AAI Discussion

Recently during class we have been having group work and discussions about the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). The Adult Attachment Interview is an interview where the client is asked to give five adjectives to describe his/her mother and five adjectives to describe his/her father. After the client gives five adjectives for one of his/her parents the client is then asked to describe instances or specific memories in which the client remembers the parent demonstrating the specific adjective give. For example, if the client describes his/her mother as loving the client then would describe a memory in which the mother demonstrated loving acts towards the client. These specific memories or instances given by the client are used to determine which attachment style the client has. The attachment styles are as follows: secure-autonomous, preoccupied, dismissive-avoidant, and unresolved.

                During class we also discussed different reactions that adults could give during this interview that would indicate which attachment style best fits the client’s personality. Those with a secure-autonomous attachment were characterized by responses such as the following: coherence, fresh memories, balance, and believablility. Preoccupied attachment is characterized by anger, passivity, and difficulty with seizing on words. Dismissive/avoidant attachment is characterized by difficulty remembering, cannot recall details, generic, idealism, and values material items. Finally, unresolved attachment is characterized by lack of coherence, sensory invasion, and lapse in monitoring of reasoning with respect to loss.

                The attachment that I found most interesting was the dismissive/avoidant attachment style. I do not believe that I am characterized by this attachment but I do find this style quite intriguing. I find this attachment interesting because the adult client could think in his/her mind that their relationship with their parent is healthy and secure when in fact the relationship is the opposite. Many of the characteristics that describe dismissive attachment involves the client viewing their relationship with their parent in a way that idealizes the parent yet lacks in substance. For example, the client might describe his/her father as supportive but fails to remember any memories, cannot recall details, and becomes very generic in his/her descriptions of the father. It was also discussed in class that these students could find value in material items and mention that they were “spoiled” growing up. This often indicates that the parents might have given material goods to the client as a child in order to compensate for not spending time with them during childhood.

                From my exposure to this subject during this class and my previous knowledge concerning attachment styles I found this Adult Attachment Interview to be quite helpful. Dr. Knight discussed in class that may times clients will describe his/her parents in a positive and admirable way in order to appear as “normal” to the counselor yet when it comes down to recalling specific memories of these descriptions, the clients cannot fake their true experiences. Also, I found it interesting (and relieving) that difficulty recalling memories are different then not having memories to recall. As I was doing our class group work I found it difficult to come up with specific memories to coincide with the adjectives that I designated to each parent. After taking a couple of minutes to truly think back to my childhood it became easier to remember specific memories. I greatly befitted from discussing the AAI during class and I can clearly see the benefit of using this interview in future counseling sessions.

AAI Reflection: Extra Credit Opportunity

Extra Credit Opportunity: Adult Attachment Interview Reflection

Before this class, I had never heard of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), and I found it very interesting to learn about and participate in. According to Cassidy, Sherman, & Jones (2012), the overall goal of the AAI is “not to uncover the exact nature of the participant’s childhood experiences, but instead to assess how the participant currently represents those experiences” (p. 12).

I experienced the most difficulty while trying to come up with adjectives for my mother, whereas I found it easier to do so for my father. I believe this occurred because although I have very good relationships with both of my parents, I have always been closer to my father. One thing that I found challenging with the AAI was selecting adjectives that focused on my relationship with each parent as opposed to adjectives that described them as a person. I also found it difficult to choose adjectives and stories from such young ages, and often had to remind myself to do so. I found it easy to remember specific stories for my father’s adjectives, whereas I struggled a little more and took more time for my mother’s. Personally, I think I would be classified as secure autonomous with my father and preoccupied with my mother.

The article by Cassidy et al. (2012) examines the AAI and claims “the content of the narrative is much less central to classification than are the narrative’s linguistic properties” (p. 12). In other words, an individual is not classified into a specific primary attachment style as a result of the memories and stories they share, but rather as a result of how they tell those memories and stories. I definitely agree with this because when I was the interviewer, I found it quite easy to determine what parent my partner had a stronger relationship with by the way they were describing each parent. My partner was opposite to me, having difficulty thinking of adjectives and memories for their father, but doing so quickly for their mother. Through their stories I was also able to picture their experiences in my head because they were so vivid. I think the AAI is a very effective exercise to conduct with clients, as “substantial evidence exists demonstrating that adult’s attachment representations are predictors of a variety of important aspects of their children’s psychological functioning” (Cassidy et al., 2012, p. 11).

References

Cassidy, J., Sherman, L. J., & Jones, J. D. (2012). What’s in a word? Linguistic characteristics of adult attachment interviews. Attachment & Human Development, 14(1), 11-32. doi:10.1080/14616734.2012.636649

Clear Picture

 

             It is  often said that growing up is hard to do, but the stages of development across the lifespan can be seen as shifting further into maturation; as humans we are constantly adapting  to our life based on our current trajectory. As we progress further into the aging process, self-awareness and identity take importance into our lives.

Simply looking at a mirror will provide a reflection, while reflecting on one’s appearance has many different meanings. Self-identification, self-worth, and other adaptive qualities become more prominent as we continue to mature. Early adulthood brings with it many stereotypes, expectations, and stigmas. The age bracket for individuals in early adulthood spans from 24-34. Patricia Adkins is currently in the middle of the spectrum, experiencing early adulthood at the age of 28. The unique experiences and events in her life have helped Patricia to adapt and form an identity.

During this stage there is a desire to become independent, not only to one’s spouse but also a chosen profession. She has been married for a little over a year, but has been with her husband 8 years prior to their marriage. Patricia has been a Registered Nurse for four years,  and for the last three years she has been specializing in hospice care. She is a month away from receiving her bachelor’s degree in nursing. She has honed in on a career that she receives enjoyment from while using her selected skill set to help people.  Following Erikson’s work, intimacy versus isolation is experienced during this stage of development. Forming lasting bonds and friendships has never been an issue, but finding meaningful friends has been a challenge. The element of trust has caused some discord amongst individuals that were once esteemed colleagues and comrades. It is innate for people to be dishonest and selfish, but there is also a desire to seek approval and be close with someone. During this point, Patricia is not only defining who she is as an individual, but she the friendships and relationships that she has in her life are more meaningful and personal. It is difficult to discover the intention of people around you, but not trusting people or allowing someone to get close can be detrimental.

Over the course of her development, Patricia has come to the realization that a sense of self-awareness impacts the formation of friendships, behavior, and the impact you have on your life. The ability to take constructive criticism has helped Patricia learn from others, growing into the mature woman she is today. It is important to realize that knowledge is gained through experience and events; it is not just handed to you. The modification of behaviors and learning from past mistakes is also an important attribute to have when going through development. It is important to understand what when wrong so that the error can be avoided in the future. The act of conforming happens on a daily basis, but it is how an individual arrives at their decisions that matters. There are certain pressures (societal, environmental, parental, etc.) that play an important role in the development of our standards and identity.

Cognitive resiliency is essential during early adulthood as it impacts the knowledge, thinking, and processing that occurs further on in development. There are various factors that impact the way an individual can process thoughts and information. According to Stint-Morrow and Chui (2012), it is important to utilize and optimize the brain and cognitive thinking during adulthood. A healthy mind and body play important roles in the overall cognitive functioning. Having a specific proficiency or skill set will allow one to focus and learn to multi-task keeping brain movement high. Stress, lack of sleep, and issues with physical health often occur during adulthood, but learning regulation of emotions and responses will increase overall well-being. Learning how to buffer and respond to stress and ongoing issues will help strengthen the hemispheres within the brain.  

 

References

Stint-Morrow, E.A.L., & Chui, H. (2012) Cognitive resilience in adulthood. Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 32, 93.

Human Development Interview

 

 

Human Development Interview

 

INTEGRITY

 

Gary Thomas Anderson

 

Liberty University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By NPS Photo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Abstract

 

Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson believed that society and culture introduce certain challenges at each stage of the developmental lifespan. In so far as this assignment is concerned I chose to interview my step-father-n-law. He asserted that he is to remain anonymous so I will call him “Frank.” Frank is in what Erikson would call late adulthood. In this stage of the developmental lifespan, Erikson’s stage of psychosocial developmental challenge is “Ego-integrity vs. despair.” Frank’s overall opinion of where he is at is in agreement with Erikson’s model. That is, he sees himself as positively sensing unity in his life accomplishments. He has a sense of integrity. He also related some of the challenges during his earlier stages of development that have served to bring him where he is at today.

 

 

Integrity

            I interviewed my step-father-n-law. He is in what Erikson would call “late adulthood.” In his words, “I am content with who I am and where I am at this stage in my life.” I learned that Frank has a sense of integrity. I could not sense any despair.

I did pick up on the fact that he had some regrets but I noticed he had a way of not allowing these regrets to affect his current status in life. I noted that even though he may not have resolved the challenges at some points in his life he managed to eventually resolve the crisis. For example, Frank had many jobs during his middle adulthood stage. I knew this prior to the interview. Frank has always spoke of his adventurous career. But this interview is the first time that we have directly attempted to fit them into a formal developmental stages model.  

When I revealed Erikson’s “Generativity vs. Stagnation” that is attributed to middle adulthood Frank was able to pinpoint negative experiences that led him from one job to the next one (Feldman, 2014).  Overall, Frank looked back at his career as a roller-coaster ride and he concluded that he did sense a contribution to the continuity of life as Erikson would put it (2014).

In my interview with Frank I noticed that he kept going back to his career and his life work. He framed each stage of his development in how he either contributed or failed to contribute based on his view regarding his career challenges. The fact that Frank spoke at length pertaining to his career was interesting. He did speak of family and his faith but not as much as he spoke about his work. In an article from the Journal of Counseling and Development entitled Work-Life Balance for Men: Counseling implications, authors Amanda M. Evans, Jamie S. Carney, and Morgan Wilkinson state that “many men find that when life events do not go their way, they are good at compensating behaviorally” (Carney, Evans, Wilkinson, 2013). This supported Frank’s ability to look back over his career with the ability to compensate for the various challenges that he had during his middle adulthood stage.

 

In the article from the Journal of Counseling and Development entitled Work-Life Balance for Men: Counseling implications, authors Amanda M. Evans, Jamie S. Carney, and Morgan Wilkinson go on to offer that “Integrity, a virtue often associated with men, focuses on the client’s ability to live honestly through authentic living” (Carney, Evans, Wilkinson, 2013) Frank has reached this stage in his life. I would conclude that he has achieved a balance. A work-life balance. Even though Frank may have had difficulty in his middle-adulthood stage of development he was able to finally resolve the crisis.

In my research I noted that according to the article from the Journal of Counseling and Development, as cited above, the authors wrote about “Emotional Closure” (Carney, Evans, Wilkinson, 2013).  This is where I ended up at with my interview with Frank. Emotional closure, occurs when an individual engages in an honest dialogue and thereby identifies problem solving techniques which can then aide the individual in alleviating distress that can be related with balancing multiple roles (2013). It is my concluding opinion that Frank has found a way to alleviate stress along the way in his life which has led him to his current stage of a sense of unity in life’s accomplishments(Feldman, 2014). He has reached the stage of integrity as Erikson would have it (Feldman, 2014).

References

Feldman, R. S. (2014). Development across the life span (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:

Pearson Education, Inc.

Carney, S. J., Evans, M. A., Wilkinson, M. (2013). Work-life balance for men: Counseling

implications. Journal of counseling & development. Vol. 91, Number 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prodigal son Sam

Prodigal Son-  Sam

Abstract

Adolescence is a time of experiencing  role and identity confusion, also describes as the identity formation process of adolescence; it is a slow process of ego growth. This paper documents the interview with my friend Sam, who has been struggled with confidence since childhood. Though Sam was brought up by Christian parents, they are very strict with him .I have discovered that parenting are linked with development of adolescence. During darkest moment  of  Sam’s life, God  intervened; he is now a totally new person in Christ. Hormones changes affects the neurobiology  development  in Adolescence. This link to experimentation with alcohol.

 

I interviewed one of my friends-Sam, who is in later adolescence stage. He is 21years old  and is in his sophomore year. According to Erikson, major developments of this stage are the identity formation and role confusion . He  suggested that every adolescent experiences an identity crisis during which he or she has to find an answer to the basic questions: “Who am I?” “Where did I come from?”, and “What do I want to become?”. Identity confusion develops when an adolescent fails to develop a coherent and enduring sense of self, experiencing significant difficulties regarding his or her roles, values and choices.( Erikson,1968,page156)

Understanding how the brain is changing during this period and how these changes impact individuals.

Sam was cooperative and was very open about what his life is like at different stage. He grows up in Christian family, surrounded by all these lovely people. But Sam always feels lack of confidence in a lot of things he does, especially in front of his parents. This is the biggest challenge that he has to deal with since childhood. Apparently ,parenting and identity formation are dynamically interlinked. Parents are important source of socialization for their developing adolescents.  He described himself as a prodigal son in early-adolescence. He drank, slept in class never seriously studied and often fought with friends and did all the things  pleasing his flesh which sinned against God. It is empty in his heart though he knows God is there. Sam is lost and confused about himself, and wondered where is his future. Then came a turning point in his life when he was in the senior year of high school. Parents decided to send Sam to a missionary school for 2years before starting college . At this school, he touched by teacher’s unconditional love and a living example of Jesus Christ. He saw so many broken people like him: alcoholism, drug abused ,porn addicted . And how everyone’s life  has been transformed by God.  Bible became a living book for Sam,   he encountered God. Sam realized that he has a new identity ,he is a God’s child. There is a purpose in the life. He remembered what God  promised. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here.(2Corinthians 5:17,NIV)

Sam is now a God-fearing young man, and he loves the Lord. He shared his passion that he wants to be a pastor in the future which can help people just like him. He still struggles with confidence problem, but he believes that God is healing and equipping him. It’s a exciting journey ahead for Sam.

Reference:

Demir, B., Kaynak-Demir, H., & Sönmez, E. I. (2010). Sense of identity and depression in adolescents. The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics, 52(1), 68-72. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/216281616?accountid=12085

Ernst, M., Romeo, R. D., & Andersen, S. L. (2009). Neurobiology of the development of motivated behaviors in adolescence: A window into a neural systems model. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 93(3), 199-211. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pbb.2008.12.013

Generations: Leading the Future with Integrity

 Generations: Leading the Future with Integrity

Susan Tyree

Liberty University

Caption: Deciding to Make a Difference
http://www.teachercertificationdegrees.com/

Abstract

Generativity versus Stagnation is one of the eight stages described in Erik Erikson’s psychosocial developmental stages of the life span. In an interview with my mom, I was able to learn more about this stage in the real life example of my mom. It was interesting to be able to learn how this stage is very true to how a person continues to grow and learn throughout their life. The following describes the interview I had with my mom and the different aspects of her stage that she is going through and how she is affected by it. We discussed different coping mechanisms from her past that she will use in the present and then in the future. This post also describes how research supports some of the coping strategies that my mom uses and how it promotes healthy brain functioning. This activity was very interesting to be able to ask firsthand about the different stages of life and how everyone goes through similar crises just in different ways. 

Generations: Leading the Future with Integrity

            Erik Erikson describes eight different stages of development that individuals go through throughout their entire life span. When the assignment was given to interview someone who is within a different lifespan and discuss with them the different facets of the stage they are currently in and the issues and how they overcame those issues of past stages, I thought that it would be an excellent idea to gain knowledge from someone older than me. I chose to interview my mom who is 49 years old and currently in the middle adulthood category. This category Erikson named Generativity Vs. Stagnation. During this stage, the success would be generativity, which could be described as a person’s contribution to society and guidance to the next and future generations. Stagnation then would be the negative side where they kind of sit back and unwilling to assist society and give back.

            When I told my mom about this stage that she was in I asked her if she felt that this stage is true to where she is in her life, she said that she does see how this fits. She said that she is willing to help those who help themselves and that as a teacher she sees herself as a generativist in a way because she is constantly guiding younger generations to move forward. I asked her if the decline of the younger generation in consequence to the decline of our country’s morals and values is ever discouraging and in a way feel like falling into the more stagnant role. She answered that she feels like no matter how our country might be, she thinks she would still care and guide for the younger generations. However she did say that sometimes she does feel like giving up or holding back sometimes because younger generations often feel that they deserve help and reward whether they earned it or not.

            I then began to ask her about her past stages and the crises that go along with each and discussed with her how she was able to overcome each and what coping strategies helped her within each. She answered that with each stage she learned that if you work hard at what you want then you will achieve success. She also stated that it is important to try your best and think about the outcomes of each situation. She talked about how with each crisis when she needed some way to cope it would sometimes help her to walk or work out as a physical mechanism to dealing with stress and hard times. I asked her if she could see herself using these same coping skills in her current or future crises and she said that yes, she would, she found them very helpful in achieving successful outcomes.  

            In an article by Ryan Wessell and Carla Edwards entitled Principles of Longevity and Aging: Interventions to enhance older adulthood it dsicusses different ways to promote healthy aging and longevity in adulthood. Although it focuses on older adulthood, it still has some important elements that can be applied to any age including middle adulthood. The authors stated in a section about physical exercise “regular exercise may [also] reduce anxiety and depression and increase cognitive activity (Wessell & Edwards, 2012).” This is especially applicable to my mom because she often exercises especially during stressful situations or when she is dealing with a specific stage crisis. The article goes on to discuss many ways in which it is important to be active in your community in order to remain healthy and keep your brain active. All of these are applicable to the stage of life my mom is in because it talks about being active in the community and sharing your knowledge and experiences to help guide the younger generations.

Questions for Readers:

1)      Do you think this stage will be difficult to go through, how often do you think people successfully age through this stage?

2)      What sort of issues do you think might cause a person to want to be more stagnant than generative?

3)      Do you think exercise is a good enough coping mechanism?

References

Wessell, R., & Edwards, C. (2012). Principles of longevity and aging: Interventions to enhance

older adulthood. Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, 2(1), 108-121.

Interview Blog: Intimacy vs. Isolation in Early Adulthood

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woman_crying_in_bathroom.jpg

Interview Blog: Intimacy vs. Isolation in Early Adulthood

Jenny is a very good friend of mine. She is 30 years old and is currently in the Early Adulthood stage of life. Erikson states that during this period, the focus is on developing close, intimate relationship with others. And those who experience difficulties during this stage are often lonely, isolated, and fearful of relationships with others (Feldman, 2014). This is very true in the life of Jenny. In this stage individuals can develop a really close, faithful, and loyal relationship. People tend to be unselfish and care about others more than their own selves. On the other hand, those who experience complications in this stage will encounter themselves really lonely, isolated, and afraid of getting involved in relationships.

Jenny is the oldest of three siblings. In her family, she was the first one to finish college and earn a bachelor’s degree in Nursing. Now she is working as a Pediatric Nurse in one of the hospitals in Manila, the capital of Philippines. She finds her career the most rewarding at this stage of her life.  Her two other younger siblings have already settled down and had a family of their own.  She works to support the studies of some of her nephews and nieces and the needs of her parents who are both in the retirement age. She finds joy and fulfillment whenever she gets her salary and sends it to her family back home.   Jenny and her siblings are more than 8 years apart. She grew up as the only child for the first few years of her life. When her brothers were born, she felt like she was their mother because she took care of them until she moved out of the house for college when she was 20 years old. The separation from them did not affect her much because she learned from her mother in a young age to be really independent. In the stage of Late Adolescence, self-autonomy is so important, and in the case of Jenny it was reinforce by her mother at an early age in her life. This reinforcement has allowed her to view independence from a different perspective than many individuals. Jenny might have also developed her independency from the experience of raising her brothers as if they were her children instead of her brothers. Her experience has forced her to mature at a young age.

When I asked Jenny what she found the most challenging, she was a bit hesitant answering this question. She mentioned that she has been successful in her career but finds it difficult maintaining a relationship with the opposite sex. She blames her ex-boyfriend, the only boyfriend that she has, for this problem. They were together for over 5 years and she cared for him so much. Her ex-boyfriend physically abused and accused her of cheating in different occasions and as a result, this makes it difficult for her to associate with men on a level of intimacy and to build trust with them. She finds this experience very traumatic. Bernstein, in his article, he states that “traumatic events generally violate the autonomy of the person at the level of basic bodily integrity - the body is invaded, injured, defiled’’(Bernstein, 2011, p. 395-416).

Reflecting on previous stages of her life, she finds peace in the word of God and attending a local church and a bible study group. She feels safe and very happy whenever she’s around her brothers and sisters in Christ. However, Jenny is stressed having to work 6 days in a week and sometimes depressed. She said that after the break up between her and her ex-boyfriend, and being away from her family, it has been a big challenge for her. Dr. Lupien mentioned in his book that stress involves one of the following experiences: exposure to novelty, unpredictability, threats to the ego, or a sense of lost. These factors strongly contribute to the development of aversive responses to environmental stimuli. He added that providing young adults with strategies to control their environment and cope with adversity will prevent life stress- and aging-related cognitive decline (Koenig, Walker, Romeo, & Lupien, 2011).

Aside from her joy going to church regularly as her coping mechanism, she also loves cooking, so she cooks whenever she feels down and invites her church friends over. Feldman in his book mentions that in the stage of early adulthood, coping through social support and turning to others whenever they are stress can provide an emotional support in the form of a “shoulder to cry on” (Feldman, 2014). Jenny has also found social media such as Skype and Facebook very useful in connecting with her family and friends. She is hoping that one day she’ll be able to overcome her fear to commit to a new relationship as she has dreams too of building a family of her own.

 

References 

Bernstein, J. M. (2011). Trust: On the real but almost always unnoticed, ever-changing foundation of ethical life. Metaphilosophy, 42(4), 395-416. doi:10.1111/j.14679973.2011.01709.x

Feldman, R. S. (2014). Development across the life span (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Koenig, J. I., Walker, C., Romeo, R. D., & Lupien, S. J. (2011). Effects of stress across the lifespan. Stress: The International Journal On The Biology Of Stress, 14(5), 475-480. doi:10.3109/10253890.2011.604879