Assignment: Retrospective Analysis of Personality
In this assignment, begin by taking a retrospective look at your life history, to discuss which aspects of your personality have remained consistent and which aspects of your personality have changed over time. Then, analyze the roles of nature and nurture in shaping your personality. Subsequently, discuss possible sources of inaccuracy and bias in any retrospective analysis. Finally, discuss the reasons why systematic scientific studies are considered more valuable than individual accounts.
Write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you:
1. Reflect on your life history and discuss which aspects of your personality have changed over time and which aspects have stayed consistent.
2. Based on your retrospective analysis, describe the roles of nature and nurture in shaping your personality. Reflect on your justification for distinguishing between nature and nurture.
3. Discuss the possible sources of bias and inaccuracy whenever a person looks back on their past history. Be sure to discuss factors related to memory and factors related to cognition.
4. Describe why the science of psychology places more emphasis on results based on scientific studies than it does on personal experience and anecdotes.