Rosario participated in a program in which she wrote about a traumatic event in her life as a way to improve her distress about this event. Maxime participated in the same program, but in addition to writing about a traumatic event in her life, she received instructions to focus on finding something positive about this negative experience. Research indicates that
A) both women will benefit from each version of the program equally.
B) Rosario will profit more than Maxime because trying to find a positive aspect to a negative situation will detract from the value of emotional disclosure.
C) Maxime will profit more than Rosario because focusing on something positive adds additional benefits to emotional disclosure.
D) neither woman will benefit from the program as much as a man would.

Question

Rosario participated in a program in which she wrote about a traumatic event in her life as a way to improve her distress about this event. Maxime participated in the same program, but in addition to writing about a traumatic event in her life, she received instructions to focus on finding something positive about this negative experience. Research indicates that​
A) ​both women will benefit from each version of the program equally.
B) ​Rosario will profit more than Maxime because trying to find a positive aspect to a negative situation will detract from the value of emotional disclosure.
C) ​Maxime will profit more than Rosario because focusing on something positive adds additional benefits to emotional disclosure.
D) ​neither woman will benefit from the program as much as a man would.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Research suggests that while emotional disclosure (writing about a traumatic event) can have beneficial effects such as reducing distress and improving physical health, actively searching for positive aspects of a traumatic event can enhance these effects even further. This is because it helps individuals to develop a more adaptive narrative around the event, which can lead to increased resilience and positive growth. Therefore, Maxime's approach of focusing on finding something positive about the negative experience may lead to greater benefits than Rosario's approach of solely writing about the event.

Rosario Participated in a Program in Which She Wrote About