Spera et al., 1994: Writing feelings regarding job loss decreased time taken to find new job among unemployed middle-aged professionals over 6 weeks
Reference:
Spera, S. P., Buhrfeind, E. D., & Pennebaker, J. W. (1994). Expressive writing and coping with job loss. Academy of management journal, 37(3), 722-733.
Download PDFSummary:
Asking recently unemployed middle-aged professionals to write about their “deepest thoughts and feelings” about their job loss for 20-minutes/day over 5 consecutive days found a new full-time job more quickly over the next 8-months (53%) relative to individuals who wrote about nontraumatic topics (24%) or a nonrandomized group that did not write at all (14%). The treatment group also reported drinking alcohol less over the six weeks following the study. There was no effect on other health behavior measures.
Psychological Process:
What Desired Meaning is At Stake?
What is the Person Trying to Understand?
Selves (My Own and Others')Approach to Desired Meaning
What about it?
Changing beliefs about emotions, states, and the valence of the self-conceptHow?
Psychological Question Addressed
Are negative past emotions, states, and experiences ongoing and undermining?Are negative past emotions, states, and experiences ongoing and undermining?Psychological Question Addressed
Are negative past emotions, states, and experiences ongoing and undermining?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Social Area:
Health; Work
Intervention Technique:
Active reflection, on negative experiences