Question

Pennebaker and Beall (1986) assigned some students to write about the most traumatic event of their lives. What happened?

A) Students reported increased stress levels.
B) Students showed improvements in physical health.
C) There were no observable effects on the students.
D) Students reported decreased levels of anxiety and depression.

Answer 1

In the Pennebaker and Beall (1986) study, students who wrote about their most traumatic life events showed physical health improvements, but their mental and physical health was still worse compared to the general public.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the study by Pennebaker and Beall (1986), students who were assigned to write about the most traumatic event of their lives showed improvements in physical health rather than increased stress levels. While the monthly survey data indicated decreased exposure to violence/trauma and improved physical health among the participants, it was also noted that clients' mental health and physical health were significantly worse than those of the general public, implying that the writing exercise had a complex impact that includes potential benefits in some areas and ongoing challenges in others. The act of writing about traumatic experiences can be considered a form of stress management or emotional release, which may contribute to the positive health outcomes observed.