Older Adult Interview

Older Adult Interview: (150 points). Grading criteria are below..

Use the following questions to conduct an interview with a person who is at least 55 years old. You may ask these questions in your own way, but be sure to address these four core topics: Becoming an Adult, Stability and Change, Life Assessment, and Looking Ahead.

BECOMING AN ADULT:

Tell me a little bit about your childhood and adolescence – what were they like? How did these early years affect you in adulthood?
When did you first feel like an adult? What lead you to that feeling?

STABILITY AND CHANGE:

Some people feel that they have remained pretty much the same over their lifetime; others perceive lots of change. Let’s talk about your experience.As we talk, think about various aspects of your adult life (for example, your personality, health, interests, relationships, or other things)

First, what has NOT CHANGED much for you as you have lived through adulthood up to this point? That is, what aspects of your life do you think have stayed pretty much the same over adulthood? Why do you think these have stayed pretty much the same over the years? Why do you think these have stayed pretty much the same over the years?
Second, what HAS CHANGED for you across your adulthood years? What do you think contributed to these changes?

LIFE ASSESSMENT:

What do you consider your best years so far? (PROBE: This might be your life now.) What made these the best years for you?
What have been the hardest or most difficult years of your life so far? (PROBE: This might be your life, right now.) What made (or is making) these years hard or difficult.

LOOKING AHEAD:

As you look at your life now and into the future, what do you see? (PROBES: What do you hope for? What, if anything, do you fear?)
What advice would you give to young adults to help them prepare for their adult lives?

After completing your interview, write a 7-10 page report on what you learned. Your report should be thoughtful and relate the interviewee’s life to at least 3 specific concepts presented in readings and in class. (Examples: cohort experiences, gender roles, The Big 5 Personality, Stress/Adaptation ecological model, PE Fit, selective compensation with optimization, etc.

Describe or define each concept you use in a way that demonstrates that YOU UNDERSTAND that concept.

ANALYZE: Do NOT simply state the questions you asked and the answers that you received.

Grading Criteria for the Older Adult Interview Report = 150 points Format Your report should be typed and double-spaced and about 7-10 page long in 12 point font, double-spaced. Number ALL the pages and staple together. INCLUDE YOUR NAME!
Thoughtful Reflection 80% , 120 points	Reflect on your thoughts and support your views as you relate the interviewee’s life to at least 3 specific concepts presented in readings and in class. For each concept you use, BRIEFLY DESCRIBE OR DEFINE THAT CONCEPT IN A WAY THAT DEMONSTRATES THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT CONCEPT. Outside references are NOT needed in your interview report. However, you must effectively use concepts from class and readings to analyze this person’s experiences. Do NOT simply state the questions you asked and the answers that you received.
Professional Quality Paper 20%, 30 points	Write in a thoughtful, professional manner. Avoid slang, undefined abbreviations, and spelling or grammatical errors. Remember if I cannot read or understand it, it does not earn points. Your paper should be typed, 12 point font, double-spaced, staples, with page numbers. You will lose points for format errors. Run spell and grammar-check and proof-read. You will lose points for over three spelling and/or grammar errors and for confusing or unintelligible writing.

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