We are in the midst of a technological revolution whereby, for first time, researchers can link daily word use to broad array real-world behaviors. This article reviews several computerized text analysis methods and describes how Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC) was created validated. LIWC is transparent program that counts words psychologically meaningful categories. Empirical results using demonstrate its ability detect meaning wide variety experimental settings, including show...

Most current models in health psychology assume that stress adversely affects physical health. We re-examined this assumption by reviewing extensive data from the literature and six samples of our own, which we collected measures personality, fitness, stress, emotional functioning. Results indicate self-report reflect a pervasive mood disposition negative affectivity (NA); scales also contain substantial NA component. However, although is correlated with compliant scales, it not strongly or...

For the past decade, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that when individuals write about emotional experiences, significant physical and mental health improvements follow The basic paradigm findings are summarized along with some boundary conditions Although a reduction in inhibition may contribute to disclosure phenomenon changes cognitive linguistic processes during writing predict better Implications for theory treatment discussed

Can language use reflect personality style? Studies examined the reliability, factor structure, and validity of written using a word-based, computerized text analysis program. Daily diaries from 15 substance abuse inpatients, daily writing assignments 35 students, journal abstracts 40 social psychologists demonstrated good internal consistency for over 36 dimensions. Analyses best dimensions essays by 838 students yielded 4 factors that replicated across samples another 381 students....

Telling lies often requires creating a story about an experience or attitude that does not exist. As result, false stories may be qualitatively different from true stories. The current project investigated the features of linguistic style distinguish between and In analysis five independent samples, computer-based text program correctly classified liars truth-tellers at rate 67% when topic was constant 61% overall. Compared to truth-tellers, showed lower cognitive complexity, used fewer...

Writing about important personal experiences in an emotional way for as little 15 minutes over the course of three days brings improvements mental and physical health. This finding has been replicated across age, gender, culture, social class, personality type. Using a text-analysis computer program, it was discovered that those who benefit maximally from writing tend to use high number positive-emotion words, moderate amount negative-emotion increase their cognitive words writing. These...

Can psychotherapy reduce the incidence of health problems? A general model psychosomatics assumes that inhibiting or holding back one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors is associated with long-term stress disease. Actively confronting upsetting experiences--through writing talking-is hypothesized to negative effects inhibition. Fifty healthy undergraduates were assigned write about either traumatic experiences superficial topics for 4 consecutive days. Two measures cellular immune-system...

Recent interest in the implicit self-esteem construct has led to creation and use of several new assessment tools whose psychometric properties have not been fully explored. In this article, authors investigated reliability validity seven measures. The different measures did correlate with each other, they correlated only weakly explicit self-esteem. Only some demonstrated good test-retest reliabilities, overall, were limited their ability predict our criterion variables. Finally, there was...

Previous studies have found that writing about upsetting experiences can improve physical health. In an attempt to explain this phenomenon, 72 first-year college students were randomly assigned write either their thoughts and feelings coming or superficial topics for three consecutive days. Measures of language use within the samples cognitive measures accessibility schematic organisation collected in weeks before after writing. As previous studies, was reduce health centre visits illness...

Essays written by currently-depressed, formerly-depressed, and never-depressed college students were examined for differences in language that might shed light on the cognitive operations associated with depression depression-vulnerability. A text analysis program computed incidence of words predesignated categories. Consistent Beck's model Pyczsinski Greenberg's self-focus depression, depressed participants used more negatively valenced word, "I" than did participants. Formerly-depressed...

The words people use in disclosing a trauma were hypothesized to predict improvements mental and physical health 2 studies. first study reanalyzed data from 6 previous experiments which language variables served as predictors of health. Results 177 participants writing studies showed that increased associated with insightful causal thinking was linked improved but not Higher positive relative negative emotion also better An empirical measure derived these correlated subsequent distress...

The diaries of 1,084 U.S. users an on-line journaling service were downloaded for a period 4 months spanning the 2 prior to and after September 11 attacks. Linguistic analyses journal entries revealed pronounced psychological changes in response In short term, participants expressed more negative emotions, cognitively socially engaged, wrote with greater distance. After weeks, their moods social referencing returned baseline, use cognitive-analytic words dropped below baseline. Over next 6...

To examine the expression of personality in its natural habitat, authors tracked 96 participants over 2 days using Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR), which samples snippets ambient sounds participants' immediate environments. Participants' Big Five scores were correlated with EAR-derived information on their daily social interactions, locations, activities, moods, and language use; these quotidian manifestations generally consistent trait definitions (except for Openness) often gender...

Differences in the ways that men and women use language have long been of interest study discourse. Despite extensive theorizing, actual empirical investigations yet to converge on a coherent picture gender differences language. A significant reason is lack agreement over best way analyze In this research, were examined using standardized categories database 14,000 text files from 70 separate studies. Women used more words related psychological social processes. Men referred object...