Running head: LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT INTERVIEWS 1

Lifespan Development Interviews

Dustin W Spurling
Cleveland Community College
LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT INTERVIEWS 2

Abstract

The following research will be conducted to learn and better understand what is taking place

physically, socially, and cognitively throughout the different stages of lifespan development. The

four interviews will be separated by age groups such as: Child (age 2-9), Adolescent (age 12-18),

Young Adult (older than 18), and Older Adult (older than 60). There are also observations of the

interviewees during the interviews that correspond with the questions asked. The first and

youngest interviewee is four years old and is accompanied by the mother for questions of the

child’s preoperational stage. The mother explains that they are helping the child develop from

egocentric thought. The second interviewee is 17 years old and is asked about the growth of their

metacognition, autonomy, and relationships with peers. The third interviewee is 26 years old and

is observed and questioned about any psychosomatic disorders, their coping style, role of career,

and role of family. The last interviewee is 62 years old and is asked questions such as their health

and wellness, life experiences, and personal integrity. We learn about the changes, growth, and

behavior that occur during the whole life span (Feldman, 2019).
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Child

Jenny is a four-year-old female. She is accompanied by her mother, Haley, in the living

room of their home. Upon my arrival, Jenny was excited to great me and proceed to show a few

of her favorite toys. As the interview is conducted, we are sitting in a quiet and comfortable

room with little distraction. Jenny lives at home with her mother and father and occasionally

stays with her grandparents. She is an only child and states that she has two small dogs that she

enjoys interacting with. The mother describes her pregnancy with the child and states there were

no complications. She expresses that her pregnancy was unexpected but not a mistake. She also

describes the pregnancy as life-changing for both mother and father. Birth of the child was over

24 hours but did not have any complications. As the child has grown, she has been ahead of her

class physically and cognitively. Mother states that she has developed faster than the children in

her daycare class. The child’s language skills are well developed with minor mistakes when

speaking such as the variation between run and ran. The child states that when given the

opportunity, her preference would be to play with other children rather than by herself. The

mother agrees and includes that the child will easily and quickly make new friends when given

the chance. The child also explains that she has many friends in her class but only one best friend

that she plays with most of the time. The mother informs that the child will occasionally have

attachment issues when told to do a chore on her own. She describes that the child is able to

conduct the action or chore independently but would rather have a parent with her during the act.

There are no issues of attachment while parting with the child. The mother state that there are

small behavior concerns that are defiance related. There are instances that include instructions

given multiple times due to distractions or lack of attention to the caregiver. There are not known

instances of the child becoming physically or verbally abusive toward others.

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Adolescence

Osvaldo is a 17-year-old male that is a junior in high school. The interview is conducted

in a quiet classroom at Crest High School with no others present. Osvaldo appears to be nervous

and does not keep direct eye contact when asked questions. The teen lives with his father in

North Carolina while his mother lives in Florida. He hesitates when asked about the separation

predicament and the communication with his parents. He states that he and his mother “used” to

video chat frequently. When asked about his father, he states “I don’t know.” Osvaldo rates his

relationship with both of his parents as a seven out of ten and jokingly states that it is a

requirement to like ones parents. He also has a younger brother and sister who live in Florida

with the mother. Osvaldo respectfully declines to make a statement about his relationship with

his siblings. He states that school is an important aspect in his teenage years and grows annoyed

when he witnesses others say otherwise. There is an overall likeness of all his current teachers

but there is one particular female teacher that is admired the most. He proceeds to speak of his

teachers in a respectable tone and describes them as helping, good, and safe people. Osvaldo

agrees to the school policies and recognizes that they are present for a reason. He begins to ask

questions on the placement of certain policies. He then states that there are rules in place that do

not make sense to him because he does not know why they are there. He believes that if there

was a better explanation of these rules, there would be more respect for them. Osvaldo has many

friends within school but minimal out of school. He is sociable with the friends that he has but

believe in personal space. He has one friend that shows affection in physical form that makes

him uncomfortable. The teen enjoys playing video games and watching movies with others. For

a short time in his youth, he participated in physical sports, but does not currently. The teen

states that he is overall concerned with the acceptance of his peers rather than family.
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Young Adult

Walden is a 26-year-old male that that currently works as a Sheriff Deputy in a local

county. The interview is conducted within his kitchen as he prepares dinner. Walden has

attended some college for his present occupation in law enforcement and would like to attend

more college in the future to further his education in federal government. He has had multiple

past liked and disliked employers that led him to his current career. He states that he is keen on

working for a department that makes him feel as if he is making a different in others’ lives and in

the community. Walden has been married for four years and has a three years old daughter. He

also shows much enthusiasm for currently living close to other family. He informs that he would

like to work the same hours as his spouse but is also concerned that it would give them “to

much” time together. He is in hope of one day living within a small neighborhood with other

children his daughters age so that she may grow up in a similar environment as he did. On most

of his time off, Walden prefers to spend time doing activities with his family. On occasion, he

will go to the gym or work on upgrading his house. He states that family is the most important

thing in his life and that his reputation of good work ethic from peers would come next. Lastly,

he speaks of the importance of his health and wellness. Walden has had many broken bones

since his youth and multiple surgeries that accompany them. He also stresses that he needs to

improve his cardio. When asked about his fears, Walden speaks about his daughter’s future

regarding her possible choices and mistakes that could be made. Walden explains a couple self-

improvements such as physical fitness and education that he would like to see different. He

speaks of his high school years where he was in better physical health as he participated in

football and wrestling. Walden also explains the regret of not joining the military and not

continuing the path that would have providing his family a similar life he grew up in.
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Older Adult

Stewart is a 62-year-old male that works as a teacher at a local community college where

the interview is conducted. He has earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and does

not plan on continuing his education unless it may benefit him in the future. Stewart served in the

military for 26 years and has retired close to family in North Carolina. He is in hope of a

promotion to administration within his workplace. Stewart has two children in their mid-twenties

and one grandchild. He is excited to be able to spend a great amount of time with his family

since they are currently close by. He is in hopes of having more grandchildren in the future.

Stewarts main activity is spending time with family whenever possible. Occasionally, he will

work around the house for maintenance and upgrading. He also plans on traveling around the

United States in an RV. Stewart describes the most important thing to him now are family and

time. He elaborates on time as being a thing that is easily wasted and incapable of getting back.

Stewart states that he is in decent health, but his joints affect him and restrict his actions. While

serving in the military, Stewart received a traumatic brain injury that has affected parts of his

memory. Stewart fears he will die at an early age, like some of his relative, due to heart

complications. He states that he would like to be more active, but it is difficult because of his

medical problems. Stewart also explains that he would like to stress the importance of faith to the

youth of today and the investment of their irreplaceable time. He states that family and faith have

helped him throughout his life more than anything. Stewart believes that meeting his wife is one

of the most important events in his life and nothing would be the same if that day did not occur.

When asked if he had any regrets, Stewart thought for a moment and stated that if anything

would have been different, he would not have what he has today. He explains that he enjoyed

being part of something bigger while in the military but now relishes his short work weeks.
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Conclusion

As a human, your lifespan development focuses on your physical, social, and cognitive

aspects. There are many variables that change when you grow but there are also features that are

stable. A child’s physical growth in their preschool years and the growth of the brain are

astonishing. The incredibly sophisticated use of thought and language is also highly developed

within these years (Feldman, 2019). As one matures into adolescence, their physical maturation

of puberty brings on primary and secondary sex characteristics. They undergo dating which

teaches them how to generate intimacy with others and provides social self-esteem. When

moving into the formal operational stage, they advance into an abstract way of thinking

(Feldman, 2019). Once a person progresses into a young adult, their physical maturation is

finished, and senescence begins to occur but is usually unnoticed. They are in the achieving stage

that results in confronting major life decisions like marriage, carriers, and family. The social

clock gives the young adult a sense of whether they have met a set of standards related equally to

their peers (Feldman, 2019). As a person reaches an older adult, they have a loss of physical

capabilities and deteriorated physical form. Cognition will also decline if the mental processing

skills and intellectuality practices are not continued. Even as the physical and cognitive accepts

of an older adult decline, the social and personality traits are considerably steady throughout

their older years (Feldman, 2019).

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Work Cited

Feldman, Robert S. Development across the Life Span. Pearson, 2019. Accessed 21 Mar 2019.