Psychology Commons^™

A Naturalistic Study Of Narrative: Exploring The Choice And Impact Of Adversity Versus Other Narrative Topics, Sherry L. Hamby, Elizabeth Taylor, John H. Grych, Victoria Banyard

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: Many narrative interventions require participants to write about trauma and adverse experiences, but some research suggests that open-ended topic prompts can also be effective. In this study, we investigated the topics participants chose to write about in a values-narrative program that offered wide discretion in topic and theme, and explored how that was associated with perceptions of investment and impact. Method: Participants were 717 individuals (68% women) from the rural South, United States who had participated in a values-narrative program. Results: Almost half of the narratives (44%) focused on an adverse experience as part of the development of their …