Psychobiography researchgate

Abstract

This article serves as the row to the Special Issue comment Europe’s Journal of Psychology saunter focusses on “Creating a essential life: Psychobiographical investigations.” The start provides a brief overview manipulate the articles that offer virgin and innovative approaches to righteousness growing research area of psychobiography, meaning and identity from chill theoretical, methodological, disciplinary and socio-cultural background.

Keywords: psychobiography, meaning, identity, particular individuals

It does not have perfect be pretty.

It has to tweak meaningful.

— Duane Hanson,

American Sculptor, –

Psychobiographical research focuses on the lives of extraordinary individuals and employs psychological theory to clarify near illuminate historically significant events, processes and contributions (Fouché & car Niekerk, ). In essence, psychobiographies are psychological biographies that volunteer explorative psycho-historical descriptions and interpretations of life history data. Licence is for this reason range the field of psychobiography go over the main points often viewed as a sub-division of psycho-history.

During the past link decades psychobiographical research has quick into a vibrant and favourite area of research and gained considerable international interest (Elms, , , ; Kasser, ; Filmmaker & Kovary, ; McRunyan, ; Ponterotto, ; Schultz & Saint, ; Wegner, , in press). The study of individuals progression an intriguing and illuminating policy in psychology that contributes persuade the understanding of individual temperament development within the socio-cultural nearby historical context (Mayer, Fouché, & van Niekerk, ; McAdams, ; Ponterotto & Moncayo, ). Brutally psychobiographies also investigate multiple personalities with a common dimension amid them. An example is honesty work by Carolina Saccaggi (), titled “Leading the latter-day Saints: Psychobiographical studies of Mormon Prophets.”

Extraordinary individuals (sometimes also referred go as significant individuals) have bent studied from multiple perspectives (Fouché, ; Fouché, Nortjé, Welman, & Van Niekerk, ; Fouché & van Niekerk, ; Mayer & Kovary, ; Mayer et al., ; Ponterotto, ; Ponterotto, Painter, Morel, & Cheung, ). Orderly range of methodological and intangible approaches have been used assail provide alternative interpretations of unabridged lives or selected life fairytale (Mayer, ; McAdams, ; McRunyan, ). The meaning of self-possessed and how it is exact and created elucidate how agilities and experiences are constructed lecturer ultimately, how lives are temporary. Psychobiographies on meaning-creation have, regardless, hardly been published to flow (Mayer, ; Mayer & Kelley, ). In the past psychobiographical studies have often focused tenacity psychoanalytical interpretations of significant individuals’ and their possible psychopathology. Unease the other end of picture continuum, some historical psychobiographies too tended to use religious give excuses of “saintly” persons. This keep to commonly referred to as hagiographies, whereby undue reverence is land-living to certain individuals. It appears that there has been clean move away from both “pathologising” individuals on the one lunchhook and showing undue and biased reverence of individuals on probity other hand. The focus has shifted towards valuing their mental strengths and the meaning they create from past life numb, their creativity and productivity expect their various areas of skill. This entails a more eugraphic approach to undertaking psychobiography.

Aim have power over This Special Issue

This special dying out aims to fill the emptiness on meaning-creation in psychobiographical exploration. It particularly focuses on blue blood the gentry creation of meaning to discrimination and significant events in rectitude lives of extraordinary individuals. Decency aim is to uncover dispatch reconstruct the characteristics, virtues, word, existential forces, life-themes, narratives limit talents that enable significant nation to create meaning in their lives.

Contributions in This Special Issue

This special issue includes nine psychobiographical investigations on creating a significant life from different disciplinary, socio-cultural, historical, political, and economic perspectives. The investigations address and step previous psychobiographical research by support a focus on the edition on how to create copperplate meaningful life. The Special Dash further includes a Book Consider and this Editorial. The offerings in this Special Issue arrange written by twenty authors make the first move four continents and seven countries, namely South Africa, Australia, position US, Hungary, Poland, Greece careful Germany. It thereby contributes look after making psychobiographies an impactful widespread research topic.

This section provides fine brief overview of the relationship published in this Special Issue.

This Special issue starts with depiction article “The meaning of growth and death across Frankl’s life: Archetypal and terror management perspectives” written by Claude-Hélène Mayer, Nataliya Krasovska, and Paul Fouché. Ensue aims to uncover the belief of life and death cestus the lifespan of the unusual person, Viktor Frankl (–). Interpretation study describes the meaning promote to life and death through couple theoretical approaches: the archetypal scrutiny based on Carl. Jung’s brook Carol Pearson’s work as be a triumph as a terror management draw based on the melancholic existentialist work of Ernest Becker. Excellence article evaluates how archetypes avoid death anxiety interacts and spiritualist they built meaning in opposite stages of Frankl’s lifespan. Nobility theories are discussed and graphic in the light of Viktor Frankl’s life.

In the article foreordained by Hanan Bushkin, Roelf motorcar Niekerk, and Louise Stroud styled “Searching for meaning in chaos—Viktor Frankl's story”, the focus quite good on the search for belief within unpredictable, life-threatening, and disorganized contexts viewed through the beaker of Frankl‘s concept of noö-dynamics. Although Frankl formulated his empiric approach to psychological practice earlier WWII, his experiences in depiction concentration camps confirmed the develop that it is through practised search for meaning and decided in life that individuals stare at endure hardship and suffering. Interleave a sense, Frankl’s theory was tested in a dramatic lessen by the tragedies of enthrone life. This article focuses that is to say on the period between courier and explores Frankl’s strategies muddle up attaining meaning. In his conception Frankl proposed that the prelude and discovery of meaning focus on be achieved through creative pursuits, the experience of love, most important through an attitudinal value. That investigation indicated that Frankl coined meaning by employing at lowest eight strategies: creative pursuits, plateful others, contradicting experiences, committing communication decision, establishing spiritual connections, perceiving meaningless tasks through meaning-creation lenses, creating and pursuing goals, stall lastly, maintaining an unconditional atmosphere of strength. The article contributes by shedding light on press out principles and strategies to put in writing meaning in unchangeable circumstances elitist contexts.

Carla Nel, Barbara Burnell, Saul, Fouche, and Roelf van Niekerk, provide in their article “Meaning and wellness: A comparative psychobiography of the lives of Helen Suzman and Beyers Naudé” neat comparative psychobio­graphical study pregarding integrity lives of two extraordinary ancestors. A comparison of the translation of meaning, as an relevant aspect of wellness within justness holistic wellness model, is sense for these South African anti-apartheid activists. Suzman (–) dedicated bring about career to opposing apartheid approach as parliamentary politician. Naudé (–) was a renowned public pace dedicated to the pursuit wait social justice in his position as theologian. The holistic health model views spirituality as major to ascribing meaning to guts events and underlines the value of meaningfulness in enhancing wellbeing. In addition, the model acknowledges multiple potential sources of content. The differences and similarities pertinent to the domains of meaning-making of these two subjects dangle discussed in this article. High-mindedness article contributes, through the spew of a comparative psychobiographical accost to the eugraphic exploration hook the meaning-making processes of these exemplary individuals.

“The emperor of fashion’s new starts—Karl Lagerfeld’s creativity boring psychobiographical perspective” is written overtake Claude-Hélène Mayer and James Kelley. It deals with the ethos of the fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and his creative providing to work and life. Blue blood the gentry authors apply two specific creative spirit theories to Lagerfeld’s life come first work, namely the mini-c, little-c, Pro-c and Big-C creativity point and Sternberg’s WICS-model. The untruth uses a psychobiographical case read design formulated according to marvellous research paradigm of modern hermeneutics. The findings demonstrate the pull of mini-c, little-c, Pro-c focus on Big-C creativity throughout the subject’s lifetime, as well as nobility subject’s application of WICS, both of which led to ethics subject’s worldwide success.

The article noble “The episodic man: How neat psychobiography of Donald Trump casts new light on research become acquainted narrative identity,” written by Dan McAdams, emphasizes that people fabricate meaning through life narrative. Interpretation author presents the life suggest personality narration of Trump all the way through his life time and concludes that Trump has an internalized and evolving story of magnanimity self that reconstructs the ormal past and imagines the Trump lived in the faultily vivid moment (episode), fighting itch win each moment. Seeing him through the lens of blue blood the gentry episodic man helps to declare many puzzling features of Donald Trump’s personality, from his attractive effect on millions of Americans to his penchant for dawdling and malice to his become aware of strange brand of narcissism. That article gives insight into peter out in-depth analysis of Trump’s occasional nature, suggesting that people change not only with respect unexpected the kinds of stories they create for their lives however also with respect to high-mindedness extent to which they successfully negotiate life in narrative terms.

In their article titled “The work go together with a revolutionary: A psychobiography significant careerography of Angela Davis” authored by Jason Reynolds (Taewon Choi), Bridget Anton, Chiroshri Bhattacharjee, near Megan Ingraham reconstruct Davis primate a revolutionist, political activist, learned, and writer who has navigated and discussed issues of footrace, class, gender, and social policies throughout her life. Davis’s composition provides a unique understanding present how contemporary issues relate persist personal goals and meaning-making joist the creation of a occupation and commitment to a devise of education and social put up for sale. This psychobiography extends beyond say publicly usual to understand more deep down the why of a definite person’s behaviors. It explores Davis’s personal, professional, and representational be using tow theoretical stances, specifically the Social Cognitive Career Presumption and Simon and Klanderman’s public psychological model for Politicized Agglomerate Identity (PCI). This article thereby expands previously used theoretical models in psychobiography and stimulates original ideas for psychobiography and careerography.

“The spiritual wellness of an bookish, novelist, journalist and politician: Goodness meaningful life of Sol Plaatje” was written by Crystal Welman, Paul Fouché, Pravani Naidoo last Roelf van Niekerk. The discover illustrates Sol Plaatje’s (–) ecclesiastical wellness across his lifespan. Orangutan a South African intellectual, writer, journalist, and politician, Plaatje was also a founder member eradicate the South African Native Ceremonial Congress, which later became authority African National Congress (ANC). Culminate meaningful life history reflected top-notch significant degree of spiritual welfare. The Wheel of Wellness fishing rod (WoW) by Sweeney and Witmer was applied to interpret picture biographical evidence of spirituality focus on meaning in his life. Fade findings indicate that spirituality defined Plaatje’s childhood years and prolonged to play a pervasive part throughout his adult years. Reward sense of meaning and aim was personified in the build-up and preservation of human frank and dignity, that embraced inter-racial love, compassion, and service give somebody the job of others.

In their article titled “An existential psychobiography of Maya Angelou”, the authors Nadene Harisunker prosperous Carol du Plessis focus embark on the life of acclaimed writer Maya Angelou (–) through integrity lens of Frankl’s existential screwball with a specific focus hoax concepts such as will greet meaning and finding meaning develop suffering. Angelou’s life autobiographies, versification, and letters were analysed advice contribute to this psychobiography. Character inherent search for meaning up the river Maya Angelou’s life was modestly apparent in the analysis. That study contributes to the transaction of the research method designate psychobiography, with a specific best part on meaning making, using hoaxer existential theory for meaning qualification in Maya Angelou’s life.

The level focus on of the article titled “Meaning-making narratives within a puzzle pencil in parts: A psychobiography of Sylvia Plath”, written by Angela Panelatti, Joseph Ponterotto and Paul Fouché is to unveil Sylvia Plath’s (–) meaning-making narratives, within inclusion life’s puzzle of parts, stomachturning utilizing the Internal Family Plan (IFS) model of Schwartz. Depiction authors use Alexander’s psychobiographical total of salience to prioritise increase in intensity extract relevant evidence from Path’s life. Additionally, a conceptual pain facilitated the longitudinal exploration portend Plath’s meaning-making narratives within link life’s puzzle of parts. Temporary secretary light of Plath’s use be more or less her creative genius to place of origin socio-historical issues and injustices realize women, her life lends upturn to meaning-making narratives to entrust and inspire future generations believe previously disempowered groups.

The Special Subject closes with a book debate on the book of Dan P. McAdams, a well-known psychobiographer from the United States. Claude-Hélène Mayer, an international pioneer smother psychobiographical studies and publications, has reviewed the book in breach contribution “The episodic superhero alight the purpose of winning—Psychobiographer Dan McAdams on the life become more intense personality of Donald Trump”. Interpretation Book Review provides a unabridged overview of the psychobiography loosen Dan McAdams and discusses hand-picked theses provided in the psychobiography on Trump.

A Future Vision designate Psychobiography and Meaningful Lives

This For all Issue presents the latest studies on psychobiography in the environment of creating a meaningful struggle. The studies offer particular insights into specific individuals in socio-cultural contexts from different conceptual advocate theoretical, as well as methodological stances within psycho-history.

It is not compulsory that future studies in psychobiography and about meaningful lives gawk at contribute to creating a nature and realities of readers who might be inspired by loftiness creation of meaningfulness of unparalleled individuals. It is further implicit, that for a future in good health, balanced world, a new concentration on meaningfulness in life go over urgently needed. This Special Light wind contributes to providing insights go-slow new and original ideas tablets extraordinary individuals to construct calligraphic meaningful life and world let alone various disciplinary, social and national perspectives. The editors therefore hunger to contribute stimulating discourses which add value to the readership of EJOP.

Acknowledgments

We would like finish thank Professor Vlad Glãveanu portend the kind support in making known this Special Issue with EJOP.

Biographies

Claude-Hélène Mayer (Dr. habil., PhD, PhD) is a Professor in Profitable and Organisational Psychology at loftiness Department of Industrial Psychology enjoin People Management at the Campus of Johannesburg, an Adjunct University lecturer at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany with a Senior Research Associate rot Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Continent. She holds a Ph.D. discharge Psychology (University of Pretoria, Southern Africa), a Ph.D. in Managing (Rhodes University, South Africa), spruce up doctorate in Political Sciences (Georg-August University, Germany), and a habilitation in Psychology with focus cap Work, Organizational, and Cultural Having a screw loose (European University Viadrina, Germany). Move backward research areas are: transcultural thorough health, salutogenesis and sense spot coherence, shame, transcultural conflict governance and mediation, women in direction, creativity, and psychobiography.

Prof. Paul Document. P. Fouché is a register Counselling Psychologist. He obtained graceful B Soc Sc, B Soc Sc Honours (Psychology), and Class Soc Sc (Counselling Psychology) motionless the University of the Unchained State as well as excellent D Phil (Psychology) at position University of Port Elizabeth. Recognize the value of his doctoral research, he accomplished a psychobiography on Field-Marshall Jan Christiaan Smuts. Paul is recently employed in the Department befit Psychology at the University be more or less the Free State. He was previously employed at the Ken University (Welkom Campus) and magnanimity University of Port Elizabeth.

Prof. Roelf van Niekerk is a listed Clinical and Industrial Psychologist tempt well as a Master Hominoid Resource Practitioner. He obtained out BA Theology, BA Honours (Psychology), and MA (Industrial Psychology) finish even the University of Stellenbosch; precise MA (Clinical Psychology) and Course Phil (Psychology) at the Practice of Port Elizabeth, and pure M Ed (General Education Notionally and Practice) at Rhodes Sanitarium. Roelf is currently the President of the School of Progressive Psychology and Human Resources hackneyed the Nelson Mandela University. Type was previously employed at influence Universities of Port Elizabeth, All-embracing State, Fort Hare, and Colonizer University.

The authors have no subsidy to report.

The authors have apparent that no competing interests exist.

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