2

Connecting the two leverage points we have outlined thus far–motivational processes and developmental change–is the self. To approach the concept of improving narratives, it is helpful to begin with the cognitive processes of identity development and forming a sense of self. This is where implicit theories and narrative building takes place. It is also where identified motivation is rooted. As discussed earlier, in order for an activity to be autonomously motivated, despite not always being intrinsically desirable (e.g., difficult practice), the activity must be important to the sense of self (Deci & Ryan, 2008). In other words, to help students persevere through challenging practice, it may be best to focus on fostering their sense of musicianship, and their ownership of that practice. When an activity is aligned with identity, that connection serves to energize the desired behavior.

“Self” takes shape as you reflect on past experiences and glean from them a sense of identity and purpose. Your past experience informs your current identity, which is then projected into future goals. The cognitive mechanisms that guide this process influence the quality of motivation that extends from it. Conway and Pleydell-Pearce described these cognitive processes as a Self-Memory System (SMS), a dynamic cognitive structure which integrates autobiographical knowledge with goals of the present self. The Self-Memory System has three important characteristics, which carry great implications for our work as music educators. The first of these is that the SMS prioritizes coherence over accuracy in memory. Memories that form a meaningful narrative are much more important for developing identity and purpose than perfectly stored data.  The second important characteristic of the SMS is that memories are dynamic and malleable. All of our memories are inaccurate to some extent–each time we revisit a remembered event, we are actually reconstructing it, a process that is heavily influenced by the needs, emotions, and context of our present self.  In order to form coherent narratives, memories must be able to be reinterpreted and organized to fit our developing story of self. Finally, the SMS is a goal-oriented system. We draw from our autobiographical memory in order to plan and achieve meaningful future actions. Conway and Pleydell-Pearce (2000) emphasized that the purpose of memory is not simply to revisit the past; we create narratives from our experiences in order to better project ourselves into the future.

The process of narrative building occurs within the “Working Self,” composed of our present sense of identity and current goals (Conway et. al., 2000). To inform its current narrative, the working self draws from an autobiographical knowledge base. This knowledge base is composed of specific remembered experiences– the emotions felt after your first big performance, the appearance of the room, the sound of the audience. These specific details are attached to more general events. In this example, the general event is “first performance.” General events are then organized thematically, so that when you think of your days as a college musician, for example, the memories that arise are specific to that lifetime period and theme. These organizational structures can be thought of as the chapters, paragraphs, and descriptive details of an overall self-narrative.

The working self is a processing space; based on current context and needs, it selects what information is needed from the autobiographical knowledge base to accomplish present goals. In this way, the Working Self influences how memories within the knowledge-base are organized and reconstructed (i.e., where the significant lifetime “chapters” are, and what details are most important within those). Each time autobiographical knowledge is accessed, it is in response to some present, contextual cue. Our current needs and emotions shape the ways we remember. Thus, the two structures of the Self Memory System, the Working Self and Autobiographical Memory are fluid and dynamic, constantly informing one another (Conway & Loveday, 2015).

Guiding the dynamics between working self and autobiographical memory is goal-setting. Goals are formed by the working self in response to social cues and cultural context, and are grounded in autobiographical knowledge (Conway & Pleydell-Pearce, 2000). According to Conway and Pleydell-Pearce, discrepancies in self concept between the present self and a desired, or ideal self create the tension that is needed to motivate goal-oriented actions. Evidence of the goal-directed nature of the Self-Memory System is visible in the kinds of autobiographical memories that are most vivid and emotional. Findings indicate that the most accessible, vivid memories are often those associated with goal attainment or failure (Conway & Pleydell-Pearce, 2000). Think of, for example, your most significant musical performance, or your most high-stakes audition. Indeed, most autobiographical memory can be organized in terms of a goal-attainment narrative.

Consideration of this dynamic process of self-concept, autobiographical memory, and goal attainment is useful for music educators in their pursuit of helping their students adopt healthy motivational strategies. Music educators work with students during some of their most critical identity-forming years. Thus, the goal-setting habits and achievement narratives created in music learning have potential to become long-lasting cognitive habits, for better or for worse. A first step that music educators can take toward fostering healthier narratives is to recognize the flexibility of the self-memory system, an extremely adaptive characteristic. It is true that a strongly negative memory such as a poor performance can hurt motivation, but it is also true that current goal-setting can influence the ways these memories are recalled, changing their meaning to reflect positive growth. The dynamic goes both ways: past influences present, and present can reshape the ways we think about our past. In sum, the Self-Memory System is the heart of our narrative-making process, and it is the point at which we can influence and actively re-construct these narratives.