Chapter 28: Narrative Construction of Personality

Narrative Construction of Personality on the storied construction of personality establishes the core principle of narrative psychology, asserting that human beings are fundamentally storytellers who use narratives to manage and derive meaning from life experiences, thereby creating an evolving sense of self within local and wider cultural contexts. Personality itself is viewed as a psychosocial construction, jointly formed by the individual's personal narration and affirmation or contestation from their communities, particularly family and friends. Research in this area is divided into two major strands: studies of story-telling as a social process in everyday settings, and studies of the story told (the life story) focusing on content and structure apart from the immediate context. Observational studies show that story-telling is ubiquitous and critical for the development of a child's sense of self, as cultural experts like mothers use stories to socialize children, teaching them what events are worth narrating and how to manage negative emotional experiences. A highly elaborative parental style, which supports the child’s perspective, is linked to securely attached children. Furthermore, talking about the causes and consequences of negative events scaffolds a temporally extended sense of self and helps children establish personal meaning, contributing to self-concept consistency. Cross-cultural studies reveal differences, such as Euro-American families favoring narratives that affirm self-esteem, while Taiwanese families often use stories didactically, casting children as transgressors to teach proper conduct. As individuals move into adolescence and adulthood, the focus shifts, with peers playing an increasing role in providing validation for the emerging 'true self' and helping to contour the meaning of important relationships. The second major research strand, focusing on the life story, draws heavily on Tomkins’ script theory and McAdams’ theory, which position the life story as a special domain of personality separate from biogenetic traits, aimed at providing personal integration and meaning across the lifespan. Researchers typically analyze momentous events (turning points, high points, low points) using sophisticated coding systems that capture elements like structural complexity, emotional tone, and motivational themes such as agency or communion. Longitudinal studies show schematic continuity in narrative features across time, such as consistency in emotional tone or complexity. A key finding is that the capacity to integrate experiences and draw connections across episodes develops significantly from early adolescence to middle age. Negative life events are particularly important, serving as fertile ground for explicit meaning-making, where finding benefit in adversity (personal growth or redemption) is associated with higher levels of wellbeing, generativity, and ego-development. While personal stories are psychosocial constructions and traits are often viewed as biogenetic, studies show correlations, for example, linking Neuroticism to negative affect in memory narratives and Openness to Experience to structural complexity. Narrative research offers a pathway to integrating these domains, allowing for an understanding of how enduring personality traits are incorporated, managed, or transformed as individuals make meaning of their lives.