Promoting positive emotions following relationship dissolution through writing

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.

Keywords:

• coping
• relationship termination
• positive emotions
• negative emotions
• writing

Acknowledgements

This research was supported with funding from the Anthony Marchionne Foundation Small Grants Program. In addition to several anonymous reviewers, I would to thank the following individuals for their help on this project: Nicole Bizzoco, Leigh-Ann Javas, Lauren Korcz, Natalie Nardone, Alanna Raines, Jessica Stephan, and Kaitlin Weldon.

Notes

Notes

1. While there continues to be debate on this issue, research suggests that positive and negative affect, while related, are not polar opposites (e.g., Feldman-Barrett & Russell, 1999). In the context of relationship dissolution, several studies report that positive and negative emotions were significantly negatively correlated (Lewandowski & Bizzoco, 2007; Sprecher, 1994; Sprecher, Felmlee, Metts, Fehr, & Vanni, 1998). They were not perfectly correlated as would be expected if the emotions were at opposite ends of the same spectrum. In the present study, positive and negative emotions were also negatively correlated (Pretest, r = −0.49, p < 0.001; Posttest, r = −0.50, p < 0.001). This suggests that it is worthwhile to examine positive and negative emotions as unique experiences, and may be particularly useful in the context of relationship dissolution.

2. A total of 13 participants were not included in the sample due to failure to meet study requirements. Specifically 3 were excluded because they reported on a break-up from over 6 months in the past. In addition, I excluded 7 participants because they reported on the break-up of an engaged relationship, and 3 because they reported on the dissolution of a casual dating relationship. All participants who completed Part 1, returned for Part 2.

3. I ran all analyses involving negative and positive emotions several times with various combinations of covariates (including time since relationship dissolution and the manipulation check score simultaneously and separately), as well as without covariates. In each case, the pattern of significance was identical to the reported pattern.