Abstract
The present studies examined the common, but untested, theoretical assumption that those in the United States prefer negative past experiences, such as trauma, to be redeemed, to be resolved in some positive or growth-promoting fashion. Narratives of six types of traumatic events were rated by U.S adults (n = 1872) across six samples and two studies. Confirming pre-registered hypotheses, there was a reliable preference for stories that were redeemed compared to stories that ended negatively, as well as for the narrators of redemptive stories, who were judged as likable and to have desirable personality traits. There was no support for the hypothesis that redemptive stories would be viewed as more common than non-redemptive stories, or that the relation between story type and preference would be mediated by Belief in a Just World. Implications include the compulsory nature of storying trauma and potential risks of these cultural expectations.
Highlights
The concept of redemption – when a challenging, negative, or traumatic experience is narrated in a way that communicates growth, meaning-made, or resolution – is perhaps the most commonly studied construct in the field of narrative identity (e.g., McAdams, 2006; McAdams & McLean, 2013; McAdams & Pals, 2006)
We found strong support for this pervasive, but untested, theoretical claim across multiple types of traumatic events, even after controlling for neuroticism and need for closure, and these findings were robust across two evaluative conditions
We did not find that redemption was perceived as more common, or that the relation between story endings and ratings was mediated – or moderated – by Belief in a Just World
Summary
The concept of redemption – when a challenging, negative, or traumatic experience is narrated in a way that communicates growth, meaning-made, or resolution – is perhaps the most commonly studied construct in the field of narrative identity (e.g., McAdams, 2006; McAdams & McLean, 2013; McAdams & Pals, 2006). Using cultural resources (e.g., movies, books) and historical documents (e.g., Gettysburg address, spiritual autobiographies, slave narratives, religious texts), McAdams (2006) has argued that those in the U.S prefer redemptive stories due to their salience throughout U.S history and the ways in which redemption reflects persistent values in the U.S, such as individualism, grit, and a ‘bootstraps’ mentality (see McLean & Syed, 2015) These stories of good persevering over evil, emancipation, and growth are believed to resonate with those in the U.S – at least that is the pervasive claim (McAdams, 2006; 2008; McAdams & McLean, 2013; McLean & Syed, 2015). Those who do not tell culturally sanctioned stories may be disenfranchised, unheard, or marginalized (e.g., McLean, Lilgendahl, Fordham, Alpert, Marsden, Szymanowski, & McAdams, 2017)
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