Berättelsen i psykologin Om narrativ teori och metodologi inom psykologin

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The narrative is a fundamental and powerful cultural form for expressing and conveying human experiences. The study and use of narratives has a long tradition in psychology, from Freud to life-span research and modern cognitive psychology. In the article four aspects of narrative psychology du ring the last two decades a re reviewed: (1) the narrative as a metaphor for psychology; (2) the transformation of experiences and the psychological construction of reality with the use of narratives; (3) the organisation of life-narratives; (4) narratives about problematic life events and problematic narratives. Although more and more psychologists use narratives in research and practice, they use different definitions and approaches to narratives. Mainly we find different types of narratives, which serve various functions and are analysed in varied ways. For this reason it is important to be cautious when generalising from one area and tradition to another.