Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Who are we? Associação Humanidades (AH), a private non profit organization Where are we? Portugal, Lisbon city area What´s our mission? To promote social inclusion and equal opportunities

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 How Can we make it possible? development of empowerment and learning approaches in order to enlarge self-determination, autonomy and citizenship With whom? other professionals/organizations Youngsters/families - particulary young pregnant/ mothers and prisoners specific intervention on disadvantadged situations universal prevention perspective

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 How do we do it? Person driven integrated services to face early pregnancy/ motherhood diagnosed needs: Personal, social and vocational development centre; Nursery/crèche Temporary residence for social emergency situations Social intervention/ projects that promote youngsters autonomy and self- responsibility in diverse areas: Healthy lifestyles; Educational/vocational qualification Prisoners' reintegration … … …

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 How do we do it? Young resident pregnant/mothers and their babies

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, rd sector professionals/organizations - Workshop

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Young resident pregnant/mothers and their babies

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Young prisioners and team project– Poder Caminhar

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Young prisioner and his aunt – Poder Caminhar

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Nursery/crèche

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Nursery/crèche

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Tools shared in the project- I Action Plan/Path Tool for Person centred planning of disadvantaged groups Created by J. Pearpoint, M. Forrest and J. O’Brien (disability context) Focus On a dream and works back from a positive and possible future, mapping out the actions required along the way Participants Adolescent pregnant/mothers and young prisoners Facilitators Associação Humanidades staff

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Action Plan/Path

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Distance Training Resources - Empowerment Tool for Empowerment promotion of disadvantaged youngsters Created by Associação Humanidades Focus On the ability to control your own life, self-Knowledge and personal valorisation, ability to communicate, stepping in and taking part in community Participants Adolescent pregnant/mothers and young prisoners Facilitators Associação Humanidades staff Tools shared in the project - II

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Distance Training Resources - Empowerment

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Tool developed in the project Learned Helplessness Snapshot (LHS) Tool for Learned helplessness self-assessment snapshot Created by Project partnership (adaptation of Learned Helplessness Scale to project goals and partnership organizations/ client-groups/ context specificities) Focus Description, causes and impact of learned helplessness - perceptions or feelings of not being able to change one’s life direction, as a learning gained from previous failure Participants All project disadvantaged learners, including adolescent pregnant/ mothers, (ex) offenders, roma, migrant or/and long term sick and unemployed Facilitators All partners staff

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 What has been tool’s apllication scope? Learners involved Adolescent pregnant/mothers Young prisioners SexFemaleMale Age EducationLevel 2 - 3Level EmploymentNo AcomodationNo Support networkInstitutional Finantial statusState subsidy Total number512

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 What are the preliminary results? Adolescent pregnant/mothersYoung prisioners Empowerment Skills initial assessment Skills final assessment Skills Balance (final-initial) Skills initial assessment Skills Balance (final-initial) Ability to control your own life 3,24,10,83,63,70,1 Self knowledge and personal valorization 3,44,20,83,93,7-0,2 Ability to communicate 3,53,80,34,03,4-0,6 Stepping in and taking part in community 3,54,00,53,13,40,3 Average3,44,00,73,6 0,0 Scale: 1 – Very low to 5 – Very high Empowerment Skills Balance

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Empowerment Skills Balance

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Adolescent pregnant/mothersYoung prisioners Learned Helplessness LH initial assessment LH final assessment LH evolution (final-initial) LH initial assessment LH final assessment LH evolution (final-initial) Inabiliy3,34,31,03,93,4-0,4 Personal Features4,13,9-0,22,83,35,0 Social Features2,72,80,13,13,0-0,2 Change Enabler Conditions 5,76,81,16,66,90,3 Scale: 1 – Very low to 10 - Very high Learned Helplessness Snapshot What are the preliminary results?

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Learned Helplessness Self-Assessment WHAT ARE THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS?

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Some notes Higher intensity and duration of work with learners improves the outcomes AH methodologies and tools have been giving way to “change enabler conditions” LHSA improvement for a clearer snapshoot of a given moment

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 THE END

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Learned Helplessness Snapshot 4 DIMENSIONS Inability Personal features Social features Change enabler conditions

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 INABILITY - feelings and perceptions of not being able When something doesn’t happen as I planned, it’s always my fault I feel that my inability to solve problems is the cause of my lack of success I am incapable of finding solutions for problems No matter how much I try, things will never be as I want them to be I feel that anyone does better than me in most tasks Other people have more control over their lives than I do Even though I spend large amounts of energy in a task, I feel I don’t have any control on the outcomes If I do a task and I achieve success, it is probably because I was lucky Learned Helplessness Snapshot

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 PERSONAL FEATURES - causes of learned helplessness attributed internally to an individual My health problems prevent me to achieve my life goals I believe age is my barrier to achieving life goals. I consider my self to be a victim of my past. SOCIAL FEATURES - causes of learned helplessness attributed externally to social groups I believe cultural background is an obstacle to success in my life I feel that lack of adequate education prevents me from achieving my life goals I feel I am a victim of society. I believe gender is a barrier to achieving my life goals. When I’m not successful, my failure is due to other people’s stupidity Learned Helplessness Snapshot

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 CHANGE ENABLER CONDITIONS -conditions to change one’s life direction as a gained from previous failure I avoid situations unless I can predict the outcome I’m willing to take risks to achieve my life goals Failure gives me new opportunities I don’t try to do a new task if in the past I have failed on similar tasks* I don’t accept a task unless I believe that I will be successful* I feel I have support from important people around me in achieving my life goals. * these 2 statements meaning point in opposite direction of the other 3 statements. To ease results interpretation it is possible to invert the content and scale and the of the sentence. Learned Helplessness Snapshot

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Adolescent pregnant/ mothers Young prisioners Learned Helplessness Applications 1st2nd2nd – 1st1st2nd2nd – 1st INABILITY3,34,31,03,93,4-0,4 When something doesn’t happen as I planned, it’s always my fault3,65,41,86,34,1-2,2 I feel that my inability to solve problems is the cause of my lack of success2,65,42,85,13,7-1,4 I am incapable of finding solutions for problems4,03,0-1,03,82,9-0,9 No matter how much I try, things will never be as I want them to be3,25,01,83,43,60,2 I feel that anyone does better than me in most tasks3,64,20,62,32,50,2 Other people have more control over their lives than I do2,44,82,43,63,3-0,3 Even though I spend large amounts of energy in a task, I feel I don’t have any control on the outcomes3,03,40,43,94,10,2 If I do a task and I achieve success, it is probably because I was lucky3,63,0-0,62,73,10,4 Scale: 1 – Very low to 10 - Very high Learned Helplessness Snapshot – PT Average Results I

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Adolescent pregnant/ mothers Young prisioners Learned Helplessness Applications 1st2nd2nd – 1st1st2nd2nd – 1st PERSONAL FEATURES4,13,9-0,22,83,30,5 My health problems prevent me to achieve my life goals1,31,60,42,12,70,6 I believe age is my barrier to achieving life goals5,24,2-1,01,92,30,3 I consider my self to be a victim of my past.4,86,01,24,44,90,5 SOCIAL FEATURES2,72,80,13,13,0-0,2 I believe cultural background is an obstacle to success in my life3,02,8-0,23,33,1-0,3 I feel that lack of adequate education prevents me from achieving my life goals2,22,0-0,24,63,3-1,3 I feel I am a victim of society1,44,83,4 2,6-0,8 I believe gender is a barrier to achieving my life goals3,82,2-1,61,72,60,9 When I’m not successful, my failure is due to other people’s stupidity3,02,2-0,82,73,30,6 Learned Helplessness Snapshot – PT Average Results II Scale: 1 – Very low to 10 - Very high

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Adolescent pregnant/ mothers Young prisioners Learned Helplessness Applications 1st2nd2nd – 1st1st2nd2nd – 1st CHANGE ENABLER CONDITIONS5,76,81,16,66,90,3 I avoid situations unless I can predict the outcome4,44,80,44,65,20,6 I’m willing to take risks to achieve my life goals6,48,01,66,67,40,8 Failure gives me new opportunities3,65,62,06,76,1-0,6 I try to do a new task if in the past I have failed on similar tasks*6,87,20,46,27,51,3 I accept a task unless I believe that I will be successful*5,07,02,06,35,5-0,8 I feel I have support from important people around me in achieving my life goals7,88,00,29,39,50,3 Scale: 1 – Very low to 10 - Very high Learned Helplessness Snapshot – PT Average Results III

Learned Helplessness and the Glory of Failure GB2-GRU Bratislava Conference, April 14th, 2011 Learned Helplessness Snapshot - PT, SW and SK First Apllication Results