Description:

Dr. Kate McLean, of Western Washington University, will speak at Northwestern as part of the Department of Psychology's Colloquium Series. 

Can you Change your Story? Developing Insights about the Stability of Personal Identity from the Study of Narratives

Abstract:
The personal construction of the life story or, a narrative identity, is a central developmental task in adolescence and emerging adulthood with meaning for personal well-being across the life course. Traditionally, researchers have viewed the development of narrative identity as an individualized and agentic process, and one that can produce personal change. That is, individuals selectively construct their own stories, and can shift and shape those stories in movement towards healthier development. Using theoretical frameworks rooted in developmental, personality, and cultural approaches to identity, I will raise challenges to the notion that one can change one’s story, introduce methodological complications to addressing this issue, and provide data points that reveal the challenge of changing one’s story.