5. Write your own autobiography. Relate your own experiences to those discussed in the chapters on child development, adolescence, and adulthood. Some topics to include might be memories of cognitive development, social interaction with peers, parenting styles of your parents, gender expectations of adults around you, puberty and your relationship with your parents during adolescence, role of athletics or drugs in your life, etc.
Consider your own life and the significant events in it. You may choose to write about the general stages you have gone through over time or you may choose to select a particular event or time period and analyze it in more detail. Some examples might include any awareness you had over changes in memory or cognitive ability; learning of motor skills such as cartwheels, bicycle riding, or skating; or the development of social skills and friendships. Maybe you would like to explore your reactions to your parents' divorce and how that has effected you. Or possibly you are interested in Erikson's ideas on identity development and career goals. One further example might include your gender role development. How did you learn what was appropriate behavior for males and females? Who in particular influenced these beliefs? Were males and females treated differently by your parents or teachers? Write about your experiences then compare them to the development described in the text. How did your experiences relate to what theorists consider to be normal development?
Quick Reply
