PSYC2006 – INTERPERSONAL DYNAMICS
COURSE WORK ASSIGNMENTS
Semester II, 2021-2022
YOU NOT HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE AN INTERVIEW ANYONE JUST PRETEND LIKE YOU DID. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND ONCE YOU HAVE READ THE ENTIRE INSTRUCTIONS.
Engage in a process of self-discovery by exploring what McAdams (1993) terms, your personal myth.
Instructions:
1. Writing your life story. There are many ways to go about writing your life story. However, the following is a broad guide.
i. Begin by writing down your memories of significant experiences/events
ii. Identify themes that emerge from these experiences. These themes will provide an organizing framework of your life
iii. Organize your experiences temporally, or by the themes you identified (these may form the basis for formulating your chapters)
iv. Engage others in the process (friends, family, and colleagues) to validate memories and gain different perspectives. (This autobiography is a private and personal exercise however, you may wish to include pseudo names instead of real names to protect the privacy of others in the story)
v. Write your story (by chapters) in a very descriptive manner that conveys a narrative tone, imagery, story form (eg, comedy; tragedy, irony, romance)
2. Analyzing your story. In your analysis process, you may engage
a “suitable” interviewer/listener who is willing to facilitate you by asking you some questions about your life.
i. Prepare the questions based on the analytical points below (See the grading section)
ii. Give the person the questions before the interview so that he/she may familiarize him/herself with it. Be sure to explain the rationale and goal of the assignment, and if necessary, key concepts from the topic area in general. Ask him/her to confirm that the requirements of the task are clearly explained and understood.
iii. Carry out the interview. (Remember, you are the interviewee)
iv. Transcribe the interview (as fully as possible) for your analysis
Preparation
• The interview may take up to one hour (1 hour) so be sure that you both have the time available to carry out the interview.
• Ensure that your environment is free from distractions as much as possible.
• For this assignment, the use of a tape recorder is strongly advised. It is important for capturing the details of your life with are critical for the analysis. Alternately, you may create a video of the interview.
The Interviewer/Listener
The interviewer/listener should be someone who you believe to none-judgmental, non-intrusive, empathetic, encouraging and affirming. Ideally, this person has not played an instrumental role in shaping your life up to now. At best, this person is someone who you can trust with information about your life, and who you feel comfortable sharing with. Try not select someone who is close to you, for example, your significant other, a sibling, a parent, etc. The nature of such close relationships may be quite complex, and consequently, you may be less candid in your expressions. Despite who you select, the experience of exploring your identity story will be of great value and will outweigh the potential limitations of the overall process.
Materials needed:
• Tape recorder
• Interview questions (Appendix 1)
• Analysis Guide (Appendix 2)
3. Assignment reflection. After writing your life story and analyzing your story, write a one-page reflection about completing this assignment. Explain what the experience of analysing your life so far and thinking about the future was like for you?
Present the three elements of this coursework as separate parts.
