A PSYCHOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION IN EXPRESSIVE WRITING

Abstract

This study examines expressive writing from a psycholinguistic perspective, focusing on how emotional expression is manifested through linguistic features. The research aims to analyze the relationship between language use and underlying emotional and cognitive processes by identifying key markers such as lexical choice, pronoun usage, and syntactic structures. A qualitative approach was employed to analyze a set of expressive writing samples, allowing for an in-depth interpretation of linguistic patterns. The findings indicate that expressive writing is associated with noticeable shifts in emotional vocabulary, increased use of first-person pronouns, and improved syntactic organization. Additionally, the use of cohesive devices such as causal and contrastive connectors reflects cognitive restructuring during the writing process. These results suggest that expressive writing not only serves as a medium for emotional expression but also facilitates cognitive processing through language. The study contributes to psycholinguistic research by demonstrating how linguistic analysis can provide insights into the interaction between language, thought, and emotion.