James W. Pennebaker
Social psychologist and professor
James W. Pennebaker is an American social psychologist who studies how language relates to health and social behavior. He is known for discovering the effects of expressive writing.
1 summary 20 min of listening
American Born 1950 in Midland, United States
About James W. Pennebaker
James W. Pennebaker was born in 1950 in Midland, Texas. He holds emeritus status as a psychology professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and he belongs to its Academy of Distinguished Teachers. He and his students have studied physical symptoms, the way writing helps people cope with upheaval, and how everyday word choices reflect personality and psychological states. He also built computer-based tools for analyzing language as a sign of a person's psychological state. In 2025 he was elected a Member of the National Academy of Sciences. His book in our catalog is The Secret Life of Pronouns.