Self-understanding in Early Adolescence: Developmental Changes Captured in Short Autobiographical Stories

MACEK, Petr and Jan VANČURA. Self-understanding in Early Adolescence: Developmental Changes Captured in Short Autobiographical Stories (Self-understanding in early adolescence: developmental changes captured in short autobiographical stories). Cambridge., 2008.

Basic information

Original name

Self-understanding in Early Adolescence: Developmental Changes Captured in Short Autobiographical Stories

Name in Czech

Sebepojetí v časné adolescenci

Authors

MACEK, Petr and Jan VANČURA

Edition

Cambridge. 2008

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Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Audiovizuální tvorba

Field of Study

50100 5.1 Psychology and cognitive sciences

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Organization unit

Faculty of Social Studies

Keywords in English

Autobiographical story; adolescence; self-understanding

Tags

adolescence, Autobiographical story, self-understanding

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Abstract

V originále

This study focuses on changes in self-perception (reflecting self) and self-presentation (social perspective of dialogical self) in early adolescence. We use data from the Czech subsample of the longitudinal study ELSPAC. As a part of complex psychological examinations at the age of 13 and 15, probands (75 girls, 70 boys) also were to write a short story about themselves. In autobiographical stories adolescents tell about themselves from their own personal perspective and also from the perspective of others. By using these data, we can try to identify dialogical processes of their self-reflections. They reflect themselves in the stories which are part of their own identity (Mc Adams, 2006), and choose aspects of their life for self-presentation designated for others. As preliminary results reveal, in the stories collected it is possible to distinguish short story lines (personal memories) which have particular importance in one's reflections about the self and in which the respondents are the main characters (e.g. fight with parents, time spent with a close friend, an important event at school, extraordinary experience, etc.). Other responses are more likely self-representations. This more frequent category of responses includes personal characteristics, status and relationship characteristics, and also characteristics expressing personal possessions. The last category of responses includes theories of self, which contribute to the interpretation of oneself. We presuppose that the occurrence and importance of this category of responses is likely to increase with age and that it will offer the adolescents a basis for the sense of identity.

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Links

MSM0021622406, plan (intention)

Name: Psychologické a sociální charakteristiky dětí, mládeže a rodiny, vývoj osobnosti v době proměn moderní společnosti Investor: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the CR, Psychological and social characteristics of children, youth and families, development of the personality in the time of changes of modern society