HUD Colloquium Fall 2024 Presents: Dr. Dan P. McAdams

The Human Development Colloquium Series Presents:

What is a Good Life Story?  Redemption versus Acceptance in Narrative Identity

Dr. Dan P. McAdams

Northwestern University

Bio: Dan P. McAdams is the Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, USA. A personality and life-span developmental psychologist, McAdams is a pioneer in the study of life stories and the author of over 300 scientific articles, numerous edited volumes, and 8 books, including "The Person: A New Introduction to Personality Psychology" (2022) and "The Strange Case of Donald J. Trump: A Psychological Reckoning" (2020). McAdams has won numerous awards in personality and developmental psychology, and his work has been featured in many popular venues. Website https://sites.northwestern.edu/thestudyoflivesresearchgroup/

Abstract: Narrative identity is the story a person constructs in their mind about how they have come to be the person they are becoming.  Over the past decade, a large body of research has shown that highly generative (caring and productive) midlife adults tend to construct redemptive stories about their lives, documenting an inspiring trajectory from suffering to enhancement.  While narrative identities that affirm personal redemption hold significant psychological value, they also exhibit shortcomings in situations of severe constraint and as people move from middle adulthood into later life.  What I call narratives of acceptance offer a life-story alternative, featuring protagonists who come to terms with (rather than triumph over) suffering and adversity while demonstrating virtues of grace, humility, and wisdom.