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Narrative methods of personality assessment in school psychology
Author(s) -
Esquivel Giselle B.,
Flanagan Rosemary
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
psychology in the schools
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1520-6807
pISSN - 0033-3085
DOI - 10.1002/pits.20222
Subject(s) - psychology , personality , narrative , personality development , storytelling , school psychology , context (archaeology) , interpersonal communication , developmental psychology , meaning (existential) , social psychology , psychotherapist , applied psychology , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy , biology
Abstract This critical review of narrative methods of personality assessment highlights their value in understanding unique aspects of personality functioning of children and adolescents in the context of school psychology. The use of narratives for assessment is based on constructivist theories emphasizing the role of the person and the social group in assigning meaning to reality through the use of storytelling processes. Narrative analysis is linked to thematic apperception techniques within a personological paradigm of assessment that attends to the internal and interpersonal processes underlying personality development. A comprehensive framework is described to guide the use of narrative methods of assessing children and adolescents. Research is proposed to validate these methods further as an integral aspect of personality assessment in school psychology. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 271–280, 2007.