing could be termed anecdote. The authors concluded that: ‘writing about earlier traumatic experience was associated with both short-term increases in physio- logical arousal and long-term decreases in health problems’ (Pennebaker & Beall, 1986: p. 280). both physical and psychological health, in non-clinical and clinical populations. Expressive writing is writing in which the writer is her/his own audience. It need be evaluated by no one other than the writer. Transactional writing, in comparison, is the communication of previous learning performed for others. Expressive writing is not creative writing; it is the thought process made visible. Through the 1980s, Pennebaker developed research supporting the idea that secrets contribute to physical illness. Specifically, he discovered that people who experienced trauma and kept it secret were most likely to have health problems.

What is the style of expressive writing?

Expressive writing is personal and emotional writing without regard to punctuation, verb agreement, or other technical aspects of writing. An expressive text may reveal the thoughts, feelings, experiences and memories of its author. Narratives, personal commentaries, personal essays and blogs are examples of expressive texts. The Expressive personality, a verbally adept personality, is engaging, accommodating, supportive of others, persuasive, socially adept, and relationship- rather than task-oriented. Smiling, laughing, shouting, crying, and pouting are all expressive. So is art, whether it’s music, sculpture, or writing. In this regard, Pennebaker developed “Written Emotional Disclosure Paradigm” that refers to the importance of not only verbal but also written disclosure of feelings and thoughts. He suggested that written emotional disclosure improves physical and psychological health.

What is expressive writing called?

What Is Expressive Writing? Expressive writing—also called emotional writing—is the process of writing about personal and emotional events without regard to form, structure, spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Essentially, it is free-writing, often inspired by a prompt, poem, or piece of literature. Types of expressive writing include personal journals, essays, memoirs, songs, poetry, and opinion pieces. Expressive writing is done in the first person and gives the writer, as well as those who are reading whatever form the expression takes, insight into that person. The three basic steps of expressive writing – prewriting, composing, and revising – have to be taught explicitly. Speaking, gesturing (waving, pointing), writing (texting, emailing), facial expressions (crying, smiling), and vocalizations (crying, yelling) are all variations of expressive language. Children with poor expressive language skills may become frustrated when they cannot communicate their wants and needs.

What is expressive writing psychology?

Expressive writing is a form of therapy in which individuals write about their thoughts and feelings related to a personally stressful or traumatic life experience. Expressive writing is sometimes referred to as written disclosure, because writers are instructed to disclose personal information, thoughts, and feelings. Expressive writing involves writing about how you felt during a particular event versus what happened. It is a much more intimate and emotional style of journaling than what we typically think of when it comes to journaling (Pennebaker, 2013; (Nazarian & Smyth, 2013). Researchers have found that people who practice expressive writing — that is, writing to help make sense of your thoughts and emotions — can experience mental and emotional benefits, including a reduction in stress, anxiety and depression and greater clarity and focus. They may even experience physical benefits. About The Author, James Pennebaker His earlier work found that keeping secrets can make people sick. This work led to his discovery that people could improve their physical and mental health by writing about their deepest secrets, which is now widely known as expressive writing. Expressive Style They use fewer nouns and more social and functional words, like “hi” or “mine”. Language is used mainly to express feelings and needs, and to socialize. Another tendency of expressive speech is to lump two words together into one (also known as “unanalyzed wholes”). For example, “allgone” or “stopit”.

What is expressive writing in Psychology?

Expressive writing is a form of therapy in which individuals write about their thoughts and feelings related to a personally stressful or traumatic life experience. Expressive writing is sometimes referred to as written disclosure, because writers are instructed to disclose personal information, thoughts, and feelings. Is expressive writing the same as journalling? Just like a diary or journal, expressive writing is a private place where you can write without inhibitions. You don’t need to heed proper spelling, punctuation or grammar. But unlike a diary, it’s not a place to record daily events just for the sake of having memories. Generally, though, poetry refers to writing that is highly personal and expressive. Therefore, when I use the phrase “expressive writing” I am using it as synonymous with what, in the U.S., we most often term “creative writing,” which includes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction (or the personal essay). For instance, expres- sive writing has been shown to reduce negative thoughts and ruminations in anxious and depressed populations (Donnelly & Murray, 1991; Graf, Gaudiano, & Geller, 2008). Expressive writing can also increase the availability of working- memory resources (Klein & Boals, 2001; Yogo & Fujihara, 2008). The three basic steps of expressive writing – prewriting, composing, and revising – have to be taught explicitly.

Who invented expressive writing?

Expressive writing is a form of writing therapy developed primarily by James W. Pennebaker in the late 1980s. The seminal expressive writing study instructed participants in the experimental group to write about a ‘past trauma’, expressing their very deepest thoughts and feelings surrounding it. Expressive writing is a form of writing therapy developed primarily by James W. Pennebaker in the late 1980s. The seminal expressive writing study instructed participants in the experimental group to write about a ‘past trauma’, expressing their very deepest thoughts and feelings surrounding it. The expressive purpose is used to communicate, or express, the personal feelings or thoughts of the writer. This kind of writing is concerned primarily with the writer as an individual. Much expressive writing could be termed anecdote. Expressive text refers to written language forms such as narrative, poetry and metaphor that can be used as tools in research to vividly represent the meaning and feeling conveyed in an experience. Expressive writing is personal and emotional writing without regard to punctuation, verb agreement, or other technical aspects of writing.

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