Narrative Identity

Narrative identity clearly demonstrates that narrative identity is a core component of how individuals conceptualize themselves. The stories individuals tell about their lives can provide meaning and purpose to the many disparate experiences of the lived life. Individual differences in the way in which individuals narrate crucial events in their lives provide a lens to understand the extent to which they have successfully built meaning and purpose.

Relevant publications:

• Lodi-Smith, J., Mitchell, L., Versey, H.S., Newton, N.J., & Whitbourne, S.K. (2023). The Pedagogical Value of Psychobiography as Illustrated by an Examination of Eriksonian Psychosocial Development in the Life of Flora Tristan. In C-H. Mayer, R. van Niekerk, P.J. Fouché, & J.G. Ponterotto (Eds.). Beyond Weird: Psychobiography in Times of Transcultural and Transdisciplinary Perspectives.  

• McLean, K., Syed, M., Adler, J.M., Dunlop, W.L., Drustrup, D., Fivush, R., Graci, M.E., Lilgendahl, J.P., Lodi-Smith, J., McAdams, D.P., McCoy, T. (2020). The empirical structure of narrative identity: The initial Big Three. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 119, 960-977.

• Grysman, A. & Lodi-Smith, J. (2019). Methods for conducting and publishing narrative research with undergrads. Frontiers in Psychology. 

• Depner, R.M., Grant, P.C., Byrwa, D.J., Breier, J.M., Lodi-Smith, J., Kerr, C.W., Luczkiewicz, D.L. (2018). “People don’t understand what goes on in here”: A consensual qualitative research analysis of inmate-caregiver perspectives on prison-based end-of-life care. Palliative Medicine.

• Wright, S.T., Breier, J.M., Depner, R.M., Grant, P.C., & Lodi-Smith, J. (2018). Wisdom at the end of life: Hospice patients’ reflections on the meaning of life and death. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 31, 162-185. 

• Adler, J.M., Dunlop, W.L., Fivush, R., Lilgendahl, J.P., Lodi-Smith, J., McAdams, D.P., McLean, K.C., Pasupathi, M., & Syed, M. (2017). Research methods for studying narrative identity: A primer. Social Psychology and Personality Science, 8, 519-527.

• Depner, R.M., Grant, P.C., Byrwa, D., Breier, J.M., Lodi-Smith, J., Kerr, C.W., & Luczkiewicz, D.L. (2017). A Consensual Qualitative Research analysis of the experience of inmate Hospice caregivers: Posttraumatic growth while incarcerated. Death Studies, 41, 199-210.

• Adler, J., Lodi-Smith, J., Philippe, F, & Houle, I. (2016). The incremental validity of narrative identity in predicting psychological well-being: A review of the field and recommendations for the future. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 20, 142-175.

• Lodi-Smith, J. (2015). Narrative utility and self-concept clarity in contextual personality research. European Journal of Personality, 29, 336 – 337.

• Lodi-Smith, J., Geise, A.C., Roberts, B.W., & Robins, R.W. (2009). Narrating personality change. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 679-689.

• Roberts, B. W., Harms, P.D., Smith, J. L., Wood, D. & Webb, M. (2006). Methods in personality psychology. In Eid, M. & Diener, E. (Eds.). Handbook of Psychological Assessment: A Multimethod Perspective. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.