The Secret Life of Pronouns

The stories people wrote were powerful and oftentimes haunting.

Perhaps the key to expressive writing was buried in what people actually say in their essays.

Another group points to the unhealthy effects of rumination and unfinished business.

Why does writing work? Some scientists suggest that repeatedly confronting painful emotions eventually lessens their impact—we adapt to them.

Now, over twenty-five years after the first writing experiment, more than two hundred similar writing studies have been conducted all over the world.

Compared to people who were told to write about nonemotional topics, those who wrote about trauma evidenced improved physical health.

began running experiments where people were asked to write about traumatic experiences for fifteen to twenty minutes a day for three or four consecutive days.

health improve? The answer, my students and I soon discovered, was yes.

More importantly, if you asked people to disclose emotionally powerful secrets, would their

Words and language are, of course, fascinating topics. Through the eyes of a social psychologist, words are even more intriguing as clues to the inner workings of people.