PSY 230 Devlepmental Interview Paper Upload

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Psychology 230

Developmental Interview

The subject of my developmental interview was a twenty year old female, who

thoroughly illustrated many of the concepts studied this semester during early adulthood,

specifically the social clockand she is undoubtedly in Eriksons theoretical stage of: Intimacy

versus Isolation. (Berk, 2010)

During my interview encounter I learned that she had experienced many things in her

young life that influenced her decisions to this point. Growing up in the military and living

overseas afforded her unique opportunities to travel the world as a young child. She enjoyed

visiting new places and living in Germany for nine years. Socially speaking, she felt for

childhood the military lifestyle put her at somewhat of a disadvantage. Living overseas

presented challenges. Her parents decided for safety reasons to educate at home, and

continued that process even after returning to the states. She graduated two years earlier than

peers her own age. She felt that she missed out on many of the traditional social opportunities

of others her age such as being in a traditional school, close friendships & lasting relationships

as they moved quite often. The common saying Here today gone tomorrow wasused to

describe her relationships with others. We spent a great deal of time talking about how that

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affected her personally. She mentioned in the interview the durationof a friendship was

never known, and it could be quite painful as a child to make a friend and always say goodbye,

so it became easier to just be lonely. Her hobbies at the time included more self -centered

activities including reading, writing, crocheting, martial arts, and soccer, but she desired more

social interaction.

The military lifestyle also impacted her psychological development. With her father

deployed seven times, and each deployment lasting at least one year, there was considerable

stress in the family. She viewed herself as daddys little girl and at times felt like he abandoned

her. As she grew older, she understood and even began to appreciate what he did for a living,

the time apart also created a close relationship with her mother. She was the oldest child, and

felt an obligation to her mother to take over as the second parent, in her teen years.

Unfortunately, upon her fathers return from his last deployment he was diagnosed with Post

Traumatic Stress Disorder, which brought strain to the entire family situation. This ultimately

resulted in marital affairs by both parents and family discontent.

As we continued to talk, I discovered that she had physical factors that had a profound

impact on the course of her life. The soccer that was a social outlet as a young child, and a

stress relief from a troubled home life, had turned into much more. At fourteen years old she

was selected to be part of the United States Womens Olympic Soccer Team, an amazing

accomplishment. As training began the unthinkable happened, she was injured, and required

to have a surgery that ultimately cost her chance of a lifetime. This event set the stage for a

whirlwind of events. Without soccer, she was not socializing, she was not getting away from the

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stress at home, she was not exercising and began to gain weight, and her body image was

deteriorating. Within one year her life had been turned upside down from elation to clinical

depression and bulimia. At fifteen she attempted suicide. Fortunately her parents intervened

and sought help, and today she describes herself as a new person.

The family is currently together but they live with awkward tension on a daily basis,

something she doesnt wish for herself. As she has watched all of this unfold, it has solidified

her desire to push back her social clock and wait to find the right person to settle down with

and to postpone having children until her thirties. She wants to experience life, after watching

what can happen if you marry too young, or make poor choices.

We had the opportunity to spend approximately two hours discussing my subjects life,

thoughts and experiences. She was very relaxed, open, and eager to communicate. With so

much turmoil, I was curious to know why she was willing to share so freely and she replied by

saying only that weall come from different places, have unique things to share, and it can be

therapeutic not to hide behind the skeletons. I found my subject to be a very logical thinker,

she tends to let logic guide her thoughts and emotions a very matter of fact type personality.

For example, my subject is a current nursing student, a classmate of mine. I found it very

interesting to discuss how we both elected nursing. While my decision was a lifelong journey,

one of fulfillment and deep emotional connection, her decision was based on wanting a job

with some authority, to be involved in a job sector that was secure and paid well, but that could

also afford the chance to help out. She was searching for professions based on her abilities

and strengths, another example of logic over emotion. Personally I feel that she is still a bit

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guarded from life, still searching, and still learning to be intimate not isolated. I believe

throughout our entire interview a she had genuine desire present to attain financial and

personal independence, find the right person to form a life commitment with and begin a

family. Erikson theory states that an individual in this conflict stage is trying to resolve their

feelings about making a permanent commitment to an intimate partner; and that a secure

identity will foster attainment of intimacy (Berk, 2010). Shes clearlyin Eriksons Intimacyversus

Isolation stage of development, by verbalizing to me that she had the desire to find the right

person to spend her life with, and is currently in a relationship but not at the point of long term

commitment. I believe that her past influences and life experiences have pushed her social

clock, or the age grade expectations for life events, back to a point where she is

comfortable, and working to attain independence and vocational choice at her own pace before

commitment (Berk, 2010).

BibliographyBerk, L. E. (2010). Exploring Lifespan Development.Boston: Pearson Inc, as Ally& Bacon.