Violence in the Media - 1047 Words

Should the U.S. Government make a law that bans violence in the media: in movies, on TV, in video games, and on the Internet? Adi Shimony Golden Gate University Today, media take a major part of our lives, shape our society and create reality. The Banning violence in the media is an efficient approach the government should take to handle the growing violence in our society. I argue that the US Government should make a law that bans violence in the media. The law needs to limit broadcasting of violence content at times and places that kids are likely to view, and enforce the use of personal code in TV which allows individuals to control the media they consume.†¦show more content†¦Violating the First Amendment is the most convincing argument against government intervention. In my point of view, government law which bans violence in the media, is an exception to the First Amendment and in some way empowers democracy in our society. Those who reject a government intervention claim that censorship of songs, art, shows or any other kind of entertainment media violates the First Amendment and the democratic principle of the free dom of speech (Freedom of Expression in the Arts, 2002). Because of the validation of this argument, the Congress failed to enact a law that would effectively control the violence in the media (Kevin, 19994). However, â€Å"obscenity† is recognized by the Congress as the only legitimate cause for an exception to the First Amendment. Even though there is no legal definition for obscenity, it is the reason for banning sexual contents in the media. I believe that now it is time to define a legal terminology for obscenity, and depictions of extreme violence should be included under this definition. Nowadays, violence in the media is unavoidable regardless of one’s preferences and is available to all at anytime and anywhere. Violence is in advertisement, movies and in TV shows and one cannot avoid it. Therefore, banning the violence in the media by enforcing a security code for violent contents supports the First Amendment and not viceShow MoreRelatedMedia Violence And The Media Essay864 Words   |  4 PagesExposure to the media violence may be especially problematic in late adolescence. Television and other media play a major role in adolescent socialization and identity development by providing perspectives, values, ideologies, and behavior models (Arnett G., Roberts D. et al.). The socializing role of television in particular may be ampliï ¬ ed by the large amount of time young people spend with this medium. Speciï ¬ cally, 18- to 24-year-olds spend more time watching television and movies than youngerRead MoreMedia, Violence, And Violence Essay1892 Words   |  8 Pageswould be the media. 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Different studies have shown convincing and unconvincing correlational in regards to the media and violence, but to whomRead MoreMedia Violence1105 Words   |  5 Pages Censorship of Violence in Popular Entertainment is NOT Justified â€Å"When I was at church they taught me something else/ If you preach hate at the service those words arent anointed/ That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned/ When everyone else is more comfortable remaining voiceless/ Rather than fighting for humans that have had their rights stolen/ I might not be the same, but thats not important/ No freedom till were equal, damn right I support it.† These are lyrics from a songRead MoreMedia Violence1535 Words   |  7 Pagesat looking at the potentially harmful effects of the consumption of violent media and the impact it has on psychological factors. Two psychological factors that have been researched are empathy and aggression and how violent media influences these two emotions. Theories that have tried explaining the pathway from the viewing of violence in media and the impact on aggression have generally focused on the role of violent media being used by consumers as observational learning and promoting the developmentRead MoreMedia Violence1142 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen calculated that American kids see about 200,000 acts of violence and 25,000 murders on television by the time they reach age eighteen. (Schleifer 18) Arrests of people under the age of eighteen for violent crimes rose forty-seven percent from 1988 to 1992. (Miller 174) The American Medical Associ ation conducted a study that found a direct relationship between viewing and homicide. (Miller 176) Does this kind of overexposure to violence have a significant effect on children and teenagers? The answerRead MoreMedia Violence9754 Words   |  40 Pagesare among the greatest of imitatorsÂ… The debate over media violence has eluded definitive answers for more then three decades. At first glance, the debate is dominated by one question. Whether or not media violence causes real life violence and whether or not it has a negative effect of the modern day Canadian family. Closer examination reveals a political battle. On one hand, there are those who blame media violence for societal violence and want to censor violent content to protect our childrenRead MoreThe Violence Of The Media2018 Words   |  9 Pagesit was intended. With so many media outlets present in everyday life, it is not hard to imagine there being many concerns regarding violence in the media. This essay looks to explore why there is concerns regarding violence in the media, focusing on the glorification of violence. The essay will also look at the different types of media outlets, i.e. the music industry, film, television, internet and gaming, and how each of them may present a glorification of violence. The essay will look at the caseRead MoreMedia Violence And Crime Violence1168 Words   |  5 PagesMedia Violence and Crimes There are few debates that have been contentious for so long as the debate of whether violent medias contribute meaningfully to crimes. Because of the majority of shooting events committed by younger shooters, many politicians regard cultural effects as a potential contributing factor, while others dismiss media as a contributing factor. Within the social science community, a similar division exists (Ferguson, 2015). For example, some professional supporting groups, likeRead MoreMedia Violence and Violence in Society1059 Words   |  4 Pagesprogramming contains some violence, there should be more and more violent crime after television is available† (Freedman). Many suggest the violence in media is causing violence in society but then how is it that violent crimes are actually decreasing in the United States. 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Nutrition Research Analysis - 1101 Words

1. Cho, J., Choi, Y., Kim, A., Kim, H., Lee, J., Lim, S., Oh, J., Yoo, H., Yoon,K. Nutritional Intake of Pregnant Woman with Gestational Diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Clinical Nutrition Research 2013; 2: 81-90. Article from a Korean peer-reviewed journal examined the nutritional intake of 125 women diagnosed with gestational diabetes or type 2 diabetes mellitus for over two years. The woman had not been provided nutritional education on how to manage their blood glucose or proper diet during pregnancy. Researchers collected data on background characteristics, health-related behaviors, and course of pregnancy. The women were asked to document their dietary intake using a 24-hour recall for one day. Calculations of the index of†¦show more content†¦This study confirms general nutrition intervention can be beneficial but a low-glycemic intervention could provide better outcomes. 3. Yuen L Wong VW. Gestational diabetes mellitus: challenges for different ethnic groups. World J Diabetes 2016; 6: 1024–1032. Peer-reviewed article explaining the prominence of cultural competence in MNT for women with GDM. This review promotes the use of MNT for GDM management giving awareness to the significance of an individualized form of care because of ethnicity differences. Although a limited sources exist, results have shown that women residing in an English-speaking country but of non-English background can have a lower understanding of diet modification and usage of insulin. This review provides knowledge in the prevalence of GDM in specific ethnic groups and the importance of making sure dietary recommendations are well understood. 4. Cote, J., Dube, M., Michaud, A., Morisset, A., Robitaille, J., Tcheronof, A., Veillette, J., Weisnagel, S. Dietary Intakes in the Nutritional Management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research 2014; 75: 64-71. Peer-reviewed journal article examining energy intakes of women with gestational diabetes going through nutritional intervention. Study analyzed energy intakes and percentage of energy from macronutrients. Seventeen women with GDM compared to 27 women with normal glucose were monitored. Women with GDM were treated throughShow MoreRelatedEvidence Based Practice Worksheet On Patient Care1067 Words   |  5 Pagesto teach you how current research and evidence summaries are used to influence patient care. Intern Name Taylor Zinke Disease State Category Gastrointestinal (Chron’s) 100-word summary of your patient’s medical diagnosis, care, prognosis, and nutrition needs. USM students MUST submit a copy of their actual chart note and NCP form for this patient in NFS 567L. The patient presented to the hospital with an exacerbation of Chron’s disease and chronic diarrhea. The nutrition department was consultedRead MoreEssay about Nutrition in Public Health 1165 Words   |  5 PagesNutrition in public health: Objectives: Ensure that students acquire specific knowledge for the analysis of food and nutrition problems in population groups. Identify the causal factors of the state of nutrition in communities. Be able to take part in the planning and programming for prevention and control activities within the field of nutrition in public health. Program: I. Concept of public health: Historical evolution. Population and food. Quality of life and socioeconomic developmentRead MoreThe Effect Of Poor Nutrition On The Student s Academic Achievements1606 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The purpose of this research paper is to examine the impact of poor nutrition on the Student’s academic achievements. Therefore, this chapter presents and describes the methodology that is used in completing this research paper. 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Cognitive Approach to Psychology Free Essays

string(198) " psychologists to approach problems, issues and hypotheses from a multitude of different backgrounds and allow a wider range of scrutiny to verify their findings in keeping with scientific inquiry\." Shane Galvin-061 AT-Applied Psychology Shane Galvin Class: 061/AT Applied Psychology Teacher: Carol Neenan Title: Psychological Perspective Word count: 3121 The Cognitive Approach to Psychology Contents Page 1 – Contents Page 2 – Introduction Page 3 – History Page 4 – Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Science Page 6- Research methods i) iii) v) Reaction time Studies Eye Tracking Studies Psychophysics ii) iv) vi) Priming Studies Lateralisation Studies Single-Cell Studies Page 8 – Memory Storage and Models Page 10 – Therapeutic Applications Page 11 – Evaluation Page 12 – Bibliography Shane Galvin-061 AT-Applied Psychology The Cognitive Approach to Psychology What is Cognitive Psychology? Literally, ‘Cognition’ means knowing, but in the greater framework of Psychology, Cognition is thinking, perceiving information, understanding, construction and presentation of an answer to a question. Essentially, cognition is a ter m for the use of our mental processes. â€Å"Cognitive Psychology is the study of higher mental processes such as attention, language use, memory, perception, problem solving, and thinking. We will write a custom essay sample on Cognitive Approach to Psychology or any similar topic only for you Order Now † (Gerrig Zimbardo. 2002) Cognitive Psychology uses scientific methods and scrutiny to develop a deeper understanding of the human mind, rather than the brain, a methodology perhaps adapted from Behaviourism, in which modern Cognitive Psychology holds its roots. Yet, unlike behaviourism, which only focuses on observable behaviour, Cognitive Psychology is also concerned with internal mental states. 2 Shane Galvin-061 AT-Applied Psychology History In 1932, Behaviourist Edward Tolman published his book â€Å"Purposive Behaviour in Animals and Men† In his works Tolman studied rats in a maze, in which food was placed at the end of the maze. In the initial phase of a test, the rat would not be hungry while first entering the maze; this would allow the rat to learn where the food would be and to associate a certain location with the prospect of food. Of course, being armed with such a primal survival instinct would influence the rat to learn and adapt quickly. The rat would move in the general direction of the food as opposed to a specific pathway and Tolman observed that the rats were able to use untrained routes towards the food. This meant that rats had an ability to learn, beyond mere survival instinct and presented a problem for radical behaviourism. Whether Tolman knew it or not, both he and his rats were laying down the groundwork for modern cognitive psychology. Tolman theorized that the animal had developed an image of its environment that it later used as a reference when finding its food. This is called a â€Å"Cognitive Map† i. e. , the rats showed use of their cognitive map by reaching a goal (food) from a number of different starting points. The rats had no instinctive information of the maze and no stimuli that would condition it to have knowledge of the maze, in other words; the rats learned about their environment and stored the information. This helped to establish some basis for memory storage, learned behaviour and analytical methodology for Cognitive Psychology and would help Psychologists prepare for the â€Å"Cognitive Revolution† of the 1950’s where Cognitive Psychology and its principle areas of research begin to become defined. 3 Shane Galvin-061 AT-Applied Psychology The Term â€Å"Cognitive Psychology† came into use in 1967 in the book Cognitive Psychology by Neisser. â€Å"†¦ the term cognition refers to all processes by which the sensory input is transformed , reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered and used†¦ it is apparent that cognition is involved in everything a human being might possibly do; that every psychological phenomena is a cognitive phenomena† (Neisser, 1967) Perhaps it was the invention of the computer that gave Cognitive Psychology the most credibility. For the first time in history, mankind had something to which it could compare with the human brain or mind, and gave the cognitive approach its terminology. By being able to study a simpler artificial construct, psychologists now had the opportunity to learn more about cognitive processes. â€Å"Cognitive psychology focuses on the way humans process information, looking at how we treat information that comes in to the person (what behaviorists would call stimuli), and how this treatment leads to responses. In other words, they are interested in the variables that mediate between stimulus/input and response/output. (McLeod, 2007) Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Science Part of the effect that the cognitive revolution had on its approach is the amalgamation of techniques and ideology’s from other distinct areas of research and study such as linguistics, computer science, developmental psychology and cognitive psychology. It seems as though it is a reaction to the ‘sti mulus-response’ methodology and mode of interpretation espoused by behavioural scientists. Noam Chomsky theorised that the brain had a centre for language acquisition that went beyond what could be explained by behavioural psychology. Jean Piaget had laid out stages of cognitive development that children go through which again could not be explained within the framework of Behaviourism. Computer scientists provided a new way of comparably examining the brain by using computer processing as a method to conceptualise brain processing. â€Å"These scientists maintained their own distinct methodologies†¦ but they held together and remained united in their interest in cognition and in their goal to bring the scientific study of these processes to light. This scientific collective became known as cognitive science† (Solso, et al. 2008) In modern times cognitive science relies on computer science, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, linguistics and anthropology. Cognitive science is heavily influenced by computer science; in computer modelling it is possible to construct and test cognitive models, in the form of artificial intelligence (AI) which has leaked into popular use in the form of interactive techno logy such as video gaming. 4 Shane Galvin-061 AT-Applied Psychology But it is of particular benefit to psychologists because they can test certain, although limited, cognitive models and theories based on computer models. Cognitive Psychology uses a combination of techniques adapted from other areas of research in order to research its own theories, thus we have an intrinsic relationship between cognitive psychology and other methodologies as illustrated in Gardner’s Hexagon. The diverse range of methodologies in the cognitive approach allows researchers and clinical psychologists to approach problems, issues and hypotheses from a multitude of different backgrounds and allow a wider range of scrutiny to verify their findings in keeping with scientific inquiry. You read "Cognitive Approach to Psychology" in category "Essay examples" Ultimately this allows the cognitive scientist/psychologist to create models of predictive capability that are reproducible which, in Psychology, allows for a greater understanding of the human mind and its mechanisms. 5 Shane Galvin-061 AT-Applied Psychology Research Method’s The research methods of cognitive psychology observe and record how we take in information from the physical world, the response time of reactions and how we process this information to perceive it. â€Å"The method’s of cognitive psychology stem from those used by early German researchers studying memory, association and processes. These tools became a mainstay of experimental psychology. As cognitive psychology began to form and become interdisciplinary, methods from other research fields were borrowed and modified for use in the study of cognitive processes. Research methods are the tools by which we come to know and understand, as well as test ideas and develop new ones. † (Solso, et al. , 2008) i) Reaction Time Studies: Reaction time studies are used to study cognitive processes and seem to be a defining methodology in the cognitive approach. An example is Donder’s complication studies, in which a subject’s response speed to a white light being turned on was recorded and compared to a yellow light being turned on. Researchers believed early on that the time difference between the two responses could have been attributed to additional processing that it took to differentiate the yellow from the white light. â€Å"Reaction time studies fundamentally rely on the assumption that cognitive activity takes time and that one stage is completed before the other starts. † (Solso, et al. , 2008) ii) Priming studies: Priming studies have been used by psychologists for quite some time. With the invention of computer technology, specifically brain imaging technology, priming studies are becoming more popular. â€Å"In priming studies a stimulus is briefly presented (a prime) and then, after a delay, a second stimulus is presented and a participant is asked to make some judgement regarding the second stimulus, such as, â€Å"Is the second stimulus the ‘same’ as the first? † (Solso, et al. , 2008) There are two types of priming effects. The Semantic priming Effect and the Object priming effect. The Semantic priming effect is that by activating one item, the acceptability of the second item is enhanced. The Object priming effect is typically in two stages. The first stage is the presentation of an object. This is followed by an interval that may be as short as a millisecond or as long as several months. In the second stage an object similar to the first object is presented, it could be changed, degraded or rotated etc. The participants’ accuracy in remembering the first object is then measured and sometimes the reaction time is measured as well. Tulving Schacter, 1990) 6 Shane Galvin-061 AT-Applied Psychology iii) Eye-Tracking studies: A large portion of the brain is used for interpreting and processing visual sensory information. Researchers have developed techniques to track the movement of eyes in order to determine where a person’s eye is fixed which in particular helps to study people reading, what sentence they are looking at and where they look next. Ey e-tracking studies have helped researchers to discover that people who have dyslexia have different eye movements to people who do not have dyslexia. v) Lateralisation Studies Lateralisation studies developed from the idea that the two sides of the brain are responsible for different cognitive functions, in an effort to localise functions within the brain, Broca and Wernicke’s area’s ( centres that are responsible for speech and language) are located on one side of the brain, the left side, this implies that the brain has localised area’s for different functions, these studies were particularly important in the area of memory study and studies of amnesiac patients, through the methodology used in lateralisation studies, i. e. riming type tests, and brain imaging we know that the hippocampus is responsible for memory, although there are two hippocampi. There are also more invasive techniques used in lateralisation studies using patients with extreme epilepsy unde rgoing preventative surgery whereby the corpus collosum, the fibre’s which connect the hemispheres of the brain, are cut. v) Psychophysics Psychophysics is the scientific study of the relationship between stimuli and the sensations and perceptions evoked by these stimuli. (Solso, et al. , 2008) Psychophysicists are interested in perceptual thresholds. For example in Weber’s study of perceptual threshold’s he tested a person’s ability to detect weight. If a person was holding a weighted object, how much weight could be added before the person could detect and perceive the difference in weight. vi) Single-cell Studies Single-cell studies are typically conducted in animals as opposed to humans because of their invasive nature. Hubel Wiesel, who were awarded a Nobel Prize for their 1959 research, mapped the visual cortex of cats. This research involved the opening of the skull of the subject. They had theorised that because single cells communicate with each other via electrical impulses then it would be possible to probe these single cells with a an extremely fine meter to measure the amount of electrical activity in a cell without damaging it, thereby allowing them to evaluate perceptual experience at a cellular level. Hubel Wiesel basically restrained a cat , opened its skull, probed it’s brain and then showed the cat 7 Shane Galvin-061 AT-Applied Psychology moving images and kept probing until they could record the level of cellular electrical activity. This gave us an insight into how we visual perceive the world and the physical action that takes place in the brain. (Solso, et al. , 2008) Memory, Storage and Models Cognitive Psychology is viewed as a pure science, its accepted theories on memory, for example, are based on laboratory experiments with demonstrable results as well as solid work in case studies. For example the Multi store Model (MSM) by Atkinson Shiffrin (1968, 1971) cited by (McLeod, 2007) attempted to explain how information is transferred from Short Term Memory to Long Term Memory. This model views sensory memory, STM and LTM as â€Å"permanent structural components† and suggests that memory is made up of a series of stores. MSM likens memory as information flowing through a system. Information is detected by the sense organs and enters the sensory memory. If attended to this information enters the short term memory. Information from the STM is transferred to the long-term memory only if that information is rehearsed. If rehearsal does not occur, then information is forgotten, lost from short term memory through the processes of displacement or decay. McLeod, 2007) This model has influenced the study and research of memory and is supported and informed by studies of retrograde and anterograde amnesia. The Working Model of Memory (Baddely Hitch, 1974), shows that short term memory is more than one store and consists of different components. Similarly, in long term memory different kinds of memory such as addition/subtraction, how to play chess or what we did yesterday are not stored in one ‘hard-drive’ type long term memory store. There are different types of memory, episodic (memory of events), procedural (memory of how to do 8 Shane Galvin-061 AT-Applied Psychology hings) and semantic (general knowledge). This model of memory espouses that rehearsal is the process whereby by we transfer information into Long term memory but that it is not necessary to rehearse in some cases. . We know, now, that the part of the brain that deals with memory is the hippocampus; it is part of the limbic system and deals with short term memory and long term memory, as well as spatial functions, the hippocampus is shown in this diagram. As we can see, there are hippocampi; there is a hippocampus in both sides of the brain. The hippocampus is part of the cerebral cortex and is located in the medial temporal lobe. Damage to the hippocampus can result in a person being unable to store new memories and is quite devastating to a person’s quality of life. In the case of Clive Wearing, based on Baddely, 1990; Blakemore 1988 as cited in (Gross, 2010), who suffered from anterograde amnesia, we can see the effects of damage to the hippocampus, in this case caused by a rare brain infection caused by the cold sore virus (Herpes Simplex). Mr. Wearing lives almost as if he is frozen in time, constantly believing he has just woken from years of unconscious sleep. He retains developed skills, for example he was the chorus master of the London Sinfonietta. Unfortunately for Mr. Wearing his ability to recall memories from earlier in his life is extremely patchy, at best. Atkinson and Schiffrin regard the kind of memory Deficits displayed by Clive Wearing as ‘perhaps the single most convincing demonstration of a dichotomy in the memory system’ (Gross, 2010) 9 Shane Galvin-061 AT-Applied Psychology Therapeutic Applications Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is based on how our thoughts, feelings and behaviour all interact with each other; our thoughts influence our feelings and behaviour. CBT helps the client to develop alternate ways of thinking and behaving in order to reduce psychological distress. Through reflective processes and tasks such as homework, the client’s maladaptive thought process and behaviour is challenged. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a blanket term for different therapeutic interventions that share similar characteristics. Two therapies which form the basis of CBT are Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, developed by Albert Ellis in the 1950s, and Cognitive Therapy, developed by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960’s. Beck puts forward the argument that our emotional reactions are essentially a function of how we construe the world. â€Å"Depressed people see themselves as victims, and Beck sees them as victims of their own illogical self-judgements. Beck’s central idea is that depressed individuals feel as they do because their thinking is dominated by negative schemas. † (Gross, 2010) Beck essentially implies that we interpret our reality by using our cognitive processes and our perception. If our perceptions are skewed because our cognitive processes are maladaptive or our methods of reasoning are incorrect then our emotions and behaviour become distorted from reality. In order to correct emotional or psychological disturbances then we must seek to examine the root of the problem, viewing this through the lens of cognition means that we must correct our thought process in order to correct the symptomatic behavioural and emotional disorder. Beck uses method’s to treat a disorder depending on the disorder that the client suffers from. He stresses the importance of the quality of the relationship between the client and therapist. Beck also places particular emphasis on the client discovering misconceptions for themselves. (McLeod, 2008) Albert Ellis’ Rational Emotional Behavioural Therapy is quite contrasting to Becks method. Ellis Proposes that the therapist should be a teacher and that a warm personal relationship is unnecessary. REBT can also be highly directive, persuasive and confrontational. REBT also uses different methods of approach to a client’s issue depending on the client’s personality. Human cognition can be held responsible for the individual’s successes and accomplishments, according to CBT cognition can also be held responsible for our problems. You are responsible for the outcome of the situation’ It emphasises control over one’s behaviour and emotions through correcting thought processes. The nature of Cognitive 10 Shane Galvin-061 AT-Applied Psychology Psychology/Science allow cognitive theories to be tested in a variety of situations, for example Rimm Litvak’s 1969 (McLeod, 2008) study shows that When experimental subjects are manipulated into adopting unpleasant assumptions or thought they became more anxious and depressed. Moreover, many people with diagnosed psychological disorders such as anxiety and sexual disorders have been found to display maladaptive thoughts and assumptions, making a case for the effectiveness of CBT. Aaron Beck’s work in researching depression and order disorders in clinical as well as laboratory settings and testing memory and other cognitive functions, and in particular his outcome studies have shown that CBT can be highly effective. CBT is also used in the treatment of drug abuse, bipolar disorder and in patients with cancer, HIV, OCD, PTSD and schizophrenia. It has also been theoretically applied in the treatment of psychopathy. Evaluation/Personal Learning Upon examining the field of Cognitive Psychology, I have learned that cognitive Psychology is adaptive. It evolves with the times and incorporates new technologies, but also has a serious grounding in scientific methodology in order to correctly examine and understand the human mind. Cognitive Psychology is informed by the greater umbrella that is cognitive science. For example it uses information from computer science and neuroscience in order to better understand the cognitive processes that exist in the human brain. Given that the ‘mind’ is not a physical entity; this style of scientific inquiry may be the best approach in understanding it. There is a good scientific framework underlying Cognitive psychology which then allows the Psychologist to move forward and deal with issues presented by the mind. As we can see in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, the therapist approaches the abstract nature of the mind by focusing on the underlying mental hierarchy. That being, Cognition, Emotion, Behaviour, in order to treat symptomatic issues, the therapist using this approach must deal with the thought processes that create these symptoms. The most important lesson that I have learned is that, while the mind is an abstract construct and is quite difficult to quantify, quantifiable information about physical constructs such as the brain and general human biology and chemistry and its influences informs the understanding of the human mind. 11 Shane Galvin-061 AT-Applied Psychology Bibliography Baddely, A. Hitch, G. , 1974. Working Memory. In: G. Bower, ed. The Psychology of Learning and Motivation: Advances in Research and Theory. New York: Academic Press, pp. 47-89. Gerrig, R. J. Zimbardo. , . P. G. , 2002. Glossary. [Online] Available at: http://www. apa. org/research/action/glossary. aspx [Accessed 14 November 2012]. Gross, R. , 2010. Psychology The Science of Mind and Behaviour. 6th ed. London: HodderArnold. McLeod, S. , 2007. Atkinson and Shiffrin | Multi Store Model of Memory.. [Online] Available at: http://www. simplypsychology. org/multi-store. html [Accessed 16 November 2012]. McLeod, S. , 2007. http://www. simplypsychology. org/cognitive. html. [Online] Available at: fromhttp://www. implypsychology. org/cognitive-therapy. html [Accessed 10 November 2012]. McLeod, S. , 2008. Simply Psychology, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. [Online] Available at: http://www. simplypsychology. org/cognitive-therapy. html [Accessed 12 November 2012]. Neisser, U. , 1967. Cognitive Psychology. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. Solso, R. L. , Maclin, O. H. Maclin, M. K. , 2008. Cognitive Psychology. 8th ed. Boston: Pearson. Tulving, E. Schacter, D. L. , 1 990. Priming and Human Memory Systems. Science, Volume 247, pp. 301-306. 12 How to cite Cognitive Approach to Psychology, Essay examples

Understanding Growth and Development Patterns of Infants free essay sample

Children’s developmental patterns follow the same sequence for all children but individual children develop at different rates. For example, babies from birth to 12 months begin to to lift and turn their head, begin to sit up at around 6 months. So, a baby must have head control before they can sit unsupported. Another child may sit up and walk missing out rolling over and crawling. Even this element is missed, the development is viewed as an expected pattern. A toddler is able to walk before they can run. This sequence is building up skills to enable the next stage of development. A baby cannot talk in 2-3 words sentence from birth; they start to communicate by crying, babbling, saying a few words, and only then stringing words together and make a full sentence.According to Burnham et al (2010), the difference between the sequence of development and the rate of development is that the sequence refers to the normal or expected sequence in which children learn different skills. We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Growth and Development Patterns of Infants or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The rate of development involves a time frame linked to age in which a child develops and milestones will always occur in the same sequence. Milestones are usually used to track children’s development. They measure individual child’s progress and can indicate any deviation from the norm. It helps to identify the particular child’s needs during the stages of their development and to plan the support effectively. So children will get opportunities to improve their abilities in the areas they find most difficult. For instance, a child with language problems can then be referred to a speech therapist who would then work with the childcare setting to implement ways or skills that will help the child.The rate of children development depends on factors, such as disability and health issues, the environment in which they are growing up, family support and their background. A child could develop into one are well, but his lack of ability in other development areas. For example, an eighteen-month-old baby may have a good vocabulary, but not able to walk or stand alone.It is important to observe and note the difference between the sequence of development and the rate of development so that the individual child’s needs are met. It is essential to know the child individually and know what stage of development they are. It gives us, as practitioners, knowledge, and understanding of how a child is developing, concerns are easily spotted, investigated and the required support is offered. Children reach different stages at different times. Development should be viewed as a ‘whole’ and areas of concern should be monitored and supported when necessary.

10 Tips About Basic Writing Competency

10 Tips About Basic Writing Competency 10 Tips About Basic Writing Competency 10 Tips About Basic Writing Competency By Mark Nichol Here are ten areas to be sure to attend to if you wish to be taken seriously as a professional writer. Formatting 1. Do not enter two letter spaces between sentences. Use of two spaces is an obsolete convention based on typewriter technology and will mark you as out of touch. If editors or other potential employers or clients notice that you don’t know this simple fact, they may be skeptical about your writing skills before you’ve had a chance to impress them. 2. Take care that paragraphs are of varying reasonable lengths. Unusually short or long paragraphs are appropriate in moderation, but allowing a series of choppy paragraphs or laboriously long ones to remain in a final draft is unprofessional. 3. If you’re submitting a manuscript or other content for publication, do not format it with various fonts and other style features. Editors want to read good writing, not enjoy aesthetically pleasing (or not) manuscripts; efforts to prettify a file are a distraction. Style 4. Do not, in rà ©sumà ©s or in other text, get carried away with capitalization. You didn’t earn a Master’s Degree; you earned a master’s degree. You didn’t study Biology; you studied biology. You weren’t Project Manager; you were project manager. (Search the Daily Writing Tips website for â€Å"capitalization† to find numerous articles on the subject.) 5. Become familiar with the rules for styling numbers, and apply them rationally. 6. Know the principles of punctuation, especially regarding consistency in insertion or omission of the serial comma, avoidance of the comma splice, and use of the semicolon. (Search the Daily Writing Tips website for â€Å"punctuation† to find numerous articles on the subject.) And if you write in American English and you routinely place a period after the closing quotation mark at the end of a sentence rather than before it, go back to square one and try again. 7. Hyphenation is complicated. In other breaking news, life isn’t fair. Don’t count on editors to cure your hyphenation hiccups for you; become your own expert consultant. (In addition to reading the post I linked to here, search the Daily Writing Tips website for â€Å"hyphenation† to find numerous articles on the subject.) 8. Avoid â€Å"scare quotes.† A term does not need to be called out by quotation marks around it unless you must clarify that the unusual usage is not intended to be read literally, or when they are employed for â€Å"comic† effect. (In this case, the implication is that the comic effect is patently unamusing.) Usage 9. For all intensive purposes, know your idioms. (That should be â€Å"for all intents and purposes,† but you should also just omit such superfluous phrases.) On a related note, avoid clichà ©s like the plague except when you don’t. They’re useful, but generous use is the sign of a lazy writer. Spelling 10. Don’t rely on spellchecking programs to do your spelling work for you, and always verify spelling (and wording) of proper nouns. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph ExamplesConfused Words #3: Lose, Loose, LossBail Out vs. Bale Out

Critique vs. Criticism

Critique vs. Criticism Critique vs. Criticism Critique vs. Criticism By Maeve Maddox Although dictionaries list critique and criticism as synonyms, the words are not exact equivalents. Perhaps because its two letters shorter, headline writers often use critique when criticism would be the more appropriate choice. Take the following example: News Anchor Fiercely and Succinctly Claps [sic] Back at a Viewers Critique of Her Appearance Here is the so-called critique: All the female reporters and anchors wear little to no jewelry but B Ciara wears the biggest and worst jewelry I have ever seen, please have her play by all same rules as every one else. The viewers petty comment is not a critique. It is a criticism. The word critique connotes a detailed analysis that describes and weighs the characteristics of something before drawing conclusions based on evidence and inference. The type of critique Im most familiar with analyzes and evaluates a piece of writing. Other kinds of critiques are written by political analysts, scientific theorists, and philosophers. A critique considers positive aspects of a subject as well as negative ones. A critiques conclusion may be negative, but the critic will have demonstrated a line of reasoning that led to it. The meanings of critique and criticism overlap, but criticism is already used in a general sense to refer to an expression of mere disapproval or faultfinding. It seems desirable to reserve the word critique to refer to a detailed and thoughtful analysis. Here are some alternative choices for criticism in the sense of censure: condemnation denunciation disapproval disparagement opprobrium attack stricture recrimination Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†Hang, Hung, Hanged90 Verbs Starting with â€Å"Ex-†

The Ways Of Competitive Advantage Development Assignment

The Ways Of Competitive Advantage Development - Assignment Example The government through its trade and finance departments play a significant role in making sure all SMEs obtain relevant information about the orientations. In addition, commercial banks, investment banks, and other financial institutions help the enterprises through the provision of credit facilities and guidance on feasible investment destinations (Reijonen 2012). The most significant aspect of orientation is developing a comprehensible understanding of how SMEs perceive and put the concept of marketing into practice. The practices of SMEs will determine their distinctive size, industry or even the crop of customers. Enterprises have adopted unique policies and practices that have to ensure their stability or growth. Bad decisions have resulted to decline in the performance of certain SMEs. However, the government plays important role in the process of ensuring all SMEs have equal opportunities to expand if they have attained all legal formalities. Market orientation is a business approach whose focus is to identify and meet the affirmed wants or needs of prospective customers. According to the philosophy of market orientation, all SMEs must create strategies and policies that are in consensus with the changing demands and expectations of consumers within its niche in the market. These enterprises are vital to the process of driving innovation and competition not only in the US but also in the world at large. They are arguably the backbone of major economies of the world, US included.... According to the philosophy of market orientation, all SMEs must create strategies and policies that are in consensus with the changing demands and expectations of consumers within its niche in the market (Porter & Kramer 62). These enterprises are vital to the process of driving innovation and competition not only in the US but also in the world at large. They are arguably the backbone of major economies of the world, US included. The enterprises provide the biggest chunk of employment opportunities to Americans (Porter & Kramer 2011). Besides, they account for the largest group of exporters in the US and largely rely on imported goods for production processes. The market outlook compliments the market orientation towards examining and resolving poor performance in the past, consumer demand, existing economic aspects, and business opinion. Interactions between market orientation and brand orientation will either promote or derail the competitive advantage of SMEs (Porter & Kramer 20 11). The brand orientation is identity-driven and always views the brand as the hub for a business organization together with its strategy. For enterprises whose major concern is brand orientation, it is inevitable to design brands that excel in the market against competitor’s which then appear less superior (Porter & Kramer 2011). Brand orientation is a costly process since it demands extensive and all-inclusive consultations. In contrast, market orientation is image-driven. The image of an organization will determine whether it is marketable and has incredible niche in the highly competitive market. Over the past few decades, brand orientation and market orientation appeared to have diverse strategic options. However, the perception has changed over the

Forensic science - fingerprint analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Forensic science - fingerprint analysis - Essay Example Ninhydrin treatment involves dipping the items in a ninhydrin solution and allowing the prints to develop over 24 to 48 hours (Lennard, 2001). Physical developer is an aqueous solution, which contains a ferrous/ferric redox system along with silver nitrate and citric acid, and stabilised by a surfactant. Placing a document in the reagent, leads to the deposition of silver from the solution onto any latent fingermarks. The reaction is catalysed by water-insoluble components of the deposit (Lennard, 2001). Small particle reagent is a suspension of molybdenum disulfide in a detergent solution. Small particle reagent suspension can be applied with a spray and then rinsed with water to remove the excess powder (Lennard, 2001). Cyanoacrylate treatment is either with cyanoacrylate vapour or cyanoacrylate fuming, which results in the formation of a hard, white polymer on any latent print. The reaction is catalysed by moisture and ionic material present in the deposit. Cyanoacrylate fuming can be done with home-made chambers, expensive commercial units or portable fuming systems (Lennard, 2001). Basic Yellow 40 (BY40; Maxilon Flavine 10 GFF) is a non-toxic, highly fluorescent dye, which stains cyanoacrylate-developed latent prints. The stain has an excitation maximum at 440 nm with a luminescence emission peak at 490 nm. Basic Yellow 40 is very sensitive to ultraviolet light and can be used with a simple long-wavelength ultraviolet lamp (Security & Safety Supply.) When considering chemical treatments, the surface type is a major consideration. Latent fingermark deposits behave differently on different substrate types; therefore, some techniques are effective on some surfaces, but not on others (Lennard, 2001). For porous surfaces, the choice of chemical treatment will depend on whether the item was wet or not. If the item has been wet, the method

Rhetoric & Stereotypes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rhetoric & Stereotypes - Essay Example †¨The language and rhetoric that is used to reinforce the stereotype of each group will be described. It will be examined if there some â€Å"truth† to stereotypes of these groups (and others, as well)? †¨Finally, there will be an in-depth self-appraisal about what this writer has learned based on this. The following are stereotypes generated by the writer which are not necessarily true but are commonly associated with the following respective groups. Generally, politicians have the reputation for being men who are usually lawyers, liars, crooked, long-winded, all talk and no action, cheaters, stealers, dishonest, powerful, power-hungry, ego-centric, self-centered, and egomaniacal. Tattooed persons may have the reputation of being the following: cheap; pro basketball players; losers; people who smoke; trailer trash; bikers; biker babes; self-cutters; people with low self-esteem; exhibitionists; people of low social class or socioeconomic status; people from the ghetto or who exalt ghetto life or the ghetto lifestyle; following their cultural norms; getting tattoos for fun; being sailors; being punks; being fans of â€Å"emo† music; and drunks. Feminists may be stereotyped as being annoying, loud, pushy, lesbians, dykes, whiny, single, organizers, protesters, bra-burners, peo ple who use the title â€Å"Ms.†, independent, ballbreakers, complainers, whistleblowers, strong, strong-minded, stubborn, and well-educated. Senior citizens may be labeled as grumpy, old, leaky, sickly, frail, poor, forgetful, repetitive, wistful, reminiscing, mean, doddering, docile, childlike, dependent, ornery, wise, professorial, people who live in the past, long-winded, toothless, bald or balding, frugal, cheap when it comes to money, hard-of-hearing, blind, sight-impaired, dependent on prescription drugs, unsteady, bad drivers, and people who have decreased mobility. †¨ Not all of

The business strategy of marks and spencer

The business strategy of marks and spencer Marks Spencer (MS) is one of the leading retailers in the United Kingdom (UK). The high quality services are being provided to the customers in the areas of clothing, food and home products. Based on reliable statistical data, the number of customers visiting MS stores every week approaching the figure of 21 million. From all over the world, 2,000 suppliers take the responsibility of outstanding quality products to satisfy the customers. The key factors behind the business such as service, quality, value, trust and innovation are equally important since the beginning of MS 125 years ago till date [8]. Business is growing in 41 different countries other than UK by following the well-defined rules and regulations regarding customer care, product quality, innovation and trust. More than 76,000 people work in UK and overseas for MS. To become the worlds most sustainable major retailer is the ultimate goal of MS. For the achievement of this goal, Plan A was launched in January 2007 consisting of 100 commitments to attain in 5 years, but Plan A has extended to 180 commitments to reach by 2015 [9]. The Plan A consists of five pillars to help the MS customers to lead healthier lifestyles. To combat climate change, reduce waste, use sustainable raw material and trade ethically are the four pillars upon which Plan A stands. All the 180 commitments are under the five pillars of Plan A. MS is trying best to work through Plan A by involving customers and suppliers to achieve the desired results [8]. The first section presents the analysis of external environment of organization. Internal environment and identification is the main focus in second section and third section deals with the impact of external environment on the strategic direction of the organization. Identification of the major issues and challenges facing MS is key discussion in last section, and there is conclusion after that to summarize all the sections. Political, economic, social and technical (PEST) are the four most important factors to analyze the external environment of MS. The restrictions or limitations applied by the government in any country are covered under political aspects (import/export duties). But economic aspects indicate the strength and growth of organization based on stock market share value. Social aspects reflect the common people interest in the society and technical issues point to the involvement and utilization of modern emerging technology to advertise and enhance the organizations business. This external environment with four major factors plays a significant role in determining the organizations business strategy to achieve the optimal results. Q.1: Analysis of the organizations external environment. Strategic Analysis of Business Environment External and internal environment influence the organizational operations, therefore strategic direction of business depends on both environments. Strategic analysis helps identifying the environmental factors that can significantly affect the business. On the other hand, environmental analysis indicates the activities both inside and outside the organization. For appropriate business strategy to reflect the organizational environment, environmental analysis must be taken into account. The following discussion considers external and internal organizational environment in detail [6]. 1.1 External Environment External environment consists of conditions and forces such as (political, economical, social and technological) that are beyond the control and affect the organizations strategic options. External environment defines the competitive situation of organization and potentially have both positive and negative impact on business. The classical PEST analysis identifies four major categories of external factors that significantly affect organizations capability to survive and grow. Based on operating region, external environment is divided into three interactive segments having remote, industrial and operating environments. However, changes in the external environment also create new opportunities [1]. Different external factors have different influences which need to be discussed separately for clear understanding. Some influences inter-linked with each other create a bit of complexity. For instance, information technology completely changed the nature of work, customer behavior and life-style as well. External environmental study helps to decide the business strategy accordingly to gain the competitive advantage. Based on PEST analysis, four major external factors are going to discuss in detail [2]. Remote Environment Operating Environment Industrial Environment 1.2 Political Environment Business growth and investors interest both are strictly relevant to the political stability in a country. The government trade policy is another important factor that affects organizations business. Organization operates in an administrative and legal framework provided by the political government. The restrictive environment affects all aspects of organization. The legal and administrative framework cover lot of factors including pricing regulation, tax rates and incentives, mandatory employee benefits, wage legislation, trade regulations and tariffs, industrial safety regulations and product labeling requirements. Permissive administrative/legal context favors organizations business, employees and consumers. The development pace of organization depends on specific laws and regulations to work with. Political activities also affect suppliers, customers and competitors [2]. 1.3 Economic Environment To discuss the effect of economy on organizations business, there is a definite need to consider the crucial macro-economic trends. In this regard, the factors that influence business are taxation, interest rates, inflation, disposable income, unemployment, GNP trends, general demand, government spending, money supply, business cycle stage (e.g. prosperity, recession and recovery), economic growth rate and tendency to spend at national and international levels [1]. 1.4 Social Environment In social environment changes in values, attitudes, beliefs, opinions, different life styles and other trends are taken into consideration. Successful business strategy must have the ability to target different demographics, class structure in the society, various cultures and ethnic conditions of individuals. As a consequence of changing marketplace concepts, customers are compromising the quality over price. Fashionable clothing demand has increased to great extent. The price sensitivity of majority of customers left MS at less competitive position [1]. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION SOCIAL TECHNOLOGICAL ECONOMIC 1.5 Technological Environment Rapid change in technology greatly influences the market conditions and existing trends as well. Electronic media is playing very important role in introducing new fashions in the society. Therefore, organization needs to consider all such factors relevant to modern technology. Utilization of modern technology set the new standards regarding services and product quality. In the technological environment business is affected in terms of investment and consistent application of technology to compete in the market [2]. Q.2: Analysiss of the organizations internal environment and identification. Analysis of Internal Environment and Identification SWOT analysis may be used to measure the degree of fit between strategies and environment. Based on this analysis, strengths and opportunities are used for the profit of business and protect organization against weaknesses and threats. There is no great deal of thought in the utilization of SWOT analysis due to simple nature so the results are not very reliable. This analysis has no ability to cope very well with some of the complicated aspects of modern strategic theory. In the current situation simple analysis of internal environment of MS is concerned, thats why reasonable results may be achieved based on SWOT analysis [5]. 2.1 Strengths All internal and external aspects that give strength to the organization are included in the strong points. The strength indicates the current market position of business in terms of customers, competitors and internal resources. Strength is a resource advantage relative to competitors and the needs of the markets a firm serves or expects to serve. The distinct advantage that helps the organization to achieve the comparative advantage in the market. The origin of strength is the resources and competencies available in the organization [5]. Excellent and quality products give the strength to MS in terms of customers and competitors. Based on better treatment and good salary, the employees are in excellent relationship with MS. Large number of MS stores in the UK and overseas represent the strong infrastructure. The financial strength is obvious due to the large market share. MS is one of the major retailers in the UK, profitable and mature as well [4]. 2.2 Weaknesses In spite of good strength in industry, there are weak areas as well that require an improvement. MS products are more expansive than other competitors on the high street but justifiable based on excellent quality. The main focus is on the customers in between 35-44 years old, neglecting the younger and children. Because of expansion program to Europe, USA and other countries, MS lost focus on local market. There is no business strategy to capture the potential available in the younger generation market .Most of the times no special offers are available to the customers in the form of sales. Internally, customer services need to be improved including updating the use of technology to manage the merchandise in the store [4]. 2.3 Opportunities The most important factor in the business growth is to avail the new opportunities in the market. To grasp the potential available in the market, there is a definite need to arrange the flexible business strategy that may change according to the trends. Introduce the wider range of colour clothes, variety and different types of collections to target the majority of customers .By utilising suitable effective strategy such as younger more contemporary models to attract the younger generation. Superior resources and capabilities based on modern technology is a key factor to attain the competitors advantage level. There is a need to improve the food stores for successful MS food business [4]. 2.4 Threats In the presence of intense competition between different organizations in the industry, threat is ever present force. To avoid the danger of threat the organization always tries to improve the performance in terms of customer services, quality product and lower cost. Business extension to overseas has proven less successful for M&S; there is a need to target the local market. Strong competitors are targeting the youth market; therefore there is a danger that MS could lose this market [5]. Organizations Internal Factors Opportunities Threats Weaknesses Strengths External Factors Q.3: Identification of the major issues and challenges facing the marks Spencer. Challenges and Issues Facing Marks Spencer MS is one of the biggest retailers in the UK providing diverse nature services to the customers including clothes, food and home products. They always try their best to emphasize Quality at affordable prices, but this is not always the case. They are losing the trend to capture the younger market and other retailers are taking the advantage of this weak point. To grasp the potential of this area is the big challenge MS facing. The goods prices are going up and to provide the cheaper product, they have to import the stuff which decreased the image of MS as British Goods seller [8]. The customers trends were changing towards natural and environmentally friendly products so, MS launched plan A consisting of 180 commitments to overcome the challenges. Many problems are related to changing climate conditions. To combat the climate change is the major challenge that MS facing. Reduce the waste going into landfill is also the big issue for MS to deal with. The plan A is launched by considering the fact that great challenges exist and management needs to deal with customers and suppliers to achieve the targets. To attain the carbon neutral level is an important commitment that is trying to be achieved by efficient utilization of fuel. For example, huge vehicles are being used for transportation. Energy saving is also the important part of plan A [8]. There are a considerable number of clothes going to landfill in the form of waste. Instead of wasting, these cloths may be provided to the non-profit organizations who are working for the needy people of society. The reduction of waste is significant factor in plan A. MS is trying their best to improve the lives of people in the supply chain. To help the customers and employees live the healthier life-style through plan A [9]. Q.4: External environment and the impact on the strategic direction of the organization. Impact of External Environment on Strategic Direction The strategic direction refers to the action plan that leads to the achievement of ultimate goals of organizations strategy. The strategic direction of MS is based on the idea to become the worlds most sustainable retailer by 2015. In spite of the fact that there is no set bench mark exit to compare the worlds most sustainable retailer, this plan is admirable to provide so much services and containing large number of commitments. To achieve this target, the business development department launched plan A based on five pillars. The business is not limited to the physical boundaries of organization. What happens outside does affect the strategic direction and the organization has to act or react accordingly to cope with the situation [2]. The external forces such as political, economical, social and technological that affect the strategic direction of organizations business is beyond the control. Therefore, sometimes organization is bound to change the strategic direction of business to cope with the situation and to achieve the ultimate goal [1]. The political environment contains administrative and legal factors which affect the strategic direction due to some administrative and legal restrictions. The soft conditions support the business to reach the final destination (desired level). But hard conditions bound the organization to change the business strategy to achieve the desired result. The organization has to work within the framework provided by the political government in a country. The change in political setup may also influence the strategic direction because organization needs to follow new legal and administrative instructions by the new government [2]. In the social environment public trends play a very important role in the strategic direction of organization. Change in values, beliefs, attitudes, opinions and lifestyles influence the organization to change the business strategy to fulfill the demands of customers in a changing atmosphere. The cultural, demographic and religious tendencies create new opportunities in the market for business growth [3]. The major change in technology set the new standard to compete in the market and this scenario totally change the strategic direction of Organization to stay in the market and to achieve the business objectives. Strengths may be replaced by weaknesses and competencies can become rigidities. Technological change opens new opportunities to grow the business by exploiting new market potential and unmet demands. The cost, rate of change and innovation are the factors related to materials and machines used for manufacturing goods and services [6]. The existence of strong competitors is an ever present threat to the organization, change in the strategic direction and business plan may affect the organization to reconsider the business strategy to save the customers and business. Sometimes organizations has to introduce the new better business plan to capture the potential in the market. For example, MS gave second version of plan A by adding new commitments to achieve the level of worlds most sustainable retailer by 2015 [8]. The change in strategic direction of an organization is not an easy task as so many associated factors need to change. For instance, reconfiguration of existing resources and capabilities take place by changing the strategy. This action is taken only when no other option is available. Q.5: What should the organization do to achieve or maintain competitive advantage in its industries? . Competitive Advantage Competitive advantage refers to the state of organization when profit level exceeds the average of its industry. To achieve the status of competitive advantage is the ultimate goal of business strategy. Cost advantage and differentiation advantage are the two basic forms of competitive advantage. These two conditions are necessary for the existence of competitive advantage. One of them is to deliver the same benefits as competitors but at minimum cost (cost advantage) and the other one is to provide the competing product with more benefits (differentiation cost). The position of organization in industry as a leader is identified based on cost or differentiation [7]. 5.1 Competitive Advantage Model The block diagram describes the resource-based concept of competitive advantage by combining the resources and capabilities to provide the superior value creation [6]. Capabilities Distinctive Competencies Cost Advantage Or Differentiation Advantage Value Creation Resources 5.2 Resources and Capabilities Superior resources and capabilities are essential factors to develop the competitive advantage. In the absence of these factors competitors introduce better product with less price and advantage disappears immediately. Basically, resources indicate the organization-specific assets that are utilized to develop cost or differentiation advantage. The examples of such resources include installed customer base, reputation of company, brand equity, proprietary know-how, patents and trademarks. How efficiently the organization utilizes its resources to achieve the competitive advantage is measured in terms of capabilities. For example, bringing the product into the market quicker than competitors represents capabilities. The combination of resources and capabilities result in distinctive competencies which in turn activate efficiency, quality, innovation and customer awareness. Such attributes act as a catalyst to attain the status of cost or differentiation advantage [7]. 5.3 Achievement of Competitive Advantage Level Learn Customer Demands To achieve or maintain the competitive advantage in its industry, the organization should follow some necessary points as a routine matter in favor of customers and the business plan as well. Analysis of Competition Product Differentiation with Target Market Analysis Modern Techniques Economic Moat Creation Business Information Resources 5.3.1 Learn Customer Demands Customers are the most important entity in the business circle. To understand the demands of customers is a significant factor towards competitors advantage. Organization must offer good quality product at minimum price to attract the customers and capture the market [6]. 5.3.2 Analysis of Competition Another important step to achieve the competitors advantage level is fair analysis of competition. For example, who are the major competitors in the industry and what type of different products are they offering. The quality and price of similar goods need to be considered in the analysis. The strength of major competitors in the industry is taken into account [6]. 5.3.3 Product Differentiation with Modern Techniques Provide good quality products with low cost by utilizing modern fabrication techniques play very important role to maintain competitors advantage level. Modern technology, superior resources and capabilities with better management are the key factors to sustain the position of competitors advantage [7]. 5.3.4 Target Market Analysis The term target market refers to the group of customers and communities at which the organization aims its services and products. Distinction between target markets based on social, demographic and common characteristics make the best target for the organization to focus [6]. 5.3.5 Economic Moat Creation On the basis of advantage regarding barriers to enter into the market, discourage the competitors from challenging your market share. In some situations the capability of well established company to manipulate barriers to enter and compete in the market acts as an effective method against new competition. To preserve the profit potential and make the business secure for upcoming future is also included in the process to create economic moat. 5.3.6 Business information resources Information technology is playing a significant role in every field, supplying plenty of relevant information available to business resources. The business information resources may be used to set the suitable business strategy that is superior as compared to the competitors. Business information companies provide such services to become advantage competitors [7]. Summary MS is one of the biggest retailers in the UK who has the aim to achieve the position of worlds most sustainable retailer by 2015 based on the completion of 180 commitments. All commitments revolve around five pillars of plan A. Climate change, waste, natural resources, fair partnership and health and wellbeing are the five pillars on which the plan A stands. The organizations business is affected by internal and external factors. Strengths and weaknesses are the main internal factors that are under the control of management. But external factors such as political, economical, social and technological are beyond the control of the organization. The external factors put on the different restrictions and strategic direction of business depends on such forces. Threats and opportunities are the other two factors which may determine the business strategy. Superior resources and capabilities are utilized to attain the level of competitor advantage. Some necessary actions to maintain the pos ition of competitor advantage such as learn the customer demands, competition analysis, modern technology utilization and product differentiation are names of a few. To meet 180 commitments by the end of 2015 is the biggest challenge. Other major challenges are the efficient utilization of resources to work on plan A for the achievement of main objectives relevant to the five pillars. CONCLUSION MS launched Plan A in 2007 because they were facing tough competition from their rivals. MS was lacking behind in many sectors of the retail market, so they needed a comprehensive plan to become the worlds most sustainable retailer. In order to achieve all this, MS called this Plan, Plan A because they believe its now the only way to do the business and there is no Plan B. By adopting the Plan A MS has fought back really well and their sales are on the rise which resulted in increased market shares and they are successfully becoming one of the worlds most sustainable major retailers.

The Bayesian Theory of Confirmation, Idealizations and Approximations in Science :: Scientific Papers

The Bayesian Theory of Confirmation, Idealizations and Approximations in Science ABSTRACT: My focus in this paper is on how the basic Bayesian model can be amended to reflect the role of idealizations and approximations in the confirmation or disconfirmation of any hypothesis. I suggest the following as a plausible way of incorporating idealizations and approximations into the Bayesian condition for incremental confirmation: Theory T is confirmed by observation P relative to background knowledge where I is the conjunction of idealizations and approximations used in deriving the prediction PT from T, PD expresses the discrepancy between the prediction PT and the actual observation P, and stands for logical entailment. This formulation has the virtue of explicitly taking into account the essential use made of idealizations and approximations as well as the fact that theoretically based predictions that utilize such assumptions will not, in general, exactly fit the data. A non-probabilistic analogue of the confirmation condition above that I offer avoids the 'old evidence problem, which has been a headache for classical Bayesianism. Idealizations and approximations like point-masses, perfectly elastic springs, parallel conductors crossing at infinity, assumptions of linearity, of "negligible" masses, of perfectly spherical shapes, are commonplace in science. Use of such simplifying assumptions as catalysts in the process of deriving testable predictions from theories complicates our picture of confirmation and disconfirmation. Underlying the difficulties is the fact that idealizing and approximating assumptions are already known to be false statements, and yet they are often indispensable when testing theories for truth. This aspect of theory testing has been long neglected or misunderstood by philosophers. In standard hypothetico-deductive, bootstrapping and Bayesian accounts of confirmation, idealizations and approximations are simply ignored. My focus in this paper is on how the basic Bayesian model can be amended to reflect the role of idealizations and approximations in the confirmation or disconfirmation o f an hypothesis. I suggest the following as a plausible way of incorporating idealizations and approximations into the Bayesian condition for incremental confirmation: Theory T is confirmed by observation P relative to background knowledge where I is the conjunction of idealizations and approximations used in deriving the prediction PT from T, PD expresses the discrepancy between the prediction PT and the actual observation P, and stands for logical entailment. This formulation has the virtue of explicitly taking into account the essential use made of idealizations and approximations as well as the fact that theoretically based predictions that utilize such assumptions will not, in general, exactly fit the data.

Limitations: Sample and Respondents

————————————————- Limitations The market research process carries many limitations. It is important to recognize these limitations as they can lead to less accurate or bias results.. The following points are recognized as limitations that must be addressed. * Method used * Respondents to the method * Time constraint * Resources Method used: When sampling our population a non-probability sampling method was chosen known as convenience sampling. This method possesses limitations which must be taken into consideration.Due to the nature of the method it can often have a poor reflection of the whole sample. In this research it has been found that through our method, younger age students are the students who are answering the surveys. Also a majority of respondents were from the business faculty rather than the arts, science etc. These factors can all limit the accuracy of the re sults. Respondents to the method: Corresponding with our chosen method is the limitation of accurate results due to respondents responses. They may give an answer that is not necessarily accurate due to laziness or inconvenience.The online surveys are also limited as researchers do not receive detailed knowledge or reasoning of why people have put certain answers. Internet surveys can also lead to misunderstandings and it may be hard to follow up respondents, as you may not know who has answered the survey. Time Constraint: Other limitations that should be recognized is time. Due to the duration constraint placed upon the research process, limitations arose. Through more time the market research could have been done in a more detailed and thurrer manner using the most effective method.Resources: The resources available also limited us to get the most accurate results as possible; we were not able to get a list of all Macquarie students to ensure a more accurate reflection of the pop ulation was used. Also It is known that experience of the actual researches themselves can vary results. Inexperienced researches may not use the best survey method and may subconsciously jump to conclusions throughout the research. As this is our first time conducting such research limitation occur due to this. ————————————————-Recommendations for overcoming limitations The method used did tend to limit the accuracy of our research. This could be overcome by using another method, one categorized under probability sampling such as simple random sampling would produce a more accurate reflection of the sample and there would be less room for a bias result. Respondents may also give conclusions that are not accurate. This can be overcome by assuring the survey is simple, easy and clear. It could be done in many languages to overcome limitations with students who do not speak fluent English.The issues with time had an impact on the richness of research. To follow respondents up with interviews or any further questions, the survey could include a space for the respondents email. This could also enable in depth interviews to create a deeper understanding of respondents answers. Lastly the fact that this research has been carried out by inexperienced first time researchers is a limitation. This can be overcome through advice from professional researchers in order to achieve the most accurate results possible.

Pyschology essays

Pyschology essays The question of whether it is right to have random drug testing in public schools or not is a very controversial issue. The main issues with this is whether or not it is an invasion of privacy or an issue of unreasonable search and seizure. In school the students have enough stress and other things that are going on to worry about random drug tests. The money this would cost could be put to many other places in the education department. The idea of random drug testing in public schools is an outrageous and foolish notion in my opinion. One of the most important issues with the question of drug testing in public schools is if its an invasion of privacy or not. To most people this would be a clear case of invasion of privacy. The question of whether or not a student is taking any type of illegal drug should be the responsibility of the students parents or guardian, not the schools. The only exception that I could see would be if there was a case where they thought that the student was having erratic or dangerous behavior. Students at public schools these days already feel like they dont have any privacy with cameras in classrooms and buses and the arrival of more cops. Adding drug testing to these other factors would make any type of privacy at school nonexistent which in turn would probably make students less willing or motivated to learn and do there school work . To me the less comfortable you feel or in this case if you felt like you didnt have any privacy you wouldnt be as willing to learn or participate in s chool activities. Another key issue would be if random drug testing in public schools is a case of unreasonable search and seizure. It seems that it would clearly be a case of unreasonable search and seizure of every student at every school because they do not have any reason to suspect that students are doing any type of illegal drug. I mean what reason could you possibly have in giving ...

Discuss the relationship between polyarchy, Essay Example

Discuss the relationship between polyarchy, Essay Example Discuss the relationship between polyarchy, Essay Discuss the relationship between polyarchy, Essay Discuss the relationship between polyarchy, pluralism, and democracy. Are they synonymous? Introduction Polyarchy, pluralism and democracy†¦ are they one and the same? Surely at that place would look to be a common yarn running through the three footings, but are they synonymous? This essay will see these inquiries. It starts by specifying what is meant by polyarchy, by pluralism and by democracy. In specifying each the essay will sketch the characteristics and features attributed to each in bend. It will so continue to analyze how polyarchy, pluralism and democracy are linked and it proposes that while they are non synonymous there is a clear relationship between the three. The essay will explicate what this relationship is, demoing how they are linked and placing what differentiates the three. The essay will reason with a sum-up of the cardinal proposal, that they are non synonymous, and the grounds why. Polyarchy The word ‘polyarchy’ is Grecian in beginning and literally taken agencies regulation by many, hence by definition it is the opposite to monarchy ( regulation by king or queen ) or oligarchy ( regulation by a few ) . In footings of modern political thought the term was foremost used by Robert Dahl in relation to the political system in America. There are seven establishments which must be for a authorities to be classed as a polyarchy. Dahl identifies the features of a polyarchy as follows ( 1989 ; 233 ) ; Control over governmental determinations about policy is constitutionally vested in elective functionaries. Elected functionaries are chosen and peacefully removed in comparatively frequent, just and free elections in which coercion is rather limited. Practically all grownups have the right to vote in these elections. Most grownups besides have the right to run for the public offices for which campaigners run in these elections. Citizens have an efficaciously enforced right to freedom of look, peculiarly political look, including unfavorable judgment of the functionaries, the behavior of the authorities, the prevalent political, economic, and societal system, and the dominant political orientation. They besides have entree to alternate beginnings of information that are non monopolized by the authorities or any other individual group. Finally, they have an efficaciously enforced right to organize and fall in independent associations, including political associations, such as political parties and involvement groups, that attempt to act upon the authorities by viing in elections and by other peaceable agencies. So for a Government to be classed as a polyarchy the above conditions must be present. The features that Dahl defines are all regulations about the manner in which the Government and the people it governs can work. Pluralism The actual significance of ‘plural’ means many, more than one, so pluralism agencies of many. Pluralism is about many thoughts, civilizations, beliefs, life styles or, in a word, diverseness. It is about the harmonious being of difference. Pluralism in this sense is one of the most of import characteristics of democratic society. It is the antonym of dictatorship, which proposes a individual belief system, no other beliefs are tolerated and of monism that there is merely one belief system. The rules upon which the Global Centre for Pluralism is founded encapsulates the importance of pluralism ‘that tolerance, openness and understanding towards the civilizations, societal constructions, values and religions of other peoples are now indispensable to the really endurance of an mutualist universe. Pluralism is no longer merely an plus or a requirement for advancement and development. It is critical to our existence.’ ( www.pluralism.ca ; 12/12/06 ) In footings of political idea there is a school which proposes that pluralism is concerned with groups and administrations being in control as opposed to the people. It could be argued that the United States of America is an illustration of pluralism with the influence of Trade Unions, civil rights militants, fiscal and concern anterooms, webs of like minded people. Pluralism places great importance on engagement in the political procedure through associations and groups. Democracy The word ‘democracy’ is Grecian and means ‘rule by the people’ . It is widely known that democracy is a signifier of authorities where the people have a say in how things are done. However it wasn’t until the Twentieth Century that democracy was seen as the best system of authorities. Political theoreticians give legion postulating definitions of democracy and there are many fluctuations ; broad, representative, minimum or direct democracy to call but a few of the fluctuations. In general when mentioning to democracy it is taken that it is a mention to broad democracy unless stated otherwise. While there are many fluctuations, they are fluctuations on a subject and all portion the same implicit in dogmas. For the intents of this essay a simple definition of the foundations of democratic idea will be taken. In drumhead democracy can be characterised as holding the followers ; Public engagement people have both a right and a responsibility to be active and knowing in both authorities and civil society this includes standing for/voting elections, fall ining civil and/or political administrations, paying revenue enhancements, protesting and petitioning. Government is accountable to the people for its actions and all actions must be crystalline, that is unfastened to public examination. To this terminal there are preventive steps to guarantee that functionaries and organic structures do non mistreat their power. Elections are regular, free and just and the result is accepted by the non-winning party. Principles of equality and tolerance – rights of the minorities are protected even though the bulk of the people regulation. Peoples are free to take part in civil, spiritual or political groups of their pick. Economic freedom – the Government does non command the economic system and people are allowed to ain concerns and belongings. Protection of Human Rights Multi-party system Rule of jurisprudence – everyone, with no exclusion, is bound by the jurisprudence. The relationship between Polyarchy, Pluralism and Democracy The seven features of polyarchy can be linked to the democratic procedure rather clearly. Dahl does this in Young et. Al. where he identifies five standards of democracy ( as tantrums with the sum-up in the subdivision above ) and so impute which of the seven establishments identified as defined in his 1989 bookDemocracy and it’s Criticsare necessary to guarantee that facet of democracy. Voting equality; elected functionaries and free and just elections. Effective engagement; elected functionaries, inclusive right to vote, right to run for office, freedom of look, alternate information, associational liberty. Enlightened apprehension; freedom of look, alternate information, associational liberty. Control of the docket; elected functionaries, free and just elections, inclusive right to vote, right to run for office, freedom of look, alternate information, associational liberty. Inclusion; inclusive right to vote, right to run for office, freedom of look, alternate information, associational liberty. ( Adapted from 1993:19 ) . This analysis shows that the chief dogmas of democracy are inextricably linked to the mechanisms of polyarchy. It is proposed that as democracy has grown so hold the mechanisms through which democracy can be managed and because of that the polyarchic system has emerged. Polyarchy is a political system necessary for the democratic procedure. Dahl in Young et. Al. provinces that ‘democracy on a big graduated table requires the establishments of polyarchy’ ( 1993:18 ) Democratic administration was originally over little countries and involved relatively fewer people. As democracy has grown, from the city state to the nation-state and now even exceeding national boundaries there has been a alteration in the patterns and establishments of democracy. The larger the figure of people the democratic country covers the greater the incidence of different thoughts, pluralism, and hence the greater the demand for the agencies in which, in order to allow everyone hold a say, the establishments – the machinery of democracy be developed in order for it to work. If we take for illustration a little administration, dwelling of five people, that maps based upon democratic rules where everyone has an equal say in how that administration is governed and in its hereafter. At a meeting it would be manageable for each of those persons to voice their sentiments and for all to be heard. If the administration grew to 500 people, in order to maintain the same democratic rules it would necessitate to present procedures through which all members could voice their sentiments if they wanted to. In order to make this some kind of representation would necessitate to be introduced. As Dahl compactly states in Young et. Al. ‘the alteration of graduated table and its effects – representative authorities, greater diverseness, the addition in cleavages and struggles – helped to convey about the development of a set of political establishments that, taken together, distinguish modern representative democracy from all other political systems, wh ether non-democratic governments or earlier democratic systems. This sort of political system has been called polyarchy.’ ( 1993 ; 17 ) Pluralism portions common evidences with democratic idea in the belief that everyone can and should take part in treatment and argument in order to hold the best class of action for the common good and that the best manner to get at determinations if through treatment. One of the features of a polyarchy is the being of big Numberss of societal groups and administrations which are, to a big extent, independent in relation to both the authorities and to one and another. These have come about due to people with different beliefs and thoughts organizing themselves into like-minded groups. Some pluralists propose that democracy is impracticable and unwanted. Peoples are excessively busy acquiring on with their lives to be bothered with political relations and that the groups should be representative but to discourse that would be to stray from the focal point of this essay. As the ideal of democracy has grown so has polyarchy and pluralism. Democracy when it foremost started was on a little footing and the ideal grew so did the people subscribing to it and therefore the ideas and thoughts of more people more different†¦ pluralism. The means through which this can be managed, polyarchy therefore besides grew to accommodate†¦ Pluralism is inextricable linked with both the growing of democracy and development of polyarchy. Laminitis of the Global Centre for Pluralism, Aga Khan, states that ‘we can non do the universe safe for democracy unless we besides make it safe for diversity.’ ( www.pluralism.ca ; 12/11/06 ) Decision The essay has defined polyarchy in footings of the machinery through which democracy can be carried out. In analyzing what is meant by pluralism it has shown that this is one of the most of import characteristics of democratic society in that it upholds rules of tolerance and diverseness, the harmonious being of a multiple of different thoughts and beliefs. It has shown that democracy is a signifier of authorities which places the people in power. Polyarchy has emerged as a response to the growing in democracy, as a practical solution as to how democracy can work. As democracy has spread is has to accommodate to let for the plurality of beliefs and thoughts, diverseness that forms a really of import portion of the democratic system where in a healthy democracy everyone has the right and is able to show their sentiment without fright of reprisal or recrimination. So while polyarchy, pluralism and democracy are inextricably linked, they are non synonymous ; Democracy is the steering ru le, pluralism the diverseness within the public of whom is governed and polyarchy the construction which has developed in response to the growing in the figure governed through democracy enabling the system to map. Bibliography Arblaster, A. ( 2002 )Democracy ( Concepts in the Social Sciences ) 3rdEdition, Buckingham ; Open University Press Crowder, G. ( 2004 )Isaiah Berlin: Autonomy, Pluralism and Liberalism,Cambridge ; Polity Press Connolly, W. E. ( 2005 )Pluralism,Durham NC: Duke University Press Dahl, R. A. ( 1967 )Pluralist Democracy in the United States: Conflict and Consent,Chicago ; Rand McNally. Dahl, R. A. ( 1989 )Democracy and its critics, Yale University Press Dahl, R. A. ( 2000 )On DemocracyYale University Press, Held, D. ( 1996 )Models of DemocracyStanford University Press, Prothro, J. W. and Grigg, C. M. ( May, 1960 ) , ‘Fundamental Principles of Democracy: Bases of Agreement and Disagreement’ in Journal of Politics, Vol. 22, No. 2 pp. 276-294 Young, R. et. Al. ( 1993 )Introducing Government, Manchester ; Manchester University Press. Web sites www.pluralism.ca Global Centre for Pluralism