Linguistic characteristics of writing about the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were evaluated through a social cognitive processing theory framework. A total of 537 people completed an Internet-based survey and 177 chose to write about their thoughts and feelings related to 9/11. People who wrote about their thoughts and feelings reported more total symptoms of 9/11-related distress and greater attention to feelings. Linguistic differences emerged among participants classified by high, moderate, or low distress and were also evident in terms of participants’ emotional intelligence and perceived social environment.
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