A Comparison of Turning-Point Memories Among US and UK Emerging Adults: Adversity, Redemption, and Unresolved Trauma
Abstract
1. Introduction
1.1. Master Narratives and Well-Being
1.2. Redemptive Narratives of Difficult Life Events
1.3. The Current Study
- (1)
- What themes characterize turning-point memories?
- (2)
- Do people in the two samples tell redemptive narratives with similar frequency?
- (3)
- Do they equally benefit from telling redemptive narratives?
2. Materials and Method
“In looking back over your life, it may be possible to identify certain key moments that stand out as turning points—episodes that marked an important change in you or your life story. Please identify a particular episode in your life story that you now see as a turning point in your life. If you cannot identify a key turning point that stands out clearly, please describe some event in your life wherein you went through an important change of some kind. For this event, please describe what happened, where and when, who was involved, and what you were thinking and feeling. Also, please say a word or two about what you think this event says about you as a person or about your life.”
3. Results
3.1. What Themes Characterize Turning-Point Memories?
Qualitative Examples of Themes Expressed
…I remember I was taking out the trash through the back and I had stopped to check my phone. I had a message from my best friend’s cousin saying that her boyfriend had hit her with a car. Obviously that’s not funny, but it’s so random so I call her from messenger and she’s incoherent. I knew. She wasn’t lying. My heart was pounding, and my stomach had done a complete 180. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. So I tell my supervisor, _____ (NAME), at the time and he lets me go. I leave and I drive to her house. To my best friend’s house. As I approached you can see the firetruck and cop cars. Her boyfriend went to leave after they had gotten in an argument and he backed up and hit her. She died. Just like that. 17 years old. She had her entire life ahead of her. He was 17 as well so you know what happened to him? Absolutely nothing. He’s out there free. This was a point in my life that broke me. I pushed people away. I cut everyone off. I didn’t want friends. The only person who I wanted to talk to was dead. I never got to say good bye. I never got to tell her how much I loved her or how much I appreciated her. The day she died something died within me too. It’s this gaping hole in my chest, and there is nothing I can do or anyone can do for that matter.
When I was in ______ (PLACE) visiting some family, we were on a hike and I had gone through a traumatic experience where I came close to losing my life. It was a wrong place and wrong time kind of deal. It was dangerous and scary. During the whole ordeal happening I was very calm and hopeful but accepting of what the bad outcome could be. This life or death situation as bad, scary, and traumatic it was, it taught me so much. I now look at life so differently, I cherish and present for the simple and little things in life. I know I have a purpose, and there is a reason I am still here today. I love life and everything about it a whole different way. I am very humbled and grateful because of it.
3.2. Do People in the Two Samples Tell Redemptive Narratives with Similar Frequency?
3.3. Do Emerging Adults in Our Samples Equally Benefit from Redemptive Narration?
4. Discussion
4.1. Themes of Turning-Point Memories and Their Meanings for Emerging Adults
4.2. Turning-Point Memories as Opportunities for Eudaimonic Development
“A turning point in my life was when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes almost 4 years ago at age 16…My mom and siblings were in the room when I was diagnosed, but my parents stayed in the hospital with me. I was terrified and went through a sort of grieving process over what could have been. Because of this event, however, I have grown immensely as a person. I have matured, become more patient, understanding, and have become more independent. Looking back on it, I’m grateful for this diagnosis, because it has helped me to become who I am today.”
“The key moment is a trip to a place called as ‘[TRAVEL DESTINATION]’ a travel destination in [NAME OF COUNTRY]. I went out for a trip with my friends who I trusted the most. When we were returning from the trip my friend got hit by a ‘Auto’. He was riding my bike and things turned out to be very bad. Thank God, he was not injured at all! We were a group of eight in that trip. But things just got out of hand. As this incident occurred in a small village, this made the people over there angry. We were surrounded by tens of villagers. This made us all very nervous. The thing that haunted me the most was that my family was unaware of this trip (I lied). Along with the fear of being surrounded by the villagers. My family was facing a severe loss in money at that time and that made me more sad. The most frustrating situation was that the friends who were with me on this trip leaved us alone in that situation. I have had no option but to inform this to my parents. Later, my father had arranged someone in that village to be stand besides me. The guy was a popular figure in that area. He solved the issue and the very next day, my father shows up even though the village was 100 miles from my home. The night of the accident, I was not able to sleep, thinking of what my friends did and what my family did during that situation. I have given a bigger place for my friends in my heart than my parents. But after this incident, my attitude has changed and currently my family is the most important people to me than anyone in this world. Now I am studying in [NAME OF COUNTRY] and leading a good life. I contact my parents everyday even though I am busy with my academics. Maybe this incident seems to be a silly one but influenced me to change my attitude towards the world.”
4.3. The Ongoing Story of Redemptive Narrative Research: One Size Is Unlikely to ‘Fit All’
4.4. Limitations and Considerations
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
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US (M, SD) | UK (M, SD) | Effect Size, d (95% CI) | |
---|---|---|---|
Redemption Score | 0.85 (0.80) | 0.68 (0.75) | 0.22 (−0.22, 0.65) |
Pre-narrative Positive Emotion | 29.15 (8.28) | 26.67 (7.58) | 0.24 (−0.19, 0.68) |
Post-narrative Positive Emotion | 31.48 (10.20) | 28.79 (10.38) | 0.20 (−0.23, 0.64) |
Positive Emotion Change | 2.33 (7.93) | 2.13 (7.12) | 0.01 (−0.42, 0.45) |
Pre-narrative Negative Emotion | 18.12 (6.86) | 21.67 (8.87) | −0.43 (−0.87, 0.01) |
Post-narrative Negative Emotion | 17.74 (7.63) | 22.50 (11.23) | −0.43 (−0.87, 0.01) |
Negative Emotion Change | −0.39 (6.96) | 0.83 (7.30) | −0.51 (−0.95, −0.07) |
Pre-narrative Well-being * | 4.27 (0.62) | 3.75 (0.61) | 0.69 (0.24, 1.13) |
Post-narrative Well-being * | 4.38 (0.70) | 3.82 (0.68) | 0.81 (0.36, 1.26) |
Psych. Well-being Change | 0.11 (0.28) | 0.06 (0.29) | 0.16 (−0.30, 0.59) |
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Mansfield, C.D.; Carrington, M.; Shaw, L.A. A Comparison of Turning-Point Memories Among US and UK Emerging Adults: Adversity, Redemption, and Unresolved Trauma. Behav. Sci. 2025, 15, 1127. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081127
Mansfield CD, Carrington M, Shaw LA. A Comparison of Turning-Point Memories Among US and UK Emerging Adults: Adversity, Redemption, and Unresolved Trauma. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(8):1127. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081127
Chicago/Turabian StyleMansfield, Cade D., Madisyn Carrington, and Leigh A. Shaw. 2025. "A Comparison of Turning-Point Memories Among US and UK Emerging Adults: Adversity, Redemption, and Unresolved Trauma" Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 8: 1127. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081127
APA StyleMansfield, C. D., Carrington, M., & Shaw, L. A. (2025). A Comparison of Turning-Point Memories Among US and UK Emerging Adults: Adversity, Redemption, and Unresolved Trauma. Behavioral Sciences, 15(8), 1127. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081127