Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

5-2019

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Psychology

Major Professor

Kristina Gordon

Committee Members

Timothy Hulsey, Jack Barlow, Heather Hirschfeld

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to create a scale that measures an individual’s interest in verbal and written expression. Psychological theorists have held that individuals benefit emotionally from articulating their thoughts and feelings; these theories have found support in empirical studies that suggest the psychological benefits of certain language-based behaviors and experience in language-rich environments. Moreover, theorists and researchers have identified differences in individuals’ relationships with language. In light of this literature, this scale is an attempt to create a measure that assesses an individual’s relationship with language in a novel way. This paper consists of two studies. The first, a pilot study, develops the scale, examines its psychometric properties, and explores its relationship with theoretical correlates based on responses from online participants. The second is a replication study that aims to determine whether the pilot study’s results replicated in a different sample who filled out the questionnaire in person.

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