Rejecting, accepting or merely writing about negative aspects of the self: are they different paths to the same end?

Abstract

There lacks a clear academic or clinical consensus regarding the best methods by which individuals should attempt to manage negative thoughts and feelings, particularly as they pertain to assessments of the self or one's personality. One hundred and sixty-one undergraduates completed this study which considered whether it is more advantageous to accept, alter or merely write about negative aspects of the self. While there were no statistically significant between-group differences in self-perceived helpfulness by having subjects either accept, reject or merely write about a negative thought, there was evidence suggesting that all three methods were more helpful than not. These findings are consistent with previous empirical evidence that all three techniques might be beneficial in coping with personally defined negative aspects of the self. Theoretical and clinical implications and applications are also considered.

Keywords::

• negative thinking
• self-acceptance
• self-rejection
• expressive writing
• self-perception
• social cognition

Acknowledgements

This paper is based on an earlier presentation at the International Center of Mental Health Policy and Economics First Meeting on Patient Reported Outcomes in Mental Health, Patient Reported Outcomes and Person Centered Care in Mental Health at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, District of Columbia.