Keywords
narrative competence
self-consciousness
civic identity
meaning-making
psychological resilience
value resonance
information influence
critical thinking
agency
How to Cite
Abstract
Background. In the context of digital communication, information warfare, and profound social transformations, narratives increasingly function not only as a means of representing reality but also as a psychological mechanism for its construction, internalization, and meaning-making. Of particular importance is understanding how external narrative constructs become internal components of self-consciousness, shaping individuals' value orientations, identity, emotional attitudes, and behavioral strategies.
Objective. The study aims to provide a theoretical and methodological justification of narrative as an integrative psychosocial mechanism underlying the development of self-consciousness and to conceptualize narrative competence as a psychological resource for critical interpretation of experience, psychological resilience, and responsible civic decision-making.
Methods. The research is based on theoretical analysis, comparison, systematization, and synthesis of contemporary psychological and interdisciplinary approaches to narrative. Philosophical-hermeneutic, cognitive, psycholinguistic, social constructionist, psychoanalytic, Gestalt, systems, and narrative-psychological perspectives were comprehensively examined to identify their contributions to understanding the psychological functions of narrative.
Results. Narrative is substantiated as a universal mechanism for the meaningful organization of experience that mediates the relationship between external social influences and the internal structure of self-consciousness. Three interrelated dimensions of narrative influence were identified: (1) the cognitive dimension, operating through framing, priming, and the organization of social representations; (2) the emotional-value dimension, realized through value resonance, affective integration of experience, and identity formation; and (3) the behavioral dimension, manifested through the acquisition of role models, behavioral scripts, and the development of personal agency. The effectiveness of narrative influence was found to depend on value congruence, repetition, social reinforcement, the level of self-consciousness development, and the degree of narrative competence.
Originality. The study proposes a conceptual understanding of narrative competence as an integrative personal characteristic that combines the ability to recognize, interpret, critically evaluate, and independently construct meaningful structures of experience. Narrative competence is conceptualized as a psychological mechanism facilitating the transition from passive reproduction of externally imposed meanings to the autonomous construction of one's own life narrative and civic identity.
Practical implications. The proposed conceptual framework may be applied in psychological education, media psychology, civic education, psychotherapy, and interventions aimed at strengthening critical thinking, psychological resilience, media literacy, and resistance to manipulative informational influences.
Conclusions. Narrative represents an integrative psychosocial mechanism that enables the meaningful organization of experience and contributes to the development of self-consciousness, personal and civic identity, psychological resilience, and cognitive autonomy. Narrative competence constitutes a key psychological resource for maintaining psychological security in contemporary information environments by promoting critical meaning-making, integration of traumatic experiences, and responsible social decision-making.
Keywords: narrative; narrative competence; self-consciousness; civic identity; meaning-making; psychological resilience; value resonance; information influence; critical thinking; agency.
Received: 21 January 2026
Accepted: 20 March 2026
Published: 30 April 2026
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