Publisher's Synopsis
Young people's development of autobiographical reasoning representsthe evolution of a biographical perspective that frames theirindividuality in terms of their specific developmental histories.Autobiographical reasoning relies on autobiographical memory, butgoes beyond it by enhancing understanding through the activecreation of coherence between events and the self. It has beenstudied in relation to numerous topics, including coping with lifeevents, rumination, life review, narrative identity, and thedevelopment of the life story.
This volume contextualizes autobiographical reasoning innormative ideas about the life course or life script (Bohn), and inthe cultural practice of reading fiction and poems (Mar, Peskin,& Fong). Autobiographical reasoning develops in adolescence,building on cognitive and narrative skills acquired in childhood.Although autobiographical reasoning is a cognitiive activity, it isoften an integral part of narrating life experiences to significantothers. Autobiographical reason is studies as a means for creatingself-continuity. (Fivush, Bohanek, & Zaman), and to processone's own and parents' life experiences (McKeough & Malcolm).Althought autobiographical reasoning is an important ability in ourculture, its contribution to an individual's adaptation depends oncontexts and personality, as well as on the quality of thereasoning process. (McLean & Mansfield).
This is the 131st volume of the Jossey-Bass quarterly reportseries New Directions for Child and AdolescentDevelopment,. The mission of New Directions for Childand Adolescent Development is to provide scientific andscholarly presentations on cutting edge issues and concepts in thefield of child and adolescent development. Each volume focuses on aspecific "new direction" or research topic, and is edited by anexpert or experts on that topic.
