Distinguishing characteristics of the individual:
Childhood
1. What was life like for you as a child?
2. What were your parents like? What were their strengths and weaknesses?
3. Did you have any brothers or sisters? If so, tell me what each was like.
4. Did someone close to you die when you were growing up?
5. Do you ever remember being very sick?
6. Was religion a large part of your life?
Adolescence
1. What things stand out in your memory about being a teenager?
2. Who were the important people for you (parents, brothers, sisters, friends, teachers, those you were especially close to, those you admired, those you wanted to be like)? Tell me about them.
3. Did you go to school? What was its meaning to you?
4. Did you work during those years?
5. What were the pleasant things about your adolescence?
6. What was the most unpleasant thing about your adolescence?
Family and Home
1. What was the atmosphere in your home?
2. Who were you closest to in your family?
3. Who in your family were you most like? In what way?
Adulthood
1. Now Iâd like to talk to you about your life as an adult, from when you were in your 20s up to today. Tell me of the most important events that happened in your adulthood.
2. What was life like for you in your 20s and 30s?
3. Tell me about your work. Did you enjoy work? Did you earn an adequate living
4. Did you marry?
If [No], why not?
If [Yes], on the whole, would you say you had a happy or an unhappy marriage?
Were you married more than once?
5. What were some of the main difficulties you encountered during your adult years?
a. Did someone close to you die? Go away?
b. Were you ever sick? Have an accident?
c. Did you move often? Change jobs?
d. Did you ever feel alone? Abandoned?
e. Did you ever feel needy?
Summary Questions
1. On the whole, what kind of life do you think you have had?
2. What would you say have been the three main satisfactions in your life? Why were they satisfying?
3. Everyone has had disappointments. What have been the main disappointments in your life?
4. What was the hardest thing you had to face in your life? Please describe it.
5. What was the happiest period of your life? What about it made it the happiest period?
6. What was the proudest moment in your life?
7. How do you think you have made out in life â better or worse than what you hoped for?
8. Letâs talk a little about you as you are now. What are the best things about the age you are now?
9. What are the worst things about being the age you are now?
10. What are the most important things to you in your life today?
11. What do you hope will happen to you as you grow older?
12. What do you fear will happen to you as you grow older?
13. Have you enjoyed participating in this review of your life?