Physiological Factors On Sports Training And Performance

Describe the effects of physiological factors on sports training and performance In all, there are 4 physiological factors that may affect someone’s sports performance; Motivation, arousal, anxiety, personality and concentration. Motivation- Motivation is the foundation all athletic effort and accomplishment. Without your desire and determination to improve your sports performances, all of the other mental factors, confidence, intensity, focus, and emotions, are meaningless.Personally, I believe motivation is one of the most important factors as it gives you the mental ability to maximize your physical abilities and reach your full potential in performance. Short Term Effects- Short term factors such as winning a competition or scoring a goal can motivate someone for a short period of time to do better. Another method of a factor that can trigger short term motivation are goals. Goals are something that we set to achieve our targets, for example big goals such as, getting a go ld medal in the Olympic power lifting, or something smaller such as, improving your 400m running time by 1second.Long Term Effects- There are many factors that can impact performance in sport for a long period of time. Examples of these factors can be sporting role models, parental pressure and prizes. In particular, parental pressure and being rewarded for your actions play a big part in creating long term motivation for an athlete. Some parents can push children into play sports for many reasons; they share the same passion for the sport, the parent never succeeded in the chosen sport so wants their child to do so and to keep kids active and in good health.Parental pressure can be both good and bad depending on the personality of the parent and the child. This would mean that motivation for the child should be high because he/she has great support from people close to them. Prizes are also a good way of getting younger people as well as older people to get motivated and perform we ll. E. g. if a child is playing a football match and their parents said if you score a goal today we will buy you a treat for doing so, well then the child will think that he/she can get something extra out of this and put in a better performance and work harder.Arousal – Arousal is to do with your personal level of excitement and your eagerness to perform. Arousal can have both positive and negative effects on your performance, hence your performance will be at its best at an optimum level of arousal. There are even graphs which demonstrate this decline/increase of performance in proportion to your arousal levels. Short Term Effects- There are many factors that can rapidly increase/decrease someone’s arousal levels. An example of this could be types of music such as ‘Rock/Pop Music’.The combination of loud and fast beats can increase someone’s levels of motivation. This is commonly referred to as a ‘Sike-Up’. This and many other forms of a short term increase in arousal levels can affect someone’s motivation and thus determine the overall impact in a game situation. Long Term Effects- There are many factors that can rapidly increase/decrease someone’s arousal levels. In general, long term effects tend to have the biggest effect on someone as they tend to come from past/future events that did/haven’t already taken place.Whereas short term effects are generally from more physical factors, long term effects are generally from within which provide a more direct form of motivation to the subject rather than physical forms of motivation such as a trophy or money. However, although arousal plays a key part in someone’s performance and generally the higher the level of arousal, the higher the level of performance. Some sports are better performed at low arousal, mainly those which require small, precision movements and control, e. g. shooting and putting.And other are better performed at high arousal, mainly those that require brash power with large movements. E. g. Ice Hockey. Anxiety – Anxiety is a psychological state of mind where you get a worried feeling as you may think something bad might happen. This is commonly referred to as ‘chocking’ as the majority of people acquire a blank state of mind. This emotional state, similar to fear, is often accompanied by feelings of nervousness and apprehension. Generally a low anxiety level results in a better mental state, thus allowing the body to perform at its best in a game situation.However, training athletes are mentally taught how to perform under huge amounts of stress as anxiety can pose a huge threat to an athlete’s performance. An example of this can be Olympic athletes who are exposed to huge amounts of stress, however it’s their mental and physical training which prevents them from succumbing to these enormous amounts of pressure. Short Term Effects- Sources of anxiety can range f rom many things, no matter how small or big, almost everything you do plays a part in altering your anxiety levels.Unlike motivation or arousal, anxiety has sources that can be both a short term and a long term factor. For example, in football when you are set up to score a goal that could potentially put your team into the lead and win the game could be house to an enormous amount of anxiety altering factors which could inevitably could lead to over arousal in an athlete for a short period of time. Other examples could be not training to the best of your ability hence, you are not able to improve your skills or understanding of the dynamics of the sport.Long Term Effects- Sometimes when a player e. g. doubts or underestimates his abilities, he/she may start to lose interest in the sport as a whole, this is triggered by what’s known as cognitive anxiety, this is when an athlete is nervous about his/her ability to perform well, which can certainly reduce his or her concentrati on levels. This can lead to the athlete to stop coming to training sessions and overtime may even stop playing the sport all together. Personality – Personality is the unique trait of someone, which determines behavior.Athletes are constantly separated in terms of ability, most athletes who rank at the top are those have ‘a good personality’. Personality plays a colossal part in an athlete’s overall performance. If the athlete is dedicated and a patient person, then he/she will be more dedicated and patient in training which will affect how fast or slow the athlete’s skills will progress. In general, football is the best example of this divide between lazy, arrogant athletes and the indomitable, modest athletes in teams.Short Term Effects- If you have a good personality in training and in game situations, you will be more likely to progress as an athlete faster and you will carry on performing at 100% of your abilities every match. Long Term Effects - If you have a bad personality in training and in game situations, you will be limited to how fast or how well you improve as a performer. This will affect you technique/skill and overtime you may even stop coming to training which could even provide a knock on effect resulting in you dropping out of the sport completely.Concentration – Concentration is the physiological ability to focus on the task in hand. If an athlete lacks concentration then their abilities may not be effectively applied to the task. E. g. if a footballer is about to shoot the ball but isn’t concentrating on the environment around him, another player from the opposing team may be able to tackle him/her and prevent him/her from scoring a goal. Concentration is very much linking to someone’s motivation, if a player is focused on the task at hand, this may motivate the player to take shots or pass to players far away, and this can all affect the outcome of the game.Although different sports r equire different levels of concentration, all require an athlete to concentrate on the task at hand to perform to the best of his/ her ability. Short Term Effects- If you have a high level of concentration in e. g. formula 1 racing, you are able to perhaps avoid obstacles in the distance or even perform quick maneuvers and over-takes that could result in winning a race. Long Term Effects- If your concentration levels are too low in training, your skill may not improve. This may result in using the wrong technique in a match, resulting in losing the game.

Literature and It’s Relevance in Modern Times Essay

Before the importance of literature is discussed we must ask ourselves: â€Å"What is literature?† Many individuals that are asked that question will often give a complex answer for it seems to be a complex word. Some of the answers may include â€Å"it involves reading† or â€Å"it’s when you write†. These are both true, but when you actually think about it, literature is so much more than that, especially with how often we use it in our day-to-day lives; we speak it, we observe it, we use it in science, etc. Ever since the beginning of time, literature has always been present among men. It has been useful to depict their feelings, thoughts, desires, tragedies, and history. Before the technological advancements and benefits that we use today for entertainment or learning existed, learning was in one way or another completely tied in with literature. As time progressed, mankind eventually found other ways to display their feelings, ideals or thoughts without the use of literature, but that doesn’t mean it’s still not important. The best overall way to describe literature today is that it is lost in transition with the rise of technology and other forms of popular entertainment. Literature is just as important as it always has been; it’s just not as popular and as it once was. It should still be a top priority for society, considering the first things we learn in school are how to read and write. In old times, when a child started attending school, the first things they learned were how to read and count. Nowadays, that hasn’t seemed to change; methods might be different, but literature makes its presence known to us even when we are young and is a great asset to developing other skills needed to be successful later in life. In a recent study undertaken by Literary Research and Instruction, the observed second-grade teacher Mae Graham used â€Å"class readings to foster engagement and student-initiated talk with open discussions†¦.emphasizing the power of dialogue in providing a space for students to meaningfully use language.† (Worthy 308). Literature is just as important and meaningful in our lives from the very first time we begin to use it. From the days of elementary school to college, there is reading and writing involved. Even if one doesn’t realize it, literature is present almost everywhere, but it’s just hiding in plain sight. It can be located in items such as digital environments, films, graphic novels, and comic books. Movie and the famous lines within them are derived from literature, comic books and graphic novels may have pictures, but there are words to go along with the plot, and even when you use take a photo, pictures can be worth a thousand words. Any individual that believes they don’t experience enough literature in their lives needs to realize that books and essays are not its only limitations. When you attend a play, such as Hamlet, you are experiencing literature. If you read a Batman comic book, you’re taking in literature. If you go to the theatres and watch a Harry Potter movie, literature is related to the film at hand. If you take a picture of a typical downtown setting, literature is helping tell the story from what the viewer’s eyes can see. Literature does exist everywhere, but it doesn’t influence individuals as much as it did in the past. In order to understand how important literature is in modern times, we must also understand how it has taken a huge drop in terms of daily importance. Before TV, internet, video games, and other advancements in society were developed, the only forms of entertainment were as such, but not limited to; storytelling, reading, and plays. Many of them were mainly told, written, or performed to so that the audience could use their imagination and let it run wild to interpret the meaning. In modern society, if one doesn’t understand the story, play or text at all, they just look up the answer on the internet. There isn’t anything wrong with this strategy, but over time, one eventually becomes dependent on the â€Å"newer† resources over the oldest and most genuine resource; the brain. Literature is present in films, especially the ones made after novels and book but nowadays, it’s easier and more fun to watch the film rather than to read the book. If you were to ask someone if they would prefer to watch the film â€Å"Troy† starring Brad Pitt as Achilles or reading Homer’s â€Å"The Iliad†, nine times out of ten they will respond with the movie instantly. Not because they prefer movies over reading, but in actuality the movie just seems more entertaining and the movie requires less strain on the brain. Back then, the epic surrounding this tale was read and analyzed by individuals all over the world for were very entertained by it. Today, all someone has to do is just look at Sparknotes or Cliff-notes to trick themselves into thinking they truly understand the story or the message the author is trying to convey. By using these sources, you are not making your own opinion what the story means, but rather just borrowing it from someone who actually analyzed the story in-depth. With the way things are going, literature will soon be a thing of the past and irrelevant to the future. All that will matter is if someone has internet handy to look up a theme or analyze a plot that they can’t muster their brain to figure out. So why does literature still matter? Well it is very important in the sense of not being able to grasp it while at a very young age will result in irrelevance to an individual in later life. Recent research in England suggested that little explicit attention has been paid, either in research or policy documentation, to why literature still has a clear role to play in English education. In the study, teachers themselves were looked at along with their reading habits to see if that had any reflection on how the students were grasping literature and reading. Students that were interviewed on the matter at hand said they have reasons for reading in the first place such as entertaining themselves, to imagine, feel and reflect (Cliff Hodges 60, 67). The mind is so fresh at a very young age and it is very hungry for knowledge. If we feed the right materials to the young throughout the world, they will have so many opportunities ahead of them to succeed. By denying the young individual the chance to use their thought to interpret or imagine what is occurring as they read will only limit the extent of their abilities as they go on with their lives. Many may think that technology and the newer styles of teaching are â€Å"easier† for the youth, but in actuality, we are going to make it harder for them later in life. Anglo-Indian novelist Salman Rushdie once said â€Å"Literature is where I go to explore the highest and lowest places in human society and in the human spirit, where I hope to find not absolute truth but the truth of the tale, of the imagination and of the heart.†(Introduction to World Literature). Without literature, there would be no imagination or heart to what we do in our daily lives. Literature has been present since the beginning of time, and although it is being driven out by the new advancements in technology, we must do our best to preserve the older traditions that help make us better at thinking and understanding. Literature is all around us in our everyday lives, and even though we sometimes can’t see it, it is involved either directly or indirectly with what we do. It is still very important, particularly in the education field. Teaching young individuals to read and write is the biggest part of the foundation being laid out for the house of their future. Math and science might be at top priority right now in the learning environment, but even math and science involve writing and reading. Literature is still important, with its only downside being its decline in popularity. Sources Cliff Hodges, Gabrielle. â€Å"Reasons for Reading: Why Literature Matters.† Literacy: UKLA. 44.2 (2012): 60,67. EBSCO:Host. Web. 3 Feb. 2013 http://web.ebscohost.com.libezproxy.tamu.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=8211ba49-180a-4590-9183-1f76a451f34b@sessionmgr11&vid=12&hid=25>. â€Å"Introduction to World Literature.† Invitation to World Literature. Annenberg Foundation, n.d. Web. 2 Feb 2013. . Worthy, Jo, Katharine Chamberlain, et al. â€Å"The Importance of Read-Aloud and Dialogue in an Era of Narrowed Curriculum: An Examination of Literature Discussions in a Second-Grade Classroom.† Literacy Research and Instruction. (2012): 308-310. EBSCO:Host. Web. 2 Feb. 2013. http://web.ebscohost.com.libezproxy.tamu.edu:2048/ehost/detail?vid=9&sid=8211ba49-180a459091831f76a451f34b%40sessionmgr11&hid=25&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d

Organisational design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organisational design - Essay Example this paper is to assess the manner in which the business enterprises manage uncertainty in order to meet its goals and succeed against critical challenges. Herein, it is significant to note that the uncertainty in a business environment can arise in the shape of dealers, retailers, customers etc. Organizations tend to make a list of threats and weaknesses that would come in the way of business operations. Such lists are aligned with the uncertainty to manage complications. In this regard, the phenomenon to understand is complexity within the organization. It merely states the aspect or degree of complexity that a company has to face in a business environment. Business analysts claim that a lot of forces within the business environment act together and result in uncertainty (Daft et al., 2010). The best way to easily manage uncertainty is to allow each force to be evaluated on a single ground. In simpler words, business enterprises need to cater problems simultaneously. It will not only provide solutions to the problems but also avoid a lot of forces to work together and result in uncertainty. The definition of uncertainty itself explains the core function that it plays within the business environment. It is the different areas of the business that would impact the overall profits. At times, companies would not require strategies that are critical in nature because the stability of the environment is also expected since the business forces are in control (Daft et al., 2010). In addition, it is suggested that the company is relying on the elements that are predictable. In a case of uncertainty, the forces that have been trusted for many years tend to take control of the situation. Practically, it is named as the process of working with the reliance. It is important that the actors in the society that are operating with various channels and organizations are to be focused at the first place (Daft et al., 2010). Through the above analysis of the claims, it can be

Accounting and Financial management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Accounting and Financial management - Essay Example support the financial analysis ideas expressed in the memo, the reader should feel that they have a complete set of facts to substantiate these ideas and provide a reference for them. First we take a look at the financial performance ratios of the two companies. The return on assets ratio of the company shows how well the company is in generating revenues from their assets. i.e.how many dollars of EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) they can achieve for each dollar of assets they control.the data shows Airline A has return on assets If we analyze the return on assets we will fin that the Airline A in FY 2000 is really high that it means the company is generating good revenues from the assets on the company but going on in the FY 2005 the ratio is dropped to 4.22 which is really observing for the company. The airline B has the return on assets ratio of The airline B has a worse ratio as the company is not able to generate good returns from their assets. After comparing the two ratios we will analyze that the airline A is better in generating revenues from their assets of the company than airline B. Now we look at the return on equity ratios of the companeis . Return on Equity (ROE, Return on average common equity) measures the rate of return on the ownership interest (shareholders equity) of the common stock owners. ROE is viewed as one of the most important financial ratios. It measures a firms efficiency at generating profits from every dollar of net assets, and shows how well a company uses investment dollars to generate earnings growth .the ratio of the company A is By analysing the above ratio we have calculated that the company A has not a better viw of the return on equity as the ratio decreases over the period of six years. On the other hand the company B has done ecxeptional performance in returns generated from the funds over the period of six years. By comparing the two we have analyzed that company B more efficient in using their funds. High

Business Operation And System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business Operation And System - Essay Example Through technology power, the company has come up with new ideas and brand new experiences. The company is recognized due to its variety of products such as online businesses, game, music and picture. It is ranked among the leading company in the globe due to its customer brands. Sony-Ericson mobile phone segment serves a global communications market with original mobile phones, PC-cards and accessories (Worthington and Britton, 2006, p. 37). The company was established following a merger of Sony and Ericson in 2001. Its corporate functions are based in London although the company has a multinational workforce and has research and development centres in Japan, China, Europe and America (Lewis and Slack, 2011, p. 85). Mobile phone products produced by Sony-Ericson have to compete with other products from other major mobile phone manufacturers such as Nokia, Samsung and Alcatel among other manufacturers. Firms vary in many ways, but the common feature is that they are all involved in transformation of raw materials into output by combing various resources such as labour and technology (Worthington and Britton, 2006, p. 30). The transformation process occurs within a setting being influenced by external factors which affects the operation of a company. The exter nal environment is usually volatile, complex, and interactive which cannot be ignored in the analysis of business activity. In the external business environment, PESTLE analysis is critical for it indicates the various external influences the company is facing. PESTLE is an acronym of political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors in the firm’s macro-environment (Worthington and Britton, 2006, p. 38). Following a PESTLE analysis, Sony has been able to respond accordingly to technological advancement to come up with Sony Ericsson Smart Phone. This demonstrates the influence of technological advancement on the operations of a company. Previously, Nokia and Sony had the most superior phones in the market. However, iPhone and Android introduced the smart phones in the market. In addition, there is increased demand for phones in the market and the lifestyle and level of education of the mobile phone users is changing with more users demanding smart pho nes. This influenced Sony Ericsson to turn to manufacturing smart phones in order to meet the customer’s demands. Legislative and prevalence of stability within the market it operates in allows Sony Ericsson to market its products in different countries and to decentralize its research and development offices to Asia, America and Europe (Georgiou, 2006, p. 450). Sony Ericsson never led the way in the manufacture of smart phones but only responded in a similar way to the way its competitors were moving as based on the CATWOE model. CATWOE is based on a principle where a company involved in systems development waits to be given a transformation and information on others involved in the transformation and they way they are involved (Georgiou, 2006, p. 450). Moreover, CATWOE seeks to know why transformation is important and the restrictions when planning to implement change. Sony Ericsson should carry out a CATWOE analysis where using a knowledge database it can analyze the propo sal to transform its operations to manufacture smart phones. CATWOE analysis takes into consideration the external environment of the company and demonstrated that production of smart phone would benefit its customers whose demand for phones able to access the internet faster and run various applications could be met. In addition, Sony would be able to increase its sales. The company in developing its smart phone outsourced the

Self Evaluation Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Self Evaluation - Personal Statement Example Even a person with no knowledge of health care and no sensitivity to diversity could understand the topic. The sentence from Page 4, "But healthcare is more than just medical equipment, hospitals, and adequate insurance. Healthcare is a competent staff that can relate to the patients and effectively care for them within the context of their own needs and desires", relates a focused thought that can get someone to start thinking differently about our health care system. It could be read by anyone and have the opportunity to inform them or change their mind. This has become a very important part or writing to me. 2.) My weakest essay was "The Literacy Behind Patient Care". The paper opens with a weak line telling the reader what the paper is about. It should have grabbed their attention and made them curious. Many of the sentences are not well constructed. This also holds true for the paragraphs that ramble and jump from idea to idea. Overall, the paper is difficult to read and its intentions are not clear. The essay spends too much time showing specific examples and does not clearly show the results of the examples or why they are important. 3.) To improve "The Literacy Behind Patient Care" I would first determine what I wanted the reader to take away from the essay. I wanted to demonstrate why patient literacy was important, not what it was. I would write a thesis that stated the patient literacy was important because it impacts a patient's well-being. I would then write an outline that explained all the ways that a patient can suffer from improper care. I would then construct each paragraph in the outline before starting to write. I would also spend more time revising the draft. I would have some other people, not necessarily students, read the paper and ask for their reaction. 4.) My revising and editing skills have greatly improved during this class. At the beginning I did not understand the necessity of revising a paper. I didn't even know what to look for when revising. Now, I can look at each paragraph as an independent topic, and how it relates to the paragraphs around it. I can look at the paragraph and see if it flows from opening to closing and is supported by evidence and facts. I also look at each sentence to see if it is grammatically correct and easy to read. These skills were unknown and overwhelming at the beginning of the course, but I now see they are steps in the writing process. Revising and editing each paragraph and each sentence has made the task less of an obstacle. Knowing the key points of transition and relevance has been important to improving my writing skills. I now revise and edit in pieces, rather than the entire paper at once. 5.) My writing was improved most by my concept of the writing process. In the beginning papers, I thought a person could just write their thoughts and that would be the end of the task. I now understand that I can write freely in a draft and go back and edit it. I don't feel pressured to get it exactly right the first time. The drafting and revising process has had a great impact on improving my papers. Also, the feedback and advice from other people has helped me. I am no longer shy about showing my essays and asking for an honest opinion. Making small changes in the language or correcting structural errors have made my papers more clear and easier to read. The writing center has also helped me to develop the technique and

Health care career that may experience a lot of turnover and has Essay

Health care career that may experience a lot of turnover and has difficutly retaining people - Essay Example On further investigation it was found that the physicians offices saw the longest tenure of 1.57 years compared to only 0.97 years in the nursing care facilities. Difficulty faced by nurses in the job was the major reason given by them. When nurses were asked about the issues they face in their jobs, they gave several reasons but some of the prominent ones were lack of advancement opportunities, work overload, poor salary, too few staff, and poor organizational culture. Lack of training, poor fit with boss, and not enough access to technology were also some of the other reasons mentioned by them. Work load and too few staff are the issues that are greatly related and can be addressed by recruiting adequate staff, as a long term solution, so that nurses do not have to borne undue pressures that eventually cause burn out and force them to leave the organization. Recruiting sufficient nurses would automatically lessen the workload on each nurse to a reasonable level improving working environment substantially. Regarding the other issues raised by the nurses, the organization needs to have an effective retention policy at place. Motivation and the recognition are the two primary pillars of any retention policy. McConnell (2010) argues that an effective reward system must be in place so that nurses feel motivated. Even suitable incentive schemes must be launched to recognize the good job done by them. From the behavioral view point, nurses must be rewarded suitably when the patients appreciate and give them good feedback at the time of their discharge. Reward system and recognition cannot replace the generous pay scale necessary to retain the good and efficient nurse; nevertheless, they work like a great motivator for the nurses. It is necessary that the supervisor or manager looks at the issue in its entirety so as to eliminate the root causes that are behind high turnover of the

Network Infrastructure Planning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Network Infrastructure Planning - Research Paper Example With these services, only the user interface of some application is presented on the client machine. All input from client machine is purposely redirected to the application server where all the processing happens. Terminal services is a very well in place technology to provide services to remote offices since organizations are finding ways to reduce the cost of ownership by centrally deploying and managing windows based applications and remotely administering window server 2003- based computers. The services allow centrally deployment and management of windows based applications. This has the advantage that a company can ensure that all the computers are running the current version of application software since the software is installed once on the server instead of installing on each and every machine. This has the advantage of reducing the cost of installation and maintenance of such applications since it’s done once on a machine. Also such services reduce application suppo rt since its being done from one central server. This ensures a cost effective way of installation and maintenance of services within the different four remote offices. The issue of mirroring all application to the headquarters is reduced since the headquarters have all the information about the application used remotely by the offices. Since installation services are done mainly from the headquarters, then the cost incurred due to licensing and other costs of installation are just incurred once from the headquarters. This saves a lot of operation costs due to the reduced licensing costs. Costs like disk space usage are greatly reduced since this is mainly incurred from the server which runs all the applications. The issue of security when accessing sensitive files is up to standard since all security matters about who accesses what is controlled from the headquarters. The following are ideal situations where terminal services are mainly applied:- Hosting Line-of-Business Applicatio ns If an organization or some groups within the organization normally uses some specialized software to do their specialized work, it is always a good idea to host their applications using a terminal server. This is an ideal area to apply Terminal server. Terminal server can be used in the following situations: Custom applications.  If business application is developed internally, what is commonly referred to as in-house or specifically for your organization, and specifically tends to require updating frequently, deployment of the application once on a terminal server can greatly reduce the costs. This is especially important if your environment is actually dispersed or when you are deploying terminal server to centrally serve different offices. Large central data pool.  Applications that tend to rely on access to a central data source often run well on a terminal server because huge amounts of data do not necessarily travel across users for access. Instead the whole data proces sing is done on the server. Only the keystrokes and some display information have to travel across the specified network, which allows one to use lower bandwidth connections. This is especially important if users of that data pool are remotely located, for example in an office branch with a sluggish connection to database server. Task workers.  In setups where security is an issue and you want workers to mainly access only applications they have rights to access in order to perform their jobs, centralization of the

Pulse Rate Essay Example for Free

Pulse Rate Essay The purpose of this practical is to investigate how the pulse rate of humans changes when they exercise. Someone who is physically fit can supply their muscles with enough blood, carrying glucose and oxygen, for an activity at a lower heart and breathing rate. The fitter you are the lower your resting heart rate. You and your classmates will be the humans investigated. SAFETY: If you know you have any condition that affects you doing exercise, please make sure your teacher knows before you start the investigation. In the investigation you are going to measure and record your pulse rate, before and after doing some physical activity. Work in pairs and decide who will be the ‘exerciser’ and who will be the ‘pulse-taker and recorder’. The pulse-taker takes the resting pulse of the exerciser. The exerciser should be sitting down and holding their left hand out with their palm facing up and their elbow straight. The pulse-taker puts the index and middle fingers of their right (or left) hand together, and presses the pads of their fingers lightly on the underside of the exerciser’s left wrist, just at the base of their thumb. With their fingers in this position, they should be able to feel a pulse. Once the pulse has been found, the pulse-taker starts the stopwatch and counts the number of beats in 15 seconds. To find the heart rate in beats per minute, the pulse count for 15 seconds is multiplied by 4. The exerciser exercises (jog on the spot, do jumping jacks, ste p up and down on the platform at the front of the room at a rate of 30 steps per minute) for 3 minutes. The pulse-taker counts the number of beats in 15 seconds immediately after exercise has stopped, then 2 minutes after exercise stopped and then 4, 6 and 8 minutes after exercise stopped. These rates should be taken with the exerciser sitting down. Recovery is to be assessed by calculating the ‘4 minutes after exercise’ value as a percentage of resting rates and comparing the percentage with the measure of fitness. This should give an inverse relationship i.e. the fitter the subject, the lower the percentage. LAB REPORT Date: Topic: Aim: Question: Materials and apparatus: Variables: * Independent (changed): * Dependent (measured): * Controlled (held constant): Method: numbered steps Observations and results: * Table neatly ruled up, units in header column; ensure the title is descriptive. * Graph of data summarised in table. * A concise description of other observations made, that are not given in table. * Calculation of the ‘4 minutes after exercise’ value as a percentage of resting rate. Discussion: examine the rubric in the table below closely; sequence your discussion as shown in the rubric; do not describe again how the experiment was carried out or restate the result; that is done in the ‘Method’. You will need to refer to the results in the process of explaining them. Focus on ‘Why’ i.e. the ‘Aim’ and ‘What the results indicated’ i.e. explain or account for the results; identify and explain sources of error and limitations in the experiment. Did the procedure and materials provided allow for the collection of sufficient data? Did the procedure and materials provided allow for the collection of accurate data? * Error – identify error(s) made in obtaining the results; explain how the error(s) affected the results and the objecti ves (Aim) of the investigation; describe how the error(s) could be reduced or eliminated. * Limitations (consider conditions, time, materials) explain how the limitation identified affected the accuracy of results, describe how limitation identified could be eliminated or reduced. * Conclusion: answer the question using the results Criteria| 2| 1| 0| Background knowledge| Theory or problem being investigated is fully explained; the expected results are stated| Theory or problem being investigated is not quite fully explained; the expected results are not stated| Theory or problem being investigated is not explained; the expected results are not stated| Explanation of results| Results are thoroughly interpreted| Results are fairly well interpreted| No interpretation of the results is provided; results are poorly interpreted| Sources of error| At least one well explained and valid source of error is provided| A valid source of error is provided but it is not well explained| No source of error is provided; that which is offered is invalid | Limitations | Limitations of the procedure are valid and well explained at least one limitation | At least one limitation is presented but it is poorly explained| No limitation is presented; that which is presented is invalid| Conclusion| Conclusion is related to the ‘Aim’ and makes reference to the observations (results)| Conclusion is related to the ‘Aim’ but makes no reference to the observations (results)| Conclusion is not related to the ‘Aim’; makes no reference to the observations (results)| OBSERVATION/REPORTING/RECORDING Data table 12 marks scaled to 10 Criteria| Complete| Partial| Not at all| Title a concise statement identifying the variables included in the table is printed and underlined with a single line| 2| 1| 0| A pencil and ruler are used to construct table – rows and columns ruled up so that items are distinguished from each other; table has an outer border | 2| 1| 0| Table is large enough so that all the entries can be neatly written in the available space; table is not broken| 2| 1| 0| First column is independent variable (chosen by the experimenter); second and subsequent columns the dependent variables (readings taken by the experimenter)| 2| 1| 0| Column headings include the quantity and the unit (as appropriate); accepted scientific conventions e.g. if the quantity being measured is length in millimeters column heading is to be written as ‘length / mm’; ‘length in mm’ or ‘length (mm)’| 2| 1| 0| Numerical values are inserted into the body of table no units| 2| 1| 0| OBSERVATION/REPORTING/RECORDING Line graph – 16 marks scaled to 10 Criteria| Complete| Partial| Not at all| A pencil is used for drawings in lines on graphs, labeling the axes and writing the title| 2| 1| 0| The independent variable is plotted on the X axis and the dependent variable on the Y axis| 2| 1| 0| The scales chosen for the graph axes makes it easy to read the graph, such as 1, 2 or 5 units to a 20 mm square and make the best use of the space available – half or more of the length and width of the grid| 2| 1| 0| Each axis is labeled and the relevant quantity and units stated e.g. Temperature of solution/0C| 2| 1| 0| Points are lightly drawn (but are visible on the grid) with a sharp pencil using a fine cross or an encircled dot; points are no larger than one of the smallest squares on the grid| 2| 1| 0| Where data falls on a straight line or smooth curve, and then a line of best fit or an appropriate curve is drawn in on the graph; when a straight line or smooth curve is not formed neighboring points are joined by straight ruled lines; lines of best fit show an even distribution of points on either side of the line along its whole length| 2| 1| 0| Lines are thin, drawn without kinks or breaks| 2| 1| 0| Title a concise statement identifying the variables included in the graph is printed and underlined with a single line| 2| 1| 0|

Political science as a social science Essay Example for Free

Political science as a social science Essay Political Science is in part a social science, and in part a humanity. Both are important. In this topic, we will look at the basics of social science inquiry, and then proceed to show how this differs from, on the one hand, inquiry in the natural sciences and, on the other, inquiry in the humanities. Social Science Social science inquiry seeks to develop empirical theory. ?Empirical? refers to things that can be experienced through the five senses of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, or (in the case of political corruption) smelling. Theory? basically means explanation. An empirical theory of politics, then, is an attempt to explain why people behave the way they do politically. If a social scientist (or anyone else) observes people engaging in political behavior, he or she will need to focus on certain characteristics of the people being observed. The observer may wonder why some people differ from others in their political characteristics. Why, for example, are some people Liberals while others are Conservatives and still others are New Democrats. Characteristics that differ from one person to another are called one variables. Those that do not are called constants. Constants are generally less interesting than variables. There is not much point in trying to explain voting behavior in a country in which only one party appears on the ballot. Of course, we might then ask why some countries have only one party whereas others have multi-party systems, but now we are treating ? number of parties? as a variables. Everyday language is full of what are, in effect, hypotheses about political behavior. For example, talk about a ? gender gap? in voting hypothesizes that vote (the dependent variable) is in part a function of gender (the independent variable), with women more likely to vote for the Liberals or New Democrats and men more likely to vote Conservative. Social science research differs from everyday discussion of politics in two ways. The first is where hypotheses come from. Anyone who follows politics will likely carry around in his or her head a lot of ideas about what explains political behavior. Such ideas may come from personal experience, from conversations with others, or from following politics through the mass media. This is true as well for the ways social scientists think about politics. In addition, however, social scientists develop hypotheses more systematically by studying the scholarly literature for the results of previous research. This is important for at least a couple of reasons. For one thing, it is usually the case that the more you learn what is already known about a subject, the more new questions you are likely to have. A review of the literature helps generate new hypotheses. Even more important, social science seeks not merely to describe raw facts, but to explain why people behave the way that they do. To accomplish this, we need to put our ideas into a broader theoretical context that offers such an explanation. It is a fact that in the United States, from 1936 through 2000, the incumbent party has always won the presidency whenever the Washington Redskins won their last home game before the election, and lost whenever the Redskins lost. However, since there is no reasonable explanation for why this should be the case, it is merely an interesting bit of trivia, and no serious observer of politics would rely on it in analyzing the next presidential contest. A second difference is that, for many people, ideas about patterns of political behavior remain merely assumptions. Social science insists that the validity of assumptions must be tested against data. Conceptual definition. We need to know, and be able to communicate to others, what our independent and dependent variables mean. What, in other words, is the idea in our mind when we use a term? Definitions found in dictionaries are examples of conceptual definitions. Sometimes, the idea that is in our mind when we use a term will be obvious, but often it will not. Many concepts used in political science are anything but clear. If we are to study political ideology, for example, we need to spell out with as much precision as possible what that concept means in the context of our research. Operational definition. For hypotheses to be tested, we will need to come up with measurements of our variables. An operational definition is one stated in a way that can be directly measured by data. We strive for a one-to-one correspondence between our conceptual definitions and our measurements (operational definitions) of them. If we succeed, then our measurements have validity and reliability. Data needed to provide operational definitions of our variables come from a wide variety of sources. We may gather the data ourselves. Analysis of data that we gather in order to test hypotheses that we have formulated is called primary analysis. Often, however, this approach would be totally beyond our resources of time, money, and expertise. A nationwide survey of public opinion, for example, would take months to design and carry out, would cost many thousands of dollars, and would require the services of a large survey research organization. Often, secondary analysis of data (that is, analysis of data originally gathered for other purposes) will suit our needs far better. Indeed, very important databases are used almost exclusively in secondary analysis. The Census Canada data is a good example. Other surveys such as the Canadian National Election Study and the General Social Survey were created, in part, for the express purpose of providing quality survey data for secondary analysis by students of Canadian politics. Indeed much of the work using the Canadian National is based on secondary analysis. To facilitate secondary analysis, the University of Toronto Data Library, and other university-based data archives have been established throughout the world. The largest of these is the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) established in 1962. Today, over 500 colleges and universities from all over the world, including the University of Toronto are member institutions. Students and faculty at these institutions obtain datasets that provide the basis for numerous scholarly books, articles, and conference papers, graduate theses and dissertations, and undergraduate term papers. The Social Sciences and the Natural Sciences What we have described as the social science method ? the effort to explain empirical phenomena by developing and testing hypotheses ? could as easily be called simply ? the scientific method,? without the ?  social? qualifier. There are, however, differences between social sciences, including political science, and the natural sciences. Though these are differences in degree, they are important. One difference is that the natural sciences rely much more heavily on experimental design, in which subjects are assigned randomly to groups and in which the researcher is able to manipulate the independent varia ble in order to measure its impact on the dependent variable. Often, when people think about the scientific method, what they have in mind are these sorts of controlled laboratory experiments. In political science, we for the most part are not able to carry out experimental designs. If, for example, we wish to study the impact of party affiliation on decisions by judges, we cannot very well assign judges to different parties, but rather have to take the data as they come to us from observing judges in their natural setting. Experimental design, however, does not define the natural sciences, nor does its absence define the social sciences. Astronomy, for example, must of necessity rely on observation of things that cannot be manipulated. ?Epidemiological?  medical research also relies on non-experimental data. Conversely, the social science discipline of social psychology has been built in large part from experiments in small group laboratories. In political science, a great deal of laboratory research on the impact of campaign commercials has been carried out in recent years. Field experiments are also common, as when survey researchers will test the impact of alternativ e question wordings by splitting their sample and administering different questionnaire forms to different subsets of respondents. Nevertheless, it is fair to say that experimental designs are much less common in the social sciences, including political science, than in the natural sciences. Most of our research design is, in effect, an effort to approximate the logic of experimental design as closely as possible. Other differences, also differences in degree, have to do with lower levels of consensus in the social sciences. There is less consensus about conceptual definition. Even if we agree that power is a key concept for the study of politics, we may not agree on what power means. Chemists, on the other hand, not only agree that molecules are important, they also mean pretty much the same thing when they use the term. There is less consensus about operational definition. Chemists also agree on how to measure the atomic weight of a molecule. Social scientists are far from unanimous in the ways they go about measuring power. It bears repeating that these differences are ones of degree. In the natural sciences there are also disputes at the frontiers of the various disciplines about what concepts are important, what they mean, and how they should be measured. In the social sciences, consensus is likely to break down from the start. Even if we can agree that a particular concept is important, on what it means, and on how it should be measured, we will encounter far larger problems of measurement error than those in the natural sciences, where measurement is not without error, but is typically much more precise. Finally, remember that we are involved in trying to explain human behavior. People do not seem to behave as predictably as molecules. Philosophers are not in agreement on this point, but it may be that human behavior is inherently less predictabl The fact that we deal with tendencies rather than with laws means that, for the most part (and despite impressive work by ? rational choice? theorists to develop formal mathematical models of political behavior), political science makes relatively little use of elegant systems of deduction, but considerable use of statistics, which provides us with valuable tools for dealing with probabilities. Despite its unavoidable limitations, political science as a social science has produced an explosion in our knowledge about politics. This has had important practical consequences. For example, no serious aspirant for a major elected office in an economically developed democracy would consider embarking on a campaign without consulting experts in survey research, a signature social science technique. In addition to being, in part, a social science, political science is also in part a humanity. Political science as a humanity means at least a couple of different things.

A critical evaluation on two theories of aggression

A critical evaluation on two theories of aggression Aggression is as a form of anti social behaviour, showing a lack of emotional concern for the welfare of others, as described by Baron and Richardson (1994). It is a cultural, cognitive process as well as a biological response, affecting every human being. Furthermore, it appears in many forms, verbal, physical, symbolic or injurious with the environment, personal beliefs and individuals society mediating its nature. In society, you will find some people more aggressive compared to others, with the levels varying when in different social situations. Some environments provoke aggression in people much more regularly, than others do. Yet such situations do not give rise to the same degree of aggressive behaviour in every person. There are two main social psychological theories that proposed to explain the nature and application of aggression, the Social Learning Theory and the Deindividuation Theory. The social learning theory of Bandura emphasizes the importance of observing and modelling the behaviours, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. The theory suggests that for an individual to learn new behaviours this can only occur through direct experience. In the book, Social Learning Theory, Bandura (1977) states: Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behaviour is learned observationally through modelling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new behaviours are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action. Bandura argued that individuals, most likely children, learn aggressive responses from observing others in different social influences, i.e. role models in real life situations, their surroundings and the media. He also mentioned, individuals believing aggression produces reinforcements. Siegel (1992) who suggested that these reinforcements could be gaining financial rewards, a rise in self-esteem or receiving praise from other people supports this. Skinner (1953) proposed that learning occurs through reinforcement. Vicarious reinforcement occurs when an individual observes the consequences of aggressive behaviour as being rewarding, for example a person achieving what they want through aggressive behaviour. If a child is to see this happening in a school playground, whereby a bully gets their way for instance, the child may become to think of such behaviour as appropriate and therefore worth repeating. Bandura (1986) went on to suggest that for social learning to take place, the child had to form mental representations of certain events from their social environment to see possible rewards or punishments for the aggressive behaviour, alongside observational learning. The Bobo doll studies by Bandura, demonstrated how children learn and imitate aggressive behaviours they have witnessed in other people. The young participants observed an adult acting violently towards a Bobo doll and when the children received permission to play in a room with the Bobo doll, they began to imitate the aggression they had previously observed. Bandura identified three basic models of observational learning. The first model involves an actual individual demonstrating a particular behaviour. The second model includes descriptions and explanations of any certain behaviour. The third model involves real or fake role models acting out behaviours in books, films, TV programs or web media. Observational learning, also known as modelling consists of four phases, influenced by the observers behaviour (Bandura, 1977). The first is where the individual pays attention and perceives the most important aspects of the models behaviour by observation. Therefore, a child would need to attend to the role models actions or sayings (Allen Santrock, 1993). For example, children exposed to aggressive behaviour within the home and by watching the consequences, slowly associate such behaviour as effective conduct. Hence, children learn aggressive responses largely through observation. The second stage of observational learning is the coding of this behaviour into memory, also known as retention, for the information to be retrievable when an appropriate situation arises. This is where mental representations form, including events from the individuals social environment. The child must be able to distinguish possible rewards or punishments expected in future outcomes, which is vital in observational learning. In the Bobo doll experiment, the children aggressively beat the doll because this information was stored in their memory. The third process is rehearsing this acquired modelled behaviour, in conjunction with possessing the physical capabilities of the behaviour observed. If a child gains rewards i.e. appraisal, for their aggressive behaviour, they are more likely to repeat that same behaviour regularly. This is direct reinforcement and allows for the improvement of the behaviour. Moreover, individuals are more likely to repeat a modelled behaviour if the model is a role model or similar to them. Examples include parents or people of the same age group or race. Bandura (1976) proposed that members of the family were most influential in reinforcing aggressive behaviour in children, as they are likely to imitate them when they are older. The final stage involves the individual being motivated to successfully repeat and reinforce this modelled behaviour with the expectation of receiving rewards. Additionally, the individual will gradually gain confidence in their will to carry out aggressive behaviours, thu s self -efficacy expectancies are developed. The second theory of deindividuation, originates from Gustave Le Bons crowd theory (1895). In the book The Crowd, he describes how an individual within the crowd is psychologically altered. He state, Within the crowd, the collective mind of the group takes possession of the individual. As a result, a member of the crowd then becomes irrational. The individual submerged in the crowd loses self-control and becomes a mindless puppet, sometimes controlled by the crowds leader. Hence, they are capable of performing any impulsive and emotionally charged act, however undesirable or regressive to society. Festinger, Pepitone and Newcomb (1952) defined deindividuation as a state of affairs in a group where members do not pay attention to other individuals qua individuals and, correspondingly, the members do not feel they are being singled out by others. Festinger believed that when one becomes deindividuated, he or she merges their identity with that of the group and therefore becomes anonymo us. As a result of being unidentifiable in a large group, this has the psychological outcome of reducing individuals inner restraints, and increasing deviant behaviour that is normally avoided. The causes of deindividuation were extended from anonymity in groups to other factors, such as reduction in responsibility, arousal and altered consciousness influenced by drugs or alcohol (Zimbardo, 1969). In todays society especially, this is evident, as aggression seems to be the result of reduced inhibitions amongst individuals due to binge drinking, with excessive alcohol intake arousing aggressive acts such as fighting in a nightclub. Later versions of the theory focus on the psychological process of reduced private self-awareness as the key element of deindividuation, i.e. the individuals attitudes and norms (Prentice-Dunn and Rogers, 1982). In their study, they induced a sense of reduced self-awareness by continuously instructing participants to focus their attention outwards. Conditions for external attention cues included sitting in a dimly lit room with loud music playing, verbal interaction and stimulating video games to play, to increase deindividuation amongst the participants. In the controlled condition, participants were required to focus on internal attention, through no interaction and sitting in silence. The findings showed that when required to administer electric shocks to confederates, deindividuated participants that focused on external attention cues, produced higher aggressive behaviour by delivering shocks that were more painful, than the control group. This is because the experimental group w as made to ignore their own beliefs and self-identity, when their attention focussed on other aspects such as loud music and video games. In turn, this supports the idea that becoming less self aware, rather than just anonymity in a group, leads to deindividuation having the effect of producing aggression. Empirical support for the deindividuation theory is minimal. Zimbardo (1969) conducted a study to demonstrate the effects of deindividuation on aggression. Some of the female participants used wore oversized lab coats and hoods, and sat in a dimly lit room; increasing anonymity. In contrast, those in the control group wore normal clothes, nametags and were placed in a bright room, making them easily identifiable. The participants task was to shock a confederate and findings suggested that anonymous participants shocked longer and therefore more painfully than identifiable participants did. This gives support to the theory, as the study suggests that deindividuation or anonymity played a huge role, because when one is appearing as anonymous, they are likely to act in an aggressive approach than they would if their identity was easily available. Other research to support the deindividuation theory (Deiner et al., 1976) showed that American children who wore halloween costumes that hid their identities stole more sweets and money than those who wore costumes where they remained identifiable. The Stanford Prison Experiment by Haney et al. (1973) illustrated how college students assigned to act out the role of guards in a mock prison, behaved very aggressively in the cruelty they showed towards those assigned to the role of prisoners. This is largely due to the guards wearing mirrored glasses, thus rendering them anonymous, as their eyes were not visible to the prisoners. The brutality posed by the guards can be explained in terms of social norms. The guards only did what they thought was expected of them, although the state of deindividuation did cause them to ignore personal beliefs and perform the expected aggressive behaviour. This is one criticism of the study, as it did not show how real guards actually behave. Hence, the findings may have no real-life validity with the possibility of demand characteristics coming into play. In contrast, Bandura et al., (1961) were successful in showing that children learn aggressive behaviour through observation, which is reinforced by rewards and avoided by punishment (1962). A major strength of the Bobo doll studies is high control achieved by the use of laboratories, which produced sufficient applicable results. However, a problem with this is that the studies hold no ecological validity because of where and the manner in which they were carried out. In addition, it is possible to argue that the children also reacted aggressively to the Bobo doll as they were responding to demand characteristics. The children may have known what they had to do for the experiment. Another limitation is that the Bobo doll is fictional as was unable to fight back which a real person would have done; hence, this could also have influenced the childrens behaviour. Although the Bobo doll experiment shows that for an individual to express aggressive behaviours, observational learning has to take place, individuals may not always display such behaviour due to social constraints, or fear of receiving punishment. This means that even if an individual has learnt of an aggressive behaviour, he or she will not necessarily act it out, especially if perceived to be socially undesirable. Nonetheless, if the opportunity arises where they can demonstrate the behaviour without being punished for it, such as when they are deindividuated, then it is possible that they will behave aggressively. The social learning theory places great emphasis on individuals, especially children, imitating observed behaviour from watching others individually, the environment, and the mass media. However, the biological approach would argue that a persons state of biology is not taken into account within the Social Learning Theory. Moreover, it ignores individual genetic differences (Jeffery, 1985). For example, if an individual were to observe a brutal killing, they will respond differently when compared to someone else. Biological theorists would suggest that, heart rate and blood pressure would possibly rise, as a response made by the autonomic nervous system when in this particular circumstance. Hence, the response or behaviour acquired is genetically inherited to some extent. In addition, other research has shown increased aggressive behaviour to be associated with testosterone (Kalat, 1998). This hormone is higher in males, which may explain higher aggression in males than in females. There is still some doubt in establishing the effects of violent television on childrens aggression. Although, some studies have reported that there is no link between the two, and that aggression viewed on television is not always related to aggressive behaviour. For instance, one study had findings to suggest that juvenile boys, who regularly watched non-violent television shows, were more likely to express aggressive behaviour than those who witnessed the violent programs. This is because watching violent shows enabled the viewer to use the media as a way of relieving their own inner inhibitions or aggressive thoughts and ideas (Feshback Singer, 1971). As a result, the individual is less likely to be aggressive than if they had watched non-violent television. In addition to this, there is a theory that suggests; a way to reduce aggressive behaviour is by viewing violent television programs, known as the Catharsis effect (Gerbner.G, Gross.L, and Melody.W.H). As television is highl y influential, then positive and non-aggressive programs can aid in reducing aggression among viewers. Cooke (1993) believed that positive and kind-hearted television shows should encourage viewers to be more courteous to one another, if aggression in people is triggered by violent television. Therefore, the media can serve as a prevention method if individuals focus solely on the positive aspects, or use violent media to channel their own personal aggressive inhibitions. In comparison, one likely reason for the minimal support for the deindividuation concept is that the theory, which is based on Le Bons analysis of the crowd, is too simplified. According to Le Bon, collective behaviour is always irrational i.e. the individual in the crowd loses cognitive control. Researchers argue that deindividuation settings do not account for a loss of self-identity. Instead, they alter a person from an individual identity to a collective identity as a member of the group. Therefore, deindividuation leads to individuals conforming to the group norms. A meta-analysis of sixty studies on deindividuation conducted gave no results suggesting that deindividuation is the cause for increased anti-normative and disinhibited behaviour. Instead, individuals under anonymity complied more rather than less strongly with situational norms (Postmes and Spears, 1998). Overall, aggression is extremely difficult to define as well as investigate as not one theory can be used to explain it fully, even though it affects our every day-to-day life, either personally or through observation. The difficulty is when trying to measure and control this behaviour because it is quite impossible to reproduce aggression in a laboratory to bring about results and findings that fully apply to real life situations. However, these two theories by Bandura and Zimbardo have tried in their attempt to explain aggression. One advantage with the Social learning theory is that not only can it be applied to explaining childrens behaviour, adults too. Philips (1896) found that the daily rate of homicide in the US usually rose a week after a major boxing match. This suggests that the culprits may have been viewers imitating the aggressive behaviour they watched. Hence, social learning is evident in adults. In contrast, the deindividuation theory does not clearly state whether deindividuation occurs amongst young children as well. Instead, it focuses on mainly adults, which maybe another reason for the minimal empirical research to support the theory. Although the social learning theory was initially an explanation for aggression, it has recently been extended to explain other behaviours such as anorexia. Furthermore, the theory can explain differences between and within individuals, in terms of cultural v ariation, with one study showing the US to be highly violent compared to societies in Central Africa, which manage to live in harmony (Aronson, 1999). Differences within individuals are due to selective reinforcement; with people reacting differently as each individual will observe that aggression is rewarded in some cases and not others. Hence, people learn about behaviours differently along with the circumstances in which they are applicable, and so these differences should be a result of social learning. However, Banduras theory has its limitations because it does not suggest what leads people to aggress once they have witnessed aggressive behaviour. Thus, it does not explain the possibility of acting out a modelled behaviour for example, if an individual has been angered. Nevertheless, Dollard et al. (1939) who proposed the frustration -aggression theory, explored this. The theory suggests that frustration always leads to aggression and aggression is only a cause of frustration. When looking at the deindividuation theory, one study that both supports as well as criticises the theory, suggests that anonymity increases the possibility of an individual conforming to the social group norms. Participants were made anonymous by either wearing overalls and hoods similar to those of the racist Ku Klux Klan, or wearing nurses uniforms. Results showed that participants to deliver more shocks when dressed as the racist group, and fewer, as nurses (Johnson and Downing, 1979). Hence, this also showed that anonymity does not always lead to aggressive behaviour, instead individuals may simply be responding to the norms of the group and doing what is expected. One realistic approach to aggression is one that covers a number of explanations, from neuro-physiological and evolutionary ones to social-psychological theories. In conclusion, the social learning theory supported by extensive research compared to the deindividuation theory, has shown to conclusively illustrate that the acquisition and behavioural expression of aggression is socially influenced, and is therefore more successful in explaining this behaviour.

A Literary Analysis of Robert Cormiers The Chocolate War Essay

A Literary Analysis of Robert Cormier's "The Chocolate War" The Chocolate War is a story which takes place in New England in the 1970's. Most of the events happen in a Catholic school. Since this school was exclusively for boys, they were constantly trying to prove their power over each other. The story is told in third person omniscient. The story's mood is suspenseful. With each page turn one wonders if Jerry will take or refuse his chocolates. The protagonist of this story is Jerry Renault and the antagonist in Archie Costello. Jerry is a very quiet fifteen year old boy. He is also the quarterback for the Trinity High junior varsity football team. He is a very troubled individual due to his mother's death. He appears to be angry toward the whole world. Jerry is very ordinary and wants more change in his life instead of the same old thing. Archie Costello is 17 year old boy who is a member of the high school's very prestigious club called The Vigils. Archie is the "assignment giver". He gives assignments to the younger class men to do very mischievous things; for example, loosening all screws on desk chairs and chalkboards so that they will fall apart when students and teachers touch them. Archie is very clever and conniving. Many other characters contribute to the excitement of this story. Obie, another member of The Vigils, is Archie's sidekick. He helps Archie carry out all of his assignments. Obie has hostile feelings towards Archie because Archie gets all the glory while Obie does all the hard work. Obie is very soft spoken; he will not speak out against Archie about his anger. Brother Leon is the assistant headmaster of Trinity High School. He is very evil and... ... his groin but tries to defend himself. This is against the rules. After this a "free for all" begins. The lights are turned off by Brother Jacques, who is trying to stop all the madness. The story ends as Jerry is lying almost unconscious in his friend Goober's arms. Archie is taking pleasure in the whole scene, and Brother Leon is standing alone, watching this whole production as the ambulance draws near. The theme of The Chocolate War would have to be, being a nonconformist can make you an outcast by most people, and it can sometimes even bring harm to you. But if you are being a nonconformist with good reason, then you have to be willing to take the abuse. In Jerry's case it almost got him killed, and he still could not understand everyone's cruelty; but he knew that what he was doing was right in his heart.

Essay --

Anxiety disorders are the 2nd most diagnosed mental illness in the United States. Anxiety comes from the â€Å"fight or flight† physiological response in ones body. The fear a person experiences is an intense emotional alarm accompanied by a surge of energy in the autonomic nervous system. The surge is what motivates us to flee from danger, cueing the â€Å"flight† response. However, some anxiety is good for us in moderate amounts. Most people perform better when we are a little anxious (Yerkes & Dodson, 1908). Anxiety can improve test performance or make you more energetic and charming on a date. It improves, social, physical, and intellectual performance. In fact little would get done if we didn’t have any anxiety. However anxiety can be negative as well. The most common symptoms are looking worried and anxious or fidgeting. That is pretty normal for most people. These symptoms are a physiological response that starts in the brain. It elevates the heart rate and creates muscle tension. Most of the research has been done with animals. Animals seem to experience anxiety in a similar way to ...