Pennebaker and Beall (1986) assigned some students to write about the most traumatic event of their lives. What happened
A)The students had higher blood pressure and more negative moods immediately after they wrote their essays and they were more likely to fall ill during the next six months.
B)The students had higher blood pressure and more negative moods immediately after they wrote their essays, but they were less likely to fall ill during the next six months.
C)The students had higher blood pressure and more negative moods immediately after writing their essays, but there were no longer-term effects.
D)Writing about the traumatic event seemed to little effect.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The students experienced higher blood pressure and more negative moods immediately after writing their essays, but this exercise was associated with a decrease in illness over the next six months, suggesting that expressing traumatic experiences in writing might have therapeutic long-term benefits despite short-term distress.

Pennebaker and Beall (1986) Assigned Some Students to Write About