Growing up I was never one for exercising let only eating healthy. Bad habits don’t die easily and soon enough as I got older they took their toll on my body. As grew not only vertically but horizontally instead of changing my habits I only continued them. I merely changed the way I looked at the problem by embracing the love for my naturally curves instead. Despite not only the public looking down on hefty women but with the further disapproval of my family that the dissonance began to weigh more. Things only progressively got worst when I was medically diagnosed with mild obesity. It was only then that the cognitive dissonance made me begin to change my behavior. Cognitive dissonance theory explains the contradictions we have with our behaviors and beliefs but it can also be used to get us to have positive behaviors.
Cognitive dissonance theory was created by Leon Festinger and to better explain his theory he used the topic of smoking. He showed how “the contradiction is so clear and uncomfortable that something has to give - either the use of cigarettes of the belief that smoking will [harm]” (Griffin et al., 2015, p.201). Cognitive dissonance in a nutshell is a contradiction that causes us stress. It is when we act in ways that go against what we believe and the strong presence we have on the matter the greater the stress we have. Festinger (2015) describe it the distressing mental state one feels when one finds themselves doing things that don’t fit with what we believe or what the public approves of (p.200). An extreme example of this is the high one gets from taking drugs but the disapproval the community might have for it. With dissonance creating a stressful mental state we naturally want to avoid it by either change our behaviors or our beliefs.
Cognitive dissonance can have either positive effects or negative ones on a person’s being. In the Glatz, Stattin, & Kerr study they considered the health and behavior of parents who find their youths drinking. Generally underage drinking is looked down upon in the community and even in the eyes of the law but “studies have shown that parents reduce control and support in response to youths' drinking” (Glatz, Stattin, & Kerr, 2012, p. 629). Glatz et al
Today’s teenager are look down upon regarding their behavior and ability to control themselves around alcohol beverage. In the article "Perils of Prohibition," by Elizabeth Whelan argues that the legal age to drink is not set to the appropriate age because moderate drinking for teens will help them be disciplined and actually take control of their life. He hopes to persuade her readers to speak out in favor of reforming the drinking age in the United States. Whelan provided valid argument for teenagers under the age of 21 with disciplined attitude towards alcohol and provides some compelling insights on the success of moderate drinking.
“Underage drinking in the UK is characterised by early onset, high volume of intake and more binge drinking, factors which play an important role in determining whether substance use is likely to become problematic.Suggest that unhealthy behaviors associated with stress may begin manifesting early in people’s lives”(“Levels of anxiety” ).Examples like this show teens using alcohol but not only that, they use other substances to cope with bad problems which shows them not being responsible because they are doing something they shouldn't be.For example, 25 per cent of teenagers in the UK report drinking by age 13 or younger, whereas in other European countries this figure ranged from 10-19 per cent which isn't to big of a difference but its still alot.(“Levels of anxiety”). The differences in these percents are not too big but if you compare them they show what looks like the rates rising.”Some 46% of fathers say they are not spending enough time with their children which shows a lack of parenting for a kid or teen.(Parker) Separation and the loss of parents can cause kids to act differently upon things. For example kids could start getting into habits like drugs and end up there because of the loss of parents can cause them to feel Left alone or they think can do whatever they want and do things friends do."The results of the study suggest that cases of depression will continue to
This essay will consider how each of the 5 psychological perspectives explain smoking. I will cover the psychodynamic, the behaviouristic, the biological, the cognitive and the humanistic approach.
On February 3, 2017, Tim Piazza, a sophomore here at Penn State, tragically lost his life at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house. This horrific event was a result of irresponsible consumption of alcohol and binge drinking. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. Around the nation, countless young adults have lost their life due to the thoughtless consumption of alcohol. Unfortunately, the common census between the majority of the average day Americans is that the most effective way to make drinking safer for young adults is enforcing a minimum drinking age of twenty one. This law, as well as the common census, are a direct result from the efforts of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) more than thirty years ago (“Drinking Culture”). MADD’s objective and goal is quite understandable; they want the young adults of today’s world to be safe and not put themselves into dangerous situations with alcohol, but they doing more harm than good. (“The Problem”). Safety is the single objective from each side in this argument, but MADD’s flawed logic and ignorance to reality has formed a belief that results in an unsafe drinking culture, resulting in more deaths, such as the tragic passing of Tim Piazza, unless the drinking age is lowered to eighteen, as well as establishing an open dialogue about drinking itself.
According to Andrew Herman, “Each year, 14,000 die from drinking too much. 600,000 are victims of alcohol related physical assault and 17,000 are a result of drunken driving deaths, many being innocent bystanders” (470). These massive numbers bring about an important realization: alcohol is a huge issue in America today. Although the problem is evident in Americans of all ages, the biggest issue is present in young adults and teens. In fact, teens begin to feel the effects of alcohol twice as fast as adults and are more likely to participate in “binge-drinking” (Sullivan 473). The problem is evident, but the solution may be simple. Although opponents argue lowering the drinking age could make alcohol available to some teens not
Once the allure of alcohol is no longer a social trend, parents would be stripped of their worries of their “rebellious teenagers sneaking off to basements and backwoods to binge drink far from adult supervision” (Griggs). Parents cannot protect their children from every hazard in the world, but they can educate their kids and desensitize their kids to the thrill of drinking out of adult supervision. Opposers claim that the current law “...[diminishes] the number of traffic deaths caused by young drunk drivers...” but they fail to realize that “...tougher seat belt and D.U.I. rules have contributed to the decrease, too” (Glaser). “Raising the drinking age hasn't reduced drinking -- it’s merely driven it underground..” (Glaser). With the legal drinking age at 18 and the incorporation of alcohol awareness classes, citizens would develop safer habits when consuming
Underage drinking now classified as illegal triggers a barrier and a limitation to what and how one allows their selves to think and outsmart the laws creating the rebellious underage drinker. For example college, “the 21-year-old drinking age has created a climate in which terms like "binge" and "pregame" have come to describe young peoples ' choices about alcohol; in which the law is habitually and thoughtlessly ignored by adolescents and adults alike; in which colleges and communities across the nation are plagued with out-of-control parties, property damage, and belligerent drunks” a main source (Choose Responsibly). The behavior of a person under the age of 21 is in no doubt the irresponsible crazy typical
The question, "Is alcohol advertising the cause of underage drinking?" seems to flow through the minds of many American families. The answer to the question largely depends upon the families view on drinking in general. Some homes encourage drinking every once in a while, for social purposes; while others condemn it all together. The topic is very controversial with several factors weighing in such as religion, family background, and health. Despite the differing views, statistics have shown that underage drinking has reached a new height this past year. What is the cause of this rise in adolescent
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, approximately 88,000 people die each year as a result of alcohol-induced conflict in the United States, including over 5,000 fatalities as a result of underage drinking. Such unfortunate loss of life is reinforced by the rebellious presentations asserted by adolescents and underage young adults, fulfilling their temptation to evade the
Proponents argue “The current underage drinking law of 21, has not stopped teen drinking, and has instead pushed underage binge drinking into private and less controlled environments, leading to more health and life-endangering behavior by teens” (ProCon, 2012, para. 2).
A study on teen drinking by the Joseph Raintree Foundation described underage drinking as, “a social activity usually undertaken by small groups of close friends, well away from the oversight of parents or other significant adults.” This kind of unsupervised drinking takes place because Americans place such a heavy emphasis on young people not drinking, catalyzed by zero-tolerance policies schools place on alcohol and a high MLDA. American youth are frequently told that with age, comes more freedom of choice and more responsibility, yet having a MLDA of 21 betrays that notion, almost encouraging young adults to reach for the so-called
This paper explores the debate over whether the drinking age should be lowered or raised in the United States. Multiple different sources are provided, each offering a different opinion. The article discusses the ethical, pathological, and emotional effects if the drinking age were to be lowered or raised. If the drinking age were to change, how would society react to this change and what would be the long term effects. Drinking has always caused negative effects, yet how would changing the age effect personal struggles. The sources describe different perspectives to each side, most wanting the age to lower, yet another source contradicts the debate on to lowering the age, and describes how the age works. The articles from Tracy (2008), Cloud (2014), and Engs (1998) all support the idea of lowering the age, yet Nagin (2012) opposes the idea of the lowering the age. All four sources and studies are essential to have a complete understanding of the topic.
During our lifetime, alcohol has become a very serious health problem throughout the United States. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol has become the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth. Some interesting statistics presented by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in the year 2013, 8.7 million people (ages 12-20) reported that they drank alcohol, (2015). There is no getting around the fact. Young people drink, they are going to drink, and it would be impossible to make them stop drinking. We all know that they are going to partake in this activity. As children grow older, they tend to get a sense of maturity and independence. Seeking new activities and taking risks is what children live for. Underage drinking is one particular risk that attracts many young people. The big major debate currently going on is should the minimum legal drinking age be lowered?
Drug use by parents and/or older siblings, coupled with tolerant parental viewpoints concerning drug usage by young people, can put youth at a greater risk of drug and alcohol use (Yu, 2003). Close parental supervision along with strongly promoted household rules influence and help deter the use of alcohol/drugs among youth (Yu, 2003). 7 million of American adolescents younger than 18 years old have parents that are alcoholics (Yu, 2003). Children of alcohol abusers have a greater chance of having behavioral and medical problems. This includes criminal behavior, learning disabilities, ADHD, emotional/ mental conditions, and problematic drinking or alcoholism once they’re adults (Yu,
Alcohol is the number one drug problem among America’s youth. More senior high school students use alcohol than any other psychoactive drug. Family doctors, pediatricians, schoolteachers, and parents know that alcohol is overwhelmingly the drug of choice among today’s youth, although trendier substances such as cocaine are often given more attention in the headlines (Carla Felsted, p. vii). Furthermore, it is widely acknowledged that drinking alcohol is a part of the youth culture in America; it may also be understood as a culturally conditioned and socially controlled behavior.