Life Narratives and Developmental Psychology: Analyzing Key Events

QUESTION

6. Imago Formation (1)

Consider any of the narrative accounts the participant gave of events that occurred during emerging adulthood or young adulthood. What key role emerged for the participant, what character “sprang forth on scene”? Explain; include quote(s).

8. Narrative Reconciliation (Mature Age) (2)

Be reminded that narrative reconciliation considers: What sense does the participant make of his/her life, how s/he lived it, what remains, does the participant have any unfinished business, and so on.  Does the participant anticipate a positive or negative future?  Does the participant’s narrative suggest movement toward integration or despair? Explain, with supporting evidence. You might want to focus on the most salient aspects of the narrative, and features of the psychological self as manifest in the narrative.

b) Causal Coherence [1]

Consider that authorship is critical to causal coherence, and that authorship capabilities develop in the adolescent and emerging adulthood stages. Think about the narratives collected, including any retrospection given along with the narrative events during the interviews.  Do they explain how one event caused, led up to, transformed, or in some way related meaningfully to subsequent events?  How do the narratives flow in a meaningful sequence?  Does that causal coherence fit (or not) with the chapters of life the participant described initially, and the transitions between the chapters? Discuss.

10. Developmental Intelligence, Creativity, Wisdom, and the Social Portfolio (2)

Consider the participant’s Life Story with regard to Cohen’s concepts of developmental intelligence, creativity, wisdom, and the social portfolio in aging.  Do you think the participant could benefit from greater reconciliation in any one of these areas in particular?  If yes, which one(s); if not, why not? Explain your answer.

12. Social Touch Perspective [3]

Given our review of social touch in class, and your reading of the provided articles, consider the participant’s limiting framing of social touch in her narratives to medical practices and therapeutic wellness experiences.  Discuss the developmental implications in this case, drawing upon a) the Casio et al review of the role of social touch in development, b) Morrison’s discussion of stress response and stress buffering (pp. 145-148), and c) the Bales et al review of positive touch in human infants (section 5.2).

Please answer these questions in depth, in respect to the narrative below:

Key Event #1: Peak Experience (a truly outstanding moment, one of self-actualization)
Addressing the graduates. The 1st time I did that I was chair of the faculty. That’s another
thing, I had no intention of running to be the faculty executive and then somebody
suggested why don’t you, you’d be good at it. I thought about it because I would be
running against a guy who was very involved in governance and he was very well known
on the campus, and had been for years. I had to respond to some nasty emails he sent out.
So, like I’m there, addressing the graduates; first of all, it’s very hard for me to speak in
front of an audience… I had to give a speech congratulating them, and I was fine when I
got up there; I mean, I’m always like totally nervous, but when I’m up there I pull myself
together and I, you know, I can do it… I actually talked to them a little bit about my
background, of not speaking a word of English when I started, and having no money, and
a story about shoes. I spoke of remembering when I went to the store and my father said,
“You can only get one pair of shoes, that’s all we can afford,” and I wanted a pair of red
shoes and he said “No, you can’t, because you can only get one pair”. So, I said the first
thing I did when I had a job was go out and I bought myself a pair of shoes. So, I told
them a little bit about the hardships I faced, and here I am: I’m a full professor, and I’m
head of the faculty that elected me, and it was like, you know, you can aspire to whatever
you want. Living proof of a real triumph. Yes, it was sort of, you know, I couldn’t
believe that I was in that position. It was so real to me, yeah, that I was able to get to that
level that I never even dreamed about. But I had all these people that kept guiding me….
I felt like my ancestors were there with me; I had no relatives at all in my life. They all
died during World War II…. I grew up hearing stories, sad stories of trauma, so I felt like
my ancestors were there. I don’t know, I’m getting so emotional…. I was able to help a lot
of people… One of the administrators came up and said to me, “I’m looking forward to
your next speech because you talk from the heart”.

Key Event #2: Nadir Experience (low point; worst moment in your life)
My younger son. I thought I was going to lose him; he was so very depressed, anxious.
My husband was away long term in Ukraine, doing his [work] stuff and I made the
decision to a take our son to the hospital. I had a conversation with him; I asked him, “Do
you want to live?” He didn’t. He didn’t want to take medications, he just stopped doing
everything. He stopped going to school, he stopped going out, he wasn’t functioning and
that was the most painful thing for me that lasted for quite a while. I’m in psychiatry,
that’s my field, yeah, and I couldn’t help him. I felt totally hopeless, helpless, totally
alone. It was just the saddest home, the saddest day. Days actually turned into weeks. I
was trying to function and work and I hated going home. I had to face that every day,
where he was just so isolated, he didn’t want to go anywhere it was the worst time of my

life. … I really turned to spirit; I lit candles, I prayed. I just felt like that was what was
left. But he did turn around. He got his GED and he got a job. And he did well and they
actually promoted him… He still has anxiety, but it’s manageable. He can connect with
people again. But during that time, I really didn’t know what to do with myself. I didn’t
want to be here and I wasn’t getting much help from my spouse. That’s probably the
hardest part of it; he sort of checked out

Key Event #3: Turning Point (episode of significant change in understanding self; can be
in retrospect)
With everything I went through with my son, when turning to spirituality and all that, my
shift in my perceptions of health and illness was a real turning point. That was like
opening up to a new world of healing and then I became very drawn to alternative
practices and you know doing hands on healing. Oh my God, I did so many workshops.
I can’t say there was any particular incident, but I would say that given the experience
that I went through with my son, that I felt that what the medical profession was doing
was not that helpful, and I needed to, for myself, to deal with all of that, I needed to look
for something else. Starting workshops in therapeutic touch opened me up; I wanted to
know more and more and more. I was doing all kinds of touch therapy workshops, and
acupuncture. I was so hungry to know, to get more knowledge outside what I’d learned
before so I can’t say it was one thing. … I used to go up to a farm upstate with a friend of
mine and take workshops on touch therapy, and I took a Rolfing workshop. I was laying
on the table and the therapist came over to me and put his hand on one part of my back
and I started sobbing. I didn’t know where it came from but something was there, a
memory I guess in that part of me, or just the way that he touched me or the intention that
he had. Whatever it was, to this day I don’t have a memory attached to that but I
remember that it was like being released.
Key Event #4: Earliest Memory
A. When I was born and they had a machine that came down from the ceiling it was
a metal machine that pressed on my on my face. I don’t even know how old I was
I just remember the machine and that I had to be still in a certain position and I
had to wait for that machine to come down and just press on my face. I keep
going back to do that until my face sort of straightened out. I don’t remember
how long yeah but I still get swollen if I’ve bend down; this part of my face swells
out, to this day. It’s a lot better than it used to be but when I was younger if I just
put my head down a little this would swell.

Key Event #5: An Important Childhood Memory (positive or negative)
A. When I first started school in America, I was sent home because I wore pedal
pushers, thick short pants in those days. They sent me home with a note; I didn’t
understand the teacher at all, but she gave me a note and sent me home. And my
mother of course didn’t speak a word of English; she had to go find somebody to
translate the note for her. It said you’re not allowed to wear pants to school; you
have to change and then you can come back. I remember I was only 5 years old
and the teacher made me stand in front of the classroom pulling at my clothes to
show all the students that I’m dressed properly. It was so humiliating.

Key Event #6: An Important Adolescent Memory (positive or negative)
A. My high school teacher asked me to teach one of her special classes. I was 15-16
years old and it was on Catcher in the Rye. I remember distinctly that I wore a
golden shirt and black skirt, black stockings, heels, and I had my hair up. I just
remember I have to look like a chimney, I have to dress the part, ha ha. I had the
students who were a year younger than me, you know, they were the class before
me, and I went through the themes of Catcher in the Rye. And I did a whole class
on it; it was like she gave it just to me, not anybody else. She just gave me the
opportunity. Her husband was an actual author who was a writer and I guess she
saw something that I didn’t see myself.

Key Event #7: An Important Adult Memory (positive or negative)
Telling my husband that I don’t want to be married to him. That was huge. He was at
home, but I told him on the phone from work. Really, it was very strange. … there was
one day I was in my office at work and I almost felt like something tapped me on the
shoulder said, you need to let it go, you have to stop it. It was like a very strong message
to me that I said to myself why am I doing this to myself”? And I picked up the phone at
work and I called him and I said the marriage is over and it was a relief it was a total
relief. I was staying in a relationship that’s not working for me or probably him also. I felt
a real sense of peace and relief letting go of that. On the phone he said we should try
counseling to work this out. I said no it’s too late. It was too much at too many years and
too many experiences that it wouldn’t work out. I really felt that strongly. So, that was it,
that was the end of my marriage. It was a short phone call and he up and he didn’t want to
talk about it after. He’s not a person that talks about feelings. But, like I said, he deals
with things by getting himself involved in working with kids, but not his own kids. He
was doing a lot of things to help kids in Ukraine, … so he was really helping other
people’s kids but at the expense of his own kids. So, that was a really big moment. After
the phone call I felt like a sense of peace and I just sat there and I absorbed it, what I just
said and that this is the end of the marriage of over 35 years. So that was a big thing but I
felt like what I did was the right decision. I mean, I felt that deep in my bones

Key Event #8: Other: A Non-sexual Social Touch Memory
You don’t touch your patients ever except for what is required for procedures. You can’t
use touch to comfort them. It’s a shame that it’s like that. You have to know when to use
touch. You don’t want to suggest social touch. It’s like I’m in the nursing homes too.
Patients there, and the hospitals patients, are only touched when I had a procedure stuff.
You can’t just sit and hold somebody’s hand…. But what led me to start the massage
degree program was my own recuperation from pneumonia. I never thought about
massage or the program until I had trouble recuperating after having pneumonia. I’d
been hospitalized because I had a bad case of it. I had trouble even walking up the stairs
I was out a breath, and I didn’t feel like I was getting any better. I was so fatigued, and I
was working. I was teaching, and a friend of mine told me about … a massage therapist
that did one of the lectures at another college, and my friend went to him and she said

you know he’s really good. He’s in Manhattan. I went to see him to work on me and I
started feeling better. I felt like that helped me more than anything. One day, when he
was working on me and I was laying there, I just said to myself this is so great and so
why can’t we bring all of this to more people, or have people know about it and why can’t
we teach massage. It’s a 2-year program, right. And I said that to myself in my own mind
and that’s when I decided I’m gonna go for it. I proposed it to the vice president at the
college and she was all for it and then to the president. He was OK with it and that’s when
a committee was formed to work on the program. But it was because massage helped me;
that was my motivation. If I hadn’t gotten sick with pneumonia, it wouldn’t have occurred
to me…. I trust my instincts, and when I feel strongly about something. I said to myself
there’s something to this, yeah, and whatever obstacles there were, I worked through
them, like with the massage program you know I had faculty telling me it belongs on
42nd Street, it’s unscientific. Oh my goodness, I had to deal with all of that crap, that
ignorance

ANSWER

Life Narratives and Developmental Psychology: Analyzing Key Events

Key Event #1: Peak Experience (Self-Actualization): In this event, the participant addresses graduates as the faculty chair, sharing her immigrant background and struggles. She reflects on her achievements, feeling the presence of her ancestors and a real triumph. The key role that emerges is one of resilience and self-empowerment. The participant’s narrative underscores her character as a persevering individual with a sense of purpose, stating, “you can aspire to whatever you want.” This event suggests a movement toward integration and a positive future, reflecting wisdom in facing life’s challenges.

Key Event #2: Nadir Experience (Low Point): The nadir experience involves the participant’s son’s severe depression, which led her to question the efficacy of traditional medical practices. Her feelings of hopelessness and isolation underline a moment of despair. Her reliance on spirituality for support and the subsequent recovery of her son signify reconciliation, indicating a positive future. This event demonstrates developmental intelligence, as the participant adapts her approach to health and healing, seeking alternative practices.

Key Event #3: Turning Point (Shift in Perception): This event marks a significant change in the participant’s understanding of health and illness. Frustration with traditional medicine prompts her to explore alternative therapies, like touch therapy and acupuncture. It reflects her curiosity and openness to new knowledge, signifying creativity and an evolving social portfolio. The narrative suggests movement toward integration and a positive future, emphasizing wisdom in embracing holistic approaches to health.

Key Event #4: Earliest Memory: The participant’s earliest memory recalls a traumatic experience as a child, undergoing facial correction treatment. This memory hints at physical challenges and resilience from an early age. It may have contributed to the participant’s determination and self-reliance, aligning with developmental intelligence.

Key Event #5: An Important Childhood Memory: This memory recounts a humiliating childhood experience where the participant was sent home from school for wearing pedal pushers. It emphasizes a sense of difference due to her immigrant background, which could have influenced her resilience and drive to prove herself.

Key Event #6: An Important Adolescent Memory: The participant’s memory of teaching her teacher’s special class showcases her leadership and teaching abilities at a young age. It highlights her early pursuit of knowledge, aligning with developmental intelligence.

Key Event #7: An Important Adult Memory: The pivotal moment of ending a 35-year marriage signifies the participant’s courage to make a difficult decision and seek personal happiness. It reflects her wisdom and a step toward reconciliation. The sense of peace she experiences aligns with positive emotional development.

Key Event #8: A Non-sexual Social Touch Memory: This event highlights the participant’s introduction to therapeutic touch after her own health struggles. Her motivation to establish a massage degree program demonstrates creativity and a desire to make alternative healing accessible. The narrative suggests a move toward integration, as the participant embraces touch therapy, defying criticism.

In summary, the participant’s life narrative reveals a character marked by resilience, curiosity, and a willingness to explore alternative approaches to health. Her experiences reflect developmental intelligence, creativity, and wisdom, leading her toward integration and a positive future. The narratives provide valuable insights into the participant’s journey and personal growth.