Understanding Context: Cultural, Relational, & Psychological Interactions in Self-Authorship Development

Existing research points toward dissonance as the primary catalyst in self-authorship development. This study investigated the cultural relevance of current conceptions of dissonance's role in self-authorship development. A total of 166 participants of color were recruited from three large public research universities from different regions in the United States. The results of our qualitative study suggest two kinds of dissonance lead to self-authorship development: Identity dissonance and relationship dissonance, and that type of dissonance experienced impacts developmental pathways. The implications of our results suggest that there is a need to further specify the current understandings of the catalysts and processes involved in self-authorship development.