Promuovere l'autostima, l'autoefficacia e lo stile decisionale a scuola attraverso la scrittura espressiva

Writing one’s positive emotions connected to life goals is healthy. This is the conclusion Laura King have arrived after analyzing theeffects of the transcription of the best possible future self. James W. Pennebaker, the pioneer of the expressive writing, has tested it in aretrospective manner and has emphasized the health effects of writing the negative emotions related to traumatic events which have beenexperienced in the past. In the present study, we decided to compare the effects of transcription of the fears and hopes about the future lifeon three transversal competences, which have a principal value in the self-counseling process of the students: self-esteem, self-efficacyand decision-making style. The research was carried out in a public secondary school, the Scientific Liceo “Pietro Farinato” of Enna andinvolved a sample of 60 students, aged between 17 and 20 years. We have chosen the procedure developed by Pennebaker, adapted withthe perspective mode experienced by the King. The application of the procedure of Pennebaker in a perspective sense has had a positiveimpact, statistically significant, on the levels of self-efficacy and decision-making styles, but not on the levels of self-esteem of the studentswho wrote the hopes about their future life. The same effect has not been shown in the students who wrote the fears about their future life.