Personal narratives as maps of the social ecosystem

Research and theory on the development and function of autobiographical narratives are reviewed and synthesized in this discussion article. In our synthesis, these stories are viewed as summaries of long-term and recent historical experiences describing patterns of social contingencies in the narrator's relationships with a variety of people. The pattern, extending from past to present, is assumed to serve a map function for the narrator, guiding this observer's deliberate study of personal social interactions in the here and now. Clarity of the pattern is thought to depend on how well the narrative is structured along dimensions of coherence and richness, characteristics amenable to change through the constructive feedback of listeners. Ways in which clarity is enhanced through natural changes in narrative structure are highlighted as relevant processes for clinical work with adults, adolescents, and children.