Expressive writing can enhance cognitive processing and improve stress regulation. Particularly, the use of cognitive words (i.e., insightful and causal words) in writing may be associated with the process of meaning making and promotion of post-traumatic growth (PTG). The aim of the present study was to determine how expressive writing and the use of causal and insightful cognitive words influenced meaning making and PTG during writing. In total, 52 traumatized university students were recruited and randomly assigned to one of two writing conditions involving either an expressive writing task or a neutral writing task. The results showed that participants who engaged in expressive (vs. neutral) writing showed higher scores on the presence of meaning and PTG in the post-writing, self-report questionnaires. Moreover, writing task (expressive or neutral) and frequency of causal and insightful cognitive words were both significant predictors of meaning, which in turn led to high levels of PTG. In conclusion, the use of causal and insightful words might be a fundamental cognitive process for developing meaning in writing, which is essential for our further understanding of meaning making and PTG.

中文翻译：

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表达性写作和认知词的使用对意义表达和创伤后成长的影响

富有表现力的写作可以增强认知能力并改善压力调节。特别地，在写作中使用认知词（即有洞察力和因果关系的词）可能与含义的形成和促进创伤后成长（PTG）的过程相关。本研究的目的是确定表达性写作以及因果性和有见识的认知词的使用如何影响写作过程中的意义形成和PTG。总共招募了52名受创伤的大学生，并将他们随机分配到涉及表现性写作任务或中性写作任务的两种写作条件之一。结果表明，从事表达性（相对于中性）写作的参与者在写作后自我报告调查问卷中对意义和PTG的存在得分更高。此外，写作任务（表达或中性）以及因果和有见地的认知词的频率都是意义的重要预测因子，进而导致PTG的高水平。总之，因果和有见地的单词的使用可能是发展书面意义的基本认知过程，这对于我们进一步理解意义产生和PTG至关重要。