Nebraska Academy of Sciences
Date of this Version
1979
Abstract
Theory and previous research indicated that an autobiographical project should facilitate personal development and the acquisition of an investigative technique. Twelve students from classes in Personality and History/Systems of Psychology participated in the study by writing autobiographical papers as one option for a course project and by completing an evaluation form. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the effectiveness of the autobiography for personal development and as an investigative method were obtained. Data from both sources supported the use of an autobiographical project for acquiring and clarifying information about one's self and his/her relationships to others. Student reactions also indicated that they had acquired an investigative technique and discriminated between it and the laboratory approach. Finally, the advantages of using multiple forms of evaluation were discussed, and qualifications for use of the autobiography were identified.
Comments
Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences- Volume VII, 1979. Copyright © 1979 Ware