An Interview Using Psychological Theories Term Paper by Top Papers

The paper interviews and examines three people - one age 8, another age 15 and another age 55 - using the psycho-social theory of Erik Erikson and Kohlberg's theory of age development and reasoning as intellectual and paradigmatic starting-points. The paper briefly summarizes the relevant components of each theory and briefly describes each individual being interviewed; the paper finally concludes with a determination of the development level of each individual within the context of the two aforementioned theories. In the interests of full disclosure, the moral question asked of all three individuals was this one: "would you decide not to tell someone something if you thought that telling them would help them more than it would help you?" As an addendum, whilst there is not a full transcript of the interview provided, some of the most important questions are highlighted below in the text. In the end, the writer relates that what he learned was that Erikson and Hohlberg actually reveal how chronological age does not necessarily correspond to psychological and moral development.