Redemptive Stories and Those Who Tell Them are Preferred in the U.S

Abstract

The present studies examined the common, but untested, theoretical assumption that those in the United States prefer negative past experiences, such as trauma, to be redeemed, to be resolved in some positive or growth-promoting fashion. Narratives of six types of traumatic events were rated by U.S adults (n = 1872) across six samples and two studies. Confirming pre-registered hypotheses, there was a reliable preference for stories that were redeemed compared to stories that ended negatively, as well as for the narrators of redemptive stories, who were judged as likable and to have desirable personality traits. There was no support for the hypothesis that redemptive stories would be viewed as more common than non-redemptive stories, or that the relation between story type and preference would be mediated by Belief in a Just World. Implications include the compulsory nature of storying trauma and potential risks of these cultural expectations.

Who Has to Tell Their Trauma Story and How Hard Will It Be? Influence of Cultural Stigma and Narrative Redemption on the Storying of Sexual Violence

“…Not surprisingly, American audiences like redemptive stories and their storytellers. Recent empirical work shows that adults in the U.S. rate redemptive trauma stories as more personally preferable, and trauma survivors who tell redemptive stories as having more adaptive, culturally valued traits (e.g., conscientiousness, emotional stability [3]). As such, those who can tell a redemptive story communicate not only what happened but also a virtuous image of self-someone who is agentic and positive, valued traits in dominant U.S. culture.…”

“…At first glance, the strong preference for redemptive stories might seem to present a culturally valued template (or, master narrative; [3,[23][24][25]) for sexual violence survivors to publicly share their stories with confidence that audiences will be receptive. However, despite the clear U.S. preference for redemptive stories over ones with negative endings, it is not yet known whether this preference extends to stories of sexual trauma, a story with particular challenges for sharing.…”

“…To test this claim we conducted an experimental, vignette-based study, in which we developed a set of written, first-person trauma narratives to which participants were randomly assigned [3]. In each trauma story, a protagonist describes experiencing a traumatic event that is a more stigmatizing trauma (childhood sexual abuse or adult sexual assault) or other, less stigmatizing type of trauma (trauma caused naturally or by people accidentally-car accident, hurricane, childhood life-threatening illness, or traumatic loss-sudden death of a friend).…”

“…The present study examines the degree to which public perceptions of trauma story-telling are shaped by cultural preference for positive endings to stories of adversity, and cultural stigma surrounding sexual violence. Recent research shows a strong cultural preference in the United States for stories of trauma to be redeemed-to conclude positively with strength gained or lessons learned [3]. Cultural celebration of redemption may create a welcoming reception for trauma stories with redemptive endings, perhaps even a perceived obligation to tell these stories.…”

The Redemptive Story from the Perspective of Challenge and Resolution, Self and Situation, and Stability and Change: Considering the Model, the Method, and the Possibility of Maturation

“…Think rags to riches, illness to recovery, or suffering to salvation. Research within the USA has noted both the fact that such stories exist everywhere thick on the ground (e.g., McAdams, 2006) and that listeners seem to prefer this to be so (McLean et al, 2020). These works align with redemption's conferred status as a "master narrative" (see Hammack, 2008;McLean & Syed, 2015), a culturally shared story that guides "thoughts, beliefs, values, and behaviors" (McLean & Syed, 2015, p. 323).…”