(Please read through the guidelines and instructions listed below.) This assignm

(Please read through the guidelines and instructions listed below.)
This assignment requires you to interview an adolescent between the ages of 12 and 18, and compare the themes you notice in your conversation with the information presented in class and in the Santrock text. Please note that there is also an alternative assignment described below if you are unable to find a person of the appropriate age to interview.
If you choose to do the interview assignment, you will basically be writing a short developmental “case study” of the person, focusing on the areas described below:
COGNITIVE/IDENTITY: According to Piaget’s theory, what stage of cognitive development would this person be in? How can you tell? Structure your conversation or activities with the person in order to ascertain their Piagetian stage (e.g, ask questions about abstract issues to discern whether they are in the concrete versus formal operational stage). Can you identify the type of memory processes the person is using? Considering school, what kinds of subjects and materials and what type of learning seem to appeal to the person the most?
Where does this person appear to be in their identity formation? Are they relatively sure about “who they are”, with respect to their planned vocation, their views on important issues and their road map for the future?
EMOTIONAL/MORAL: Ask the person about the major events in their life, particularly with respect to how they reacted to them. What type of temperament does the person display? Talk to the person about some moral decisions they may have had to make (or present some hypothetical ones such as their opinion on such topics like cheating on an exam for example). Can you tell what stage of Kohlberg’s theory the person might fit into? Why?
GENDER: Does this teen seem to be displaying gender typical or atypical behaviors and characteristics, as discussed in class and in the text? What type of influences on gender identity do you see in their environment?
SOCIAL/FAMILY: Talk with the person about their friends. Do they have a wide circle of friends, or just a few? How influential do they see their friends as being? How much time do they spend with them, and what type of activities do they engage in?
What types of media does this person engage in? Are they active on social media, and is it a large portion of their life? Do they have favorite television shows, movies, or Instagram influencers?
What type of family structure is the person exposed to (siblings, two parents, one parent, extended, etc.). Does the person appear to be affected by this structure in the way predicted by research? In other words, if they are part of an intact family, a single parent family, or a stepfamily, are their attitudes similar to what might be expected based upon class material?
PHYSICAL: Describe the child’s physical appearance. If there is any difference from the norm (e.g., exceptionally tall, unusually physically mature for their age, physically disabled in some way) how do they believe this has affected them?
Of course, you need to be sensitive to the questions that you ask and to the person’s responses. If at any time, it seems that a certain topic is making your interviewee uncomfortable, please move on! Most teens will not have any difficulty talking about their school work, their future plans, or their peers, but don’t press for responses if someone doesn’t want to talk. You can probably do a fair job of “reading between the lines” and learning from your interpretations. From the start, make clear to the person that you will be writing about their responses as part of a class assignment. Most teenagers are quite happy to have a small moment of “celebrity”, but if the person doesn’t want to speak to you knowing that you will be writing about them, please do the alternative assignment instead!
Your final paper will be 4-6 pages long, typed and double-spaced. There is no need for citations, as everyone will be using the same book. The important thing to keep in mind is that you are to compare information about the “typical” adolescent from class and from the book with the person you are observing in order to notice and comment upon the connections. Make sure that you relate your observations of the person with material from the text or from class!
This assignment must be 3-5 pages (not including a cover page or reference pages), double-spaced, typed and submitted electronically in MS Word (.docx). The file must be named in the following format: Lastname_Assignment2. Submit your completed document to Assignment 2, listed on the Modules and Assignments pages, as a file attachment.
Adolescent Development : Alternative Assignment
Since some of you may have difficulty locating a teen to interview for the observational paper or may prefer to focus on an event in your own life, I am offering an alternate assignment for this project. The assignment will consist of a 4-6 page, typed, double-spaced paper in which you apply a developmental topic(s) to the recollections you have of your OWN adolescence. Since we’ve all previously been there, it shouldn’t be too difficult finding an area to write about.
Throughout this class we have frequently encountered topics of personal relevance. All of us can remember certain adolescent experiences that we now look back on as influential: a certain teacher who sparked an interest in learning, a sibling who repeatedly tortured us in some way, or experiences with parents/peers that helped shape who we are. The text has much to say about these and other topics.
Think back to some important event or period in your own adolescence – anything you view as important is fair game. Maybe it will be when you had to care for yourself after school while your parents worked or maybe it will be when a peer group became a problem. Maybe you’ll choose to comment on your parent’s general philosophy of child rearing and how that might influence your own perspective. You may discuss several topics if you would prefer (you don’t have to stick with just one).
What I’m basically asking you to do is take something from this course and apply it to your own life. If you were raised by authoritative parents, is it really as great as the research says? If you are struggling or have struggled with identity and career choices, are the theories and research in this area at all relevant to you? Are your experiences consistent with what is discussed in the book, or considerably different?
Describe the situation you are recalling, and apply information from the text and lectures to your personal situation so as to gain a greater understanding of the relevance of this material to your own life. Of course, these papers are entirely confidential, but it isn’t necessary to pick an emotionally loaded topic in the first place. There are plenty of other neutral things you could discuss. If you are especially uncomfortable with self-disclosure, write about a good friend or another person whom you know well enough to comment upon.
This assignment must be 4-6 pages (not including a cover page or reference pages),