Three Generations Project
Three Generations Project
Part 1
You will choose one child from either age group below to observe and interview. You should not interview anyone in your immediate family (your children or siblings) because it is very difficult to be an objective observer in such cases. You may, however, interview other relatives, friends’ children, etc. Prior to conducting the interview, you should generate 10 questions/tasks to ask based on information relevant to that age group. To decide which questions to ask, first determine which developmental period the subject of your interview fits into:
Periods of Development
Early Childhood: 3 or 4-6 years
Middle Childhood: 7-12 years
You should use the information in the relevant chapters of your textbook and the information presented in the PowerPoint notes to help you formulate your questions. Some issues may be more relevant for one age than another (e.g., conservation tasks, theory of mind, other preoperational tasks). The following are examples of topics that might be interesting to investigate.
Early Childhood
some relevant topics for questions: performance on preoperational tasks (conservation tasks, animism, egocentrism), language development, self-concept development, sex-typed play and preferences, theory of mind understanding, type of parenting style (for parent); type of temperament, evidence of sex-typed play and preferences
Middle Childhood
some relevant topics for questions: performance on conservation tasks, seriation, class inclusion, language development, memory development, self-concept, friendships, effects of family structure, sex-typed play and preferences; sibling interactions; selective attention tasks
In this paper, you should first describe the child being interviewed (age, how you know the person, gender, etc.). Then, you should describe your observations and insights based on the questions asked and relate this information to what you have learned in class (e.g., how the information fits in with certain theories). Be sure to give examples of the child’s behavior in your paper to illustrate your observations. You do not need to include every question and answer in your paper– only the most interesting things you found.
Before conducting your interview, you should explain the purpose of the project the child and the child’s parents. If parents want to look over the questions you will ask in advance, this is fine. Also, tell the child and parent that their participation is anonymous and confidential and that only their first names will be used in your paper. If you or they prefer, a fictional first name may be used. It is your responsibility not to share any information obtained about this individual with anyone else.
Three Generations Project
Part 2
For your second interview, you will choose an adolescent (13- 19 years) or young adult to observe and interview. You should not interview your immediate family (children, siblings) because it is very difficult to be an objective observer in those cases. You may interview other relatives, friends’ kids, neighborhood kids, etc. Try to generate at least 10 open-ended questions to ask based on information relevant to this age group. To decide what questions to ask, use the information in the relevant chapters of your textbook and lecture materials to help you formulate your questions. The following are examples of topics that might be interesting and would be relevant to investigate:
Adolescence: level of cognitive development (formal operations?); examples of adolescent egocentrism, personal fable, invincibility (example: risk taking behaviors, special nature of their experiences); moral development (Kohlberg); identity status; relationship with parents and peers; attitudes toward puberty
Young Adult: cognitive development (formal vs. post formal operations), continued identity development, intimacy vs. isolation (Erikson’s stage), independence issues—moving out & supporting self, work/career development, marriage, parenting, ongoing family relationships
In the paper, you will first describe the individual being interviewed (age, how you know the person, gender, etc.). Next you will describe your observations and insights based on the questions asked and relate this information in the textbook or PowerPoints (example: how the information fits in with certain theories and research). Your paper doesn’t need to include every question and answer, just the most interesting things that you found.
Three Generations Project
Part 3
For the third interview, you will choose either an adult in middle adulthood (40-64) or late adulthood (65 and older). Do not interview your own parents; however, grandparents and other family members (aunts and uncles) will be allowed. You should use the information in the relevant chapters of your textbook and the information presented in class to help you formulate your questions. Try to generation at least 10 open-ended questions that you could use for your interview. The following are examples of topics that might be interesting to investigate.
Middle Adulthood: physical changes & health, lifestyle, marriage & divorce, parenting, cognitive changes, sandwich generation, work & career, grandparenting, Erikson’s stages, menopause
Late Adulthood:
Physical changes, medical problems, type of life style (exercise, nutrition), self-perceptions of memory, digit span task, tertiary memory (memory for events from decades ago), Alzheimer’s disease, wisdom, retirement, new hobbies, friendships and marriage, nursing home experience, integrity vs. despair (e.g., do they see their lives as meaningful or are they upset by the goals they never reached?)—Erikson’s stages
In the paper, you should first describe the person being interviewed (age, how you know the person, gender, etc.). Then, you should describe your observations and insights based on the questions asked and relate this information to what you have learned in class from the textbook or PowerPoint notes (e.g., how the information fits in with certain theories). Be sure to give examples of the person’s behavior to illustrate your observations.
Before conducting your interview, you should explain the purpose of the project to the person. Be careful to avoid any questions that might make them uncomfortable and tell them that they do not need to answer any questions they are not comfortable with. Also, tell them that their participation is anonymous and confidential and that only their first name will be used in your paper. If you or they prefer, a fictional first name may be used. It is your responsibility not to share any information obtained about this individual with anyone else.
