Assignment:
Overview
You will interview someone that you know well (e.g., family member, significant other, best friend) using the Life Story Interview technique and then write up your interviewee's life story, imparting your analysis of the person's personality based on personality theories that you've learned in class.
Part 1: The Life Story Interview
You should set aside at least two hours to complete the interview with your partner (see below for interview guidelines and scripting). In addition to taking notes, consider recording the interview so that you may refer back to it.
Due to the intimate nature of the interview topics, your interviewee may not feel comfortable answering certain questions and should not be pressured to respond. Furthermore, as an interviewer, you should refrain from commenting on the interviewee's answers except for those responses that require active listening and empathy.
Part 2: Write-Up and Analysis/Interpretation (5 pages max)
After completing your interview, you will compose your interviewee's life story. You should begin with an introductory paragraph that alerts the reader about how you know your interviewee and what psychological theories you will use to analyze/interpret his/her personality and behavior. You should then move toward relaying key memories or events in your interviewee's life. You do not have to present every memory or life event, but the reader should get the sense of what the interviewee's personality is like and the history behind his/her values, behavior, and current life stage.
As you relay key memories or events, you should offer your analysis of your interviewee's story and personality. To do this, use your knowledge of the personality theories (e.g., psychodynamic, humanistic, trait) that we've covered in class (or the book) to comment on your interviewee's personality. For example, what would Freud say about your interviewee's early childhood experiences? At what life stage would Erikson categorize your interviewee? Does your interviewee's behavior support Adler's Birth Order Theory? IMPORTANT: You should use at least three different theories to interpret/explain your interviewee's personality/behavior.
Conclude the story by identifying common themes that tie the events together and have shaped your interviewee's personality. Is the interviewee's story a simple or complex, interwoven one? What does this simplicity or complexity say about your interviewee's personality?
Part 3: Reflection (2-3 pages)
The life story technique is one way to learn about a person. Based on your knowledge of current personality methods and research, how does the life story technique compare to other ways in which you could learn about someone? You may incorporate comments/critiques that the interviewee makes in your reflection.
Some questions you may wish to consider:
• How is the life story interview similar to and different from other ways of measuring a person's personality?
• What are its strengths and weaknesses?
• Did you learn anything about the person from this process that was different from what you could learn using other approaches (or from what you already knew about them)?
• Does the life story technique help explain any of your interviewee's behavior patterns?
• Do you think you could predict the person's future behavior? Would it do as good a job, or a better job of predicting future behavior than other techniques?
Formatting
APA Style Instructions:
• The paper should be double spaced with 1" margins. Do not triple or quadruple-space between sections of the paper - double space everything. Use Times New Roman, 12 pt. type. It should be 5-7 pages in length of actual text, with at least 2 pages reflecting on the life story interview process. Be sure to proofread your paper for spelling/grammar/punctuation, orderly presentation of ideas, and clarity.
• Your title page, which is not included in the total required # of pages, should include: (a) the following title centered vertically and horizontally in the top half of the page - Personality Development Life Story Interview; (b) your name (with middle initial), centered, a double spaced line below the title; (c) your institution (Oral Roberts University), centered, a double spaced line below your name; (d) a running head on the top line, flush left, using your last name; (e) page number of "1" on the top line, flush right. Page numbers should be subsequently numbered throughout the paper. Note again that the title page is not included in your required page total.
• You do not have to include a reference page with this assignment.