THE POWER OF STORYTELLING IN SHAPING IDENTITY.

Abstract

This article investigates the deep interplay between storytelling and identity formation, drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from psychology, narrative theory, sociology, and cultural studies. We posit that storytelling is not merely a vehicle for communicating experiences but an active agent in the constitutive process of identity. Through a mixed-methods design combining narrative interviews (n = 120) and quantitative coding of narrative themes, we find that coherence, agency, redemption, and complexity in individuals’ stories explain up to 35 % of variance in self-concept clarity and correlate with measures of well-being (r = .42 to .57, p < .001). Longitudinal follow-up at 12 and 24 months (n = 85) shows that shifts in narrative coherence predict subsequent shifts in identity integration (β = .28, p = .003). We further show moderation by cultural embeddedness: narrative identity effects are stronger in collectivist cultural settings (effect size d = 0.48) than in individualist ones (d = 0.31). These results underscore storytelling’s power in not only reflecting but actively shaping identity trajectories. The article concludes by discussing implications for identity theory, therapeutic practice, and future directions in narrative research.