King, 2001: Writing about most traumatic experience and ideal future self decreased illness among college student over five months
Reference:
King, L. A. (2001). The health benefits of writing about life goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27(7), 798-807.
Download PDFSummary:
College students were asked to write about (1) their most traumatic life event, (2) their best possible future self, (3) both topics, or (4) a control topic for 20 minutes/day for four consecutive days. Writing about best possible selves led to a greater increase in subjective well-being (greater life satisfaction and optimism) three weeks later. All three treatments significantly reduced illness (health center visits) over the next five months as compared to the prior three months.
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; Well-being
Intervention Technique:
Active reflection, on a positive aspect of self; Active reflection, on negative experiences