Despite a strong intuitive and theoretical tradition linking autobiographical memory and
sense of self, there are few coherent, testable models that exemplify how these constructs …

Longitudinal research into personal and ethnic identity has expanded considerably in the
first decade of the present century. The longitudinal studies have shown that personal …

The use of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches has been foundational
to research on emerging adulthood, yet there remain many unresolved methodological …

The psychological self may be construed as a reflexive arrangement of the subjective “I” and
the constructed “Me,” evolving and expanding over the human life course. The psychological …

Narrative identity is the internalized, evolving story of the self that each person crafts to
provide his or her life with a sense of purpose and unity. A proliferation of empirical research …

How do we as Americans define our identities? How do our stories represent who we are-
our successes, our failures, our past, our future? Stories of redemption are some of the most …

Although growth has been a central focus in narrative research, few studies have examined
growth comprehensively, as a story that emerges across the interpretation of many events. In …

Fifty years ago, psychiatrist Robert Butler (1963) published an influential article on the
recollection and evaluation of personal memories in later life. We discuss the major insights …

Awe is an emotional response to stimuli that are perceived to be vast (eg, tall trees, sunsets)
and that defy accommodation by existing mental structures. Curiously, awe has prosocial …

Previous research has demonstrated negative mental health consequences (including
PTSD symptoms) of construing a potentially traumatic event as central to one's identity. In …