Abstract
How does language change reveal the psychological trajectories of people coping with a COVID-19 infection? This study examined writings on social media over 12 weeks from people who self-reported having tested positive for COVID-19. People used fewer words reflecting anxiety and distancing but more words indicating reinterpretation over time. The language patterns for describing the experience of COVID-19 infections differed from those for describing other unrelated topics. The findings reveal the temporal dynamics of psychological adjustment to an unfolding crisis.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 203-216 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Journal of Language and Social Psychology |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s) 2022.
Keywords
- cognitive reappraisal
- COVID-19
- growth models
- linguistic shift
- psychological coping
- trajectory
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Education
- Language and Linguistics
- Anthropology
- Sociology and Political Science
- Linguistics and Language