{"id":{"repo_id":"utc","oai_identifier":"oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2270"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/utc/oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2270","repository":{"repo_id":"utc","name":"University of Tennessee - Chattanooga","base_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Composing the self: examining dynamics of meaning and agency in narratives of authenticity and self-transformation","abstract":"This mixed-methods study examined how autobiographical narratives of authentic, inauthentic, and transformative experiences relate to retrospective self-attributions of meaning and agency. Narratives were analyzed using established deductive thematic coding schemes alongside a novel system designed to capture state-level indicators of self-environment fit. An international sample of 171 adults completed narrative prompts and retrospective self-report measures. Narratives were coded using the SAFE framework, capturing self-concept, goal, and social fit, in addition to thematic content. Analyses included MANOVA, hierarchical regression, and mediation models. Results indicated that self-concept fit was the most consistent predictor of meaning. Authentic narratives were associated with higher meaning and agency, whereas inauthentic narratives were associated with lower levels. Transformative narratives were more strongly related to the search for meaning. Retrospective existential comprehension fully mediated the relationship between self-concept fit and meaning, highlighting the role of self-environment fit in constructing coherent self-narratives.","abstract_html":"This mixed-methods study examined how autobiographical narratives of authentic, inauthentic, and transformative experiences relate to retrospective self-attributions of meaning and agency. Narratives were analyzed using established deductive thematic coding schemes alongside a novel system designed to capture state-level indicators of self-environment fit. An international sample of 171 adults completed narrative prompts and retrospective self-report measures. Narratives were coded using the SAFE framework, capturing self-concept, goal, and social fit, in addition to thematic content. Analyses included MANOVA, hierarchical regression, and mediation models. Results indicated that self-concept fit was the most consistent predictor of meaning. Authentic narratives were associated with higher meaning and agency, whereas inauthentic narratives were associated with lower levels. Transformative narratives were more strongly related to the search for meaning. Retrospective existential comprehension fully mediated the relationship between self-concept fit and meaning, highlighting the role of self-environment fit in constructing coherent self-narratives.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Schaublin, Matthew J"],"institution":"University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Shelton, Jill T.","Huber, Thomas; Silver, Christopher; Bardi, Carl","College of Arts and Sciences"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2027,"date_issued":"2027-01-31T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2027-01-31T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:47:28Z","subjects":["Narrative therapy","Constructivism (Psychology)","Personal construct therapy","Ego (Psychology)","Transpersonal psychology","Psychotherapy--Methodology"],"languages":["English","eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1084","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Shelton, Jill T.","Huber, Thomas; Silver, Christopher; Bardi, Carl","College of Arts and Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Schaublin, Matthew J"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2026-08-01T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2027-01-31T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"]},{"key":"dc:relation","label":"Dc Relation","values":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Masters theses","Text"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Narrative therapy","Constructivism (Psychology)","Personal construct therapy","Ego (Psychology)","Transpersonal psychology","Psychotherapy--Methodology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English","eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1084"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Dept. of Psychology","M. A.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This mixed-methods study examined how autobiographical narratives of authentic, inauthentic, and transformative experiences relate to retrospective self-attributions of meaning and agency. Narratives were analyzed using established deductive thematic coding schemes alongside a novel system designed to capture state-level indicators of self-environment fit. An international sample of 171 adults completed narrative prompts and retrospective self-report measures. Narratives were coded using the SAFE framework, capturing self-concept, goal, and social fit, in addition to thematic content. Analyses included MANOVA, hierarchical regression, and mediation models. Results indicated that self-concept fit was the most consistent predictor of meaning. Authentic narratives were associated with higher meaning and agency, whereas inauthentic narratives were associated with lower levels. Transformative narratives were more strongly related to the search for meaning. Retrospective existential comprehension fully mediated the relationship between self-concept fit and meaning, highlighting the role of self-environment fit in constructing coherent self-narratives."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Composing the self: examining dynamics of meaning and agency in narratives of authenticity and self-transformation"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Shelton, Jill T.","Huber, Thomas; Silver, Christopher; Bardi, Carl","College of Arts and Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Schaublin, Matthew J"],"dc:date":["2026-08-01T07:00:00Z"],"dc:date.available":["2027-01-31T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description":["Dept. of Psychology","M. A.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts."],"dc:description.abstract":["This mixed-methods study examined how autobiographical narratives of authentic, inauthentic, and transformative experiences relate to retrospective self-attributions of meaning and agency. Narratives were analyzed using established deductive thematic coding schemes alongside a novel system designed to capture state-level indicators of self-environment fit. An international sample of 171 adults completed narrative prompts and retrospective self-report measures. Narratives were coded using the SAFE framework, capturing self-concept, goal, and social fit, in addition to thematic content. Analyses included MANOVA, hierarchical regression, and mediation models. Results indicated that self-concept fit was the most consistent predictor of meaning. Authentic narratives were associated with higher meaning and agency, whereas inauthentic narratives were associated with lower levels. Transformative narratives were more strongly related to the search for meaning. Retrospective existential comprehension fully mediated the relationship between self-concept fit and meaning, highlighting the role of self-environment fit in constructing coherent self-narratives."],"dc:identifier":["https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1084"],"dc:language":["English","eng"],"dc:publisher":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"],"dc:relation":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"],"dc:rights":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Narrative therapy","Constructivism (Psychology)","Personal construct therapy","Ego (Psychology)","Transpersonal psychology","Psychotherapy--Methodology"],"dc:title":["Composing the self: examining dynamics of meaning and agency in narratives of authenticity and self-transformation"],"dc:type":["Masters theses","Text"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:47:28Z"}