Presented by:
Kevin Bennett
Key Statement:
The words that students use to describe emotional moments can reveal clues about classroom motivation. Positive word choices are associated with greater academic success.
Keywords:
Peak Experiences, Linguistic Analysis, Academic Outcomes
Abstract:
The words that people use in everyday life reveal clues about their psychological states. Across multiple semesters, introductory psychology students were asked to write about their peak experiences in life. A peak experience is a transcendent moment of pure joy that stands out from everyday events. The Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC-22) program was used to analyze the connection between the emotional content of writing samples and academic performance among college students. (N=256). Peak experiences with a positive emotional tone were associated with higher course grades (r = .16, p<.05).
Learning Outcomes:
1. Explain how the self-selection of words by students in peak experience writing provides insight into personality and academic motivation.
2. Describe how a linguistic analysis works and why this is a valuable tool for unlocking new perspectives on the psychology of student success.
3. Design novel ways to extend this research that will provide a deeper understanding of why some students excel while others struggle.
Hear it from the author:
TRANSCRIPT:
This is a study about word choice, emotional experiences, and academic success. The language
that people use in everyday life can reveal deep insights about psychological states. The work
presented here explores the connection between the emotional content of writing and academic
performance among college students.
Over several semesters, introductory psychology students (N=203) were asked to write about their peak experiences—transcendent moments of pure joy that are distinctly memorable. Using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC-22) program, we analyzed these writing samples to examine how their emotional tone relates to academic success.
Findings indicate that peak experiences with a predominantly positive emotional tone are positively correlated with higher course grades (r = .16, p<.05). Conversely, two specific linguistic factors were found to negatively correlate with academic performance: (1) the frequent use of adverbs; and (2) the presence of words related to social behavior. These results suggest that emotional positivity of peak experiences and the specific linguistic patterns within students' writing can predict academic outcomes. This research underscores the potential of linguistic analysis as a tool for understanding the interplay between emotional
expression and academic achievement.
REFERENCES:
Alyahyan, E., Düştegör, D. (2020). Predicting academic success in higher education: Literature review and best practices. Int J Educ Technol High Educ 17, 3 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-020-0177-7
Mathes, E. W. (1982). Peak experience tendencies: Scale development and theory testing. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 22(3), 92-108. https://doi-org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1177/0022167882223011
Norvilitis, J. M. & Reid, H. M. (2012). Predictors of academic and social success and psychological well-being in college students, Education Research International, vol. 2012. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/272030
Polyson, J. (1985). Students’ peak experiences: A written exercise. Teaching of Psychology, 12(4), 211-213. https://doi-org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1207/s15328023top1204_7