 This is a guest post from Marina Salsbury. She writes for Online College Classes. Before I post her article, though, I want to point out that employee assistance programs can be a very helpful asset to both employees and employers. If you are an employee, you can call your Employee Assistance Program anonymously and ask any questions you may have about confidentiality. This is of the utmost importance, since you don't want to have your private information informally or formally 'held against' you by your employer. Employee assistance professionals are licensed psychotherapists who will help you problem-solve any number of personal, financial, relational, and even employer related difficulties you may be having. And now, on to the article: Employee Assistance Programs: A Win for the Business and Employee Employee Assistance Programs, otherwise known as EAPs, are a part of an employee’s benefits package that can help both an employee and their employer. EAPs are designed to help employees deal with a variety of personal problems that could impact their work performance. According to a blog article found on MBA Online, many companies are rethinking traditional methods of managing their employees to increase productivity and overall satisfaction among employees. As a result of having an Employee Assistance Program in place, many businesses report higher levels of productivity and workplace happiness among their employees, truly a win for both the business and employees. EAPs can offer a variety of services, but most of them concentrate on providing problem assessment, short-term counseling and counseling referral services. Services are typically offered to both employees and members of their immediate household, since problems within an employee’s house can impact their work performance even if the problems do not affect the employee personally. Usually, EAPs assist employees and their families with personal issues such as substance and drug abuse, emotional distress, major life events (i.e. birth, death, marriage, etc.), health care crisis, legal problems, financial counseling, and workplace relationship issues. Further information on the types of services typically offered can be found at the Washington State Human Resources. The services of an EAP are typically offered at no cost to an employee or their family, since they are typically a part of the total compensation package received by the employee. At many companies, EAPs are offered through third-party providers that are hired by the employer. In many cases there are non-profit organizations that provide services. In addition to a variety of counseling services, some EAPs offer services such as law professionals, financial advisors, travel agents, and babysitting services. By providing these services to their employees, a company gains a workforce that is more productive and focused on the workplace. Furthermore, a few studies comparing companies that offer EAPs to those that do not have shown that offering EAPs can result in a variety of benefits for the companies. These benefits included lower medical costs, reduced employee turnover and absenteeism, and higher levels of productivity. In addition, there are many benefits to employees, resulting in better mental and physical health for employees and their families. It should be noted that EAPs are among the cheapest benefits for companies to offer to their employees. Considering the benefits, EAPs are among one of the best human resources investments a company can make. Employee Assistance Plans are able to offer a variety of benefits to both employees and the companies they work for. For relatively little money, a company can provide a support network to its employees that can ensure its workforce remains productive even during stressful times. Carefully research the options available to your company for setting up your own Employee Assistance Program. photo credit: mikebaird Add Comment Welcome to what is almost 2012! I'm reprinting an article I posted on my other blog, Personal Success Factors, a while ago. The principles for personal growth and personal motivation are timeless: I hope you'll apply them today and going forward.  The absurd man is he who never changes. AUGUSTE BARTHELEMY (1796-1867) French poet and satirist There is a story, I cannot remember where I heard it, about an experiment that was done with grasshoppers (I think). They are put into an upside-down glass, jumping and jumping against the glass walls. Finally, exhausted, they give up. The glass is removed, and the grasshoppers, broken, stop jumping. They truly believe that they are imprisoned. In the same way, we build, or allow glass walls to be built around us. Those walls are our vocabulary, our self-talk, , and the opinions of others that we have come to believe as fact. "But I can't." "Things never go my way." "Some people have all the luck." Are you waiting to one day win the lottery? Do you sit and daydream about that promotion without doing any work while at work? Are you waiting for someone powerful to come into your life and give you a lucky break? It's time to get off your butt! Wake Up!! It's Your Choice!! Success Factor: Value Yourself Highly As J.B. Glossinger from Morning Coach would say, "You are the miracle of birth." You are one of the most amazing of God's creations. If someone told you, "I will give you a million dollars for your eyes", would you take it? Probably not! If your eyesight is priceless, then how much more precious are you as a human being, with a unique soul, spirit, mind, and body? Success Factor: Take Responsibility For Your Own Destiny Repeat these two mantras over and over, until they sink in and become part of your regular subconscious: "If it's to be, it's up to me" "I am responsible. I am responsible. I am responsible." As Richard Gilly Nixon states in his book, The Lazy Man's Way to Riches, "Stop expecting others to rescue you from your current distress. Get rid of the dependency syndrome. Use your God given abilities and resolve. Exercise your freedom of choice, and embark on your own journey to success by working intelligently, meticulously, and persistently to achieve your success." Success Factor: Stop Doing What Does Not Work For You I am going to tell you what has not worked for me: Wishing things could be better Wishing I had other breaks, opportunities, resources that others seemed to be born with Thinking always and only about myself Engaging in a protracted pity party Sitting in front of the tv for more than two hours a night Sleeping in and barely making it to work Eating junk food and wondering why my belly kept expanding. Have you seen improvements in your job, in your salary? Are you still putting off going back to school? Are you still wishing you could squeeze into those jeans? Are you still dreaming about a goal you set for yourself a year ago? You only have one life to live. Create your legacy NOW! Success Factor: Take A Productive Action Step Today, And Every Day After That .According to best selling author Tony Robbins, the key success factor that separates winners from losers is the decision to take massive action. But even better, instead of taking one big massive action, take just one small step toward bettering just one aspect of your life, and then take another step the next day, and so on, for the next 30 days. All it takes is moving ahead with 1% improvement every day to start effecting some major change in your life. I can’t wait to hear from you about the changes that you are starting to make in your life after reading this article! photo credit: Peter Huys  "There is no such thing as insanity. There are only varying levels of irresponsibility." - Thomas Szaz, Psychoanalyst There is a secret grounded in the great minds and in the wisdom traditions from around the world. I learned it in my 20's, when I was floundering in disappointment, discouragement, and depression. The secret is grounded in a couple of laws. First, the Law of Cause and Effect. We reap what we sow. If we choose negative attitudes, complaining, bitterness, resentment, we will sow negativity, unhappiness and depression. If we choose laziness, lack of self-control, and blame, we will reap debt, health problems, and ruined relationships. Second, is the Law of Correspondence. Most of what we in our outer world is a reflection of our inner world. Now don't take this to the extreme. There are many things that are beyond our control For example, people living in oppressive regimes, or in poverty, or in starvation are not always in control of those things. I'm talking to those of us, myself included, who have many things going well in our lives. Yet, we sometimes feel like victims. Our parents, our government, our boss, our jobs are all at fault. And we've gotten the raw end of the deal. Is it any surprise, then, that our outer word reflects our 'raw deal'? "Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will - his personal responsibility." - Albert Einstein Personal Development Strategies: How To Take Responsibility For Your Actions
I'm so excited you came across the same Secret I discovered years ago. Writing this article has reminded me to look in the mirror, admit my shortcomings, put my own personal development plan into place in a couple specific areas, and be grateful for the blessings I receive as I choose new attitudes, thoughts, and actions. How about you? I hope you will act now to create a better life for yourself! This article is an Ezine article I recently published. You can read all of my articles here. How To Treat Performance Anxiety At Work 12/04/2011
 How can you handle paralyzing performance anxiety at work? Clammy hands, sweating, panic, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating. These are all symptoms of anxiety that can cripple you if you don't get a handle on that anxiety. Schedule a Worry Session Each Day or Once a Week This may sound crazy, but it will free you from having to worry throughout the day, every day. Over time, your body is going to say, "Give me a break!" During your worry session, write down specifically what you are worrying about. What you'll be doing is capturing all that free floating stuff and reducing it to capsule sized opportunities in disguise. After capturing your worries, you can then write down 5-10 solutions for each worry. Then, choose one of those solutions and put it down as a task for your next day. You see that by turning the worry into a problem solving session you are harnessing that "worry energy" into positive solutions! Design A Peaceful Environment Look for a screen saver or computer background that contains a peaceful nature scene or a saying that will help remind you that all is well. You can also bring in photos that will anchor you to relaxing images or memories. You may want to invest in a small lamp to give your soft light, or in an inexpensive water fountain for your desk. Fear to Gratitude Often, we are focused on the worst case scenarios. In this exercise, write down your fears on the left hand side of the page. On the right hand side of the page, write a countering statement. Picture yourself as a compassionate friend and coach. What would that person say to you? Write it down! Then, take the right hand column of helpful statements, and record those into a recorder. Or, if you have a smart phone, you can record it right on your phone. Listen to those statements over and over, on the way to work, before you go to bed, and when you get up. You'll be training your brain to respond to positive cues, instead of the worry laden scary thoughts. 1% Improvement At the beginning of each day, ask yourself, How can I improve 1% in my key result areas today? Or, just think about 1% improvement. By doing this, you will be training your subconscious mind to automatically find ways to improve. Reach Out If the anxiety is overwhelming and extremely paralyzing, don't wait for it to get worse. Most companies have an Employee Assistance Program. Call it! Their services are free, and they are there to help you! Or, if you don't want to go through them, call the number for mental health on the back of your insurance card. You may think you are too proud, or too strong, or that you will be admitting you're crazy if you reach out for help. But it's that kind of thinking that will keep you stuck! If you have a bad back, is it crazy to go for physical therapy? No! In the same way, a good licensed counselor will help coach you through your anxiety, and you will come out stronger than you went in. So, in conclusion, don't be afraid to reach out. Schedule worry time for yourself. Think 1% improvement. Change your fear into gratitude. Along the way, remember to take the time to sleep, eat, and exercise in a way that will build your physical reserves. Cut down on the caffeine and sugar. Feed your body with good, nutritional food. Feed your spirit and emotions with good friends, with counseling, and with prayer and meditation. I hope this will help you as you boost your performance to make it the best ever! photo credit: nate steiner Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6019708 (I'm the author) How Autism Manifests Itself 11/18/2011
 As parents and as individuals, we want to fit in with everyone else. We want to feel loved, respected, and to belong. Life happens, however, and not everyone fits into the mold. But then, think about it. Would you like a million of "you" walking around the planet? The world 'autism' may conjure up all sorts of associations. In older times, it unfortunately had the associations of mental institutions and disability. I want to do something a little different with this article. Rather than talk about what is wrong with children on the autism spectrum, I want to talk about how they are unique. This uniqueness and particular hardwiring they are born with is what makes them who they are. As a parent, it's your job to become a lifelong student of your child and of his abilities, and of her challenges. Generally speaking, autism manifests itself first in early childhood, from as early as six months to three years of age. Some children may appear like every other child, then suddenly lose all their speech (this is called regressive autism). Other children have unique patterns that distinguishes autism in them in what has been known as a triad of symptoms. Social Interaction Children with autism communicate differently than neurotypical children. They have their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences, but they may have difficulty communicating them in a neurotypical manner. Children with autism typically have difficulty maintaining eye contact, a hard time understanding emotions, and struggle to understand other people's facial expressions and social cues. As a child gets older it's important that we, as parents, be understanding, compassionate, and respectful of these differences. We need to accommodate our expectations of our children at times, but they will also need to compromise at times in order to learn the "customs" of NT (neurotypical) culture. Communication This is where the rainbow spectrum of autism manifests itself. On one end of the spectrum are individuals who have no speech, but who are very much alive and attentive to what is going on around them. On the other end of the spectrum are children who can speak and appear to 'fit in' to a group of peers. They can actually be very gifted with vocabulary and memorizing facts. However, all individuals on the spectrum share the difficulty of understanding figurative speech, and non-verbal nuances of communication. Without the help of speech therapy and group skills, it's like you and I, as Americans speaking only English, being dropped off in Japan and told to "fit in". We would need a language helper and a consultant who could help us understand the language, customs, and culture of Japan. Repetitive Behaviors and Restrictive Interests Stereotypical movement is a fancy term for hand flapping, rocking, or making certain noises. Compulsive behavior manifests itself, for example, in a child lying on the ground and watching a wheel turn around and around, or rewinding a videotape of Thomas the Tank Engine over and over to watch the same scene, or lining objects up in a certain manner. Restricted Behavior may include preoccupation with a narrow range of interests, such as Pokemon cards, or baseball statistics, or any other subject. Ritualistic Patterns, from my observation, seem to come about from a preference of keeping seems stable and predictable, perhaps dressing the same way every day, or driving a certain route to school every day. In some children, there autism can manifest in the form of self injury. Some forms of self injury can include skin picking, eye poking, head banging or head biting. Not every child with autism will experience this, but it can occur in up to 30% of children with autism. Other Ways that Autism Can Manifest Autism can also manifest itself in unusual talents and abilities, such as an extraordinary grasp of music, or art, or the ability to memorize huge amounts of information. A child with autism may be able to focus and pay attention more than other children. Sensory issues are common for nearly everyone on the autism spectrum. These issues can manifest in difficulty with eye hand coordination, or fine motor coordination, walking on one's toes, or even walking into things. Individuals with autism may be very sensitive to wearing certain textures, to certain noises, or even certain tastes or smells. I may have missed some characteristics in this brief article. Please comment and let me know what positive characteristics of the autism spectrum I have missed, or what challenges I may not have listed here. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4795249 (I'm the author) Little Known Tips To Overcome College Shock 11/06/2011
 The Shock of College Marina Salsbury contributed this article. She blogs for Online College Classes. High school graduates take significant care to select what they believe to be the right institutions of higher learning. Hours of examination and "comparison shopping" go into choosing a college, not only for the course curriculum but for the social life. Whether students intend to start working right after college, open online businesses, or pursue a PhD or other graduate education, which college to attend is one Defining College Shock Even with so much due diligence and sweat equity, high school graduates may be set back by the "shock" of actually entering the college environment. Despite poring over brochures, reading reviews, and consulting peers, family, and academic counselors, the actual experience of campus and college life vastly differs from individual preconception. Coming to terms with that difference (and with the new and likely higher demands on students) is the shock of college. Fortunately, most colleges have programs in place to help new freshmen and transfers deal with so-called transfer shock. Orientations for incoming students help both new and transferring students deal with adjusting to their new environment. Meanwhile, academic support services will be available to students who find the new workload difficult. However, students themselves are the most important support for facing college shock. How to Cope Every student new to college must deal with some level of stress, but that's not a bad thing. Students who are able to manage normal amounts of stress will mature and be better prepared for life after college. Even if new college students are tasting independence and responsibility for themselves for the first time, it's not too late to begin developing good habits even if the shock has already set in: * Get into a routine. Most everyone feels more comfortable (or at least can work more efficiently) with a regular order for daily tasks. A routine means better planning and time management, and can provide a sense of security for students feeling overwhelmed. * Prioritize studies. This means embracing what you came to college for: an education. Though there are many distractions on campus, the main purpose is to learn and earn a degree. The social aspects of college are important too, but prioritizing schoolwork will keep you in control. * Become involved in group activities. Group activities not only provide stress relief, but often provide a satisfying sense of accomplishment separate from schoolwork. Students who feel good about themselves perform better academically. * Eat well, sleep well. College life can be hectic, and students finding themselves free to eat whatever they want and stay up as late as they want often exercise those freedoms a little too liberally. Healthy eating and sufficient sleep are nevertheless essential for health and focus. The Phenomenon of Homecoming Shock College shock, oddly enough, also works in reverse. Once students learn the ins and outs of college, they become comfortable. The new environment is no longer foreboding, social life is second nature, and academics are understandable and manageable. Students may return home after a few semesters and find so much has changed at home. In reality, nothing has substantially changed except for perception, of course. Prior to going to college parents were in charge, but after being independent and successfully self-sufficient for awhile, students returning home might find the relationship remains unchanged in the eyes of their parents. In such situations, parents and their college-age children simply need to communicate a bit about how to live together again while the kids are home. They should mention any rules or boundaries that need to be respected, but also acknowledge that the student is now a more independent and (hopefully) responsible person. With these thoughts and tips in mind, students can brace themselves for the shock of college life. Ultimately, it's up to them to deal with the transition, though they're not without help in doing so. photo credit: whereisat Finding Yourself on Your Own in College 10/04/2011
 Students new to college life may find it difficult to adjust. Unlike life at home, a university isn't a controlled environment run on a familial and familiar schedule. Instead, students are expected to be entirely self-sufficient, setting their own schedules and managing their own finances. In addition, a college campus collects students from all over the region, the country, and probably even from other countries. This is a sharp contrast to high school, where children from the same neighborhoods grew up in class together. Handling New-Found Independence The starkest contrast between high school and college life is the independence. In high school, students have parents to help guide and direct them. In college, student are left to their own. Mom and dad aren't there to wake you on time, keep on on-task with your work in online college classes, or make sure you get your reading done. Students must take control of their own schedules, budgeting time for study, completing assignments, and extracurricular activities. Prioritizing is paramount to a successful education. Other responsibilities include managing money, perhaps for the first time in students' lives. Students will begin receiving credit card offers in droves. While “free money” might be tempting, it will only lead to problems during and after college. Not only will you be responsible for paying back your student loans, credit card bills will be due every month too. Every student should learn to balance a check book properly, even if electronic banking often makes doing so unnecessary. This responsibility will be with you for the rest of your life. This is also an excellent opportunity to develop and stick to a budget. Dealing with Losing Old Friends and Making New Ones Set a time to connect with your family and friends back home. You can do this by coordinating schedules to select a time each week for a phone call back home. Keep in touch with old friends despite the college diaspora via e-mail or social media. Just do something to keep your important connections from vanishing. Students should accept the fact most high school friends will become a part of history rather than continuing to stay in touch, but college is a time for new friends and often forming deeper relationships. Adjusting to an Unfamiliar Environment Surround yourself with familiar sights. Take or have pictures of your hometown neighborhood, family, and friends sent to you. Place these photographs around your room, and share them with others enthusiastically. This will help you to develop a bond with others and form friendships, as well as help keep a little of your comfortable old environment around. Getting involved with campus activities can be a cure for homesickness. In addition, take some time to explore you new surroundings. Walk not only the campus, but the town. Ask instructors and teaching assistants where the “invisible boundaries” are to stay safe. This will be especially helpful when family or friends come to visit. Exercising Greater Personal Responsibility Paramount to all students should be safety. Campus may seem totally safe, but it's still important to lock your doors in the evening. Stay away from dimly lit areas on campus at night. Be responsible about drinking. Having the freedom to cut loose does not mean putting your health or life in jeopardy. Moreover, you will have a number of choices in college you didn't have in high school. The classes you take will be almost entirely up to you. Whatever course of study you choose, you and you alone are responsible to stay committed to your goal. The bottom line is a college administrator will not hold your hand. You will be expected to sign up for the right classes, attend those classes, and complete assignments in a timely manner. Although this may not sound difficult, it will be a challenge for many students to manage their social and academic lives effectively when it's suddenly all up to them to stay on track. Take it one step at a time, though, and you'll grow into your new role of leading your own life gracefully and with strength. Marina Salsbury contributed this article. She blogs for Online College Classes. photo credit: alexbrn Are You A Child Whisperer? 09/09/2011
 Are you a typical parent? You work. You go to parent teacher meetings. You are involved in a number of other important meetings. And somehow, in between all of it, you need to fit parenting in. On top of this, your youngster doesn't seem to respond to your lectures about how much you had to do when you were her/his age. It's Not Easy Being A Parent But someone has to do it, and it might as well be you! You have the opportunity to lay a foundation of character and good habits for your children. The better of a job you do while your children are young, the easier parenting will become as they grow older. Kids Under 12 Learn Best Through Positive Consequences Don't get me wrong: kids need to experience logical and negative consequences when they make poor choices. However, it's great to have a menu of positive goals and rewards to choose from. Furthermore, when a child is involved in setting up goals and earning rewards, s/he learns the most, according to Science News Daily. Here's a site I love and have used myself. It's called GoalForIt, and it's free! I encourage you to go there, sign up for your free account, watch the video demo, and start helping your child reach his/her goals!  An Interview with Judy H. Wright, Empowerment Coach and author of Out of Balance? Be a Bounce Back Person http://www.bouncebackperson.com Welcome Judy, can you tell us why you decided to write this particular book? I have been a life educator and speaker for 25 years. It has been my honor to work with families and individuals who have gone through some pretty negative situations. As we connected and shared stories, it was apparent that some people are able to bounce back easier than others. Resiliency is a life skill and like all life skills it can be taught. It is just like riding a bike or paddling a kayak. First, we watch how others might do it, try it for ourselves and maybe fail the first time or two. But, then we gradually get the idea and the flow of how to balance and correct when we start to go the wrong way. If you remember trying to master bike riding, it was easier with someone to support and encourage you. You, yourself, had to practice endlessly, but following a plan made it easier to succeed. What do you hope people get from reading your book? Readers will gain an understanding of the power of negative mind chatter. It is so important to realize that what we think about we bring about, not only situations but other people. They will recognize when they are overwhelmed and how to step back from a situation and get perspective. It is my fondest wish that they will be empowered by love, support, courage and determination. The goal of producing Out of Balance? Be a Bounce Back Person is to encourage new ways to establish and maintain resiliency and a flow, rather than being overwhelmed by adversity. The book contains insights and lessons on the six areas of life; Family & Home, Social & Friends, Money & Career, Spiritual & Ethical, Emotions & Mental, Physical and Health. Do you feel optimistic about the future? Yes, I do. Shifts in time, money, energy are all happening at lightning speed, but I have confidence in the resiliency of those who can bounce back. When times are tough, it is easy to get discouraged and depressed. But, this is a great time to be alive. Tough times teach people to be self-reliant and think of new ways to increase the income and decrease the outgo. The “Baby Boomers” will be okay because they were taught by their parents who lived through a depression. Generation X may have a more difficult time because theirs was an age of entitlement. But I have great hope for the new kids that are being born now. They are more open to new ideas, accepting of all people and technology savvy. Many of the children being born now are called “Indigo children” and are born technologically savvy and ready to lead. If you had to come up with a name for the next chapter of your own life what would it be? Tell us about it. I have spent a lifetime gathering experiences and wisdom and I am grateful to be in a position to share guidance with others. Writing in my little home office in Montana is a dream comes true. It is exactly as fulfilling as I had hoped it would be. Tell us about Artichoke Press Artichoke Press is an e-learning company specializing in personal growth, empowerment and transformation for an online global community. The Website is http://www.ArtichokePress.com Products include tele-seminars, books, cd and video products as well as live presentations and personal mentoring sessions. The income stream is 75% passive and 25% active. Clients are those who wish to bring spiritual and emotional values and skills into all relationships, both personal and professional. They are ready to pay for someone or something to solve their pain and problems. They are ready to change and are searching for the vehicle which will help them transform to a higher level of life. The leader is Judy Helm Wright, author and keynote speaker on empowerment issues. She is an author of over 20 books and many articles on personal growth and self-improvement. The team is composed of professionals who resonate with the message of respect and kindness for all. Why the “Auntie Artichoke” Auntie is an honorary title given by indigenous people to wise women who love unconditionally. The artichoke is my logo because it reminds us to peel off the layers in order to find the heart of the story.  About the Author My name is Judy Helm Wright and I live here with my husband, Dwain and our spoiled dog, Rosie. This is the chosen spot where we raised our family and have been active in the community for many years. We have six wonderful adult children and ten really wonderful grandchildren scattered all over the country. I have written many, many books and articles and spoken all over the world about finding the heart of the story in the journey of life. However, my proudest accomplishment is that my family members like themselves and each other. We have all had our personal struggles and road blocks, but it is inspiring to see them overcome adversity, change behavior and to be open to new opportunities that come to them. Please think of me as an approachable neighbor, or, kind and caring auntie that you have turned to for advice. "Auntie" is an honorary title given to wise women who love unconditionally. I have been called Auntie Artichoke, the story- telling trainer, because I use stories and real experiences of success and sadness in my own life to teach others. I am anxious to hear your story of authenticity in stepping into your own light and confidence. Please sign up for a free 15 minute coaching session at http://www.EmpowermentWithJudy.com You will be glad you did. Judy Helm Wright aka Auntie Artichoke photo credit: barbourians  Why Did I Do That? The Psychology Behind Decision Making You know you’re irrational. You look at yourself and think “Why did I do that?” You look at them and think “Why did YOU do that?” Seeing as none of us came out of the womb with a psychology degree, trying to figure out why we do what we do is challenging enough, let alone make sense of what anybody else is doing. Attempting to understand the intentions and motives of those around us can at times seem too complicated to understand. Decision making is a cognitive process, meaning there is information processing and strategy involved. Here's a broad overview of some of the biggest psychological factors that influence the decision making process. 5 Important Psychological Factors in the Decision Making Process: 1. History One of the most prevalent factors present during decision-making is history. Memories, emotions, and desires of the past may influence future behavior. You probably know it as "emotional baggage." However, psychologically it is more than that. Most biases within a thought process are subconscious. Whether or not you consciously remembers the past experiences, your baggage still heavily influences future decisions. Your ethics (Catholic, Democratic, Quaker, non-religious ethics, what have you) in a decision-making process can help predict what the outcome might be. Morality is determined by beliefs, opinions, and external factors. Whether you believe in Allah, Big Brother, or UFOs, before you act you wonder: "Is anyone watching?" 2. Self-Esteem If the irrationally popularized The OC taught us anything (and of course it did), it was the value of “confidence, Cohen.” If you’re confident that you are prepared for any situation, you’re likely to make riskier decisions. On the opposite end of this spectrum, if you don’t trust yourself you’re going to err on the side of caution. According to Social Factors Shaping Perception and Decision-Making, how you view yourself, positively or negatively, factors majorly in dictating you future actions. Beyond your view of yourself, you worry about how other people will see you and what your actions will do to others. Considering different options will determine different results for someone, whether positive of negative. Let’s face it, no one likes feeling guilty. 3. The "Bigger Picture" If someone takes time to consider how one decision will affect another, they may analyze what could possibly be their "domino effect." However, most people do NOT consider the "bigger picture" when making their decisions. What about the desire to skew your situation in a positive light? Your mom called it wishful thinking (Mowing lawns will never buy me a car? I’m going to mow all the lawns!). If somebody relies heavily on wishful thinking, they may believe that a certain outcome can happen if they make a certain choice. However, sometimes the "hope" of a positive outcome deludes one's logical thought process. 4. Attribution Asymmetry Most people attribute their accomplishments to their own abilities, but when things don’t go as well they tend to blame a negative situation (rather than their own incompetence). They deflect the blame from their own failings. Of course, when something good happens to someone else, it’s the opposite story. Attribution asymmetry states that when something awesome happens to someone else, it’s because of luck. It turns into a feedback loop: if you’re a genius (in your own mind), your decisions are clearly the right ones. If not, you’re just stuck between a rock and a hard place. 5. Wishful Thinking Self-control becomes a factor in decision-making in regard to an individual’s belief system. As stated in “Leadership Decision Making,” someone's belief or lack thereof may determine what they are naturally inclined to do. Having self-control may increase feelings of confidence, while lack of self-control may result in hopelessness or despair. This may be the most misunderstood psychological factor in anyone's mind. We believe (with however much delusion) that we have more control than we actually do. We make decisions to manipulate our outcomes. If you’re living in a basement, you’re going to do whatever it takes to get out of the basement, even if it means deep-sea diving. The mental, emotional, and psychological processes in decision-making are very involved. However, the attempt of understanding this process can be understood more easily through recognizing the most prevalent psychological factors affecting those around us. Considering someone's past experiences, biases, and desires can help provide some insight on why people do the things they do. About the Author: Allison Gamble has been a curious student of psychology since high school. She brings her understanding of the mind to work in the weird world of internet marketing. photo credit: liquene |  Sign Up
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