When a Gambling Addiction Goes Untreated it Can Lead to Many Life Problems

If you or a loved one has a gambling problem, you can probably understand the title of the article. Left untreated, a severe gambling habit or severe gambling addiction can create tremendous pain for the gambler or the family of the gambler.What happens when this addiction goes untreated? Do things stay the same for the gambler, or does it get worse? Research has shown that things actually get worse for the gambler. Every aspect of life can start spiraling downward in all areas of the gamblers’ life.The areas of the addicted gamblers’ life that are affected include the social, emotional, physical, spiritual, mental, and financial areas of life. All of these areas of life can become affected when the gambler continues to gamble obsessively and compulsively. This can truly create a high level stress and incomprehensible demoralization.Social Aspects:
The person with the gambling problem begins to lose friends because gambling becomes the primary relationship. Social isolation happens with both families, friends, and a sense of community becomes dimininished.Emotional Aspects:
When this addiction goes untreated, the emotional consequences are huge. Out of control gambling contributes to depression, anxiety, sadness, and indifference in the addicted gambler. Depression, stress, and anxiety can become so severe, that this can result in suicide. Gambling has the highest suicide rate of all addictions many times over.Physical Aspects:
The physical consequences of an untreated gambling illness are a cause for concern. When a person is obsessed with gambling and has a compulsive gambling addiction, this can affect the physical health of the gambler. Usually, when someone is addicted to gambling they neglect all aspects of their health. The health of the gambler deteriorates, which contributes to lack of self-care, depression, poor nutrition, and lack of sleep.Mental Aspects:
The consequences of an untreated gambling are numerous mentally for the gambler. Lack of motivation, indifference, and lack of concern for important things can affect a compulsive gambler. When a persona is in the grips of a gambling addiction, thinking is not rational. The main obsession is on gambling, or when the gambler can place his or her next bet. When this happens, thinking is compromised, as well as values. It is hard to think rationally and be mentally clear when the most important thing is sitting in front of a slot machine.Spiritual Aspects:
When a person is struggling with a severe gambling problem, their spiritual life is truly compromised. When a person is spiritual, there is a connection between the person and the world around them. Spiritually may also consist of a relationship with a higher power or a power greater than themselves. This cannot happen in the grips of a gambling addiction, as the primary relationship is with the gambling itself.Financial Aspects:
The financial consequences of an untreated gambling disorder are huge and cannot be understated. The devastation here is too huge to describe, as many gamblers have gotten into such severe gambling debt that it is truly incomprehensible. Many gamblers and their families have lost their homes, and maxed out credit cards. Bankruptcy is very common for those with a gambling related problems.It is hoped that these consequences of gambling problems can help you understand how an untreated addiction to gambling has the power to destroy lives.Thankfully, there is help for a gambling addiction and people can stop gambling and reclaim their lives. The downward spiral of this addiction is truly stoppable with the right gambling help.

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You Need Help To Quit Gambling For Good

Are you worried about the gambling habit of someone in your household? Undoubtedly it is the spouses, family members and loved ones that suffer as a consequence of a gambling addiction. Knowing which course of action to take can prove to be a difficult one. Quit Gambling for Good is a solution that can help the gambler within your family to come to terms with their problem and stop gambling. To the compulsive gambler knowing there is a problem and admitting there is a problem are two different matters. To the rest of the family,they just know there is a problem, a problem that needs to be addressed.The Quit Gambling for Good guide identifies, discusses and addresses the financial, psychological, physical and emotional impacts of those surrounding problem gamblers (list below).

Types Of Gambling
Types Of Gamblers
Real Life Gambling
On line Gambling
Why On line Gambling Is Not Good
How Gambling Influences On Family/Families
Why Should You Stop Gambling
Benefits And Advantages Of Stopping Gambling
Quit Gambling! Don’t Ruin Your Life!
How To Stop On line Gambling
Ways To Stop Being Addicted To Gambling!
These adverse effects can also lead to marital disharmony or even divorce and family break ups, maybe you are a victim of these circumstances.The impact of the on line Poker phenomenon in particular is a major contributing factor causing high levels of out of control gambling. On line poker is rapidly becoming one of the most popular gambling games at on line casinos and gaming websites on the Internet. The main reason for this popularity is the belief that it is a game of skill in which enormous cash prizes can be won. This belief is a fallacy. Skillful play will never help gamblers to win money at on line poker because winning money at on line poker is impossible.The top poker players in the world do not play poker at gambling websites. Some top poker players may say they do only because of getting paid for endorsements. These top poker players know they can beat the other players, but that they cannot beat the house. There is not anybody on the face of this earth who can make money playing on line poker. Even the world’s best poker player will never be good enough to overcome the “rake” which is the house cut from each pot.To digress generally, many articles have stated that gambling of which there are many forms, casinos, horse racetracks, sports betting, stock market trading, Internet gambling websites, card games, bingo parlors, gambling machines, lotteries and more is one of the fastest growing worldwide problems.The gambling industry is out there constantly trying to exploit the weak and vulnerable with influential factors such as government and politician endorsement ,media such as TV, radio, newspapers, books,magazines,sports leagues,movies and TV shows, advertising and the Internet.DO NOT be a victim seek help, seek out the Quit Gambling for Good [http://re-vue-me.blogspot.com/2009/10/you-need-help-to-quit-gambling-for-good.html] guide. This eBook is a must buy and a must read for every gambler and those surrounding the gambler!

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Tools You Need When Starting Your Own Gambling Website

There is a wealth of information on the internet about gambling and betting. How to start a gambling website, what do people bet on, is a betting exchange better than a sports book or casino website, or do users prefer betting online rather than betting offline? What is lacking in many of these posts is not the information they provide on starting a gambling website, but rather exactly where to start. So Where do you start, you ask? and how do you start? Would you require funding when thinking of starting your own gambling website? Are there legal pitfalls in running an online sports book or casino gambling website?Asking these questions is only a tip of the iceberg in knowing exactly what you are getting yourself into in running a betting exchange or any of the other gambling websites, but knowing the answers will better your chance or odds in running a successful online gambling site. So where do you start? You can search and search around the world wide web and gather all the information (highly recommended) on starting your own casino, running a proper betting exchange, or on providing a fair online sports book atmosphere to your users, but knowing exactly how to use this information is key in running your outfit.Before we get into how to use the information you gather properly, you may want to visit some of these places if you have not already done so: gambling forums, casino pages, sports website, news pages on gambling, pages on the “internet gambling regulation act” and how it will affect your online website, laws governing gambling and paying close attention to the dates the country each specific information pertains to and so on.By now you must be thinking this is a bit to extreme. But ask yourself this: do you know what each gambler want, do you know what will make them use your site over the next Joe website. Simply put you need to know the things that will drive advertisers, sponsors to your site (funding) and most importantly what will drive users to your site. You can have the best house on the block but if not one knows about your house or you, well you get the picture.If you have visited the suggested headings listed above and read up a bit more on gambling and the laws governing online sports book, casinos, poker rooms and betting exchanges and still wish to continue then read on my friend, you have gotten over the first hurdle. Now that we have you thinking outside the box and have a better understanding on what’s in store for you lets tackle the first and very most important question you would first need answered “Is gambling legal”.Now this is the most important because if you are thinking of conducting or running a gambling website in a country, city, state, province, town, what ever it may be and its not legal. Like monopoly you will be fined or worst you will go directly to jail. Sorry boys and girls but we need to make one thing clear here being online business doesn’t mean a thing to the government and the authorities. You will need to register a business or acquire a business license (not the same as a gambling license), you will need hosting and you will need a bank account to hold the money generated from your sports book, betting exchange, poker or casino website. So finding out if gambling is legal where will be running your business is extremely important.To give you a better picture of things 9/10 planning to run a gambling website have had to opt for an offshore operation. Why you ask? Well that obvious of course. In places like Costa Rica there are laws in place for gambling, but there are no law against online gambling neither is there a need for a gambling license (more on gambling license later), but you will again have to do your research, if you are serious about running a sports book or any of the other gambling websites, prepare yourself to gather information. Here is Tip #1 – Speak to a Lawyer (a reputable one if you can) they will shed a LOT of light on your situation and point you in the right direction.So this brings us to our next question, licensing, and no its not your drivers license. A gambling license is required to run a betting exchange, sports book, casino, poker or any other gambling website most of the time but not always. This is why again you will need to do your research. But you know what they say, when in doubt get one. That was a joke Joe. If you are really unsure speak to that lawyer friend that you spoke to in tip #1 about this and any other documents you may need to complete this process, ask your local gambling or gaming authorities/associations in the jurisdiction where you plan to run your online gambling website for advise. So remember a gambling license is recommended but may not be required. Tip #2 Visit the local gambling authorities.By now you should have gathered enough information to get you on the right track and keep you out of jail or worst a state prison.Let us touch on a few more key areas on running your own gambling website. You will need some (the more the better) research and marketing to be done. But haven’t you already gathered enough of your own research? No Joe. That was just information gathering, getting your feet wet, getting to know how the industry thinks. Don’t assume anything. There are rules to every game, and yes there are rules to running an online business and especially a sports book, betting exchange, poker room or casino. Just because you know a little about running a website, the rules and strategies change for each business, and you will definitely need to know about these rules if you are even dreaming of becoming successful in the online gaming and gambling industry. This doesn’t mean visiting all those forums and readings were for nothing, they will definitely help when you are ready to run your advertising and marketing campaign, you will be more than glad that you did.If you have not already done a business and/or marketing plan this will more than likely lead to the development of one. Getting to know your target market, trends, location, gender, users’ habits, wants and dislikes etc will all help you to become better aware of your strategies and help in your success. So hire a reputable marketing company or speak with a friend or someone in the marketing field that can shed a bit more light on your exact situation and point you in a better direction. You don’t want to find out the hard way that the market you were targeting does not care much for gambling. Tip #3 Get proper research done.This brings us to our next area of interest “staff or team”. From your information gathering and research you must have realized that ever if you may want to make this a one man show you will need a team or some sort of staff. Now a team does not mean you have to hire on a full time staff. Even big time giants like Microsoft, IBM, Logitech contracts out from time to time. It just means you will need a little more than just yourself in certain areas. Even if you know the gambling world it would be wise to contract some professionals in key areas (even if its for a little while) to show you some hidden places you have not yet covered. You would definitely need a technical someone or a development company that will be able to handle any problems you may encounter, updates you may need for your website, programming you might require, designs you may want to give you that look and feel to set you apart from your competition etc. You will most likely need a bookie, bookmaker, (maybe more than one) who knows about bookmaking to set, update, prepare events, lines and odds on your sports book, casino, betting exchange or poker website. So a team or individual staff is definitely a must, but can be inexpensive if you plan properly and consider contracting. Tip #4 Put together a proper team.Now we’ve touched a bit on your website, but what sort of website or software will you require. The next on our list will be Software. First ask yourself what sort of gambling website will this be; A full Casino, poker, Betting Exchange, sports book or better yet why not all? This is where your research and information gathering comes into play, review ask questions, speak to your lawyer, and make a solid decision. What are the risk factors, who are my competitors, where do you get my line feeds from? Those are all questions that should have been included in your research and answered by now.After that is settled it is now time to choose a development company that specializes in online gaming (more specific online gambling). Most if not all would already have products readily available that have been tested and will usually do modifications to fit your needs, it is usually more cost effective than having a website developed and put together from beginning to end. Software can range in prices, expect to pay between EUR 10,000 EUR to EUR 60,000 EUR. Some places of interest may be: Playtech (Rated for their Casino software), E-Prompt C’s BetMore – BetMore Software (Rated for its betting exchange & sports book software), Microgaming (Rated for their poker software). Tip #5 Get good software.Well that should be it. But lets not forget the last and one of the most important on our list “Financing”. Sports book, betting exchange, poker, and casino websites are by far the most expensive business operations you can ever run, and this does not change the facts for an online operation. You do not need a building, but you will need hosting, you do not need slot machines but you will need software, you do not need cashiers but you will need payment merchants and/or gateways. Speak to your lawyer, speak with your marketing and research team, they will give you pointers to get funding, you will definitely require money to run this business constantly, so find sponsors, investors that will partner with you unless of course you have the cash and is willing to use your own money, Here is a hint you will need more than just EUR 500K EUR. Tip #6 Get funding.So you see it’s not rocket science but it goes without saying with my final Tip to you: “Don’t fail to plan, it would only lead to you planning to fail”.Good luck!

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Post Bankruptcy Auto Loans – Best Means to Qualify for a Car Loan After Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy can be very emotionally damaging as it causes embarrassment and financial troubles. Many people think they will never be able to get bankruptcy auto loans as it takes a huge toll on credit scores. Thankfully, this is not true. It’s definitely harder to get this loans, but not at all impossible.It is tough job to get credit after bankruptcy. Once you file bankruptcy, it remains as a spot on your credit record for up to 10 years. Within these years you will have a tough time on getting loans, including auto loans. But if, after bankruptcy, your bills are paid off on time, your credit score starts rising gradually.Many people get auto loans from car dealerships. In most of the cases, they’re willing to work with you and offer you an auto loan after bankruptcy; however they might not give you the best deal. By applying for post bankruptcy car loans, people can get their dream car anytime.In most cases, lenders approve the loan amount to people with discharged bankruptcy of 2-3 months. So within this time you can work on your credit score by maintaining the payment records. You have to understand that these are bankruptcy auto loans and so the rate of interest is higher than normal loan amounts. Even if you secure higher rate initially, later on as your credit history improves, you can secure lower rates through auto loan refinancing.Do you think you are eligible to apply for bankruptcy auto loans? Then it is time that you start doing your homework. You should start searching for the suitable lender as well as also do some market study.Very often you will find that, this type of loan will have few catches. This can come in different forms: you might have to pay greater interest rates, or you might be restricted from purchasing a certain car. It is therefore suggested that you make out a plan before you visit any car dealership. It is also recommended that you do a good research and find for yourself the car that fits your budget. These cars can be cheap. They can also be used or older ones. But do not refrain from buying them as initially it could be a good start to you new financial beginning. You must remain optimistic, that even after being bankrupt, you are being approved a loan. So isn’t it a wise idea to utilize the opportunity to the fullest? It’s important that you realize that as long the car runs, it is fulfilling your purpose.For simple procedures and the best offers, you can always opt for online auto lenders. Based on your record you have to complete an online application form for the approval. Once you get the loan make sure that your monthly installments are cleared on time. This is very essential if you wish to achieve your financial power once again.There are several places which offer auto loans to people having a past bankruptcy. However, all of these places are not legitimate. While looking for any auto loan after bankruptcy, you must always choose a reputable service provider.

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Finding Auto Loans When You Have Bad Credit

In most cases, auto loans are secured loans.  This means that the lender has more security when giving a loan to any individual because they can take your asset if you don’t make your payments.  Bad credit auto loans are given to very few people because usually banks lose quite a bit of money if they have to take your car away.  If you have had a poor credit history, you will need to have the added security that you can put towards an auto loan in order to qualify.  Be certain that not all people will be able to qualify for an auto loan, but there are more people than you might think that will. The only way to find out is by walking into a bank and applying.When you try to secure a bad credit auto loan, the lender will look first at your credit history to determine if you will be able to make all of your payments.  If you have had bad credit, many lenders will consider you to be to high of a risk and believe you will not be able to make your payments in the full amount or on the time they are due.  Because of your poor credit history, lenders are not as willing to lend money.  If you do find a lender that is willing to front you the money, he will more than likely give you a very high interest rate – but at least you will be able to get a car.When you begin the application process for a bad credit auto loan, be sure to speak with several different lenders.  As you speak with the lenders, be up front with them about your poor credit history.  Tell the lender that you are fixing your credit history and that you are in a much better situation than you were before despite what your credit report reflects to the lender. Disclose to your lender the amount of money that you make each month as well as how much you spend. Be sure to be honest about everything.  Based off the information that you provide, the lender will be able to better determine how much money he is willing to lend you and at what interest rate.Be certain to get multiple quotes from many different lenders.  As you shop around among the different lending institutions, you will be able to determine which loan works best for you. You will also be able to get a better interest rate from some lenders.  In addition, you may also be able to lower the amount of your monthly payment.If you are still having a hard time qualifying for a loan even after you have looked into many different lenders, offer to make a down payment.  Most down payments are equal to about five percent of the cost of the vehicle.  The down payment will show a lender your ability to pay for a loan and that you have no intentions of defaulting on the loan. It also makes it so the lender won’t lose money if they have to take your car away. The loan amount will be less than what the car is worth.

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How to Buy Freehold Property in Dubai

The basics of buying freehold property in Dubai are the same as anywhere else: One needs to be very careful and exercise due diligence. Buying property that is financed by a well known bank is almost always safer, because the bank does its own verification of the title and other incidents of the property. The first step, of course, is to find a registered broker who has acceptable properties on hand and appoint a buying agent.Areas Where Non-Locals Can Buy Freehold Property in DubaiBy law, non-locals are allowed to hold or purchase freehold property only in certain plots or areas as specified by Regulation No.3 of 2006 of the Government of Dubai. The law says that non-locals may own freehold property in Dubai not limited by time, or may have the usufruct right or hire right for a period not exceeding 99 years in 23 areas mentioned under the regulation. Non-locals may not hold freehold property in Nad Al Shiba Area, Plot No. 224, but may hold leases up to 99 years.The 23 areas where non-locals may purchase freehold property in Dubai include Um Hurari II, Barsha South II, Barsha Sout III, Emirates Hills I, II & III, Jabal Ali, Al Jaddaf, World Islands, Ras Al Khour, Al Rawiya, Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Safouh I & II, Al Qouz III, Industrial Qouz II & III, Mardiff, Marsa Dubai, Jabal Ali Palm, Jumeira Palm, Nad Al Shiba, and Warsan I. The particular plot numbers in each area that offers freehold property in Dubai for purchase by non-locals are mentioned in the Regulation.
Buyer’s Agent Agreement by RERA, Form BThe Buyer’s Agent Agreement, Form B, embodies the principles of choosing freehold property in Dubai. First, you need to decide whether you want to invest in property under construction or to be constructed. Such a property is termed as “off plan” property in Dubai. Properties that are already completed and possession ready or given is called “secondary market” property.Next, you need to determine and state your budget and the time frame by which you want possession. Property in Dubai is available in principally five types or categories: vacant land, Villa, Building, Apartment, and Townhouse. Other specifications including number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, car garage, and any other special requirements need to be decided and spelt out.The buyer of freehold property also needs to decide and notify whether property deposit is ready or not, whether the buyer requires finance or not, whether finance is pre-approved or not, whether the property is investment property, owner occupied property, residential, commercial, or industrial.Though registered brokers are usually honest, one needs to remember never to pay any part of consideration money without having a registered sale agreement. If you are buying “off plan” then the money should be paid into a RERA approved trust account and both the cheque and the receipt should be in the name of the project and not in the name of any individual or company. It is also good to keep in mind that only the Dubai land department can charge fees on property transfer, and according to law no seller or developer can charge any transfer fee for freehold property in Dubai.

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Increasing Student Success Through Instruction in Self-Determination

An enormous amount of research shows the importance of self-determination (i.e., autonomy) for students in elementary school through college for enhancing learning and improving important post-school outcomes.
Findings

Research by psychologists Richard Ryan, PhD, and Edward Deci, PhD, on Self-Determination Theory indicates that intrinsic motivation (doing something because it is inherently interesting or enjoyable), and thus higher quality learning, flourishes in contexts that satisfy human needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Students experience competence when challenged and given prompt feedback. Students experience autonomy when they feel supported to explore, take initiative and develop and implement solutions for their problems. Students experience relatedness when they perceive others listening and responding to them. When these three needs are met, students are more intrinsically motivated and actively engaged in their learning.

Numerous studies have found that students who are more involved in setting educational goals are more likely to reach their goals. When students perceive that the primary focus of learning is to obtain external rewards, such as a grade on an exam, they often perform more poorly, think of themselves as less competent, and report greater anxiety than when they believe that exams are simply a way for them to monitor their own learning. Some studies have found that the use of external rewards actually decreased motivation for a task for which the student initially was motivated. In a 1999 examination of 128 studies that investigated the effects of external rewards on intrinsic motivations, Drs. Deci and Ryan, along with psychologist Richard Koestner, PhD, concluded that such rewards tend to have a substantially negative effect on intrinsic motivation by undermining people’s taking responsibility for motivating or regulating themselves.

Self-determination research has also identified flaws in high stakes, test focused school reforms, which despite good intentions, has led teachers and administrators to engage in precisely the types of interventions that result in poor quality learning. Dr. Ryan and colleagues found that high stakes tests tend to constrain teachers’ choices about curriculum coverage and curtail teachers’ ability to respond to students’ interests (Ryan & La Guardia, 1999). Also, psychologists Tim Urdan, PhD, and Scott Paris, PhD, found that such tests can decrease teacher enthusiasm for teaching, which has an adverse effect on students’ motivation (Urdan & Paris, 1994).

The processes described in self-determination theory may be particularly important for children with special educational needs. Researcher Michael Wehmeyer found that students with disabilities who are more self-determined are more likely to be employed and living independently in the community after completing high school than students who are less self-determined.

Research also shows that the educational benefits of self-determination principles don’t stop with high school graduation. Studies show how the orientation taken by college and medical school instructors (whether it is toward controlling students’ behavior or supporting the students’ autonomy) affects the students’ motivation and learning.
Significance

Self-determination theory has identified ways to better motivate students to learn at all educational levels, including those with disabilities.
Practical Application

Schools throughout the country are using self-determination instruction as a way to better motivate students and meet the growing need to teach children and youth ways to more fully accept responsibility for their lives by helping them to identify their needs and develop strategies to meet those needs.

Researchers have developed and evaluated instructional interventions and supports to encourage self-determination for all students, with many of these programs designed for use by students with disabilities. Many parents, researchers and policy makers have voiced concern about high rates of unemployment, under-employment and poverty experienced by students with disabilities after they complete their educational programs. Providing support for student self-determination in school settings is one way to enhance student learning and improve important post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. Schools have particularly emphasized the use of self-determination curricula with students with disabilities to meet federal mandates to actively involve students with disabilities in the Individualized Education Planning process.

Programs to promote self-determination help students acquire knowledge, skills and beliefs that meet their needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness (for example, see Steps to Self-determination by educational researchers Sharon Field and Alan Hoffman). Such programs also provide instruction aimed specifically at helping students play a more active role in educational planning (for example, see The Self-directed Individualized Education Plan by Jim Martin, Laura Huber Marshall, Laurie Maxson, & Patty Jerman).

Drs. Field and Hoffman developed a model designed to guide the development of self-determination instructional interventions. According to the model, instructional activities in areas such as increasing self-awareness; improving decision-making, goal-setting and goal-attainment skills; enhancing communication and relationship skills; and developing the ability to celebrate success and learn from reflecting on experiences lead to increased student self-determination. Self-determination instructional programs help students learn how to participate more actively in educational decision-making by helping them become familiar with the educational planning process, assisting them to identify information they would like to share at educational planning meetings, and supporting students to develop skills to effectively communicate their needs and wants. Examples of activities used in self-determination instructional programs include reflecting on daydreams to help students decide what is important to them; teaching students how to set goals that are important to them and then, with the support of peers, family members and teachers, taking steps to achieve those goals. Providing contextual supports and opportunities for students, such as coaching for problem-solving and offering opportunities for choice, are also critical elements that lead to meeting needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness and thus, increasing student self-determination.

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How to Build a Better Educational System: Jigsaw Classrooms

The jigsaw classroom technique can transform competitive classrooms in which many students are struggling into cooperative classrooms in which once-struggling students show dramatic academic and social improvements.
Findings

In the early 1970s, in the wake of the civil rights movement, educators were faced with a social dilemma that had no obvious solution. All over the country, well-intentioned efforts to desegregate America’s public schools were leading to serious problems. Ethnic minority children, most of whom had previously attended severely under-funded schools, found themselves in classrooms composed predominantly of more privileged White children. This created a situation in which students from affluent backgrounds often shone brilliantly while students from impoverished backgrounds often struggled. Of course, this difficult situation seemed to confirm age-old stereotypes: that Blacks and Latinos are stupid or lazy and that Whites are pushy and overly competitive. The end result was strained relations between children from different ethnic groups and widening gaps in the academic achievement of Whites and minorities.

Drawing on classic psychological research on how to reduce tensions between competing groups (e.g., see Allport, 1954; Sherif, 1958; see also Pettigrew, 1998), Elliot Aronson and colleagues realized that one of the major reasons for this problem was the competitive nature of the typical classroom. In a typical classroom, students work on assignments individually, and teachers often call on students to see who can publicly demonstrate his or her knowledge. Anyone who has ever been called to the board to solve a long division problem – only to get confused about dividends and divisors – knows that public failure can be devastating. The snide remarks that children often make when their peers fail do little to remedy this situation. But what if students could be taught to work together in the classroom – as cooperating members of a cohesive team? Could a cooperative learning environment turn things around for struggling students? When this is done properly, the answer appears to be a resounding yes.

In response to real educational dilemmas, Aronson and colleagues developed and implemented the jigsaw classroom technique in Austin, Texas, in 1971. The jigsaw technique is so named because each child in a jigsaw classroom has to become an expert on a single topic that is a crucial part of a larger academic puzzle. For example, if the children in a jigsaw classroom were working on a project about World War II, a classroom of 30 children might be broken down into five diverse groups of six children each. Within each group, a different child would be given the responsibility of researching and learning about a different specific topic: Khanh might learn about Hitler’s rise to power, Tracy might learn about the U.S. entry into the war, Mauricio might learn about the development of the atomic bomb, etc. To be sure that each group member learned his or her material well, the students from different groups who had the same assignment would be instructed to compare notes and share information. Then students would be brought together in their primary groups, and each student would present his or her “piece of the puzzle” to the other group members. Of course, teachers play the important role of keeping the students involved and derailing any tensions that may emerge. For example, suppose Mauricio struggled as he tried to present his information about the atomic bomb. If Tracy were to make fun of him, the teacher would quickly remind Tracy that while it may make her feel good to make fun of her teammate, she is hurting herself and her group – because everyone will be expected to know all about the atomic bomb on the upcoming quiz.
Significance
When properly carried out, the jigsaw classroom technique can transform competitive classrooms in which many students are struggling into cooperative classrooms in which once-struggling students show dramatic academic and social improvements (and in which students who were already doing well continue to shine). Students in jigsaw classrooms also come to like each other more, as students begin to form cross-ethnic friendships and discard ethnic and cultural stereotypes. Finally, jigsaw classrooms decrease absenteeism, and they even seem to increase children’s level of empathy (i.e., children’s ability to put themselves in other people’s shoes). The jigsaw technique thus has the potential to improve education dramatically in a multi-cultural world by revolutionizing the way children learn.
Practical Application

Since its demonstration in the 1970s, the jigsaw classroom has been used in hundreds of classrooms settings across the nation, ranging from the elementary schools where it was first developed to high school and college classrooms (e.g., see Aronson, Blaney, Stephan, Rosenfield, & Sikes, 1977; Perkins & Saris, 2001; Slavin, 1980). Researchers know that the technique is effective, incidentally, because it has been carefully studied using solid research techniques. For example, in many cases, students in different classrooms who are covering the same material are randomly assigned to receive either traditional instruction (no intervention) or instruction by means of the jigsaw technique. Studies in real classrooms have consistently revealed enhanced academic performance, reductions in stereotypes and prejudice, and improved social relations.

Aronson is not the only researcher to explore the merits of cooperative learning techniques. Shortly after Aronson and colleagues began to document the power of the jigsaw classroom, Robert Slavin, Elizabeth Cohen and others began to document the power of other kinds of cooperative learning programs (see Cohen & Lotan, 1995; Slavin, 1980; Slavin, Hurley, & Chamberlain, 2003). As of this writing, some kind of systematic cooperative learning technique had been applied in about 1500 schools across the country, and the technique appears to be picking up steam. Perhaps the only big question that remains about cooperative learning techniques such as the jigsaw classroom is why these techniques have not been implemented even more broadly than they already have.

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Have Your Children Had Their Anti-Smoking Shots?

Findings

In the early 1960s, social psychologist William McGuire published some classic papers showing that it is surprisingly easy to change people’s attitudes about things that we all wholeheartedly accept as true. For example, for speakers armed with a little knowledge of persuasion, it is remarkably easy to convince almost anyone that brushing one’s teeth is not such a great idea. McGuire’s insight into this curious phenomenon was that it is easy to change people’s minds about things that they have always taken for granted precisely because most people have little if any practice resisting attacks on attitudes that no one ever questions.

Taking this logic a little further, McGuire asked if it might be possible to train people to resist attacks on their beliefs by giving them practice at resisting arguments that they could easily refute. Specifically, McGuire drew an analogy between biological resistance to disease and psychological resistance to persuasion. Biological inoculation works by exposing people to a weakened version of an attacking agent such as a virus. People’s bodies produce antibodies that make them immune to the attacking agent, and when a full-blown version of the agent hits later in life, people win the biological battle against the full-blown disease. Would giving people a little practice fending off a weak attack on their attitudes make it easier for people to resist stronger attacks on their attitudes that come along later? The answer turns out to be yes. McGuire coined the phrase attitude inoculation to refer to the process of resisting strong persuasive arguments by getting practice fighting off weaker versions of the same arguments.
Significance

Once attitude inoculation had been demonstrated consistently in the laboratory, researchers decided to see if attitude inoculation could be used to help parents, teachers, and social service agents deal with a pressing social problem that kills about 440,000 people in the U.S. every year: cigarette smoking. Smoking seemed like an ideal problem to study because children below the age of 10 or 12 almost always report negative attitudes about smoking. However, in the face of peer pressure to be cool, many of these same children become smokers during middle to late adolescence.
Practical Application

Adolescents change their attitudes about smoking (and become smokers) because of the power of peer pressure. Researchers quickly realized that if they could inoculate children against pro-smoking arguments (by teaching them to resist pressure from their peers who believed that smoking is “cool”), they might be able to reduce the chances that children would become smokers. A series of field studies of attitude inoculation, conducted in junior high schools and high schools throughout the country, demonstrated that brief interventions using attitude inoculation dramatically reduced rates of teenage smoking. For instance, in an early study by Cheryl Perry and colleagues (1980), high school students inoculated junior high schools students against smoking by having the younger kids role-play the kind of situations they might actually face with a peer who pressured them to try a cigarette. For example, when a role-playing peer called a student “chicken” for not being willing to try an imaginary cigarette, the student practiced answers such as “I’d be a real chicken if I smoked just to impress you.” The kids who were inoculated in this way were about half as likely to become smokers as were kids in a very similar school who did not receive this special intervention.

Public service advertising campaigns have also made use of attitude inoculation theory by encouraging parents to help their children devise strategies for saying no when peers encourage them to smoke. Programs that have made whole or partial use of attitude inoculation programs have repeatedly documented the effectiveness of attitude inoculation to prevent teenage smoking, to curb illicit drug use, and to reduce teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. In comparison with old-fashioned interventions such as simple education about the risks of smoking or teenage pregnancy, attitude inoculation frequently reduces risky behaviors by 30-70% (see Botvin et al., 1995; Ellickson & Bell, 1990; Perry et al., 1980). As psychologist David Myers put it in his popular social psychology textbook, “Today any school district or teacher wishing to use the social psychological approach to smoking prevention can do so easily, inexpensively, and with the hope of significant reductions in future smoking rates and health costs.” So the next time you think about inoculating kids to keep them healthy, make sure you remember that one of the most important kinds of inoculation any kid can get is a psychological inoculation against tobacco.

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Early Intervention Can Improve Low-Income Children’s Cognitive Skills and Academic Achievement

National Head Start program conceptualized while psychologists were beginning to study preventive intervention for young children living in poverty.
Findings
As a group, children who live in poverty tend to perform worse in school than do children from more privileged backgrounds. For the first half of the 20th century, researchers attributed this difference to inherent cognitive deficits. At the time, the prevailing belief was that the course of child development was dictated by biology and maturation. By the early 1960s, this position gave way to the notion popularized by psychologists such as J. McVicker Hunt and Benjamin Bloom that intelligence could rather easily be shaped by the environment. There was very little research at the time to support these speculations but a few psychologists had begun to study whether environmental manipulation could prevent poor cognitive outcomes. Results of studies by psychologists Susan Gray and Rupert Klaus (1965), Martin Deutsch (1965) and Bettye Caldwell and former U.S. Surgeon General Julius Richmond (1968) supported the notion that early attention to physical and psychological development could improve cognitive ability.
Significance

These preliminary results caught the attention of Sargent Shriver, President Lyndon Johnson’s chief strategist in implementing an arsenal of antipoverty programs as part of the War on Poverty. His idea for a school readiness program for children of the poor focused on breaking the cycle of poverty. Shriver reasoned that if poor children could begin school on an equal footing with wealthier classmates, they would have a better of chance of succeeding in school and avoiding poverty in adulthood. He appointed a planning committee of 13 professionals in physical and mental health, early education, social work, and developmental psychology. Their work helped shape what is now known as the federal Head Start program.

The three developmental psychologists in the group were Urie Bronfenbrenner, Mamie Clark, and Edward Zigler. Bronfenbrenner convinced the other members that intervention would be most effective if it involved not just the child but the family and community that comprise the child-rearing environment. Parent involvement in school operations and administration were unheard of at the time, but it became a cornerstone of Head Start and proved to be a major contributor to its success. Zigler had been trained as a scientist and was distressed that the new program was not going to be field-tested before its nationwide launch. Arguing that it was not wise to base such a massive, innovative program on good ideas and concepts but little empirical evidence, he insisted that research and evaluation be part of Head Start. When he later became the federal official responsible for administering the program, Zigler (often referred to as the “father of Head Start”) worked to cast Head Start as a national laboratory for the design of effective early childhood services.

Although it is difficult to summarize the hundreds of empirical studies of Head Start outcomes, Head Start does seem to produce a variety of benefits for most children who participate. Although some studies have suggested that the intellectual advantages gained from participation in Head Start gradually disappear as children progress through elementary school, some of these same studies have shown more lasting benefits in the areas of school achievement and adjustment.
Practical Application

Head Start began as a great experiment that over the years has yielded prolific results. Some 20 million children and families have participated in Head Start since the summer of 1965; current enrollment approaches one million annually, including those in the new Early Head Start that serves families with children from birth to age 3. Psychological research on early intervention has proliferated, creating an expansive literature and sound knowledge base. Many research ideas designed and tested in the Head Start laboratory have been adapted in a variety of service delivery programs. These include family support services, home visiting, a credentialing process for early childhood workers, and education for parenthood. Head Start’s efforts in preschool education spotlighted the value of school readiness and helped spur today’s movement toward universal preschool.

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