Life History Essay

The purpose of getting a life hi degree on a psyche is to be able to paint a picture of who they are. The information from the history should non just be a random collection of facts. The history should be an account of the persons life story, including outstanding themes in their life that reflect the development of their personality and their relationships with former(a)(a) people. Life histories licentiousness key roles in psychological treatment and research. While the following guidelines are rather typical of the associate of questions wanted, wonders vary considerable depending on whos doing them and why. Your purpose in conducting this interview is educational. While your objective is collecting the corresponding information you might in a real clinical or research situation, salvage in mind this is a didactic exercise. Therefore, be willing to sacrifice sensitive or disconcerting information to protect the comfort and privacy of your overthrow. Be sure to let him or her know (s)he does non need to talk close everything (s)he doesnt want to.While doing the interview, pay careful attention to how the person is responding to your questions, and always be respectful of his/her privacy. If it seems worry the person is uncomfortable discussing some aspect of his or her life, male reboott press for an fare. Move on to the next part of the interview. Each of you will interview a classmate. Then, that classmate will interview you. I expect each interview to make up most 1.5 hours. You should take notes, and if you have access to a register recorder, I would recommend using it withal. Be sure to learn your recorder to see that it is make believeing, though, and take notes anywaymachines fail at the darndest condemnations Be sure to issue a copy of these guidelines and bring them with you. Dont be afraid to refer back to them for questions and focusing slightly topics to broach. This assignment is due on 5/29/00.Beginning the InterviewI t is best to bugger off the interview by giving the person free range to tell their life story. Where they start their story and how they tell it will reveal what immediately strikes them as important. So begin the interview with the following book of instructionsId ilk to make out slightly your life history. Could you tell me about it? divulge it to me as if you were telling me your life story.Most people will leave out certain enlarge. If the detail seem important, use open-ended questions to probe for more information, such asAnd therefore what happened? or What did you do after that?We a alike want to find out about how people thought and mat up about what happened to them. If they omit this information, use such questions asHow did you feel about that? or What did you conceptualise about that at the term?The Importance of ReflectionIt is best if the interview doesnt turn into a question and answer session where you ask questions and they give short answers. Its dif ficult to do, just try to turn the interview into a smoothly flowing discussion. Use the technique known as reflection to encourage a person to talk more about something. Simply reflect back to the person some important aspect of what they have just said. You may simply repeat the exact words the person used, or you may sometimes add in some thought or feeling that you detected in what the person said. Reflections are NOT in the form of a question. If you can do this effectively, you wont have to bombard the person with all of the questions listed above. Here are some examplesPerson My father and I used to play ball in the backyard. We had a lot of pleasure with that. You You and your father had some fun times. Person When he said that to me, it really annoyed me. I couldnt believe my best promoter would say something like that. You He could really get you angry with his remarks.Other examples of open-ended reflections might beI guess you really enjoyed that time of your life.It sounds like it upset you when he said that.It seems like that was a very important event for you.When a question does seem necessary, open-ended questions are most belike to lead to richer responses (rather than yes or no). Open ended questions invite answers that are descriptive and elaborative, rather than monosyllables. How do you feel about school is an open-ended questions, because it allows great latitude in the response that might be given. Do you like school would merely prompt a few word response similarly, a multple-choice format limits responses. There are situations where open-ended questions are not optimal (e.g., When and where were you born is fine). But usually, the finishing is getting the subject to talk about important topics, rather than answer hundreds of questions you think might be relevant. Open-ended questions are usually best for initiating a flowing conversation. beas to ExplorePeople will also leave out certain topic areas that are important. You will n eed to ask questions about this areas, hardly always try to do so in an open-ended way that allows people to express themselves freely, consort to what strikes them as important. You should get information about all of the following areas. Start with the first open-ended question, and conk your way down to the following questions, if needed. 1. The history of parents and grandparentsTell me about your parents lives.What can you tell me about your grandparents lives?(Inquire about their lives before and after marriage, including important events in their life, their childhood, education, occupation, ethnic and religious background. If they leave out a parent or grandparent, inquire about them)2. Early childhood (before school)What do you know about yourself as a baby.What was your mothers pregnancy like?Were there any family stories or jokes about what you were like as a child?What are your earliest childhood memories?What do you remember or know about major early events in your l ife like eating habits, walking, talking, and spate training?Were there any stresses in your family at that time?3. School eldWhat were your early years in school like?Do you remember the very first day of school?How did you do at school work through the years?What were your relationships like with your teachers and schoolmates?Who were your friends and what sorts of things did you do with them?4. AdolescenceWhat was your adolescence like?How was your social and school life at that time?When did you enter puberty. How did your life change then?What was your relationship with your friends during your teen years?What was your relationship with your family at that time?When did you start to date, and what were those relationships like?5. Adult Life (including college)What has been important about your grownup life?What have your adult relationships with friends and co- workers been like?What has your relationship with your (husband/wife, fiance, boyfriend/girlfriend) been like?What eccentric persons of jobs have you worked at, and what did you think about those jobs?What was college like for you?What hobbies or other interests do you have?6. Family Information (if you didnt already get this info)What has your family been like over the years.Tell me about your brothers and sisters (age, education, marital status, their relationship with the interviewee)How would you describe the personalities of the people in your family?What role did each parent take in raising you?Were there any emotional problems in the family, or conflicts between family members?Did your family ever depart? What was that like?What is the ethnic background of your family?What has been your religious upbringing, and your attitudes about religion?Describe your own family. (relationship with children, how children relate to each other and spouse, typical activities, etc.)Questions & Answers about the AssignmentHere are some questions a classmate asked. I felt it might be helpful to share them , and my replies, with the rest of you. I do have a tape recorder ( I am not sure if I trust it very much, what if it doesnt dive up the voice or ),Point the mike at the interviewee, talk a few minutes, then play it back to see if its working. If your partner has a tape, use it too as a back-up. I actually do use two sometimes in my work. And, of course, take notes in topic the darn thing decides to fail when you need it most.but what should I do about notes? (i dont write very fast at all) And how can/should an interviewer take notes so as to minimize its birth control device in the interview?Learning to use shorthand is part of schooling to be a substantially inteviewer. Just write what you must to reconstruct the conversation. You can go back and fill in the details later. Its ok to ask the interviewee to wait while you write (just a second, pleaseok, thanks, go ahead.). This is less disruptive than you might imagine, as gigantic as you dont do it too frequently.Are we sup posed to ask All the questions? That is a stupid lead-in on my part, but it seems like that would take longer than 1.5 hours.I actually expect the interviews will run about 2 hours, but if I assigned that people would run over anyway, so I thought Id do you a favor by starting with a lower expectation. Try to pace yourself. If you find youre spending lots of time on one part of your subjects life, move the conversation (great. Thanks. Now, could you tell me about new topic). I dont expect anyone will follow the guidelines exactly. Thats why Im offering them as guidelines rather than a rigid set of questions.Are there wrong responses to this interview? I would not want to ramble and be a bore. I like to talk/share. I am trying to decide if I should warn my interviewer.That really is the interviewers jobto politely redirect the subject when (s)he rambles off. Some of that is inevitable, even desirable, but it is important to redirect things when the subject lapses into long, relativel y unimportant tangents.Besides what if you just dont remember or it takes too long to try and remember or you only remember vaguely or if things are difficult to let off?Well, you wont be able to say much about those things. Thats ok.Its not as though I think about these things all that often or in limited articulable terms, ya know? Or do I sound like an idiot?No, I feel the same way about some of the questions. For example, I dont know much about my toilet training. I suppose if I was still in diapers at age 4 I belike WOULD know about it, so often, when something in early childhood is unremarkable, we dont know much about it. Thats fine.Should we try to think of responses? What should/can I do to be a improve interviewee/interviewer?I dont think you need to prepare to be interviewed. Of course, theres no harm in thinking a little about the questions ahead of time, but I think it would be a poor idea to prepare your responses. That wouldnt give your interviewer a very insepar able experience.By the way, what is the age range difference between what is referred to in/by Schoool Years versus Adolescence?School Years generally refers to middle- and later-childhood, say the ages of 6-12.Also, What is due on the 26nd? Notes? A write-up of some sort? Q & A transcript type record?No. Both interviews should be complete by that date. Your write up will be due on the last meeting of class.You say this is a Didactic experienceas contrary to what? What sort of instruction is that intended to give us? Did you mean to convey anything specific, may I ask? Not to sound suspicious, just trying to understand.Im trying to remind you that this is a learning experience. So, if you start discussing things that are upsetting to the interviewee, or (s)he is reluctant to discuss, I wouldnt encourage you to push or dig deeper. One might do such things during a professional assessment, or as a therapist, but this is an educational experience for the interviewer, not a clinical in tervention to benefit the interviewee. Consequently, its becharm to sacrifice information that be essential in a different context.For example, if you find that your subject was beaten(a) as a kid, you might not push for details in this exercise (that would be an unwarrented intrusion), although I certainly might in a real clinical or research interview.