Experiential self-focus as a facilitator of processing interpersonal hurt and as a buffer in the relationship between anger rumination and psychological outcomes

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The present study compared the effects of writing about an interpersonal hurt in an experiential self-focus mode of processing on unforgiveness, benevolence, intrusive thoughts and negative affects to a control group. It also examined the moderating role of experiential and control writing conditions on the association between anger rumination and unforgiveness, benevolence, intrusive thoughts and negative affect. Latent growth curve analyses were conducted. The results indicated that unforgiveness decreased significantly over time in the experiential condition. Intrusive thoughts increased over time in both the experiential and the control conditions. After writing the average level and rates of change of unforgiveness, intrusive thoughts and benevolence over time did not differ between the two writing conditions. However, after writing the average level and linear rate of change of negative affect differed between the two groups. A piecewise analysis showed that negative affect decreased at a faster rate during writing in the experiential group than the control group. However, negative affect increased at a slower rate after the writing intervention and in the follow-up sessions in the experiential condition compared to the control group. Moreover, the results showed that the writing conditions moderated the association between anger rumination and benevolence over time. In simple slope analysis, results showed that benevolence increased during writing but decreased during the follow-up sessions among individuals with low anger rumination in the experiential condition. Benevolence significantly increased over time among those with low anger rumination in the control condition. For those with high anger rumination in the control condition, benevolence significantly decreased over time. For those with high anger rumination in the experiential condition, benevolence decreased during writing but increased during the follow-up sessions.