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Article published In:
Narrative Inquiry
Vol. 34:1 (2024) ► pp.1–29

The power of narrative

The emotional impact of the life story interview

ORCID logo | Northwestern University
| Northwestern University
| Northwestern University
| Northwestern University

Much of the research on narrative identity has used the Life Story Interview (LSI) to better understand the person through the story they construct of their life. However, the effect that the LSI has on participants has not yet been examined. Study 1 looked at 163 middle-aged adults who completed a measure of self-reported positive and negative affect both immediately before and after being interviewed. Results indicated that participants experienced a significant increase in positive affect and that this mood boost was experienced regardless of background, personality, and mental health. Study 2 involved a qualitative analysis of the interview transcripts of the 20 participants who experienced the most and the least benefit from the interview, with results indicating three emerging themes (identity development, identity fulfillment, the storied self) that appear to reflect two forms of storytelling: autobiographical versus episodic.

Keywords: narrative identity, autobiographical reasoning, emotion, personality, expressive writing, narrative therapy
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Study 1
    • Method
      • Participants
        • Self-report measures
        • Personality Traits
        • Depression
        • Life Satisfaction
        • Positive and negative affect
      • Life-story interviews
    • Results
  • Study 2
    • Method
      • Participants
      • Method of Analysis
    • Results
      • Identity Development
      • Identity Fulfillment
      • The Storied Self
  • Discussion
  • Note
  • References
Published online: 31 March 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ni.19109.tur
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