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Expressive writing can increase working memory capacity.

K Klein1, A Boals

  • 1Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695, USA. kitty_klein@ncsu.edu

Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|September 20, 2001
PubMed
Summary
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Expressive writing about emotional experiences can improve working memory (WM) capacity. Writing about stressful events, in particular, enhances WM by reducing intrusive thoughts, freeing up cognitive resources.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Social Psychology

Background:

  • Working memory (WM) capacity is crucial for cognitive functions.
  • Intrusive thinking and emotional distress can consume WM resources.
  • Expressive writing is a potential intervention to mitigate these effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of expressive writing on working memory (WM) capacity.
  • To determine if writing about emotional experiences enhances WM compared to neutral topics.
  • To explore the relationship between writing content and WM improvements.

Main Methods:

  • Two semester-long experiments involving college freshmen.
  • Participants were assigned to write about emotional experiences (positive or negative) or a trivial topic.
  • Working memory capacity and intrusive thinking were assessed over time.

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Main Results:

  • Expressive writing about college transition led to greater WM gains compared to a trivial topic.
  • Writing about negative personal experiences significantly improved WM and reduced intrusive thinking.
  • Increased use of cause and insight words correlated with enhanced WM.

Conclusions:

  • Expressive writing, particularly about stressful events, can enhance working memory capacity.
  • Reducing intrusive and avoidant thinking through writing frees up cognitive resources.
  • This approach offers a theoretically grounded method for improving cognitive function.