Action and reaction themes in personal life-narrative

Abstract

This study contrasted personal life narratives describing Action and Reaction oriented life episodes. Action episodes involve an attempt to achieve a goal or adjust to the demands of a situation with emotion resulting either from the fulfilment or frustration of these efforts. Reaction episodes involve holistic experiences with sensory, affective, and organic responses to autobiographically meaningful events. One hundred and fifty-one students at the University of Toronto completed a three-part questionnaire, each with 13 items, which was examined with factor analysis. The order in the questionnaire actually was - the first part inquired about Action, the second part Reaction, and the third part General responses to emotional episodes. In accordance with mainstream social psychological theorizing about emotion, intensity and attributional attention to causes loaded on separate factors for the Action model. An holistic response unifying the two factors was found for the Reaction model. Twenty-two of these ...