“Intricate Lettings Out and Lettings In”: Listener Scaffolding of Narrative Identity in Newly Dating Romantic Partners

Abstract

The development of narrative identity occurs within storytelling contexts, and the present study examined the role of listener behaviors in this process. Methodology developed within studies of mother–child conversations was used to examine how listener behaviors are associated with the meanings that individuals make of their personal stories in conversations with their romantic partners and in subsequent private reflection. Fifty-two “speakers” shared an important personal memory with their partner. These narratives were coded for meaning-making (self-event connections), and listener turns were coded for scaffolding behaviors (positive responding, new interpretations, negations). Overall, a summary composite score of scaffolding behavior was associated with more meaning produced in the conversation and afterwards. Further analyses showed that scaffolding behavior was particularly important to the production of negative meanings, and specific types of scaffolding behaviors also interacted with each other in predicting meaning production. Results are discussed in terms of the role that listeners play in narrative identity development.