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Published on: September 29, 2011
Generativity and moral development as predictors of value-socialization narratives for young persons across the adult
M W Pratt1, J E Norris, M L Arnold
1Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. mpratt@wlu.ca
Abstract:
Little research so far has examined storytelling as a channel of value socialization. In the present study, 129 adults from 3 age groups (18-26, 28-50, 60-75) were asked to tell stories for adolescents about 2 of their past value-learning experiences. Generative concern (D. P. McAdams & E. de St. Aubin, 1992) and moral reasoning stage level were also assessed. Stronger generative concern was predictive of a greater sense of having learned important lessons from these past events, of stronger adult value socialization investment, and of more engaging narratives for adolescents as judged by a panel of uninstructed raters. Higher levels of moral reasoning were positively related to generative concern and to a stronger sense of past lessons learned. Generativity appears important to the project of value socialization across the adult life span.
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