THE INTERNET ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF
PERSONAL CONSTRUCT
PSYCHOLOGY


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Narrative
According to Prince (1982, p. 4) "narrative is the representation of at least two real or fictive events or situations in a time sequence, neither of which presupposes or entails the other". Also, Sarbin (1986) defined it as "a way of organizing episodes, actions, and accounts of actions; it is an achievement that brings together mundane facts and fantastic creations; time and place are incorporated. The narrative allows for the inclusion of actors’ reasons for their acts, as well as the causes of happening" (p. 9).

If self-identity is equated to a narrative construction, then the self can be viewed as a story-teller or, in Hermans’ terms, as "someone who has a story to tell about his or her own life. In telling this story the person gives special significance to particular events (or groups of events), which function as units of meaning" (Hermans & Hermans-Jansen, 1995, p.1).
References
  • Sarbin, T.R. (1986). Narrative psychology. The storied nature of human conduct. New York: Praeger.
  • Prince, G. (1982). Narratology: The form and functioning of narrative. New York: Mouton.
  • Hermans, H.J.M. & Hermans-Jansen, E. (1995). Self-Narratives: The Construction of Meaning in Psychotherapy. New York: Guilford Press.
Luis Botella




Establ. 2003
Last update: 15 February 2004