Tuesday, October 29, 2019
How can we help people who are living longer to live better Assignment
How can we help people who are living longer to live better - Assignment Example According to the World Health Organization, the eradication of non communicable diseases may be a factor in achieving this goal. It is by adjusting the lifestyle choices of most people that this is possible. It is also vital to note that physical activity plays a herculean role in enabling people live better lives. As people age, the body may not be as highly functional as it was in its prime years. However, by focusing on adjusting the mental acuity of most people in their prime years, it is possible to carry such an attitude toward their golden years. Offering care and support to those living longer is also a way to ensure that they get the attention they desperately need. It is often said that happiness may result in people living longer (Themer 2015, p. 73). In this case, it may improve the quality of life of an individual if they feel happy. By educating people on the benefits of physical activity, healthy lifestyle choices, and low stress factors, it is possible to ensure that people living longer also live better lives.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Protecting Children from Internet Risks
Protecting Children from Internet Risks Risk and consequences of the internet and mobile phones The Internet can be a wonderful tool for learning, but as well as accessing educational information also has the possibility those children may access inappropriate information whilst online. Within the school setting children will have some protection, as school networks will have specialist software to block inappropriate websites. Mobile phones There will be some children within the school setting who have access to the Internet at break and lunchtimes on their phones without censored search engines and it is important to be vigilant for any pupils who may be accessing and sharing inappropriate content with other children (children are more likely to be warned about bringing mobile phones on to school premises). Children are becoming more and more interested in IT by using mobile phones, laptops, iPods, computers etc and should be monitored in and out of the school. Mobile phones can be used appropriately rather than inappropriately as they could be used to communicate with their parents for forgetting work, PE clothes, school bags etc, but can also have devastating consequences for children if they are used inappropriately. Mobile phones can be used as a forum of bullying, both inside and outside the school setting. The support assistant needs to be watchful and should monitor mobile phone use in the classroom, at break ti mes and lunchtimes to see what children are using them for. Most schoolââ¬â¢s have a policy for no mobile phones to be used or brought onto the school premises, as they can be sued to send abusive and threatening text across the classroom to bully and intimidate others. Children sometimes hide their mobile phones in their pencil cases, up their blazer sleeves or under jumpers and will take any opportunity to get them out quickly when they think they are not being watched, so it is important to be vigilant at all times. The table below shows the risks and consequences of mobile phones and then Internet. Mobile phones Internet Can issue inappropriate content, pornography, cyber chatting (can lead to meeting strangers online and sharing of personal information)-paedophiles and other strangers could take advantage. Online harassment, through e-mails, chat rooms, face book and other files that can be accessed. This could lead to suicide, self harming, mental breakdown etc. Text messages- can be used to torment victims and at any time of the day or night. Cyber bullying to hurt, upset, harass or embarrass others (could lead to suicide as a result) Images or videos can be taken without others consent or knowledge and can be posted online. Identity theft- could lead to a childââ¬â¢s or adultââ¬â¢s identity being stolen as personal information has been shared. Texting- sexually suggestive or explicit messages or photographs (could lead to the victim self harming or committing suicide) The child could be located in the real world by paedophiles etc which could lead to murder, rape and other upsetting factors. Late night texting- can lead to tiredness, lack of concentration, and an inability to function in normal day to day activities at school. Pornography can be easily located through the Internet, and misleading young girls to do things like stripping, prostitution, drug taking, alcohol consumption etc Theft of expensive mobile phones could cause upset. Chat rooms- could be chatting to the wrong person and leading them to run away from home (could lead to murder) Health issues of long term usage of mobile phones. Could get involved with gambling online which could be addicted in the long term. All these negative risks and possible consequences can be controlled by positive parenting strategies for the use of the Internet and mobile phones. The following could be used to control this. Talk often to the child about their safety Set ground rules for using the Internet and mobile phones (have penalties if this is abused) When and where the mobile can be used Do not let other children use your mobile phone for the use of the Internet No sending of mean or unkind messages via mobile phones or email on the Internet Think carefully about what you search for on the Internet, once shared images they cannot be reversed Be discreet in your use of your mobile phone; do not flash it around as it is a target for thieves. Monitor your childââ¬â¢s Internet sites they have looked at Be a good role model Have some daily routine by only using the Internet for one hour a day Take sensible precautions Online bullying and social networking The popularity of social networking sites increase year on year, and although the minimum age to hold an account is 13 years of age, children younger than this are creating accounts or getting family members to make accounts for them. Children are being bullied when using social networking and are suffering at the hands of bullies that are now finding that there is no respite at home as bullying becomes more of a cyber issue. Social networking and cyber bullying has massive consequences for some children, with suicide as the most dramatic consequence. Social networking not only involves one or two bullies, but could also involve a wider range of children that a child is connected with. Social networking also has the possibility of adult contact or content. Support assistants should be vigilant at all times at school to listen out for any comments at school amongst the children. Schools may also give advice and briefings about staying safe online and the dangers of social networking. Cyber bullying is a form of harassment that makes use of the latest electronic technology. Primarily the harassment occurs on the web, but todayââ¬â¢s smart phones are being used to harass people too. Cyber bullying differs from the more traditional forms of bullying in that it can occur at any time 24 hours a day. E-mail messages, videos and images can be distributed instantaneously to a worldwide audience with the perpetrator remaining anonymous, often making them difficult to trace. Children and teens are rarely concerned about Internet safety. Cyber bullying can have devastating effect on them. Suicides have been linked to the Internet. Social media sites can be sued for positive activities, like connecting kids with friends and family, helping students with school work and for entertainment, but these tools can also be used to hurt other people. Whether done in person or through technology, the effects of bullying are similar. Children who are cyber bullied are more likely to do the following. Use alcohol and drugs Skip school Experience in person bullying Be unwilling to attend school Receive poor grades Have low self esteem Have low self belief Feel worthless Have more health problems Depression Anxiety And many more Reference/bibliography www.safenetwork.org.uk www.safeinternet.org.uk (7.2) Ways of reducing risk to children and young people from the following. Social networking Internet use Buying online Using a mobile phone The following table shows ways of protecting children and young people from harm and abuse. Protection from harm and abuse Social networking Should not be able to create accounts until the child is older and wiser. Family members friends should not create accounts for the children. To be aware of the sites children young people are using. Make the child understand the risks report anything they are worried about. Understand safety messages. Keep personal stuff private. Block people who send nasty messages. Monitor sites thy have accessed. Internet use Enable confidence in the Internet through training positive experiences. Do not accept E-mails, messages or open files. Encourage children to talk to you if they experience cyber bullying. Use ground rules for using the Internet. Speak to the child to deliver positive safety messages. Talk to the child regarding inappropriate behaviour and sites. Use parental controls- safety blocks etc. Keep the computer in the family room so you can keep an eye on the child. Set Internet rules. Keep personal information private do not share anything with strangers (address etc). Teach children about cyber bullying. Buying online Be careful not to sign up to any sites do not give any personal information. Children should not be allowed to have a debit card so this would stop them from buying online. Secure your own cards, so your child cannot use it to buy goods (only register ion sites with passwords). Encourage children to speak to you if they want to buy anything online. Using a mobile phone Risk to the childââ¬â¢s health. They can reduce the risk by using landline phones, hands free, loud speakers etc. Buy a cheap phone, less risk of it being stolen. Know your childââ¬â¢s phone functions (ask company what safety measures can be put in place). Block certain sites on the Internet avoiding the child to access. Use rules, where, when how mobile phones can be used (not at mealtimes, not at school or during lessons). Do not let other children use your mobile phone. Do not send mean upsetting messages. Think carefully what you share (images) from your phone once sent it cannot be reversed. Be discreet of your mobile phone. Reference/bibliography www.socialnetworking.org.uk Guided learning activity E-safety leaflet Children today are increasingly using ICT at school and at home. It is not just about using computers and the Internet, but includes a huge range of devices, such as cameras, videos, video cameras, remote control devices, DS games, mobile phones and much more. This is often a huge worry for parents but there are many things that can be put in place to help keep children safe online. However supervision and keeping on open dialogue with the child about what they are doing is the most important thing. Many Internet providers offer systems to help keep children safe at home, but it can still be easy for children to stray onto inappropriate material, whether texts or images. One of the ways of protecting children is to place the computer in a family area of the home and not in a bedroom; this will help to monitor what the child is doing when they are using the Internet. The Internet can be an amazing resource, fun and informative. You do not need to stop the child from using the information and games available on it, but you can set simple rules for keeping them safe, make sure they understand the rules and know why they are necessary. Do not reply to nasty messages you receive Do not reply to texts from someone you do not know Keep the message you have received so you can show them to a trusted adult and make a note of the time and date you have received them Do not answer calls from a withheld number that you do not recognise Block numbers from people who are sending you nasty messages Change your number if you are being bullied Do not give your number to someone you do not know Do not send pictures to someone you do not know If the problem is serious you can report it to the police, cyber mentors or child line, parents or teachers Safety concerns regarding Internet usage and use of mobile phones Internet usage Use of mobile phones Inappropriate material (pornography) Sex ting (sending inappropriate texts that make the victim uncomfortable) Cyber bullying Inappropriate images (pornography) Online predators (strangers wanting private information- paedophiles) Strangers calling (with held numbers) Sharing personal information (could be involved in online fraud) Internet access (could access any site in the Internet) E-mail and chat rooms (chatting to strangers about inappropriate material) Video game safety (could play games designed for older children) Sharing pictures and videos Bullying (could be bullied using texts and calls) Social networking sites (accessing inappropriate sites) Harassment (constantly phoning and texting victim 24 hours) Online gaming (gambling) viruses Could be stolen if expensive S- SAFE Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information when you are chatting online. It includes your E mail address, phone number, school address, home address and password. M- MEETING Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Remember online friends are still strangers even if you have been talking to them for a long time. A-ACCEPTING Accepting E-mails, instant messages, or opening files, pictures or texts from people you do not know or trust can lead to problems. They may contain viruses or nasty upsetting messages. R-RELAIBLE Someone online might lie about who they are and might give information that is not true. It is best just to chat to your real world friends and family. T-TELL Tell your parents or carer if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if you or someone you know is being bullied online or by phone.
Friday, October 25, 2019
WITCH :: essays research papers
In the winter of 1692, a wave of witch hysteria surrounded the settlement of Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The accusations began with two little girls who were acting strangely. There are many underlying factors to why these thoughts of witchcraft started coming about. These issues were going on before that winter of 1692. The winter of 1692 was the onset of the hysterics behind the witchcraft trials. à à à à à To understand the reasons behind the hysteria, you have to know a little about the people who settled the area of Salem Village. Mainly Puritans inhabited Salem Village. There were very few other religions at that time. The Puritans left England to escape religious persecution. Puritans wanted to purify the national church by eliminated what they saw as Catholic influence. They believed in the total sovereignty of God and the absolute sinfulness of man. They wanted to establish a union of church and state. Puritans believed they were entering into a sacred compact with God in the founding of the Massachusetts colony. They agreed to live according to his will in return for a divine endorsement in the New World. à à à à à The people of Salem Village believed in witches. The word witchcraft meant the ââ¬Å"art of bewitching, casting spells, or manipulating the forces of natureâ⬠. It was the idea of the people that this was impossible without the cooperation of the Devil. Many perceived that the Devil resented their way of life. The Devil had to act through a witch to do physical harm to human beings. He couldnt do it on his own. People who wholly believed in witches were always on the lookout for them. As a result, many people were wrongly accused. à à à à à Puritans viewed the world in basic black and white. Discipline and devotion were slogans in the service of the Lord. The simplest acts of innocence were looked upon as questionable conduct or even abnormal. Sinners were severely punished in Salem Village. The punishments were meant to humiliate the person as well as hurt. à à à à à There was never respect for the privacy of any individual in the seventeenth century. The community as a whole was expected to uphold the Puritan religion. They were encouraged to watch their neighbors closely and report any behavior that drifted even slightly from the ââ¬Å"straight and narrowâ⬠. à à à à à According to some sources there was a problem with womens increasing independence. They lived in a society where men exercised substantial authority over a woman.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
What Technology Has Made America Today
Technology has been a very big contribution to this generation. Like everything in this world, things age as well as evolve and change. One aspect that has begun to change is where and how we use technology. Three major examples are in the work place, how we monitor our elderly parents or siblings, and how it improved our medicine.While these three topics may seem very different, after reading two articles from the New York Times and one from The New Yorker, ââ¬Å"Technologies Help Adult Children Monitor Aging Parentsâ⬠and ââ¬Å"The Year of the Multitaskersââ¬â¢ Revenge,â⬠from the TImes and ââ¬Å"The Way We Age Nowâ⬠from The New Yorker, you can see they are also alike in many ways. One similarity these three pieces of writing share is that life can be much easier with the use of technology as you age. At the work place, technology can help one stay on top of tasks he or she has to complete before the day is done with reminders on a smart phone or their work co mputer.Also, when it comes to monitoring aging parents, a reminder on any type of technology device they are able to use can help one remember to take their pills or blood pressure for example. And finally technology has improved medicine which has lead to people living longer and reaching higher ages before death. Another similarity these three articles also have in terms of technology is people may not want to be watched or monitored. Whether it be in the work place or at home no one wants to feel they are not independent and being observed at all times.At work one can be monitored by cameras and by supervisors checking their computer history. According to the article ââ¬Å"Technologies Help Adult Children Monitor Aging Parents,â⬠a child adult can be updated on almost everything their parent does including opening doors and cabinets, taking out pills and medication, and even what time they got out of bed. In America this may not sit well with a lot of people and can very we ll cause a person to choose not to work a this facility. It can also cause an elderly parent to look elsewhere for permanent residence.With people living longer this is becoming more likely for people to use some type of technology to monitor an elderly sibling. Efficiency is another similarity all of these articles share. Technology has helped America be more efficient. For example in the work place, one can file and keep everything organized simply by putting things into files electronically and not worrying about transferring them anywhere else by carrying them. There are different ways to transfer files such as emails and file sharing.You can even save files to a memory card or flash drive to take electronic things to go. When it comes to child adults monitoring their parents, technology can help the children by receiving updates straight to their phone about their parents needs in a stress-free manner. Lastly technology has caused medicine to make elderlies immune systems more efficient. Things like digital machines that can take blood sugar levels instead of getting a prick on your finger help efficiency, which is causing people to live longer than we are used to.Along with these similarities there are also differences, one being the elderly may not use or need technology to continue with their daily lives, but at a work place it can be mandated to use on a daily basis. Some jobs may have training for using technology and in order to get the job you may need to know how to work a computer. On the other hand an elderly person may choose to be monitored and learn how to use technology at their own free will. Other elderly people may not use any type of technology.For example, going to the doctors office and using their technology to better their health. One reason they may choose not to use technology is because it was not a part of their generation and they don't think they would find it useful. Another difference between these three writings is the types of challenges it may cause for the person using technology. In a work environment technology may cause an employee to lose focus on the job because he or she is multi-tasking or focusing on their phone, facebook, or some type of other social networking.In an elderly home, the person might not fully know how to use all the technology and this may cause some type of frustration. Not only can it be hard for them to figure it out if it gets damaged they most likely would not know how to repair it and calling some one to fix it would make them feel dependent on others. One other difference with technology from the work place and at home with an elderly parent is the kind of entertainment it provides you, or if it provides any type entertainment.At work social networks and music can help one move through the day much more smooth and rapidly. Some elderly parents or siblings can become annoyed or not even engage in any of the technology present in the house. Many elderly like to do things that have nothing to do with technology, like garden and going for walks. So even though the technology has some sort of entertainment for them they might not even use it. With medicine, pills, blood pressure cuffs, or anything else one might have to take or use for health can be very unpleasant.A result of technology is its ability to make America more efficient. It also can be beneficial to everyones life, even the people who are aging. Though there are some arguments that claim it does not always have a positive impact, like the distraction it may have during ones work day. The pros do outweigh the cons and it is better to have technology in the workplace. It is beneficial to child adults as well, if their parent lives in a different city, town, or even state they can keep up with their habits and health all through a phone or computer.Not only does it help the child but the parent as well because the parent still gets to live independently and can speak to their children quickl y and easily as long as they learn to use the technology device. Technology has also helped Americans to live longer than usual and as the technology and medicine increase so does the average age of a person passing. It can also help other people with everyday things, and it is rapidly improving from day to day. As people continue to age technology will continue to grow. As long as we keep ourselves up to date everyone can see aging and technology can go hand in hand. `
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Developmental Stages in Children and Adolscents
Developmental Stages in Children and Adolescents Erica Bass May 7, 2012 Andrew Fletcher PSY 104 ââ¬â Child and Adolescent Development Developmental Stages in Children and Adolescents In exploring the differences in children and why and how they develop can be quite interesting. There are many different theories that suggest different explanations as to why children develop when they do, whether it is cognitive, socially, mentally, etc. Three very interesting theories are Kohlbergââ¬â¢s moral development theory, Piagetââ¬â¢s cognitive theory and Freudââ¬â¢s psychosexual theory.How does each of these theories pertain to the average child, and can these theories work together? First let us explore three very different theories, the first being Kohlbergââ¬â¢s theory of moral development. Moral development is a major topic of interest in both psychology and education. One of the best known theories was developed by psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg who modified and expanded u pon Jean Piaget's work to form a theory that explained the development of moral reasoning. Kohlberg extended Piaget's theory, proposing that moral development is a continual process that occurs throughout the lifespan.Piaget described a two-stage process of moral development, while Kohlberg's theory of moral development outlined six stages within three different levels, which are outlined below: * Level 1. Preconventional Morality * Stage 1 ââ¬â Obedience and Punishment ââ¬â at this stage children see rules as fixed and absolute, they view rules as being important because they avoid punishment * Stage 2 ââ¬â Individualism and Exchange ââ¬â at this stage children account for individual points of view and judge actions based on how they serve individual needs * Level 2.Conventional Morality * Stage 3 ââ¬â Interpersonal Relationships ââ¬â at this stage the focus is on living up to social expectations and roles. * Stage 4 ââ¬â Maintaining Social Order ââ¬â at this stage the focus is on following rules and respecting authority * Level 3. Postconventional Morality * Stage 5 ââ¬â Social Contract and Individual Rights ââ¬â at this stage people begin to account for different values, opinions and beliefs or other people. Stage 6 ââ¬â Universal Principles ââ¬â at this stage people are supposed to uphold the universal ethical principles and abstract reasoning (http://psychology. about. com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/kohlberg. htm) Paigetââ¬â¢s Theory. Jean Piaget's stages of cognitive development describe the intellectual development of children from infancy to early adulthood. Piaget believed that children are not less intelligent than adults, they simply think differently. He also proposed a number of concepts to explain how children process information. The three concepts to support Piagetââ¬â¢s theory are: Schemas ââ¬â Are categories of knowledge that help us interpret and understand the world * Assimilation ââ¬â The process of taking in new information into our previously existing schemaââ¬â¢s * Accommodation ââ¬â Another part of adaptation involves changing or altering our existing schemaââ¬â¢s in light of new information There are also four different stages to Piagetââ¬â¢s theory, which are: * The Sensormotor Stage ââ¬â This stage last from birth to two years of age and is centered on the infant trying to make sense of the world * The Preoperational Stage ââ¬â This stage occurs between ages two to six, and is centered on language development * The Concrete Operational Stage ââ¬â This stage occurs between the ages seven to eleven, and is centered on thinking logically about concrete events, but have difficulty understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts * The Formal Operational Stage ââ¬â This stage occurs between the ages twelve and last through adulthood, during this time people develop the ability to think about abstract concepts (http://psychol ogy. about. com/b/2008/04/21/key-concepts-in-cognitive-development. htm) Now letââ¬â¢s explore a second theory, Freudââ¬â¢s theory. According to Sigmund Freud, personality is mostly established by the age of five.Early experiences play a large role in personality development and continue to influence behavior later in life. Freud's theory of psychosexual development is one of the best known, but also one of the most controversial. Freud believed that personality develops through a series of childhood stages during which the pleasure-seeking energies of the id become focused on certain erogenous areas. This psychosexual energy, or libido, was described as the driving force behind behavior. If these psychosexual stages are completed successfully, the result is a healthy personality. If certain issues are not resolved at the appropriate stage, fixation can occur.A fixation is a persistent focus on an earlier psychosexual stage. Until this conflict is resolved, the individual will remain ââ¬Å"stuckâ⬠in this stage. Freudââ¬â¢s theory consists of five different stages, which are: * The Oral Stage ââ¬â This stage occurs from birth to one year, the infantââ¬â¢s primary source of interaction is through oral simulation through tasting and sucking. Because an infant it is entirely dependent upon caregivers, the infant develops a sense of trust and comfort through oral simulation * The Anal Stage ââ¬â This stage occurs from one to three years of age, which is basically training the child to control his/her, bodily needs, toilet training to be specific. The Phallic Stage ââ¬â This stage occurs from three to six years of age, at this stage children begin to discover the difference between males and females. * The Latent Period ââ¬â This stage occurs from six to puberty, at this stage the libido interest is suppressed, and the development of the ego and superego contribute to the calm of this stage. This is the time of exploration but is d irected more towards intellectual and social interaction. * The Genital Stage ââ¬â This stage occurs between puberty and death, this is when an adolescent develops a strong interest in the opposite sex (http://psychology. about. com/od/theoriesofpersonality/ss/psychosexualdev. tm) All of these theories have their way in the world, and when speaking to parents about their children I am sure that they can apply each of these in some shape or form. For example the Kohlberg theory, moral development: Suppose there is a child who has no rules or boundaries. There is one in particular that comes to mind. This child is born, the father is absent, the mother doing it alone, she has issues with alcohol and drugs, so therefore the child gets very little personal attention, or guidance, she is free to do as she wishes. Because of this from birth to adolescence beginning with conventional morality, she does not have rules so, does the Kohlberg theory apply? I would venture to say no, becaus e the ideal of these rules and boundaries being put it to place are not there, and do not happen. This
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Living Single essays
Living Single essays Often credited as being the original Friends, Living Single premiered on the Fox television network in 1993. The insanely funny sit-com is guaranteed to keep you in stitches. Each cast member has their own unique style, but when combined create a dynamic combination of explosive humor. Living Single is all about the ups-and-downs of four single African American women, and two men. The old saying that, laughter is the best medicine, is indeed true. The setting is a brownstone apartment building, occupied by three women Kadijah, Sinclair, and Ragine. Kadijah James, played by Queen Latifah is a hard working entrepreneur that owns Flavor Magazine. Kadijah is constantly searching for romance, but deep down will always love her ex-boyfriend Scooter. Scooter lives in California. Sinclair James, played by Kim Coles, is Kadijahs slightly naive cousin. Sinclair is a secretary employed by Flavor Magazine, and is also an inspiring actress. Sinclair is very passionate about her troll dolls, and there are many of them on her desk at work. Regine Hunter (Kim Fields Freeman) another roommate, is extremely fashion conscious. She can frequently be seen wearing different wigs, and faux jewelry. Regine is a costume designer, whose main purpose in life is to marry a wealthy man and live a life of leisure, but somehow always ends up with Mr. Wrong. Maxine Shaw (Erika Alexander) is an attorney that lives across the street, she is constantly at the brownstone apartment building aggravating Regine, and her occasional lover Kyle. Kyle Barker (T.C. Carter) a stockbroker, is Kadijahs upstairs neighbor. Kyle has a love/hate relationship with Maxine. Their insults, aimed at each other, are a regular part of the show. Overton Waikfield Jones (John Henton) works as a resident handyman in the apartment building, and is Kyles roommate. Overton...
Monday, October 21, 2019
Essay on Public Speaking Essay Example
Essay on Public Speaking Essay Example Essay on Public Speaking Paper Essay on Public Speaking Paper Essay Topic: Public Speaking Public Speaking Public Speaking and Communication 1. Personal opinion on Public Speaking. Suggested answers: Public speaking means giving a speech to a group of people on a special occasion like Teachers Day, opening ceremony of an event, graduation. i) Nervous, self-conscious, butterflies in the stomach, scared; challenging, fun, confidence booster, empowering. ii) To be a more confident, fluent, effective public speaker; to gain confidence, improve the command of English, overcome the fear of speaking in front of an audience. 2. What should you do to give a good speech. Suggested answers: write out the speech and memorise the script;- practice, practice, practice! choose an interesting title; make it short, funny and captivating; speak clearly with a moderate speed; use simple language and make sure one idea is connected to another naturally. 3. Ethics. Answers: i) Because speechmaking is a form of power, it carries with it heavy (ethical, sociological, psychological) responsibilities. ii) (Rhetoric, Ethics, Theology) is a branch of philosophy that deals with issues of right and wrong in human affairs. iii) In public speaking, sound ethical decisions involved weighing a potential course of action against A. a set of ethical standards of guidelines. B. the practicality of taking that course of action. C. a set of legal criteria for acceptable speech. D. the speakers goals in a given situation. iv) Which of the following violates the speakers ethical obligation to be honest in what she or he says? A. juggling statistics. B. quoting out of context. C. citing unusual cases as typical examples. D. all of the above. v) Even though it is not easy to assess a speakers goals, it is still necessary to ask ethical questions about those goals. True / False vi) The larger the audience becomes, the greater is the ethical responsibility of the speaker to be fully prepared. 4. Impromptu Speech: Self-introduction Suggested answer: Good morning to everyone. My name is John Ooi Teck Leong, you can call me John or my nickname TL. My hometown is Sitiawan, Perak. My parents run a small family business in town. I have an elder sister and two younger brothers. When Im free, I like to hang out with my friends, play basketball and watch the TV. I come to UTAR because I want to become an accountant, and my parents believe UTAR is the right place for me. In the future, I hope to become a successful accountant, run my own auditing firm, buy a big house for my family and travel around the world. Thats all, thank you! 5. Famous influential speakers of the world. Suggested answers: Mahatma Gandhi political spiritual leader of India who fought for independence Aung San Suu Kyi freedom fighter of Myanmar Sir Winston Spencer Churchill -Prime Minister of the U. K. during WWII John F. Kennedy 35th President of the USA (1917-1963) Martin Luther King civil rights activist, USA (1929-1968)
Sunday, October 20, 2019
How to Get a 30 (or Higher!) on the ACT 9 Key Tips
How to Get a 30 (or Higher!) on the ACT 9 Key Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips A 30 ACT score is a solid goal to have for test day. But how difficult is it to get a 30? How many questions can you miss? And what kinds of schools can you get into with a 30? In this guide, we teach you how to get a 30 on the ACT with our nine top tips, covering everything from starting your prep through picking answers on test day. In fact, the tips in this article will help you even if you're shooting for a higher or lower score, like a 32 or a 29. But first, what are the benefits of getting a 30? Can You Get a 30 on the ACT? Why Aim for a 30? In short, yes, you can get a 30 on the ACT- as long as you're willing to dedicate a lot of effort to your prep. Be aware, though:getting a 30 will be easier for some students than it will be for others. How easy (or difficult) it is for you ultimately depends on where you're currently scoring and how much time you can commit to studying. But why 30?Is 30 a good ACT score? According topercentiles,an ACT score of 30is quite high. Data collected by ACT, Inc., shows that a 30corresponds to the 94th percentile. In other words, very few test takers- only 6 percent- score 30 or higher on the ACT, making it a great score to aim for on test day. Getting a 30 offers a couple of benefits to test takers. One isthat it can help make up for less impressive parts of your college application. For example, if you had a lower GPA, an ACT score of 30 could make your application more impressive to schools by showcasing your test-taking skills and proficiency in ACT topics. Another benefit is thatyouââ¬â¢ll have a better shot at getting accepted to competitive schools. With a score of 30, youââ¬â¢ll be just around average for admitted students to many selective private schools, such as Boston University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.Youââ¬â¢ll also be in the 75th percentile (that is, at a very good advantage!) for numerous public universities, including UMass Amherst and UC Santa Barbara. On the other hand, a 30 is low for extremely competitive schools. For Ivy League schools such as Harvard and Princeton, a 30 places you below the 25th percentile, meaning youââ¬â¢ll have a very small chance of getting accepted. Too bad the ACT doesn't test how proficient you are in hitting people in Mario Kart. (Giancarlo Marseglia Ceccoli/Flickr) Whatââ¬â¢s Needed to Get a 30 ACT Score? A 30 ACT score means scoring highly on all sections of the exam (excluding Writing, as this optional section score does not affect your composite score). Because your composite score is the average of your four section scores (English, Math, Reading, and Science), you must aim for at least a composite ACT score of 29.5- or around 30 on each section. These section scores can vary. For example, you could aim for scores in the upper 30s on your stronger sections and scores in the upper 20s on your weaker sections and still get a composite score of 30. To do this, however, you'll always need to score at least 30 on two or more sections of the exam. Here are some ways you could get a composite ACT score of 30: 30s on all four sections. 30s on two sections and 29s on the other two. 32s on two sections and 28s on the other two. 32, 31, 29, and 28 on the four sections. (And so on.) So how many correct answers do you need to get a 30 on the ACT? In truth, the answer varies depending on what test you take. Since all ACTs differ slightly in difficulty,the number of questions you must answer correctly to get a 30 also varies slightly with each test. Below, weââ¬â¢ve analyzed five score conversion tables from official ACT practice tests to calculate approximately how many questions you must get right to get a 30 on each section of the exam. (Remember, you donââ¬â¢t necessarily need to get 30s on all four sections, but you will need to get 30s on at least two sections.) After averaging the conversions, here's what we discovered: To get a 30 on ... Youââ¬â¢ll need an average raw score of ... Meaning you can miss around ... English 67 8 questions Math 51 9 questions Reading 34 6 questions Science 36 4 questions Once again, these numbers are allapproximations based on the average number of raw points you'd need to get 30s on five different ACT practice tests. The chart above indicates that you can miss the most raw points on Math and the least on Science. You can also miss several questions on English and slightly fewer on Reading to get a 30. Here is an example of anACT scoring chart, with score conversions to 30 highlighted: Overall, you canââ¬â¢t miss more than a small handful of questions on each section of the ACT if youââ¬â¢re hoping to score a 30. To avoid missing too many questions, you must ultimately learn what to expect on test day and how to study effectively for each ACT section. We teach you how to do this next. Tip #0: don't build a pillow fort to try to hide from the ACT. How to Get a 30 on the ACT: 9 Key Tips Getting a 30 isnââ¬â¢t easy, but itââ¬â¢s certainly not impossible- you just need to know how to prepare. Our top nine tips below teach you how to get a 30 on the ACT and give you the confidence you'll need for test day. #1: Create a Study Plan When aiming for a 30 on the ACT, you'll definitely want to use a study plan to guide your prep, ideally one that specifically prepares you for getting a 30. Start by taking an official ACT practice testto get your baseline score.This is the score you start out with before beginning any ACT prep. As you take the test, try to recreate real testing conditions to give yourself a more accurate indicator of your scoring ability. This means you'll need to minimize potential distractions, take the test in a quiet room, and time yourself using the official time limits. Once finished, use your testââ¬â¢s scoring guide to calculate your section and composite scores. The composite score (out of 36) you get will be your baseline score. Next, subtract your baseline score from your goal score (in this case, 30) to see how many points you'll need to improve by to hit your goal score. Match this difference to one of the point ranges below to see the approximate number of hours youââ¬â¢ll need to study: 0-1 point improvement: 10 hours 1-2 point improvement: 20 hours 2-4 point improvement: 40 hours 4-6 point improvement: 80 hours 6-9 point improvement: 150 hours+ For example, if I scored 26 on a practice test, Iââ¬â¢d need 4 points to hit my goal score of 30. Using the list above, we can see that this difference corresponds roughly to 40-80 hours of prep time. Once youââ¬â¢ve figured out the number of study hours you'll need to do, draft a study schedule that works well for you. You should try to study consistently every week until test day, so make sure to divide up your time appropriately. In addition, try to plan around any obligations you have in the time leading up to your test. #2: Use High-Quality Study Materials To get a 30 ACT score, youââ¬â¢ll need to use the best ACT resources currently available. This means no low-quality prep books, no sketchy websites, and no inefficient apps. By far the best resources to use are official ACT materials, many of which are completely free! Popular options include official ACT practice tests, sample questions, and The Official ACT Prep Guide, which currently sells for around $25 on Amazon. Be pickier when choosing unofficial ACT materials. I recommend only opting for those that are highly rated and contain realistic practice questions with comprehensive answer explanations. (Bonus if it includes helpful test-taking tips!) Our guides to the best ACT prep books, apps, websites, and vocabulary listscan give you more info on what unofficial resources to use. In short, always remember that quality beats quantity. Thereââ¬â¢s no point in getting tons of ACT resources if theyââ¬â¢re not going to actually help you understand the test and get the 30 you want, so only get whatever you think will be most useful. #3: Track Your Progress Using Practice Tests An ACT study plan not only helps you space out your prep sessions but also allows you to track your progress. Throughout your studies, it's important to take occasional full-length practice tests to see whether your score is improving. How many tests you take and how often you take them depends on the amount of time you have left before test day. Generally, itââ¬â¢s helpful to take a test every few weeks (but never right before test day!). Once youââ¬â¢ve calculated your score for a practice test, use this to see whether your score is, on average, rising or staying the same. If itââ¬â¢s not rising as quickly as you want it to, consider what kinds of concepts or topics you can focus on more to help raise your score on another attempt. My biggest mistake? Eating eight boxes of Girl Scout cookies within a week. (brian/Flickr) #4: Analyze Your Mistakes When aiming high on the ACT, youââ¬â¢ll need to understand exactly what youââ¬â¢re getting wrong and what you can do to fix your mistakes. As you review your answers to ACT practice questions and tests, donââ¬â¢t just mark the correct answer and move on- take a few minutes to think deeply about why you mightââ¬â¢ve missed a certain problem. I recommend doing this before you look at the answer explanation as a way to sharpen your problem-solving skills. After,re-solve the problem and usethe correct answer to guide your thinking. For example, if you thought the answer to a math question was 13 but it was really 36, go through the entire problem again, this time using a different approach to see whether you can find the correct answer on your own. #5: Drill Your Weaknesses Weaknesses will keep you from getting an ACT score of 30. They prevent you from getting certain questions right, even when youââ¬â¢ve studied the concepts. So how do you overcome your weak spots? First, by simply understanding what they are. To see what concepts you struggle the most with, go over all of the ACT practice tests and questions you've completed and try to look forpatterns in the questions you got wrong. For example, are you always missing geometry questions? Do you spend too much time on big-picture questions? Once you know whatââ¬â¢s bringing down your score, you can then focus on drilling these weak spots in your prep. This means youââ¬â¢ll need to practice the questions you get wrong, review relevant strategies, and monitor your performance through practice tests to ensure youââ¬â¢re improving. #6: Get Key Strategies Down Pat No matter what score you're aiming for, you should always familiarize yourself with the most useful ACT strategies before taking the test. By "strategies," I mean test-taking approaches and tricks you can use to increase your chances of getting a high score (ideally, a 30!). Some ACT strategies target certain sections of the exam, whereas others apply to the entire test. Not all strategies will necessarily suit you (for example, it's best to pick just one passage-reading strategy that works well for you), but you should always try out all major approaches before choosing one to stick with. Before we dive into section-specific strategies, here are the three general ACT strategies you should be using on test day: Answer every question. There's no penalty for incorrect answers on the ACT, so try to answer every question, even if you have to guess. Because each question is multiple choice with four or five answer choices (only Math questions have five answer choices- everything else has four), youââ¬â¢ll always have at least a 20-25 percent chance of getting it right. Skip hard questions and return to them later. If you come across a question you canââ¬â¢t solve within a reasonable amount of time (see #7), mark the question and proceed to the next one. Then, once you finish the section, go back to any marked questions and try to approach them with a fresh perspective. Use the process of elimination. Not sure which answer choice is correct? Narrowing down your choices can dramatically raise your chance of getting the question right. For example, by eliminating three answer choices for a math question, your possibility of answering it correctly rises from 20 to 50 percent! For additional ACT tips and strategies, check out our individual section guides: English The Top 9 ACT English Strategies You Must Use The Best Way to Approach ACT English Passages How to Get 36 on ACT English: 9 Strategies From a Perfect Scorer Math Plugging in Numbers: a Critical SAT/ACT Math Strategy Plugging in Answers: a Critical SAT Math/ACT Math Strategy How to Guess Strategically on ACT Math How to Get 36 on ACT Math: 8 Strategies by a Perfect Scorer Reading The #1 Critical, Fundamental Strategy of ACT Reading The Best Way to Approach the ACT Reading Passage How to Answer ACT Reading Questions: 5-Step Guide How to Get 36 on ACT Reading: Strategies From a Perfect Scorer Science The 5 Best Strategies for Reading ACT Science Passages The ACT Science Strategies You Must Be Using The Hardest ACT Science Questions and Strategies to Solve Them How to Get 36 on ACT Science: 13 Strategies From a Perfect Scorer Writing ACT Writing Rubric: Full Analysis and Essay Strategies ACT Writing Tips: 15 Strategies to Raise Your Essay Score Why You Shouldnââ¬â¢t Copy Skeleton Templates for the SAT/ACT Essay How to Get a Perfect 12 on the ACT Writing Essay The #1 strategy for Monopoly? Flip the board into the air and play Sorry! instead. #7: Use Your Time Wisely Another key strategy we didn't mention above is to use your time wisely on each section of the ACT.Being able to allocate your time appropriately means you won't be spending too much (or too little) time on certain questions. The chart below shows how much time you have per question on each ACT section. These limits are estimates in that they assume you'll spend the same amount of time on every question. ACT Section Time Per Question English 36 seconds Math 60 seconds Reading 53 seconds Science 53 seconds As you can see, youââ¬â¢ll have the least amount of time per question on English and the most on Math. But even a whole minute can fly by on a math question, so you'll need to know how to approach ACT problems fast yet effectively.For tips on how to pace yourself, check out our time management guides for ACT Math, Reading, and Science. As I mentioned in tip #6, it's a good idea to answer every question since there's no penalty for incorrect answers. But thetime crunch is one of the most challenging parts of the ACT, often making it difficult to finish certain sections in time or get lengthier, more complicated questions correct. Therefore, if you're aiming for a 30, it may be better for you tospend a little more time trying to get questions rightthan to worry about trying to solve every question. You know you'll be missing a few points anyway, so use the time you would've spent answering tougher questions on solving the questions you're absolutely certain youcan get right with a little extra time. Then, just guess on the few you don't have time for. #8: Avoid Careless Errors and Double-Check Your Answers High scorers on the ACT primarily miss questions due to careless errors- that is, questions you misread or misinterpreted, answer choices you didn't fill in correctly, or answer choices you didn't confirm were correct before moving on to the next question. These types of errors, though frustrating, are entirely avoidable. The good news is that these errors mean youââ¬â¢re not struggling with the content of the exam, but the bad news is that youââ¬â¢re losing points on questions as a result of mere hastiness. The best way to avoid making careless errors is to double-check your answers.This means you'll look over each answer before proceeding to the next question. So on a math question, you could quickly double-check your answer choice by plugging it back in and re-solving. Or on an English question, you could reread the sentence youââ¬â¢ve corrected to ensure it sounds accurate. If you have extra time at the end of a section, goback through each question to check that youââ¬â¢ve answered all of them and have marked the appropriate answers on your answer sheet. Here are some additional tricks you can use to prevent careless errors: Read all questions carefully. If you skim, you might misunderstand what the question is asking you to do. For example, on Math, this could mean you accidentally solve for the wrong algebraic expression. Therefore, always read every word in a question. Reread any part of a question you donââ¬â¢t understand.You can't expect to get a question right if you don't get what it's asking you to do. If there's any phrase or word throwing you off, reread the question until you're pretty sure you know what it means. Read all of the answer choices before choosing one.Don't just go straight for the answer choice you think is right- often, what sounds correct isn't actually correct, as many plausible answer choices are included in order to mislead you. Read through all of the answer choices so that you can be certain you know which is right. Write neatly.If your notes are sloppy or confusing (especially when solving for math problems), you'll likely struggle to make sense of what you've written and might even choose the wrong answer as a result. Always write cleanly and coherently so that you don't accidentally foil your own efforts on test day. #9: Donââ¬â¢t Psych Yourself Out Last but not least, donââ¬â¢t let the pressure of the ACT freak you out. Getting a 30 takes hard work, but you shouldn't overwhelm yourself or feel as though your future depends on an ACT score. As long as youââ¬â¢ve got a solid study plan and quality ACT resources, youââ¬â¢re well on your way to getting a great score. Additionally, try to remain calm on test day. A little anxiety is expected, but letting your nerves get to you can make you lose both your concentration and confidence. If you donââ¬â¢t get a 30, remind yourself that itââ¬â¢s not the end of the world; you can always retake the exam or work on improving other parts of your college application. Your chances of college acceptance aren't determined solely by your ACT score, so donââ¬â¢t assume youââ¬â¢re doomed with anything below a 30! Don't look like this after you take the ACT. Seriously. Don't magically turn into a dog. Conclusion: How to Get a 30 on the ACT Many students aim for a 30 on the ACT, but is 30 a good ACT score? Absolutely! In fact,a 30 ACT score is very competitive- in the top 4 percent of test takers, to be exact.This score gives you a solid shot at getting into many moderately competitive universities, such as UC Santa Barbara and Boston University. To get a 30, you mustscore highly on all four sections of the exam (excluding Writing). Specifically, youââ¬â¢ll need to get at least a 30 on two sections and a composite score of 29.5 (which rounds to 30) or higher. This means you can only miss a handful of questions on each section. Above, we taught you how to get a 30 on the ACT using our top nine tips. As a reminder, here are our tips again: Come up with a foolproof study plan Obtain high-quality resources (official ones are a great place to start) Track your progress with practice tests Analyze your mistakes on tests and questions Drill your weak spots so that they donââ¬â¢t bring down your score Learn and practice all major ACT strategies Use your time wisely Avoid making careless errors by double-checking your answers andreading more closely Focus on doing well without psyching yourself out Armed with these tips, you'll be on your way to getting a 30 in no time! Whatââ¬â¢s Next? Want to aim even higher- say, for a perfect 36?Then check out our in-depth guide to getting a perfect ACT score, written by a real full scorer. What's considered a good ACT score?Our expert guide goes over what ACT scores and percentiles you'll need to aim for in order to be considered a competitive applicant for your schools. What about bad ACT scores? How low is too low?If you're not sure where your score stands, read our guide to low ACT scoresto learn what's considered a poor ACT score. Then, get tips on how to improve. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:
Saturday, October 19, 2019
You can decide the topic whatever you want by those requirements I Essay - 8
You can decide the topic whatever you want by those requirements I posted - Essay Example Christo and Jeanne-Claude paintings are an excellent example of works of art that successfully exhibited this concept of time and motion. While most painting requires careful handling of the brush, Jackson Pollock approach was unique because he did not use a brush directly on canvas. It is interesting to look at how Pollock was able to bring out time and motion in his unique approach to painting. Diversion from the conventional way of painting helped Jackson Pollock tap into a new world of art. He fixed the canvas on the floor or wall, accessing it from four sides, he poured and dripped paint from a can manipulating it with sticks and knives (Serafini 63). As Pollock put it, having the canvas on the floor made it easy for him as he felt nearer and a part of the painting (Serafini 20). He was able to express his unconscious moods. It resulted in abstract expression through action painting often related to the surrealist theories (Serafini 63). Jackson Pollock ingeniously incorporated the property of time and motion in his works. Through pouring, dripping, flicking and spilling, Pollock was able to put the effects he intended on his paintings (Serafini 28). Considering his painting of 1952 named the Blue Poles, the element of motion and time is very pronounced. One sees how Pollock used his paintbrush to drop and flick paint on the canvas (Serafini 28). The movement of the brush and the flicking action is quite evident in the way the paint is splattered on the canvas. The concept of time and motion is capture in this movement seen on Pollockââ¬â¢s work. The Blue Poles is, therefore, a two-dimensional painting that has the aspect of motion and time presented. In visual arts, texture is a valuable element required for a successful work of art. Texture is the surface quality that is apparent on a piece of art work (Serafini 42). Identifiable through visual and physical qualities,
Friday, October 18, 2019
Is there a role for Trade Unions in the new employee relations Essay
Is there a role for Trade Unions in the new employee relations - Essay Example Current paper focuses on the examination of the role of trade unions in the new employee relations developed in businesses across Britain. The studies published on the above issue will be critically analysed; the studies will be identified using the following two criteria: a) studies published in Britain will be preferred by those published in other countries and b) recent studies - of the last 3 years - will be preferred - aiming to represent the actual interaction between the trade unions and new employee relations in firms across Britain. It is proved that the value of trade unions in supporting the rights of employees in Britain is quite high; however, in certain cases trade unions in Britain fail to respond to their role-mistakes in their strategies and their management style seem to be the main reason for this failure. On the other hand, the support of the state towards the unions has been limited - a fact that led to the further limitation of the importance of trade unions in representing employees in Britain. ... In fact, these unions have helped towards the improvement of the terms of employment in Britain - even under difficult political and social conditions. The development of trade unions in Britain has been extensively examined in the literature. Different approaches have been used in order to evaluate the role of trade unions in the specific country; all these approaches seem to have a common point of reference: the importance of trade unions for the improvement of employment in Britain is not doubted; however, it is assumed that the policies used by trade unions should be updated in order to meet the needs of current employee relations. 2.1 History of trade unions The history of trade unions is an issue that is often given less attention than required. In fact, most commonly, trade unions are related with their role - as intervening bodies in the resolution of employment disputes; the specific view is supported by Howell (2007, 5) who notes that 'trade unions often appear to exist only in order to solve collective action problems for employers having little independence existence or history'. Through a different approach is stated by Upchurch et al. (2009, 26) that 'trade unions in Britain have been less integrated into the post war body politik than in more corporatist countries like Germany'. The above view focuses on the relationship between trade unions and politics rather than on the importance of the history for the evaluation of the role of trade unions in British employment relations - like in the study of Howell (2007) mentioned above. In their first appearance trade unions were considered to be in opposition with law; for this reason, the participation of a person into these unions was punished. In accordance with the Combination Acts
Stalking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Stalking - Essay Example Most stalkers have been exposed, through social interaction or observation, to factors like violence. B Turvey (2002: 509) defines stalking as ââ¬Å"a crime involving the behavioral intrusion of one person in the life of another that is maladaptive.â⬠One incident of intrusion into an individuals live is not considered stalking, multiple incidents must occur. This is why delusional or paranoid schizophrenic individuals are not the majority stalkers. In fact, delusional or paranoid schizophrenic individuals are not defined as stalkers under the law and psychological definitions (Davis, 2001: 5). These individuals are diagnosed as having a mental illness, not being a stalker. Most stalkers live outwardly normal lives (Davis, 2001: 5). Stalkers fall into a few general categories. The majority of stalkers were in a relationship with their victim, but feel the victim has wronged them someway. Another common stalker is the secret admirer type. A man or woman who have a crush on an individual and wants to be noticed (Davis, 2001: 5). Most stalkers are men, but women can stalk as well. Control is a common issue with stalkers. Stalkers tend to feel out of control, so in response they try to regain that control through stalking. The first type of stalker is of a scorned lover or husband. When a spouse decides that it is over, the stalker feels the control slipping from their hands. The same goes with the secret admirer that does not get noticed. When the secret admirer does not get noticed through normal methods, stalking makes their victims focus on them, giving them more control. The most common stalker is one of an ex-spouse. While the man is stalking the woman or vice versa, the children are observing this behavior. In turn these children start exhibiting stalking traits (Pinals, 2007: 3). A child observing a stalking situation probably feel sympathetic with the stalker, because the stalker has the power. The child despises the victim, because
Judith clark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Judith clark - Essay Example Similar individuals involved in the crime pleaded for lesser charges; however Clark received a seventy-five year sentence. It seems that while the extraordinary circumstances surrounding her crime ââ¬â namely its ideological underpinnings ââ¬â may have contributed to increased attention, there is also the recognition that her sentence was in-line with that many individuals would receive for similar charges. Still, her strong ideological stance at the time prevented her from establishing a plea arrangement for a lesser sentence; this is an ideological stance she claims to have since abandoned. Even while Clark claims she has been rehabilitated, she remains an accomplice to murder. Her strong ideological bent at the time of crime may have also contributed to its planning and execution. Ultimately then while Clarkââ¬â¢s seventy-five year sentence may be too extreme, it does not seem a fair principle of justice to release her from prison anytime in the near
Thursday, October 17, 2019
What Customer Service Means To M Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
What Customer Service Means To M - Term Paper Example So I then contacted the customer service at Bank of America to assist me in correcting this error or cancel it. After speaking to not one, but several customer service reps. I still got the same answer from each one, ââ¬Å"sorry you had plenty of time all week to correct it, itââ¬â¢s now in the system and will be processedâ⬠. So then I called the customer service depââ¬â¢t at PSE&G to explain whatââ¬â¢s happening and see if they can help stop this train wreck. Well, guess what, I practically got the same responses from their customer service reps, but with even a bigger attitude. They told me ââ¬Å"well when we get the check weââ¬â¢ll going to process it because itââ¬â¢s our moneyâ⬠. Now this is after theyââ¬â¢ve confirmed that the bill was only for $195.89. So after being on the phone with both companies for about 3 hours total on a Friday night, I immediately stopped all of my current transactions for the rest of the month with the online bill pay system. The very next day, Saturday, I went to the local bank branch, sat down with the branch manager and explained what I went thru the night before, and whatââ¬â¢s happening. He calmly looked at my account, saw what was happening, and called the main office or depââ¬â¢t that handles the electronic bill pay services to inform them to correct or cancel that particular transaction. To his shocking surprise he was told he doesnââ¬â¢t have that authority to instruct or direct anyone in that dept. to do so. As he hangs up the phone, he looks at me and says heââ¬â¢s sorry that he cannot do anything either and that it has to go thru the system to be processed, when PSE&G submits the check for payment. But he did tell me ââ¬Å"donââ¬â¢t worry about it, I can see itââ¬â¢s an simple error and itââ¬â¢ll be rejected because I didnââ¬â¢t have enough funds to cover it, and that heââ¬â¢ll just bounce it back to them for insufficient funds, I should keep my eye on my account to inform him as to
Article Critiques on Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Article Critiques on Finance - Essay Example Asian governments, "made sure their farmers, big and small, were able to avail themselves of fertiliser, irrigation and connections to markets". A large part of this credit goes to the Nobel laureate, Norman Borlang, who pioneered the green revolution. In Africa however, governments saw improvements in agriculture technology only as a " means to secure political favour, not the food supply". Hence the renewed interest in Africa is welcome to ensure that the benefits of the green revolution succeed at least at the second attempt. No nation will ever be able to enjoy political and economic stability unless it is self-sufficient in its food supply. Food is important in the developing and least developed countries because buying and selling of food accounts for a major chunk of economic activity. Improvements in the agriculture sector results in economic upliftment at the grass-roots level where it is most needed. The media industry was shocked when in September 2006, Viacom CEO, Tom Freston was sacked and replaced by Philippe Dauman, a corporate lawyer unknown in the media industry. This resulted in a sharp fall in the value of Viacom shares, until Dauman re-assured shareholders that there would be no major policy shifts in the near future.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
What Customer Service Means To M Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
What Customer Service Means To M - Term Paper Example So I then contacted the customer service at Bank of America to assist me in correcting this error or cancel it. After speaking to not one, but several customer service reps. I still got the same answer from each one, ââ¬Å"sorry you had plenty of time all week to correct it, itââ¬â¢s now in the system and will be processedâ⬠. So then I called the customer service depââ¬â¢t at PSE&G to explain whatââ¬â¢s happening and see if they can help stop this train wreck. Well, guess what, I practically got the same responses from their customer service reps, but with even a bigger attitude. They told me ââ¬Å"well when we get the check weââ¬â¢ll going to process it because itââ¬â¢s our moneyâ⬠. Now this is after theyââ¬â¢ve confirmed that the bill was only for $195.89. So after being on the phone with both companies for about 3 hours total on a Friday night, I immediately stopped all of my current transactions for the rest of the month with the online bill pay system. The very next day, Saturday, I went to the local bank branch, sat down with the branch manager and explained what I went thru the night before, and whatââ¬â¢s happening. He calmly looked at my account, saw what was happening, and called the main office or depââ¬â¢t that handles the electronic bill pay services to inform them to correct or cancel that particular transaction. To his shocking surprise he was told he doesnââ¬â¢t have that authority to instruct or direct anyone in that dept. to do so. As he hangs up the phone, he looks at me and says heââ¬â¢s sorry that he cannot do anything either and that it has to go thru the system to be processed, when PSE&G submits the check for payment. But he did tell me ââ¬Å"donââ¬â¢t worry about it, I can see itââ¬â¢s an simple error and itââ¬â¢ll be rejected because I didnââ¬â¢t have enough funds to cover it, and that heââ¬â¢ll just bounce it back to them for insufficient funds, I should keep my eye on my account to inform him as to
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Chinas arms export to the developing countries in Asia Essay
Chinas arms export to the developing countries in Asia - Essay Example In the context of the sudden increase in Chinaââ¬â¢s arm exports in the last decade, two things are worth mentioning. First, the increase is primarily due to a sudden rise in volume of arms purchased by Pakistan in the last few years, wherein it accounts for more than 50 % of arms exported by China in the last five years (Holtom, Bromley, Wezeman and Wezeman, 2013). China has exported combat aircrafts in large numbers to Pakistan, while there are pending orders for frigates and submarines. Besides Pakistan, some of the recent arms deals with other countries, such as Venezuela, Morocco and Algeria, show that China is rapidly turning into a powerful arms dealer (Klare, 2013). Second, currently many research papers have focused on Chinaââ¬â¢s development of advanced weapon technologies; however, these advanced forms of arms are not successful as the traditional ones within the global market. This is primarily because main importers of Chinese arms are the countries that aim at buy ing cheaper and less advanced weapons, even though China may have more advanced systems in offer. As for example, reports show that China exports more of F-7.2, which are technologically less advanced than the J-10 and J-11 models of fighter planes (Holtom, Bromley, Wezeman and Wezeman, 2013). Therefore, it is evident that while China gained significance as a global player within the arms export market, its buyers are mainly from the developing nations. Between 2006 and 2009, (Grimmett, 2011).
Monday, October 14, 2019
Television Commercial Semiotics Analysis Media Essay
Television Commercial Semiotics Analysis Media Essay In 2004, former Playboy centerfold and American reality television character Anna Nicole Smith starred in a 30-second television commercial for Trimspas diet product X-32. The principal had recently lost a significant amount of excess body weight after having appeared throughout an American reality series that seemed to capitalize on the shock value of her metamorphosis from a Playboy centerfold and fashion model to obesity in the years preceding her re-emergence as a sex symbol, presumably as a result of her use of the advertisers diet products. The dominant elements of the advertisement consisted of Smith attired in flamboyant gowns and posed provocatively in various postures and in conjunction with textual images superimposed over the visual images. A seductive female voice also emphasized the words displayed in the text. The textual component of the advertisement consisted of the words sexy, powerful, and attitude in connection with SPA portion of the manufacturers name suggesting a pneumonic connotation. The only other textual component appears in the form of the phrase Be Envied in the last frame of the commercial. A male voice is also heard saying Cutie; wont you come inside? A semiotic analysis of the commercial would focus on the psychological and social relevance of the sexual imagery and the connotations to gender roles, sexual desirability, and also to suggestions of wealth and privilege. More specifically, the advertisement highlights the reliance on gender roles and gender-based expectations in relation to independence and power, social class, and (especially) pop culture-based recognition and the influence of the link between celebrity, notoriety, and positive product association. Key Visual and Textual Elements of the Commercial and their Connotations The primary visual content of the commercial presents Anna Nicole Smith dressed and coiffed in a style that is apparently intended to draw connections (whether conscious or unconscious) to mid-20th century American film icon Marilyn Monroe, to whom Smith already bears a general likeness. From a semiotics perspective, the visual component of the commercial incorporates at least three distinct aspects of social codes (bodily, commodity, and behavioural codes); two aspects of representational or textual codes (genre and mass media codes); as well as both main aspects of interpretive codes (perceptual and ideological codes). More specifically, the commercial emphasises bodily codes (Aronson, Wilson, Akert, 2003, p.266) associated with sexuality, sexual aggressiveness, and sexual availability as Smith engages in exaggerated sexually provocative postures, gestures, and facial expressions. It also relies heavily on commodity codes (Aronson, Wilson, Akert, 2003, p.266) represented by the high-fashion gown worn by Smith and on behavioural codes (Aronson, Wilson, Akert, 2003, p.266) such as the dynamic between photographer and high-fashion model and the focus of attention on her. In that regard, the behavioural code consists of the portrayal of the respective roles of the photographer engaged in capturing images of the model on a set designed to suggest high-fashion and social privilege. To a certain degree, the use of social codes merges with textual codes, illustrating the basis of the traditional argument in favour of a broader interpretation of all semiotic codes as social codes (Hawkes, 1977, p.104). In that respect, the commercial exploits the perspective of both genre (in the apparent connection to Marilyn Monroe) and in its closely related reliance on Smiths notoriety from her (then) recent television series and her high-profile will contest proceedings over the estate of her deceased former husband, oil and business magnate J. Howard Marshall that eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court a decade after his death in 1996 at the age of 90 (Newman, 2007). It was Smiths controversial marriage to Marshall barely a year before his death and the decade-long media coverage of her claim to his entire estate and the probate contest it precipitated that apparently catapulted Smith to infamy more than anything else (Newman, 2007). Although the case was ultimately decid ed against her in 2006, her claim to the fortune likely generated the popular perception that Anna Nicole Smith represented fabulous wealth and privilege. That image, or more precisely, the consumption of that image by the American public as a function of perpetual tabloid coverage, provided the social framework for the connotations intended for exploitation by the advertiser. Finally, with respect to semiotic coding, the commercial images rely on interpretative coding in the form of both perceptual codes and ideological codes. More specifically, the body postures and facial expressions adopted by Smith throughout the commercial trigger hard-wired psychological responses in the areas of sexual signaling and sexual arousal (Gerrig Zimbardo, 2008, p.276). The obvious intent is to establish a deeper association in that regard than merely conscious absorption of the explicit messages in the commercial. Moreover, ideological coding is used to convey one of the most important take-aways intended by the advertiser to appeal to a hegemonic female audience: namely, through the notion that the product is associated with a departure from traditional ideological views and expectations of females as passive and dependent on males, particularly for their sexual identity and power. This use of both perceptual and ideological coding (specifically in relation to human sex uality) is one of the most powerful and common themes in product advertising; it has been since the dawn of the modern advertising age (Kahle Lynn, 2006, p. 27; Ogilvy, 1982, p.26). Thematic Interaction of Commercial Elements to Convey Meaning The commercial includes superimposed text in the form of three words (sexy, powerful, and attitude) in conjunction with the individual letters in the SPA portion of the manufacturers product. While the relevance of the word sexy is literal, the words powerful and attitude both rely heavily on the discursive concepts originally introduced in the context of semiotics by Michel Foucault (Harvey Evans, 2001). According to that analysis, the choice of language in the commercial fits within a discourse, or representational system that is a function on socially relevant codes and an interpretive repertoire of concepts, values, and myths that give them meaning (Harvey Evans, 2001). The notion of power is clearly meant to appeal to women primed to value or strive for the sexual autonomy of a feminist perspective. Likewise, the notion of attitude also represents an expectation or a right to have things as they wish rather than as they may be expected by society. The only other words that are audible besides those spoken by the female narrator who breathlessly repeats sexy, powerful, attitude are delivered by a male voice who says Cutie, wont you come inside? The relevance of that phrase is also a function of Foucaults discourse concept (Harvey Evans, 2001): it is likely meant to suggest a connection to an invitation (such as from a doorman) to enter an exclusive social club or other opportunity that is only an option for beautiful members of the privileged class. Given the other elements of the commercial and their relation to the discourse pertaining to female sexual independence, it may also be meant to suggest a much more sexually explicit concept as well. The last textual image of the commercial consists of the superimposition of the phrase Be Envied in the last frames. No formal analysis is necessary to identify the discourse upon the strategic purpose of that phrase relies. Specifically, envy is a natural human response with direct connections to perceptual codes as well as to commodity codes (Hawkes, 1977, p.107). In that respect, the impulse of envy is closely connected to the related desire to inspire envy in others (Ogilvy, 1982, p. 119) and, like sexuality, it is a very common (if not universal) discursive feature in modern advertising and product marketing (Ogilvy, 1982, p. 120). The contextual relevance of the phrase is simply that users of the Trimspa product will lose weight and become more beautiful, more sexually desirable, more sexually powerful, and more envied by others in society. Conclusion The 2004 Trimspa X-32 commercial features an extremely recognisable American cultural icon believed to embody beauty, sexuality, wealth, and privilege. The fact that she happened to lose a substantial amount of weight (whether or not with the help of cosmetic surgery as had been rumoured) fit perfectly within the scope of the advertisement. The commercial emphasizes a wide range of semiotic social codes, representational or textual codes, and interpretive codes. It exploits a connection to a another former American film icon as well as several different discursive elements in relation to the modern rejection of traditional roles of and social constraints imposed on women in patriarchal societies. Those semiotic elements merge with explicit connotations associated with promises of enviable beauty and sexual desirability as well as with the exploitation of the human failing represented by the natural impulse to envy others and to inspire theirs.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
The Root of Success in Korean Cloning Essay -- Genetics
Korea is currently leading the industry of cloning. There are many cultural and social aspects to why Koreans are leading this industry. David Plotz identifies a theory identified as the ââ¬Å"Chopstick Theory of Scientific Supremacyâ⬠in his article titled, ââ¬Å"The Seoul of Clones.â⬠Plotz states Koreans eat with ââ¬Å"narrow, metal chopsticks. Nabbing grains of rice with slippery, steel sticks requires a surgeonââ¬â¢s dexterityâ⬠(Plotz, 2005). While this example seems ridiculous, if one dissects the meaning, it can make sense. Koreans are the only Asians that utilize chopsticks that are, quite frankly, hard to use. Japanese and Chinese use thick wooden chopsticks and everyone else in the world uses western utensils or their bare hands to eat. Korean ethics in the workplace is just as meticulous as the chopstick example; they constantly work, sometimes seven days a week, through holidays, and usually until their task is complete, not when their business closes for the day. This ethos of work is highly influenced by the deep cultural beliefs of Confucianism that is embedded in their society. ââ¬Å"Confucianism teaches that workplaces should be run as benevolent hierarchies, with younger and junior people obediently taking guidance from seniorsâ⬠(Plotz, 2005). Western ideologies promotes individualism, while Confucianism based societies work to support the balance of the chain of command, ultimately giving the boss/supervisor credit for their hard work. Especially with the men (and women) in the Korean workforce, this chain of command structure is nothing new due to the mandatory military service (for men, ages 18 to 35) requirement that is enforced by the government. There are most influences within the social patterns of South Koreans ... ...s/documents/endeavors/volume3/JoshPark.pdf Assessed May 23, 2012. Poleg, Dror. ââ¬Å"Was ââ¬ËConfucianismââ¬â¢ important to the Economic Development of Japan and South Korea?â⬠Drorism, January 26, 2011. Web: http://www.drorism.com/2011/01/the-role-of-confucianism-in-the-economic-development-of-japan-and-south-korea.html Assessed May 23, 2012. Plotz, David. ââ¬Å"The Seoul of Clones.â⬠Slate Magazine, October 19, 2005. Web: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/how_they_do_it/2005/10/the_seoul_of_clones.html Assessed May 22, 2012. Scanlon, Charles. ââ¬Å"S Koreaââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ëdisgracedââ¬â¢ national hero.â⬠BBC News, November 25, 2005. Web: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4468812.stm Assessed May 23, 2012. Veale, Jennifer. ââ¬Å"South Koreaââ¬â¢s Pet Clone Wars.â⬠TIME, February 10, 2009. Web: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1878398,00.html Assessed May 23, 2012. The Root of Success in Korean Cloning Essay -- Genetics Korea is currently leading the industry of cloning. There are many cultural and social aspects to why Koreans are leading this industry. David Plotz identifies a theory identified as the ââ¬Å"Chopstick Theory of Scientific Supremacyâ⬠in his article titled, ââ¬Å"The Seoul of Clones.â⬠Plotz states Koreans eat with ââ¬Å"narrow, metal chopsticks. Nabbing grains of rice with slippery, steel sticks requires a surgeonââ¬â¢s dexterityâ⬠(Plotz, 2005). While this example seems ridiculous, if one dissects the meaning, it can make sense. Koreans are the only Asians that utilize chopsticks that are, quite frankly, hard to use. Japanese and Chinese use thick wooden chopsticks and everyone else in the world uses western utensils or their bare hands to eat. Korean ethics in the workplace is just as meticulous as the chopstick example; they constantly work, sometimes seven days a week, through holidays, and usually until their task is complete, not when their business closes for the day. This ethos of work is highly influenced by the deep cultural beliefs of Confucianism that is embedded in their society. ââ¬Å"Confucianism teaches that workplaces should be run as benevolent hierarchies, with younger and junior people obediently taking guidance from seniorsâ⬠(Plotz, 2005). Western ideologies promotes individualism, while Confucianism based societies work to support the balance of the chain of command, ultimately giving the boss/supervisor credit for their hard work. Especially with the men (and women) in the Korean workforce, this chain of command structure is nothing new due to the mandatory military service (for men, ages 18 to 35) requirement that is enforced by the government. There are most influences within the social patterns of South Koreans ... ...s/documents/endeavors/volume3/JoshPark.pdf Assessed May 23, 2012. Poleg, Dror. ââ¬Å"Was ââ¬ËConfucianismââ¬â¢ important to the Economic Development of Japan and South Korea?â⬠Drorism, January 26, 2011. Web: http://www.drorism.com/2011/01/the-role-of-confucianism-in-the-economic-development-of-japan-and-south-korea.html Assessed May 23, 2012. Plotz, David. ââ¬Å"The Seoul of Clones.â⬠Slate Magazine, October 19, 2005. Web: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/how_they_do_it/2005/10/the_seoul_of_clones.html Assessed May 22, 2012. Scanlon, Charles. ââ¬Å"S Koreaââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ëdisgracedââ¬â¢ national hero.â⬠BBC News, November 25, 2005. Web: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4468812.stm Assessed May 23, 2012. Veale, Jennifer. ââ¬Å"South Koreaââ¬â¢s Pet Clone Wars.â⬠TIME, February 10, 2009. Web: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1878398,00.html Assessed May 23, 2012.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Comparing Existentialism in The Trial and Nausea :: comparison compare contrast essays
Existentialism in The Trial and Nauseaà à The Trial and Nauseaà à Webster's Dictionary defines Existentialism as a "philosophic doctrine of beliefs that people have absolute freedom of choice and that the universe is absurd, with an emphasis on the phenomena of anxiety and alienation." As Existentialism was coming to the foreground of the philosophical world during the 1940's, a group of Existentialist philosophers became well-known public figures in America. Their philosophies were commonly discussed in magazines, and their concepts of man's ultimate freedom of choice were quite intriguing to readers. Two philosophers who embodied this set of beliefs were Jean-Paul Sartre and Franz Kafka. These men displayed their beliefs mostly through novels. Sartre wrote Nausea, the story of a man's struggle to find meaning in a world in which most everything gives him a paralyzing sense of sickness. Kafka relayed his thoughts through Joseph K., a man who has been put on trial without being given any information about what he's done. The outcomes of Kafka's The Trial and Sartre's Nausea are two examples of the effects on a man who questions his existence. The main focus of Nausea is Antoine Roquentin's experience with what he describes as the "Nausea." The overwhelming absurdity of his everyday experiences create this sickness. Roquentin's first experience with this sickness is described when he reaches down to pick up a slip of paper: "Objects should not touch because they are not alive. You use them, put them back in place, you live among them: they are useful, nothing more. But they touch me, it is unbearable. I am afraid of being in contact with them as though they were living beasts" (Sartre 10). The term "Nausea" has since become common when the subject of Existentialism is brought up. It is an excellent term to describe the sudden realization that things are not as one had previously perceived them to be and that there is great weight in the matter of existence. Roquentin's battle with his own mind to find meaning in life has become one of the most effective manifestations of Existentialist thought in literature. Along with the writings of Albert Camus and Samuel Beckett, Sartre's writings are among the most highly regarded of the Existentialist works. Franz Kafka wrote a novel which evaluates a similar state of mind. The Trial deals with a much different situation, in which a man's freedom, and possibly even his life, literally hangs in the balance.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Delivering interventions Essay
Critiquing an article is fundamental to research utilization and evidence based practice. The process of research critique is an intellectual activity which will help one decide as to what extent research maybe useful in practice; to see if the findings are trustworthy, and be able to compare it with other related research. While the term ââ¬Å"researchâ⬠has been used rather freely in the past, there has also been a tendency to perceive research as an end in itself rather than as a means to an end, namely improvement in the quality of care provided to patients. As LoBiondo-Wood et al. (2002) mention, ââ¬Å"the meaning of quality research should contribute to knowledge relevant to care and service. Further, research should provide a specialized scientific knowledge base that empowers a profession to anticipate and meet these challenges and maintain its societal relevanceâ⬠. The internet once again has proven that it is the most powerful tool to disseminate informations worldwide. It has been used for health and medical informations with over millions of internet users nowadays as it has the capacity to disseminate psychoeducation especially to those who may have not seek formal treatment for mental and health services for a minimal cost. Moreover, it has the capacity for online interventions to a large audience and over a third says that their health has improved. Further, its programs can be modified to suit the needs of its users as they can be alerted anytime to change and track updates or for follow-up of their case encompassing geological barriers. This paper will critique the seminar on ââ¬Å"Delivering internet interventions for depression: Free range users and one hit wondersâ⬠by Helen Christensen, Kathy Griffiths, Chloe Groves, Ailsa Korten, based on the journal article ââ¬Å"Free range users and one hit wonders: community users of an Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy program published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2006; 40:59ââ¬â62. Research Purpose and Aim The research problem is a ââ¬Å"situation in need of a solution, improvement or alteration or a discrepancy in the way things are or the way they ought to beâ⬠(Burns & Grove, 1993). The article, ââ¬Å"ââ¬Å"Free range users and one hit wonders: community users of an Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy program (2006) is a study to evaluate the predictors of symptoms change or the methods that might increase user ââ¬Ëcomplianceââ¬â¢ on websites designed to improve mental health outcomes (p. 59). The aims of the study are twofold: first is to examine predictors of expected final depression and anxiety scores as a function of characteristics such as gender, number of modules completed, and initial anxiety and depression scores of users; and second is to compare user characteristics and outcomes from the original MoodGYM site (Mark I) with those of public registrants of the new public version of the site (MoodGYM Mark II). For this second aim of the paper, comparison is made for gender, initial depression and anxiety scores, and completion rates for the two site versions to examine whether structural changes to the site resulted in different user (p. 61). This study is important for online users as it hope to show that shorter interventions lead to similar health outcomes and that even brief burst of information lead to increased help seeking. In addition, this study is important for online healthcare providers like MoodGYM to find out if website adherence or ââ¬Å"stickinessâ⬠will be helped resolved or cease to be an issue (p. 62). Hypothesis and Research Questions In a research study, the researcher must formulate as many hypotheses as needed to address all aspects of the research problem. Research hypothesis directs the research study, unifies theory and reality and helps extend the knowledge base. It is a statement about the relationship between 2 or more variables; it provides direction for gathering and interpreting data and identifies the population to be studied. Wood & Haber (1998) pointed out that hypotheses are never proven; they are accepted or rejected, or supported or not supported. Christensen et al. used a directional hypothesis as they specified the expected direction of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables where the dependent variable was the final score and independent variables were gender, number of modules completed (treated as three dummy variables), initial depression score and a quadratic function of the initial score. Hence, the following research hypotheses were tested: a) that shorter internet interventions are associated with decreased depression symptoms, b) that even brief burst of information lead to increased helpseeking (one hit wonders) and c) that much better outcome is expected if users could be retained on the site for longer periods of time. (p. 60). This research is a follow-up study since the previous research have shown that the interactive program called the MoodGym has delivered cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) as effective as those compared to an attention placebo condition in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms ( Christensen & Jorm, 2004). The previous study have subsequently shown that outcomes for spontaneous users of the site are of the same magnitude as those of trial participants enrolled in our randomized controlled trial (Christensen, et. al. , 2004). Hence the research questions arising for this study could be: 1) Can shorter internet interventions results to the same decreased depression symptoms as that of the RCT? 2) Can brief burst of informations increased help seeking and do ââ¬Å"one hit wondersâ⬠? and 3) How could users be retained on the site for longer periods of time? Methods of the Study The online survey is the main design of the study as it is internet based of course. The sample population consisted of 19 607 online visitors as ââ¬Ëfree range usersââ¬â¢ who registered on the site between April 2001 and September 2003. The control group is the 182 participants in the MoodGYM condition of the BlueMood trial. To assess the symptoms of depression of the two groups, the Goldberg Depression and Anxiety Scales (Goldberg et. al. , 1988) were repeated within the website intervention to allow the examination of change in symptoms across modules. The outcome variables used were gender, initial depression severity scores, number of assessments attempted (maximum number=5) and symptom levels following intervention. To determine if the results are statistically significant, Christensen et al. (2005) used various statistical analyses for this study. The linear regression analyses were used to develop predictors of anxiety and depression final scores. Chi-squared or t-tests were used to find out the differences between the two versions of the site. For the comparison between Mark I and Mark II versions of the site, the researchers compared the 19 607 visitors to the original site, with 38 791 users who registered on the Mark II version of the site between September 2003 and October, 2004. Analysis of the Results Analysis of the predictors of final anxiety and depression scores for Moodgym (Mark I) revealed that there were no differences in outcomes between the randomized clinical trial (RCT) participants and those accessing the original MoodGYM website (p. 60). The linear regression results where the dependent variable was the final score and independent variables were gender, number of modules completed (treated as three dummy variables), and initial depression score and a quadratic function of the initial score, all independent variables and the interaction between initial depression score and number of modules were significant. The results showed that men are predicted to be 0. 19 units (SE=0. 095) higher than women on depression, controlling for the initial depression level and number of modules completed. For initial depression scores above 2, it is predicted that the final score will indicate improvement relative to the initial score, the magnitude of the improvement increasing as a function of the number of modules attempted. For initial anxiety scores above 2, it is predicted that the final score will indicate improvement relative to the initial score, the magnitude of the improvement increasing as a function of the number of modules attempted. Mark II registrants were more likely than to Mark I registrants to complete onsite assessments (p. 59). Thus Christensen, et. al. (2005) has answered the objectives of the study. For the first objective, they were able to establish that the predictors of expected final depression are gender; number of modules completed, and initial depression scores of users. On the other hand, the expected final anxiety predictors are the same with that of depression except gender. The second aim is to compare user characteristics and outcomes from the original MoodGYM site (Mark I) with those of public registrants of the new public version of the site (MoodGYM Mark). Researchers have concluded from the results that ââ¬Ëfree range usersââ¬â¢ of the online version of MoodGYM Mark I are more likely to have lower depression at the end of the intervention if they are women, have lower initial scores, and complete more module assessments. These doseââ¬âresponse relationships may illustrate the importance of a userââ¬â¢s adherence to the site for positive outcomes, although they may also be due to the retention of users who make the biggest gains early. The completion data from MoodGYM indicate that adherence to the full program is poor, with less than 7% of the site users progressing beyond the first two modules in the Mark II site. The remaining proportion of users, the ââ¬Ëone hit wondersââ¬â¢, drop out early. The addition of compulsory components appears to increase compliance for a second assessment, but does not increase persistence, with approximately the same proportion of users from both sites discontinuing at the same rate at subsequent assessment occasions. The Mark II structure is also associated with a reduced proportion of female users and a (statistically significant) increase in registrants with higher levels of depression (p. 62). Limitations Christensen et al. recognized that their study has several limitations. First, the usefulness of making direct comparisons of the outcome level and attrition rates of Internet interventions and clinical trials is in question because of the difference in patterns of attrition and the missing data will reflect the tied sample characteristics (motivation, symptom severity and expectations of participants). In addition, the Internet sites create the opportunity to either ââ¬Ëopt inââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëopt outââ¬â¢ of ââ¬Ëtreatmentââ¬â¢ easily, making them likely to ââ¬Ëenrollââ¬â¢ diverse individuals with low levels of commitment and little expectation of being ââ¬Ëhelpedââ¬â¢. Also, clinical trials provide infrastructure and positive expectations. Hence these differences question the usefulness of directly comparing rates of adherence or compliance across the two types of interventions. Moreover, selective attrition is difficult to interpret in both clinical and Internet trials, because ââ¬Ëdropoutââ¬â¢ or non-adherence may arise for different reasons and be associated with different outcomes for different individuals. For example, Internet users may ââ¬Ëdrop outââ¬â¢ either because they are dissatisfied with the intervention (real ââ¬Ëdropoutsââ¬â¢) or because the intervention has met their needs (these individuals are labeled ââ¬Ëattainersââ¬â¢ in e-education environments (Martinez, 2003). Future Research Studies The authors recommended that future studies are needed to identify the proportions of these different classes of dropouts as it will require different analysis models to those traditionally used, including the development of new models which take into account individual trajectories of change based on sample characteristics. Hence, there should be the creation of new services through the development of virtual clinics with a consumer focus including the use a ââ¬Ënew class of workerââ¬â¢ to implement evidence based applications. Another future research should show that shorter interventions lead to similar health outcomes and that even brief burst of information lead to increased help seeking. Lastly, a future research is needed to end the issue on website adherence or ââ¬Ëstickinessââ¬â¢ for online sites like MoodGYM (p. 62) and to reward models of service that deliver evidence based treatments ââ¬â through Medicare rebates- or other funding mechanisms. Conclusion The critique of the seminar on ââ¬Å"Delivering internet interventions for depression: Free range users and one hit wondersâ⬠by Helen Christensen, Kathy Griffiths, Chloe Groves, Ailsa Korten, based on the journal article ââ¬Å"Free range users and one hit wonders: community users of an Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (2005) have recognized that the Internet has the capacity to reach many individuals who are seeking for formal treatment for mental health services and that the Internet has a role in disease prevention even in the delivery of short positive health messages. Patient visitors to any internet-based cognitive therapy program such as the MoodGYM site are likely to have better psychological outcomes if they complete more of the site material and comply with the necessary core sections will increases assessment completion and thus treatment. References Burns, N. & Grove, S. K. (1993). The practice of psychological research: conduct, critique and utilization. 4th edition. Philadelphia : W. B. Saunders. Christensen H, Griffiths KM, Jorm AF (2004). Delivering interventions for depression by using the Internet: randomized controlled trial. British Medical Journal, 328:265. Christensen H, Griffiths KM, Korten AE, Brittliffe K, Groves C. (2004). A comparison of changes in anxiety and depression symptoms of spontaneous users and trial participants of a cognitive behavior therapy website. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 6:e46. Christensen, H. ,Griffiths K. , Groves C. & Korten, A. (2006). Free range users and one hit wonders: community users of an Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy program. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 40:59ââ¬â62. Goldberg D, Bridges K, Duncan-Jones P, Grayson D. (1988). Detecting anxiety and depression in general medical settings. British Medical Journal, 297:897ââ¬â899. Martinez M. (2003). High attrition rates in e-learning: challenges, predictors, and solutions. The E- Learning Developersââ¬â¢ Journal.. Ingram, Richard (2002). An introduction to critiquing research papers, with resources for further study. Available: http://www. richard. ingram. nhspeople. net/student/critintro. htm LoBiondo-Wood, G. , & Haber, J. (1998) Research: methods, critical appraisal, and utilization. (5th edition). St. Louis : Mosby LoBiondo-Wood, G. , Haber, J. & Krainovich-Miller, B. (2002). Critical Reading Strategies: Overview of the Research Process. Chapter 2 In LoBiondo-Wood, G. & Haber, J. (editors). Research: Methods, critical appraisal, and utilization. (5th Edition). St Louis: Mosby.
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