1. The Most Important Influence in One’s Life

What or who has been the most important influence in your life? Provide examples of how you’ve been influenced, and how you think you might be different if this influence had not been present in your life. Would you have answered this question differently ten years ago?

2. Your lot in life

Selcect one of the following “lots”:
• You learn that the mother of your adopted newborn is a heroin addict.
• Your adopted infant son suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome.
• Your newborn daughter was prenatally exposed to excess testosterone; as a result, she has masculine-appearing genitals.
• Your 2-yr-old son is exceptionally inhibited and fearful.
• You are just divorced and are unexpectedly left with the task of providing full care for your 7-yr-old daughter and 10-yr-old son.
• Your 9-yr-old daughter has started her growth spurt early.
• Your 15-yr-old son has not yet started his growth spurt.
• Your 70-yr-old father has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Assume the position of the “you” in each case, and describe how having been dealt this lot in life is likely to affect your development or the development of the other person described in the scenario.
• How are you going to cope?
• What community resources are available for people in your situation?
• How is the other person going to come out of this?
• What can you do to help to ensure that the other person’s development is going to be as positive as possible, while protecting your own development?

3. Generating Lifelines

Identify ten past events that have had an impact on your life. Give your age at which each occurred and a brief description of what happened. In addition, hypothesize ten future events that you believe will significantly affect your development. Give the age at which you expect these events to occur and explain how you think they will affect you.

4. Writing letters to Parent and Child

Write two letters: one to your current or future child, on the occasion of his or her 18th birthday, and one to your parents.
In your letter to your child, address the following issues:

  1. When and why did you decide to have this child?
  2. What are the most important characteristics of a parent, and why?
  3. Which of your strengths would make you a successful parent?
  4. Describe the qualities you hope your child will possess, and why you think these qualities are important.
  5. State your dreams for your child and pass on any words of wisdom.
    In the letter to your parents, cover the following issues:
  6. Describe your general feelings about your present life and values, and try to assess your parents’ influence on you.
  7. Describe three strengths of your parents.
  8. Describe a weakness of your parents or some characteristic of your parents that you would have liked to have changed.
  9. Choose one or two areas of development — intellectual, moral, personality, social — in which your parents had the most influence, and explain why or how.
  10. Thank your parents for something special.

5. What Is the Ideal Age?

Approach at least five people of different ages (at least 7 years difference; you can serve as one of the respondents) and ask them the following questions:
• What is the best age to be, and why?
• What is the worst age to be, and why?
• How old do you feel?
• When does old age begin?
In your report to me, tell me:
• The ages of your respondents, and their relationship to you (e.g. friend, family, co-worker, classmate)
• Did the age of the respondent affect their answers? How?
• Did the responses surprise you in any way?

6. Egocentrism

If you have access to a child who is between the ages of 2 and 4 years, you can test them for preschool egocentrism. Prep the child by explaining to them that this isn’t a test, and that they’re helping you with your college homework (they usually like that). Make sure to praise them for every answer and thank them for helping you so much.
Ask the child:
• Why does the sun shine?
• Why is there snow?
• Why is the grass green?
• Ask him/her to shut his/her eyes, and then ask: Can I still see you?
• Ask how many brothers and sisters he or she has. Follow up by asking how many children his/her parents have.
In your report to me, tell me:
• How old the child is and his/her relationship to you (e.g. sibling, niece/nephew, cousin, friend, etc)
• Did the child demonstrate egocentrism? How?
• Did the responses he/she gave surprise you in any way?

7. The Variability of the Absolute Threshold

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