The narrative psychology of love lives

Abstract

Narrative identity is an internal and evolving story about the self. Individual differences in narrative identity have been found to correspond with several important constructs (e.g., well-being, health behaviors). Here, we examined the nature and correlates of participants’ love life narrative identities. In Study 1, participants provided autobiographical narratives from their love lives and rated their personality traits and authenticity within the romantic domain. In Study 2, participants again provided narratives from their love lives and completed measures assessing their attachment tendencies and relationship contingent self-esteem. Narratives were coded for agency, communion, redemptive imagery, contaminated imagery, affective tone, and integrative complexity. Across our studies, the communion and positive tone in participants’ love life narratives was associated with certain traits, authenticity, attachment tendencies, and relationship contingent self-esteem. These results suggest that love life narrative identity represents a promising construct in the study of functioning within the romantic domain.