ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R

Advances in Psychological Science ›› 2016, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (12): 1917-1925.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2016.01917

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Self-deception in autobiographical narrative: Individuals’ self identity strategy

ZHU Yanli1; XI Sisi2; WU Yanhong2   

  1. (1 Department of Education, ZhengZhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China) (2 School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PeKing University, Beijing 100080, China)
  • Received:2015-07-06 Online:2016-12-15 Published:2016-12-15
  • Contact: WU Yanhong, E-mail: wuyh@pku.edu.cn

Abstract:

Self-deception in autobiographical narrative is a kind of self-deception in the perspective of intrapersonal, and a strategy that individuals use to maintain self-identity in the process of self-construction under no interpersonal pressure. It occurs in the process of autobiographical narrative, in which individuals widen narrative distance between “new me” and “old me” through narrative language, construct a new goal to seek and achieve, and finally set up a narrative identity. In this process, individuals are motivated to maintain a positive self-concept by using biased information processing, and to meet the need of consistent experience and evaluate of emotion as well. Self-deception in autobiographical narrative can affect individuals’ self-consciousness, and result in self-change. Future research would focus on the occurrence and coping strategies of self-deception in autobiographical narrative in clinical treatment. Meanwhile its cognitive neural mechanism will be investigated, and its characteristics and influencing factors under different socio-cultural backgrounds will be explored.

Key words: autobiographical narratives, self-deception, motivated cognition, self-enhancement, narrative identity