Redemption in a single low point story longitudinally predicts well‐being: The incremental validity of life story elements

Abstract

ObjectiveExtending research on the incremental validity of life story variables and the importance of particular kinds of story contexts, this paper tested the hypothesis that a single theme (narrative redemption) in a specific life story episode (the low point—or an episode that challenges the self) can predict well‐being, above and beyond covariates.MethodTwo samples, an emerging adult (N = 144) and a late midlife sample (N = 158), provided life story episodes with different life story collection methods (written and interview) and completed self‐report measures concurrently and longitudinally.ResultsThe findings indicated that low point redemption was associated concurrently and longitudinally with well‐being when controlling for the Big Five factors of Extraversion and Neuroticism and narrative word count. These associations held for three months among emerging adults and four years among late midlife adults. Aggregating redemption in high and low points did not improve the concurrent or longitudinal association between redemption and well‐being.ConclusionsThe findings demonstrate the capacity of elements in a single challenging episode of the life story to predict well‐being.

Revisiting Redemption: A Life Span Developmental Account of the Functions of Narrative Redemption

“…First, it may be tempting to suggest that return redemption is partway between nonredemptive and emergent in the same way that previous schemes have conceptualized a vague redemption (e.g., Cox et al, 2019) or a neutral affective tone (e.g., McLean & Pratt, 2006; see also Eriksson et al, 2020, who present examples as neutral affective tone that we might classify as return). However, a dimensional model implies that one must first pass through return (that is, one must first recover) prior to emergence.…”

“…To be sure, some research has addressed features of the redemptive story, but this research has been limited to differences in redemptive magnitude, that is, ratings of redemption from less to more. For example, Weston et al (2016) and Cox et al (2019) operationalize redemption on a three-point scale. This was done to enhance the statistical sensitivity of the measure given that both research teams only assessed one life story episode rather than several.…”

“…Another narrator says: "Looking back, although it was a difficult time for me, I think it was a good experience to have, because it taught meintrospection [sic] -a concept that I regarded with contempt beforeand its importance" (Table 1; Emergent, Identity Challenge, Identity Resolution). Practically, it is not so clear that the latter narrator is telling a more redemptive narrative, especially with reference to existing schemes that assess redemptive magnitude (e.g., Cox et al, 2019;Weston et al, 2016). In line with these schemes, both narratives would be classified as possessing high redemptive magnitude, despite their qualitative differences, given that neither of these redemptive resolutions is "limited," "circumscribed," or does not "fully address the negative content" (i.e., a mid-level score; Weston et al, 2016, p. 597).…”

“…One prevalent narrative identity component that has been identified as particularly important for positive psychosocial outcomes is the theme of redemption, defined as the storytelling sequence of negative experiences giving way to positive outcomes (McAdams, 2013;McAdams et al, 2001). Narrators who display more redemptive sequences report higher scores on generativity (McAdams & Guo, 2015), greater concurrent and long-term well-being (Adler et al, 2015;Adler & Poulin, 2009;Cox et al, 2019;McAdams et al, 2001), and more positive health behaviors (Dunlop & Tracy, 2013) compared to those who narrate fewer redemptive sequences. Nevertheless, the construct of redemption within narrative psychology remains contested and underspecified, both theoretically and methodologically.…”

The Redemptive Story from the Perspective of Challenge and Resolution, Self and Situation, and Stability and Change: Considering the Model, the Method, and the Possibility of Maturation

“…Here, the authors set about the task of "revisiting" redemption (see also, Dunlop, 2014), and do so along 2 fronts. The first is to make the case to move beyond the traditional operationalization of redemption within autobiographical stories, one in which this theme is deemed either "present" or "absent" (e.g., McAdams, 1999), as well as more recent approaches in which the degree of redemption is considered (e.g., Cox et al, 2019), to a system recognizing the possibility of qualitatively different types of redemption. The second is to engage with the possibility that the functions redemptive stories serve vary on the basis of both chronological age (in their words, developmental time), as well as the amount of time that has transpired since the biographical event on which the redemptive story is based has taken place (in their words, processing time).…”