Meaning making during high and low point life story episodes predicts emotion regulation two years later: How the past informs the future

•Study examines link between life story meaning-making and emotion regulation.•Positive meaning predicts positive emotion regulation two years later.•Negative meaning predicts negative emotion regulation two years later.•Relationships hold while controlling for extraversion, neuroticism and word count.

Memory processes are commonly thought to relate to a host of personality systems. The current study specifies a particular way that memory relates to personality. Highly-valenced, identity-rich memories – high and low point episodes in the life story – were analyzed to see if aspects of these memories predicted self-reports of emotion regulation two years later. Meaning making in high and low points predicted emotion regulation. Moreover, valence mattered. Positive meaning making in high and low point stories predicted positive emotion regulation while negative meaning making in low point stories predicted negative emotion regulation. These relationships held while controlling for baseline extraversion, neuroticism, and memory word count. Limitations due to study design are discussed.