tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/peer-support-56128/articlesPeer support – The Conversation2023-01-31T20:13:29Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1976012023-01-31T20:13:29Z2023-01-31T20:13:29ZWhy teachers are letting students solve math problems in lots of different ways<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505010/original/file-20230117-22336-ivynyu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C42%2C5615%2C2765&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">There are many ways to perform multiplication that will still count the same quantity.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Families might be wondering why <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-new-math-how-to-support-your-child-in-elementary-school-87479">their child’s math classroom looks so different from what they remember</a> in school. </p>
<p>Why aren’t teachers putting students on the spot and getting them to prove that they know the math? Why are teachers letting students solve problems in lots of different ways instead of just telling them how to do it?</p>
<p>Teachers are moving beyond <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40247978">traditional ways of teaching math</a> and shifting towards more evidence-based equitable teaching and assessment practices. This means every student is provided with what they need as opposed to being provided with the exact same resources and assessment practices.</p>
<p>For example, instead of giving all students in the classroom the exact same test, a student with test anxiety will be given an alternative format to showcase their learning. </p>
<h2>Math is not ‘neutral’</h2>
<p>Mathematics is not a “neutral” subject — biases in math exist that are grounded in colonial ideals. </p>
<p>For example, what is traditionally considered <a href="https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum/elementary-mathematics/grades/g1-math/glossary">a standard measurement</a> in a Canadian math curricula is only standard in western cultures. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.20319/pijss.2017.32.12851297">Traditional mathematics teaching</a> focuses on the teacher’s way of solving a problem as the right way. Students who might think about the problem in a different way are then at a disadvantage. In some cases, their cultural way of doing mathematics is then viewed as incorrect. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Students seen huddling in a classroom in discussion." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505005/original/file-20230117-11094-1pehpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C17%2C3851%2C2190&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505005/original/file-20230117-11094-1pehpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505005/original/file-20230117-11094-1pehpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505005/original/file-20230117-11094-1pehpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505005/original/file-20230117-11094-1pehpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505005/original/file-20230117-11094-1pehpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505005/original/file-20230117-11094-1pehpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There are many ways to perform multiplication.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Many strategies can be used</h2>
<p>One <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/45185388">study examined the multiplication strategies Filipino immigrant children living in Japan used</a>. In Japanese culture, children learn a formal multiplication method (kuku) <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-secret-to-being-good-at-maths-49222">that involves learning to recite times tables</a>, whereas in the Philippines, it is common to use finger multiplication. </p>
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<p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/indigenous-basket-weaving-makes-an-excellent-digital-math-lesson-110094">Indigenous basket-weaving makes an excellent digital math lesson</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>The study found that immigrant Filipino families only taught their children finger multiplication if they found that their child was struggling with multiplication. The children would hide this method from their teachers. </p>
<p>When only one strategy for math is taught as universally correct, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543211070050">this marginalizes students</a> and compounds inequities.</p>
<h2>Draw on existing knowledge</h2>
<p>What are some signs <a href="https://www.nctm.org/Publications/Journal-for-Research-in-Mathematics-Education/2017/Vol48/Issue1/Toward-a-Framework-for-Research-Linking-Equitable-Teaching-With-the-Standards-for-Mathematical-Practice/">teachers are practising equitable teaching in math</a>? </p>
<p>Teachers draw on <a href="https://education.ucsc.edu/ellisa/pdfs/Moll_Amanti_1992_Funds_of_Knowledge.pdf">students’ existing knowledge</a>. In order to serve each student and their unique learning styles, teachers ideally get to know their students and how they learn best. </p>
<p>This means teachers view their students as having knowledge that can be shared within the learning community. This is in contrast to traditional teaching practices that work on the assumption that students are <a href="https://envs.ucsc.edu/internships/internship-readings/freire-pedagogy-of-the-oppressed.pdf">empty vessels to be filled with knowledge</a>. </p>
<h2>Peer collaboration</h2>
<p>When you were in school, what did participating in classroom activities look like? Did you raise your hand? Did you turn to your elbow partner? Were you sitting in rows and expected to be quiet until you were called upon?</p>
<p>Equitable classrooms promote student voice and agency, peer collaboration and values learning from each other. </p>
<p>This creates an equitable learning environment because it provides all students with the platform to have their voices heard and validates students’ cultural ways of knowing math that may have otherwise been hidden. </p>
<p>An added bonus is that if all <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-022-01420-z">students have multiple ways to solve a problem,</a> they have more strategies to rely on.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two children discussing something in a classroom." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505006/original/file-20230117-24-wu8ywt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505006/original/file-20230117-24-wu8ywt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505006/original/file-20230117-24-wu8ywt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505006/original/file-20230117-24-wu8ywt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505006/original/file-20230117-24-wu8ywt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505006/original/file-20230117-24-wu8ywt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505006/original/file-20230117-24-wu8ywt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If students have lots of ways to solve a problem, they have more strategies to rely on.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What an equitable math classroom looks like</h2>
<ul>
<li><p>Teachers get to know students through student interest surveys where students can explain what they like about math and what they need from their teachers to be successful in math. </p></li>
<li><p>Students can write <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-009-9134-z">narratives about their experiences with math</a> to help identify students’ attitudes towards math (how they feel about themselves as a math learner, what they think math is about, whether they like math or not). </p></li>
<li><p>Teachers focus on how students solve problems and their solution strategies instead of just getting the right answer. Teachers allow students to show their thinking in a variety of ways (like in conversations and group work).</p></li>
<li><p>Instructional time (when the teacher is speaking about the ideas being taught) happens after students engage with their learning. This communicates to the students that they are capable of solving the problem, and that their ideas are both important and valuable.</p></li>
<li><p>There are a variety of strategies and solutions generated by the students.</p></li>
<li><p>Students have lots of choice about where they are working (standing at whiteboards, working collaboratively with peers or in groups, building hands-on models).</p></li>
<li><p>Instead of students only writing tests, the teacher is able to use diverse and different types of data to assess student learning (conversations, group work, models).</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>What an equitable math classroom sounds like</h2>
<ul>
<li><p>Teachers ask questions about what students are thinking, rather than giving them the answers.</p></li>
<li><p>Teachers <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-11486-005">wait for students to ask for help</a> before assistance is offered to communicate that they are able to solve the problem (though adults can remind students they are there to help when students need it).</p></li>
<li><p>Students talk more than the teacher; these classrooms are loud with student talk.</p></li>
<li><p>Teachers ask questions about student thinking (“How do you know that’s the correct answer?”; “Can you tell me more about your thinking?”).</p></li>
<li><p>The teacher uses the students’ ideas to consolidate the learning after the students have worked with the problem.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>What an equitable math classroom feels like</h2>
<ul>
<li><p>A safe space to showcase the voices and ideas of all people in the classroom.</p></li>
<li><p>Welcoming, fair and supportive.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Equitable math classrooms can be best realized when families, teachers and students support the importance and benefits of equitable classrooms.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197601/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Mathematics is not a “neutral” subject — cultural biases exist. A shift to more equitable teaching looks like teachers drawing on students’ knowledge, and students generating lots of solutions.Tori Trajanovski, PhD student, Faculty of Education, York University, CanadaCristina De Simone, PhD student, Mathematics Education, Faculty of Education, York University, CanadaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1945302022-11-29T19:11:01Z2022-11-29T19:11:01ZYou’ve got a friend: young people help each other with their mental health for 3.5 hours every week<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496930/original/file-20221123-26-r5kt5f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C27%2C6134%2C4043&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.pexels.com/photos/9807587/pexels-photo-9807587.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1260&h=750&dpr=2">Pexels/Ron Lach</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Young people experience mental health difficulties at a <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/national-study-mental-health-and-wellbeing/latest-release">higher rate</a> than any other age group.</p>
<p>While there’s ongoing discussion about the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-01/new-youth-mental-health-residential-facilities-regional-victoria/101599116">formal supports they need</a>, young people say they’re most likely to speak with <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1943-278X.2012.00108.x">peers and friends</a> – particularly when mental health care is difficult to access.</p>
<p>In partnership with youth mental health charity <a href="https://www.batyr.com.au/what-is-batyr/">batyr</a> and <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-health-services/23024853/erin-dolan-and-associates/services/warragul-3820-25-albert-street">clinical expertise</a>, we undertook a <a href="https://www.batyr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Being-there.pdf">national survey and conducted focus groups</a> with young people (aged 16–25 years).</p>
<p>We wanted to understand how young people support each other and what resources they need to keep caring for their friends in safe ways. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/research-suggests-one-way-to-prevent-depression-and-anxiety-is-a-strong-sense-of-connection-at-high-school-193939">Research suggests one way to prevent depression and anxiety is a strong sense of connection at high school</a>
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<h2>A critical resource</h2>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.batyr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Being-there.pdf">research</a> included a national survey with 169 young people, as well as focus group discussions with 34 young people from Melbourne and Sydney. We found young people provide on average 3.5 hours per week of support for friends, or about 182 hours each year. </p>
<p>Participants spoke about being there for friends whenever they needed them, and 76% agreed friends provide critical support – often more than mental health professionals and parents or guardians.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Yeah, I think it’s easier and less confrontational talking to friends rather than family or a professional.</p>
<p>– Mackenzie*</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This support includes assisting during tough times (such as during a relationship or family breakdown) and support due to health or financial difficulties, exam stress, as well as mental health distress. Almost 95% of young people in our study said they had helped a friend through mental ill-health.</p>
<p>Emotional support means “being there” for a friend, but it includes other assistance too, such as financial help, temporary housing, or connecting friends with professional services. </p>
<p>Young people discussed being able to provide immediate support to each other. This support is ongoing and involves more than just one encounter.</p>
<h2>Personalised, dynamic support</h2>
<p>All the young people we spoke to said their support changes depending on the friend, time, place and situation. Malis told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think it just depends on the person and sort of like their approach to certain things […] it also just depends on the context.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>They emphasised there is not a “one size fits all” approach. As Ari said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Giving support, it’s not a formulaic thing.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496932/original/file-20221123-24-npaf9z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="group of teen girls sit in skate park" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496932/original/file-20221123-24-npaf9z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496932/original/file-20221123-24-npaf9z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496932/original/file-20221123-24-npaf9z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496932/original/file-20221123-24-npaf9z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496932/original/file-20221123-24-npaf9z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496932/original/file-20221123-24-npaf9z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496932/original/file-20221123-24-npaf9z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Young people said they’d ask for professional or adult support if needed.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.pexels.com/photos/10118237/pexels-photo-10118237.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1260&h=750&dpr=2">Pexels/Cottonbro Studio</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mental-distress-is-much-worse-for-people-with-disabilities-and-many-health-professionals-dont-know-how-to-help-187078">Mental distress is much worse for people with disabilities, and many health professionals don't know how to help</a>
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</p>
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<h2>Tailoring an approach to their friends’ needs</h2>
<p>While there is no single approach, there are some common components to how young people support their friends.</p>
<p>A common first step is noticing something is wrong. This might be a mood change observed in person or online.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You know when they’re just not talking as much or they’re not really, you know, interacting with anyone [then] you kind of say ‘Okay, something’s wrong here’.</p>
<p>– Lara</p>
</blockquote>
<p>They spoke about carefully and strategically starting conversations to make it easier for their friends to talk. Young people say this requires more than asking “Are you OK?”. Ash told us it was about “being a lot more specific and directing questions with a bit more intent”. </p>
<p>Sometimes friends approach them, and they spoke about being ready for them when and where they were needed; being on “standby”, as Malis put it. </p>
<p>Support takes place in-person and online, and sometimes moves between the two settings. Omar said a friend might start chatting on a train “and then they go online and start talking”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/locking-up-kids-has-serious-mental-health-impacts-and-contributes-to-further-reoffending-194657">Locking up kids has serious mental health impacts and contributes to further reoffending</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>Providing the right support 5 ways</h2>
<p>Young people say providing the right support and response means working out what their friend needs, whether they want advice (or not), and taking into account their cultural background.</p>
<p>They spoke about taking the following actions:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>sharing their <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10597-021-00786-w">own lived experiences</a> and what worked for them</p></li>
<li><p>finding <a href="https://www.batyr.com.au/resource-hub/">online resources</a> about the issue a friend was going through and forwarding details to them</p></li>
<li><p>finding lists of accessible professionals and supports</p></li>
<li><p>taking a friend along to a mental health professional, or organising their visit with a mental health professional</p></li>
<li><p>talking to someone in their immediate family or network to get their friend the support they needed, though this was often considered a last resort.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The young people we spoke to said they avoided unnecessary engagements with adults. They felt they’d been entrusted with their friend’s concerns and needs. Adults were frequently seen as not understanding issues around mental health more generally. </p>
<p>However, if they thought a problem was beyond their control or expertise, then they would seek outside help. As Shalani said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If I feel like it’s out of my area of expertise or something, I would probably think it’s better for them to like go elsewhere.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496936/original/file-20221123-12-r0mtn8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="two pairs to feet in sneakers against graffitied wall" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496936/original/file-20221123-12-r0mtn8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496936/original/file-20221123-12-r0mtn8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496936/original/file-20221123-12-r0mtn8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496936/original/file-20221123-12-r0mtn8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496936/original/file-20221123-12-r0mtn8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496936/original/file-20221123-12-r0mtn8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496936/original/file-20221123-12-r0mtn8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Adults were frequently viewed as not having a good understanding of mental health issues.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1622253543934-c3cb280f8323?ixlib=rb-4.0.3&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1740&q=80">Unsplash/Aedrian</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/research-suggests-one-way-to-prevent-depression-and-anxiety-is-a-strong-sense-of-connection-at-high-school-193939">Research suggests one way to prevent depression and anxiety is a strong sense of connection at high school</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Helping themselves too</h2>
<p>Young people can sometimes <a href="https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/items/50c94e9e-c749-5338-ba92-c2f530677615">take on too much responsibility</a> for their friends. Young people in the study spoke about how they look after themselves to create healthy boundaries. Celine had learnt this the hard way and said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Ultimately you can help your friend, but then you’ve got to make sure that you’re okay first to do that.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>However, sometimes the lines between being a good friend and supporter and maintaining self-care were difficult. As Sam said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I have found it difficult when I was having a hard day and had to be their support person for the whole day. It’s also difficult when you are out of the house (with family or other friends) and can tell they need you at that moment but you don’t really have the time, but you make time anyway.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Some young people didn’t provide help to a friend because they were worried about saying the wrong thing or putting the friendship at risk by expressing concern. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-ruok-day-but-how-can-i-help-might-be-a-better-question-to-ask-190064">It's RUOK Day – but 'how can I help?' might be a better question to ask</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Helping them help each other</h2>
<p>This study shows the critical work young people are doing to informally support each other. </p>
<p>We need to recognise the expertise of these young people, particularly when there are difficulties accessing formal mental health support.</p>
<p>We need to think about how we best resource young people in acceptable ways, so they have the tools to continue to support friends and manage feelings of responsibility.</p>
<p>We need to develop services and responses that include friends, and we need to create and foster public and online spaces where young people feel comfortable supporting each other, including on social media.</p>
<p>And ultimately, we need to address many of the underlying fundamental issues that result in tough times for young people – poverty, uncertainty, exclusion and discrimination – the social drivers that lead to and exacerbate tough times.</p>
<p><em>*Names have been changed to protect participants’ privacy.</em></p>
<hr>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/">Lifeline</a> on 13 11 14.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194530/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This project was supported by funding from batyr as well as financial support from the Western Sydney University’s Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellowship program.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amelia Henry, Erin Dolan, and Jasbeer Musthafa Mamalipurath do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Young people provide timely and personalised mental health support to friends – but sometimes find looking after their own needs difficult in the process.Benjamin Hanckel, Senior research fellow, Western Sydney UniversityAmelia Henry, Research Assistant, Western Sydney UniversityErin Dolan, Honorary Fellow / Clinical Psychologist, The University of MelbourneJasbeer Musthafa Mamalipurath, Research officer, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1866782022-08-16T17:57:13Z2022-08-16T17:57:13ZHow universities can support international students beyond orientation week<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479256/original/file-20220816-20110-5jrdhq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C181%2C6720%2C3812&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Social spaces that bring together international and domestic students are an essential part of creating an open campus culture.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-universities-can-support-international-students-beyond-orientation-week" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>As the new academic year starts, universities and colleges are preparing for orientations to welcome international students. </p>
<p><a href="https://edvoy.com/articles/university-welcome-week-around-the-world-canada">Orientation to local culture and society</a> offered by post-secondary education institutions is common, especially during the first couple of weeks of the new semester. In weeks and months to come, the international students will continue to adapt to their new environment and communities. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/coming-changes-to-the-canadian-airline-industry-could-lead-to-even-more-disruption-187425/">ongoing COVID-19 pandemic</a> brings another layer of complexity and uncertainty to <a href="https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/visitors-workers-students#students">international students’ university lives</a>. </p>
<p>For many students, it means <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/post-secondary-education/institution-resources-administration/covid19-return-to-campus-guidelines-web.pdf">limited interactions due to public health restrictions</a>. International students may have to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9266157/">self-isolate and reduce social contacts</a> with their peers on a daily basis.</p>
<p>My research with colleagues has examined how a <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2021.13809abstract">two-way approach that encourages social interactions between international students and local peers</a> is more effective than developing short-term programs to orient international students to the academic environment, campus culture and society. </p>
<p>To better support international students beyond orientation week, universities can focus on developing year-round academic and extracurricular opportunities that encourage cultural exchanges between international students, their peers and the wider society.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Students seen in a line wearing face masks." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479283/original/file-20220816-18-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479283/original/file-20220816-18-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479283/original/file-20220816-18-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479283/original/file-20220816-18-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479283/original/file-20220816-18-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479283/original/file-20220816-18-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479283/original/file-20220816-18-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The pandemic brings another layer of complexity and uncertainty to the university experiences of international students.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Connecting students</h2>
<p>Research has identified that creating <a href="https://penkethgroup.com/knowledge-centre/blogs/benefits-of-social-spaces/">physical or virtual social spaces</a> to connect international students with their local peers and communities allows students to engage and learn.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.josieahlquist.com/reimagining-your-campus-communities-in-digital-spaces/">Virtual spaces</a> hosted on <a href="https://medium.com/university-of-leeds/how-microsoft-teams-is-helping-to-create-a-virtual-social-space-for-our-students-c3df9b8c9d21">different platforms</a> can host student-initiated committees and associations. Such associations help students to <a href="http://blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca/innovationhub/engaging-international-students/">build social connections</a> between international students and their local peers. </p>
<p>In these spaces, students build mutual understanding, acceptance and a sense of belonging. When university educators are also involved in these <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.808104">social spaces</a>, this may inspire their creativity to innovate and adapt their current curriculum.</p>
<p>University educators also need to be aware of the potential for developing student academic competencies through these joint social spaces. Beyond visits to local cultural sites or extracurricular community collaborative projects, students’ participation in social spaces could mean learning through team projects for course credits. </p>
<h2>Academic-integrated approach</h2>
<p>For example, when international and domestic students from a variety of disciplines get together to experience culture and learning collectively, this can lead to emotional engagement and developing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/jtc-2021-2007">competency in intercultural communication</a>.</p>
<p>I encourage university educators to create “social spaces” in their curriculum, and assign those social learning and interactions as part of obtaining academic credits. Students might be assigned work that involves <a href="https://www.royalroads.ca/programs/master-arts-intercultural-and-international-communication?tab=program-description">reflecting on academic learning outcomes</a> and “soft” interpersonal skills. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Students seen talking on a campus." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479282/original/file-20220816-16-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479282/original/file-20220816-16-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479282/original/file-20220816-16-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479282/original/file-20220816-16-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479282/original/file-20220816-16-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479282/original/file-20220816-16-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479282/original/file-20220816-16-bojg8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Students’ competency in intercultural communication can grow through participating in collective learning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/ Zen Chung)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Developing sustained spaces for social or academic collaboration moves beyond the current approaches of short-term cultural orientation, usually prepared by university administrators, international offices or student services. Instead, a year-round integrated approach involves inviting program designers, teaching faculty and student support associations to be involved. </p>
<p>University educators could also explore the possibility of offering different cultural and linguistic programs, driven by international students but available to all students and learners in the community. </p>
<h2>Encourage open campus culture</h2>
<p>Educational institutions should consider creating social spaces that deliberately bring together international and domestic students as an essential part of <a href="https://www.macleans.ca/education/campus-life-at-canadian-universities-during-the-second-pandemic-school-year">an open campus culture</a>. This means a campus that encourages international students, and indeed all students, from a variety of cultural backgrounds to <a href="https://www.educanada.ca/live-work-vivre-travailler/study-environment-milieu-des-etudes.aspx?lang=eng">participate</a>. And, it means promoting <a href="https://www.univcan.ca/priorities/equity-diversity-inclusion/">an inclusive attitude towards cultural diversity</a>. </p>
<p>During early-year orientation or other year-round activities, separating international students from domestic students may widen the cultural gaps on university campuses. </p>
<p>Our research highlights the imperative role of cultivating an inclusive and diverse campus culture that <a href="https://www.insightintodiversity.com/canadian-universities-band-together-to-improve-diversity-and-inclusion-in-higher-education">values cultural differences and similarities</a>, <a href="https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/policyfocus/sdg/cicans-commitment-to-equity-diversity-and-inclusion-edi/">respects individual cultural contributions</a> and <a href="https://www.royalroads.ca/about/our-vision/equity-diversity-inclusion/edi-students">supports social interactions among peers</a>. </p>
<p>This way, international students are truly supported to adjust socially, culturally and academically for greater long-term success. </p>
<h2>Engage campus and local communities</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/international-student-projects-need-add-real-value-local-communities">Higher-education institutions</a> can also connect international students with local communities.</p>
<p>University campuses should take an engaged education approach that considers the role of local communities beyond the campus proper to <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781410605986-9/experiential-learning-theory-previous-research-new-directions-david-kolb-richard-boyatzis-charalampos-mainemelis">support experiential learning</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.welcomebc.ca/Study-in-B-C/Resources-For-International-Students">Universities</a> could establish processes that bring international students, local families, organizations and communities together to encourage community engagement activities and projects. Specific experiential learning projects, student practicums or innovation competitions are just a few ways this can be accomplished.</p>
<p>This way, international students <a href="https://cafesottawa.ca/2021-15-minute-neighbourhood-community-engagement-project/">could really learn to appreciate the value of their learning and work</a>, and how it contributes to <a href="https://www.royalroads.ca/partnerships">social development of local communities</a> in a positive manner.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186678/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Juana Du receives funding from Royal Roads University (Internal Grant of Research).</span></em></p>Year-round academic and extracurricular opportunities that encourage cultural exchange between international students, their peers and the wider society are important.Juana Du, Associate professor, School of Communication and Culture, Royal Roads UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1750092022-03-13T12:28:29Z2022-03-13T12:28:29ZHow an ER simulation helps medical and engineering students see new points of view<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449587/original/file-20220302-17-k8ww5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C231%2C7360%2C4043&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The future of virtual learning? In Canada, doctors and nurses are engaged in professional development studies alongside design engineer students in Italy. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Some medical students in Canada are collaborating in a virtual class with design engineering students in Italy. Their mutual goals are to enhance their preparedness and insights regarding their respective real-world professional challenges by working together online in a scenario.</p>
<p>The students log in to an online simulation of a virtual emergency room. The medical students are assigned doctor and nurse avatars, and the engineering students have IT specialist or designer avatars. The scene plays out in response to the collaborative actions the students take. </p>
<p>This is a real learning experience supported by educators at McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences. Doctors and nurses are engaged in a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-020-00604-1">continuing professional development course</a> with professor of medicine <a href="https://experts.mcmaster.ca/display/chant38">Teresa Chan</a>, who is also associate dean of continuing professional development.</p>
<p>Learning <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-017-0055-0">through scenarios</a> and simulations in <a href="https://simulation.mcmaster.ca/high_fidelity_simulation.html">fields from health care</a> <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1146153">to education</a> isn’t new. But this example provides a <a href="https://books.macpfd.ca/HPER-Primer/chapter/design-fiction-scenarios-for-health-care-education">glimpse into an expanded future of teaching and learning in post-secondary education in virtual environments</a>.</p>
<h2>The ‘co-learning’ open classroom</h2>
<p>I am a design researcher, learning <a href="https://twitter.com/michielviersel/status/1115242004257153026?cxt=HHwWhIC95bWskfoeAAAA">innovator and artist</a> whose research focuses on education technology to look for new ways of learning and teaching. </p>
<p>I see students learning together through scenario-based learning, bolstered by artificial intelligence, as a growing trend, and I am interested in how universities can integrate insights from <a href="https://www.damnmagazine.net/2017/08/22/design-democracy/">designers committed to enhancing stronger and more participatory civic engagement</a>. Whether collaborative learning <a href="https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/active-collaborative-learning/collaborative-learning">is peer-to-peer or in larger groups</a>, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.12.091">benefits</a> for participants include <a href="http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v7n1/gokhale.jte-v7n1.html">enhanced critical thinking</a>. </p>
<p>In order for our society to see innovation in virtual learning, we need good design principles and tools for knowledge, sharing and growing. My <a href="https://act.mit.edu/about/people/2522">research, applied practice</a> and teaching at <a href="https://issuu.com/designengineeringharvard/docs/s20_mde_idep_booklet">Harvard University’s master’s program in design engineering</a>
has been about developing collaborative learning or “co-learning” as a methodology and learning style. This learning is based on design principles such as equality, accessibility, diversity, inclusion and collaboration to solve real problems.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hu55A63phFs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Video about how design can sustainably serve the needs of cities from the Open Design School.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Co-learning can unfold in positive when people collaborate either fully online or in hybrid situations (online and in-person).</p>
<p>Co-learning is about setting up ideal conditions for learning in a peer-to-peer context, whether in <a href="https://act.mit.edu/event/arianna-mazzeo-choreographing-the-city-morning-conversations/">community or civic settings focused on civic change or innovation</a> in groups or in formal education. </p>
<p><a href="https://lguariento.github.io/Engineering-the-Future/50.html">In an online classroom, co-learning involves</a> interactive course content as a way to create scenarios where students can act and perform, improvise and talk about topics of relevance as a group. </p>
<p>The co-learning open classroom provides students with opportunities to observe and for faculty to listen and co-learn at their own pace. Video-based learning activities and interactive virtual spaces foster students’ work as a team. Virtual learning affords opportunities for such teams to collaborate across geographies. Collaboration is a mindset and a method. </p>
<h2>Virtual teaching assistants</h2>
<p>Artificial intelligence (AI) also has a role in future co-learning.
For example, a course instructor or facilitator video records a lecture on a subject area they want to share. This allows the same video to be viewed by one student or thousands of students. </p>
<p>Through a common platform, students from different parts of the world could ask for help <a href="https://www.openpraxis.org/articles/10.5944/openpraxis.12.1.1063/">from a virtual teaching assistant</a>: a chatbot. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-powered-chatbots-designed-ethically-can-support-high-quality-university-teaching-172719">AI-powered chatbots, designed ethically, can support high-quality university teaching</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The facilitator of the in-person classes could also use the virtual teaching assistant to help students learn from each other: students could use an app on their mobile devices, while the facilitator can guide, mentor and interact with the groups.</p>
<p>No additional facilitators are needed to teach multiple sections of the same course. The facilitator is both a guide and a mediator. </p>
<h2>New levels of collaboration and ways of learning</h2>
<p>Using such hybrid methods, people globally could share facts, dialogues, materials and projects on the base of common interest to learn by doing. Stories and <a href="https://soundcloud.com/actmit/choreographing-the-city-ep-4-courage-and-the-unknown">insights from science and art could be shared</a> and new insights co-created. </p>
<p>Virtual collaboration could also help break academic silos by bringing together people in different fields to realize applied interdisciplinary approaches.</p>
<p>These design-based research scenarios may redefine the way we can make learning more collaborative, and also increase students’ access to talented educators around the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175009/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ari Mazzeo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Courses designed to foster peer-to-peer learning in virtual spaces can yield research insights across disciplines.Ari Mazzeo, McCall MacBain Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1731822021-12-22T20:05:10Z2021-12-22T20:05:10ZAmid COVID-19 stressors, international students and their university communities should prioritize mental health supports<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438854/original/file-20211222-19-rnf9di.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C550%2C7073%2C3933&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">International students living abroad who face unpredictable pandemic travel restrictions during holidays may be feeling vulnerable, and reaching out is important.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 175px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/amid-covid-19-stressors--international-students-and-their-university-communities-should-prioritize-mental-health-supports" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>After experiencing weeks or months of excitement building up before you left your home for the thrill of a North American education, you might now be feeling vulnerable in a foreign country, especially with news of <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8461227/covid-19-cases-canada-omicron-variant-threat/">the new omicron variant</a>.</p>
<p>You may feel lonely and wondering what to do during this holiday as your friends are spending time with their families, a luxury you may not have due to <a href="https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2021/12/07/i-just-want-to-go-home-omicron-variant-casts-doubt-on-international-students-travel-plans/">complicated international travel restrictions</a>. In addition, as some campus and university services have been restricted due to COVID-19 and many will be on holiday hours, you may face isolation which can evoke emotional memories and hardships.</p>
<p>So, here we <a href="https://www.concordia.ca/sgs/public-scholars/profiles/ezgi-ozyonum.html">are, Ezgi</a> <a href="https://education.jhu.edu/directory/qiyang-zhang/">and Qiyang</a>, two international students. Our research expertise is respectively in critical analyses of international education, and student well-being and school-based mental health intervention. We study at Concordia University in Montreal (Ezgi) and at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore (Qiyang). We offer suggestions to you — and your communities — on how to better support your mental health and wellness.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young man on the phone outdoors in a snowstorm and snowflake earmuffs smiling" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438773/original/file-20211222-19-ipsajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438773/original/file-20211222-19-ipsajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438773/original/file-20211222-19-ipsajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438773/original/file-20211222-19-ipsajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438773/original/file-20211222-19-ipsajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438773/original/file-20211222-19-ipsajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438773/original/file-20211222-19-ipsajz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It is important to take steps to stay connected and find support when facing obstacles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Managing elevated pandemic stressors</h2>
<p>On top of the obstacles you have probably faced, such as <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354061768_Approaches_to_Internationalize_A_review_on_international_students_and_the_internationalization_of_the_curriculum">adjusting to the drastic change of food, weather, language and culture</a>, the pandemic has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247999">disconnected you socially</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2991/jegh.k.201016.001">applied severe economic pressure on you</a> and <a href="https://www.macleans.ca/education/how-the-pandemic-has-disrupted-the-lives-of-international-students-in-canada/">made immigrating much more challenging</a>. </p>
<p>Additionally, if you are an Asian international student, you have likely been coping with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000275">the stressors of elevated racial discrimination</a>. Research in the U.S. shows this discrimination in the pandemic has included hate crimes and vicarious discrimination (seeing or hearing about hate crimes and discrimination and worrying about them), and that these experiences are associated with poorer self-reported mental and physical health. In Canada, researchers similarly documented a <a href="https://www.covidracism.ca/resources">surge of COVID-19 anti-Asian racism</a>; hate crimes <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8063163/hate-crimes-rise-canada-2020">targeting East or Southeast Asian</a> descent people rose by 301 per cent in 2020. </p>
<p>Studying under these circumstances is challenging. Therefore, we consider your psychological, social, and emotional well-being as we write this holiday letter to you. </p>
<h2>Mental health stigma</h2>
<p>We care about you, not only because of the obstacles you face, but also because of the lack of help-seeking behaviours among international students. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12388">Almost half</a> of the international students in the U.S. and Canada come from India and China. Researchers with the China-India Mental Health Alliance have found <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/series/china-india-mental-health">that people often associate mental health counselling with negative connotations</a> in these countries. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/may/18/millions-people-mental-illness-china-india-untreated-study-lancet">Social stigma</a> can burden you heavily, especially when we consider that your host institutions may be unaware of these cultural barriers.</p>
<p>Therefore, mental health may not be a topic you have previously been encouraged to reflect on. Maybe you’ve been told to keep your head down and just get good grades. Or perhaps you think that it is only you who is struggling, and everyone else has it together.</p>
<h2>Peer-support groups</h2>
<p>Have you previously tried peer support groups? These groups provide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2012.12.005">informational and emotional support</a> and expand your network. While socializing with your peers, you can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-021-00479-7">reduce a sense of alienation, improve your self-esteem and have feelings of empowerment</a>. </p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.concordia.ca/students/life/all-groups.html">Concordia University offers various student groups,</a> including the Canadian Asian society, that help students with <a href="https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/gradproskills/blogs/2021/10/07/essential-skills-for-building-strong-professional-communities.html">essential skills for building strong professional communities</a>. There are also <a href="https://www.concordia.ca/health/zen-dens/calendar/active-listening.html">peer wellness ambassadors</a> trained in active listening and providing peer support. Search for your institution’s social support opportunities to get involved and benefit.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two students seen wearing masks walking outside." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438779/original/file-20211222-129369-qzzzxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4302%2C2228&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438779/original/file-20211222-129369-qzzzxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438779/original/file-20211222-129369-qzzzxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438779/original/file-20211222-129369-qzzzxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438779/original/file-20211222-129369-qzzzxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438779/original/file-20211222-129369-qzzzxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438779/original/file-20211222-129369-qzzzxe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Peer wellness ambassadors can be one source of support.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/Charlotte may)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Combatting systemic racism and cultural biases</h2>
<p>Experiencing discrimination could <a href="https://theconversation.com/racism-impacts-your-health-84112">undermine both mental and physical health</a>. You are likely frustrated by injustices and would like to take action against racism. It is necessary to combat anti-Asian racism and other <a href="https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/sgs/public-scholars-21/2021/08/30/a-warm-welcome-to-international-students.html">systemic problems on and off-campus</a>. </p>
<p>Princeton University <a href="https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2021/09/princeton-history-racism-activism-orientation">began offering a workshop during new first-year student orientations on its racist history and the power of student activism</a>. We advise you to keep your eyes open for similar workshops.</p>
<p>Participating in unconscious bias <a href="https://hbr.org/2021/09/unconscious-bias-training-that-works">workshops is essential to empower us to become agents for change, equipped with concrete tools</a>. The most effective training does more than help students become aware of their own biases in a new environment, but also to build stronger networks with other students concerned with bias, discrimination or systemic racism <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-intersectionality-all-of-who-i-am-105639">from intersectional perspectives</a>.</p>
<p>Although we encourage you to find these workshops, your institutions may not offer or tailor them to your needs. We suggest seeking ways to have your own racial justice task force and build bridges with fellow students <a href="https://cfs-fcee.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Anti-Racism-Toolkit-Final-1.pdf">engaged in countering systemic racism</a>. Raise your voice and share <a href="https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/sgs/public-scholars-21/2021/08/30/a-warm-welcome-to-international-students.html">your perspective while learning from others, broadening your vision and widening your social network.</a> This engagement is essential.</p>
<h2>Culturally responsive counselling services</h2>
<p>It is OK not to be OK. University counselling services are available to help. Please do not worry about privacy issues, as all conversations will remain confidential. We encourage you to try at least one session, especially if you have doubts.</p>
<p>Having said this, we know that mental health and student support campus programs tailored to <a href="https://thewalrus.ca/inside-the-mental-health-crisis-facing-college-and-university-students/">specific communities are critical</a>. Research proposes that one reason for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/016128498249042">Asian Americans’ under-use of mental health services is existing services aren’t culturally competent</a>. <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/campus-wellness/services/base-peer-leaders">Peer leaders may help you navigate</a> what culturally relevant services are available at your campus.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-mental-health-issues-get-stigmatized-in-south-asian-communities-culturally-diverse-therapy-needed-164913">How mental health issues get stigmatized in South Asian communities: Culturally diverse therapy needed</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Some universities have counsellors and therapists who are proficient in foreign languages or have international backgrounds. For example, Tufts University’s counselling and mental health team hires a culturally sensitive generalist clinician who is bilingual in English and Mandarin <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20211025095928462">and has expertise in counselling international students on life transitions, cultural adaptation and racial dilemmas</a>.</p>
<p>We worry about your well-being and encourage you to take steps to take care of yourselves. For students, this might mean stepping forward to ask for help or pinpoint what social supports, engagement and institutional supports you need, or sharing this article with your peers, communities and institutions so that they can become aware of your needs and support you better. </p>
<p>For people in university communities, it might mean making an extra effort to reach out to international students on or off campus they know over the holidays. In the longer term, what’s critical is prioritizing hiring counsellors of diverse backgrounds, providing more social chances for international students to bond and organizing workshops to discuss international students’ needs and concerns.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173182/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Peer support, opportunities to engage in responses to combat racism and bias and culturally responsive counselling are important for the mental health and well-being of international students.Ezgi Ozyonum, PhD Candidate, Education, Concordia UniversityQiyang Zhang, PhD Student, School of Education, Johns Hopkins UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1707012021-12-01T13:30:43Z2021-12-01T13:30:43ZSmall-group learning can mitigate the effects of school closures – but only if teachers use it well<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431742/original/file-20211112-15-usg8m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=45%2C0%2C5119%2C3356&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">For peer learning to be effective, each child should have a specific task or role.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/students-studying-in-classroom-royalty-free-image/138710922">Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/DigitalVision Collection via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Schools aren’t just where kids go to learn reading, math, science and history. The social skills they learn – like how to build and maintain relationships with peers – are also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/13274-015">critical</a>. This is particularly true as schools grapple with the <a href="https://theconversation.com/students-are-returning-to-school-with-anxiety-grief-and-gaps-in-social-skills-will-there-be-enough-school-mental-health-resources-165279">aftereffects of school closures</a> due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p>As an <a href="https://education.uoregon.edu/directory/faculty/all/markv">education researcher</a>, I have dedicated <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=k9pwfZAAAAAJ">my career</a> to understanding how peer relationships affect young people’s behavior, mental health and academic success, and how teachers can enhance peer relationships through the proper use of <a href="https://markvanryzin.medium.com/helping-students-to-cope-with-the-mental-health-and-academic-challenges-of-covid-19-f54ba7a59d97">small-group learning</a>.</p>
<p>Warm and supportive peer relationships have wide-ranging positive effects, most notably on children’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_18">academic success</a>. On the flip side, anxiety and depression are often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22120">preceded by peer indifference or rejection</a> – or, during school closures, by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2020.05.009">social isolation</a>. Drug use and dependence often arise when <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12211">socially marginalized youths band together</a> and experiment with delinquent behavior. Students with few or no friends are often the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2009.08.007">target of bullies</a>, and racial disparities can be at least partially attributed to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12241">discrimination</a> by peers.</p>
<p>These challenges existed long before COVID-19, but the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7657035/">pandemic made them worse</a> – particularly for economically disadvantaged youths, who <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-1440">suffered disproportionately</a> during school closures. </p>
<p>A greater emphasis on <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-00748-025">improving peer relationships</a> through small-group learning – what educators refer to as “cooperative learning” or “peer learning” – can go a long way to addressing many of these setbacks. </p>
<h2>How ‘peer learning’ works</h2>
<p>Most parents have likely heard their child complain about a group activity at some point. Their child may have been involved in a group where there were no specified roles, no incentives to help one another and no accountability for individual contributions to group success. In such a lesson there can be conflict within the group or an unfair division of responsibility. This often results in a negative experience, both academically and socially.</p>
<p>Such informal small-group lessons lack the structure of peer learning, which calls for <a href="https://markvanryzin.medium.com/helping-students-to-cope-with-the-mental-health-and-academic-challenges-of-covid-19-f54ba7a59d97">certain design features</a> that make small-group instruction much more likely to be successful. </p>
<p>First, well-designed small-group lessons give each student a unique role or task within the group so that the success of the group depends on each member’s contributions. The teacher designs the lesson with these roles or tasks in mind and ideally assigns them to group members at random.</p>
<p>Second, each student is held accountable for their specific role or task by both the teacher and the members of their group. This can be done by having a grading scheme for each lesson with both an individual grade and the opportunity for group members to earn additional credit tied to the success of the group as a whole.</p>
<p>Third, teachers define and reinforce the social skills that are needed to work successfully in small groups. For example, teachers can define a key social skill at the beginning of the lesson such as “encouraging others to participate in group discussions.” The teacher provides sentence starters – such as “What do you think about … ?” – for students to use and then listens for and reinforces the skill during the lesson.</p>
<p>Finally, teachers allow time at the end of the lesson for group members to reflect on their experience. Group members can pinpoint ways they can work together better next time and also provide one another positive feedback.</p>
<p>These four design features are vital to the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-2909.134.2.223">success of cooperative or peer learning</a> and are relevant whether learning is conducted in person or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12235">online</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="About 20 students walking into high school building" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431746/original/file-20211112-19-1kny4wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431746/original/file-20211112-19-1kny4wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431746/original/file-20211112-19-1kny4wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431746/original/file-20211112-19-1kny4wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431746/original/file-20211112-19-1kny4wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431746/original/file-20211112-19-1kny4wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431746/original/file-20211112-19-1kny4wv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Friendships are good for mental health and academic success.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/students-entering-lowell-high-school-in-lowell-ma-on-news-photo/1235604512">Boston Globe via Getty Images</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Benefits of positive peer relationships</h2>
<p>Studies show that the positive relationships arising from peer learning can lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0272431620950474">lower stress levels</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0272431620950474">fewer mental health problems</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-020-00026-8">improved behavior</a>, including less frequent <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21858">bullying</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2019.101059">drug use</a>.</p>
<p>Peer learning lessons can even serve to <a href="https://markvanryzin.medium.com/addressing-prejudice-and-building-racial-equity-in-schools-31ad34eee683">change attitudes</a> about members of other racial or ethnic groups, which can lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410605634">less prejudice and discrimination</a> and fewer <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2020.1806016">racial disparities</a>. And a vast amount of research finds that students simply <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-2909.134.2.223">learn better</a> in properly structured small groups as compared with working alone.</p>
<p>Some parents may worry that a focus on improving social relations comes at the expense of academic achievement. But making time for building social skills doesn’t necessarily imply less time for academic learning. In fact, a great deal of research shows that both social relations and academic achievement can be enhanced simultaneously with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.134.2.223">peer learning</a>. </p>
<p>In short, increased use of peer learning can help schools deal with the negative academic, social-emotional and behavioral repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping children build a future defined by social acceptance, academic achievement and enduring success.</p>
<p>[<em>More than 140,000 readers get one of The Conversation’s informative newsletters.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-140K">Join the list today</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170701/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark J Van Ryzin receives funding from NIAAA. </span></em></p>Small-group learning activities can help students build social skills while enhancing academic achievement. This is particularly important for kids who face bullying or discrimination.Mark J. Van Ryzin, Research Associate Professor in Education, University of OregonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1714002021-11-14T19:06:53Z2021-11-14T19:06:53ZBeing in a class with high achievers improves students’ test scores. We tried to find out why<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431614/original/file-20211112-27-ysw4k6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/diverse-group-students-learning-classroom-740361820">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Who you go to school with matters. Almost all of us, as children or parents of children, have felt the influence of good, and bad, classmates at school.</p>
<p>There is a <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-economics-071813-104217">large body of research</a> showing better peers <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128153918000215">can help increase</a> a child’s test scores. But much less is known about how these peer effects actually take place between classmates. This is because the mechanisms through which peers positively influence other students are difficult to pinpoint.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/13938/on-the-mechanisms-of-ability-peer-effects">results of our study</a> get us closer to understanding how peer effects work.</p>
<p>We found parental investment increases when a child is in a classroom with higher performing peers. This could partly explain why test scores increase for students in such classrooms. But we also found while their test scores may go up, little else does. For instance, the amount of time a student spends studying when in a classroom with higher performing peers does not go up. </p>
<p>Our study shows the positive effects of peers seem to occur with no real extra effort from the student.</p>
<h2>Combining rich data and a social experiment</h2>
<p>Our study is the first of its kind to test many of the possible mechanisms underlying the transmission of peer effects. </p>
<p>We tested 19 different ways peers can positively influence their classmates. These fall into three main categories: student behaviour, parental investments and school environment. They cover mechanisms such as students’ study effort and participation in class, aspirations and expectations to go to university, parents’ time, parental support and strictness, and teacher engagement.</p>
<p>We used data from the national <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314260007_Transition_from_School_to_Work_An_Introduction_to_Taiwan_Education_Panel_Survey_and_Its_Follow-up_Project_-_Taiwan_Education_Panel_Survey_and_Beyond">Taiwanese Education Panel Survey</a> of more than 20,000 students, parents, teachers and school administrators. The data includes student characteristics such as how many hours they spend studying per week, parental education and how much time students spend with their parents. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431630/original/file-20211112-17-1vj202r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Girl studying on her bed." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431630/original/file-20211112-17-1vj202r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431630/original/file-20211112-17-1vj202r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431630/original/file-20211112-17-1vj202r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431630/original/file-20211112-17-1vj202r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431630/original/file-20211112-17-1vj202r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431630/original/file-20211112-17-1vj202r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431630/original/file-20211112-17-1vj202r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Data included how much time students spend studying.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/teenage-girl-using-laptop-do-homework-488084416">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We analysed this data from middle schools in Taiwan (ages 12 to 14, or years 7 to 9 in Australia) where students are assigned to classrooms by chance. This way, we could compare kids in the same school in classrooms with higher- or lower-achieving peers.</p>
<p>Each student takes a standardised test at the beginning of year 7, and another test at the beginning of year 9. We measured the progress these students made. </p>
<p>We compared kids who had the same test scores at the beginning of year 7, and controlled characteristics we know make a difference for test scores. These include parental education, how much time each student spends studying and teacher motivation. The only difference between the students we compared, in terms of influence on academic results, was the classroom they were assigned to by chance.</p>
<h2>Students in top classrooms had higher grades</h2>
<p>For simplicity, we can explain it like this. There are two students in the same school. One is assigned by chance to a classroom where the standardised test scores are the average in the country. And the other is assigned to a classroom where the test scores are the top in the country. Other than that, the two students are identical.</p>
<p>We examined the scores of both these two kids two years later.</p>
<p>In our study, the student assigned to the top classroom has progressed more than the student in the average classroom.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-study-in-china-found-struggling-students-can-bring-down-the-rest-of-the-class-149917">Our study in China found struggling students can bring down the rest of the class</a>
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<p>In year 7, both students answered 31 questions out of 75 in the standardised test correctly. Two years later, the student in the average test-score classroom still answered 31 questions correctly, while the student in the top test-score classroom answered nearly 32 questions correctly. This equates to 2.4% more correct answers. </p>
<p>While this may seem like a small difference, it is <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/02/a-refresher-on-statistical-significance">statistically significant</a> and similar to what previous studies have found. However, our study goes beyond this.</p>
<h2>What else we found</h2>
<p>We also showed that two years later, the student in the top test-score classroom was 1.6 percentage points more likely to aspire to go university than the student in the average test-score classroom. And the top classroom student was 2 percentage points more confident in their ability to get into and attend university. </p>
<p>A later finding (which is yet to be published) was that students assigned to the top class had not changed the amount of hours they were spending on study.</p>
<p>However, the parents of the child assigned to a classroom with higher-achieving peers had spent more time with their child, and provided them with more general emotional support, two years later, than the parents of the child in the average test score classroom.</p>
<h2>Reasons for peer effects remain a mystery</h2>
<p>By testing more potential mechanisms than before, our study rules out many possible pathways for peer effects hypothesised in previous work. For example, we found no effects of high-achieving peers on students’ initiative in class, cheating, misbehaving and truancy, nor on parents‘ investments in private tutoring and aspirations for their child to go to university. There was also no difference in students’ perceptions of their school environment and teacher engagement.</p>
<p>While our study shows high-achieving peers positively influence student and parent behaviours, these alone don’t explain much of the positive effects on test scores in our data. In other words, the things that do change – aspirations and expectations, and parental investments – don’t fully account for the benefits of high-achieving peers.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/will-sorting-classrooms-by-ability-improve-marks-it-depends-on-the-mix-94172">Will sorting classrooms by ability improve marks? It depends on the mix</a>
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<p>The fact that our study didn’t deliver a clearer overall picture of how peer effects actually work is a testament to their complexity.</p>
<p>We were able to explore mechanisms due to the rich Taiwanese data combined with the unique experiment where students are randomly assigned to classrooms within schools.</p>
<p>But there were still two notable exceptions not measured, such as direct learning from peers and detailed teaching practices. </p>
<p>Collecting data on peer-to-peer interactions, such as discussing and coordinating tasks, is difficult but could be a key to unlocking the mystery of how higher-achieving peers benefit fellow students. </p>
<p>Data on teaching practices, like pairing students for group work and the amount of material covered in lessons, could also provide new insights.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171400/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexandra de Gendre is affiliated with the School of Economics at the University of Sydney, the IZA Institute of Labor Economics and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicolás Salamanca receives funding from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course. He is affiliated with the Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research at The University of Melbourne. </span></em></p>Our study is the first of its kind to test many of the possible mechanisms behind the positive effects peers may have on other students.Alexandra de Gendre, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Economics, University of SydneyNicolás Salamanca, Research Fellow, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1595142021-04-29T12:23:06Z2021-04-29T12:23:06Z#MeToo on TikTok: Teens use viral trend to speak out about their sexual harassment experiences<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397693/original/file-20210428-13-1th7r6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=44%2C0%2C4928%2C3280&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Girls face lasting negative effects of sexual harassment.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/sad-girl-in-her-bedroom-royalty-free-image/1051068192?adppopup=true">FatCamera/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/teen-girls-seek-out-safe-spaces-online-in-their-own-metoo-movement/">recent TikTok video</a> that has been liked by <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@emileegrant1/video/6940756521949089029">almost half a million</a> people encourages girls to record themselves putting one finger down for every time they have been sent unsolicited dick pics, begged for nudes, catcalled, repeatedly asked out after already saying no, and forced to do something sexual when they didn’t want to.</p>
<p>Similar videos about sexual assault posted by young women became popular in 2020. The <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@emileegrant1/video/6940756521949089029">new video</a> is aimed at teens and focuses on sexual harassment. By calling attention to how common sexual harassment is for teen girls, the “Put a finger down: Sexual harassment edition” video has become the 2021 TikTok teen version of the #MeToo movement of 2017.</p>
<p>This trend brings together two nearly universal realities in the lives of teen girls: the ubiquitous presence of social media and the daily barrage of sexual harassment. As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=tuYEhtgAAAAJ&hl=en">developmental psychologist</a>, I think this trend showcases how teens have developed a modern way of coping with a long-standing problem. </p>
<h2>Teens online</h2>
<p>Pre-COVID-19, a Pew Research Center poll found almost half of teens in the U.S. reported <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/">being online “almost constantly.”</a> Over the past year as they were stuck at home during <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22295131/social-media-use-pandemic-covid-19-instagram-tiktok">remote schooling</a>, teens relied on social media even more to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2020.0478">cope with the forced social isolation</a>. </p>
<p>Lockdowns and remote learning are <a href="https://theconversation.com/teens-are-wired-to-resent-being-stuck-with-parents-and-cut-off-from-friends-during-coronavirus-lockdown-136435">especially painful for teens</a>, because they are at the developmental stage when the need to connect with peers is at an all-time high. </p>
<p>At the same time that teens are spending <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22295131/social-media-use-pandemic-covid-19-instagram-tiktok">more hours of their day on social media</a>, the content of what is getting posted has become increasingly focused on <a href="https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2020/09/16/covid-19-is-changing-how-why-and-how-much-were-using-social-media/">social issues</a> and “real-life” challenges and worries.</p>
<h2>Epidemic of teen sexual harassment</h2>
<p>It only makes sense then that a popular post on social media addresses one of the biggest sources of stress in teen girls’ lives: sexual harassment. Research with middle school and high school girls has shown that in fifth grade <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.11.010">one out of four adolescents have experienced sexual harassment</a> in the form of sexual comments, jokes, gestures or looks. By eighth grade it is one in two. My colleagues and I have found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01151.x">90% of girls have experienced sexual harassment at least once</a> by the end of high school. </p>
<iframe src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6940756521949089029?lang=en-US" style="border:0;width:100%;min-height:825px;" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>It occurs so commonly, and in public spaces like hallways and cafeterias, that by middle school almost all students (96%) have <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0272431610396090">witnessed sexual harassment happening at school</a>. If it isn’t in the school building itself, it is on their phones: <a href="https://www.planusa.org/full-report-the-state-of-gender-equality-for-us-adolescents">four out of five teen girls</a> have had at least one friend who has been asked by a boy to send a “sexy or naked” picture.</p>
<p>These sexual harassment experiences don’t leave girls unscathed. Girls <a href="https://www.aauw.org/resources/research/crossing-the-line-sexual-harassment-at-school/">describe sexual harassment as making them feel</a> “dirty – like a piece of trash,” “terrible,” “scared,” “angry and upset” and “like a second-class citizen.” Seventy-six percent of girls report feeling unsafe because they are girls at least once in a while. </p>
<p>The more sexual harassment girls experience, the more likely they are to feel <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.01.006">emotional distress</a>, depression and embarrassment, have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2007.00523.x">lowered self-esteem</a>, suffer from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9431-5">substance abuse</a> and have suicidal thoughts. Their attitudes about their bodies <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0165025419870292">become more negative</a>, with many girls not liking their own bodies and starting to have the kinds of <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0028247">eating behaviors that can lead to eating disorders</a>. And the more sexual harassment girls experience, the more likely they are to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1077801215599079">suffer in school, be absent more often and disengage from academics</a>.</p>
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<h2>Coping in isolation</h2>
<p>Yet, despite the damage it is inflicting, girls rarely talk about their experiences. Even though they report feeling scared, angry, helpless and embarrassed, they rarely report the harassment to teachers or parents and rarely tell the harassers to stop – largely because of worries about the social consequences. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.planusa.org/docs/state-of-gender-equality-2018.pdf">More than 60%</a> of teen girls worry about retaliation, “that the other person would try to get back at” them if they confronted or reported the harasser. More than half of girls worry that people wouldn’t like them if they said something, or worry that people will think they are “trying to cause trouble” or “just being emotional.” Half think they won’t be believed. </p>
<p>So, instead of saying something, more than 60% of teen girls say they try to “forget about” or “ignore” the harassment, chalking it up to “just part of life” as a girl. The problem with trying to ignore sexual harassment is that it does not work. Decades of research on the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.127.1.87">most effective ways to cope with stressful events</a> shows that seeking social support and confronting the source of the stress are much more effective coping strategies than trying to downplay or ignore the problem.</p>
<h2>Virtual – but beneficial – connection</h2>
<p>So, while the latest social media hashtag fad might seem trivial, talking about sexual harassment experiences in a TikTok video is likely profoundly beneficial. Teens use social media to connect with others. Research has shown that, although passively scrolling through others’ social media feeds can lead people to negatively compare themselves with others, which can contribute to feeling envious of others’ seemingly better lives, actively using social media – by posting their own thoughts – <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sipr.12033">can increase a person’s sense of social connections</a>. </p>
<p>Social connection, in turn, leads to greater psychological well-being. This social media effect seems especially true for girls: In studies in which girls used social media to honestly talk about themselves, they perceived greater social support, and their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2010.0374">well-being and positive feelings got a boost</a>.</p>
<p>This sense of honest social connection is particularly important for teens who have been sexually harassed. Our research has shown that teen girls are more likely to stand up for themselves and confront perpetrators of sexual harassment when they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21727">believe their peers support them</a>. If honest disclosures on social media about their experiences help teen girls feel connected with others, they may <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.4.464">feel empowered to say something in real life</a>, too.</p>
<h2>Putting a spotlight on sexual harassment</h2>
<p>Beyond helping the girls who make the videos, this recent social media trend likely also benefits the people watching the videos. The 2017 #MeToo movement made <a href="https://www.planusa.org/docs/state-of-gender-equality-2018.pdf">more than half of teen girls</a> feel that they could tell someone about what happened to them. It helped them feel less alone. </p>
<p>It also helps label these pervasive everyday behaviors as problematic. It is good for girls to recognize this doesn’t have to be just a “part of life.” </p>
<p>It is also good for boys to see that girls are not flattered by these behaviors. Our research shows boys sexually harass girls <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12150">largely because their friends do it</a> and because it <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11199-013-0320-1">becomes the norm</a>. They often think this is how boys are supposed to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0743558420933224">express romantic interest</a>. Boys are rarely taught what sexual harassment is, and they often don’t realize how upsetting it is to girls. </p>
<p>Maybe these 45-second videos, instead of being just a fad, can be the public service announcement all teens need.</p>
<p>[ <em><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theconversation">Follow @TheConversation on TikTok</a>.</em> ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/159514/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christia Spears Brown does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A viral TikTok video is helping girls bear witness to the harassment they experience at school.Christia Spears Brown, Professor of Psychology, University of KentuckyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1582762021-04-21T12:26:19Z2021-04-21T12:26:19ZYes, online communities pose risks for young people, but they are also important sources of support<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395849/original/file-20210419-17-16hazfc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3588%2C2843&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Sometimes an anonymous online forum is just what a teenager needs.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/teenage-boy-studying-with-laptop-at-home-royalty-free-image/1146172804?adppopup=true">Capuski/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Aristotle called humans “the social animal,” and people have recognized for centuries that young people need to be in communities to develop into healthy adults. The ongoing pandemic has caused concern about the effects of isolation on children and teenagers’ <a href="https://www.directrelief.org/2021/01/growing-up-in-the-midst-of-a-pandemic-how-covid-is-affecting-childrens-development/">social and psychological growth</a>. </p>
<p>But while young people today may not be able to gather in person as often as they’d like, they aren’t necessarily isolated. They have long used online communities to explore their identities and conduct their social lives. </p>
<p>They’re involved in anonymous hip-hop discussion forums, ADHD support groups on Facebook, biology class group chats on Instagram and comments sections under popular YouTube videos. There are many of these online communities, and collectively they cover a wide range of subjects. They’re also often <a href="https://clalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Social-Media-and-Youth-Wellbeing-Report.pdf">central to their users’ lives</a>. However, parents, educators and psychologists frequently argue that these spaces can <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhwTZi3Ld3Y">cause young people distress</a> and even expose them to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/03/opinions/david-neiwert-white-nationalism-hate-groups-usoa">dangerous ideologies</a>. </p>
<p>With online communities now perhaps more important to young people than ever, the question of what it means to grow up in online communities bears closer scrutiny. As a psychology researcher <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Kaveladze%20B%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=33595449">who studies online communities</a>, I and my colleagues have found that in addition to posing widely publicized risks, online communities can provide young people with social and psychological support that’s unavailable to them at home, at school or in their neighborhoods.</p>
<h2>Formative but risky</h2>
<p>Those of us who grew up engaged in online communities know how formative these spaces can be. As a 24-year-old who has used the internet nearly every day since I was 6, I can think of several key moments in my psychosocial development that took place in online communities. </p>
<p>Some of these moments were painful, like my cousin scamming me out of my hard-earned armor in the online role-playing game Runescape when I was 10. Others were joyous, like my first show DJ'ing for an online radio station at 12. And many were strange but fascinating, like going onto the 18+ video chat site <a href="https://chatroulette.com/">Chatroulette</a> with my friends at 13 to interact with strangers across the world. </p>
<p>Ultimately, observing and participating in online communities’ rich and ever-evolving cultures shaped my interest in pursuing psychological research. </p>
<p>Although the current COVID-19-related constraints kids are facing are new and hopefully temporary, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-06-11-mn-12108-story.html">caution</a> about immersing them in online communities is justified. Online communities change the ground rules of human interaction, enabling unprecedented social experiences with unpredictable impacts on malleable minds. </p>
<p>Popular criticisms, such as the 2020 documentary <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81254224">“The Social Dilemma</a>,” have argued that social networking sites like Instagram warp young users’ perceptions of reality, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00296-x?sf229901900=1">causing them psychological distress</a>. A particular concern is that young people compare themselves to a constant stream of peers’ cherry-picked successes and algorithmically augmented selfies. </p>
<p>Loosened social norms online due to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2006.09.001">anonymity</a> or physical distance can create conditions for some of the more <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-06-11-mn-12108-story.html">notorious behaviors</a> in online communities: bullying, fatalistic worldviews and mob mentalities. In addition, online communities can facilitate the spread of misinformation and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00732-x">extremist ideologies</a>, as exemplified by the rise of the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alt-Right-4Chan-White-Mike-Wendling/dp/0745337953">alt-right</a>, a loosely connected set of far-right groups and activists, among young users of a few anonymous online forums in the 2010s.</p>
<h2>Places of support</h2>
<p>These concerns have some merit, but they may underestimate young people’s resilience and ability to adapt to new social contexts. Online communities can also provide opportunities for young people to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/17415650580000035">build social skills</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F009365096023001001">share genuine interactions</a> and discover and dissect new ideas with peers worldwide. </p>
<p>Currently, evidence <a href="https://clalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Social-Media-and-Youth-Wellbeing-Report.pdf">does not support</a> the idea that social media use is generally harmful to young people’s well-being. In fact, comparing oneself to others’ positive social media posts can even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqaa025">enhance well-being</a> by motivating self-improvement. Still, more research is needed to explore how specific kinds of social media use is beneficial or harmful for different young people.</p>
<p>To learn more about how young people find support online, my colleagues and I recently surveyed 334 members of 10 online mental health support forums. We presented our results at the Association for Psychological Science <a href="https://www.psychologicalscience.org/conventions/annual">2020 annual convention</a>. Half of the people we surveyed were under 24 years old, and 82% rated their mental health as terrible or poor. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Screenshot of an anonymous online emotional support forum" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/395536/original/file-20210416-21-xc6uxt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Young people looking for emotional support often turn to anonymous online forums like the Anxiety Disorders Reddit.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">screen capture by Benjamin Kaveladze</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>We learned that these support forums <a href="https://imgur.com/a/RO1wHJd">provide users with valuable advice, emotional support, belonging and validation</a> that are not available from their in-person communities. We also observed that each forum’s attitude and approach to confronting mental health struggles was unique, formed from the bottom up based on users’ firsthand experiences and insights. Some users also said that these peer support communities can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3173574.3173990">held back</a> by users who spread pessimistic attitudes or misinformation.</p>
<p>[<em>Over 100,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletter to understand the world.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=100Ksignup">Sign up today</a>.]</p>
<p>Many young people experiencing personal struggles turn to online communities <a href="https://doi.org/10.2196/13873">to seek support</a>. Some reach out to text-message group chats of close friends to vent and ask for advice. Others prefer to privately seek help from strangers around the world in anonymous <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1046496419861743">support forums</a> like Reddit’s <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Anxiety/">r/Anxiety</a>, which often has over 1,000 members online at any given time. Online, young people can avoid the social stigma that often comes with asking for help in person and are not limited by geographical barriers to find peers who share their backgrounds or perspectives. </p>
<h2>Distinct environments</h2>
<p>Online communities play significant roles in many young people’s lives, so they warrant careful consideration. The opportunities and risks they present are distinct from those of real-world communities, and the social challenges young people face online require unique kinds of savvy to navigate effectively. Parents and mentors play an essential role in teaching young people how to be responsible and respectful <a href="https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/what-is-digital-citizenship">digital citizens</a>. </p>
<p>Still, just as in real-world communities, young people also need the freedom to <a href="https://clalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Social-Media-and-Youth-Wellbeing-Report.pdf">pursue their curiosity</a> online independently. As online communities evolve, coming generations of young people will continue to lead the way in redefining the roles that these spaces play in their lives.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/158276/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Benjamin Kaveladze does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A significant portion of teenagers’ social development happens online. The risks are well known, but the benefits of peer support are often overlooked.Benjamin Kaveladze, Graduate Student Researcher, University of California, IrvineLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1243892019-11-18T14:01:13Z2019-11-18T14:01:13ZHow to boost recycling: Reward consumers with discounts, deals and social connections<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302024/original/file-20191115-66953-13i8a44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C7%2C2437%2C1689&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">More of this, please.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/male-hand-putting-twisted-empty-plastic-1464361841?src=305623e4-fa6f-4410-b6cc-2d0e31320533-1-7">PictureAccent/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>You finish that last sip of morning coffee and stare at the empty paper cup in your hand. Should it go into the recycling bin, compost, or be landfilled or incinerated?</p>
<p>You are not alone. Most Americans are confused about recycling, and the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/03/china-has-stopped-accepting-our-trash/584131/">crisis</a> driven by China’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/will-chinas-crackdown-on-foreign-garbage-force-wealthy-countries-to-recycle-more-of-their-own-waste-81440">decision to stop accepting most foreign scrap material</a> is worsening the problem. At this point it’s hard to be sure that items put in the recycling bin are recycled.</p>
<p>Research shows that more often than not, Americans give up trying to sort their recyclables. Or they engage in <a href="https://wamu.org/story/19/02/12/does-your-recycling-actually-get-recycled-yes-maybe-it-depends/">wishful recycling</a>, tossing nonrecyclables into the bin. Even so, most waste never gets that far. People feel intimidated by the task. </p>
<p>The average American generates about <a href="https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials">4.5 pounds</a> of waste each day. Only <a href="https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials">1.5 pounds</a> of it is recycled or composted. This means that over an average lifetime of 78.7 years, one American would send 67,000 pounds of waste to landfills. That’s more than twice the weight of <a href="http://www.bluebulbprojects.com/MeasureOfThings/results.php?amt=62217&comp=weight&unit=lbs&searchTerm=62217+pounds">a cruise ship anchor</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/300535/original/file-20191106-12487-1txp3cp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/300535/original/file-20191106-12487-1txp3cp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300535/original/file-20191106-12487-1txp3cp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300535/original/file-20191106-12487-1txp3cp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300535/original/file-20191106-12487-1txp3cp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=437&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300535/original/file-20191106-12487-1txp3cp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=437&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/300535/original/file-20191106-12487-1txp3cp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=437&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Scrap materials are piling up at U.S. recycling centers that no longer can ship them to China.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Recycling-Shake-up/fccb539a4b7e4f23a321a503ac51fc60/4/0">AP Photo/Charles Krupa</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Although many communities and advocates have adopted regulations and action plans centered on moving toward a circular economy, major barriers still make it hard for individuals to reduce, reuse and recycle. Existing policies have been developed based on insights from engineering and economics, and give little consideration of how human behavior at the individual level fits into the system.</p>
<p>My colleagues and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ZE02oYAAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">I</a> use behavior science to foster goals ranging from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1401880112">energy conservation</a> to <a href="https://www.hec.edu/en/knowledge/instants/role-empathy-corporate-social-initiatives">community solidarity</a>. In a recent <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3466359">paper</a>, economist <a href="http://mariekehuysentruyt.com/">Marieke Huysentruyt</a>, Ph.D. candidate <a href="https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/person/emma-barnosky/">Emma Barnosky</a> and I uncovered promising solutions to the recycling crisis driven by personal benefits and social connections.</p>
<h2>Why recycling is so hard</h2>
<p>Why is getting Americans to recycle more so challenging? First, many of them don’t understand waste problems and recycling strategies. Few are aware of the environmental problems waste causes, and most have a hard time connecting individual actions to those problems.</p>
<p>Most people don’t know where their waste goes, whether it includes recyclables or what can be made from them. They may know what day to put out curbside trash and recycling, but are unsure which materials the companies accept. In a 2019 <a href="https://wasteadvantagemag.com/why-americans-arent-recycling/">survey</a> of 2,000 Americans, 53% erroneously believed greasy pizza boxes could be recycled, and 68% thought the same for used plastic utensils.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302021/original/file-20191115-66925-e3f9ov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302021/original/file-20191115-66925-e3f9ov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302021/original/file-20191115-66925-e3f9ov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302021/original/file-20191115-66925-e3f9ov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302021/original/file-20191115-66925-e3f9ov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302021/original/file-20191115-66925-e3f9ov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302021/original/file-20191115-66925-e3f9ov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/302021/original/file-20191115-66925-e3f9ov.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Complex guidelines can make it hard for consumers to recycle correctly.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.danversma.gov/recycling-guidelines/">Town of Danvers, Mass.</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Another 39% of respondents cited inconvenience and poor access to recycling facilities as major barriers. California pays a 5- to 10-cent redemption fee for each beverage container, but the facilities often are inconvenient to reach. For example, the closest to my home in Los Angeles is eight miles away, which can involve driving for an hour or more. That’s not worth it for the few cans my family produces.</p>
<p>Most U.S. consumers are opposed to pollution, of course, but research shows that they <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2003.08.007">seldom view themselves as significant contributors</a>. As taxpayers, they hold local governments responsible for recycling. Many are not sure what happens next, or whether their actions make a difference.</p>
<h2>Motivation matters</h2>
<p>What can be done to address these barriers? Better messaging, such as emphasizing how waste can be transformed into new objects, <a href="https://theconversation.com/recycling-rates-could-rise-significantly-with-this-simple-tweak-122295">can make a difference</a>.</p>
<p>But as I argue in my 2018 book, <a href="https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=27989">“The Green Bundle: Pairing the Market With the Planet</a>,” information alone can’t drive sustainable behavior. People must feel motivated, and the best motivations bundle environmental benefits with personal benefits, such as economic rewards, increased status or social connections.</p>
<p>In a 2014 survey, 41% of respondents said that money or rewards were the <a href="https://sustainablebrands.com/read/stakeholder-trends-and-insights/new-study-shows-lack-of-bins-is-biggest-barrier-to-home-recycling">most effective way to get them to recycle</a>. Take-back systems, such as deposits on cans and bottles, have proven effective in some contexts. Such systems need to be more convenient, however. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1138157634660569096"}"></div></p>
<p>Returning bottles directly to stores is one possibility, but novel strategies are being deployed across the country. “<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/11/new-hampshires-pay-as-you-throw-programs-are-reducing-waste-by-50-percent/">Pay-as-you-throw</a>” policies charge customers based on how much solid waste they discard, thus incentivizing waste reduction, reuse and more sustainable purchasing behavior. <a href="https://www.recyclebank.com/home/">Recyclebank</a>, a New York company, rewards people for recycling with discounts and deals from local and national businesses.</p>
<h2>Status and support</h2>
<p>Social status also motivates people. The zero-waste lifestyle has become a sensation on social media, driving the rise of Instagram influencers such as <a href="https://zerowastehome.com/">Bea Johnson</a>, <a href="http://trashisfortossers.com/">Lauren Singer</a> and <a href="https://www.goingzerowaste.com/">Kathryn Kellogg</a>, who are competing to leave behind the smallest quantity of waste. Visibility of conservation behavior matters, and could be a powerful component in pay-as-you-throw schemes.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kWnsmzSSgdI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Minimalist Bea Johnson claims that the aero-waste lifestyle requires less of everything: less waste and less recycling.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s also nice to have support. Mutual help organizations, or community-led groups, trigger behavioral change through social connections and face-to-face interactions. They have the potential to transfer empowering information and sustain long-term commitment. </p>
<p>One famous example is <a href="https://www.aa.org/">Alcoholics Anonymous</a>, which relies on member expertise instead of instructions from health care specialists. Similarly, <a href="https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/">Weight Watchers</a> focuses on open communication, group celebration of weight loss progress and supportive relationships among members.</p>
<p>French startup <a href="https://yoyo.eco/">Yoyo</a>, founded in 2017, is applying this strategy to recycling. Yoyo connects participants with coaches, who can be individuals or businesses, to help them sort recyclables into orange bags. Coaches train and encourage sorters, who earn points and rewards such as movie tickets for collecting and storing full Yoyo bags. </p>
<p>The process also confers status, giving sorters <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9OPzqvsnfU&feature=youtu.be">positive social visibility</a> for work that is ordinarily considered thankless. And because rewards tend to be local, Yoyo’s infrastructure has the potential to improve members’ community connections, strengthening the perceived and actual social power of the group.</p>
<p>This system offers a convenient, social, incentive-based approach. In two years the community has grown to 450 coaches and 14,500 sorters and collected almost 4.3 million plastic bottles.</p>
<p>Such novel behavior-based programs alone cannot solve back-end aspects of the global waste crisis, such as recycling capacity and fluctuating scrap material prices. But our research has shown that by leveraging technology and human behavior, behavioral science can encourage people to recycle much more effectively than simplistic campaigns or slogans. </p>
<p>[ <em>Insight, in your inbox each day.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=insight">You can get it with The Conversation’s email newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124389/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Magali (Maggie) Delmas received funding from the SNO center @ HEC for research on the circular economy. She is affiliated with the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability.</span></em></p>Americans recycle only about one-third of the solid waste we generate. A behavioral scientist argues that with the right motivators, we could do more.Magali (Maggie) Delmas, Professor of Management Institute of the Environment & Sustainability, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los AngelesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/917562018-07-06T02:10:36Z2018-07-06T02:10:36ZHow support groups can boost your health and make chronic conditions easier to live with<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/225646/original/file-20180702-116114-shfp48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Peer support groups don't cost much, and thousands of Australians find them useful.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>People want to look after their own health, and with new technology, there are more tools than ever to help people manage it. But the greatest gains could come from a little help from your friends.</p>
<p>For people living with chronic health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes and cancer, the health system can seem impersonal and impractical.</p>
<p>A large inhibiting factor to patients feeling involved in their own health care is the outdated medical model that sees the patient as a passive recipient of treatment and advice. The clinical nature of medical care doesn’t take enough account of how people live their lives or how they’d like to. The focus is on managing disease, not promoting well-being.</p>
<p>Support from peers – people already living with health conditions – could help fill in the gaps. Instead of just helping combat the disease, peer support groups can help improve quality of life.</p>
<p>Promoting peer-based support from and for people living with chronic health conditions has the potential to improve outcomes, increase access and improve efficiency in health care.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/should-we-pay-people-to-look-after-their-health-24012">Should we pay people to look after their health?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What do peer support groups do?</h2>
<p>The internet provides endless access to health information to people seeking more involvement in the management of their own conditions. But finding reliable and relevant sources can be difficult without guidance and support.</p>
<p>Peer-support groups offer advocacy, assistance and education; led and managed by people living with health conditions, for people like them. Traditionally peer support groups are location-based groups that meet regularly, but an increasing number of online groups are expanding access to support.</p>
<p>For example, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ywasg">Young Women’s Arthritis Support Group</a> provides links to research, encouragement and “life-hacks” both online and with regular meetings. </p>
<p>Their Facebook page regularly includes comments seeking information and ideas for living with a range of musculoskeletal conditions, with topics such as work, relationships, pregnancy, exercise and technical questions about research. They talk among themselves and also link to experts who can provide clinical, legal and practical advice.</p>
<p>Peer support groups can offer real, practical advice the medical system is unlikely to bring up. For example, making a cup of tea in the morning to hang on to so the hands can warm up and lose some of the overnight stiffness with arthritis, or how to have a conversation with your boss about a condition they may never have heard of, such as fibromyalgia.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/225644/original/file-20180702-116120-jh7cmx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/225644/original/file-20180702-116120-jh7cmx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/225644/original/file-20180702-116120-jh7cmx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/225644/original/file-20180702-116120-jh7cmx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/225644/original/file-20180702-116120-jh7cmx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/225644/original/file-20180702-116120-jh7cmx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/225644/original/file-20180702-116120-jh7cmx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/225644/original/file-20180702-116120-jh7cmx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Support groups can share helpful tips like warm tea to loosen arthritic hands.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Better disease management</h2>
<p>We know wealth affects health – chronic disease prevalence is <a href="https://theconversation.com/low-income-earners-are-more-likely-to-die-early-from-preventable-diseases-87676">greater in lower socio-economic populations</a>. We also know health care is heavily influenced by culture, setting and population. </p>
<p>Social interactions have a vital relationship to health outcomes, but medical culture often neglects the importance of social relationships in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12605954">disease management health and well-being</a>.</p>
<p>The medical model is particularly poor at achieving behaviour change such as diet and exercise. But there’s evidence to suggest people who attend “illness-affiliated” peer-support groups better manage their chronic conditions and have better health outcomes than those who solely rely on medical interventions. </p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23404203">a 2013 study</a> showed improved blood glucose management during peer support group attendance among diabetics.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/the-state-of-self-care-in-australia.pdf">A recent review</a> also found people who attend illness-affiliated peer-support groups better manage their chronic conditions, with research showing:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>better health outcomes than those who solely rely on <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23404203">medical interventions</a></p></li>
<li><p>improved access and exposure to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25697089">additional health services</a>, as well as greater confidence in people approaching or going through treatment</p></li>
<li><p>peer-support groups are a <a href="http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/60793/1/Trachtenberg_etal_Report-Peer-support-in-mental-health-care-is-it-good-value-for-money_2013.pdf">cost-effective strategy</a>.</p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-online-therapy-as-good-as-talking-face-to-face-with-a-clinician-51492">Is online therapy as good as talking face-to-face with a clinician?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Improving peer support</h2>
<p>While all Australian state and territory governments contribute financially in some capacity to peer-support services, there is little consistency between jurisdictions’ approaches. </p>
<p>Some state health departments explicitly recognise peer-support services as an essential component of public health strategies and have written policy plans of how to incorporate and build a peer workforce to help organise and lead groups, while others lack a coherent peer support infrastructure. The result is an ad hoc approach with patchy referrals, little quality control and no systemic evaluation.</p>
<p>As chronic disease becomes more prevalent, government and communities should consider a better structure to build upon peer support services to maximise health outcomes. Peer-support has the capacity to provide nuanced assistance and education to those living with chronic health conditions in a compassionate and non-judgemental way.</p>
<p>Government can assist a peer support group for people with arthritis for as little as $5,000 a year, to allow for things such as venue hire, catering and administration expenses. As the <a href="https://www.surgeons.org/policies-publications/publications/surgical-variance-reports/">average cost of one knee replacement is between A$18-$30,000</a>, it’s likely even small changes in how people manage their diseases will provide a return on investment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91756/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Instead of just helping combat a chronic disease, peer support groups can help improve quality of life.Ben Harris, Policy Associate, Australian Health Policy Collaboration, Victoria UniversityWai-Kwan Chislett, PhD candidate: childhood obesity, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/637632016-08-17T04:40:45Z2016-08-17T04:40:45ZResearch Check: is it true only half your friends actually like you?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134063/original/image-20160815-15253-3aip84.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Friendships are core to our social network.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It seems obvious that your friends would agree they are your friends. But recent findings published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0151588">PLOS ONE</a> call this into question. </p>
<p>At least that’s the message you would take if you went with <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/07/opinion/sunday/do-your-friends-actually-like-you.html?_r=0">popular media coverage</a> of the findings. Headlines such as “<a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/you-have-half-as-many-real-friends-as-you-think-you-do-study-finds?utm_source=ScienceAlert+-+Daily+Email+Updates&utm_campaign=933d9ffc58-MAILCHIMP_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fe5632fb09-933d9ffc58-364825141">Only half your friends actually like you</a>, study reveals” may make you wonder about the holes in your social network.</p>
<p>Friendships contribute to our <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/benefits-of-friends_n_5568005">mental</a> and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/health/21well.html?_r=0">physical health</a>; our <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/113176/science-loneliness-how-isolation-can-kill-you">well-being suffers</a> without them. So is it true only half your friends like you? </p>
<p>The research in question does not, in fact, speak to that. But it does shed light on the nuances of how friendship is perceived. Liking someone is not the same as nominating them as a friend: we can all think of a friend we don’t like very much, can’t we?</p>
<p>Nor did the research aim to find out whether friends liked each other. Rather, the authors set out to explore how friendship reciprocity mattered when implementing broader social interventions, such as enabling someone to quit smoking.</p>
<p>The research addressed two questions. First, what proportion of friendships are reciprocal? That is, how many of a person’s friends also rate that person as their friend? Second, to what degree does reciprocity in friendships matter when it comes to how peers influence each other?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134367/original/image-20160817-13678-1syshrk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134367/original/image-20160817-13678-1syshrk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1046&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134367/original/image-20160817-13678-1syshrk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1046&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134367/original/image-20160817-13678-1syshrk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1046&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134367/original/image-20160817-13678-1syshrk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1315&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134367/original/image-20160817-13678-1syshrk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1315&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134367/original/image-20160817-13678-1syshrk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1315&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The first question</h2>
<p>To answer the first question, 84 students in a Middle-Eastern, undergraduate business-management class were asked to rate the other 83 students on a scale from zero to five. In this reciprocity survey, zero represented “I do not know this person” and five was “one of my best friends”. The midpoint anchored at “friend”. Students were also asked to indicate how the other 83 would rate them. </p>
<p>The benefits of this approach was that researchers had access to full cross-overs of data in a closed network. This enabled sophisticated statistical network analysis, which couldn’t be afforded by looking at an open community in which all members cannot be identified or accessed.</p>
<p>Researchers coded the data such that a score of three or higher was considered a friendship. From the 6,972 ratings provided by the 84 students in the business class, 1,353 counted as friendships. </p>
<p>In 94% of these perceived friendships, students expected them to be reciprocal. So if John rated Jack as his friend, he expected Jack to rate him as a friend also. But this was so in only 53% of cases; less than half of the students had their friendship beliefs about others reciprocated.</p>
<h2>What does this mean?</h2>
<p>From this data it seems that, in social networks, there is low agreement on perceived friendships. The study’s authors float one reason for this: we carry an optimistic view of friendships with higher-status individuals. That is, we project friendship with people who have more social clout than us in the perhaps naive hope they will reciprocate. </p>
<p>But because the reciprocity survey can’t speak directly to this possibility, it remains for future research to test this logic.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134363/original/image-20160817-13680-z3sj4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134363/original/image-20160817-13680-z3sj4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=289&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134363/original/image-20160817-13680-z3sj4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=289&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134363/original/image-20160817-13680-z3sj4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=289&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134363/original/image-20160817-13680-z3sj4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134363/original/image-20160817-13680-z3sj4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134363/original/image-20160817-13680-z3sj4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Can we really extrapolate to humanity based on 84 students in a university classroom?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lipelipidio/8169478650/in/photolist-drUHob-5k9aAQ-fEqFNB-2hnVCN-7pXo5e-7pV8om-8Q8UJd-2MJTPp-8TZ8iK-2psdh5-2w1xJf-bzpmvF-8VAkvm-4chEX6-mKbUxb-6MngUA-ot8pXX-psELwH-pYwefw-2w1xHG-ex8Gax-aDXeoh-fnLgne-bzpmfz-8jPYRM-nn3cJs-kCxxXF-njXjTG-ioQsBX-noLkJe-4cZE9c-pZvN79-nn37Aw-ecj2S9-njXovw-pt4cFr-ex8J2X-nn3eeS-4VHYX8-qE6mL6-bmutGf-cWDHuq-csgu51-nmHwcA-bzpmyV-nn3a11-nzQL7B-abyMRf-cpGoi-95juoQ">Felipe Bastos/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s also important to ask whether we can really extrapolate to humanity based on 84 students in a university classroom. Between the relatively small sample size, the constrained context of an undergraduate classroom and cultural constraints in the sample, one could argue no extrapolation should take place.</p>
<p>Another thing to keep in mind is the scoring approach: carving the line for friendship at three or above on a five-point scale is a subjective call. One can question whether friendships should be treated categorically or whether there is a more valid approach to quantifying friendships in all their complexity.</p>
<h2>The second question</h2>
<p>For the second question, researchers deployed a fitness intervention on a separate sample of participants who lived in the same residential community and had all completed friendship ratings as in the reciprocity survey.</p>
<p>Participants had software installed on their mobile device that tracked their physical activity and allocated financial rewards for their fitness progress. In two versions of the software, residents were paired with two buddies who could see one another’s progress and potentially be rewarded for the other’s progress.</p>
<p>The critical test for the research question, with regards to peer influence, stemmed from analysing participants’ fitness changes as a function of the type of friendships they held with their buddies. </p>
<p>Once again, the approach of sampling from a residential community gave the researchers access to full data from a closed network, enabling nuanced analysis of the social dynamics at play. But, once again, the sample size was small and the context has similar limitations when it comes to broader extrapolation.</p>
<h2>What were the results?</h2>
<p>It would be logical to think friends who agree they are friends (reciprocal friends) influence one another, in a preferably positive way. The findings corroborated this: when a resident’s fitness buddies were reciprocal friends, those buddies helped facilitate positive outcomes in the form of more activity.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134365/original/image-20160817-13723-n0prd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134365/original/image-20160817-13723-n0prd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134365/original/image-20160817-13723-n0prd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134365/original/image-20160817-13723-n0prd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134365/original/image-20160817-13723-n0prd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134365/original/image-20160817-13723-n0prd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134365/original/image-20160817-13723-n0prd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When a resident’s fitness buddies were reciprocal friends, those buddies helped facilitate positive outcomes in the form of more activity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But when it comes to non-reciprocal buddy-to-resident friendships, it is important to look at the direction of each friendship. An incoming friendship means a buddy rated the resident as a friend, but the resident did not rate the buddy as a friend. An outgoing friendship means a resident rated the buddy as a friend, but the buddy did not do the same.</p>
<p>The study found outgoing friendships from residents to buddies had no influence on residents’ physical activity. If Max thought Jack was his friend but Jack didn’t agree, and the pair were buddies, Jack had no influence (either positive or negative) on Max’s fitness outcomes.</p>
<p>But the influence when it came to residents’ incoming friendships from their buddies was positive. Max would have positively influenced Jack’s outcomes, even though Jack didn’t agree that Max was his friend. And the influence was even more positive when it came to reciprocal friendships.</p>
<h2>What does it mean?</h2>
<p>A popular approach in public health interventions is nominating a buddy to support someone in their efforts for behavioural change. </p>
<p>The reciprocity survey shows people are inaccurate in predicting who considers them a friend and that many friendships are in fact outgoing rather than reciprocal. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134368/original/image-20160817-13683-5jy1w1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134368/original/image-20160817-13683-5jy1w1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134368/original/image-20160817-13683-5jy1w1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134368/original/image-20160817-13683-5jy1w1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134368/original/image-20160817-13683-5jy1w1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134368/original/image-20160817-13683-5jy1w1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134368/original/image-20160817-13683-5jy1w1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A popular approach in public health interventions is nominating a buddy to support someone in their efforts for behavioural change.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/caguard/6172487981/in/photolist-aprBCz-rbsC41-asprB7-kQjNG5-aspzef-aspvvW-rbDjoZ-rqNpGj-qw6Fib-8Y6GFt-8ctm3g-i179G-asmyok-kQiFYB-rt6eFF-a5oF29-8MPhzm-asmpD4-rbrJQY-8MLdWK-8MKZnr-azeFFg-aspmMy-6TarEV-raK24G-8ML5hB-mXK2Wp-7WyTYV-6Wz2z3-64UXGf-azhkof-7E4hfU-ed2fot-8vai7h-aDf6vk-7E61Pd-5BdrRL-aiyyHX-pfQdAp-btm4Ys-fDm4E-d7DD23-d7DK1N-asmDJZ-oKJHXQ-rt29tK-rt6gcB-aVzm3R-rbDhSn-rsYDVn">California National Guard/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These findings have practical importance in that they show the popular buddy-nomination approach is likely less effective than we would want. Instead, we need to identify reciprocal friendships, since these are most effective. Next desirable would be incoming friendships, rather than the outgoing ones.</p>
<h2>What else should we take into account?</h2>
<p>It important to highlight that the researchers corroborated the reciprocity survey findings in five more samples. </p>
<p>First, the reciprocal friendship rate among the fitness residents was 45% – even lower than the 53% in the business class. </p>
<p>Second, researchers carried out the analysis on several other data sets they had worked on in the past. Reciprocal friendship estimates derived from these were similar, ranging from 34% to 53%. Replication raises the degree to which we can infer broader social processes based on the dynamics established in this particular study.</p>
<p>But again, all this talk of whether our friends like us misses the point. When it comes to social influence – in particular, the type of positive peer influence we try to seek when engaging in behavioural change – reciprocal friendships are of key import. </p>
<p>When we can’t access reciprocal friends, we need to seek support from people who nominate us as friends, not the other way around. <strong>– Lisa A. Williams</strong></p>
<hr>
<h2>Peer Review</h2>
<p>This article has identified key weaknesses in this paper’s study designs as well as the problem of the scale used to judge friends’ feelings towards each other.</p>
<p>My biggest problem with this paper, though, is the sensationalised interpretation of the results. The study abstract claims “people are typically poor at perceiving the direction of their friendship ties”, and media reports state that “only half of your friends like you”. </p>
<p>But the data support a humbler, and perhaps happier, story. In fact, when participants claimed someone as a friend, the other person reciprocated 70% of the time. So while it’s true around half of the friendships in the study were mutual, it still found close to three-quarters of your friends “like you”. </p>
<p>For instance, Bill says Sally is his friend and she agrees. Jim says Bob is his friend, but Bob doesn’t name Jim as a friend in return. We now have two friendships and only one (50%) is mutual. But of the three people who claimed a friend, two (Bill and Sally) were right (66%). It takes twice as many people to make a mutual friendship, which is why those two numbers differ. </p>
<p>It’s worth noting we do have a tendency to slightly overestimate our friend’s closeness, but my take-home message from this paper is that we’re actually better at judging how close our friends feel to us than just about anything else about them. <strong>– Sean Murphy</strong></p>
<p><em>* An earlier version of this article said researchers considered a score of two or higher on the reciprocity survey a friendship. This has now been corrected to a score of three or higher.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63763/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lisa A Williams receives funding from the Australian Research Council (DP130102110, DP130104468, LP140100034).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sean Murphy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A study claiming “only half your friends like you” made headlines last week. But the data support a humbler, and perhaps happier, story.Lisa A Williams, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.