Olivia Puerta
02/01/06
Interviewing
1. What kind of question elicited the response?
Who?
Who was involved in you discovery of ptsd?
What?
What images do you remember from Kuwait?
What experience led to you go to a doctor for diagnosis?
What happened when you met together with the other veterans?
What were the psychologists’ reactions to listening to your meeting?
What was your reaction to listening to the meeting?
What prompted you to take action with the VA?
What did you do to get the VA’s attention?
What was your most important goal?
What was the effect of publishing post traumatic stress disorder in the almanac?
What made you want to fight for the recognition of ptsd?
What obstacles did you come up against? *solicits emotionally charged, story response
Where?
When?
When do you still remember the image?
Why?
Why were psychiatrists reticent to accept the classification?
Why was labeling the disorder important?
How?
How often did you remember the images?
How did it affect your relationships with other people?
How were people treated for post traumatic distress disorder?
How did they react to the treatment/lack of treatment?
How did the VA react to the teach-in?
How did you convince Spitzer to listen despite his fear of the cost?
How did different psychologists react to the new classification?
How has therapy changed your condition?
How did you feel when you met with other veterans who shared you experiences?
*Move from who what where when to why and how.
*Want concrete details and scenes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. How many people did she interview?
Five:
Gulf Vet Kevin Knight, has post traumatic stress disorder
Jack Smith, another Vet
Robert Lifton, psychologist
Art Blank, psychiatrist from VA hospital
Scott, professor
3. Why do you think she chose those people? How are their views different?
Knight: a recent veteran introduces the concept by talking about how someone is afflicted by the condition (ignites the story in a dramatized way), his story grabs your attention, was not involved in formation of the classification
Smith: his story, the human voice of the chronological story, explains the main question, personal perspective
Lifton: professional perspective, corroboration, participant observer with credentials, institutional perspective
Blank: documents facts about what occurred at hospital, direct witness corroborates the controversy
Scott: expert, historical perspective, objective overview