Florida International University Erik Erikson Psychosocial Stages Case Study

Case Study Analysis Guidelines

Introduction

A case study analysis is a type of research that focuses on one person, one event oreven a group. It is very subjective and describes aspects of the subject’s behavior andexperiences. For this assignment, the developmental aspects of your subject’s life spanwill be described through the use of an interview that will result in a case study analysis.The type of case study for this assignment is called a descriptive case study, whichstarts with a theory, such as the developmental theories found in the course textbook. Indescriptive case studies, information is gathered and then compared to pre-existingtheories.

The Subject and the Interview

For this assignment, you will be applying Erik Erikson’s psychosocial stages to thelifespan development of an individual (not a family member) that you will beinterviewing. You must inform the person (informed consent) that you are interviewinghim or her for a class project. Let them know that you are in the process of learning andthat you will not present any conclusions about them, nor reveal their identity. You mayneed to do a second interview, and you should follow up on any questions raised in thefirst interview.

The best way to approach the interview is to write a list of open-ended questions, basedon the Eriksonian stages, that you would like to ask. However, you should remainflexible during the interview(s) because sometimes valuable insights come out of theprocess.

The subject you choose should be someone who has at least reached Erikson’s MiddleAge stage of “Generativity versus Stagnation”. Your interview should take you, as theresearcher, and your subject on a journey through the different stages of the life spanfrom the earliest memories to the present. For each stage, beginning with theirFIRST TWO YEARS, you should discuss the specifics of the Eriksonian stage andindicate whether the “crisis” or turning point of the stage was successfullymastered.

Ask your subject to give you information about important events, milestones ormemories that impacted their development. Ask them about the specific developmentaltasks that are listed in the text for each of the Eriksonian stages. Describe each ofthese in your final paper as indicated below. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU ARE NOTEXPECTED, NOR SHOULD YOU, COUNSEL THE SUBJECT DURING THISASSIGNMENT.

The Written AssignmentThe assignment consists of writing a paper 5 full pages minimum in length, double spaced, describing the information you gathered.

Start your paper with an “Introduction of the Subject” that includes gender, age,temperament, religious upbringing, ethnicity, socio-economic status, family logistics andfunctioning, and any other information that will help to “set the stage” for the informationto be presented. AT NO TIME SHOULD YOU USE THE SUBJECT’S NAME. PLEASEUSE THEIR INITIALS OR A MADE-UP NAME.

Following the Introduction, for each of the Eriksonian stages, you will need to brieflydescribe the following:

• The name of the stage , an explanation of the stage and its tasks, and the“crisis” to be mastered

• How the subject’s development progressed throughout the specific stage• Successes and challenges faced by the subject in mastering the stage

• How the subject’s behavior at a specific chronological age related to thedevelopmental stage (For example, were they “ahead” of the stage or laggedbehind as it related to their age.)

• How appropriate were the behaviors/reactions/beliefs during the stage

A cover sheet with your name and title of the assignment, as well as excellentgrammar, are expected for this assignment, which is worth 10 points of your finalgrade.

IMPORTANT!! The paper and presentation will be evaluated using the criteria ofappropriate application of the Eriksonian psychosocial stages and NOT on howwell you tell your subject’s life story.

For the explanations of the Eriksonian stages, please use the course textbook. Tohelp you identify important pages in the book, below is a short list of some of the bestplaces containing information that is expected for this assignment.

• Page 38 of the text has an excellent table that briefly summarizes all the stagesand the approximate ages for each stage;

• Pages 262-264 discuss details of the Initiative vs Guilt stage (3-6 years);

• Pages 435-439 have a great explanation with specific information during theadolescent years (the Identity vs Role Confusion stage);

• Page 520 has an excellent table indicating the pathology that may result if astage is not successfully mastered;

• Page 614 has another excellent table for the 4 stages in adulthood with veryspecific tasks that should be mastered; and

• Pages 700-701 discuss Integrity vs Despair, the stage for older adults.