Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Articles
DOI: 10.32806/jkpi.v7i2.1555
Submitted: 05-02-2026
Published: 06-05-2026

THE UNSPOKEN VOICE: THE EXPERIENCE OF EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION THROUGH JOURNALING AMONG MALE COLLEGE STUDENTS

Universitas Mulawarman
Universitas Mulawarman
Universitas Mulawarman
Universitas Mulawarman
Emotional expression, Journaling, Male students, Masculinity, Self-reflection

Abstract

This study aims to understand the subjective experience of male students in using journaling as a means of expressing emotions. Previous research has focused more on journaling as an intervention, while individual experiences in undergoing the process, particularly in male students, are still limited to study. This study uses a qualitative approach with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) analysis. Three male students who had been journaling regularly for at least three years were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed following the stages of science. The results show that journaling functions as a private, safe, and reflective space that allows for the expression of emotions without social judgment. This practice facilitates the release of emotions, supports self-reflection, and allows for the negotiation of internalized masculinity norms in a non-confrontational manner. These findings confirm the relevance of journaling in the context of guidance and counseling and expand the study of masculinity by showing that the expression of emotions can take place through internal processes.

References

  1. Alim, M. A., Nabiel, A., Khaeroini, R., & Jamaluddin, M. (2025). Efektivitas Teknik Journaling terhadap Penurunan Stres Akademik pada Mahasiswa. 4(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.47134/pjp.v2i4.4308
  2. Batool, Dr. S., & Shahnawaz, M. (2025). Experiences of Emotional Labour: Narratives of Men from Islamabad. Advance Social Science Archive Journal, 3(2), 1158–1173. https://doi.org/10.55966/assaj.2025.3.2.019
  3. Berke, D. S., Reidy, D., & Zeichner, A. (2018). Masculinity, emotion regulation, and psychopathology: A critical review and integrated model. In Clinical Psychology Review (Vol. 66, pp. 106–116). Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2018.01.004
  4. Chervonsky, E., & Hunt, C. (2017). Suppression and expression of emotion in social and interpersonal outcomes: A meta-analysis. Emotion, 17(4), 669–683. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000270
  5. De Boise, S., & Hearn, J. (2017). Are men getting more emotional? Critical sociological perspectives on men, masculinities and emotions. Sociological Review, 65(4), 779–796. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026116686500
  6. De Melo, C., Gratch, J., Marsella, S., & Pelachaud, C. (2023). Social Functions of Machine Emotional Expressions. Proceedings of the IEEE, 2023(10), 1382–1397. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPROC.2023.3261137ï
  7. Febriliyani, W. E., & Djudiyah. (2025). Expressive Writing untuk Meningkatkan Self-Disclosure Generasi Milenial Pengguna Sosial Media Instagram. Observasi : Jurnal Publikasi Ilmu Psikologi, 3(2), 376–395. https://doi.org/10.61132/observasi.v3i2.1579
  8. Foley, R. (2025). The Toxic World of Gendered Emotions: Men and Emotional The Toxic World of Gendered Emotions: Men and Emotional Disclosure Disclosure. In Undergraduate Review (Vol. 19). https://vc.bridgew.edu/undergrad_rev/vol19/iss1/18
  9. Gao, X. (2022). Research on Expressive Writing in Psychology: A Forty-year Bibliometric Analysis and Visualization of Current Status and Research Trends. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.825626
  10. Gough, B., Robertson, S., & Luck, H. (2021). Engendered Expressions of Anxiety: Men’s Emotional Communications With Women and Other Men. Frontiers in Sociology, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2021.697356
  11. Harrington, S. J., Morrison, O. P., & Pascual-Leone, A. (2018). Emotional processing in an expressive writing task on trauma. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 32, 116–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2018.06.001
  12. Junita, N., Musni, R., Amalia, I., Mardhatillah, S. P., Azizah, C., & Husnawesnate, H. (2023). Expressive Writting Therapy Dalam Menurunkan Kecemasan Pada Korban Bullying. Jurnal Diversita, 9(1), 78–84. https://doi.org/10.31289/diversita.v9i1.8333
  13. Kassai, S. (2020). Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to Assess Recovery Processes : A Qualitative Analysis of Experience and Identity (Vol. 19). L’Harmattan Kiadó, ELTE Pedagógiai és Pszichológiai Kar. https://doi.org/10.56037/978-963-414-617-9
  14. Lai, J., Song, H., Wang, Y., Ren, Y., Li, S., Xiao, F., Liao, S., Xie, T., & Zhuang, W. (2023). Efficacy of expressive writing versus positive writing in different populations: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Nursing Open, 10(9), 5961–5974. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1897
  15. Mathews, G., & Anderson, C. (2021). The Lived Experience of Learning Mindfulness as Perceived by People Living With Long-Term Conditions: A Community-Based, Longitudinal, Phenomenological Study. Qualitative Health Research, 31(7), 1209–1221. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732321997130
  16. McAdams, D. P. (2013). The Psychological Self as Actor, Agent, and Author. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(3), 272–295. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691612464657
  17. Pang, H. (2018). Microblogging, friendship maintenance, and life satisfaction among university students: The mediatory role of online self-disclosure. Telematics and Informatics, 35(8), 2232–2241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2018.08.009
  18. Pilar Matud, M., Díaz, A., Bethencourt, J. M., & Ibáñez, I. (2020). Stress and psychological distress in emerging adulthood: A gender analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(9), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9092859
  19. Putri, Emilya Dwinata, Adrian, A., Oktari, D., Fitri, R., Zakinov Irta, A., Putri, E D, & Zakinov, A. (2026). Efektivitas Expressive Writing dalam Menurunkan Kecemasan pada Mahasiswa. Journal of Multidisciplinary Inquiry in Science Technology and Educational Research, 3(1), 28–34. https://doi.org/10.32672/mister.v3i1.3879
  20. Rahadyan Budiyono, N., Sudiro, S., & Permana Wibowo, A. (2020). THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EXPRESSIVE WRITING AND SOCIAL MEDIA AS EMOTIONAL RELEASE. In Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (Vol. 2, Number 1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.46923/ijbhes.v2i1.56
  21. Retnoningtyas, D. W., Atmaja, A. A. G. A. A., Pratiwi, A. A. I., & Rahayu, K. D. A. (2017). Pengaruh Expressive Writing terhadap Penurunan Tingkat Kecemasan Mahasiswa Tahun Pertama. Jurnal Psikologi “Mandala,” 1(1), 14–25.
  22. Rimé, B., Bouchat, P., Paquot, L., & Giglio, L. (2020). Intrapersonal, interpersonal, and social outcomes of the social sharing of emotion. In Current Opinion in Psychology (Vol. 31, pp. 127–134). Elsevier B.V. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.08.024
  23. Sahan, M. Y., Gual, Y. A., & Bello, M. F. Y. (2025). Eksplorasi Manajemen Privasi Komunikasi Mahasiswa Melalui Buku Harian Dan Instagram. WACANA: Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Komunikasi, 178–189. https://doi.org/10.32509/wacana.v24i1.4553
  24. Saldanha, M. F., & Barclay, L. J. (2021). Finding meaning in unfair experiences: Using expressive writing to foster resilience and positive outcomes. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 13(4), 887–905. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12277
  25. Salsabila, A., Faishol, L., Islam, U., Saifuddin, N. K. H., & Purwokerto, Z. (2025). Peran Self-Journaling Dalam Merefleksikan Kecintaan Pada Diri Sendiri Siswa Kelas XII Di SMAN 4 Purwokerto (Vol. 5, Number 2). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.36379/shine.v5i2.880
  26. Smith, J. A., Flowers, Paul., & Larkin, Michael. (2022). Interpretative phenomenological analysis : theory, method and research. SAGE.
  27. Susan, Setyowati, W. E., & Febriana, B. (2025). Hubungan Antara Maskulin Gender Role dengan Ekspresi Emosional pada Remaja Laki-Laki. Essentia: Journal of Medical Practice and Research, Vol 1 No 2, 137–142. https://doi.org/10.65310/x79d6v03
  28. Tulaktondok, L., Siumarlata, V., & Jackson, J. (2025). Penerapan Reflective journaling dalam Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris: Dampak terhadap Keterlibatan dan Motivasi Mahasiswa. In Bahasa dan Sastra (Vol. 11, Number 3). Pendidikan. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.30605/onoma.v11i3.6034
  29. Wanchitnai, N., Tongsai, S., Ratta-apha, W., Chimchalong, R., Chuthapisith, S., & Klankluang, W. (2025). The effectiveness of an expressive writing diary on preoperative anxiety in breast cancer patients undergoing surgery: a mixed methods intervention design. Supportive Care in Cancer, 33(7), 599. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-025-09659-4
  30. Wang, L. (2025). Gender Norms and Emotional Discipline: The Psychological Mechanisms and Social Construction of Adolescents’ Emo-tional Expression. In European Journal of Psychology (Vol. 1, Number 1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.71222/ebyj1920
  31. Zeng, X. (2025). Gender differences in personalized psychological interventions for college students: a narrative review integrating the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. In Journal of Men’s Health (Vol. 21, Number 5, pp. 9–17). MRE Press. https://doi.org/10.22514/jomh.2025.063

How to Cite

Hafizhah, W., Pratiwi, Y. S., Ismail, I. A., & Saputri, R. A. (2026). THE UNSPOKEN VOICE: THE EXPERIENCE OF EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION THROUGH JOURNALING AMONG MALE COLLEGE STUDENTS. Jurnal Konseling Pendidikan Islam, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.32806/jkpi.v7i2.1555