Language use in imagined dialogue and narrative disclosures of trauma.
Support exists in many populations for the use of written disclosure to express thoughts and emotions about a traumatic experience. The present study examined language use in a variation of the writing task modified to include an imagined dialogue with another person. We hypothesized that this method would increase cognitive, affective, and present-tense word use, all of which are linked with beneficial outcomes from writing. We randomly assigned 169 college students to write in one of three conditions: trauma narrative, trauma dialogue, or control writing. Results suggested that writing about traumatic experiences in the form of a dialogue promotes greater present-oriented, affective experiencing and cognitive processing than does writing in the form of a narrative.
Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, 62901-6502, USA. paburke6@verizon.net
Philip A
PA
Burke
Rebekah G
RG
Bradley
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D033262:Narration; D012650:Self Disclosure; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*