Portfolio Trading Strategies Essay Example for Free

Portfolio Trading Strategies Essay Profits in equity are a function of timing and costs. Trading strategies are essentially focused on maximizing profits through cost maximization which in turn is linked with transaction costs. Thus cost of trading in also a consideration for determining trading strategy. Transaction costs are said to include commissions, execution and opportunity costs. (Collins. Fabozzi : 1991). Commissions are most easy to define as these are fixed and relate to the fees paid for trading. However there is a problem of measuring execution and opportunity costs as these are neither fixed nor can be easily measured. While a number of approaches have been developed for measuring opportunity and trading costs, a method to suit all circumstances has not been evolved thus far. The complexities involved and since minor differentials make major variation in profits an effective strategy to constantly provide yield is difficult. Investment strategies thus attempt to rationalize trading to provide benefits from execution as well as opportunity costs. Since there is no uniform strategy that can assure trading profits it is very difficult to balance the large number of factors which affect trades. Timing in fact is a constant which affects both opportunity and execution costs. Opportunity Costs and execution costs are both a variable component of transaction costs. Thus profits in transaction are determined by opportunity and execution costs and the balance that will be maintained between these. Opportunity costs are the performance shortfall that arises from a failure to execute the desired trade at the desired time. These indicate the difference between actual investment and the performance of a desired investment. This is adjusted for fixed and execution costs. Thus opportunity cost is incurred for not being able to implement the desired trade. Since opportunity costs are missed investment opportunities, these could in some respects be called hypothetical costs and thus are difficult to calculate. (Collins. Fabozzi : 1991) Execution costs arise out of the demand for immediate execution and are said to reflect the demand for liquidity and the trading activity at the time and date of conducting trade. (Collins. Fabozzi: 1991). These vary with the investment style and trading demands of the investor. Both information motivated traders and information less traders could use strategies to benefit from execution costs. The information motivated trader acts in the belief that he has superior information to that available to the average dealer. Thus he executes the trade using this information for making profits. This style of trading has a large price impact. On the other hand the information less trader allocates wealth based on a price which has been factored in the trade. These have a lesser impact than information motivated traders. The problem measuring execution costs occurs as the difference in the price of the costs in absence of a trade is not observable. (Collins. Fabozzi: 1991) Execution costs are determined by market impact and market timing costs. Market impact costs are the bid/ask spread and a price concession that compensates the buyer or seller for the risk that the investor’s transaction is information motivated.   The Market timing costs arise due to the fact that at the time of execution of the trade the asset’s price moves for reasons which are not related to the transaction.   Market impact measurement is dependent on the pre trade measures, the post trade measures and also average measures which can be undertaken throughout the day. These approaches aim to define the fair value of the trade at a particular time. It is this that determines execution costs. Market making strategy thus attempts to balance opportunity and execution costs. Patient trading strategies may result in high execution costs while aggressive trading strategies could impact the other way. (Collins. Fabozzi: 1991). On the other hand the cost management methodology is designed to capture maximum elements of the transaction process. (Collins. Fabozzi: 1991). Execution costs are also shown to be higher in an automated trading process in Paris relative to the New York Stock Exchange with floor based trading with human intervention. The lower execution in floor based system suggests that there is benefit in human intervention in the trading process. This is possible as the NYSE specialist is able to maintain narrow spreads, can anticipate future order imbalances and also helps reduce the volatility of transitory movements in share prices. Thus as specialist and floor traders use the human intellect to make time preferred trades, execution costs in manual trading are considerably lower than those in automated trading. This is also supported by the role played by market makers in forming prices and providing liquidity in the securities market as per example gleaned from the trading behavior of market makers on the New York Stock Exchange. (Madhavan. Smidt: 1993).       Reference Madhavan, Ananth. Smidt, Seymour. (1993). `An Analysis of Changes in Specialist Inventories and Quotations`, Journal of Finance, Vol 48, 1993 2. Venkataraman, Kumar. `Automated Versus Floor Trading: An Analysis of Execution Costs on the Paris and New York Exchanges, Journal of Finance, Vol 56, No. 4 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Collins, Bruce M. Fabozzi, Frank. (1991).   `A Methodology for Measuring Transaction Costs`, Financial Analysts Journal, March/April 1991. Preferred language style: English(U.K.)

Examining Cross Cultural Communication In Organizations Cultural Studies Essay

Examining Cross Cultural Communication In Organizations Cultural Studies Essay Cross-cultural communication also referred to as intercultural communication which is a subset of organizational communication, and comprises verbal and non-verbal communication. This in turn involves transfers of information and knowledge between individuals in the organization with significantly different people in different languages and from different cultures. We define cross-cultural communication as a subject which focuses on the communicative activities of people from different cultural background and the essence and rules of the communicative activities (Jia, 1997, 563). Many cultures have their own etiquette when communicating. Communication can only be succeeded if messages are appropriately delivered and received. Especially in cross-cultural communication, two-sides of peoples are from two different countries with different culture, custom, thoughts and languages. This would make a successful communication more difficult to be reached. Miscommunication may lead to conflict, or more serious conflict that already exists. Therefore, it is important to explore the problems of cross-cultural communication, and the problems of deducing those rules of communicative appropriateness that are applied in the other culture. Furthermore, much discussion has focused on differences international negotiating styles. However, there is little attention to examine how and what degree language plays a significant role in a cross-cultural communication. Unfortunately, some monolingual experts believe that any languages can be completely transferred into another language. According Geoff Hart, 2007: Effective and good communication is very important to all organization. In todays business environment, in order to communicate with the outside world, it is essential to have successful communication skills in workplace. Cross-cultural communication in the workplace compounds certain problems. There is lack of interaction in the field of communication among individuals in the organization with significantly different ethnographic profiles. In addition, words imply different meaning in different languages. Much cross-cultural communication in workplace and worker within limited English speaking abilities and their cultural differences leads to misunderstanding and tension at the workplaces. Thus, business is taken very seriously in many cultures that often show up in the workplace. Misunderstandings and miscommunication can cause and enhance conflict in workplace. Within cross-cultural communication, our seemingly normal approaches to meaning-making and communication will never be clear enough that we can see them for what they are which is a set of lenses that shape what we see, hear, say understand, and interpret. Culture is linked to communication and a wide range of human experience including feelings, identity, and meaning-making. Communication is the vehicle by which meanings are conveyed and feelings are expressed. Both conflict and harmony are possible outcomes of any interaction as we communicate using different cultural habits between workers. According Charlotte-Mecklenburg Development Board (WDB), 2002: Cultural barriers between different cultures often cause much frustration, annoyance, and lead to problems that erode efficiency and effective in daily life. The biggest barriers to cross-cultural communication refer to language difficulties. Cultural barriers and language cannot be divided. This is because language carries the information of language and culture. Every kind of language is created and developed in a certain historical circumstance of society. Therefore, Language reflects the feature of nation. It contains not only the historical cultural background of this nation, but also the view of life, the way of life and the way of thought of this nation (Xiao, 1997:159). Some problem increase which are barriers caused by semantics, barriers caused by word connotations, barriers caused by tone differences and barriers caused by differences between perceptions. Barriers caused by semantics word meaning. As weve noted previously, words mean different things to different people. This is particularly true for people from different national cultures. Some words cannot translate and imply to English and special meaning to different people from different cultures. It is reflects the differences of culture most extensively. For example, to conduct business in Korea, you must understand the concept of Kibun, which does not translate into English. Its meaning is something similar to inner feelings or mood: people must communicate in a manner to enhance one anothers Kibun or risk creating an enemy and destroying the relationship (Mary Munter, 1993). Barriers caused by word connotations or implication of words. On the other hand, the meaning extent of a word and the connotation of future are not complete equivalent between different cultures. Negotiations between English and Japanese executive, for instance, are made more difficult because the Japanese word iie translates as no, but its connotation may be no, Im not studying, rather than No, I disagree. Barriers caused by tone differences or the mood or feeling your words convey. The tone changes depending expression of slang, feelings, emotions and thought. Slang may lead barriers to communication. For example, a conversation demonstrative between A and B dealing with slang. A: Will you really join? B: You kill me. It is very confuse for different people to understand the conversation because the sentence of B is slang. It means (If I wont join,) you kill me. The sentence of A is more polite while the sentence of B is more offhand. In some cultures tone is usually more formal, whereas in others it is more informal; in some it is more polite, in others more offhand; in some more impersonal, in others more personal; in some more dry, in others more colorful ( Mary Munter, 1993). Barriers caused by differences between perceptions. People who speak different languages from different cultures look into the world in different ways. Every country perceive different perceptions. PROBLEM THAT FACED IN CULTURES CONTEXT Any communication relies on the context in which it takes place, (Victor, 1992, 137). Some cultures rely on the context of communication much more than others. Contexting refers to the circumstances surrounding the exchange. To make an effective and successful communication, every people have to consider the cultural differences and the preeminent communication process in individualistic. Cultures context refers to high context and low text communication. High context refers to societies or groups where people have close connections over a long period of time while low context refers to societies where people tend to have many connections but of shorter duration or for some specific reason. High contexts cannot carry the context information internally and hard to enter if as an outsider. Instead, low contexts are easy to enter if as an outsider because the environment contains the information and form relationships. The exchange of information between workers from high-context and low-context has to work together in cultural context occur the problems. These problems can be categorized as differences in direction, quantity and quality. High-context cultures like China adapt to their close friends, relatives and also to colleagues or in-group members at differences in direction employees. They communication with them mightily and exchange specific information regarding many different talks and topics. In comparison, like Germany, their direction of communication is orientated on personal characters and referred to situations as direction difference. They mostly communicate within their out-groups in a broad and dispersedly way as quantity difference. They exchange information through communication just to the necessary extent so that work can be done and will not discuss or exchange information in the work environment and colleagues as quality difference. In China, the workers discuss everything in advance and consider meetings where the already commonly agreed decision will be announced. The Germans in contrast inform the participating attendants in a meeting about the hard and necessary facts. The decision-making process takes place within the meeting. Besides this, communication is also related to appearance such as clothes and accessories. In cross-communication cultural, these is relating to the context including formal and informal, status and individuality. In Islam, Muslim women are expected to cover in their entirety including the face, except for their eyes, while in Western countries most women, even in a business context, will wear smart attire. Western cultures tend to gravitate toward low-context starting points, while Eastern and Southern cultures tend to use high-context communication.

Looking At The Personality Theory

Looking At The Personality Theory A person is a flow of powerful subjective life, conscious and unconscious; a whispering gallery in which voices echo from the distant past; a gulf stream of fantasies with floating memories of past events, currents of contending complexes, plots and counterplots, hopeful intimations and idealsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦A personality is a full Congress of orators and pressure groups, of children, demagogues, communists, isolationists, war-mongers, mugwumps, grafters, log rollers, lobbyists, Caesars and Christs, Machiavellis and Judases, Tories and Promethean revolutionists. (Murray, What Should Psychologists 160-61) The term personality is used by psychologists to denote a consistent pattern of responses to the world that the environment imposes upon the individual internally and externally (Kassarjian and Robertson 194). All the physical, mental and emotional characteristics of an individual as an integrated whole, especially as they are presented to others, form what we commonly term as personality. According to Robert B. Ewen, personality refers to important and relatively stable aspects of behaviour.(4) During the past one hundred years extensive research has been done by the various psychologists in this field. This research has given birth to what we now call Personality psychology. Personality psychology is a branch of psychology which studies human personality deeply using psychological theories. The scientific study of personality can be traced back to the year 1937, when Gordon Allport published his book Personality: A Psychological Interpretation. Personality analysis, like art, is subjective in nature. There is no single best recognised definition or theory of personality yet and different psychologists have different definitions and theories regarding personality. Psychologists themselves cannot arrive at a unifying definition of personality, due in part to its subjective nature. (Schultz 2) According to Sam Smiley, It is the form, or overall unity, of an individuals traits. It includes the complex of characteristics that distinguish one person from all others, and it admits the behavioural potentials of the individual which transcend all his attitudes and actions. . . . Personality is the totality of a human beings physiological and psychological traits, and therefore it is the epitome of whatever differentiates one human from every other human. (82-83) Robert B. Ewen gives one of the most comprehensive definitions of personality. He says, Personality deals with a wide range of human behaviour. To most theorists, personality includes virtually everything about a person-mental, emotional, social, and physical. Some aspects of personality are unobservable, such as thoughts, memories, and dreams, whereas others are observable, such as overt actions. Personality also includes aspects that are concealed from yourself, or unconscious, as well as those that are conscious and well within your awareness. (4) Some other significant definitions by noted psychologists are: Cattell offers the opinion that, Personality is that which permits a prediction of what a person will do in a given situation. . . . Personality is . . . concerned with all the behaviour of the individual, both overt and under the skin. (Liebert and Spiegler 3-4) Personality refers to the collection of attitudes and knowledge that a person possesses, that is, mainly those personal items that direct behaviour. In this context, personality is synonymous with mind. (McNeal 52) While defining personality it is only appropriate to remember that the word personality is derived from the Latin word persona which means a mask. One very important observation that has been made in this regard is: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in early Latin, persona means a mask dramatis personae are the masks which actors wear in a play, that is, the characters that are represented. Etymologically and historically, then, the personality is the character that is manifested in public. In modern psychology and sociology this corresponds rather closely to the role behaviour of a differentiated person. From one point of view, this constitutes a disguise. Just as the outer body shields the viscera from view, and clothing the genitals, so the public personality shields the private personality from the curious and censorious world. It also operates to conceal underlying motivations from the individuals own consciousness. (Murray and Kluckhohn 40) The study of personality is a broad area and includes various theoretical constructs, conceptual approaches and research methodologies. The major theories include psychodynamic perspective, humanistic perspective, trait perspective, behaviourist perspective and cognitive perspective. The major personality theorists include Sigmund Freud, Carl Gustav Jung, Alfred Adler, Karen Horney, Erich Fromm, Harry Stack Sullivan, Erik Erikson, Carl R. Rogers, Abraham H. Maslow, Rollo May, Gordon W. Allport, Raymond B. Cattell, Henry A. Murray, B. F. Skinner, George A. Kelly and Albert Bandura. The present study deals with Gordon W. Allports and Henry A. Murrays theories of personality. The main aim is to study and analyse Michael Jacksons personality with the application of Allports and Murrays personality theories. The thesis focuses on Michael Jackson as an individual and how his character and personality are similar in several aspects to the character and personality of the picaro the antihero of picaresque novels. It is essential to study in detail the theories of both the psychologists in order to successfully use them as a tool to analyse the personalities of Michael Jackson and the picaro. Gordon Willard Allport (1897 1967) was a premier American psychologist who is often called the father of Personality theory. He is considered to be the founder of personality psychology as he was one of the first psychologists to have focused extensively on the study of personality. He was the first psychologist who gave thorough thought to the concept of traits in a person. He developed a theory called the trait theory and opined that the trait was the most appropriate way of describing and studying personality. Allport approached psychology and the issue of personality in a unique way. Allport revolutionized the world of psychology by moving the study of the personality into the mainstream of psychology. His theories are still debated, and he is considered one of the most controversial psychologists of our time. (Hall and Lindzey 260) Allports opinions differed from other psychologists. He believed in studying healthy and mature individuals. He felt the study of animals and neurotic people could not lead to conclusions pertinent to normally functioning adults. (Becoming 18) Secondly, Allport viewed every human being as unique. Therefore, he believed in studying an individual personality as opposed to studying people in common. He criticized scientists for their avoidance of the individual and their prevalent theory that individuality can only be studied by history, art or biography and not by science. He believed that nomothetic methods (general and universal) should be discouraged and idiographic methods (individual) must be encouraged. If we accept this dogma concerning the scope and limitations of science we shall have to abandon the person as a person. But we are not yet discouraged. That the individual is a system of patterned uniqueness is a fact. That science likes universals and not particulars is also a fact. Yet personality itself is a universal phenomenon though it is found only in individual forms. Since it is a universal phenomenon science must study it; but it cannot study it correctly unless it looks into the individuality of patterning! Such is the dilemma. (Pattern and Growth 9) Allport stated that there is no correct or incorrect definition of personality, rather all definitions are full of pitfalls. (Pattern and Growth 28) He defined personality as a dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his environment.(Personality 48) Because this definition reflects some unique phrasing and word choices, Allports own explanations of terminology and phrasing are presented. Dynamic Organization The personality is constantly changing, and any definition of personality must acknowledge this change. However, this change does not occur in the normal adult in a haphazard fashion; rather, it occurs within the boundaries of an organization. (Allport, Personality 48) This change occurs in a self -regulating and motivating fashion. This definition of organized change implies the existence of a reciprocal process of disorganization, especially in those personalities marked by progressive disintegration. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 28) Psychophysical This term serves as a reminder that personality is neither exclusively physical nor mental. Instead, the organization of the personality fuses the physical and mental in some inextricable unity. (Allport, Personality 48) Systems A system is a complex of elements in mutual interaction. The personality is composed of many systems. A habit, sentiment, trait, concept, or style of behaving are all systems and are latent in the personality even when they are not active. Systems are our potential for activity. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 28-29) Determine Personality is something, and it does something. Personality is active. Allport contended that the latent psychophysical systems, when called into action, either motivate or direct a specific activity or thought. (Pattern and Growth 29) Personality is not synonymous with behaviour or activity; personality is merely the impression that this activity makes on others. It is what lies behind specific acts and within the individual. (Allport, Personality 48) All systems that comprise a single personality are the determining tendencies. They exert a direct influence on the adjusting and expressive acts which make up the personality. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 29) Characteristic All behaviour and thought are characteristic of the person and are unique to that person. Allport acknowledged the use of this term, and the need to define it, appeared redundant in a definition whose very meaning stressed individuality and uniqueness. He used it, though, to drive the point home. (Pattern and Growth 29) Behaviour and Thought Allport used these two terms to cover anything whatsoever an individual might do. A persons main activity, according to Allport, is to adjust to the environment, but he felt it unwise to define personality only in terms of adjustment. He acknowledged the individual also reflects on the environment, strives to master it, and sometimes succeeds in this mastery of the environment. Thought as well as behaviour, then, make for both survival and growth. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 29) The following diagram depicts a comprehensive view of personality. Allport summarized his own definition of personality: My own definition of personality is essentialist. Personality is what a person really is, regardless of the way other people perceive his qualities or the methods by which we study them. Our perceptions and our methods may be in error, just as an astronomer may fall short in studying the constitution of a star. But the star is still there, a challenging object for study. My definition does not, of course, deny that a person is variable over time or that his behaviour may change from situation to situation. It says simply that the person has an internal structure and range of characteristics (variable, to be sure, but ascertainable), and it is this structure that we hope to study. (Pattern and Growth 35) The discussion in detail of Allports definition of personality and his approach towards both, personality and psychology, leads us to his theory of traits. According to Allport a trait is: a generalized and focalized neuropsychic system (peculiar to the individual), with the capacity to render many stimuli functionally equivalent, and to initiate and guide consistent (equivalent) forms of adaptive and expressive behaviour. (Personality 295) He believed that a trait exists within a person and is there even when a person is alone and away from the observation of others. Secondly, he believed that traits define behaviour and make it consistent. Traits, we must note from the outset, are not per se observables. Nor are they real entities. You will never be able to place them under a microscope. They are descriptive schemas that are the product of human reason and imagination. They serve a heuristic purpose, as do all other constructs about the world in which we live: namely, they give a conceptual order to our world and make it more comprehensible than it would be without them. That Allport ([1937] 1961), for example, stipulates that traits or personality for that matter have neuropsychic referents does not turn them into things (reify them so to speak). (Dumont 149) Allport clearly distinguished traits form types. Unlike traits types always have a biosocial reference. A man can be said to have a trait; but he cannot be said to have a type. Rather he fits a type.types exist not in people or in nature, but rather in the eye of the observer. Type includes more than is in the individual. Traits, on the contrary, are considered wholly within the compass of the individual. The crux of the distinction is that in a type the reference point is always some attribute, or cluster of corresponding attributes abstracted from various personalities. (Personality 295-296) Yet Allport was aware of the limitations involved in the study of traits: generalities of names; variability of emotions; the ability to observe only the act, which is the result of the trait rather than the trait itself. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 333-334) Even with the limitations involved in trait research, Allport believed them to be one of the strongest means for personality study. He did not blindly study personality traits, but tried to take into account all of the variables, for example: No trait theory can be sound unless it allows for, and accounts for, the variability of a persons conduct. Pressures from the surrounding environment, the companions he is with, and the counter current in the person himself may delay, augment, distort, or inhibit completely the conduct that we would normally expect to issue from a persons traits. . . . All this is true; yet in a persons stream of activity there is, besides a variable portion, likewise a constant portion; and it is this constant portion we seek to designate with the concept of trait. (Pattern and Growth 333) Allport draws a distinction between common traits and individual traits. A common trait identifies a trait which to some extent is reflected in many personalities. An individual trait, however, or personal disposition (as Allport came to call them), is peculiar to the individual. He points out that all traits are unique and no one trait can be found in more than one person. But at the same time for the science of personality and psychology to function properly it is important to compare individuals. Allport states that for all their ultimate differences, normal persons within a given culture-area tend to develop a limited number of roughly comparable modes of adjustment. The original endowment of most human beings, their stages of growth, and the demands of their particular society, are sufficiently standard and comparable to lead to some basic modes of adjustment that from individual to individual are approximately the same.(Pattern and Growth 298) Common traits are developed, according to Allport, because the human nature develops similar modes of adjusting to a similar environment, though varying degrees of individualism still exist (Pattern and Growth 349). Allport felt common traits were less important to the individual personality because they actually reflect the social mores developed through socialization, rather than personal choices. Therefore, common traits are constantly changing according to the growth, development, and fads of a particular society. Allport felt the very nature of the common trait made it less influential to the individual. Individual traits, on the other hand, have the capacity to initiate and guide consistent forms of adaptive and stylistic behaviour. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 373). However, Allport felt that for a complete and thorough study of personality both common and individual traits are essential: individual and common trait [concepts] are complementary in the study of personality. What is unique and what is universal both need to be explored. (Personality 299) Allport described traits by names. He identified approximately eighteen thousand words in the English language which named distinctive forms of personal behaviour. Though incomplete, Allport believed that, this list of words had an infinite scope. Allport categorized the 18,000 trait names: 30% have an evaluative flavour; 25% are comparative; 25% refer to temporary states of mind, mood, emotion, or activity, and 25% are metaphorical (Pattern and Growth 354-355). Allport was dissatisfied with the limitations of verbal tags. He recognized the weaknesses found in the subjective and limited nature of labelling: A trait of personality may or may not coincide with some well-defined, conventional social concept. . . It would be ideal if we could . . . find our traits first and then name them. But honesty, loyalty, neatness and tact, though encrusted with social significance, may likewise represent true traits of personality. The danger is that, in devising scales for their measurement, we may be bound by the conventional meanings and thus be led away from the precise integration as it exists in a given individual. Where possible, it would be well for us to find our traits first and then seek devaluated terms with which to characterize our discoveries. (Becoming 135) Allport understood that no single act is the product of only one trait, and a trait is only one factor in determining an act. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 334 and 360) This recognition of the complexity of the human nature led Allport to the conclusion that it is ridiculous to try to reduce human nature to a single element simply for the sake of explanation: We view personality in the only way it can be intelligibly viewedas a network of organization, composed of systems within systems, some systems of small magnitude and somewhat peripheral to the central or propriate structure, other systems of wider scope at the core of the total edifice; some easy to set into action, others more dormant; some so culturally conforming that they can readily be viewed as common; others definitely idiosyncratic. But in the last analysis this network-complying billions and billions of nerve cells, fashioned by a one-time heredity and by environmental experiences never duplicated-is ultimately unique. (Pattern and Growth 360) Although there is a certain degree of consistency found within the personality, the personality is not completely predictable. The inconsistency of dispositions could be due to a specific situation, or to the actual existence of opposite dispositions within an individual (Allport, Becoming 135). Allport felt that contradictory behaviour is often not contradictory at all, but a contrasting stylistic demonstration of the same personal disposition. What must be identified is the deepest disposition that is operating within an individual: Take the case of Dr. D., always neat about his person and desk, punctilious about lecture notes, outlines, and files; his personal possessions are not only in order but carefully kept under lock and key. Dr. D is also in charge of the departmental library. In this duty he is careless; he leaves the library door unlocked, and books are lost; it does not bother him that dust accumulates. Does this contradiction in behaviour mean that D lacks personal dispositions? Not at all. He has two opposed stylistic dispositions, one of orderliness and one of disorderliness. Different situations arouse different dispositions. Pursuing the case further, the duality is at least partly explained by the fact that D has one cardinal (motivational) disposition from which these contrasting styles proceed. The outstanding fact about his personality is that he is a self -centred egotist who never acts for other peoples interests, but always for his own. This cardinal self -centeredness (for which there is abundant evidence) demands orderliness for himself, but not for others. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 363) A particular trait can be identified and determined in a particular person only if the behaviour it characterises occurs repeatedly in by and large similar situations. According to Allport: A specific act is always the product of many determinants, not only of lasting sets, but of momentary pressures in the person and in the situation. It is only the repeated occurrence of acts having the same significance (equivalence of response) following upon a definable range of stimuli having the same personal significance (equivalence of stimuli) that makes necessary the inference of traits and personal dispositions. (Pattern and Growth 374) Allport put forward his classic doctrine of traits: A trait has more than nominal existence. A trait is more than a generalized habit. A trait is dynamic, or at least determinative. The existence of a trait may be established empirically or at least statistically. Traits are only relatively independent of each other. A trait of personality, psychologically considered, is not the same as a moral quality. Acts, and even habits, that are inconsistent with a trait are not proof of the nonexistence of the trait. A trait may be viewed either in the light of the personality which contains it, or in the light of its distribution in the population at large. (What is a Trait 368) Allport reasoned that some traits have more influence on an individual than other traits. He categorized these traits into three levels: Cardinal traits, Central traits and Secondary traits. Cardinal Traits A cardinal trait is so pervasive and outstanding in any given individual that almost every act can be traced to its influence and almost every aspect of a persons life is touched by it. A person is so dominated by the cardinal trait that it can rarely be hidden from others. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 365) Such a trait is so dominant in a person that the person comes to be known for that trait. It becomes almost synonymous to his personality. Examples of cardinal traits can be: narcissist and Casanova. A cardinal trait is considered to be rare and tends to develop in an individual at a later stage in his life. A person does not necessarily have only one cardinal trait, and this trait may change as a person matures and changes. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 365) Central Traits A central trait is less dominant as compared to a cardinal trait. Central traits form the foundation of an individuals personality. Central traits are easily detected characteristics within a person, traits that all people have a certain number of, five to ten on an average according to Allport. (Schultz 201) Secondary Traits On a less conspicuous level of influence are secondary dispositions. These traits are less generalized and less consistent than central dispositions. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 365) They might reflect something only a best friend would know. (Schultz 201). Allport did not set down any particular number of dispositions an individual might possess. How many dispositions has a person is a most audacious question, and can be answered in only a preliminary and speculative way. For many reasons the question is audacious: Behaviour is in continuous flow; dispositions never express themselves singly; people manifest contradictory dispositions in contradictory situations; furthermore, diagnostic methods are too ill developed to enable us to discover the answer. (Pattern and Growth 366) Allports trait theory can be summed up through the following diagram. Habits and attitudes are often confused with traits because of their similarities. Allport clearly defined habits and attitudes to avoid all confusion. According to Allport, a habit can function as a trait, but a trait is not always a habit. Habits are inflexible and specific in response to specific stimuli; traits are more generalized and variable in expression. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 346) A number of habits may be blended together to develop a trait; however, habits do not integrate automatically into traits. They do so when the person has some general concept or self image which leads to the fusion of the habit into a trait. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 346) Allport cites the example of a child brushing his teeth. A young child may be regarded as forming a specific habit when he learns (with difficulty) to brush his teeth night and morning. For some years this habit may stand alone, aroused only by appropriate commands or by the appropriate environmental situation. With the passing of years, however, brushing teeth becomes not only automatic (as is the way of habits) but likewise firmly woven into a much wider system of habits, viz., a trait of personal cleanliness. . . . The adult is uncomfortable if he omits brushing the teeth from his daily schedule, not only because a single habit is frustrated, but because the omission violates a general demand for cleanliness. (Allport, Personality 292) Allport explained that a trait is a fusion of habit and endowment rather than a colligation or chain of habits alone. (Personality 293) The transformation of habit to trait is simply when the motivation shifts from simple conditioned responses to a sheer liking of the activity as motivation. Then trait has become autonomous. (Allport, Personality 293) Allport distinguishes between a trait and an attitude in two ways. First, an attitude always has an object of reference; whereas, a trait does not direct itself specifically toward something. Second, an attitude is usually favourable or unfavourable, for or against. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 347) It involves a judgement or evaluation (pro or con), which a trait does not. (Schultz 200) Motivation According to Allport, the pivot of the theory of personality is the analysis of the nature of motivation. He defined motivation as any internal condition in a person that induces action or thought. (Pattern and Growth 196) Allport also believed a theory of motivation should meet four requirements: contemporaneity, pluralistic, cognitive process, and concrete uniqueness. (Schultz 201) Contemporaneity A theory of motivation must acknowledge the contemporaneity of motives. (Pattern and Growth 220) In other words, the importance of the present should be stressed: Motives leading to activity, it may be argued, are always operative at the time the activity takes place. Allport added, That which drives, drives now. (The Use of Personal 80) Allport was aware, however, that in complex adult motives the past is, to some degree, alive in the present. He considered it, however, the task of the psychologist to discover how much of the past is fire and how much of it is ashes. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 219) To think that the motives of mankind are essentially unchanged from birth until death seemed to Allport inadequate at best. (Pattern and Growth 203) That which once motivated, does not necessarily motivate always. It is important to realize the past is only important if it exists as a present or current motivating force, or is dynamically active in the present. (Allport, Pattern and Gro wth 220) More precisely stated, it is the unfinished structure that has this dynamic power. A finished structure is static; but a growing structure, tending toward a given direction of closure, has the capacity to subsidiate the guide conduct in conformity with its movement. (Allport, Becoming 91) Pluralistic Allport believed that a theory of motivation must have room for multiple motives. Motivation cannot be reduced to one general phase or drive. Some motives are transient, some recurring; some are momentary, others persistent; some unconscious, others conscious; some opportunistic, others propriate; some tension-reducing, others tension-maintaining. Motives are so diverse in type that we find it difficult to discover the common denominator. About all we can say is that a persons motives include all that he is trying (consciously or unconsciously, reflexly or deliberately) to do. (Pattern and Growth 221) Simplification does not explain motivation. Neither does reducing its strands to the simplified model of the machine, the animal, the child, or the pathological. (Pattern and Growth 222) A theory of motivation should allow that there may be some truth in each theory. (Pattern and Growth 221) Cognitive Process A theory of motivation must acknowledge the importance of the cognitive processes e.g. planning and intention. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 222) Allports requirement of cognitive process gives emphasis to the individuals conscious plans and intentions. These conscious intentions represent, above all else, the individuals primary mode of addressing the future. (Becoming 89) Thus, cognitive process stresses the importance of the future in the motivating process of the personality. Alport believed that all individuals possess the power of thought and it is this thought process which leads them to form decisions. Hence, an individuals intent should be central to understanding his personality. Allport defined intention as what an individual is trying to do, and he included several features of motivation derived from the concept of intention: The cognitive and emotive processes in personality become fused into an integral urge. The intention, like all motivation, exists in the present, but has strong future orientation. Use of the concept helps us to trace the course of motivation as lives are actually livedinto the future and not, as most theories do, backward into the past. It tells us what sort of future a person is trying to bring about and this is the most important question we can ask about any mortal. The term has a flavour of tension maintained and thus reflects the true condition of all long range motives. When we identify major intentions in a life we have a device for holding subsidiary trends in perspective. (Pattern and Growth 223). Allport believed the present should be explained more in terms of the future, not the past. It is more important to identify what a person intends to do and how they are presently acting out this intention, than to look toward the past of an individuals childhood or development. Unfortunately the concept of intention is not prominent in current psychology. The reason is that it connotes purpose, the efficacy of conscious planning, and a pull that mans image of the future exerts on his present conduct. . . . the more favoured physicalistic conception would say that he is pushed by his motives (not pulled by his intentions). Many psychologists would say that drives take entire care of what we here call intention. Yet drives as such are blind. They do not allow for organization and direction by cognitive attitudes, by foresight, by cortical control. (Allport, Pattern and Growth 224)

The Life and Works of Bertolt Brecht Essay -- Theatre Practitioner Dra

The Life and Works of Bertolt Brecht In this essay I will consider the life and works of Bertolt Brecht, the famous theatre practitioner who has had such a dramatic impact on our understanding of the theatre and acting. First of all I will give a biography of Brecht because it is important to know the background of his life in order to understand the motives he had for writing and producing plays in the way he did. We will see a direct correlation between events in his life and the plays and techniques that he propagated. I will then move to explore the methods and techniques that Brecht developed, looking at how they came about and who influenced his work. I will look at Brecht’s theory of Epic theatre, tracing the beginnings of this style and looking at the influences that may have helped to form it. To get a clear view of what Epic theatre is like I will compare it to dramatic theatre, which Brecht did himself, in regard to how the audience reacts to it. I will examine Brecht’s theory of using Montage and the effect that he intended to have on the audience. I will consider the origination of Verfremdungseffekt and how this was not an original idea of Brecht’s but something that he identified with because it supported his ideas. Geste was the technique that Brecht wanted actors to use when portraying a character, I will examine what geste is and what may have influenced Brecht to use it. Music for Brecht was a vital part of theatre and I will look at what interested him about using music and the role of music in his Epic theatre. I will consider Brecht’s ideas of what stage design should be like and how he viewed it as something separate to the text and the music. Brecht was a political writer and after reading the works of Karl Marx he wrote and produced didactic plays that reflected the philosophy of communism. Brecht wanted to involve the audience in the debates that he presented in the text and in this way the audience would learn about the arguments and be able to come to an informed conclusion of what they thought. The plays that did this are called ‘The Lehrstuck’ or ‘Learning Plays’ and I will consider how they were presented in order to involve the audience and get them to respond. Brecht was born in 1898 to a middle class family in the south of Germany. In his teenage years the First World War broke out and ... ... was so against. In the writings of Karl Marx he found a philosophy that mirrored his and he began to write more vigorously to inspire political change. His belief was that the oppressed poor people had to be inspired to fight for political change and thereby relieve their suffering. These plays were written for a music festival and they took place on a very open stage, which allowed more audience involvement. Behind the stage there was a projection screen which displayed the text and invited the audience to join in by singing along. Sometimes there would be actors in the audience to lead the audience response. In this way Brecht hoped to involve the audience in the political debates within the text. Throughout his life Brecht collaborated with other writers, musicians, directors and designers. His work was always an amalgamation of efforts and yet he managed to claim it as his own. By the end of his life he was a leading figure in theatre his productions had changed the way people viewed theatre because of their innovative ideas and detailed acting and design. Through exploring Brecht’s work I have learnt more about the theatre, its origins and its potential.

Divided Nations :: essays papers

Divided Nations Introduction In this essay, I will discuss both the cultural factors in divided nations encountered in the book â€Å"The Violence Within: Cultural and Political Opposition in Divided Nations†, edited by Kay B. Warren, and the methods by which the contributors to this volume have collected their data. The broad array of conflict and opposition encountered in the book are inclusive to countries such as Northern Ireland, Israel, Egypt, Iran, South Africa, The Philippines, Guatemala, and Brazil. A variety of authors have lent their interpretations and experiences in and of these cultures. The methods of data collection are wide ranging, including participant observation, representative, and the accounts of professionals in the same or similar fields. First, I will describe the cultural factors contributing to unrest in each of these nations, and then the methods by which the authors have collected their research material. Cultural Factors in Northern Ireland There is a long history of opposition to British colonialism in Northern Ireland and historically, colonialism creates a special case which carries characteristic cultural effects in the opposition. Colonialism, as Begona Aretxaga (223) points out, â€Å"not only exploits and despoils, it also creates meanings and shapes feelings.†. He further suggests that it is this creation of meanings and shaping of feeling that sets colonialism apart from other forms of political opposition. It is this effect which has laid the cultural framework for the political defiances of the Irish. The major cultural vessel used to express dissent has historically been seen in the form of hunger strikes by political prisoners. This practice has a far-reaching cultural basis which can be found in Gaelic tradition. The hunger strike has also gained significant meaning from the Catholic religion, drawing from the symbolism therein. Whereas this type of non-violent protest has often been associated with the precedent set by Ghandi, here it has a rich historical background and was used to rally and unify the Irish people. From the British perspective, what made colonialism acceptable to the masses was a cultural infusion, painting a picture of the Irish as savages. Their religion was deemed pagan. This religious dissimilarity has permeated through the years, and been the main source of difference as seen between these two entities. Next, I will document the cultural components contributing to the conflict in Israel. Cultural Factors in Israel The rather significant cultural

Apush Native American Essay

The United States government used many different techniques to remove Indians from Western lands so they could use it for their own selfish needs. Some of these methods were clearly harmful, while others were written to seem reasonable and helpful. Nomadic Indians were finding it hard to live due to declining bison herds and deteriorating grasslands. This situation was made worse by thousands of pioneers pouring into the west because of the new discovery of silver and gold in the Rocky Mountains. The government attempted to solve this problem by creating a structure of smaller reservations for Indians. They would use force if necessary. The Indian’s responses varied from tribe to tribe. The Pueblos, Crows, and Hidastas happily and obligingly adjusted to their new life. Others felt differently, however. The Navajos and the Sioux strongly opposed the new reservations, but failed in the end. Ten years later, eight new western reservations had been established. Many Great Plains tribes retaliated faced the U. S. army in a series of battles for the West. Similarly, soldiers who were a part of the local militia destroyed Cheyenne and Arapaho camps, who responded with many attacks on travelers. The governor of Colorado authorized white citizens to find and kill and hostile Indians. He then ordered a set of troops to massacre a peaceful group of Indians, including women and children, at Sand Creek. These Indians had originally believed they would be protected by federal troops. This massacre and others that were similar revitalized debate over federal Indian policy. In 1867, Congress sent a peace commission to end the disputes. They set aside two large land reserves, hoping the tribes living there would take up farming and convert to Christianity. Although hidden, here it is clear that one of the government’s main goals was assimilation. The plan seemed to be successful at first. Most Indians believed that they were not meant to live like the â€Å"white man. † They were given hunting grounds and animals to hunt by God, and that was the way they wished to live their lives. Indians with these beliefs did not move to the reservations or refused to remain on them once there. Hoping to take a stand against the reservations, war parties of angry Cheyennes, Arapahos and Sioux raided ettlements in Kansas and Colorado, setting fire to homes and killing white men. Army troops responded by sending army troops to attack, even the peaceful ones. That same fall, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer’s raiding party struck a Cheyenne village at night, killing over a hundred men, shooting their horses, and taking women and children as prisoners. In 1871, Congress decided that the treaty making process was not workin g, and they began to only send out executive orders and acts. This set off a series of retaliations from the Indians. In 1874, southern Plains Indians started the Red River War. This particular war ended badly for the Indians, who ended up losing their independence. Soon after, in Arizona and New Mexico, the Apaches fought a guerrilla war until surrendering in 1886. All of these battles and conflicts were truly horrible, but none compare to the battles fought in by the western Sioux tribes. To protect their sacred hunting grounds, they raided near by non- Indian settlements, intimidated federal government workers, and harassed anyone else who came onto their land. In 1874, the government took action against these Indians by sending a force led by Colonel George Armstrong Custer into the Black Hills of South Dakota. Negotiations to buy this area had been broken because the Indians were asking for too high of a price, therefore Custer’s new goal was to drive the Indians out of this area. Indians still outside the reservations would be hunted down and taken in by force. The battle fought in this land in June 1876 was a great unexpected Indian victory, which only angered and motivated the U. S. army more. Indians were chased down and imprisoned, but most refused to cooperate. Many Indians created dramatic escapes, such as a group following a Dull Knife, who shot the guards and broke away for freedom. Small efforts such as these proved that the Indians were going to keep on fighting for as long as possible. The government’s continual habits of breaking their treaties led to a number of groups and societies devoted to Indian’s rights. The Women’s National Indian Rights Association was founded in 1883, along with other groups with similar causes. Helen Hunt Jackson published A Century of Dishonor, which promoted public opinion against the broken treaties. Many white Americans began new reform movements of creating schools for Indians. Their main goal was to stamp out their Indian identities. Despite these goals, the movements often backfired. The Indians would learn the english language and how to farm, but still had the Indian inside of them. In addition to the schools, many people believed the Indians would be better off if their reservations were broken up, gradually incorporating them in society by giving them the rights of citizens. Most of these people genuinely wanted to help the Indians. This division of reservations was enforced by the Dawes Severalty Act.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Metropolitan areas usually have specialized groups, based on such member characteristics as gender, length Of time in recovery, age, sexual orientation, profession, ethnicity, and language spoken† (CAST, 2008). Vast majorities of drug addiction treatment programs encourage the participation of self-help group therapy during and after formal treatment because the patients benefit from the social reinforcement that comes from peer discussion, while also helping to promote, achieve, and maintain drug-free and healthy lifestyles.The 12-Step Program is a uniquely, well-rounded phase of treatment that includes maintaining a close relationship with a sponsor who is experienced with self-discipline and long-term abstinence. The meetings also incorporate skills such as helping others, taking responsibility for recovery, sharing personal experiences, and accepting the existence of a higher power. â€Å"Research has shown that when group therapy either is offered in conjunction with indi vidualized drug counseling or is formatted to reflect the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy or contingency management, positive outcomes are achieved† (NADIA, 2012).The original 12 Step Guide was inspired and created in 1935 by pioneer AAA members. A couple years later, the two founders of AAA published a book based on their experiences, including both the failures and the successes. The book describes the original AAA philosophy and methods, along with establishing the Twelve Steps. Although it has been revised throughout the years, and continues to be updated, the Twelve Steps have remained intact as it carries on its stories of success from one group to the other.Nearly four decades of scientific research and clinical practice has taught us about many diverse and effective approaches to the treatment of drug addiction, resulting in the creation of overall manuals and guides throughout the years. The etiology of substance use disorders can be explained through a var iety of social dynamics. Genetic factors have been studied most frequently with alcohol and tobacco use disorders. â€Å"Specific genes have been identified, but the interaction of these genes with the environment is key for understanding genetic contributions† (Kiering, 2014).More often than not, drugs are used as an escape – an escape from reality – and this temporary escape is used to avoid the negative feelings and bad moods which are known to be related to withdrawal symptoms. In addition, this also helps in explaining the frequency and pattern of relapse. â€Å"Many substances are used to alter mood (e. G. , to reduce tension of increase positive affect), and people with certain personality traits, such as those high in negative affect or low in constraint, are especially likely to use drugs† (Kiering, 2014).Neurological factors, including the brain's reward pathways, seem to have an influence on the use of some substances in certain individuals. â €Å"Nearly all drugs, including alcohol, stimulate the dopamine system in the brain, which produces rewarding or pleasurable feelings. Incentive-assassination theory explains that the dopamine system becomes sensitive to the drug, as well as the cues associated with the drug (needles, rolling papers, etc. ). Sensitivity to these cues induces and strengthens wanting and craving for the drug' (Kiering, 2014).Cognitive and psychological variables are also very important to detect, such as the expectations about the effects of drugs. When an individual believes, and expects, to have positive effects from a certain drug (e. G. , drinking alcohol to reduce Stress and anxiety), the likelihood that the individual will abuse the rug is extremely high. Coloratura factors also play a vital role in how frequently a substance is used, with family and friends being the most influential.A broken family home (e. G. , marital problems, parent/sibling alcohol or drug use, and legal or psychiatric pr oblems) can have a tremendous negative effect on a child and the decisions they make. A lack of emotional support from parents is found to increase drug use, whereas the lack of parental monitoring if often associated with higher drug use (Kiering, 2014). The idea of being â€Å"popular† and having a ton of friends seems to be a moon goal for the majority of adolescents and young adults.Social influence is explained by the fact that having peers who drink, influences drinking behavior: however, it is also known that individuals will choose friends with drinking patterns similar to their own. While growing up, most of us have always been told to choose our friends wisely; however, they neglected to tell us how difficult this can be. The 1 2-Step program addresses the factors or causes that are responsible for, or related to, substance abuse by helping individuals to understand the concept of change. Processes of change are the covert and overt activities hat people engage in t o alter affect, thinking, behavior, or relationships related to particular problems or patterns of living† (NADIA, 2012). The 12-Step Program helps by addressing a patient's motivation and ability to change while building skills to resist drug use, replacing drug-using activities with constructive and rewarding activities, increasing social alternatives and behaviors that elicit old behaviors, as well as, improving problem-solving skills, and incorporating Sponsorship to help build, or rebuild, healthy interpersonal relationships.It has also been proven that participation in roof therapy, during and following treatment, can help maintain abstinence. A longitudinal study was conducted in 2011 among a U. S. National sample of people who were living in communal-living recovery/transition homes (Oxford Houses) and were also actively involved with Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. â€Å"Categorical involvement in a set of 1 2-step activities and averaged summary scores of involvement were examined in relation to abstinence and self-efficacy for abstinence.Participants who were categorically involved in all 1 2-step activities reported significantly higher evils of abstinence and self-efficacy for abstinence at 1 year compared with those who were less involved† (Major, 2011). The results suggest that the 12- step program provides individuals with substance use disorders the resources they need for ongoing recovery. In 201 3, a longitudinal study, similar to the previous one, was conducted among a U. S. Sample of patients who were in the process of leaving treatment for substance use dependencies. Categorical involvement in a set of 1 2-step activities and summary scores of involvement from the Alcoholics Anonymous Affiliation Scale were examined in relation to continuous abstinence and aftercare (Oxford House or usual care) condition† (Major, 2013). The people who were actively involved and participated in the 12-step activities were s ignificantly more likely to maintain and continue drug-free lifestyles after 2 years, versus those who were less involved.Through these two studies, it is suggested that involvement in the 1 2-step program and living in settings, such as the Oxford Houses, are two important factors that are related to continuous abstinence (from both alcohol and illicit drugs) among people with substance use dependencies. Most recently, a study was done on stimulant drug abusers to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week combined group, which included individual 1 2-step facilitative intervention and 12-step meeting attendance and service.The study consisted of a â€Å"MultiMate randomized controlled trial, with assessments at baseline, mid-treatment, end of treatment, and 3- and 6-month post- randomization follow-ups (Fiji)† (Donovan, 2014). It took place in several intensive outpatient substance treatment programs and it measured self- reports of substance use, 12-step attendance and activi ties, as well as a Urinalysis. The results were compared with treatment as usual (TAXI), sousing on the impact of incorporating the 1 2-step program into intensive outpatient drug treatment programs.Although it did associate with more days of use among those who were not achieving abstinence during this period, â€Å"STAGE-12 participants had lower Addiction Severity Index Drug Composite scores at and a significant reduction from baseline to the 3-month IF, attended 12-step meetings on a greater number of days during the early phase of active treatment, engaged in more other types of 12-step activities throughout the active treatment phase and the entire IF period, and had ore days of self-reported service at meetings from mid-treatment through the 6-month IF† (Donovan, 2014).More importantly, the study results indicate that individuals in a 12-step program had higher rates of meeting attendance and were involved in more related activities throughout the active treatment phas e and the entire 6-month follow-up period. Being a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, myself, I absolutely recommend the 12-step program to anyone who is looking for help with their addictions. In 2012, was sentenced to do court-ordered drug counseling and it changed my life for the better.The 12-step program was originally signed for alcoholics, but throughout the years it has been known to help any type of drug addict. I was apprehensive about this at first, but I finally understood after my counselor explained that you just replace the word â€Å"alcohol† with your drug of choice. This is why you can now find individualized programs like Narcotics Anonymous, which cater to and revolve around the 12-steps. â€Å"Another benefit of mutual support group participation is that ‘helping helps the helper. Helping others by sharing experiences and providing support increases involvement in 12-Step groups, which in turn increases abstinence† (CAST, 2008). An agree, and have seen for myself, that helping truly does help the helper. Future research that has been recommended is â€Å"systematic encouragement and community access, which utilizes 12-step members as volunteers in a ‘buddy system' that provides a bridge between formal treatment and community 12-step programs† (Donovan, 2013).Instead of just providing a list of meetings and encouraging attendance, which is the typical referral method, counselors should also introduce the individual to a current member of a 1 2-step program using an in-session telephone meeting in order to arrange attending meeting with him or her. Further studies on this idea will help to determine if there IS a significant difference in rates of attendance when being provided a guide between formal treatment and community 12-step programs, as opposed to just relying on will-power.These future studies could also help the effort to decrease the rates of recidivism in drug addicts by providing an extra step into the reintegration of inmates back into society. Overall, research over the past four decades has proven that active participation in any type of mutual support group, specifically the 12-step aerogram, has significantly increased the likelihood of maintaining a continuous, healthy, alcohol and drug-free lifestyle. In addition, â€Å"an important finding is that these abstinence rates increase with greater group participation† (CAST, 2008).