James W. Pennebaker
Encyclopedia
James W. Pennebaker is an American
social psychologist. He is the Centennial Liberal Arts Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin
and a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers. His research focuses on the relationship between natural language use, health, and social behavior, most recently "how everyday language reflects basic social and personality processes".
in 1972 with honors and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin
in 1977.
He has held the following positions:
, the National Institutes of Health
, the U.S. Army Research Institute, and other federal agencies for studies in language, emotion, and social dynamics.
A pioneer of writing therapy
, he has researched the link between language and recovering from trauma and been "recognized by the American Psychological Association
as one of the top researchers on trauma, disclosure, and health." In particular, he finds a person's use of "low-level words," such as pronouns and articles, predictive of recovery as well as indicative of sex, age, and personality traits: "Virtually no one in psychology has realized that low-level words can give clues to large-scale behaviors."
In the mid-1990s, he and colleagues developed the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC; pronounced "Luke"), a computerized text analysis program that outputs the percentage of words in a given text that fall into one or more of over 80 linguistic (e.g., first-person singular pronouns, conjunctions), psychological (e.g., anger, achievement), and topical (e.g., leisure, money) categories. It builds on previous research establishing strong links between linguistic patterns and personality or psychological state, but makes possible far more detailed results than did hand counts. Pennebaker and associates have used this tool to analyze the language of Al Quaeda leaders and of political candidates, particularly in the 2008 United States presidential election
. He blogs with associates on what linguistic analysis says about political leaders, at Wordwatchers: Tracking the language of public figures, and Pennebaker Conglomerates, Inc. offers free LIWC-based text analysis tools online, including a language style matching calculator and a language-based application of the Thematic Apperception Test
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
social psychologist. He is the Centennial Liberal Arts Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
and a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers. His research focuses on the relationship between natural language use, health, and social behavior, most recently "how everyday language reflects basic social and personality processes".
Education and career
Pennebaker received his B.A. from Eckerd CollegeEckerd College
Eckerd College is a private 4-year coeducational liberal arts college at the southernmost tip of St. Petersburg, Florida, in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.- Campus :...
in 1972 with honors and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
in 1977.
He has held the following positions:
- 1977–1983: Assistant Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of VirginiaUniversity of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
- 1983–1997: Associate and Full Professor, Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
; 1995–97: Chair of Psychology Department - 1997–present: Professor, University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
; 2005–09: Bush Regents Professor of Liberal Arts, 2005–present: Chair of Psychology Department, 2009–present: Regents Centennial Professor of Liberal Arts - 2005–present: International Research Professor, University of Central LancashireUniversity of Central LancashireThe University of Central Lancashire is a university based in Preston, Lancashire, England.The university has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge which was founded in 1828. In 1992 it was granted University status by the Privy Council...
, Preston, England.
Research
Over the course of his career, Pennebaker has studied the nature of physical symptoms, health consequences of secrets, expressive writing, and natural language, and has received grants from the National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
, the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
, the U.S. Army Research Institute, and other federal agencies for studies in language, emotion, and social dynamics.
A pioneer of writing therapy
Writing therapy
Writing therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses the act of writing and processing the written word as therapy. Writing therapy posits that writing one's feelings gradually eases pain and strengthens the immune system...
, he has researched the link between language and recovering from trauma and been "recognized by the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
as one of the top researchers on trauma, disclosure, and health." In particular, he finds a person's use of "low-level words," such as pronouns and articles, predictive of recovery as well as indicative of sex, age, and personality traits: "Virtually no one in psychology has realized that low-level words can give clues to large-scale behaviors."
In the mid-1990s, he and colleagues developed the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC; pronounced "Luke"), a computerized text analysis program that outputs the percentage of words in a given text that fall into one or more of over 80 linguistic (e.g., first-person singular pronouns, conjunctions), psychological (e.g., anger, achievement), and topical (e.g., leisure, money) categories. It builds on previous research establishing strong links between linguistic patterns and personality or psychological state, but makes possible far more detailed results than did hand counts. Pennebaker and associates have used this tool to analyze the language of Al Quaeda leaders and of political candidates, particularly in the 2008 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. He blogs with associates on what linguistic analysis says about political leaders, at Wordwatchers: Tracking the language of public figures, and Pennebaker Conglomerates, Inc. offers free LIWC-based text analysis tools online, including a language style matching calculator and a language-based application of the Thematic Apperception Test
Thematic Apperception Test
The Thematic Apperception Test, or TAT, is a projective psychological test. Historically, it has been among the most widely researched, taught, and used of such tests...
.
Books
- The Psychology of Physical Symptoms. New York: Springer, 1982. ISBN 9780387907307
- (Ed., with Daniel M. Wegner) Handbook of Mental Control. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1993. ISBN 9780133792805
- Emotion, Disclosure, and Health. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1995. ISBN 9781557983084
- Opening up: The Healing Power of Confiding in Others. New York: Morrow, 1990. Repr. Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions. New York: Guilford, 1997. ISBN 9781572302389
- Writing to Heal: A Guided Journal for Recovering from Trauma and Emotional Upheaval. Oakland, California: New Harbinger, 2004. ISBN 9781572243651
- The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011. ISBN 9781608194803
Articles
- (with Sandra Klihr Beall) "Confronting a traumatic event: Toward an understanding of inhibition and disease." Journal of Abnormal Psychology 95.3 (1986) pp. 274–81. pdf at University of Texas Department of Psychology
- (with Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser and Ronald Glaser) "Disclosure of traumas and immune function: health implications for psychotherapy." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 56.2 (1988) pp. 239–45. pdf at University of Texas Department of Psychology
- "Confession, Inhibition, and Disease." Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 22 (1989) pp. 211–44. doi: 10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60309-3. Preview at ScienceDirect
- (with David Watson) "Health complaints, stress, and distress: Exploring the central role of negative affectivity." Psychological Review 96.2, April 1989, pp. 234–54. doi: 10.1037/0033-295X.96.2.234. pdf at University of Texas Department of Psychology
- "Putting stress into words: Health, linguistic, and therapeutic implications." Invited essay. Behaviour Research and Therapy 31.6, July 1993, pp. 539–48. doi: 10.1016/0005-7967(93)90105-4. Abstract at ScienceDirect
- "Writing About Emotional Experiences as a Therapeutic Process." Psychological Science 8.3, May 1997, pp. 162–66. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.1997.tb00403.x. pdf at University of Texas Department of Psychology
- (with Janel D. Seagal) "Forming a story: The health benefits of narrative." Journal of Clinical Psychology 55 (1999) pp. 1243–54. pdf at Pennsylvania State University
- (with Jennifer K. Bosson and William B. Swann, Jr.) "Stalking the perfect measure of implicit self-esteem: The blind men and the elephant revisited?" Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 79.4 (2000) pp. 631–43. doi: 10.1-37//0022-3514.79.4.631. pdf at University of Texas Department of Psychology
External links
- James W. Pennebaker homepage, Department of Psychology, University of Texas
- Wordwatchers: Tracking the language of public figures
- In Synch: Language Style Matching, James Pennebaker Conglomerates at Online Research Consortium
- Works by and about James W. Pennebaker at OCLC WorldCatWorldCatWorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...
- Reprints of articles by James W. Pennebaker at Department of Psychology, University of Texas