User:Melodybaker

Overall, the published works of James W. Pennebaker are very relevant in understanding social issues. Most of his research, however, has a smaller sample size that could hinder its applicability to the entire population across cultures. Also, his studies are not longitudinal, hence further limiting their general applicability. For example, the one year coverage on the LSM[1] experiment on predicting relationship stability is too short a period to generally predict the stability of long term relationships. The applicability of this concept would be wide-reaching if the findings of this study were based on longitudinal data. The shift in the context of his research involvement from collective to individual concerns gives strength to the purpose of his works making it more attractive to readers who can personally relate with it. A reader, for example, who is facing emotional problems, will appreciate his work on expressive writing, perspective taking and perspective switching. It will be more relevant, however, to get a lay man’s interpretation of his studies so as not to confuse them on the psychological and technical terminology mostly used in his published works. It will surely make a difference to his readers who are not academically oriented toward the subject of psychology. It will help in making the topic of psychology more accessible to the masses. His current position as developer and owner of Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count Program is commendable in his search for ways to understand the psychological significance of language use in human interaction (Ireland, et al. 2011)[2]. However, this might pose an issue of conflict of interest in his published works that use the program and recommends its use in other studies. Such a program is commercially marketed; hence his peers and readers might doubt the authenticity of the results of his analysis using the program, particularly the errors it can commit. His works that use the program might be perceived as a means of commercial promotion. The mere fact that he posted a waiver of conflict of interest in one of his published works confirmed that such doubt is present in the industry. It would be a shame if such doubts cloud the significance of the findings of his research works in the last ten years. Pennebaker’s work has immensely contributed to the body of literature in the field of psychology, particularly in understanding language implications in human interaction. For example, perspective taking and perspective switching in expressive writing are important methods that will help offset negative outcomes for negative emotions. This is particularly applicable to people with suicidal tendencies or criminals in prison, to help them process their thoughts and help them to emotionally handle their situations. Thus, it can be a good basis for rehabilitation programs. ^ Gonzales, A.L, Hancock, J.T., & Pennebaker, J.W. (2010). Language style matching as a predictor of social dynamics in small groups. Communication Research, 27, 3-19. ^ Ireland, M.E., Slatcher, R.B., Eastwick, P.W., Scissors, L.E., Finkel, E.J., & Pennebaker, J.W. (2011). Language style matching predicts relationship initiation and stability. Psychological Science, 22, 39-44.