Bridging Research on Autobiographical Memory and Narrative Identity

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Identity

Publication Date

7-11-2026

Abstract

Two distinct lines of research characterize the psychological study of the sense of self and identity. The research field of autobiographical memory asks experimental questions such as the conditions of retrieval and forgetting. The research field of narrative identity examines how people attribute meaning to their lives and develop a sense of personal identity through the stories they tell about themselves. Each line of research taps into important facets of identity, but currently, both fields inform each other only partially. This article aims to bridge the gap by outlining the similarities and differences between the two fields. Reviewing central research questions, methods, and key findings, this article emphasizes theoretical, methodological, and empirical convergences across the two fields and proposes specific research initiatives to encourage both fields to join methodologies.

ISSN

1528-3488

Publisher

Informa UK Limited

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Keywords

Autobiographical memory (0.79) | Narrative (0.76) | Bridging (networking) (0.69) | Identity (music) (0.59) | Field (mathematics) (0.57) | Psychology (0.57) | Bridge (graph theory) (0.56) | Meaning (existential) (0.52) | Narrative identity (0.5) | Empirical research (0.49) | Social psychology (0.42) | Personal identity (0.4) | Sociology (0.39) | Field research (0.38) | Psychology of self (0.37) | Epistemology (0.36) | Narrative inquiry (0.36) | Key (lock) (0.3) | Meaning-making (0.29) | Psychoanalysis (0.28) | Cognitive psychology (0.28) | Self (0.28) | Mode (computer interface) (0.27) | Identity formation (0.25)

Scopus ID

105044469387

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

Link to Full Text

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