Advice Column #2

Dear Dude: I recently read somewhere that a person’s expectations of an event make an outcome more likely to occur. I am starting a new part time job soon. What does this mean for me? Does this have something to do with the 'self-fulfilling prophecy' that I hear my teachers talking about?
Expectant in Eastend

Dear Expectant in Eastend: Yes this would fit right in with the self-fulfilling prophecy if you are expecting to do well at your job. This self fulfilling prophecy has had several tests done upon it. Such as this one here "Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson, in 1968, gave all the children in an elementary class a test and told teachers that some of children were unusually clever (though they were actually average). They came back at the end of the school year and tested the same class again. Guess what? The children singled out had improved their scores far more than other children. (Rosenthal 1995)." So basically the self-fulfilling prophecy means what you expect to happen has a better chance of happening because you will work towards it. I believe this is true because it makes sense that if you want to win or lose then there would good odds that it will turn out how you expect it too. So if you want to succeed in you job it would be a good idea to be positive about your job.
Sincerely,
Dude

www.businessdictionary.com/definition/self-fulfilling-prophecy.html
changingminds.org › Explanations › Theories


Dear Dude: My mother is always saying that if you look good then you’ll feel good, and if you feel good then you’ll do good. Is this true? Can the way you feel about yourself actually make you do better?
Doubtful in Davidson

Dear Doubtful in Davidson: Well if you look above this is similiar to the self-fulfilling prophecy. What you expect of yourself is what you are likely to get. It has to do with self-esteem and how you see yourself. If you respect yourself then it is more likely that other people will respect you. So yes your mother would be right. Usually mothers are it seems.
Sincerely,
Dude

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/self_esteem.html

Advice Column #1

Dear Dude: Do males and females really view the world differently, or is this just a myth?
Viewing in Vanguard

Dear Viewing in Vangurd: This is an excellent question and I will answer it with no, this is not a myth. I have noticed many times when hanging out with friends both guys and girls that the guys go for the more spur of the moment while the girls like to have plans. Males and females have different amounts of grey matter and white matter in their brains. The grey matter represents information processing centres and the white matter works to network the processing centres. Because of this men and women have different skills. Men have more grey matter which helps them with mathematic skills while females have more white matter which aids with language skills. This also helps to explain why they think differently, with men thinking things through quickly and directly while women take more time to analyze. I hope this helped answer your question,
Sincerely, Dude


www.livescience.com/3808-men-women-differently.htmlCached


Dear Dude: I have a problem communicating with people. I get very anxious and don't know what to say. It is affecting my job and my social life. What can I do to become a better communicator?
Tongue Tied in Tisdale

Dear Tongue Tied in Tisdale: There are several ways to become a better communicator. Here are a couple of examples I have found, that I have used in the past;
Make a connection with the person you are talking too- Find something in common, this will help encourage interest when communicating. It will make the conversation more memorable for the particpants.
Maintain eye contact- this is a very good idea because it shows respect for the person you are communicating with, it also shows you are willing to participate in communicating.
Don't interrupt (unless there is a good reason)- You shouldn't interrupt in conversations since it is disrespective. You shouldn't cut in unneccasarily because you shouldn't assume you know what the person is going to say next.
These tips are ones that I've used before with great results, hopefully they help you too.
Sincerely, Dude

http://www.dumblittleman.com/2010/08/10-keys-to-be-becoming-better.html