Regulating emotion and identity by narrating harm

Abstract

This study examined how narration of harm experiences can regulate self and emotions in ways relevant to well-being. Participants (n = 88, 65% female) were asked to provide 6 narratives about instances when they were victims of harm and 6 narratives about instances when they were perpetrators of harm. Narratives were coded for extent of exploration, growth, damage conclusions and resolution. Participants drew damage conclusions more frequently in victim narratives and growth conclusions more frequently in perpetrator narratives. Both the type of experience (victim or perpetrator) and the way the experience was narrated (references to damage conclusions and resolution) predicted emotion and identity implications, which were, in turn, related to well-being. Implications for narrative approaches to self-regulation are discussed.

Internal Processing in Patients With Pathological Narcissism or Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Implications for Alliance Building and Therapeutic Strategies

“…It can incorporate both affects and cognition, and it can highlight the interactional nature of cognitive and emotional processes. By engaging the patient's reflective ability while at the same time attending to and sustaining affective experiences, an integration of emotional and cognitive elements of dysregulated states can be possible (Angus & Kagan, 2013;Pasupathi et al, 2015). The awareness of affective states means that emotions become the focus of real-time reflectivity, which can lead to characterological change.…”

“…In other words, articulation and consolidation of an emotionally coherent self-narrative becomes an important part of the therapeutic change process. Reflective inquiries in the therapy provide opportunities to deconstruct limiting cultural and social norms, and heighten sense of personal agency for constructing new personal meaning and self-coherent narratives (Angus & Kagan, 2013;Pasupathi et al, 2015). However, in cases of severe narcissistic personality functioning, narration combined with pseudo-or hyper-mentalization can also be used as a way to maintain distance, establish a pseudo-alliance, and preserve internalized grandiosity.…”

Patterns in autobiographical reminiscing among early adults: Implications for forgiveness and self‐compassion

“…In past studies with early adults, higher displays of personal growth in autobiographical reminiscing have been associated with greater forgiveness and self‐compassion (Mansfield et al, ; Pasupathi et al, ). Similarly, greater subjective distance from one’s past self relates to more positive evaluation of the present self (Wilson & Ross, ) and greater subjective distance from interpersonal transgressions is associated with greater forgiveness (Wohl & McGrath, ).…”

“…Autobiographical stories about painful past experiences that communicate positive overall meaning for the current self ( personal growth ) and are framed as being more distant from the current self ( subjective distancing ) have been shown to be beneficial for aspects of adjustment (Habermas & Köber, ; Pasupathi et al, ; Wohl & McGrath, ). Prior research on personal growth and subjective distancing is described in the next section.…”

“…Approaches of drawing meaning from life events are important for psychological adjustment (Bauer & McAdams, ). Personal growth in early adults’ autobiographical stories has been related to identity commitment, well‐being, and positive social strategies such as forgiveness (Mansfield, Pasupathi, & McLean, ; Merrill, Waters, & Fivush, ; Pasupathi et al, ). When people display growth, they are thought to display the result of constructive personal exploration and self‐understanding (Pals, ).…”