Lesson 1 – Advertising
Vocabulary
1. consumer – user or purchaser of goods and services
2. manipulate – to influence or manage deviously
3. deceptive – misleading
4. target market – group of people most likely to buy a product or service
Advertising Media
1. TV commercials
2. Radio commercials
3. Magazine ads
4. Newspaper ads
5. Billboards
6. Internet
7. Movies – product placement
Points to Ponder
1. The purpose of advertising is to sell products.
2. Many advertisers do not just give facts, but may exaggerate the claims of their product in our to persuade people to buy their product.
3. On occasions, some advertisers may even be deliberately deceptive
6 elements of an advertisement
1. Stated message – What the ad actually says
2. Implied/hidden message – what is suggested by either the stated message or the overall “look” or “sound” of the ad
3. Product name – the product brand name
4. Brief description of advertisement
5. Target group – the people most likely to buy the product
6. Technique – method used to persuade the consumer
Advertising Techniques
1. Celebrity Endorsement – Famous or well-known people talk about how great the product is or even claim they use it themselves. Creates the impression that the product must be good if the celebrity uses it.
2. Voice of authority – Uses “experts” such as doctors or scientists to talk about the effectiveness of products
3. Comparison test – Gives the results of consumer opinion or polls or “taste tests” involving direct comparison of similar competing products to prove people like one over the other.
4. Scientific Evidence – Presents “facts” and statistics from surveys supporting the effectiveness of particular products – also sometimes combined with voice of authority to make the ad more convincing
5. Demonstrations – shows how well a product works (usually under favorable conditions) Some have been rigged by advertisers to make the product look much better than it really is
6. Bandwagon appeal – creates the impression that everybody is using a particular product and that you should, too.
7. Romance/Sex appeal – Uses very attractive models in a way that implies that using the product will make you more attractive.
8. Maturity/Sophistication appeal – applies that if you buy a certain product you will be more grown-up, sophisticated, an fashionable.
9. Fun/Relaxation appeal – Tries to convince you that it will help you to have more fun or feel more relaxed.
10. Popularity appeal – Implies that buying and using a certain product will make you more popular
11. Deal appeal – Tries to create a sense of urgency and excitement by implying that this is a deal that is too good to pass up.
Summary
n Many ads are deceptive in that they mislead the consumer by focusing on some irrelevant appeal rather than the product itself
n Many advertisers are so effective that they often make us want their product without our being aware that they have persuaded us
n There are alternative ways of responding to ads for cigarettes and alcohol. EX: when looking at an ad, remember that advertisers are trying to create the impression that smoking or drinking will somehow improve people’s lives
Lesson 2 – Violence and the media
Vocabulary
1. Media – forms of public communication, such as television, movies, the internet, newspapers, music, music videos, video games, and computer software
2. Role model – a person who other people admire and imitate
3. Violence – an act or threat that hurts a person or object physically or verbally
Influences of the Media
n Advertising is designed to influence us to buy products – just like the media
n Advertising often presents smoking and drinking as attractive and appropriate
n Seeing characters in movies, TV, and other media that smoke and drink can influence us to believe this is ok
n Media can influence our behaviors and opinions.
n Media examples – TV, music, video games, internet, newspapers, magazines, books, apps, any form of public communication
Violence
n Violence is an act or threat that hurts a person or object physically or verbally
n The media shows distorted images of violence
n Homicides and other forms of violent behavior are not as common as many people think
Points to ponder
n Popular characters are usually shown as powerful, respected ,and attractive to others.
n The media influences us by creating these attractive characters to identify with . They serve as our role models, the kinds of people most of us would like to be.
n Media characters show us ways to respond and interact.
n Violent role models teach that violence is the best way to get what we want, and that violence solves problems quickly and effectively.
The power of the media
n Prime time TV shows contain an average of 4.4 violent incidents per hour
n Cartoons contain up to 25 violent incidents per hour
n Most children will see the depiction of about 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on TV before they are out of grade school
Points to Ponder
n The media portray a lot of violence. The level of violence in TV and video games does not reflect reality.
n Movie and TV producers profit from showing violence.
Violence in the media IS harmful
n Makes violence entertaining
n Makes pain and death seem unimportant
n Promotes a casual attitude toward violence
n Glorifies violence
n Makes acting violent seem natural, even all right
n Makes people believe the world is more violent than it is
n Makes people fearful
n Makes some people want to act violently
n Makes violent people think they don’t have to change
n Shows how to carry out violent acts
n Teaches how to get away with committing violence
n Makes people think that bullying is a good way to get what they want
Points to ponder
n Many studies show that children who watch a great deal of media violence are more aggressive and violent, even when they grow up, than children who watch less.
How can you resist the influences of the media?
Summary
n Violence isn’t as common as we think
n The media and role models can influence the way we behave
n Reality checks can increase our resistance to media influences
Lesson 3 – Coping with Anxiety
Vocabulary
1. anxiety – the feeling of being uneasy or worried
2. coping – contending with difficulty or stress and attempting to overcome them
3. relaxation – relief from effort or strain
What is Anxiety?
n Anxiety is feeling nervous, uptight, uneasy or apprehensive
Signs of anxiety
n Butterflies in the stomach
n Rapid heartbeat
n Shaky voice
n Muscle tension
n Sweaty hands
n Dry mouth
n Difficulty holding hands steady
n Difficulty concentrating
How do we see people cope with anxiety?
n Eating
n Smoking
n Sleeping
n Listening to music
n Deep breathing
n Exercising
n Meditating
***People deal with anxiety in different ways
n Some people do nothing or just put up with it
n Some people tend to avoid situations which are difficult for them
n Some people have their own ways of dealing with these situations
Techniques for coping with anxiety
1. Deep breathing
n Step 1: Breathe in deeply into your abdomen
n Step 2: hold it in for a count of 4
n Step 3: breathe out for a count of 4
n Step 4: repeat 4 or 5 times
2. Progressive muscle relaxation
n Step 1: Sit quietly in a comfortable position with your back straight and your feet on the floor
n Step 2: Close your eyes
n Step 3: Slowly relax all the muscles in your body, beginning with your toes. Work your way up your body going from one muscle group to another in a step-by-step fashion (relaxing the muscles in your toes, feet, lower legs, upper legs, stomach, lower back, upper back, chest, shoulders, arms, hands, neck, face, forehead).
n Step 4: Imagine yourself in a quiet, peaceful place (for example, on a beach) feeling relaxed, calm, and without a care in the world.
n Step 5: Imagine yourself back in the place where you started the exercise, still feeling totally relaxed, peaceful, and calm
n Step 6: Open your eyes and end the exercise
3. Mental rehearsal
n Step 1: Simply imagine yourself in the important situation (taking a test) feeling completely relaxed and confident.
n Step 2: Mentally practice what you will say and/or do and how you will deal with all the possible things that might happen.
n Step 3: Do this over and over again until you being to feel more relaxed and confident.
Summary
n Anxiety is feeling nervous, uneasy or stressed
n There are many situations that produce anxiety
n There are recognizable physical symptoms for nervousness
n Avoiding situations which produce nervousness may prevent us from recognizing and developing some of our abilities
n There are several techniques available to help people cope with nervousness and anxiety
Lesson 4 – Coping with anger
Vocabulary
1. anger – a strong feeling of displeasure mixed with an urge to fight back
2. control – the power to direct, manage, or hold back
3. self-statements – statements one tells oneself to stay in control
4. reframing – changing the way one thinks about a situation
Points to Ponder
n ***Anger is a normal emotion.***
n ***Anger is neither good nor bad.***
n ***Expressing anger can be healthy, but losing control is not.***
Physical effects of anger
n Similar to anxiety – produces physical changes in the body such as an increased heart rate, tightened muscles, clenched jaw, reddened cheeks
What situations make you angry?
n Teasing
n Jealousy
n Being insulted
n Having my friends or family insulted
n Having to wait too long
n Someone breaking something of mine
n Someone taking something of mine without asking
n Being talked about, having rumors spread
Points to Ponder
n ***People feel angry when they lose or can’t get something important to them, something they want or need
n We can experience differing degrees of anger, ranging form mild irritation and annoyance to intense fury and rage. ***
n ***People deal with anger in different ways
n Some do nothing. They put up with the situation or walk away from it.
n Some people lash out, verbally or physically, at whatever has angered them.
n Some people show their anger in less obvious ways, such as by refusing to talk.
n Some people try to control their anger.
n Letting anger get out of control can make conflict worse***
Techniques for controlling anger
1. Warning light
n Imagine you have a warning light in your head.
n Look at the light whenever you get into a situation that make you angry. If the light is flashing, it means “slow down and think”
2. Counting to 10
n It’s difficult to be angry and count at the same time.
3. Self-Statements
n Tell yourself that you are calm and in control
n Repeat words or phrases that will help you calm down and stay in control
n What words or phrases would work for you?
4. Reframing
n Reframe or find a new way of looking at the situation
n Mature people stay in control
Summary
n Feeling angry is a normal reaction to threatening situations
n Many situations can provoke anger in people
n Anger has recognizable physical symptoms
n Allowing anger to get out of control can escalate conflict
n Techniques exist which can help people control their anger
Lesson 5 – Communication Skills
Vocabulary
1. communication – the act of expressing oneself in such a way that one is readily and clearly understood
2. interpersonal – person to person
3. message – an act of communication
4. response – answer
5. effective communication – when the sender and receiver of a message interpret it in the same way
6. verbal – spoken; using words
7. nonverbal – body language and facial expression
8. misunderstanding – a failure to interpret a message correctly
9. ambiguous – uncertain or obscure
10. contradictory – in opposition to or at odds with
11. paraphrase – restatement of a message to clarify its meaning
Types of Communication
n Verbal Communication – refers to the specific words that we use and our voice inflections (tone of our voice)
n Non-verbal Communication – refers to body language (e.g. – mannerisms, facial expressions, body positions, body and hand gestures)
Points to Ponder
n Frequently we are communicating a message that is somewhat different from the one we intend to send.
n Sometimes our unconscious feelings are manifested in the form of nonverbal behavior.
n It is important that we be conscious of the messages we are sending.
What is a misunderstanding?
n Misunderstanding is a failure in communication which results when the receiver understands the meaning of a message differently than it was intended by the sender.
Skills for avoiding a misunderstanding.
n Send the same message on verbal & nonverbal channels
n Being specific
n Asking questions
n Paraphrasing
Summary
n Verbal communication refers to specific words that we use and our voice inflections.
n Nonverbal communication refers to body language (facial expressions and body position)
n We should be aware of our nonverbal cues. We may be giving contradictory messages
n Effective communication exists between two people when the sender and receiver interpret the message the same way
n A misunderstanding is a failure in communication
n There are several way to clarify contradictory messages (ask questions, being specific, paraphrasing)
Lesson 6 – Social Skills A
Vocabulary
1. self-confident – feeling assured about oneself
2. initiating – beginning
3. sustain – to keep going
4. compliment – an expression of praise or admiration