Professor James Pennebaker tells us how we can use words to better understand ourselves and others. He shares how expressive writing can be a tool to understand trauma. Hosted by Duff Watkins

Dr James Pennebaker is an internationally recognized social psychologist who's endlessly curious about human nature.

His earlier work found that keeping secrets can make people sick. This work led to his discovery that people could improve their physical and mental health by writing about their deepest secrets, which is now widely known as expressive writing. Most recently, he's become intrigued by how people reveal themselves in their everyday spoken and written language.

Author of the popular books, Opening Up Writing it down: Expressive Writing: Words that heal; The Secret Life of Pronouns and more. Pennebaker is Regents Centennial Liberal Arts Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. He's a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers and a consultant to businesses, medical schools, and various federal agencies that address corporate and national security issues. Pennebaker is the author or editor of 10 books and almost 300 scientific articles and he ranks among the most cited researchers in psychology, psychiatry, and the social sciences.

02:26  Pronouns