The validity of eliciting and coding personal narratives: understanding the properties of coherence and richness

The current study examined the reliability and discriminant validity of a technique for eliciting and assessing individuals' personal narratives. Previous research has indicated the value of assessing personal narrative in order to better understand how individuals perceive self and other and develop internal models of their relationships with the world around them. Forty participants completed two personal narrative interviews, approximately two weeks apart, which varied in level of provided structure. Participants also completed a test of verbal ability and a questionnaire pertaining to psychopathy. The coherence and richness of narrative responses to more structured interviews demonstrated considerable temporal stability. Results also indicated that individuals produce significantly greater amounts of richness in their narrative responses to less structured, or free-form interviews when compared to structured interviews. Additionally, the richness and coherence of individuals' narrative productions appears to be relatively independent of those individuals' verbal abilities, regardless of interview type. Finally, richness scores proved to be inversely related to levels of overall psychopathy, or more specifically, fearlessness. These findings are discussed in terms of their impact on future investigations of personal narrative utilizing the investigated measures Additional discussion considers the ramifications of the findings in light of previously discussed theories of narrative development and function.