Use of an explicit rule decreases procrastination in university students

The procrastination behavior of students from a small rural university was decreased by presenting them with a rule indicating that a sooner final due date for a writing assignment would be contingent on procrastination during earlier phases of the paper. A counterbalanced AB BA design was used to measure the effects of the rule‐based treatment across 2 introductory psychology classes (N = 33). Overall, participants engaged in less procrastination, missed fewer deadlines, and produced higher quality writing in the treatment condition.     

小学四年级学生写作构思技能培养的实验研究

本研究运用心理模拟法创立了写作构思活动模式,并根据心智技能按阶段形成的理论对构思技能进行了分阶段培养。结果表明：①写作构思活动的实践模式可以有效地提高学生的写作构思技能水平,并能进而促进其写作水平的整体提高;②小学四年级学生在写作构思水平上不存在明显的性别差异,男女学生可以同等程度地接受构思技能的培训;③学生原有的写作技能水平和智力水平对于当前的写作活动有明显影响。     

Benefits of expressive writing and expressive talking about life goals

This study employed a 2 (writing vs. talking) × 2 (life goals vs. daily schedule) fully crossed, factorial design to examine whether health benefits might accrue for talking and/or writing about life goals. Participants assigned the life goals topic had fewer illness-related health center visits, regardless of mode of expression, compared to participants assigned the non-emotional topic. Counter to expectation, optimism did not moderate the effect of topic on illness-related health center visits. Participants in talking groups rated post-intervention mood as less negative than those in writing groups and participants rated talking about life goals as more difficult than writing about life goals.     

Improving written language performance of adolescents with Asperger syndrome

The effects of a multicomponent intervention involving self-regulated strategy development delivered via video self-modeling on the written language performance of 3 students with Asperger syndrome were examined. During intervention sessions, each student watched a video of himself performing strategies for increasing the number of words written and the number of functional essay elements. He then wrote a persuasive essay. The number of words written and number of functional essay elements included in each essay were measured. Each student demonstrated gains in the number of words written and number of functional essay elements. Maintenance of treatment effects at follow-up varied across targets and participants. Implications for future research are suggested.     

The role of Hebrew letter names in early literacy: the case of multiphonemic acrophonic names

English-speaking children spell letters correctly more often when the letters' names are heard in the word (e.g., B in beach vs. bone). Hebrew letter names have been claimed to be less useful in this regard. In Study 1, kindergartners were asked to report and spell initial and final letters in Hebrew words that included full (CVC), partial (CV), and phonemic (C) cues derived from these letter names (e.g., kaftor, kartis, kibepsilonl, spelled with /kaf/). Correct and biased responses increased with length of congruent and incongruent cues, respectively. In Study 2, preschoolers and kindergartners were asked to report initial letters with monosyllabic or disyllabic names (e.g., /kaf/ or /samepsilonx/, respectively) that included the cues described above. Correct responses increased with cue length; the effect was stronger with monosyllabic letter names than with disyllabic letter names, probably because the cue covered a larger ratio of the letter name. Phonological awareness was linked to use of letter names.     

Dialogical journal writing as ‘self‐therapy’: ‘I matter’

Aim: This case study of one woman's (Jane's) experience of dialogical journal writing presents a way of finding a ‘compassionate image’ for self‐therapy. Various theoretical analyses are indicated with Mindfulness‐based conceptualisations at the forefront. Methodology: Based on three recorded interviews, the narrative inquiry took place over a year. Methodologically, this paper is also one contribution to an ongoing debate about different research approaches in therapeutic writing research. Participants: This study took place in Aotearoa New Zealand, where both Jane and I are migrants. Discussion: This account draws on a report of self‐directed writing for well‐being, seen as an alternative to counselling or medication for depression and anxiety. It focuses on how a particular style of writing evolved and how the motivation to write continues.     

语词分析下结构式写作在应对负性生活事件中的作用

对以结构式写作处理负性生活事件的90份写作文本进行语词分析,以语词分析类别中心理历程四个维度的语词数为自变量,以被试写作后SF-36量表总分、社会功能、躯体功能和情感职能得分为因变量进行的回归分析表明,对写作文本的认知历程对被试总体身心健康、社会功能和躯体功能状况均有正向作用,社会历程对躯体功能状况呈负向作用．感知历程中的特征因素对被试情绪职能呈负向作用。研究证实了书面叙述对负性生活事件的积极处理效应,并对认知与社会互动因素的作用机制进行了初步探索。     

Reflecting on Maltese school‐based counselling practices: An autoethnographic collaborative writing project

Maltese counsellors working in schools are, at times, just making ends meet due to lack of human resources and work schedules. ‘Why do our students/children have to repeat the same story to so many professionals?’ teachers/parents angrily query. This autoethnographic study voices our professional experiences as authors and participants. This empowers us to be advocates for our young clients. Collaborative autoethnography (CAE) methodology best fits our research question as we ‘seek to discover and systemically analyze (graphy) personal experience (auto)…understand cultural experience (ethno)’ (Ellis, Adams, & Brochner, 2011, p. 273). Our writing and reflections conclude that best practices include counsellors who work, at least, in pairs within transdisciplinary teams at one school for cycles of five years, with clarity of roles across professionals.