The Effect of Positive Writing on Emotional Intelligence and Life Satisfaction

Title
The Effect of Positive Writing on Emotional Intelligence and Life Satisfaction
Publication Date
2006
Author(s)
Wing, Joanna
Schutte, Nicola
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3294-7659
Email: nschutte@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:nschutte
Byrne, Brian John
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5532-9407
Email: bbyrne@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:bbyrne
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Place of publication
United States of America
DOI
10.1002/jclp.20292
UNE publication id
une:3597
Abstract
This study explored the effect of writing about positive emotional experiences on emotional intelligence and life satisfaction. One hundred and seventy-five adults wrote about one of the following three topics: positive experiences with a cue for emotion regulation reflection, positive experiences without this cue, or a control writing topic. Multivariate analysis showed a significant time (pretest, posttest, and follow-up) by group effect. Writing about positive emotional experiences with an emotion regulation cue led to significant increases in emotional intelligence and life satisfaction at posttest and the increase in life satisfaction was maintained at 2-week follow-up. Further, participants who were cued to reflect on emotional regulation while writing about positive experiences rated their emotional intelligence significantly higher than the participants in the control writing group both at posttest and at follow-up. There were no significant differences in emotional intelligence or life satisfaction between those who were cued to reflect on emotional regulation while writing about positive experiences and those who wrote about positive experiences without such a cue.
Link
Citation
Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(10), p. 1291-1302
ISSN
1097-4679
0021-9762
Start page
1291
End page
1302

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