STORIES OF COMMITMENT - THE PSYCHOSOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF GENERATIVE LIVES

In this study, the authors analyzed the internalized life stories of 4 0 highly generative and 30 less generative adults with similar demogra phic profiles to discern the extent to which the 2 groups constructed different identities. The highly generative adults were more likely to reconstruct the past and anticipate the future as variations on a pro totypical commitment story in which the protagonist (a) enjoys an earl y family blessing or advantage, (b) is sensitized to others' suffering at an early age, (c) is guided by a clear and compelling personal ide ology that remains stable over time, (d) transforms or redeems bad sce nes into good outcomes, and (e) sets goals for the future to benefit s ociety. Commitment stories sustain and reinforce the modern adult's ef forts to contribute in positive ways to the next generation. The findi ngs connect to a growing interdisciplinary literature on narrative and human lives and suggest a new research agenda that draws on nomotheti c conventions to interpret storied psychosocial constructions that peo ple fashion to make sense of their lives in time and in culture.