Coherence of Personal Narratives Across the Lifespan: A Multidimensional Model and Coding Method

• Published in: Journal of cognition and development Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 424 - 462
• Main Authors: Reese, Elaine, Haden, Catherine A., Baker-Ward, Lynne, Bauer, Patricia, Fivush, Robyn, Ornstein, Peter A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colchester Taylor & Francis Group 01.10.2011; Psychology Press; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adults; Autobiographies; Biological and medical sciences; Children; Coding; Cognition & reasoning; Coherence; Developmental psychology; Elementary Secondary Education; Evaluation; Foreign Countries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Georgia; Identification; Illinois; Laboratories; Massachusetts; Memory; Minnesota; Narratives; New Zealand; North Carolina; Prediction; Preschool Children; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reliability; Rhetoric; Self Concept; Theories; United States; New Zealand; North Carolina; United States; Illinois; Massachusetts; Minnesota; Georgia; Human; Personal experience; Coding; Narrative; Autobiographical memory; Development; Cognition; Models
• ISSN: 1524-8372; 1532-7647
• DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2011.587854

Personal narratives are integral to autobiographical memory and to identity, with coherent personal narratives being linked to positive developmental outcomes across the lifespan. In this article, we review the theoretical and empirical literature that sets the stage for a new lifespan model of personal narrative coherence. This new model integrates context, chronology, and theme as essential dimensions of personal narrative coherence, each of which relies upon different developmental achievements and has a different developmental trajectory across the lifespan. A multidimensional method of coding narrative coherence (the Narrative Coherence Coding Scheme) was derived from the model and is described here. The utility of this approach is demonstrated by its application to 498 narratives that were collected in six laboratories from participants ranging in age from 3 years old to adulthood. The value of the model is illustrated further by a discussion of its potential to guide future research on the developmental foundations of narrative coherence and on the benefits of personal narrative coherence for different aspects of psychological functioning.