THE NARRATIVE SELF Flashcards
According to self-affirmation theory, why does affirming one’s core values help people respond more openly to threatening information?
Strengthens overall self integrity, reducing need to defend yourself against the threat
What is Narrative Identity?
A person’s internalized and evolving life story
*Has many of the same elements as other narratives
*Beginning, middle, and imagined end
*Major events that determine plot
*Heroes and villains
What are the 3 Features of Narrative Identity?
- Not perfectly accurate, instead based on a selective and biased reconstruction of the past and imagined future
*Narrative identity is deeply personal and highly subjective
*“We’re more like novelists, than secretaries.” - A work-in-progress
*Constantly shifting as we experience new situations - Made up of multiple stories that may be contradictory
What are the two Functions of Narrative Identity?
- Continuity and unity of the self: organizes the self in time by connecting the past, present, and future self
*story unifies our lives
- But not total unity (we are biased)
- Meaning and purpose: A way to make sense of the events of one’s life
*Make sense of your life events
- Same event can happen to two people, but both have different interpretations / meanings for it
How might this be related to William James’ self?
We are each the storyteller/ author writing the narrative of our lives
*Storyteller = I
*Narrative = me
When does Identity development begin?
in adolescence
How does the Narrative Identity develop? (Why does it start developing in adolescence)
Identity development begins in adolescence due to:
1) First time you have Societal expectation about your identity (what job should I do? What school should I go to?)
2) Improvements in cognitive development
*Causal coherence: the ability to craft a causal narrative wherein events link together
*Causal coherence is necessary for the construction of autobiographical narratives
How is the Narrative Identity Fundamentally Social?
- Parents shape narrative skills in children
- As adults, our life narratives are edited and reinterpreted by talking with others
- We often cling to version of story that we tell to others
(ppl we tell = editor)
How is narrative identity studied?
Life Story Interview
Participants are interviewed for 2-3 hours about the story of their life
tell like book / movie
a more detailed account of a few keys scenes
Stories are then coded for themes
What are the common themes to look for?
- Agency
2.Communion
- Redemption
- Contamination
- Coherence
- Agency
- The degree to which protagonists are able to affect change in their own lives or influence others in their environment
- High agency: stories focus on accomplishment / ability to control ur own nate
2.Communion
- Connection (love / friendship)
- Redemption
- “Bad events” have a “good” emotionally positive outcome- They frame event as necessary for growth
- Contamination
- “positive event” turns “bad”
- The negative overwhelms positive - Coherence
- Clear causal sequency
(Make clear sense) (Clear story)
- Clear causal sequency
A student is participating in a life story interview. The interviewer asks them to describe a “turning point” in their life. Which of the following responses would best reflect a redemption sequence?
Losing job = lowest moment
- Pushed them something they are passionate about
What do life stories reveal about people?
*Continuity and change in life stories
*Associations with personality
*Links with well-being
How do life stories show continuity and change?
Continuity:
- Similar complexity
- Agency
- Positive emotional tone
Change:
- Even between time 1 and 2 (3 months apart) only 28% were repeated
Ex. Sara
T1:
- Going abroad
- First love Tony
T2:
- She was expecting to be disappointed
- Tony was still mentioned
T3:
- Doesn’t mention him at all
How do stories change over time?
At the end of the study (T3), young adults constructed stories that were more positive, emotionally nuanced, and showed greater personal understanding compared to the stories at T1
How do life stories change based on age?
Compared to younger adults, older adults tend to construct life stories that are:More complex and coherent
*Fits with SCC findings
*More positive in emotional tone
*More summarized and less detailed
*Suggests that as we get older, our life story becomes “warmer, fuzzier” and more integrated
Explain: Narrative Identity and Personality
- Narrative identity
- Characteristic adaptations
- Personality traits
- Narrative identity:
*Internalized and evolving life stories
*Tell what a person’s life means in time - Characteristic adaptations:
*Values, goals, personal projects, defenses
*Capture more socially contextualized and motivational aspects of individuality - Personality traits:
*Broad individual differences
*E.g. Big Five
*Account for consistency in behaviour
High neuroticism is associated with stories characterized by…
*High negative emotion
*Low positive emotion
*Less growth
*More contamination sequence
High agreeableness is associated with stories characterized by…
*High communion
Openness to experience is associated with stories characterized by…
*More complex, containing multiple plots
*High coherence
High power motivation associated with life stories that…
*Emphasize agentic themes (personal agenda)
*Use an analytic and differentiated narrative style
*Focusing on differences, separation, opposition
High intimacy motivation associated with life stories that…
Communal (connection / relationships)
*Emphasize communal themes
*Use a holistic and integrated narrative style:
*Focusing on similarities and connections between different life story scene
What are the implications of diff traits having diff stories?
Different kinds of people construct different kinds of stories
- There are links between personality, goals, values and life stories
BUT: Correlation is not Causation
- Direction of the personality-life story link is unclear
During a conversation with a friend, Kevin describes a painful breakup as a moment that permanently shaped his negative views on relationships. Instead of seeing personal growth from the experience, he believes it was a turning point that led to ongoing struggles in his life. Which personality trait is most likely associated with Kevin’s narrative identity?
High Neurotisism
How do people narrate negative events?
Those who are resilient in the face of life challenges tend to engage in a 2-step process of meaning making:
- Exploring the negative experience in depth
- Committing self to a positive resolution
*More redemption sequences and focus on personal growth are associated with higher well-being
Which theme is present in many depressed ppls life stories?
People who are depressed tend to create life stories with themes of contamination
What is Psychotherapy used for?
Psychotherapy is a prime arena for challenging life stories
Which theme tends to be the most important predictor of therapeutic efficacy?
(Psychotheraphy)
Theme of personal agency in life story
*In studies of former psychotherapy patients, those who report current higher levels of well-being tend to narrate heroic stories in which they bravely battled their symptoms
*In a prospective study, increases in themes of agency in narratives preceded and predicted improvements in mental health
What is a highly generative person?
*Generative: people with a strong commitment to promoting the well-being of future generations and improving the world they live in
Like a legacy (what is a legacy? it’s planting seeds in a garden you don’t get to see)
What is the Redemptive Self?
Highly generative midlife adults tend to see their own lives as stories of redemption
What are the Five Life Story Themes of the Redemptive Self?
- Early advantage (EA)
- Sensitivity to the suffering of others (SS)
- Moral steadfastness (MS)
- Redemption sequences (RS)
- Pro-social goals (PG)
- Early advantage (EA):
The narrator indicates that they have experienced an advantage or distinction (physical, material, psychological, social) that singles them out for special positive attention - Sensitivity to the suffering of others (SS):
The narrator expresses sympathy for the problems of other people or societal injustice as a child - Moral steadfastness (MS):
The narrator emphasizes strong value system which motivates behavior. The values are central to their identity and unshakeable - Redemption sequences (RS):
The narrator describes a movement from demonstrably negative situation to a positive outcome - Pro-social goals (PG):
The narrator sets goals that involve contributing to the well-being of others beyond one’s own family
Correlates of the Redemptive Self
(Study: Examined the life stories of 157 midlife adult)
Each feature (theme) is associated with positive well-being
- None associated with depression (except Early life advantage)
Why do adults follow similar stories (the redemptive self?)
Sets up a moral challenge that encourages the person to help the next generation
*“I am blessed, but others suffer.”
*Redemption sustains hope in the face of challenges and setback
How is the redemptive self culturally valued?
(American)
it is an American prototype of “the good life”
*People use this prototype to make sense of their life
- Like meritocracy (need to struggle and acheive)
How does culture impact the narrative self?
We construct our narrative identities according to the norms and scripts present in our culture
*Culture tells us what events are meaningful, what is a “tellable” story, and provide a blueprint for how to make sense of events
*E.g. life milestones = post-secondary education, job, moving out of parent’s house, get married, have kid
What are some Cultural Differences in Life Stories? (North American vs. East Asian)
North American adults tend to:
*Report earlier age of first memory
*Have more detailed memories of childhood
*Have memories more focused on own personal experiences and emotion
East Asian adults tend to:
* recall more social/historical events and memories place greater emphasis on social interactions and loved one
What do cultural differences reflect?
Differences in memories reflect cultural differences in prioritization of the individual vs. the collective
