The Psychologica-Bildungsroman: Exploring Narrative Identity, Audience Effect and Genre in Autobiographies of Trainee-Psychologists

Abstract

Applicants to training courses in professional psychology are routinely required to submit an autobiography or life story as part of the selection process. What we are curious about is when several autobiographies, despite each presenting their own idiosyncratic identity, share commonalities. Nine autobiographies of successful applicants to a training course in professional psychology were analysed using an experience centred approach to narrative analysis. Specific influence of audience effect, development of a narrative identity, and genre were focused on in the analysis. We conclude that narratives represent a specific form of the Bildungsroman as a coming-of-age into the profession of psychology and propose that autobiography as part of the selection process can be utilised effectively as a precursor to the training of professional psychologists.