The scientific
research on the benefits of so-called expressive writing is surprisingly
vast. Studies have shown that writing about oneself and personal
experiences can improve mood disorders, help reduce symptoms among cancer patients, improve a person’s health after a heart attack, reduce doctor visits and even boost memory.
Now researchers are
studying whether the power of writing — and then rewriting — your
personal story can lead to behavioral changes and improve happiness.
The concept is based
on the idea that we all have a personal narrative that shapes our view
of the world and ourselves. But sometimes our inner voice doesn’t get it
completely right. Some researchers believe that by writing and then
editing our own stories, we can change our perceptions of ourselves and
identify obstacles that stand in the way of better health.
It may sound like self-help nonsense, but research suggests the effects are real.
In one of the earliest
studies on personal story editing, researchers gathered 40 college
freshman at Duke University who were struggling academically. Not only
were they worried about grades, but they questioned whether they were
intellectual equals to other students at their school.
The students were
divided into intervention groups and control groups. Students in the
intervention group were given information showing that it is common for
students to struggle in their freshman year. They watched videos of
junior and senior college students who talked about how their own grades
had improved as they adjusted to college.
The goal was to prompt
these students to edit their own narratives about college. Rather than
thinking they weren’t cut out for college, they were encouraged to think
that they just needed more time to adjust.
The intervention
results, published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
were startling. In the short term, the students who had undergone the
story-changing intervention got better grades on a sample test. But the
long-term results were the most impressive.
Full Article Here: nytimes
Related Article: familyjournal1
No comments:
Post a Comment