Running head: CASE STUDY

Case Study
Karen Phetdaovieng
College of Southern Nevada

CASE STUDY

2
Case Study

Introduction
For my observation, I observed my cousin, Katlynn. Katlynn is an eight year old girl and
the youngest child with four older brothers who no longer live at home. Her parents and she live
together in a 2-bedroom apartment. Unlike her parents, she was born in the States, so she is
fluent in English. She is Laotian and can understand and conversationally speak the language.
Because her parents do not speak much English, most of the language spoken at home is Laotian.
In terms of socio-economic status, the family is considered low class. The first year they lived
here, they received Welfare and Medicaid. Katlynns mother is the only one providing income,
and as a result of her hard work, they no longer need such services.
I had the opportunity to observe Katlynn because, coincidentally, she and her mother
were staying at my house for the week. I spent about 30 minutes asking questions specific to the
PRISM areas. My observations, however, went on throughout the week she stayed with my
family and me. As a result, I was able to closely observe and make note of the different
developmental milestones Katlynn had met at her age.
Physical
First are the physical developmental milestones. From what I know, Katlynn has poor
health. She gets sick every other week, and she has a very weak immune system. Because of this,
she does not like to engage in physical activity. She dislikes sports and despises running around
and getting sweaty. She is not busy or active; she likes to laze around and play on her iPad. She
does not urinate frequently. From my dinner table observations, it seems she does not belch

CASE STUDY

spontaneously nor does she wolf down her food like a normal eight year old would (DSHS
Fosterparentscope, n.d.).
On the other hand, she is a very silly girl. As DSHS Fosterparentscope notes, she does
enjoy making faces, wiggling, and clowning. Even when I was interviewing her, she made
multiple funny faces in answer to all of the questions she was being asked. Despite having poor
health, Katlynn has a good appetite and is open to trying new foods. For her age, she eats quite a
lot. Unlike most children, she is not a picky eater and eats her vegetables without coaxing.
Looking at the chart, it appears that she does not meet more than half of the developmental
milestones for this category.
According to the text, children in the primary grades should be extremely active
(Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 53). Snowman suggests that children at this age often release
energy in the form of nervous habits, however, Katlynn does not do so. She does not necessarily
fidget a lot or bite her fingernails due to anxiety; in fact, her anxiety level is very low. The book
states that children become fatigued easily as a result of physical and mental exertion
(Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 53). This is accurate because Katlynn needs lots of rest periods.
For instance, she needs to sit down and rest after engaging in physical activity or take breaks
while doing homework.
Speaking of homework, apparently many children at this age have difficulty manipulating
a pencil. Large-muscle control is still superior to fine coordination (Snowman & McCown,
2013, p. 53). Katlynn laughed at this claim and found it silly. She found it strange that some
children are not able to write for long periods of time. Another observation found in the text was
that, Children tend to be extreme in their physical activities. They have excellent control of their
bodies and develop considerable confidence in their skills (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 53).

CASE STUDY

As mentioned before, Katlynn does not like physical activity or sports, so she does not meet this
claim.
The book also goes to address five basic needs that individuals develop as they grow.
This is Abraham Maslows theory of growth motivation; Abraham Maslows theory of human
motivation was built on the idea that humans have different kinds of needs: Some are very basic
to our existence; others are more intellectual or even, some would say, spiritual (Snowman &
McCown, 2013, p. 248). The five basic needs addressed in Maslows Hierarchy of Needs in
ascending order are Physiological, Safety, Belongingness and love, Esteem, and Selfactualization. According to the text, The lower a need is in the hierarchy, the greater is its
strength, because when a lower-level need is activated (as in the case of extreme hunger or fear
for ones physical safety), people will stop trying to satisfy a higher-level need (such as esteem or
self-actualization) and focus on satisfying the currently active lower-level need (Snowman &
McCown, 2013, p. 248).
A need that follows under this category are the physiological needs regarding ones health
and the basic essentials of life, such as food, water, and oxygen. DSHS Fosterparentscope
mentions that children at the age of eight to nine years old have improved health with a few
short illnesses. As previously mentioned, Katlynn has poor health, so she would not be
considered healthy for her age. In terms of food, a child at this age should have a good appetite,
wolf down their food, belch spontaneously, and accept new foods (DSHS Fosterparentscope).
While she does have a good appetite and accept new foods, she does not wolf down her food or
belch spontaneously. With this observation, I conclude Katlynn to meet the needs for the basic
essentials of everyday life.

CASE STUDY

A recommendation I would make for this childs further development to meet the
physical components for her age is to introduce physical activity to her in a more engaging way.
She has a good appetite and eats quite a lot, and children between the ages of nine and ten have a
greater tendency to overeat, so if this lack of physical activity continues, Katlynn will become
more prone to becoming overweight. The book suggests that, When this eating pattern is
coupled with a relatively low level of physical activity (mainly because of watching television,
using the computer, and playing video games) and a genetic predisposition towards obesity,
children become mildly to severely overweight (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 56). Keeping
this in mind and how frequently she uses her iPad, I feel without the proper level of physical
activity, Katlynn could fall below the average level of development she should be meeting in the
future.
Emotional
Next to the developmental milestones is the emotional progression. Katlynn is very
affectionate, helpful, cheerful, outgoing, and curious (DSHS Fosterparentscope). She is
extremely attached to her mother and constantly smothers her with love. Through my
observations, I noticed that she likes to lessen the trouble for others. She frequently helps wash
the dishes and cleans up after herself. Her expression is always bright and cheery. Katlynn
giggles a lot and is really silly. She laughs to herself often and makes many goofy comments
throughout the day. As a normal eight year would, she likes immediate rewards for her
behavior (DSHS Fosterparentscope). She only has two fears and is reasonable towards them
(see Appendix A for more information). This child is also very sensitive and easily hurt.
Unlike normal children her age, she never feels the desire to be rude, selfish, or bossy.
However, she does argue a lot, especially with her father. Due to the language barrier, there are

CASE STUDY

lots of arguments regarding her homework. At times, her father does not understand what she is
doing, which makes her quite frustrated. Nevertheless, she does listen when instructed to do so
and always obeys her parents. She is not excessive in self-criticism and does not make a big deal
out of things. Though unusual for a child her age, she also does not have many secrets. With
regard to the physical developmental milestones, she meets fewer than half of the characteristics.
According to the author, Students are sensitive to criticism and ridicule and may have
difficulty adjusting to failure (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 54). However, this is not true for
Katlynn, as she hardly feels inferior after unsuccessfully completing a task. As was previously
mentioned, she is not excessive in self-criticism, but she is sensitive and easily hurt. Snowman
(2013) also notes that, Children like to help, enjoy responsibility, and want to do well in their
schoolwork. Katlynn is very helpful and responsible with her academics. She always helps
others when necessary and maintains good grades. At this age, children are also becoming
sensitive to the feelings of others (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 54). This holds to be true, as
Katlynn understands how it would feel if the tables were turned when hurting someone else.
While it is good to not be excessive in self-criticism, I feel that in the future this will
affect how Katlynn develops her self-image. It appears to me that it is natural for children at this
age to compare themselves with one another. Snowman (2013) notes that comparison with
others is the fundamental basis of a self-image during the elementary grades. A recommendation
I would make in order for her further development in the emotional aspect to be met is to teach
her that it is okay to make mistakes and to note these mistakes. Doing so will help her generate a
more stable self-image.
Intellectual/Cognitive

CASE STUDY

Following is the intellectual area of the milestones. As aforementioned, Katlynn is a very

curious child. She wants to know the reasons for things (DSHS Fosterparentscope). She asks
why more than ten times a day. On one of the days, there was a neighborhood blackout, and
she wanted an explanation for what was occurring. Of these questions, about half of them
included the word, why (see Appendix A for some of the questions). She is very interested in
how things work and in the world around her.
Although she desires to know about many things, she staunchly refuses to want more
information about pregnancy and birth (DSHS Fosterparentscope). Her response to this point
was a rapid headshake and prolonged no. The idea of birth and pregnancy is repulsive to her.
She does not even like to talk about boys or boyfriends. Because of this, we all like to tease her.
She does not question her fathers role. Katlynn is well aware of her own abilities and does not
overestimate them. She acknowledges her failures, but she does not generalize them with such
statements as, I never get anything right (DSHS Fosterparentscope). Again, she does not meet
more than half of the developmental milestones for these criteria.
Jean Piaget, one of many psychologists discussed under this category, defined cognitive
development in four stages. According to Piaget, the child I observed should be exhibiting
characteristics of the Concrete Operational Stage (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 27). Katlynn
appears to be developing at the expected rate, as I have observed her to be capable of mentally
reversing actions but generalizing only from concrete experiences (Snowman & McCown,
2013, p. 27). Piaget suggests that children in this stage are capable of decentration and therefore
can mentally conserve quantities even though those quantities may change shape and size
(Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 27). When asked whether she could explain why the amount of
milk in the short glass is equal to the amount in the tall cylinder, she said, The amount of liquid

CASE STUDY

is the same. Just because you put it in a taller glass, the amount of liquid wont change. They are
still the same amount as the beginning. With this, I concluded that she is developing at the stage
she should.
On the other hand, Lev Vygotsky had very different views about the major forces that
shape learning and thinking, particularly with respect to the roles of culture, social interaction,
and formal instruction (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 31). Vygotsky believes that what shapes
a childs thought process are the social interactions and cultural forces in their lives. Children
acquire what Vygotsky calls spontaneous concepts, meaning, they learn various facts and
concepts and rules (such as how to speak their native language and how to classify objects in
their environment), but they do so for the most part as a by-product of such other activities as
engaging in play and communicating with parents and playmates (Snowman & McCown, 2013,
p. 34). This I found to be true, as Katlynn learned to speak her native language, as a result of her
parents not being able to speak much English.
Following these views is that of Robert Sternberg. Sternberg defined these views in what
he calls the triarchic theory of intelligence. He does not suggest the level that a child should be
at, but he believes that each of these abilities can be improved through instruction and that
students learn best when all three are called into play (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 74).
Sternbergs triarchic theory of intelligences three main parts are practical, creative, and
analytical ability. Based on my observations, I believe Katlynn meets these abilities. She applies
knowledge to everyday situations and seeks relevance to these situations (Snowman &
McCown, 2013, p. 74). As noted in Appendix A, she wants to know the reasons for things, such
as why the power went out. She applies knowledge to situations like this by asking questions and
seeks the relevancy to them.

CASE STUDY

A more broad conception of intelligence is Howard Gardners. Gardners theory of

multiple intelligences is different from Sternbergs, in that it describes eight types of
intelligences. The intelligences that Gardner describes are logical-mathematical, linguistic,
musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist (Snowman &
McCown, 2013, p. 75). Of the eight intelligences listed, Katlynn seems to fall under
intrapersonal intelligence. One with intrapersonal intelligence is able to access to ones own
feelings and the ability to discriminate among them and draw on them to guide behavior, as well
as have knowledge of ones own strengths, weaknesses, desires, and intelligences (Snowman &
McCown, 2013, p. 75). According to my observations, Katlynn is aware of her own strengths and
weaknesses and is able to access her own feelings.
As mentioned earlier, Katlynn firmly refuses to learn more about pregnancy and birth.
Because of this objection, I feel that further intellectual development will be more difficult, as
she is not open to learning about the natural occurrences in everyday life. Gardner highlights the
different skills one should exhibit in his theory of multiple intelligences. Although these
intelligences are presumed to be independent of one another, an individual should still exhibit
different levels of each of these domains (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 75). A way to improve
Katlynns further development in the intellectual category is to simply recognize what she is
learning and to assess it with a more open mind.
Social/Psychosocial
The social developmental milestones come next. Even though she is a very loving and
caring daughter, she does not demand love and understanding from her mother, her reason being,
My mom already knows how much I love her, and she understands me. I dont demand it.
From this, I drew the feeling that she recognizes the love being given and received but does not

CASE STUDY

10

force it or expect it. She peeps at her parents and others often. She likes to glimpse others
phones and is interested in what they are doing. During dinner, I would catch her glancing at me
in between bites. Still, she is not interested in family table conversations and wants to finish her
meal in order to get to other business (DSHS Fosterparentscope). As I had previously
mentioned above, she and her iPad are attached at the hip.
Due to all her interests being put on her iPad, she does not enjoy school nor does she talk
about it. Because of her frequent illnesses, she is absent a lot and actually enjoys staying home
from school. She does not consider clubs and groups important. It doesnt really matter to me,
was her response. Even so, she does make new friends easily and works well at establishing
good two-way relationships (DSHS Fosterparentscope). She also develops close friends of the
same sex. With this section, there seems to be a good balance between the characteristics
Katlynn does and does not meet.
Of the psychologists discussed in the text book, Erikson falls under the category of
Social/Psychosocial. As stated from the text, Eriksons theory portrays people as playing an
active role in their own psychological development through their attempts to understand,
organize, and integrate their everyday experiences (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 17).
According to Erikson, the child I observed should be in the Industry Versus Inferiority stage of
psychosocial development. The book suggests that, If the childrens efforts are unsuccessful or
if children are criticized too often and too harshly, feelings of inferiority result (Snowman &
McCown, 2013, p. 19). On the contrary, like previously mentioned in both the Emotional and
Intellectual sections, Katlynn is not excessive in self-criticism and does not generalize her
failures as something she may never learn to do. With this, I drew that she is never sternly
criticized, thus, she does not exhibit feelings of inferiority.

CASE STUDY

11

Another psychologist, James Marcia, extended on Eriksons theory of personality

development. What Marcia believes is that, attainment of a mature identity depends on two
variables: crisis and commitment (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 21). Of the four identity
statuses established, Katlynn seems to display the characteristics of Foreclosure, though some
characteristics are not representative of her. Those in the Foreclosure stage are not experienced
and may never suffer doubts about identity issues (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 21). Since
she is just a child, she has yet to have much experience of life.
People in the Foreclosure stage are also close-minded, authoritarian, low in anxiety,
have difficulty solving problems under stress, feels superior to peers, more dependent on parents
and other authority figures for guidance and approval than in other statuses (Snowman &
McCown, 2013, p. 21). Because she is still a child, when it comes to social issues, she is very
close-minded. In terms of sexual orientation, she does not understand that some males like males
and some females like females. When asked if she feels superior to her peers, she replied, I do
think Im better than my classmates, but for some of them, I do not. This proves my point that
she does not experience much inferiority, like Erikson suggests she should.
Maslow touches on belongingness and love as being one of the basic needs composed in
his hierarchy of needs. Of these needs, acceptance and affection are the most relevant; Identity,
as Erikson defined it, involves acceptance of ones body, knowledge of where one is going, and
recognition from those who count Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 21). Katlynn seems to be
pleased with her appearance, aware of how she performs compared to others, and well admired
by her parents, other relatives, and friends. Because of this, she is likely to experience a sense of
psychosocial well-being. Affection is definitely a basic need of hers. As mentioned previously,

CASE STUDY

12

Katlynn has unconditional love for her mother and loves interaction with her. For this reason, I
believe she meets the needs for belongingness and love.
Another basic need Maslow discusses is esteem. Esteem refers to the respect a child has
for others and themselves. Katlynn works well at establishing good two-way relationships and
makes friends easily. This is because she is respectful to the feelings of others and displays
respect to everyone. One more important point in esteem is learning life skills. Eriksons theory
highlights the important role that cultural goals, aspirations, expectations, requirements, and
opportunities play in personal growth (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 17). All of these
contribute to a childs self-esteem. Through these findings, I conclude Katlynn to meet this basic
need.
Because Katlynn does not enjoy school, I feel that this will affect how she views school
as she continues to grow. However, the next stage in Marcias Identity Statuses is Moratorium.
Individuals in the Moratorium stage are anxious and dissatisfied with school (Snowman &
McCown, 2013, p. 21). With this in mind, perhaps it is okay that Katlynn does not enjoy school
as of right now. Nonetheless, a recommendation I would make to improve her further
development in the social level is to encourage her more about school and clubs. In the future,
these will be vital to developing a social life, so she should be more accepting of the two.
Moral
The fifth and final section is the moral developmental milestone. There is only one
characteristic for this area, and she does meet it. Depending on the situation, she will experience
guilt or shame. For example, if she were to steal something, she would feel both guilt and shame.

CASE STUDY

13

As we examined previously, Jean Piagets theory of cognitive development comes back

under the moral category. Based on Piagets observations, children from 7 to 10 years old
seemed to regard rules as sacred pronouncements handed down by older children or adults
(Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 40). I found this to be a true statement regarding the child I
observed because she listens when instructed to do something and always obeys her parents.
Piagets morality of constraint says that children up to the age of 10 believe children should
obey rules because they are established by those in authority (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p.
41). Like I said before, Katlynn always obeys her parents, and she does so because she knows
that her parents are the ones in charge.
Just as Marcia elaborated the thinking of Erikson, Lawrence Kohlberg elaborated the
thinking of Piaget. Kohlberg believed that moral reasoning proceeds through fixed stages and
moral development can be accelerated through instruction (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 41).
He defined childrens moral dilemmas through six stages of moral reasoning. Of the six, the
child I observed should be in the preconventional morality stage. According to Kohlberg, young
children (through age 8 or so) do not understand the conventions or rules of society (Snowman
& McCown, 2013, p. 41). Those in the preconventional morality stage would justify stealing
from a store by saying, Because it is bad. Like the example above, Katlynn would experience
both guilt and shame, thus, she would not steal from a store.
What comes with theories comes objections to those theories. Carol Gilligan challenges
Erikson and Kohlbergs views of moral development with views of her own. Gilligan argues that
many adolescent females care less about separation and independence and more about
remaining loyal to others through expressions of caring, understanding, and sharing of
experiences (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 43). Like Gilligan points out, Katlynn is very

CASE STUDY

14

caring and understanding. One reason being is that she puts the thoughts and feelings of others
before herself. I asked her who she cares about more between her mother and herself, and she
chose her mother. Katlynn is always thinking of her mother and will choose her before anyone
else.
With that being said, finally comes Nel Noddings care theory. Noddings says, It is not
enough to say that we care, to simply express a concern for someone or some group of people.
Care theory focuses on whether a caring relationship exists (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p.
44). As it is not enough to simply say that we care because we express a concern for someone, I
do believe that a caring relationship exists between Katlynn and me because I feel that she
genuinely cares. Katlynn is always thinking of me, whether it be when buying snacks and getting
one for me too or when I am sad and need someone to comfort me. These actions prove
Noddings care theory to be valid.
Since Katlynn is developing at the normal level for this section, there really are no
recommendations I can make for her further development. She meets every level for each
psychologists view in moral development. The only recommendation I can make is for her to
become more informed by the experiences and observations of practices that affect the
conditions of social justice (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 41). As she grows older, her
thinking should become more reflective of what Piaget calls the morality of cooperation.
Summary
Based on my observations, I concluded that Katlynn does not meet a majority of the
developmental milestones expected at her age. In most of the sections, she met fewer than half of
what she should have. The only place she met at least half of the expected developmental

CASE STUDY
milestones was the social part. This does not make her underdeveloped or abnormal, but it
definitely sets her apart from her peers. Perhaps she may even be faster in her growth than
normal eight year olds.

15

CASE STUDY

16
References

DSHS Fosterparentscope Training (n.d.) Child Development Guide. Retrieved from

http://depts.washington.edu/allcwe2/fosterparents/training/cdevguid/cdg10.htm
Snowman, J., & McCown, R. (2013). Ed psych. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

CASE STUDY

17
Appendix A
Observation Notes

Katlynn

8 years old

Female

4 older brothers

Parents married, live together

Laotian

Medium to low class

English and Laotian; fluent in English, conversational/can understand Laotian

Environment & Time Spent

In my house

30 minutes asking questions, observed throughout the day

Physical

Not active, does not like sports

Makes faces, wiggles, clowns

Does not urinate frequently

CASE STUDY

Good appetite, wolfs down food, accepts new foods

Does not have good health, gets sick often

Intellectual

Wants to know the reasons for things

o Why did the power go off?
o Did the whole neighborhood lose power?
o Why isnt my iPad charging?
o Why isnt the wi-fi working?
o Why cant I use the TV?
o Does the gas still work?

Does not overestimate her own abilities, doesnt say things like, I never get anything
right.

Does not want to know more about pregnancy or birth

o NOOOOO!

Does not question her fathers role

Social

Does not demand love and understanding from her mother

18

CASE STUDY
o My mom already knows how much I love her and understands me. I dont
demand it.

Makes friends easily, works at establishing good two-way relationships, develops close
friends of own sex.

Does not consider clubs or groups important.

o It doesnt really matter to me.

Doesnt enjoy school, doesnt talk about school a lot, likes to be absent

Is not interested in family table conversations; wants to finish meals in order to get to
other business.

Peeps at others and parents, especially during dinner time

Emotional

Does not have a lot of secrets

Is not excessive in self-criticism, does not dramatize everything, but is very sensitive

Has 2 fears
o Fear of zombies and ghosts. But I know theyre not real.

Argues, but listens when instructed to do something

Likes immediate rewards for good behavior

19

CASE STUDY

Is affectionate, helpful, cheerful, outgoing, and curious; she says she is never rude,
selfish, bossy or demanding, is giggly and silly

Moral

Sometimes experiences guilt and shame

20