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ERIC Number: EJ1469588
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 29
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0272-930X
EISSN: EISSN-1535-0266
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Self-Event Connections, Good Storytelling, and the Good Life: Evidence of Cultural Norms and Individual Differences in Young Adults' Narratives of Life Challenges
Elizabeth Flatt; Robyn Fivush; Jordan A. Booker
Merrill-Palmer Quarterly: A Peer Relations Journal, v70 n3 Article 9 p557-585 2024
The way people connect their life stories and sense of self is important for identity and functioning. U.S. emerging adults' expressions of self-event connections within a story may reflect societal narrative conventions and indicate the narrative work required to integrate redemption into one's identity. We recruited 336 college and community adults (M[subscript age] = 20.53 years; 57.7% women), who provided a challenging event narrative and reported well-being. Instances of self-event connections were coded for valence (i.e., negative, neutral, positive) and category (i.e., disposition, value, growth). We expected individuals' expressions of connections to follow a redemptive arc and transition from dispositional/value to growth connections as narratives resolved. We expected individuals who expressed more (a) positive and (b) growth-focused connections to report greater well-being. Findings supported most expectations. Connections shifted toward positive valence but moved through growth toward dispositions and values. Greater uses of positive and growth-focused connections were robustly associated with greater well-being endorsements.
Wayne State University Press. The Leonard N. Simons Building, 4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309. Tel: 800-978-7323; Fax: 313-577-6131; Web site: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/mpq/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A