Answering the question 'How have you become the person you are today?' encourages people to build their narrative identity, referring to their ever-changing, internalized life story. Life stories are grounded in autobiographical memory and provide the basis for the experience of personhood; that is, the experience of being an individual with a past, present, and future in a certain culture at a certain time. Traditionally, researchers have approached the study of life story psychology either by focusing on autobiographical memories or through narratives of individual memories, life story chapters, or entire life narratives. This book is the first to bring these isolated approaches together to reveal new perspectives on how people construct their identities and understand their lives across time and cultural contexts. Featuring chapters by leading experts, it offers a thorough introduction to both approaches that enrich our understanding of life story psychology.

‘This book offers a compelling exploration of how autobiographical memory and life stories shape personal identity. It brings together leading scholars to bridge the gap between cognitive and narrative approaches, shedding light on the functions of memory, cultural influences, and the social dimensions of life storytelling. By integrating perspectives on master narratives, social support, and developmental trajectories, this book provides an essential resource for anyone interested in the intricate ways memory constructs and sustains our sense of self.’

Mohamad El Haj - Full Professor, University of Nantes, France

‘This masterfully edited volume is the most comprehensive effort to date to establish a dialogue between research on narrative identity and autobiographical memory. Centred around Tillman Habermas's seminal work, this book shows the fertile ramifications of the life story research in cognitive, social, developmental, and clinical psychology. An indispensable tool for anyone interested in a narrative account of personal identity.’

Massimo Marraffa - Professor of Philosophy of Mind, Roma Tre University, Italy

‘In the year 2000, Tilmann Habermas and Susan Bluck published a scientific paper that fundamentally changed how psychologists think about personal identity. Twenty-five years later, we can see the profound ways in which remembering autobiographical events and telling stories about life are deeply intertwined, as psychologists continue to explore the concept of narrative identity. This engaging volume looks back to that famous paper and forward to the many exciting research projects and programs that today examine the stories people construct in their minds about how they have come to be the people they are becoming. The authors provide keen insights into the psychological and social functions of people’s narrative identities, how these self-defining stories develop over the human life course, how they are implicated in mental health and well-being, and how life narratives are shaped by biology, culture, history, close relationships, and a person’s unique lived experience.’

Dan P. McAdams - The Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Psychology, Northwestern University

‘This timely book provides a comprehensive account of research on the intersection of narrative identity and autobiographical memory. Contributions from leading experts unite cognitive and narrative perspectives and highlight the importance of studying life stories. This is an essential text for all students and researchers in the field.’

Clare Rathbone - Associate Professor in Psychology, Oxford Brookes University

‘This book is a must-have for any student and/or academic interested in autobiographical memory, life stories and narrative studies. The contributions are erudite, well-written and lay out the state-of-the-art within the field as well as provide fruitful avenues for future research.’

Charles B. Stone - Associate Professor of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, The City University of New York

‘This exciting volume brings together leading researchers to discuss how our memories and life stories make up who we are. It sheds new light on the conceptual and methodological intersection between memory and narrative, and delineates the individual and environmental circumstances that shape the process of identity-making. Highly recommended!’

Qi Wang - Joan K. and Irwin M. Jacobs Professor of Human Development, Cornell University, USA, and author of The Autobiographical Self in Time and Culture