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Selecting, scheduling, and meeting with an interviewee

A. Select an interviewee

• Belongs to the developmental stage selected (interview parent for infant/toddler or minor)

• While you can interview family members, it can be beneficial to seek out a neighbor, family friend, classmate, co-worker, friend’s grandparent, etc. The goal of this assignment is to learn about an experience that differs from what you are familiar with and it is more likely to get this perspective from a non-family member.

• Lives in the community (not in a nursing home or an assisted living facility unless approved by the instructor)

B. Schedule the interview

1. Schedule the interview early. The interviewee may not be available on short notice. Have an alternative interview candidate in mind in case your first choice declines or is unavailable.

2. Let the interview candidate know the purpose of the interview and approximate length (the time can vary significantly based on how much they talk, ranging from 30-60 minutes). Explain that you are taking a class about development and aging and that you would like to interview them on their thoughts and experiences about lifespan development.

3. Explain that you will be sharing information gained from the interview in a class presentation and in a written paper, but that his/her identity will not be revealed.

4. Give the interview candidate choices for the interview location. If you both want to meet in person, I would first suggest a public location (e.g., mall, campus, library, or coffee shop), although some will be most comfortable in their homes. Please be respectful of their wishes (e.g., wearing a mask, taking off shoes), but remember that you should not do anything you are not comfortable with (e.g., meeting alone in their home, meeting with them if they will not wear a mask). If you two are unable to arrive at an interview setting that you are both comfortable with, consider asking someone else.

C. Conduct the interview 1. Make it clear at the beginning of the interview that the interviewee can refuse to answer questions

that make him/her uncomfortable, and that he/she can terminate the interview at any point. 2. If you plan to tape record the interview, get permission first. 3. Allow plenty of time for the interviewee to respond and elaborate. Sometimes this means that there will

be quiet moments while the interviewee reflects. Offer to repeat or rephrase questions if needed. Encourage the interviewee to provide as many details as possible and ask for clarification or elaboration if needed.

4. Thank the interviewee for their time. (A thank you card is a nice touch.)

D. Submit the “Completed Interview”. This document will contain your questions and the responses made

by the interviewee (like a script of your interview). This submission allows me to see any last-minute changes you made to your questions (i.e., for clarification or if the interviewee was not comfortable with some questions). This submission is also a way to help you stay on schedule with the interview so that you have plenty of time to work on the final paper.

Grading Rubric

Category Does Not Meet Requirements

Partial Requirements Met

Requirements Met

Completed Interview (25 points)

Interview was not conducted or was extremely brief. Does not meet requirements. (0-8 points)

Not enough questions and/or topics—interview was too short. Did not meet requirements (9-17 points)

Actual questions asked were appropriate number of questions per topic. Well thought through and met requirements (e.g., unbiased, do not invade privacy). Followed-up when necessary (18-25 points)