Shifting narrative perspective and construal level shape emotional response and enhance eudaimonic well-being
Abstract Understanding how people process and reflect upon past negative experiences is critical for promoting eudaimonic well-being. This study examined how psychological distance and construal level during autobiographical memory retrieval jointly influence post-recall affect and eudaimonic well-b...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01946-8 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Abstract Understanding how people process and reflect upon past negative experiences is critical for promoting eudaimonic well-being. This study examined how psychological distance and construal level during autobiographical memory retrieval jointly influence post-recall affect and eudaimonic well-being. Participants retrieved negative autobiographical events initially from a 1st-person perspective and subsequently, on a separate day, from a 3rd-person perspective, thereby increasing psychological distance. During each retrieval, participants elaborated either at a high construal level (reflecting on the event’s broader meaning and life implications) or a low construal level (focusing on contextual details, such as location). After each retrieval, participants evaluated mnemonic characteristics of the recalled events, post-recall affective responses, and current eudaimonic well-being. Baseline measures included depression symptoms, dispositional construal level, and initial eudaimonic well-being. Results showed that high-level construal, compared to low-level construal, enhanced subjective vitality and search for meaning in life, while reduced negative post-recall affect. Shifting from a 1st-person to a 3rd-person perspective decreased emotional intensity and further increased meaning-seeking. Notably, beneficial effects of high construal level on eudaimonic well-being were more pronounced when recalling from the 1st-person (vs. 3rd-person) perspective. These findings offer new insights into Construal Level Theory and offer practical implications for expressive writing and well-being intervention. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2045-2322 |