Narrating the Generative Life McAdams, Dan P.; Guo, Jen
Psychological science,
04/2015, Volume:
26, Issue:
4
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Generativity is an adult's concern for and commitment to promoting the well-being of future generations. Analyzing lengthy life-narrative interviews of late-midlife adults, we examined the extent to ...which a particular kind of life story is empirically linked to self-report measures of generativity and other indices of psychosocial adaptation in midlife. The results showed that highly generative adults are significantly more likely than their less-generative counterparts to construe their lives as variations on a prototypical redemption narrative, wherein the story's protagonist (a) enjoys an early advantage in life, (b) exhibits sensitivity to the suffering of other people, (c) develops a clear moral framework, (d) repeatedly transforms negative scenes into positive outcomes, and (e) pursues prosocial goals for the future. The psychological and cultural features of redemptive life stories are considered, as are the problems and potentialities of life-narrative research in psychological science.
Is the clash of civilizations, or that of racism, the paradigm that best describes the intercultural dynamics that characterize the cultural horizon of young people today? This article addresses this ...question based on research conducted between 2012 and 2016 in four secondary schools in Piedmont by researchers at the University of Gastronomic Sciences. The research looked at adolescents and dealt with the topic of "knowing the Other" through the collection and patrimonialization of life stories about food. The results illustrate an educational model that stimulates young people to extend their knowledge of cultural diversity and overcome the considerable indifference towards discovery of "the Other" that appears to characterize most young people today.
This paper clarifies the learning experience and its significance during three years of practice, of two high school students from the Kenebetsu Nutrition Education School. In addition, it explores ...the implications of citizenship education pertaining to home economics. This study established that the two students experienced difficulties in social interactions with adults and children. However, they became more confident in time, which means that they achieved growth, mainly due to the following reasons: there was solidarity between high school students and adults; they aimed to build horizontal relationships and started to think “we” instead of “I.” Finally, the practice of care was developed. From the results, it was suggested that the factors necessary for citizenship formation of high school students in home economics practice generate “we” awareness and “care”, etc., through collaboration among the members of a community of practice.
•The influence of assessment contexts on autobiographical scenes was examined.•Interviewer presence (vs. absence) and format of responses were manipulated.•Narratives were quantified in terms ...linguistic and conceptual categories.•The majority of categories differed across experimental conditions.•Linguistic and conceptual content is highly malleable across assessment contexts.
We examined the influence features of assessment contexts exhibited on the content of the key autobiographical scenes often considered by personality psychologists. Participants (N=402) narrated life high points, low points, and turning points within a 2(interviewer; present, absent)×2(response format; written, spoken) study design. Narratives were quantified for 15 linguistic (e.g., negative emotion words) and six conceptual (e.g., affective tone) variables. We noted that 93% of linguistic variables and 83% of conceptual variables differed as a function of assessment context in the form of main effects for, and/or interactions between, study variables. The narrative materials commonly assessed by personality psychologists are highly sensitive to features of the contexts in which they are assessed.
•Narrative identity was moderately stable over 1 year.•Narrative identity was less stable that personality traits over 1 year.•Chapters were more stable components of narrative identity than ...memories.•No age differences in narrative identity stability over 1 year.
We examined 1-year stability of life story chapters and memories. In addition, we examined age differences in stability. At baseline and 1 year later, 70 emerging, 60 middle-aged, and 59 older participants described up to 10 chapters and 10 memories (in counterbalanced order). Participants self-rated chapters/memories on emotional tone, self-change connections, and self-stability connections. Chapters/memories were content coded for stability between time 1 and 2 and for emotional tone. Chapters were significantly more stable than memories. However, there were no significant differences between chapters and memories regarding stability of associated emotional tone, self-change connections, and self-stability connections. We found few age differences in stability. The results suggest that chapters may play a central role in the stability of narrative identity.
Life-stories emerge from a wide variety of facts and events in individual lives and weave a selected few of these together to make meaning in the present. They are crucial for constructing identity ...and influence action by establishing worldviews and a persona that narrators will seek to confirm. In this study we describe three main themes in the life-stories of six incarcerated men in Argentina: a) Protecting family, especially parents; b) reconstructing an ideal past, and contrasting it with a more cynical present; and c) blaming criminal neighborhoods, friends, and girlfriends for their crimes. We discuss how these themes are intertwined, what function they fulfill, and the identities and masculinities they produce. Combining research on life-stories with narrative and psychosocial criminology the analysis reveals how life-stories of incarcerated men can be seen as attempts at countering stigma and defending a self that is under attack. The life-stories portray a believable, 'good', and multifaceted image of the self, but most importantly, create coherence and unity in otherwise chaotic lives.
The purpose of this article is to discuss slavery, resistance and justice in colonial Brazil from the trajectory of enslaved Maria de Jesus and her family, highlighting the peculiarities of slavery ...in properties belonging to a religious congregation: the Order of Saint Benedict. Maria used justice and her complex ways to achieve her freedom goals, leaving her former owners perplexed by her "boldness". The monks, linked in the eighteenth century to the Portuguese congregation, were able to build an ingenious, efficient and highly institutionalized paternalistic system. Breaking away from this powerful institution earned Maria “qualifications” typical of an Ancien Régime society, with her name being associated with cheating, cunning and lying.
This study aimed to critically examine current knowledge on the role of personality in successful aging, considering Hooker and McAdams' 3-level, 6-foci model of personality. The aim was also to ...pinpoint knowledge gaps that research should address in the future.
We carried out a scoping review of the literature on successful aging and personality, following the 5-step framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley and further expanded by Levac et al.
Research into the role of personality in successful aging has grown significantly over the last 20 years. However, the increasing number of publications on the topic was primarily accounted for by studies focused on Layer 1 and particularly Layer 2 of McAdams' model of personality, with Layer 3 being scarcely addressed. Research that included more than 1 layer of personality was rare.
Our study pinpointed gaps that should be considered in future research in this area. These gaps were related to advancing toward agreed-upon definitions of successful aging and personality, broadening the scope of research on this topic, and integrating personality dimensions on research on successful aging.
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