The ways in which individuals remember and narrate the stressful and traumatic events of their lives has both theoretical and applied implications. Narratives are essentially the way in which we make sense of our experiences and our selves. Through creating coherent narratives of experience, we create meaning and personal significance. More specifically, narratives allow us to integrate external aspects of events -- the who, what, and where -- with the internal subjective evaluation -- the why -- of events. Personal narratives provide the evaluative stance that allows us to understand and express what events mean to us. Yet when highly stressful and traumatic events occur, the ability to create meaning may break down. How can the individual make sense of what is essentially senseless? Recent research suggests both that creating meaning through coherent narratives may be a more difficult process in the face of traumatic experiences compared to everyday experiences, and that the ability to create more coherent narratives is highly beneficial for subsequent well-being. However, we know very little about how and why some individuals are better able to create more coherent narratives of trauma than others. In this ongoing series of studies, we are examining how narratives of traumatic and stressful events may be the same and/or different than narratives of emotionally neutral or highly positive events, as well as individual differences in the ability to create more coherent narratives of trauma, and outcomes associated with how trauma is narrated.

For more informantion, see our recent publications:

Edwards, V., Fivush, R., Anda, R., Nordenberg, D., & Felliti, V. (2001). Autobiographical memory disturbances in childhood abuse survivors. Journal of Trauma and Aggression, 4, 247-263.

Fivush, R., & Edwards, V.J. (2004). Remembering and forgetting childhood sexual abuse. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 13, 1-19.

Fivush, R. (2004). Reconciling trauma and self. In A.B. Brown & K. Poremski (Eds.). Roads to reconciliation: Approaches to conflict. NY: Sharpe.