Narrating traumas and transgressions

Abstract

Experiencing personal growth via reflection on negative events is well established. Yet, we know less about how people process and grow (or not) from different types of negative events, and how such narrative processing might differentially predict important outcomes, in this case, wisdom and well-being. Eighty-five community members participated in an online study examining the narrative processing and self-perceptions of traumas and transgressions, and how narrative processing predicted wisdom and well-being. Results showed few differences in the processing of traumas and transgressions, though the latter was viewed as less important to the self compared to the former. Further, growth in transgressions predicted wisdom, and narrative resolution of transgressions predicted well-being. In contrast, for trauma narratives well-being was predicted by the interaction of resolution and narrative complexity. Discussion focuses on the role of event types in narrative processing in relation to wisdom and wellbeing.Sarah: I was a young mother, tired all the time. It was 1980…I got involved in cocaine. I lived in a middle class neighborhood, and cocaine was used as a recreation drug at parties. While participating in cocaine I found I was happy, had energy and also with that found addiction. I got a loan against the family car in order to get money for drugs. In secret I traveled to Watts (California) and arranged to get cocaine from a dealer. I was unable to leave my young son at home, and was desperate to get the drugs. I took a 13 month old baby on my hip into a drug house in EastRequests for further information should be directed to:

Is narrating growth in stories of personal transgressions associated with increased well-being, self-compassion, and forgiveness of others?

“…Researchers who take a narrative perspective on personality and positive functioning have shown that people who narrate growth from challenging events tend to score high on a variety of forms of positive functioning such as egodevelopment, psychological well-being, and wisdom (e.g. Bauer & McAdams, 2004a;Pals, 2006a;Pals & McAdams, 2004;Mansfield, McLean, & Lilgendahl, 2010). However, very little work has examined whether narrating growth from a specific type of event may be associated with gains in some domains of positive functioning as opposed to others (for preliminary work in this direction see Mansfield, et al, 2010;Lilgendahl, McLean, & Mansfield, 2013).…”

Getting a Life Takes Time: The Development of the Life Story in Adolescence, Its Precursors and Consequences

“…It is possible that autobiographical reasoning is more hazardous for individuals from socially disadvantaged or racially ostracized groups because they experience more negative and less controllable events. As with adults, the valence of the reasoning and the nature and controllability of the event are also important determinants in the link between autobiographical reasoning and well-being for adolescents [e.g., Lilgendahl & McAdams, 2011;Mansfield, McLean, & Lilgendahl, 2010].…”

How to implement the narrative approach in different phases of a positive psychological research? A four-dimensional analysis

“…The narrative approach is chosen in research when the purpose is to understand a person's or group's identity development and construction (see, e.g., Heikkinen, 2001;Kotze, Coetzee, Elliker, & Eberle, 2015;Tasker & Delvoye, 2015) or to highlight viewpoints on coping, recovery, hope, or success (see, e.g., Bishop & Willis, 2014;Mansfield, Mclean, & Lilgendahl, 2010;Savukoski, Määttä, & Uusiautti, 2012;Uusiautti, 2008). In addition, narrative research can focus on negative life changes or experiences of some special or minority group (see, e.g., Hershberg & Lykes, 2013;Hiller, Linstroth, & Vela 2009;Hänninen, 1999;Prins, 2008).…”