The drive for purpose, efficacy, value, and self-worth may be explored through
use of autobiographical narratives in which individuals describe the events preceding
and following important life outcomes. Evidence for personal meaning often appears
under conditions in which one or more of the needs for meaning are thwarted. Life
stories communicate a wealth of information regarding the ways in which people
counteract the loss of meaning (Reker, Birren, & Svensson, 2009). Much of the
evidence presented in this chapter is thus based on the personal accounts of
individuals who have experienced negative or anxiety-inducing events, such as
interpersonal conflicts or unexpected changes in lifestyle. The findings generally reveal
that the construction of narratives provides individuals with an opportunity to restructure
events in memory in ways that reflect positively on the self and add a sense of
5
coherence and stability to what would otherwise be viewed as a random and
unpredictable world.