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.
Descriptors: Cultural Influences, Social Behavior, Behavior Standards, Individual Differences, Young Adults, Personal Narratives, Autobiographies, College Students, Well Being, Individual Development, Values, Self Concept, Gender Differences, Personal Autonomy, Story Telling
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