Self-Distancing and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Homework Exercises: A Longitudinal Study Examining the Completion of Daily Worry Logs in the Third Person

This study examined the effects of self-distancing in the domain of stress and well-being through the use of daily worry logs adapted from cognitive-behavioral therapy homework exercises. Participants completed daily worry logs for six days in either a first person writing condition (self-immersed) or a third person writing condition (self-distanced). Results showed that relative to participants writing in the first person, writing in the third person led people to report higher life satisfaction at the end of the study. Moreover, individual differences in worry, depression, and rumination did not moderate the effect of condition on life satisfaction. However, third person writing did not enhance homework compliance; nearly equal numbers of worry logs were completed in each condition. Findings and implications are discussed in the context of self-administered treatments and cognitive-behavioral therapy