| Abstract: | Past research shows that writing promotes coping following traumatic events, but pays limited attention to the benefits of writing following relationship dissolution. Research also largely overlooks the utility of positively-focused writing following stressful events. A total of 87 currently single participants (25 males, 62 females) who recently experienced relationship dissolution were randomly assigned to one of three writing conditions (negatively-focused, positively-focused, and neutral) to determine writing's impact on change in emotions. As hypothesized, participants in the positive writing condition increased in positive emotions from pretest to immediate posttest compared to both the negative writing and neutral writing conditions. There were no differences between conditions in the experience of negative emotions. These findings show how writing can help people cope with relationship dissolution. |
