What Learned Helplessness Looks Like in Children

What Learned Helplessness Looks Like in Children Depression Childhood Depression Print What Learned Helplessness Looks Like in Children By Lauren DiMaria linkedin Lauren DiMaria is a member of the Society of Clinical Research Associates and childhood psychology expert. Learn about our editorial policy Lauren DiMaria Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on February 03, 2020 Sigrid Olsson / Getty Images More in Depression Childhood Depression Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Types Suicide Learned helplessness is that state when an animal is repeatedly subjected to an aversive stimulus it cannot escape. Eventually, the animal stops trying to avoid the stimulus and behaves as if it is utterly helpless to change the situation. Even when opportunities to escape are presented, this learned helplessness prevents any action or initiative on the animals part. While this concept is strongly tied to animal psychology and behavior, it can also apply to many situations involving human beings.  When people feel they have no control over their situation, they may also begin to behave in a helpless manner. This inaction can lead people to overlook opportunities for relief or change. And children are not immune? Learned Helplessness in Children Learned helplessness can begin very early in life, even at the infant stage. Institutionalized infants , as well as those suffering from maternal deprivation or inadequate mothering, are especially at risk for learned helplessness due to the lack of adult responses to their actions. It is also possible for mothers who feel helpless to pass this quality on to their children. Learned helplessness can lead to both anxiety and/or depression. Your child may develop  the expectation that future events will be as uncontrollable as past ones. Essentially, your child may feel that there is nothing he can do to change the outcome of an event, so he tells himself he might as well not even try. For example, if a child studies for an exam and still receives a poor grade, he may feel he has no control over his performance, so he might decide to give up participating and studying altogether. He may then generalize these feelings to other aspects of his life and lose the motivation to succeed, as he believes that his success is out of his control. Symptoms of learned helplessness may include: PassivityGiving upProcrastinationDecreased problem-solving abilityFrustrationLow self-esteem Hope for Relief From Feeling Helpless In one study of simulated learned helplessness, participants who received a therapeutic intervention following an unsolvable task were more likely to be successful at completing a similar follow-up task than the group who did not receive the therapeutic intervention. The researchers suggested that the therapeutic intervention helped provide participants with enough positive feedback about their initial performance to temporarily reverse the negative effects of learned helplessness on a second trial. Getting Help It is important to know that not all children react to uncontrollable events with learned helplessness or depression. Certain biological and psychological factors may increase a childs likelihood of experiencing learned helplessness and/or depression. If you think that your child may be depressed, or is showing signs of learned helplessness for more than a few weeks, it is best to have him evaluated by a professional for an accurate diagnosis and treatment. There are some mental health practitioners who believe that  it is possible to replace learned helplessness with learned optimism using cognitive therapy techniques. Other possible techniques include teaching your child to dispute their own negative thoughts and promoting their problem-solving and social skills.

The Murder Of Gwen Amber Rose Araujo - 1562 Words

The Murder of Gwen Amber Rose Araujo Introduction Carolyn Turpin-Petrosino, who is a Criminal Justice Professor at Bridgewater State University, states that crimes are committed for numerous reasons. However, when dealing with bias crime, also known as hate crime, the motivation stems from â€Å"prejudice or hostile† behavior that is â€Å"triggered by his or her perception of the victim’s ethnicity, race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender† (Tupin-Petrosino, 2015, p. 2). When one thinks of a gender-based crime, many individuals concluded the crime’s victim is most likely a woman. However, in recent years, that statistic has been proven partially true. This is because the term ‘woman’ no longer refers to an individual who is genetically born with female genital, but rather defines those who are â€Å"non-normative or non-traditional† and not born with female parts (Kidd Witten, 2007, p. 36). Quite often, our society places these particular individ uals in a category of transgender. Kidd and Witten define the term transgender vaguely, stating it â€Å"describe[s] people who transcend the conventional boundaries of gender, irrespective of physical status or sexual orientation† (Kidd Witten, 2007, p. 36). This term is a reference for the ‘other gender’ that is not particularly male or female. Currently, within the American society, there is a growing awareness of individuals who are transgender. Much of this awareness comes from LGBT movements and

Order and Disorder in Macbeth - 4047 Words

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth’s visions and hallucinations play a significant role and contribute to the development of his character. In the play Macbeth, a man is driven to murder his king and his companions after receiving a fairly ambiguous prophecy told by three witches. Although the witches triggered the series of events that later aid Macbeth’s descent into complete insanity, Macbeth is portrayed from the very beginning as a fierce and violent soldier. As the play goes on, several internal conflicts inside of Macbeth become clear. After he performs several bloody tasks, the madness inside of Macbeth is unmistakably visible to everyone around him. As a result of this insanity, he sees visions and hallucinations. Each time Macbeth†¦show more content†¦The time has been/ That, when the brains were out, the man would die† (3.4.93-95) Macbeth is talking about past murders committed, perhaps on the battlefield, and how the men died immediately rather than haunted him. Eventually, Lady Macbeth calls for the guests to leave, seeing as her husband has sunk into utter madness and, in her own words, â€Å"displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting/ with most admired disorder.† (3.4. 132-133) Macbeth is now clearly losing his mind due to guilt and yet still plans to go see the witches again. â€Å"I will tomorrow/ (And betimes I will) to the Weird Sisters/ More shall they speak, for now I am bent to know/ by the worst means the worst.† (3.4.164-166) He is still being driven by his ambition despite his collapse into insanity. Macbeth takes his trip to the witches and it is there that he experiences his third hallucination, a four-part apparition that foretells his fate in an indefinite matter once again. The first apparition is an armed head that tells him, â€Å"Beware Macduff! /Beware the Thane of Fife!† (4.1.81-82) Macbeth has already had suspicions of Macduff and the apparition just confirms what he has already feared. The second apparition, a bloody child, says, â€Å"Laugh to scorn/ The power of man, for none of woman born/ shall harm Macbeth.† (4.1. 90-92) Macbeth rejoices to know that no man will beat him that was born of a woman, and he assumes that Macduff was born of a woman. The thirdShow MoreRelatedOthello, By William Shakespeare1401 Words   |  6 Pagesclearly seen in Macbeth, one of Shakespeare’s most famous works. In Macbeth, the main conflict in the story is brought about through the meddling of three witches, who prophesy that Macbeth has become the thane of Cawdor and will later be crowned as the king of Scotland, positions which Macbeth had never even considered before. After having the position of thane bestowed upon him, Macbeth, totally consumed by the vices of greed, ambition, and lust for power, forsakes all of his morals in order to make theRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Shakespeare s Hamlet1513 Words   |  7 Pages[insert introduction here] Macbeth and Hamlet are both tragic heroes whose fall from greatness disturbs the order of their kingdoms. A tragic hero is a character, one of high esteem, whose internal imperfection leads to their downfall. Both Macbeth and Hamlet are well known and of high social class when an unexpected calamity hits. Hamlet, the son of the king of Denmark, is a charismatic prince â€Å"most immediate to [the] throne† (Shakespeare, Ham I.ii.109). It can be inferred that he lives a ratherRead MoreMacbeth Mental Essay1536 Words   |  7 PagesMacbeth Research Paper Dontee L. Sessoms 3rd period Macbeth With anger, illusions, stress and so much more I will analyze Macbeth and lady Macbeth for their problems and disorders. In my research I will decipher between certain diseases such as bipolar disease, anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, sleeping disorder, and paranoia to see exactly which one ofRead MoreDisorders Lead to Tragic Events in The Tragedy of Macbeth by Shakespeare1513 Words   |  6 PagesTragedy of Macbeth,disorders such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Depressive Disorders existed.They brought these disorders on by themselves seeing how they never had them before. Many disorders can occur from tragic events or experiences. Macbethand Lady Macbeth caused themselves to have these disorders by creating a very traumatic problem in their lives. In the playThe Tragedy of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth showed symptoms of having depressive disorders and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. People knowRead MoreEssay on Suffering from Sleep Disorder1451 Words   |  6 Pages For example in the play Shakespeare Macbeth had Banquo murder so he could become king and he didn’t think anything will happen to him cause he had three witches who told him everything will be okay and he will be king. However that didn’t happen after Banquo was murder Macbeth had started to see Banquo, which he then start to act different. From them on Macbeth had regretted having Banquo murder. What is sleep disorder? Sleep disorder is a medical disorder of the sleep pattern of a person. WhenRead MoreMotifs And Motifs In Macbeth1412 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare conveys through motif in his play Macbeth. One of these is that breaking the Great Chain of Being results in misery and disorder, but the natural order tends to eventually recover. Another is that violence is morally ambiguous and can be good or evil depending only on who the violence affects. Finally, Shakespeare shows that what one perceives as reality is not necessarily reality, especially under the effects of guilt and or paranoia. From reading Macbeth, one can easily pick up on these messages:Read MoreEssay on Shakespeares Presentation of the Witches in Macbeth866 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeares Presentation of the Witches in Macbeth The witches are a physical embodiment of evil in the play Macbeth. Like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, they represent temptation. The world of the witches is terrifying and their language full of spitefulness, violent and grisly references to mutilation. Banquo senses that they are evil and he is very mistrustful of them. Macbeth is tempted by their predictions, because they perhaps echo his own thoughts. The witchesRead MoreMacbeth Mental Illness Paper1012 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both show signs of what would today be diagnosed as symptoms of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is defined as â€Å"long-term mental disorder of a type involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental fragmentation†. There are three major symptoms of this disorder: not knowingRead More Darkness and the Agents of Chaos in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay1380 Words   |  6 Pages In Macbeth William Shakespeare employs his skills in imagery and symbolism.   The landscape of Macbeth reveals the contours of the title characters psychological turmoil.   Churning with self-doubt about his determination, his ability to connect word and act, and his sexual potency, Macbeth is a man at the mercy of his environment.   The inability to sleep is symbolic of a tormented soul and represents a characters control over their lives.   The imagery of darkness in Act 4 is used to describeRead MoreShakespeares Use of the Supernatural in Macbeth Essay868 Words   |  4 PagesNature; things which existed, but not part of the normal human life and unexplainable. The play Macbeth involves many supernatural actions that act as a catalyst for suspense and thrill, insight into character, foreshadowing of future events as well as making connections with the theme. In the opening scene of the play, the entrance of the three witches depicts the first presence of supernatural in Macbeth. The presence of the supernatural forces of the witches was accompanied by the dark, gloomy

Objective Synthesis Free Essays

In â€Å"HARD BODIES† by â€Å"STUART EWEN† and â€Å"THE SPORTS TABOO† by â€Å"MALCOLM GLADWELL† outlines particular sports in addition to the differences between the athletic individuals and the ways in which they experience extracurricular activities. The first article listed begins by introducing a man named Raymond who is hoping to achieve the body figure in which he has always dreamed of having. It goes through his daily workout in detail in which he accomplishes after a long day in his office. We will write a custom essay sample on Objective Synthesis or any similar topic only for you Order Now To achieve his long wanted goal, he works on parts of his body piece-by-piece, practicing repetition in a room surrounded by full-length mirrors. The author then begins describing various advertisements with pictures of quote-on-quote perfect bodies. Both men and women pose together showing off their tone and completion with a light coating of oil. Men generally expose their upper half, as women tend to expose their arms, shoulders and stomach. The author believes that these advertisements undergo more meaning then just the exercise in which they advertise. They are more to attract viewers into wanting what they see and spending the money in order to achieve that particular body figure. After reading this article, my mind brought me to think back to many advertisements that I have viewed on shelves of stores as well as gym membership pictures. These figures we see, as they appear toned and have perfection, are never the raw images of these particular individuals. When an advertisement states that the reader should start a new physical training in order to achieve this goal, it includes a denomination of false advertising. These images of these built individuals claim to have recently started new workout habits when in reality these models have kept in shape all their lives and have worked out daily in order to achieve their body types. Women in the workforce viewing these advertisements wanting to appear as these younger more fit women believe they too, can achieve such a body if they begin a new workout routine. The last article discusses the concerns of mainstream sports, while taking a further look into psychology as well as the social identity of an African American athlete. He explores the subject through various data, experiments and observations and captures conclusions within his text using style and formality. Endearing the racial views of sports in society, author Malcolm Gladwell seems to strive to change the reader’s view on this particular aspect throughout his wording. He wishes to illustrate a cause for race not to stand as a criteria position in American sports, but instead for the athletic ability to form as a leading role in such opinions. In the course of his detailed argument, he proposes ideas of equality and nonjudgmental aspects of athletic stereotypes. These two particular articles differ in many ways, one being the opposite perspectives of the body image. Given in the first article, Stuart Ewen had a perspective displaying the importance of body image by telling the story of the man named Raymond. In the second article, however, Malcolm Gladwell displays the non-importance. Ewen gives perspectives from the eyes from Raymond, and his lifelong journal of workouts in order to achieving his goal weight and body muscle. Translated through the second article by Malcolm Gladwell, he perceived a perspective of the aspect in difference. His article proclaimed that the race and amount of money individuals had could have a say in sports as well as who belongs to what category for each. He does not believe in the stereotypes in which people create based off race, nor does he believe in the theory of success at sports depending on money. What I find to be important about the differences of these two opinions as well as views on this particular subject is the reasoning for each viewpoint. Perhaps the background of the author as well, contributing as a factor of the standpoint in which their opinion exists. Could the background of the author, Malcolm Gladwell, contribute to his reasoning to the stereotypes of sports players? As well as the perspective from Raymond? The author may also have these strong opinions because of their ethnicity or religion, or opinions of their friends and or family. I, for one, stand from a similar viewpoint as Raymond with the concern of working out and keeping the body as wished. Achieving one’s desire body type can be of life’s most inspiring goals yet. It tells any average person that if they persevere, they can reach their goals. From a similar viewpoint, both authors did have a strong belief relating to the importance of a subject pertaining to sports. One believed that it is important to look the way you want, and to work extra hard to get there, while the other mentioned the unimportance of how society today sees many stereotypes of how certain people are meant to play certain roles in sports. Many similar people stand evenly gifted according to each other without reasoning. He fights that there is no other side to the previous statement. Lyons, Gregory T. Body and Culture. Hard Body. 1950. Print. Lyons, Gregory T. Body and Culture. The Sports Taboo. 1950. Print How to cite Objective Synthesis, Essay examples

The Looking Glass Wars Essay Example For Students

The Looking Glass Wars Essay The Sky Isn’t the Limit Anymore The Looking Glass Wars by: Frank Beddor A caterpillar that smokes from pipes and eats tarty-tarts is only the beginning of Frank Beddor’s first book in his trilogy The Looking Glass Wars. Many of us are familiar with the infamous fairy tale of Alice who stumbles upon a hole that leads her to Wonderland and meets strange characters like the Cheshire Cat and others. Now there are many differences in Beddor’s tale; not only is the Cat an assassin with nine lives but Alice-the character we grew up knowing-has a different name, Alyss Heart. We will write a custom essay on The Looking Glass Wars specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now She is a young girl whose kingdom of Wonderland is taken over by her blood thirsty and cruel Aunt Redd, who is truly the incarnation of evil. This book is one with many gory battles, sad deaths, and is a mouthful of gwormy worms because of its unforgettable characters. Alyss’s parents-whom are both assassinated by Redd-are the type of parents who truly love their daughter. Alyss is 1 percent child and 99 percent goof. She does not fully understand her role as princess and is forced into fleeing her Queendom and entire world to escape Redd’s wrath. She is taken by Hatter Madigan, personal guard of the Queen and gets separated in England. Alyss now has to grow out of her childish nature and do many things, and each of them is near impossible. She must†¦somehow find Hatter in a whole new world that she is not familiar with; survive in a surrounding unfamiliar to her; find a way back to her own world; and train her imagination so that she can fight Redd. Yes, you heard right. Imagination. No longer are conventional weapons such as guns and bombs needed when you can simply imagine the most deadly weapons in a second. You can even pull a prank on a random bystander just by thinking it true, which was usually done by Alyss. ‘Itd be more fun if it had fountains of water coming out of it, Alyss said, and immediately the hoop was spurting water from tiny holes all along its surface, the surprised inventor still wiggling to keep it swinging round and round. ’ (Beddor, 2) The Looking Glass Wars is Frank Beddor’s first book series and he has already hit the awards and recognition necessary to be as good as J. K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyers. This is a story that emanates the story of a girl, a kingdom, and her struggle to fight for imagination everywhere. This book is a non-stop action packed roller coaster ride because of its everlasting impact on the readers mind. Alyss is a girl with a heart twice the normal size and an imagination so powerful that she can out does many of her predecessors. The plot twists in this book is so sharp that it will cause you to fall off the edge each time. The blood. The war. The imagination. The love-mainly forbidden-creates a story that outdoes the original Alice in Wonderland. No two chapters start with the same perspective. One chapter can start off with the evil thoughts of Redd or another chapter may start with our benevolent hero Alyss. The possibilities are endless with all the characters in the book and each and every chapter holds surprises that will force you to read on and hopefully find out what happened to that specific character. Readers find their love towards this book similar to dividing a number by zero, its indefinable. The use of dialect among even the tree’s in the Everlasting Forest gives life to this master piece. .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619 , .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619 .postImageUrl , .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619 , .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619:hover , .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619:visited , .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619:active { border:0!important; } .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619:active , .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619 .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udaeef6a00c5b223e0e966eb90ba96619:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Oedipus, the King Summary EssayThis remix of Alex in Wonderland is truly a work of art, from its surprising plot twists to the unique characters in this book. One reason that may attract people to this book is the newly released Alice in Wonderland movie. The film sensation brought about many viewers and even more followers of a girl who fell in a hole and found Wonderland. One of the more spectacular characters is Redd Heart. This malevolent tyrant kills her own sister-the late Queen of Wonderland- and her sister’s husband just so that she can become Queen of Wonderland. Her temper is so short that she kills people who don’t follow her unimportant mandates such as calling her by a nickname-her Imperial Viciousness-and instills fear upon all of Wonderland so that nobody disobeys her. Her remarks about death can be shown in this quote; â€Å"Standing amid the crumbled stone and splinters of wood was a nightmare version of Genevieve, a woman Alyss had never seen before. â€Å"Off with their heads! † the woman screamed. â€Å"Off with their stinking, boring heads. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Beddor, 12) Her hate, blood-lust, and simple cruelty helps make the book a one hit wonder among the world of literature.

How American Music Has Changed Over The Past 50 Ye Essays

How American Music Has Changed Over The Past 50 Ye Essays How American Music Has Changed Over The Past 50 Years How American Music Has Changed Over The Past 50 Years People have often wondered if music has always been around. Well, to answer that question I did some research to find out where our music originated. Our first reliable music records came from the Greeks and the Romans. Americans musical history is very short when compared to Japan, India, Africa, and China. We don't know much about our history until about 590-604 A.D. when people began to write music down, the first music that was written down was songs sung in churches. Another often asked question I decided to research is why people write music. I got a lot of different answers for this question. A few of them are: to witness their religious faith to other people; to express themselves; to have fun, they enjoy writing music! After that I researched different kinds of music. How many kinds are there in America? Thousands! There are so many the list would go on and on. Some of the more popular kinds are: rock, jazz, religious, alternative, and also classical. What is popular and what is not has changed a lot over the years, I doubt anyone in 590 A.D. ever even thought of rock music! Then I asked myself how does music effect people. I got the answer that music affects everyone differently, however certain kinds of music can change how people feel. For example heavy metal music will make you feel differently than classical music will make you feel. Music varies greatly around the world, mostly because it has a lot to do with culture. Africa's culture is very different from ours, so is their music. Americans have always liked music but it has become increasingly popular with young people over the last 50 years. Some older people look down on this, but I think music gives teens a sense of who they are, the kind of music you listen to shows who you are. Music is made with many different kinds of instruments and/or your voice. Some of those instruments are: guitars, violins, flutes, drums, and many new electrical instruments. People use music for many different things, like for instance dancing. Many people love to dance, but without music you couldn't dance. Or for in church it wouldn't be fun if you couldn't sing. So now you know about music but I have one more question will music ever die. My answer? No! I don't think it will ever die. Certain kinds of music will die but the concept of music will never end. It survived this long, right!

What Your GMAT Score Means for Your MBA Application

What Your GMAT Score Means for Your MBA Application What Is a GMAT Score? A GMAT score is the score you receive when you take the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). The GMAT is a standardized exam designed specifically for business majors who are applying to a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. Nearly all graduate business schools require applicants to submit a GMAT score as part of the admissions process. However, there are some schools that allow applicants to submit GRE scores in place of GMAT scores.   Why Schools Use GMAT Scores GMAT scores are used to help business schools determine how well an applicant will do academically in a business or management program. In most cases, GMAT scores are used to estimate the depth of an applicant’s verbal and quantitative skills. Many schools also view GMAT scores as a good assessment tool for comparing applicants who are similar to each other. For example, if two applicants have comparable undergraduate GPAs, similar work experience, and comparable essays, a GMAT score can allow admissions committees to fairly compare the two applicants. Unlike grade point averages (GPA), GMAT scores are based on the same set of standards for all test takers. How Schools Use GMAT Scores Although GMAT scores can give schools an impression of academic knowledge, they cannot measure many of the other qualities that are necessary for academic success. This is why admission decisions are usually not based on GMAT scores alone. Other factors, such as undergraduate GPA, work experience, essays, and recommendations also determine how applicants will be assessed. The makers of the GMAT recommend that schools use GMAT scores to: Help select applicants for graduate studyHelp select applicants for merit-based financial aid programs (i.e., programs that consider academic achievements or potential)Assist in counseling or guidance programs The makers of the GMAT also suggest that schools avoid using cutoff GMAT scores to eliminate applicants from the admissions process. Such practices could result in the exclusion of relevant groups. (e.g. candidates who are educationally disadvantaged as a result of environmental and/or social circumstances). An example of a cut-off policy might be a school that does not accept students who score under 550 on the GMAT. Most business schools do not have a minimum GMAT score for applicants. However, schools often publish their average GMAT range for admitted students. Getting your score within this range is highly recommended.   Average GMAT Scores Average GMAT scores always vary from year to year. If you are interested in learning more about average GMAT scores, contact the admissions office at your school(s) of choice. They will be able to tell you what the average GMAT score is based on the scores of their applicants. Most schools also publish average GMAT scores for their most recently accepted class of students on their website. This range will give you something to shoot for when you take the GMAT. The GMAT scores shown below can also give you an idea of what the average score is based on percentiles. Keep in mind that GMAT scores can range from 200 to 800 (with 800 being the highest or best score).   99th percentile: 80098th percentile: 75089th percentile: 70076th percentile: 65059th percentile: 60043rd percentile: 55030th percentile: 50019th percentile: 45011th percentile: 4006th percentile: 3503rd percentile: 3002nd percentile: 250