The Effects of Animal Assisted Children on Disabled Ch an Example of the Topic All Posts by

The Effects of Animal Assisted Children on Disabled Children Introduction Animal assisted therapy has been used to treat a variety of psychological problems in children with special needs. Animal assisted therapy is defined as the use of animals such as, cats, dogs, and birds to treat children who have not had success with traditional therapy methods. Animal assisted therapies are used with children who have been severely traumatized by severe abuse and neglect. Another area in which animal assisted therapy is commonly used is in the treatment of children with physical and mental disabilities. These difficulties range from quadriplegia and blindness to autism and learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Animal assisted therapy allows children who have physical and mental disabilities can improve social skills in a safe and secure environment. Need essay sample on "The Effects of Animal Assisted Children on Disabled Children" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed The use of animal assisted therapy is a crucial tool for a therapist to help children who have psychological problems, or physical and mental disabilities. Animal assisted therapy has been useful in the treatment of non-verbal children such as children who are deaf, or who experience low- functioning autism. Animal assisted therapy has allowed therapist to help children who otherwise may not have the opportunity to deal with their problems in a therapeutic situation. Literature Review One of the main uses for animal-assisted therapy has been in the treatment of children with autism. According to McNicolas and Collis (1995), animal assisted therapies have been used to treat non-verbal children with autism. Autistic children frequently exhibit difficulty in forming social attachments with family and peers however; evidence has shown that autistic children can form meaningful relationships with animals. McNicolas and Collis (1995) state that it is difficult to obtain quantitative data regarding the success of animal assisted therapy. However, it is possible to obtain some qualitative data with observation techniques, and parental interviews. According to McNicolas and Collis (1995), parental interviews are the most effective research tool because parents of autistic children know what is seen as normal behavior for their child. McNicolas and Collis (1995) performed in-depth interviews and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale in order to determine what level of autism was demonstrated by the participants in their stud. The participants ranged from severely to moderately autistic and many participants had exhibited aggressive behaviors in social situations involving family members and peers. McNicolas and Collis (1995) interviewed the mothers of the participants in order to assess how children responded to an introductory therapy session with animals being used in an animal assisted therapy session. When interviewed the parents of the participants indicated that the children had demonstrated several behavior changes in their interactions with the therapy animals, and with the people that were present in the room as well. The behaviors that McNicolas and Collis (1995)were looking for included greeting seeking of closeness or proximity seeking and giving of comfort, conflicts, companionship and play. The results of the interviews demonstrated that participants in the study exhibited behaviors significantly different from the behaviors that parents had indicated as being normal. Accordng to McNicolas and Collis (1995) the participants sought the therapy animals out as companions because they allowed the child to exhibit behaviors such as touching and hugging that they rarely show to family members or peers. The participants showed greater sensitivity for the needs of the therapy animals. They demonstrated neither anger, nor aggression towards the therapy animals. Finally, the participants initiated physical contact with the therapy animals a behavior that autistic children rarely demonstrate towards people. The implication of this research is that autistic children have the capability to express emotions in the same way that non-autistic children do. However, they are rarely comfortable enough to demonstrate affection with other people and are only able to demonstrate their feelings around animals. Animal assisted therapy allows them to become de-sensitized to physical contact and the demonstration of emotion and affection so that they can begin to interact normally with their fellow human beings. Another way in which animal assisted therapy is used is in the treatment of physically disabled children. According to Duncan (1995), the primary way in which animal assisted therapy is used with physically disabled children is to help children in dealing with loneliness. Duncan (1995) states that physically disabled children often experience loneliness because their disability restricts them from interacting and forming relationships with their peers. This leads physically disabled children to feel socially isolated. Social isolation in physically disabled children can greatly affect their feelings and emotions. Duncan (1995) states that there are several variables that can create feelings of loneliness including disability. Animals act as companions to people who are lonely, including physically disabled children. This is because a pet is always there for a disabled child, and provides company to improve the childs mood, and prevent depression. Therapy animals have also been shown to be useful in the treatment of abused and neglected children. According to the Crossroads Group (1998), children who have been abused and neglected often develop problems with depression. They also blame themselves for the abuse, which leads to feelings of social isolation. Finally, animal assisted therapy is useful for abused and neglected children because abused and neglected children are frequently incapable of forming healthy relationships with family, and peers. Therapy animals play a role in teaching abused and neglected children to care for another living being, and be cared for by another living being. Animal assisted therapy helps abused and neglected children learn to define normal and appropriate affection, and appropriate social limits and boundaries. These behaviors are not taught in abusive or neglectful homes therefore, abused and neglected children often demonstrate a very -skewed perception of normalcy. Animal assisted therapy has also been used to treat children who have been sexually abused. According to Barker et al (1995), animals can provide support to children who are at high risk for psychological problems due to sexual abuse. Barker et al (1995) states that this is because therapy animals are perceived as being less threatening then people. Animal assisted therapy has been demonstrated to help sexually abused children heal from the trauma created by the abuse because the animals help the child to lessen the pain created by the abuse. Although some experts have stated that therapy, animals have the ability to empathize with physically or psychologically disabled children Blackman (2003) states that there is no empirical evidence to support this theory. Conclusion Animal assisted therapy has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of children with physical disabilities, psychological disabilities, and children who have been abused or neglected. In many cases traditional methods of psychotherapy do not work with these children either because they are unwilling to trust an adult with their problems, or that the problem is to deep seated for traditional therapy to be adequate. Children often find interacting with animals to be easier than interacting with people. The reason behind this is that animals have no expectations other than to be fed, and petted. Children often express things to their pets that they would never express to friends, family, or teachers. In conclusion, animal assisted therapy has been used to treat children with problems ranging from autism to sexual abuse. The jury is still out about the long-term effectiveness of animal assisted therapy however; in the short-term treatment of children, it has proven to be very effective. References Barker, S. B., Barker, R. T., Dawson, K. S., Kinsley, J. S. (1995). "The Supportive Role of Pets in the Childhood of Sexual Abuse Survivors. " Retrieved September 20, 2007; Blackman, D. (2003)."Visiting Pets and Animal Assisted Therapy." Retrieved September 20, 2007, from http://dogplay.com/Activities/Therapy/therapy.html Crossroads Group. (1998)."What is Animal Assisted Therapy?" Retrieved September 20, 2007; Duncan, S. L. (1995). "Loneliness: A Health Hazard of Modern Times." Interactions, Volume 13(Issue 1); McNicolas, J., Collis, G. M. (1995). "Relationships between Young People with Autism and Their Pets." Retrieved September 20, 2007.

Starting a Job Search Do These 8 Things First

Starting a Job Search Do These 8 Things First After the economic downturn in 2010 and 2011, the unemployment rate in the United States fell from over 9 percent to less than 6 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, plenty of people still experience lay-offs, RIFs, and other situations that lead to job loss. When you find yourself without a source of income, start your job search on a positive note with these eight essential steps. 1. Set a ScheduleApproach job hunting with the same organization you bring to your work.Job searchers often start strong, then slack off after a few months of disappointing results. According to the Bloomberg View, the average time spent on job searching drops by 30 minutes per day after 12 weeks.Create daily goals for yourself that might include scouring job advertisements, sending out resumes, or networking with associates. Vary your activities from day to day so the search doesn’t become monotonous, but keep a set schedule to maintain your momentum.2. Revise Your Resume Update employment dates, job descriptions, and other details on your resume to ensure it inspires a favorable impression. Use action words whenever possible to demonstrate your work ethic and your experience.However, resist the urge to exaggerate on your resume. Forbes reports that 40 percent of human resource professionals have increased their fact-checking efforts to weed out candidates who stretch the truth.3. Request a ReferenceSend your former employer an email to ask about references. You don’t want a boilerplate reference letter from your old boss, but inquire about future requests.Simply state that you might want to provide his or her contact information to a prospective employer. Ask how he or she would prefer to handle it. For example, some bosses would rather field phone calls, while others would prefer to type up a reference letter.4. Practice Your PoiseIf you’ve enjoyed the same job for the last 10 years, brush up on your interview skills. Ask a trusted fr iend or family member to play the part of the interviewer for a mock meeting.Practice maintaining eye contact, asking intuitive questions, and responding eloquently to difficult questions. Role playing not only improves your communication skills, but it also reduces your anxiety about the real thing.5. Approach Your AcquaintancesMine your network of past colleagues, superiors, and associates. Reach out via email, phone call, or text to ask them about their lives or to invite them to connect with you via social media.Your existing contacts offer a wealth of opportunities. Employers never advertise between 70 and 80 percent of available jobs, according to NPR, so you might receive a referral to a position you never would have known existed.6. Investigate the IndustryDon’t rely on existing knowledge to fuel your job search. Instead, research the industries in which you hope to work to learn about improvements, advancements, and changes. Use this knowledge to impress potential em ployers with your expertise.7. Broadcast Your BrandJust like major corporations, job seekers need to brand themselves. Find your unique selling proposition, then make it known through correspondence with potential employers. What do you bring to the table that makes you more attractive than the next resume-wielding job hunter?8. Secure the Right SuppliesAlways print your resume on high-quality paper if you deliver it in person. You might want a day planner or notebook in which to organize the details of your job search or an app for your phone that alerts you to scheduled meetings and interviews.

Pepsi Company 2014 Diversification Strategy Essay

Pepsi Company 2014 Diversification Strategy - Essay Example This essay talks about the Pepsi Co Inc. which was founded 50 years ago as a merger between a snack company (Frito-Lay) and a soft drink global giant (Pepsi Cola). The paper explores Pepsi Co, Inc diversification strategies responsible for its continued growth.PepsiCo is divided into six business segments. The Frito-lay North America, the Latin American Foods, the Quaker food North America, PepsiCo Europe, PepsiCo Americas Beverages and the PepsiCo Asia and Africa. Each of the company business segments employs three key strategies to enhance its competitiveness in the beverage and snack industry. These strategies included global expansion, product innovation, and strategic alliance.PepsiCo has expanded most of its operation internationally through acquisition and mergers. This strategy has offered the company great business advantage due to the access to already established infrastructure and competencies in the foreign market. More importantly, through this strategy, the company doe s not need to start from scratch and thus it reduced the overheads and direct cost.By employing a broad range of innovative product development initiatives, PepsiCo has been in a position to launch new products on a yearly basis. Moreover, each year the company opened up a new plant in various locations both locally and internationally. PepsiCo enrolled popular celebrities to endorse its brands internationally. PepsiCo formed strategic alliances with huge corporations on a global scale.

Business Impacts of Computerized Accounting Assignment

Business Impacts of Computerized Accounting - Assignment Example He has always been willing and ready to offer any form of help. Company he works for Green works for Alliance for Arab women, a ‘non-governmental’ organization that operates in Cairo, Egypt. Alliance for Arab women is a human rights campaigner that spearheads fight for women’s rights and the identity of women in the society. Technology covered The subject of the interview was a recently implemented technology in the interviewee’s workplace. Having been an emerging technology in the developing countries and since his company just implemented computerized accounting a year ago, the interviewee promised to be fruitful in exploring business impacts of the technology. Even though his company is a ‘non-governmental’ organization, a ‘non-profit’ making entity, the experience that he has had with the technology is sufficient for drawing conclusions on the business impacts of the technology. Interviewee’s experience with the technolo gy The interviewee has had sufficient experience in electronic technologies. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in information technology and taken an additional accounting course, Green has sufficient experience in technological applications in accounting. ... The technology has facilitated work through easy accounting processes. Accountants have for instance been saved the agony of making double entries with respect to transactions because the technology updates entries on single recording of a transaction. This has particularly reduced chances of errors due to incorrect entry of figures in different accounts for double entry procedures. The technology has further enhanced accuracy in accounting as the use of software has eliminated errors that were previously encountered during entries and computations in accounts and statements. Application of the technology has also aided the works of accountants through its capacity to handle large amount of data. Unlike the manual accounting processes that are prone to confusion especially when the data to be handled is large, computerized accounting maintains precision and accuracy irrespective of the size of records to be kept and dealt in. The technology has also enhanced accuracy and reliability in accounting, as records are easily retrievable on demand. Drawbacks to the technology implementation Implementation of the technology faced a number of obstacles, both within the organization’s accounting department and the management. The accounting staffs were for instance reluctant to change to the new technology because of the required training that they would be subjected to. There were also reports of employees who had not been comfortable with computers and saw the technology as push towards reliance on computers. The management was on the other hand reluctant to implement the technology due to the costs that would be involved. First, the management would be expected to contract a firm that would determine and maintain the company’s hard drives

Marketing Planning Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Planning - Coursework Example Intense competition amongst big three firms in global wind market with global market share differential of only 0.7% between Siemens and its close competitor- Vestas (Zawadzki, 2015). One of the fundamental issues facing Siemens Wind Energy is the inability to set foot in the Chinese market which happens to be one of the fastest growing markets for wind energy. This is owing to stiff competition from rivals such as Ming Yang , Goldwind and United Power which continue to dominate top positions in their home country (Gosensa & Lu, 2014) . Previously, European solar power manufacturers have been virtually eliminated by cheaper Chinese competititors. In conjunction to this is the threat of overinvestment which has left many, including the Danish Vestas, on the verge of bankruptcy (Lund, 2014). Another major issue confronting Siemens is the cost of electricity generation from offshore turbines which, at 14 euro cents a kilowatt-hour, is still higher than the cost of fossil-fuel electricit y generation in Europe (The Economist, 2014). Unless binding targets of renewable energy consumption are set by EU towards its member states, Siemens may expect falling demand for offshore wind turbines in European countries. This is reflected in the fact that the Europe and Middle East market, which is currently the largest global market for wind energy, is expected to contract to 34% down from 40% by 2030 (Reuters, 2013). Next, the company is facing the brunt of vague political efforts and direction in the field of renewable energy. Planned projects have consequently been delayed as main offshore wind markets such as Germany suffer from policy restructuring, thereby reducing the targeted capacity for offshore wind energy (Schaps, 2014). Finally, a major issue lies in the faulty manufacturing process of bearings used in wind turbines from a particular supplier

Effect of Smoking on Division of Attention

Effect of Smoking on Division of Attention ABSTRACT The basic objective of this study is to see whether smoking significantly affects the division of attention of an individual. Smoking can be defined as the process in which any substance, usually tobacco is rolled and burnt and the smoke that is released is inhaled. There is evidence that smoking is harmful to the brain at the functional and morphological level (Swan Lessov-Schlaggar, 2007). Division of attention can be defined as the person’s ability to attend to two or more tasks at a single time. Snowball Sampling was used to select 60 participants, 30 Smokers (N=30) and 30 Non-Smokers (N=30). A screener developed by Fagerstrom called the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (1978) was used to screen the participants after which the Division of Attention Experiment by Shailaja Bhagwat was administered. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in the division of attention between smokers and non-smokers (t=0.27, t=0.38, t=0.009, t=0.22). They both had n early the same divisions of attention between physical and mental tasks. INTRODUCTION Smoking: There are approximately about 2 billion smokers all over the world. (WHO, 2013) Smoking can be defined as the process in which any substance, usually tobacco is rolled and burnt, and the smoke that is released is inhaled. This practice was started as a recreational one in which an active substance like for example nicotine is made available to the blood stream through the lungs (Gatley Wilbert). The most common method of this practice of smoking is through cigarettes. There are other methods of this practice too like the use of bidis, bongs, cigars, hookah, pipes and vaporizers to name a few. A 2007 report states that, each year, about 4.9 million people worldwide die as a result of smoking. (West, Robert Shiffman, 2007.) Among the many substances used for smoking, tobacco is by far the most widely used substance which is addictive because of the nicotine content. The history of smoking can date back to as early as 5000 BC when it was used for religious ceremonies. The use of tobacco products is increasing globally, though in some higher and middle income countries its use is decreasing. The global prevalence is 48% for adult males and 12% for adult females. There are about 1/3 of the adults worldwide, who smoke, that is an approximate of about 2.0 billion smokers around the world including child smokers. (WHO 2013) A few reasons as to why people start smoking can be: having parents who smoke, siblings who smoke, friends who smoke, the freedom that they have to do what they want, peer pressure, low academic achievements, their daily surrounding, that is, having co-workers or people they are usually surrounded with being chain smokers, economic background or even life in the urban environment to an extent. An individual might just start smoking as a result of a social gathering or a party which becomes an addiction later on. Smoking is most prevalent in the age group of 18-25. It is stated that there are about 1000 smokers at the age of 18 and below who start smoking (WHO 2013). There are various reasons and causes for such a trend. This age group is the most prone to getting addicted to smoking as individuals in this age bracket are most easily swayed in their decisions and get addicted most easily. Once addicted to the use of any substance, tobacco generally, it gets very difficult for individuals to leave this habit. According to statistics by the World Health Organization we have more male smokers (35% developed 50% developing) than female smokers (22% developed 9% developing). These statistics show a rather large number of women smoking, especially in the developed countries we see that a lot of women smoking. Division of Attention: Division of attention (Multi-Tasking) is the process in which an individual’s attention is divided between two tasks. The talent of multitasking is when an individual knows how to juggle the time and attention spent between the two tasks well so as to give equal amount of attention to both so that it doesn’t look like there is any amount of partiality or preference given to a specific task on hand. One is said to be good at multi-tasking when one is able to perform both the tasks at the best of their abilities without being overworked or stressed. Since the 1990s experimental psychologists have tried to understand the nature and limits of human multitasking. In dichotic listening, subjects are apparently unable to attend simultaneously to two concurrent, auditory speech messages. However, in two experiments reported here, it is shown that people can attend to and repeat back continuous speech at the same time as taking in complex, unrelated visual scenes, or even while sight-readingpiano music. In both cases performance with dividedattentionwas very good, and in the case of sight-reading was as good as with undivided attention. There was little or no effect of the dual task on the accuracy of speech shadowing. (Allport, Antonis Reynold, 1971) Attention, it can be described as the process of focusing in ones field of awareness. Our attention can be commanded by a number of factors. Two of the main factors that can do so are: Objective factors such as intensity, size, movement, distinctiveness etc. Subjective factors such as, an individual’s needs, motives, interests, past experiences etc. The intensity of attention given to a specific stimulus is affected by the presence of another stimulus that is competing for one’s attention. This is known as shifting of attention. Shifting of attention is necessary for perception as it prevents negative adaptation. Another phenomenon which is related to attention is known as the distraction of attention. As we already know what is shifting of attention, distraction of attention is when the attention wavers and gets back to the previous stimuli. There are maximum numbers of stimuli that can be responded to in a particular period of attention. This maximum amount of attention that can be referred to in this particular period is called the span of attention. How a person can divide their attention has to do with that person’s intelligence (Sternberg Sternberg, 2012). Researchers Navon and Gopher (1979) theorized a modality model which explains the basics of attention mainly divided between various simple tasks and not between various complex tasks. There are various variables that play a role in our ability to pay attention or to concentrate on the many tasks that are to be performed at once. A few of those variables are anxiety, arousal, the difficulty of the tasks to be performed and the skills that an individual possesses. Relation between Smoking and Division of Attention: When we look back to studies done in the past on these two topics, we have many, but when it comes to a study involving both these topics we have hardly any studies. We have many researches on smoking and its effect on health, cognition, effect of nicotine on the brain activity during the performance of a task, impact of smoking on the performance of an individual, as well as studies on the effect of smoking during pregnancy on the performance of a child after its birth. An accumulation of evidence suggests that smoking may be reinforcing, in part, due to nicotines capacity to enhance the process of attention, but correspondingly, the stimulus-filter model of nicotine reinforcement asserts that nicotine increases cognitive performance by acting as a stimulus-barrier, thereby screening and preventing the irrelevant and annoying stimuli from the smokers awareness. (Kassel, 1997) Some studies that have been performed on smoking and the performance of an individual, either cognitive or social both say that smoking usually has a negative impact or rather they say that smoking reduces the cognitive and physical performance of an individual.It was found that while cigarette smoking had no negative effect upon performance for simple perceptual tasks, smoking was found to exert measurable negative effects upon performance for more complex information processing tasks (Spilich, June Renner, 1992). There is a scientific background for the decrease in the physical performance of an individual who smokes. Smoking reduces the capacity of an individual to do work as the oxygen available to the body is reduced. When we inhale smoke from a cigarette, we introduce the carbon monoxide into the blood. The carbon monoxide combines with the hemoglobin in the blood to form carboxy-hemoglobin which reduces the amount of oxygen that is carried in the blood. The lesser the available oxygen, the lesser the physical endurance, the lesser the endurance, the weaker the individual. Prolonged smoking causes irreversible lung damage. A study recently done in Kings College London tells us that smoking spoils the brain by damaging memory, learning and reasoning as well (Smoking Rots the Brain Lowers Cognitive Performance, November 2012). Smoking just a single cigarette can immediately affect physical capability in exercise when the inhaled carbon monoxide binds to red blood cells, displacing oxygen and preventing its delivery to muscle cells. In fact, a study at UCLA found that young adults experience a four percent decrease in oxygen uptake right after smoking. It has long been known that smokers tend to be less physically active than nonsmokers, and vice versa. For instance, a study in Public Health Reports found smokers are more likely to quit supervised exercise programs. Another study found that male high school students who were less physically active than their peers were twice as likely to smoke. There hasn’t been a specific study on the effect that smoking has on the division of attention. Generally the division of attention is usually different for different individuals. Smokers perform one physical and one mental task at a time. They are hence â€Å"multitasking† or rather dividing their attention in such a way that they are spending enough time performing both the tasks but to what level of their ability? Smokers are better at Division of Attention. The above mentioned hypothesis is one study or rather one topic that has not been widely studied under the vast topic of smoking especially in the Indian contest. There have been various studies on the effect of smoking on performance as well as the capacity of an individual to divide their attention between two tasks. Will the division of attention among non-smokers be greater than the division of attention among smokers? OBJECTIVE To determine whether there is a significant difference in the division of attention between smokers and non-smokers while performing two tasks simultaneously. HYPOTHESIS There is a significant difference between the division of attention of smokers and non-smokers while performing two tasks simultaneously. METHOD Participants: A sample size of 60 students (n=60) within the age group of 18-22 with all of them from a middle class background, studying in college and from the city of Hyderabad were selected on the basis of Random Sampling. They were divided into two groups of 30 each i.e. smoker and non-smokers. These two groups were further divided into 15 girls and 15 boys each. Before giving them the screener itself, the purpose of the study was explained and a signed informed consent was taken from the students. Participation inclusion criteria: Students between the ages of 18-22 Pursuing bachelor’s degree from any college Students who were smokers Participation exclusion criteria: Students above the age of 22 or below 18 Students working part time or full time Instruments: The Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence Scale (FTND) was used as a screener for the smokers. It is a 6 question scale which shows the levels of dependence on nicotine. Anybody who has moderate to high dependency (score of 5 or above) on this scale is considered a smoker. This scale was developed by Fagerstrom in 1978 titled Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire which was later called the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND: Heatherton et al., 1991). After this the Division of Attention (different variables) by Dr. (Smt.) Shailaja Bhagwat was given to the participants, which involved the performance of 4 tasks. Each task was to be performed only for two minutes, that too each task had 3 sub tasks. The students were explained what each and every task was very carefully and if they had any doubts, those doubts were cleared too. The 4 tasks in brief were: one Physical and one Mental Simple Tasks (separately as well as simultaneously) one Physical Simple Task and one Mental Complex Task (separately as well as simultaneously) one Physical Complex and one Mental Complex Task (separately as well as simultaneously) one Physical and Mental Complex Task (separately as well as simultaneously) ANALYSIS The statistics that were used on the raw data were: Mean Standard Deviation T-Test RESULTS The hypothesis states that there is a significant difference between the division of attention between smokers and non-smokers. The Statistics used were: Mean: The Mathematical Average of a set of numbers. Standard Deviation: Measures how spread out the data is. T-Test: Measures if there is a significant difference between two variables. The results got do not support the hypothesis which states that there is a significant difference in the division of attention between smokers and non-smokers. Table 1 shows the Mean (M) Standard Deviation (SD) and T-Value (t) between smokers and non-smokers. *N.S = Not Significant Table 1 shows that the t-values were not found to be significant. DISCUSSION When we attend two or more tasks at one time, it is mainly because of the division of attention of that person. The first scientist to study in the field of division of attention was Paulhan (1887) who found out that if the nature of both the jobs is simple, the outcome would be the least affected. A few other scientists who got the same results were Binet (1890), Jastraw and Cairnes (1892) and Fitts and Simon (1949). According to the table shown above, the hypothesis mentioned above has been proved right. There is no significant difference between the: Division of attention between smokers and non-smokers in performing two tasks simultaneously. These results could be due to various reasons. The lifestyle of both smokers and non-smokers is the same. Their surroundings, their routines everything is very similar. Although minor differences will be present in the results due to differing mental abilities, everything else is the same. Hence their results or rather the levels of division of attention between ideally should not differ to a great extent. When we look at the tables closely we observe that the performance of two simple tasks (one physical and one mental) the loss of efficiency in the performance of tasks in non-smokers is lesser than that of smokers, whereas in the performance of two difficult tasks (one mental and one physical) the opposite case happens. The loss of efficiency is lesser for smokers when compared to non-smokers. When we look at the results of the tasks of difficult physical- easy mental or difficult mental and easy physical, they depended completely on the mental abilities of that person. There was no pattern that was followed. The hypothesis may not have been proved right as the all the students have not been smoking regularly for long. The effects might be seen more clearly if they had been smoking for longer. The brain functioning might be something that would be impaired only after a while. The impairment is not going to be sudden. There could have also been many intervening variables such as the weather, the students mood the surroundings, the situations and even the noise levels. All these affect the performance of the subject while performing a task. This particular research in this field gives the psychologists a base to build up future researches and ones which can be conducted in more depth. The same study can be conducted on an older population and the results can be matched and seen. Then it can be proven if age plays a major role in this research. As the subjects are older it is but natural that they have smoked for longer in their life which has been proved to reduce brain functioning. This study shows that there is no significant difference between smokers and non-smokers as well as girls and boys when it comes to the division of attention. REFERENCE Anstyl, O’Kearney, Salim, Sanden. Smoking as a Risk Factor for Dementia and Cognitive Decline: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies (2007) West, Robert and Shiffman, Saul (2007).Fast Facts: Smoking Cessation. Health Press Ltd. p.28 Hirsch, GL, et al., â€Å"Immediate effects of smoking on cardiorespiratory response to exercise,† Journal of Applied Physiology 58:1975-81, June 1985 Blair, SN, et al., â€Å"Relationship Between Exercise or Physical Activity and Other Health Behaviors,† Public Health Reports 100(2):172-180, March-April 1985; Faulkner, RA, et al., â€Å"The Relationship of Physical Activity to Smoking Characteristics in Canadian Men and Women,† Canadian Journal of Public Health 78(3):155-60, May-June 1987; Lazarus, NB, et al., â€Å"Smoking and Body Mass in the Natural History of Physical Activity: Prospective Evidence from the Alameda County Study, 1965-1974,† American Journal of Preventive Medicine 5(3):127-35, May-June 1989 Dishman, RK, et al., â€Å"The Determinants of Physical Activity and Exercise,† Public Health Reports 100(2):158-71, March-April 1985 Winnail, SD, et al., â€Å"Relationship Between Physical Activity Level and Cigarette, Smokeless Tobacco, and Marijuana Use Among Public High School Adolescents,† Journal of School Health 65(10):438-442, December 1995 http://www.holah.karoo.net/sampling.htm The Effects of Tobacco Smoke and Nicotine on Cognition and the Brain, Gary E. Swan, Christina N. Lessov-Schlaggar On thedivisionofattention: A disproof of the single channel hypothesis, D. Alan Allporta,Barbara AntonisaPatricia Reynolds Smoking and attention: A review and reformulation of the stimulus-filter hypothesis, Jon D. Kassel Cigarette smoking and cognitive performance, George J. Spilich, Lorraine June, Judith Renner. Smoking Rots the Brain Lowers Cognitive Performance November 29, 2012 http://scitechdaily.com/smoking-rots-the-brain-lowers-cognitive-performance/ 1

The American Hero :: essays research papers

The American Hero   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For many years the American Hero has filled the silver screen and wide screened television sets, along with shelves of countless bookstores. Audiences love to see the protagonist overcome great odds, defeat the forces of evil, and save the beautiful girl at the last second. The character of the American Hero however, is not a new idea. James Cooper, in the 1800’s, created the archetype of the American Hero. Natty Bumpo, also called Deerslayer, embodied many qualities of the great American Hero. Modern day heroes are simply following the example set by Cooper’s creation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two qualities that many heroes possess are bravery and honesty. In the excerpt â€Å"Deerslayer Escapes†, Natty Bumpo exhibits these two traits when he returns to accept his punishment for killing a great Huron warrior. His punishment for killing is death. Knowing this and still returning to the tribe shows tremendous bravery. After Deerslayer returns, Cooper writes the reaction of the tribe. The leader, Rivenoak, describes Natty of being brave and honest, by saying, â€Å" Paleface, you are honest. We shall treat you as a brave.† Natty Bumpo speaks of his own honesty when he refuses to take their compromise for death. The solution is against what Deerslayer believes in so he doesn’t go along with the plan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heroes are also expected to stick to their beliefs, regardless of consequences. After killing the Huron’s best warrior, the Hurons offer Natty a solution. He must marry the widow of the fallen warrior. The reason is because there is no one to hunt or provide for the family. Deerslayer doesn’t mind providing for the family, but refuses to marry the widow, who is old enough to be his mother. He responds with this â€Å"As for feeding the children, I would do that cheerfully, could it be done without discredit.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The stereotypical hero is usually skilled with a weapon. Natty is in pioneer times, so there isn’t much choice in weaponry. Besides his gun that he kills deer with, there isn’t much that Deerslayer can do. When facing the tribe, waiting on his sentence, Le Panther, the Huron leader, throws a tomahawk at Natty. With his quick thinking he grabs the tomahawk before it even gets to him. He throws it back at Panther.

Ethical Considerations of Banning or Restricting the Developing World’s Access to the Cheaper Technologies

1. What are the possible ethical considerations of banning or restricting the developing world's access to the same cheaper technologies that made the US what it is today?Current news and politics is full of concern about the environment, particularly as it is related to oil use and the auto industry. There are a number of ethical considerations that arise out of these issues.Please be sure to answer ALL of the following questions:†¢Some propose that these concerns could be alleviated if our use of cars was limited by increased gasoline taxes–if gas is more expensive, we will use less of it and, as a beneficial by-product, improve the environment. What do you think of this proposal and what theory would support your position? Are there injustices built into such measures? If so, is there any practical way to avoid them?†¢What about the possibility that the US auto industry, encouraged by its partial owner, the US government, will no longer produce large gas guzzlers (think Hummer) or will subsidize hybrid or green cars? Is it ethical for the government to essentially prevent a US company from producing a legal good or encourage a company to produce one good over another? What ethical theory supports your position? †¢What are the possible ethical considerations of banning or restricting the developing world's access to the same cheaper technologies (fluorocarbons, coal burning plants, etc.) that made the US what it is today?†¢Finally, the world today is full of news about fracking, the process by which a high volume of liquid is pumped into the ground to fracture rock and extract natural gas. What are the ethical considerations of either permitting or prohibiting property owners from using their property in this manner?Make sure that you have adequately dealt with all the subtleties of the particular theory. The answers to these questions can be found in the text but merely quoting from the text or paraphrasing the text will earn minim al credit–the answers should be in your own words and should involve some  explanation and discussion of what these concepts mean.

Performance Management Plan Essay

I have been gathering information to help analyze your business and to assist in giving you recommendations based on the business strategy you have compiled to increase performance of the employees and business. I will be looking at several objectives to help with the performance plan that your company will use to identify any area of improvement and to enhance on the areas of expertise. I understand that your expectations are as follows, Landslide Limousine will be at a negative $50,000 for the first year with the expectation of a growth of 5% over two years, and you are planning to have 25 employees with a turnover rate of 10%. To assist in explaining the plan I have in mind, I will break the plan into different subject topics for you to follow, and give explanations as well. A. Aligning performance to the business strategy When considering performance it is necessary to incorporate some type of performance appraisal program within the organization. This serves as a tool for the employees to work toward, with the proper appraisal program the employee will feel a since of ownership of their own behaviors and will have a benefit for achieving goals or objectives. This also gives the employee a  motivation to change positions and continue with a training program to enhance their own personal wealth within the organization. The employees will also feel more open in providing feedback to other employees, provide ideas and help to develop new employee’s skills as they learn the importance of enhancing their own skill set. Using a management by objective process will give the employees the objective to work toward, and will give the employee a standard of acceptable behaviors. Self-appraisals will be key in this realm, customer feedback, and continual monitoring will help to evaluate the performance of each individual. Immediate supervisors or managers will assist in the appraisal process, and you will be informed of the continual behavior of each employee on a regular basis. Customer feedback will be useful information as this will be one of the key elements in the appraisal as customer service is what will drive your business to the next level. Cascio, (2013). 2. Job analysis The skills necessary for the employee to have will be the basis of the job analysis. This is why it will be important to determine what skills are needed in this field. What measures will be used to evaluate each individual’s job or merit pay. We must define what job will require what skills and what will be the qualification for each position. By determining the job qualifications for each position will help in the selective process to find the right people for the right job. Mr. Stonefield, you will need to define the positions you will have within the organization by separating each skill set required and what each job title will need. This can be done with a job analysis; it should include the tasks required for each job by title. It will be necessary to determine what the limousine drivers will be expected to accomplish while transporting clients. The job can be also defined by how much lifting, long periods of downtime, ability to drive extended vehicles, and the skill set of the individual to navigate to different geographical areas within the region. The job must reflect the experience of the driver, their educational background, and what are their abilities or proven track records. 3. The organizational performance philosophy The rewards to excellence are the Landslide Limousine motto. The company  is committed to the best customer experience; this is measured by consistency, customer satisfaction, and continual development of the staff. 4. Measuring the employee’s abilities and continual skill enhancement Measuring employee skills is important to the performance of the individual; this provides continual feedback, coaching, and growth for the employee. The goals set for these individuals must be clear, concise, and obtainable, Cascio, (2013). Employees should have ongoing meetings with the management staff to reflect on achievements and goals set for future achievements. This setting should also encourage feedback from the employee; this will allow the employee to feel as though their suggestions count in the process of the growth of the organization. The objectives should have a clear vision of how each one will be achieved, using a graphic rating scale can assist in this process. The behavior anchored rating scale (BARS) can also help to analyze critical incidents and then compare these to the norm. Casico, (2013). 5. Addressing skill gaps within the organization A skills gap analysis identifies specific skills needed to complete any given task and then takes that information and compares it to the level of current requirements. This is completed by doing a skill assessment which will determine the skills needed for any of the particular jobs within the organization or job category (Cascio, 2013). Then by applying the assessment as a benchmark for the job you can develop a plan for the training process needed to assist the employees in their road to success. One must develop a list of skills per job and determine the knowledge needed for each role, and then once the skills are assessed and the training is planned out one must go through the skills needed to improve on these skills by reviewing with an appraisal review. According to (Lorri Freifield, 2014), transfer knowledge can assist in enhancing a technical talent through mentors helping employees to explore their best practices. 6. Delivering Performance through feedback Delivering performance is very important, I would suggest using a process of multi-rater or the 360-degree feedback. This uses observations from many aspects of a person in many roles. Cascio, (2013). The immediate supervisor or manager, co-worker and customers rate the employee through feedback form the performance of that individual that is observed. This will  assist with any self-evaluation error and the feedback from different areas will give a 360 view of the individual, this will assist in understanding how the employee is effective in their role. Observant views with others assist in keeping a fair and objective view of employees; this will also assist in continuing a fair and objective review process. Mr. Stonefield the performance management framework given outlines the steps necessary in reviewing standards of an individual and team by actual performance. When looking at the overall strategy of the company as a whole Landslide Limousine will need to minimize the turnover and enhance on the skill set to enhance the overall employee performance. It will be necessary to look into the best cost effective way to handle any performance management and by using the recommendations I have listed Landslide Limousine will be striving to the goal of being the best in the Austin Texas area. References Cascio, W. F. (2013). Managing Human Resources (9th ed.). New York, NY: The McGraw Hills Companies, Inc. Lorri Friefield. (2014). Training the Source for Professional Development Retrieved from http://www.trainingmag.com/solving-todays-skill-gaps

Smoking physical activity, and diet in North American Youth essays

Smoking physical activity, and diet in North American Youth essays I found an article titled Smoking, physical activity, and diet in North American Youth from the Canadian Journal of Public Health. This article basically states the problems and risk factors associated with todays youth health. There are many causes and reasons for todays unhealthy population, but the main cause is unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. There is a growing concern for youth health because the majority of these unhealthy behaviors can be prevented. Smoking among adolescents has increased in North America over the past decade. The average age that children smoke their first cigarette is around 12 years old (OLoughlin, Tarasuk). The number one reason children begin smoking is to look cool. Other reasons include depression, weight control and stress management. Although many attempts have been made to reduce youth smoking through prevention programs and health warnings, little progress has been made. Research shows that during adolescents girls smoke more than boys. This is due to mainly maintain weight and deal with stress. Around the age of 16 daily smoking begins, and the earlier one starts the harder it is to quit (OLoughlin, Tarasuk). Nicotine dependence is the reason people get addicted to smoking. Recent research is being conducted on nicotine dependence and the level of exposure that causes addiction. Not only is smoking a problem in the youth population, but physical inactivity is as well. Around 35% of youth do not participate in any level of physical activity, and this percentage is slowly increasing (OLoughlin, Tarasuk). This is mainly due to the media and technological boom. Children spend four hours a day with technology on average. Other reasons include reduction of physical education classes and increased time in automobiles. Children should be engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes eac...

Macro-Economic Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Macro-Economic Issues - Essay Example The impact would stem around profitability, efficiency, risks and leverage. At first a brief overview of the UK economy for FY 10, 11, 12 would be given and would then be followed by the effects on Imperial tobacco. Then a speculation would be made as to how Imperial tobacco would respond to these macroeconomic changes based on strategy and corporate objectives of Imperial tobacco. The growth of the UK economy seems sluggish in the aftermath of the financial crisis. The crisis had hit the UK from both eastern and western borders. This includes the housing market crash of US and the Euro Zone Debt crisis. Between 2008 and 2010, the GDP growth rate has been negative (Trading Economics, 2012) and the rate after 2010, although positive, has not been satisfactory. There is also a fear of double dip recession since the second quarter of FY 12 has experienced a GDP growth rate of -0.2 % (BBC News, 2012), the production sector has also experienced a decline of 1.4% , followed by a fall in co nstruction output of 0.5 % and compensation of employees by 0.3%. Now coming to the fiscal statistics, the National debt to GDP ratio stands at 80 %, the budget deficit has been reduced and increased VAT yield show signs of fiscal tightening. Interest rates are an all time low and despite of this bank lending to small businesses is falling. Low interest rates and increasing current account deficits are also putting pressure on the British Pound. A falling pound would hurt distributors country wide since import costs would rise as they would have to pay more in terms of the domestic currency. Unemployment hovers around 8.4 % and no signs of improvement are expected. Consumer confidence shows no signs of improvement despite yearly increases in current expenditure (The Economist, 2012). In addition to, UK has seen some major structural changes over the years, of which the most notable is the ageing population. Ageing population refers to a rise in the average age of the population of a country over time. So it is unlikely that the market for UK would continue to grow. In addition to, this has the impact of increasing wage levels across the economy as Labor supply reduces in the long run. Apart from these macroeconomic issues, the tobacco industry has been subjected to severe regulatory policies around the world which include: Increased duties year on year Ban on cigarette advertising Ban on smoking in public places Allegations of illicit trade Plans to introduce plain packaging All these regulations tend to have a negative impact on tobacco industry, with the exception of the levying of excise duties which would be discussed later on. Imperial tobacco seems to be quite resistant to macroeconomic changes. The risks that currently pose threat to Imperial tobacco plc are interest rate risks and exchange rate risks. Interest rate risks accommodate the financing and profitability of the company since Imperial Group plc has a high Debt to Equity ratio and raises a larg e amount of capital from debt capital and Bank loan markets. Now if the bank fail to meet their obligations of refinancing the debt then it would definitely limit the ability to capitalize on global opportunities and mitigate threats. Movement in interest rates can also affect the credit rating of Imperial tobacco and reduce its profitability because of increased finance costs.To reduce these risks Imperial employs various hedging strategies and has invested some of

Lifelong Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Lifelong Learning - Essay Example Super's theory included propositions relating to trait-and-factor theory, developmental psychology, and personal construct theory, from which Super derived his ideas about self-concepts and sociological theory. Super proved that the changes in the self-concept develop throughout the person's life as a result of experience. People modify their self-concepts depending on the career choice and new work conditions. The important part of Super's theory is dedicated to the construct of career concerns as divided by the six stages of person's development depending on the age span. Development stages were described by the theorist in the beginning of his career (1954) and are as the following: As we see these stages relate to the life-span dimension of the person: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middlessence and senescence respectively coincide with career stages of growth, exploration, establishment, maintenance and disengagement. The career stages of adulthood that includes specification stage, implementation stage and stabilization stage describe adults who are looking for stability and advancement in their jobs. Stability referrers to as keeping the same job for a long time period, struggling to meet job requirements but still being concerned about one's competencies. On arrival in the job market, young adults reflect on how to achieve their vocational goals. They then move on to seeking a promising path by questioning their goals and abilities in an attempt to accelerate vocational development. The adult then "grapple with the occupational race", striving to reach a plateau of occupational status (Super, 1969)Once adults reach their late twenties, different aspects of their career choice is combined with the feeling of safety and certainty in their competence and dependability. Advancing in career implies promotions, or moving to a position with more responsibility, and may involve a higher income (Super, 1980). After career has been established, adults become concerned holding on, keeping up and innovating in their careers during the consolidation stage. In the final career stage at the age of around 55 people are sure about tomorrow's day and have no need to keep on working, so they declare retirement. In conclusion, perceived as a well-respected theory, Super's theory of career choice and development it is regarded as one of the most comprehensive approaches describing the crucial factors of person's career. Mezirow and transformative learning Mezirow in his theory of transformative learning focused on the idea of perspective transformation, which he understood as the learning process by which adults come to recognise and reframe their culturally induced dependency roles and relationships. Later he drew on the work of Habermas to propose a theory of transfo