Choking in Sports Essay

In 2007, Reeves, Tenenbaum, and Lidor conducted research in order to study what causes talented athletes to often fail to perform to the best of their abilities when placed under stressful situations. The purpose of the study was to discover whether athletes who participate in self-consciousness training adapt to pressure situations better than players who do not. To measure this, the researchers examined â€Å"choking† during kicking a soccer ball with participants of two different skill levels, low-skill and high-skill. The participants had to complete two different tasks, kicking a soccer penalty and a breakaway. They were placed under two pressure situations, both low and high, and the experimenters also had three different training conditions – single task, dual task, and self-consciousness. The high-skill players were members of a NCAA Division 1 women’s soccer team at a southeastern, United States university with at least ten years playing experience. There were 18 participants in the high-skill group ranging from 18 to 22 years of age. The low-skill players were junior varsity girl soccer players from two southeastern high schools. There were 19 participants in this group, ranging from age 14 to age 16. All of these participants were randomly assigned to one of the three training conditions. On the first day of the experiment, participants were told the purpose of the study and were asked to fill out performance information sheets as well as sign informed consents. Participants then warmed up and began performing the simple task of penalty kicks under low-pressure conditions. Before each kick, participants filled out the part of the psychological grid for that kick, and then performed the task. On the second day, the participants were split into two teams and told they would be competing for a prize. They were told that their competition would be videotaped and that a sports psychologist would evaluate their mental performance in front of the goal. The psychological grid was again filled out before each penalty kick. On the third day, the participants completed the complex task (breakaways) under low pressure conditions. On the fourth day, participants were told that the competition involving penalty kicks was unfair and that the competition needed to be replayed but with breakaways. The researchers found that choking occurred in the simple task of penalty kicks, but not in the more difficult task of breakaways. Also, the single-task and dual-task treatments experienced a decrease in performance under high-pressure situations. Meanwhile, participants who underwent self-consciousness training improved their performance under high-pressure situations. Reeves et al. used a repeated measure ANOVA with skill level and treatment as between-subjects factors and pressure condition and task complexity as within-subjects repeated measures on perceived pressure. This ANOVA was used to check for the effect of pressure on the participants, and a significant effect was found (F (1,31) = 32. 32, p < . 001). Repeated measures ANOVAs were also used to assess performance and perceived performance during the shooting tasks. There was a significant interaction of task difficulty and pressure condition on performance such that participants performed the simple task better under low-pressure (M = 12. 63, SD = 3. 35) than under high pressure (M = 11. 17, SD = 3. 24). However, they also found that the more difficult task was performed equally well under low- (M = 11. 08, SD = 2. 64) and high-pressure (M = 11. 25, SD = 2. 90) conditions. A significant interaction was also found between pressure condition and treatment as they affect performance. Participants in the dual-task treatment suffered decreases in performance when shifting from low- to high-pressure situations, whereas participants in the self-consciousness treatment group increased performance. The single-task treatment had the highest decreases in performance from low- to high-pressure situations. Significant interactions were also found between skill level and treatment condition such that low-skill players given self-consciousness and dual task training perceived their performance as higher than those in the single-task condition. However, high-skill players in the self-consciousness treatment perceived their performance as being lowest of all three treatments. Yet another analysis of the data showed a significant interaction between pressure and treatment on perceived arousal and pleasantness levels. One limitation of this particular study is that it only examined the effects of high pressure situations in female soccer players. Although this study did account for differences in skill level, players of a different sport may have had dissimilar results. Also, there may be gender differences when it comes to choking during performance. The authors discussed the possible limitations of this study in the discussion section. There it says, â€Å"Further explanation of what constitutes a simple and complex task under pressure situations and of the ability to generalize to other task types is needed to enhance our understanding of the choking phenomenon. The researchers go on to say that there was no significant difference in skill level shown. The results reported by the experimenters and the discussion section did seem to be consistent in their findings. Using the statistical analysis and results from the ANOVAs, the researchers explained what they found using previous theories on choking in high pressure situations. The results of this study supported the explicit monitoring theory to explain choking under pressure in proceduralized skills. On the other hand, distraction theories explain choking under pressure in cognitive skills. Both of these conclusions were supported by data in the results section of the paper. This study not only has implications for athletes, but for everyday life as well. Athletes should be aware of the pressure they are experiencing in different situations and be able to regulate their arousal when necessary. If an athlete is facing a difficult task under high pressure conditions, they should consider undergoing self-consciousness training to help increase their performance. Similarly, if a student is studying for an extremely difficult exam that will determine whether they pass or fail a course, they should use self-consciousness training to help them obtain the best grade possible. For simple tasks, both athletes and students should realize that being under an increased amount of pressure can result in lower performance. Therefore, when completing mundane tasks, athletes and students alike should decrease their arousal and be under as little pressure as possible to achieve optimum performance. In a study by Wang in 2004, researchers were examining â€Å"dispositional self-consciousness and trait anxiety as predictors of choking in sport. Sixty-six basketball players completed the Self-Consciousness Scale and the Sport Anxiety Scale prior to completing 20 free throws in low-pressure and high-pressure conditions. A manipulation check showed that participants experienced significantly higher levels of state anxiety in the high-pressure condition. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses supported the hypothesis that self-conscious athletes were more susceptible to choking under pressure. The best predictors of choking were private self-consciousness and somatic trait anxiety that together accounted for 35% of the explained variance. † If one is self-conscious, they are putting themselves under even more pressure than the situation at hand already is. Therefore, these athletes are already at a disadvantage when it comes to reaching optimum performance. The best athletes in the world have no trouble stepping onto the biggest stage and performing well on a consistent basis. Also, in terms of choking, another factor that seems to be important is how high one’s approach motivation is. Choking is the concept that one performs worse than expected in a situation that carries great importance. This is Michael Jordan hitting a game winner in game six, or Mr. October Reggie Jackson going yard to give the Yankees the lead, or even a young intern at the FBI figuring out the biggest case of his life that makes his career; except it’s not. Choking is bricking that shot, grounding out to the second baseman, and having someone else figure out your case for you and thus getting your promotion. Recent questions have been raised about the major causes of choking. Some believe that â€Å"motivation to avoid failure often may predict choking under pressure† (Jordet 2008). â€Å"In achievement motivation theories, avoidance motivation typically refers to behavior directed by negatively valenced events, whereas approach motivation refers to behavior directed by positively valenced events† (Jordet 2008). People who avoid failure often get worried more and are more likely to perform poorly (choking). People who approach it, are often more confident and have less anxiety and thus, tend to have better performance (Dweck 1988). In this study, the researchers hypothesized that, â€Å"elite performers who are in negative valence situations engage in avoidance behaviors and these behaviors may contribute to low performance† (Jordet 2008). This study uses the high pressure situation of a penalty kick in a soccer match to fill the gap in knowledge on real-world choking. A penalty kick occurs when two teams are tied after two overtime periods. Especially in big games such as the World Cup final, these shots are very high pressure moments. Studies on these shots suggest that the more important the shot, the worse people performed because of elevated stress and anxiety levels. Researchers for the current study hypothesized that players in negatively valenced situations would attempt evading the situation, while players with positively valenced shots would take their time to look at the goal keeper, line up their shot, and take the necessary time to prepare. The negatively valenced shots would have their back turned to the goal keeper and would get the shot over with as quickly as possible (Jordet 2008). The results of this study showed that whether one takes an approach or avoidance motivation can have an effect on whether professional athletes choke under high pressure situations. They found that soccer players especially tended to use avoidance behavior and thus made 30% less shots than with the positively valenced shots (Jordet 2008). Despite prior research that suggested that professionals who choked tended to take longer to shoot, the present study found that the athletes who shot quickly actually performed worse. There are two possible situations. Either, through hurrying up, the athlete is able to time their shot and put it where they want, or they rush their preparation and don’t focus in enough on where they need to place the ball and can therefore choke. Jordet states that more research needs to be done on the relationship between dreading the shot, waiting to shoot, and the result or performance on the shot. Researchers in this study included a neutrally valenced condition in which they found it was most related to the negatively valenced condition. Therefore they concluded that athletes in the positively valenced group simply strive under pressure i. Michael Jordan, etc. Jordan approached failure face to face and more often than not came away successful as a result. It is all dependent on what sort of success and patterns a player has developed over his or her career (Dweck 1988). If a player shows a pattern of stepping up and hitting a key shot, you can expect that he or she will perform better on a big stage because they are self-confident. If I were to perform further research on this subject, I would first attempt to create a model that would help explain the complex reasons for choking while performing tasks during different situations. This would help other teachers, coaches, and researchers use this information to foster the highest level of performance in athletes and others. Another possible direction for these findings is to have three conditions in a study, one in which a participant completes a proceduralized task, one for a cognitive task, and one for a task that is both cognitive and proceduralized. Using this design, I would be able to examine if the two theories interact or if they are separate. Another possible direction for research is to see if low-, moderate-, or high-skilled players are more likely to choke under pressure rather than simply studying the choking habits of just elite athletes. Finally, a personality psychologist could assess if different personality dispositions make an athlete more or less likely to choke than others. With further research and increased understanding of the choking phenomenon, sports psychologists could discover a technique to help decrease the chances of choking under high-pressure situations. This could help improve athletes’ confidence, self-esteem, and performance while competing.

Perception and Portrayal of the Abolitionist

Societal values have changed so much since a hundred years ago. The development of science and the introduction of many intellectual movements have contributed much to these changes. Ideals which were deemed erroneous or immoral can be accepted and welcomed, and those widely accepted as scientific truths and fact can be debunked and proved wrong as well. But it is wrong to assume that every pillar in society can be changed. Several values and ideals have stood the test of time and were deemed universally and chronologically constant, because this is how society wants them to remain.These values, standards and norms therefore could be likened to a lens, since society uses these things to assess situations and the environmental factors they are exposed to. Everything that happens can be processed differently by different individuals, depending on the lens that he or she uses. There are some who manage to deviate from the norm and use unconventional â€Å"lenses† to view their en vironments and act upon situations differently than the usual. Similarly, how these people are viewed by the rest of society depend on the current value system.Usually, many of these revolutionaries become ostracized or even killed for their beliefs, as the changes they want to bring about may not agree or even violate some of the accepted norms and ideologies. John Brown is one such revolutionary, proposing change in the midst of pro-slavery America. His unconventional ideas and methods went against many standards of pro-slavery society that many saw threatening. However, as times changed and some values and ideologies were revolutionized, society’s views on John Brown’s life also changed.Some viewed him as a brilliant man who saw through American society’s fault, or a hero who died for the freedom of men who were stripped of liberty. Some also viewed him as a madman, a crazy zealot and one of America’s first terrorists. John Brown is also portrayed in v arious ways in popular culture, as his life and words are used in songs, plays and TV shows. Statement of the Problem As a prominent American historical figure, society’s opinion on John Brown is highly influenced by culture and value systems. However, it is a given that some of these values continuously fluctuate and some remain throughout time.With the changes in time and values from the time of John Brown’s active action and his death, how did public perception of him change? If so, what are the factors that affect these changes? Objectives This paper seeks to shed some light on how John Brown was viewed throughout history and time and what factors affected these perceptions of his character. An analysis of information regarding his portrayal in popular culture and a discussion on how these portrayals came about shall be included in this paper. Significance of the StudyThis study is geared towards looking at and analyzing John Brown’s life and seeing how soci ety viewed him while he was alive and after his death. Since it has been established that there has been a conflicting public opinion regarding John Brown, this study will help shed some light on the reasons for this differing public opinion and analyze the factors that contribute to these differences. Using John Brown as a base, sociological dynamics can be more fully understood. Scope and Limitations This study shall only be using online articles, journals and some books as its reference.Data shall be gathered from these materials and a suitable data analysis by the author shall be the basis of the conclusions made in this paper. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Abolitionism and Slavery in the United States The Roots of Slavery Slavery in the United States involved the selling, purchase, ownership of African or even Native American slaves. It first began when the English built their community in Virginia in 1607 and ended up being widely-accepted tradition until 1865. Many of the s laves were gathered from pagan countries and this was written into law by 1705.In Columbia, a slave is defined in law as a human being who is â€Å"deprived of his or her liberty for life and is the property of another. † It was legal to own and keep slaves for as long as they were still alive from 1654 to 1865. By 1860, ownership of slaves has become so widespread that a fourth of the population during that time are comprised of slaves. Disease, famine and damages caused by the war against Native Americans have kept available labor down, and this made importation of slaves more palatable for many business men. The slaves were treated as capital for labor intensive commerce such as the cash crop industry of tobacco.They were considered as the life line of the south’s agricultural industry. A large proportion of the slaves were owned by farmers from the south, as a single farmer there owned an average of 20 slaves. Labor intensive commerce was mostly found in the south as these regions grew tobacco, cotton and sugar as primary exports. Many of the slaves were found in these farms, and here they contributed much to the economic welfare of the country. Racial basis of slavery were not only applied to Africans and Native Americans, but also to some members of the Caucasian race.Some Europeans were also utilized as slaves under a contract to pay debts. These white slaves were only held for a limited amount of time and not fully owned like African slaves. Westward Expansion The westward expansionist tradition of the country not only brought about territory, but it also spread both the tradition of slavery. Many of the cotton farmers moved west and brought their slaves with them. Historians call this period the Second Middle Passage. Many of the slaves were forcefully removed from their families and communities to work for new farms in the west.This slave exodus marked one of the most significant periods in African slavery. African slaves were subjected to psychological stress due to their forceful exclusion from their families and familiar environments. The westward movement was extremely difficult. Aside from the psychological hardship that being away from their families presented, they were also subjected to physical difficulties. Most of them were forced to travel on foot, only stopping in temporary holding pens for slaves where further slave trade was performed. The slaves were mobilized in shackles and chains as traders feared violence ensuing from the slaves.In their destination, extremely difficult work was waiting for them. Many of the areas in the west were still undeveloped, and so the burden of clearing forests, building barns and pioneer-planting crops in the fields were placed on the slaves’ shoulders. Alongside the exhaustion from the intense labor, unfavourable working conditions and amenities contributed to the high mortality rate of newly arrived slaves. This condition was so economically unfavourable for the slave owners that many of them resorted to temporarily renting slaves than using their own to complete the work.Many of the slaves resisted after being exposed to such dreadful conditions which ultimately gave the farmers and their overseers more reason to resort to cruelty and aggression to control slaves. Brutalities towards the slaves were institutionalized by the court. Overseers can physically harm slaves and in some cases, even kill the dissenting slave. The owners were authorized by court to use the slaves and their families at his disposal. Members of the family can be used by the owner to pay-off debts or increase income by selling them as slaves.It is common to find slave families broken and hurt from the separation of husbands, wives and children from one another. The slaves were given amenities and benefits like food, health care and clothing but only to a bare minimum. Disabling slaves by maiming them and executions for fugitive slaves were allowed by law. Sexual ab use and rape of the slaves was also rampant. In court, slaves were considered sub-human. If one does commit a crime, however, he is considered as an entity capable of thought and act, and thus is regarded as a rational being.With all these brutalities toward slaves, it is important to note that the treatment of slaves is dependent on skin color. Light-skinned slaves were dressed, fed and treated better than the dark-skinned ones who worked mostly in the fields. Anti-slavery supporters coming from the north knew of the brutalities and abuses inflicted on the slaves of the south. They sought to stop the institution of slavery, and this produced much tension between the two parties. The north’s movement to abolish slavery went against the economic favourability of slavery during that time.The economy dictated the increasing value of labor intensive industries in the south, and so labourers are needed more than ever. Abolitionist movement With the enlightenment and awareness of p eople regarding human rights came the abolitionist movement. Slavery was something that violated the basic tenet of human rights and dignity, and so it had to be abolished. Northern states have begun to pass acts which declared that all men were born free and equal. Several movements that involved religion and political movements highly influenced the strength and expanse of abolitionist ideals throughout the country.The movements that supported abolitionism varied in method and degree. Some were pacifist, as they tried to use the legal system and passed legislation seeking to make slavery illegal. Others utilized literature and the press like Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of the famous novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Religious movements declared slavery to be sinful and un-Christian, to discourage believers from keeping and owning slaves. Only a minority of abolitionists used to armed revolt and instigation of unrest and anger among the slaves as the main machinery to further t heir cause.The movement continued its stride to abolish slavery, but its strongest anchor point came with the election of a known contester of slavery, Abraham Lincoln, as president. With the head of state holding this position of opposition of slavery, the south felt that their way of life was endangered and threatened. Economic repercussions will be felt by their planters in the cotton, tobacco and sugar farms if the hands that worked in the plantations were to be set free. The zenith of the tensions between the south and the north was the American Civil war.It broke out when the south organized and removed themselves from the control of the American government. Rise of Abolitionism Historian James McPherson defined an abolitionist as a person who has fought for the abolition of slavery in the United States before the Civil war. American abolition started early on, as there were several groups already fighting for the liberation of slaves, such as the Society of Relief of Free Neg roes Unlawfully Held in Bondage, and there were several institutions which prohibited slavery already.Several states had passed laws that completely prohibited slavery in their territories. Those who joined the American Anti-Slavery Society or other groups were abolitionists. These movements were not unified, and so could not boast a unified strength. Vermont was the first territory to make slavery illegal, and Pennsylvania was the first state to abolish slavery in 1780. Then several states followed Pennsylvania’s example while some states chose to limit slave trading. Many of the states in the south retained the institution of slavery as it was the region’s life line in their plantations.Their strong adherence to the institution drove them to take a defensive stance against the rising popularity of the abolitionist movement. Many abolitionist writers distributed many anti-slavery writings and literature to the south to help spread the ideologies. Novels, pamphlets and other forms of writing began to circulate not just in the north, but also in the southern region. Southern officials were enraged at the act, and thus moved to ban all types of literature that might instigate rebellion and changes in the south. Violence was even employed to stop the circulation of antislavery media in the south.Elijah Parish Lovejoy, the editor of an abolitionist newspaper was murdered by a mob of pro-slavery southerners. His printing press was also destroyed. Abolitionists recognized the fact that slavery needed to be abolished everywhere in the country, but the north cannot interfere with the affairs of the south because of federal ruling. Because of this, many abolitionists focused on liberating the north and skipping the southern states. Some abolitionists were frustrated and did not like this idea, as they believed that every state should be free of slavery.The movement was further fortified by the support of free African-Americans and their church. With the i ssue of the constitution, the American Abolitionist movement split up into two groups, the Garrisonians, led by William Garrison and Wendell Phillips and another camp led by Spooner and Gerrit Smith. The Garrisonians believed that the constitution promoted slavery while Spooner’s group believed the constitution to be antislavery. Since slavery was unconstitutional, it could be abolished with the blessing of the law.More divisions in the abolitionist movement arose, but because of the social classes of the abolitionists themselves. The artisans and elites divided themselves on the issue of slavery as well. The Underground Railroad was used as a venue by many abolitionists to become more active in the cause for abolition of slavery. Many of the fugitive slaves were illegally transported away from their masters to be free men via this rail. But the railroad was made illegal by the passing of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. But this did not stop the abolitionists from providing s helter and transporting slaves to freedom.

Reader’s Interest in The Crucible Essay

The Crucible takes place in Salem, a small town in seventeenth century Massachusetts, where religion, fear and hysteria ultimately lead to the famous witchcraft trials in 1692. At the time The Crucible was produced, Senator Joseph McCarthy was in power as the chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Due to relative events and the paranoid hunting of pro-communists, The Crucible is seen to be a metaphor for the McCarthy era. Throughout The Crucible, Miller employs several techniques and writing styles to create tension and suspense and to stimulate the audience’s interest. The most important reason why The Crucible retains the interest of the audience is because the plot maintains a slow burning, yet consistent pace. Act one is a prime example of how information is released gradually and atmospherically. The very start of the play leaves us oblivious to what has happened, with Parris praying over his inert daughter. This is a great method to grab the audience’s attention immediately as we are in the dark right from the start, and naturally are curious about what has happened. As the act progresses, patches of information are revealed, but the uncertainty and contradiction present engages the audience as they are forced to decipher for themselves the truth; at one point Abigail is denying all charges profusely: ‘We did dance, uncle, and when you leaped out of the bush so suddenly, Betty was frightened and then she fainted. And there’s the whole of it. ‘ However, later, as other charges are brought about, she concedes to them. This way the story keeps momentum as well as suspense. Act 2 employs the same technique to maintain tension when Mary Warren comes home and the information in reference to the court is informed to us. Acts 3 and 4 stay true to this structure and a good example is in act 4 when John Proctor is undecided over his confession, whether or not to sign it- ‘No, it is not the same! What others say and what I sign to is not the same! ‘ The audience is on tenterhooks, hoping he will sign (or perhaps not, in some cases). Another main element to The Crucible, which engrosses the audience, is the technique of dramatic irony. In The Crucible’s case, dramatic irony is where the audience is aware of something in the play that not all of the characters are. In The Crucible the dramatic irony is that we know that there is no witchcraft, and that Abigail and her friends are pretending, but most of the other characters believe it, or at least take advantage of it. Some of the characters must be left ignorant in order to form a basis to the theme of hysteria and madness, but the idea of dramatic irony is so that it creates the ironic and incredulous situations, and involves the audience more proactively as they know what is going on. In act 1 we think that the girls’ lies will be dismissed as they seem to us so ridiculous, but in Act 2 the true impact of the situation starts to take shape as information of arrests and trials is revealed. By Act 3 the original accusations have manifested into sheer madness which we, as the audience, can see, but the characters cannot. Act 4 does not utilize the tool quite as much as by then Abigail and her peers have unofficially been exposed. The dramatic irony concerning the presence of witchcraft helps to emphasise the theme of hysterical behaviour which, in that respect, has a larger impact on the audience and produces more interesting scenarios from the audience’s 0point of view. Another example of dramatic irony is during Act 3 when Elizabeth Proctor is asked to explain to the court her reasons for dismissing Abigail as her servant, unaware that John had just admitted his affair with her. This scene is perhaps the tensest in the entire play as the fate of Salem rested on Elizabeth confirming that Proctor was an adulterer. However, she lies and tells the court Proctor was not a lecher, not wanting to get him into trouble. ‘Excellency, it is a natural lie to tell’ This is said by Reverend Hale as he too is trying to stop this insanity, and the audience is also frustrated with the situation. Which is one of the key emotions that dramatic irony provokes to sustain the audience’s attention- frustration. Our hopes that the situation will be resolved and our almost angry views to some of the characters ignorance involves us in the plot and helps to share what John Proctor and some of the other characters must be feeling. In order to maintain the suspense and atmosphere in-between acts, Miller makes sure to end the first 3 acts with suspense and cliff-hangers and Act 4 with a big finale. In the ultimate scenes of Act 1, the tension created throughout the start of the play reaches its climax with Abigail and the other Girls accusing various Salem citizens of witchcraft to relieve themselves of attention. Miller has chosen a fantastic way to draw the Act to an unmistakeable close but still retaining the interest of the reader; it draws the events of the night together, satisfying the reader in one element, but has at the same time unleashed a larger and more complex crisis upon Salem, rousing the inquisitive eagerness experienced right from the very start of the play. Act 2 also ends dramatically with Elizabeth’s arrest after Abigail utilizes Mary’s poppet to frame Elizabeth. As in Act 1, it draws the night’s events to a satisfying climax with Elizabeth’s arrest, but also leaves the reader expectant of Act 3’s events with Proctor and Mary planning to expose Abigail. ‘My wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me! ‘ This powerful sentence from Proctor gives the audience hope for Elizabeth and, at the same time, makes sure the audience knows that dramatic events are yet to come. Additional to suspense-filled endings, Miller employs the use of time lapses in-between acts in order to maintain the pace. Between both Acts 1 and 2, and Acts 3 and 4, there is a significant time jump. This way it stops the plot from appearing too dragged out and makes sure that the suspense doesn’t die down so the audience’s interest is still at its peak.

The Law of Agency and the Power of Attorney Case Study

The Law of Agency and the Power of Attorney - Case Study Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that in the case of Francis Gagnon, Joan her daughter and Frank Gagnon the son, it is clear that Joan had the right and authority for the transfer of Shelburne property under her creation and control. First, once the power of Attorney has been signed, it holds and in the event of revocation, then the agent must be served with a copy of the signed revocation documents. In the case stated, it is evident that Francis Gagnon’s revocation was never told to Joan explicitly, and, therefore, the power of Attorney still holds. Secondly, according to the power of Attorney, any decision that an agent makes on behalf of the principle stands. Additionally, Frank Gagnon never incapacitated for any reason, to revoke the already signed power of Attorney. Based on such a perspective, it is sufficiently clear that the revocation of the power of attorney was unlawful. Since an agent should always act in place of the principle, the property had, therefore , be transferred to the trust, and, therefore, was the trust’s property.

Project management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Project management - Research Paper Example Project management is also governed by time allocated to achieve a specific goal or objective. A proper management activity involves attaining of a goal within a specific time allocated for the completion of the activities. In management of projects, creation, implementation and measurement of results determine the effectiveness of a project management strategy (Lock, 2007). Additionally, project management involves the creation of outstanding technical skills and distinct management strategies. Each project management objective has a concept phase that has general guidelines regardless of the set goals and objectives. The concept phase in project management involves; Development of the concept statement Completion of the business analysis Review of the project concept Project concepts are principles on which a project is based. In any project management activity concepts refer to the guidelines which are set aside for mangers to follow. For instance, there is a concept which require s originality or reliable sources to be used in the creation of assumptions and results. According to Cooke-Davies (2002) project management concepts create the guidelines which govern the direction of decision making by project managers. The author further argues that project management concepts change depending on the scope of the project portfolio. For instance, the concepts used in project management portfolio in psychology and business may not be similar (Lock, 2007). History The implementation of project management strategies in organizations dates back to the 1950s. Prior to this development, engineering projects in the 1900 were controlled by engineers, master builders and architects. In the 1950, organizations started practicing complex project management project in civil engineering. In words by Loch (2000) these complex civil engineering projects required more than just supervising from experienced architects. The author further argues that the activities involved in the projects required single project management capabilities that had to be monitored in each phase. This created the concepts that initialized the activities involved in project management. Project management then grew as a discipline to other fields like heavy defense activity, construction and engineering. In the growth of project management two figures played a major role in this particular growth. They are Henri Fayol and Henry Gantt. At the same time there were also developments in project scheduling models, cost management strategies, technology of cost estimating and engineering economics. The growth of project management was further boosted by the creation of the American Association of Cost Engineers. This body aided in cost estimation strategies, cost estimating, planning and scheduling portfolios (Stevens, 2002). In 1969, there was the creation of project management institute in the USA. The body publishes A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge which is describe s the practices used in most projects and often (Dinsmore et.al, 2005). Project management basics There are five basic of project management. These five basics are connected together strategically to bring out the whole process of project management. These five basics are represented in the diagram below. The process commences at initializing which involves project feasibility and project initiating. Then the process advances to planning which includes formulating of schedule task lists,

What makes a Food Organic Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What makes a Food Organic - Article Example If a product is labeled â€Å"organic†, it means that a government-approved certifier has approved the food. This certifier has inspected where the food came from to ensure that the food is in fact organic. Organic foods are foods that are produced without pesticides, bacteria, fertilizers containing synthetic ingredients or chemicals, herbicides, antibiotics, bioengineering, hormones, and ionizing radiation. This paper intends to discuss how food is made organic. The most important thing is to convert the agricultural land to organic status. This is done on a much larger scale. Land conversion may take two to three years to convert the status of the land from infertile to fertile. â€Å"They will also look to ensure that the entire surrounding areas and systems maintain its biodiversity and sustainability† (BiofuelsWatch.com, 2012, para.3). The crop or produce that shows up in the first year is not organic, and that produced in the second year is still in the conversio n phase (Foerstel Design, 2012). Fully organic food is produced in the third year, when the land has fully turned into its organic status. So, the nature completes its course while producing organic food. Organic farming not only reduced the production costs but also helps sustain the environment. The produce, which includes vegetables, fruits, and livestock, is very much closer to the natural organic state. Hence, the most important step in making the food organic is organic farming, whose important factors are soil and natural fertility of the land. At small level, pots can also be used with potting soil, to produce a wide variety of vegetables and fruits (BiofuelsWatch.com, 2012). Potting soil is free of fertilizers and is handled very simply. Personal compost heaps can be used in the potting soil for the plants, which may include banana peels, which act as a very good fertilizer due to high content of potassium. Crushed mint leaves and camphor can be used as insect repellents fo r home grown plants, because these things expel pungent vapors that repel the insects, thus saving the plants. In order to save water, rain water can be conserved and saved in specially designed devices. Farmers can repot the plants with nutrient rich organic soil. Repotting is beneficial because it helps the plants to develop useful soil microorganisms and sustaining roots. Hence, home grown food is organic in nature since it is grown in soil which is free of fertilizers, and is grown in the most natural environment and by the most natural means ever possible. After production, there are manifold steps that producers go through to make sure that the organic food meets the standards of the consumers and is of high quality. Organic farmers make sure that the production is never sprayed with chemicals, insect repellents, synthetic hormones, and other synthetic sprays, so that the quality remains at its highest level. The livestock food chain is saved from synthetic hormones and antibi otic injections. Organic farmers use renewable sources to conserve soil and water, thus maintaining the organic state of the land and environment. This helps ensure that the quality of the organic food remains high year after year. Cover crops keep insects away, saving the organic produce from harmful effects of the environment. Animal manure and compost are used to feed the soil and the produce, which ensures the renewability of resources. However, according to Insel, Turner, and Ross (2009, p.609), it is important for the organic farmers to properly manage the animal manure while feeding the soil, so that it does not contaminate the water, soil and crops to affect the overall quality. Hence, organic farming needs proper management

The American history ( 1900 ) The Cold War Research Paper

The American history ( 1900 ) The Cold War - Research Paper Example A reading which I found to be informative and concise about Cold War is done by H.W. Poon in 1979.and adapted by T.K. Chung .Poon has done substantial research in history since World War I and could be considered a good source. All my critics in this researchare based on this author’s account of history. He drew vivid image of history of events and personalities that have to deal with the events of the war and history. He wrote a timeline of events from the beginning of the cold war, its causes, The Berlin Crisis, the Cold War in East Asia,the formation of allied forces, until the tension eased in 1954. The article is written for a general viewership since it is a hosted website of the writer. Its website has been on the internet since 1998 and has been telling storiesin history, I have often heard of the Cold War but I do not know its underlying reasons. I had very few ideas about the cold war, and on this ,Poon has added to a deeper understanding of the reasons for conflict. As told, one of the reasons for conflict is in having different ideologies of both. US has free elections, freedom of the press, and has the freedom of assembly. Poon described the Soviet atmosphere so different from the US since they have communist government.. This fact is already known, but Poon argued in his writing that due of this difference of government system, a compromise between the two nations had very little hope. Another reason he gave is due to economics. Here again, there is conflict, as United States wanted free trade throughout the world but the Soviets resisted this since it wanted to â€Å"shield off her own sphere from international commerce† because they are afraid that trading with the West would expose Russia to the risk of being opened to influences of the West that would erode the totalitarian system† Again this opposed view brought hard feelings between the two countries. Next reason, which is debatable, is the power of rivalry, because after World War and the decline of Europe, power is shared by the Soviet Union and the United States. Poon sees this as a power struggle as each one wants to dominate the other. The power of domination has been suspected by the United States thru the speech delivered by Winston Churchill in March 1947 that the Soviets planned an aggressive control of Europe The speech is certified as a primary source document (See Annex A – copy of the speech of Winston Churchill) Poon’s report of Truman’s declaration is confirmed by a document found from the archives of the Congress, Document 171 of the 80th Congress. 1st session. This is supposed to be a primary source of document that will testify to the reference of the report. The core of Trumann’s Doctrine was that "it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressure." This statement clearly manifests an anti-communist princ iple and could only suggest an open war on Communist Russia. To confirm this policy, the United States went into a massive military and economic aid I Greece and Turkey Poon gave his impression on t he characters of the two presidents, President Roosevelt and Truman that made me visualize their personalities and how they actually ruled the country during the war,I have not known before that Pres. Roosevelt was optimistic while Pres. Truman was opposite. Pres.

Holidays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Holidays - Essay Example ay a vital role date in observing holidays such as â€Å"Yom Kippur†, which is the Jewish Day of Atonement, Ramadan, which is the holy month that Muslims fast and pray, and Easter, which is the period where the Christians celebrate the commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Gordon et.al 23). Although these holidays are both religious, they have different purposes and are celebrated on different times. For instance, when we look at the Ramadan and Easter holidays, they fall on different time. The second thing is that Ramadan holiday is marked after forty days of prayers and fasting by the Muslims. On the other hand, Easter holiday is marked by performing the commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not all holidays are associated with religion, some holidays are meant for thanksgiving, others are national holidays that are intended for countries to celebrate their foundation, independence, Veterans Day and other relevant appreciation. All people generally celebrate these holidays, but the effects they have on these people are different. When people tour new places or countries, they tend to bring their holiday celebration with them. They share their holidays with the people that they met and at the same time adopt other customs. The Irish, the Americans and the Italians also observe Holydays such as the Columbus Day. The New Year celebration is usually marked every first of January, but this is not the case the Jewish as their celebration is Rosh Hashanah that falls in September. It is the same situation in China, Korea and Vietnam that have their New Year holidays in February (Gordon et.al 34). Though many people travel everywhere during holidays, they get to learn new cultures from the people they meet, hence there is behavioral

I will upload picture for you Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

I will upload picture for you - Research Paper Example Though this theme gets strongly adopted in the play, it gets significantly mocked when every marriage faces a crisis that reduces the intensity of the phrase ‘an ideal husband’. In the beginning, Lady Chiltern brings out a marital life on worship; bringing out her husband as the ideal one both in public and private life. Sir Robert Chiltern gets painted in the beginning as a perfect gentleman and a brilliant politician (Wilde 14). He is the ideal husband for Lady Chiltern. Their marriage gets widely envied until Mrs. Cheveley appears with an intention to reveal a dark secret from Chiltern’s past. Mrs. Cheveley uses the secret she knows about Sir. Robert to try and blackmail him into supporting a fraudulent scheme and the theme of blackmail comes in early in the play. It threatens the marriage and the ideal husband as Sir. Robert agrees to do as Mrs. Cheveley wants, but also wants to please her wife who is not in agreement with the idea due to her moral inflexibili ty (Wilde 19). For Lady Chiltern, all that matters is having an ideal husband. She insists on having a model spouse that she can worship. For this matter, it is her sole priority that Sir Robert remains impeccably clean in all his decisions. This brings out the theme of hypocrisy as Lady Chiltern believes that only her husband and his deeds can ruin the image of their marriage and not her. Sir Robert succumbs to the lady’s wishes and seals his doom. The scandal begins at this point as now his secret that he so wishes to conceal gets revealed (Williams 2). Sir Robert decides to turn to his long time friend Sir Goring who apparently once got engaged to Mrs. Cheveley, but is currently the most eligible bachelor in town (Wilde 49). This also brings out a picture of the ideal husband but the picture does not last long as he soon gets caught up in a spin of lies, temptations and secret liaisons. As the play progresses, Lady Chilterns love comes out as unreasonable. This happens onc e Sir Roberts’ secret sin gets revealed by Mrs. Cheveley to his wife. When this secret gets revealed, the theme of hypocrisy comes out clear. This is the hypocrisy of the love that Lady Chiltern apparently had for Sir Robert. She refuses to accept the Sir Robert that has become unmasked. Lady Chiltern refuses to forgive her husband and denounces him. This is the height of hypocrisy in the play because originally the bond between the two got marked as unbreakable (Wilde 71). As all this unfolds, the theme of political corruption gets clearly outlined. It is the genesis of all Sir Roberts problems. This is because the scandal that he gets webbed in is a political scandal. Mrs. Cheveley’s mentor, Baron Arnheim who passed on, convinced Sir Robert numerous years ago and sold him a cabinet secret (Wilde 39). The secret suggested that he buy stocks in the Suez Canal a few days before the British government announced its intent to purchase the same stocks. Sir Robert had made his immense fortune with this illicit money, and Mrs. Cheveley had the evidence in a letter to prove his crime. Political corruption also comes out clearly when Mrs. Cheveley attempts to use this knowledge to blackmail Sir Robert into supporting the scheme to build a canal in Argentina (Wilde 26). Wilde clearly brings out that there is no one who is ideal in this play. Everyone is after some personal gain. Wilde carries through the theme of betrayal when Sir Robert

STRategic Marketing Management ( Analysis and decisions ) Term Paper

STRategic Marketing Management ( Analysis and decisions ) - Term Paper Example Asides from modifying PCs, the company also developed the audio feature on these PCs that allowed melodies and speech to be played (Baldauf and Stair, 2010:74). Since its inception, the entity has achieved various milestones with the most remarkable one being the Sound Blaster audio cards. The entity has been through difficulties and has always emerged at the top. This paper gives a detailed analysis of Creative Technology and its strategic marketing management. The major factor that has contributed to the entity’s success over the years is Sim’s effective leadership. Sim is a born entrepreneur who comes up with creative ideas that have enabled the entity to remain afloat over time. He had a vision for his company and laid down quantifiable goals that saw the company increased profitability over the years (Koh, 2008:147). Sim was not only visionary but was a strategic decision-maker and highly effective in solving problems that came up in the company’s operations. The second aspect that has contributed to the company’s success is diversity in their products. It can be observed that technology is dynamic and in order to maintain its customers, the entity has always been conducting modifications on their products in the trendiest and latest designs. This can be observed on various occasions. For example, the company was in the lead in the sound card trade in the past twenty years and was struggling owing to the lack of new and inventive products. This explains why Creative Technology ventured into producing a wide array of products including high-end speakers, DVD players and graphic cards. This was followed by the launch of the Sound Blaster and the Cubic CT (Schaar and Chou, 2009:38). Later in 1998 the company entered into the digital segment of the entertainment industry by launching the Sound Blaster Live! That was enjoyed immense success and placed the company at a competitive advantage over its rivals including Philips and Sony.

E-commerce. Social Networking Sites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

E-commerce. Social Networking Sites - Essay Example Facebook’s most important method of earning revenue is through advertising. A major chunk of its revenue is generated by the self-serve advertisement system which allows companies to decide who they want to market to, based on various preferences such as age, gender, marital status and the likes (Guardian 2009). The same report talks about Facebook selling virtual advertising estate on their websites to anyone who can dole out the cash, directing them to pages or profiles as they see fit. Finally, Facebook’s base of 3rd party apps has been the basis for many credit-card based transactions (in games for example) of which Facebook receives a certain percentage. All of these methods have helped Facebook’s revenue rise enough to be able to breakeven with its day to day costs which is a major breakthrough for any social networking site (Guardian 2009). MySpace The leading social networking site before Facebook was established, MySpace had made its name in the field for being a site that was preferred by upcoming musicians for its ability to allow easy sharing of music. It was considered the youth’s most preferred network, since it was the first site that allowed them to ‘relate to brands and bands’ (Web Strategist 2008). ... MySpace The leading social networking site before Facebook was established, MySpace had made its name in the field for being a site that was preferred by upcoming musicians for its ability to allow easy sharing of music. It was considered the youth’s most preferred network, since it was the first site that allowed them to ‘relate to brands and bands’ (Web Strategist 2008). However, the site currently owned by Specific Media, failed to innovate and lost a lot of its market share after the advent of Facebook, and has a current active user-base of 110 million users (The Next Web 2010). MySpace’s revenue model also revolves mostly around advertising. The site uses the basic two types of advertisements that are used by a lot of popular websites, namely pay-per-view and pay-per-click. In the former, the marketer pays a certain amount of money to have his Advertisement Banner up on MySpace’s pages while in the latter; he pays a certain amount (usually a few pennies) for every click that his advertisement gets. Although that may not sound like much, but with MySpace’s users still numbering in the million, the numbers certainly add up with the company making more than $550 million in revenue in 2007. However, since MySpace has fallen behind its major competitors, it needs to attract more users and perhaps find a more effective way of earning revenue than just relying on their current method, which seems ‘archaic’ in comparison with Facebook. Twitter Launched in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Twitter revolutionized the concept of communicating through social network sites. Instead of relying on photos or music, the heart of Twitter

Reflective Practice Essay Example for Free

Reflective Practice Essay I am writing this reflective journal in accordance with the CNO`s reflective practice standards and the LEARN model. Though my time on 600A has only just begun I have learned so much. Like many second year students, this is my first experience in the hospital. It has proven to be much different than my previous clinical experiences. My time with my first client stands out in my mind as a key learning experience. I like to believe that I am caring and compassionate with everyone I meet, especially in a professional setting. This particular client was a lady in her early 80s. She was good natured and very easy to get along with. She was cognitively aware and quite bright. As a result of bowel surgery she had an ostomy. This was new to her and I could tell she was unsure about it. My first day with her we did a lot of chatting and sharing. She told me about her husband, children and career as a kindergarten teacher. This helped build a certain level of comfort with me as a caregiver. I had her to come for walks with me down the hall and once she was up and moving she said she felt much better. I helped her with her first shower post-op. I made her feel more comfortable by promising to stay outside the door while she was in there. When she was finished, I helped her to apply lotion to her dry skin and at her request gave her a good back rub. My shift ended and I said my goodbyes. My client told me she was sad to see me go and was looking forward to my return the next morning. That night when I went home I did some research into ostomies. Through my textbooks and previous experience I had a solid knowledge of the basic care but just in case I wanted to refresh. I was excited to return to clinical the next morning. My client had a big smile for me when I walked into her room. Throughout the evening the ostomy nurse had come in, did some assessments and quickly taught my client how to empty and clean the appliance. Unfortunately since the nurse was very busy she did not have the time practice with her. My client told me she was unsure and nervous about performing the task. Since I had taken the extra time to do the research the night before, I was able to take the client into  the bathroom and walk her through the steps. I had the knowledge necessary to put my client at ease and make her feel more comfortable with this new situation. My client went home that day while I was still on shift. Before she left she thanked me and told me she wouldn`t have felt ready to leave if I had not been able to teach her about the appliance. She even made sure I met her husband and he thanked me as well. I felt very proud to be a student nurse that day. I believe I had a positive impact on that client. I took the time to care for the client and attend to her post-operative needs. As the former president of the CNO, Sandra Ireland said, Nursing is not like any other job — it is a profession that allows us to influence lives in ways that we know and ways that we cannot imagine. Clients and families carry with them the words of comfort, caring and encouragement you say during difficult times and throughout the rest of their lives. (Ireland, 1998) My client had a big adjustment to make and I was there to offer the support she needed. By taking the time to care about my client, not only as a client but as a person I was able to make her stay at the hospital a better experience for her and her family. She felt comfortable and well cared for and her husband was more at ease knowing people were there to care when he couldn`t be. I was able to anticipate the client`s needs and prepare myself to assist with those needs as they arose. The Sault College Practical Nursing Program beliefs on caring are outlined in the student success guide. It states, â€Å"Caring is the essence of nursing practice. When caring is the foundation for helping relationships, each person is a partner in growth towards optimal health. The interpersonal connection between caregiver and client transcends time, gender and technology. It is our view that caring, as an interpersonal interaction can be learned. A caring nurse strives for competence and excellence in the professional practice. Caring can be modeled, acquired, practiced, perfected and evaluated.† (Sault College of Applied Arts Technology School of Health Community Services, 2008) Based on this principle of caring I feel I did a good job of caring for my client post-operative needs. I was able to form a  caring relationship with her. I was competent in the skills I performed with her and she left me healthier than when we first met. My care was lacking a holistic approach. Looking back I did an excellent job at caring for this woman and her new ostomy but I forgot about just the woman. Lois White explains, nursing the whole person: physical, emotional, intellectual, psychological, spiritual and sociocultural, is essential to ensure the health and well-being of a client in the healthcare system. By ignoring the other areas I did not provide the best care I’m capable of. She may have had some self-esteem issues related to having this appliance or concerns about how others will react, especially her family and friends. An ostomy is a huge adjustment to make and as the nurse I could have offered some support. The more time I get to practice caring and working on interpersonal connections with clients the better I will be at caring. I believe caring is an art and a skill and they only way to perfect it is to do it. I will try spending more time thinking and planning how I am going care for my clients. I will reflect on how my work with clients affected them and gauge this with their reactions. The client themselves are in the best position to evaluate my skills as a caregiver. This week when I return to the clinical setting I will put my new approach into action. After data collecting I will think about more about the holistic person than just treatments involved with their current surgery or illness. I will do my best to identify any issues fears the client is facing and offer support for these. I will speak to my client about their mental and social wellness and do my best to assess their status within my scope. If nothing more I may be able to offer brochures or phone numbers for support groups in the area. While working with the nurses, I will observe their interactions with the clients and the care they provide. I will attempt to use the good I see and learn from the bad. If I find someone with a style of caring I truly admire I will find time to discuss it with them and take in any jewels of wisdom  they have to offer me. At the end of the day or when I find a quiet moment I will reflect on the care I provided that day. I will think about my clients, and how I made them feel. My goal is receive positive feedback from all the clients I interact with each clinical day, whether it is verbal or a simple smile. I will leave my clients knowing that I provided them with the best, holistic care I could. I would also like to take some time either on a break or after clinical ends and really talk to my classmates about how they feel they are doing. We could discuss not just the new skills we learned and may have preformed, as per usual, but their progress with caring. Through this reflection I expanded my definition of care. I have always provided good care for my client’s ailments but I never took the time to really think about everything they may need to feel well again. Secondly I realized in order to be a truly caring nurse you need to take the time to think about your actions and interactions with clients. Reflecting back on the day, whether it is formal and written as in this journal or with classmates on the way home, will help me learn, grow and develop as a nurse. References: Ireland, S. (March 2004). President`s message. The Standard, 29 (1), 4. Sault College of Applied Arts Technology School of Health Community Services. (2008). Practical nursing program student success guide 2008-2009. Sault Ste Marie, ON. White, Lois. (2000). Foundations of Nursing: Caring for the Whole Person. Albany,NY: Cengage Learning

Why Is Effective Communication Important?

Why Is Effective Communication Important? Introduction: Effective workplace communication skills are among the skills we assume every worker picked up along the way. The problem is that not all the communication skills and habits we picked up at home, in school or social circles are appropriate in the workplace. Some people would be fired immediately if they communicated in the workplace the way they do at home or among friends. Understanding how to speak, write and manage your nonverbal messages is critical to your success at work. As you will discover from a few surveys we will review, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, Human Resource Managers, and other business leaders rate communication skills highest among the skills needed to advance in the workplace. Written by Peter Adebi, organization development expert, leadership coach, and human resource consultant, this seminar, Achieving Optimal Workplace Success through Effective Communication, is designed to help you acquire the skills you need to be an effective communicator. What is Communication? Communication is simply the sending of a message to another person. The person sending the message first needs to formulate the message in his head. This involves determining the meaning that the sender intends to convey to the other person. To formulate the meaning of the message, the sender usually draws upon his background attitudes, perceptions, emotions, opinions, education, and experience.   The message is then sent to the listener through both verbal talking and non-verbal gestures. The person receiving this message then interprets its meaning. To do this, the listener uses his background, attitudes, perceptions, emotions, opinions, education, and experience.   Effective communication exists between two persons when the person receiving the message interprets it in the same way as the sender intended it. Sounds really simple doesnt it? Well, it can be. Communication is essential for achieving managerial and organizational effectiveness. Without communication, employees will not be able to aware of what their co-workers are doing, will not have any idea about what their goal are, and will not be able to assess their performance. In absence of channels of communication, supervisors will not be able to give instruction to their subordinates and management will not receive the information it requires to develop plans and take decision. Good communication always helps employees become more involve in their work and helps them to develop a better understanding of their jobs. Clear, precise and timely communication of information also prevents the occurrence of organizational problems. Effective communication is essential for achieving organizational goals, but ensuring such communication has been a major problem for most organization. Although the word communication is often used, there has been no consensus among communication experts regarding the definition of communication. In general, communication may be defined as the process by which the information is exchanged between individuals. There are many components to communication. Consider verbal communication skills, listening skills, written memorandums/email, telephone skills and non-verbal communication. Also, reflect upon all the people we communicate to: subordinates, peers, supervisors, customers, and groups of people. In addition, ponder some of the reasons, why we communicate: to get and give information, to discipline subordinates, to make assignments, and so on.   Why is Effective Communication Important? We already know that communication is a big part of our daily existence. Even when we dont want to communicate, the very actions we take not to communicate such as being quiet in meetings, avoiding people, declining to respond to emails or give feedback, communicate something about us. In a survey of 480 companies and organizations conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers and published in the Wall Street Journal, effective communication ability ranked first among the desirable personal qualities of future employees. reference: December 29, 1998. Wall Street Journal, Work Week, p. A1. In a national survey of 1000 human resource managers, oral communication skills are identified as valuable for both obtaining employment and successful job performance. reference: Winsor, et al., 1997    In yet another survey, executives in Fortune 500 companies indicate that college students need better communication skills, as well as the ability to work in teams and with people from diverse backgrounds (Association Trends, 1997). The point of these examples is that honing your communication skills should be a priority for you as you seek to advance in the workplace. Research Although many articles and books have dealt with interpersonal and organizational communication, most of them are not based on systematic research findings. However, the Real Managers Study (conducted by Fed Luthan, Richard M. Hodgetts and Stuart A.Rosenkrantz) is based on original research in communication. The researches observe managers at work in various organizational setting and also studies the self reports submitted by them to understand the process of communication in organization. They developed the managerial communication model to explain the different style of communication used by the managers and to provide a framework for understanding how managers communicate in organization. Henri Fayols Contribution to Communication In formal organizations, the design of communication channels is based on the assumption that all the divisions and departments are self contained and do not facilitate communication among employees at the same level. This poses the serious problem when circumstances demand such communication. If an individual wants to convey some message to an individual from another department, the message has to be passed up to the highest managerial level and then down to the individual. The reply from that individual is also received in a similar way, leading to huge delays. Chester Barnards Contribution Chester Barnard felt that communication played an important role in shaping organizations. According to him, Communication forms one of the three primary elements of an organization, the common goals and willingness to serve customers beings the other two elements. Communication links the number of the members of an organization with organizations goal and facilitates and enhances cooperative action among the individual and department of the organization. Communication whether written or oral, helps an organization attain its golas, but it can also give rise to problems. For instance, if a particular message is misinterpreted, an inappropriate decision may be taken. This decision may be taken. This decision may result in losses to the organization in long-run. Barnard related communication to the concept of authority. According to him, for authority to be delegated from a manager to sub ordinate, all communication originating from the manager must be clearly understood by the subordinate. He believed that a manager should try to understand the meaning of the message before communicating it to his subordinates. Barnards indentifies seven communication factors that helps establish and maintain objectives authority in an organization. The member of an organization should be aware of all the available channels of communication. Every member of organization must have access to specific formal channel of communication. Communication with an organization must follow the shortest and most direct path. All communication should involve the use of entire, formal line of communication. Competent persons should serve as communication centers. There should be no interruption in the time of communication during the functioning of an organization, and All communication should be authenticated. Who is Responsible for Communicating Effectively? Managers share the responsibility in communicating effectively with the individual employees themselves. The manager is 100% responsible for communicating effectively with their employees. This includes establishing an open and trusting climate for communication, as well as demonstrating good communication techniques to their employees. The employee is 100% responsible for taking advantage of the climate for communication to express what is important and relevant. For example, it is expected that a manager will ask are there any questions? after giving an employee an assignment, but it is also expected that an employee will say, I have a question, if one should occur to the employee, without waiting for the manager to ask.   The following communication is useful for organizational communication. Non verbal communication Downwards communication Upward communication Lateral communication Interactive communication Barriers to Effective Communication A number of obstacle may restrict the receivers understanding of a message. These interruption act as barriers to communication, which may totally prevent communication, or delete a aprt of the message, or convey the wrong meaning. Some of the barriers to effective communication are discuss below. Filtering: This refers to the manipulation of information by the sender so as to obtain a favorable opinion from the receiver about the project in which there is significant progress but does not inform him of the project that are lagging behind. Selective perception: A person perceives information on the basis of his needs, values, experience and background. His personal interest and expectation influence the way he decodes information. For instances, if an interviewer believes that women give more priority to their family than their professional career, he is likely to perceive this Characteristics in all female applicants, regardless of whether the applicants feel that way or not. Defensiveness: People intentionally attempt to block communication when they feel that other person is threatening their self image and prestige. They react in a defensive manner by the making sarcastic comments, by the passing judgment on the others, ot by questioning the motives of the other party. This type of defensive behavior impedes effective communication. Language: As per our first assignment, an organization has different kind of people from different cultures. In such cases language is one of the important factor for communication towards different cultural people. Because each employee may have a different meaning or pronunciation for the same word. The business units of a company operating in different geographical territories may also use terms and phrases in a unique way. Hence, the sender has to modify the style of communication depending on the people he is addressing (workers, clients or business partners).

Musics Effects On The Brain Music Essay

Musics Effects On The Brain Music Essay Music is a world renowned language that all can understand. From Australia to the deepest jungles of Africa, music is associated in peoples everyday lives. Music can be heard anywhere and everywhere: the grocery store, the gym, in the car, at work, at school, on the television, etc. Not only is music applied for entertainment but it can also be used for story telling, learning, religious rituals and medical therapy. Today, it is not uncommon for music to be used as a medicine for Parkinsons, Alzheimers, depression, anxiety, stroke-victim recovery, stress, memory loss, and mental well-being. Musics effect on the brain is a very profound and mysterious topic. It is said that music influences the process of thinking and analyzing, making work more enjoyable and efficient. Studies have shown that music increases the amount of endorphins (a chemical released in the brain to reduce pain and provide a good feeling state) in the brain, initially, jump-starting the bodies healing process. As it distracts the attention from pain, it concurrently generates chemical behaviors that promote healing. Along with physical healing and mental effects, music impacts human emotions. Often, someone will listen to music when they are distraught, happy, need to focus, exercising, etc. Experiments show that music in a major key will cause a person to be happy, while the music in a minor key will bring sadder, depressed emotions. This paper will discuss how the music of major and minor keys differently effect human emotions. Emotions Throughout an average day, humans will experience one emotion after the other: sadness, happiness, frustration, anger, guilt, remorse, etc. But when one is asked the question what is an emotion? most find themselves dumbfounded. The answer to what is an emotion is not an easy one to answer. For centuries great minds have studied to answer this question but have yet to receive a definite answer. There are many reasons for this state of affairs. One reason is that emotions are difficult to define and measure. (Juslin and Sloboda 73). To be able to define emotions, theorists must know where emotions come from and how they are detectable. From a scientific perspective, emotions can be concluded from three types of evidence: self reports, expressive behavior and physiological development (Juslin and Sloboda 74). Self reports are a variety of surveys people will take to measure their emotions. Although this method is a first hand account of emotions, it still includes many problems such as the imperfect relationship between emotions and words that denote emotions, and the problem of choosing which words to include on checklists or scales (Juslin and Sloboda 74). The second type of evidence is expressive behavior which is the study of peoples emotion by their facial expression, vocalizations or body language (Juslin and Sloboda 74). The difficulty with this procedure is that not all emotions are visible by expressive features. The third type of evidence used to decipher emotions is physiological kinds of measurement; this includes measuring heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension and much more. Many theorists have suggested definitions of emotions based off the previous three types of evidence. Based on a review of these definitions they proposed the following consensual definition (Kleinginna Kleinginna 1981, p. 355): Emotion is a complex set on interactions among subjective and objective factors, mediated by neural/hormonal systems, which can (a) give rise to affective experiences such as feelings of arousal, pleasure/displeasure; (b) generate cognitive processes such as perceptually relevant effects, appraisals, labeling processes; (c) activate widespread physiological adjustments to the arousing conditions; and (d) lead to behavior that is often, but not always, expressive, goal-directed and adaptive (Juslin and Sloboda 75). As seen in the previous definition, it is almost impossible to define emotions simplistically or even in one sentence. Tonality Like emotion, tonality is not an easy concept to grasp. For one, it is used in many different senses and areas of music. Also, tonality has been widely discussed amongst theorist as to what it is and its significance in Western music. One simple definition of tonality is a system for interpreting pitches or chords through their relationship to a reference pitch, dubbed the tonic. Once the tonic is established the relationship of this pitch to other pitches can be designated using scale-degree names or numbers (Huron 143). In other words, tonality is the organization of pitch. Referring to Western theorists, there are two types of tonalities: major and minor. The theory and use of major and minor tonality dominated Western culture between 1650 and 1900 (Forney 20). The tonality of a piece of music is determined by the scale used for the foundation of the music (Forney). A scale is a series of tones in ascending or descending order; may present the notes of a key (Forney A20). Because of the combination of intervals between notes in a scale, each scale has a special and unique sound. Major scales promote a feeling of happiness and cheerfulness while minor tones sound sad and dark A composer would not be likely to choose a minor key for a triumphal march, nor a major key for a lament (Forney 21). As stated earlier, the first note of the scale, the tonic, is used as a starting place Affects of Major Tonality on Human Emotions Musics effect on humans has been a hidden phenomenon for thousands of years. The emotional experience one has with music has always been enticing and misunderstood. Still, it is probably true that most people experience music-somehow, somewhere-everyday of their lives, often with an accompanying affective response of some sort (e.g. nostalgic recognition of a favourite song on the radio while driving a car, frustration directed at the music at the shops, joy while listening to an excellent performance at an evening concert, a sad mood created by the soundtrack of a late night movie) (Juslin and Sloboda 3). The goal of this section is to describe how the music from major tonalities influence human emotions. To sum up the affects of major tonality on human emotions is the results of David Hurons, author of Sweet Anticipation, experiment on the feeling evoked from listening to major scale degrees. Huron conducted his experiment by asking ten experienced Western-cultured musicians to describe the emotions they incorporate with different scale degrees from the major key. All ten musicians were given the following instructions: For each of the following scale degrees describe as best you can the distinctive quality or character of that tone. Describe how the tone makes you feel in as much detail as possible. Imagine the tones for the major key only. Please think of pitches rather than chords (Huron 144). The table below is the result of Hurons responses as displayed in his book Sweet Anticipation. Scale Tone Common Descriptors Sample Responses Tonic Stable, pleasure, home, contentment Stable, extremely satisfying, centered, foundational, solid, resolved, strong Raised tonic Strong, upward, bold Edgy, unstable, uncertain, upwardly, mobile, mildly precarious Lowered supertonic Surprise, abruptness, pause Somewhat dark, a sense of almost inevitable further descent, murky, unexpected richness, mild surprise Supertonic Solid, movement, resolve Hanging, dangling, transitory, moderate expectancy of more to come, part of a flow Raised supertonic Longing, unstable Needling, moderately harsh, jarring, unstable, off balance Mediant Bright, love, warmth, beauty Light, lifted, bright, point of many possible departures, yet also strongly restful, peaceful and calm Subdominant descending Akward, tentative, strong sense of being unfinished, Now what? no clear expectation of future, hanging feeling, would be happy to fall by half step Raised subdominant Intentional, motivated Moderately anxious, interrupted flow to dominant, somewhat curious about possibilities, fluidity, transitory Dominant Strong, muscular, balance, possibility, pleasant Strong, towering, height, sense of looking down from a tall building and being comfortable, but knowing youll eventually take to elevator back to the street level Raised dominant Leading, aspiring Leading to something, sense of implication, unfinished, leaning, mildly uncomfortable Submediant Balance, open, lightness Airy and open, temporary suspendedness, neutral, evokes mild curiosity in regard to direction Subtonic Falling, lightness, drifting downward, shifting Heavy, like walking with a limp, unexpected, open new possibilities, sheds a new light on things Leading tone Unstable, pointing, restless Sense of inevitably, highly unstable, uncomfortable, squirmy, itching, restless Hurons table provides direct and professional examples of emotions accompanied by scale degrees in the major key, now the question is what links these emotions to these particular scale degrees? Huron clusters the results into seven categories of the responses he received, certainty/ uncertainty, tendency, completion, mobility, stability, power and emotion (Huron 163). The certainty/ uncertainty category is the easiest to explain through statistical properties of music. Two scale tones were described as unexpected, surprising or abrupt- the lowered supertonic and the subtonic pitches (Huron 163). Because the supertonic and subtonic pitches appear the least out of all the scale tones the feeling of surprise or abruptness is normal. The category tendency describes the scale tones level of continuation, in other words, the tones ability to carry on with the melody or song at hand. The raised dominant and the leading tone were both described with words associated with tending or leading, -both tones that are statistically limited in their possible continuation tones (Huron 163). The completion category can also be described using statistical properties of music with relevance to the tonic and mediant pitches. Both pitches were described as restful indicating the pitches connection to the end or closure of musical phrases, allowing the listener to feel at rest or home-like. The fourth category, mobility, involves the supertonic and subtonic pitch. The supertonic was depicted as modern expectancy of more to come and the subtonic as like walking with a limp. Both pitches portray the act of moving but do not hold the same leading value as the tonic. The category of power, however, can not be easily described through the statistical properties of music. The raised tonic and dominant pitches were connected with words like jarring and harsh, creating the effect of power to the listener. The last category Huron describes is emotion. Terms like pleasure, beauty, and warmth, love, bright and pleasant are used to describe the tonic, mediant and dominant pitches. Negative hedonic terms like harsh, jarring, uncomfortable, and anxious were applied to tones such as the raised supertonic, the raised subdominant and the raised dominant (Huron 164). As made apparent from the table, positive emotions seem connected to frequently occurring tones with closure (Huron 164). A peculiar fact about tonality is that different tones can suggest different and specific emotions. Even a tone in one given context can have a completely different effect in another context. There are several factors attributed to why scale degrees in the major scale cause the listener to feel a variety of emotions, one of them being the predictability of a tone. When a tone has a high rate of predictability, the experience for the listener is more positive The most predictable tones and tone sequences tend to be experienced as the most pleasant- especially if listeners are not consciously aware of the high predictability (Huron 173). The most predictable structural feature in music is cadences. Cadences are the place of rest in a musical phrase. A cadence can either end in the middle of a melody, called an inconclusive cadence, causing the ending to feel dissonant. Meanwhile, a cadence can also end at the end of a melody, creating a consonant ending call a conclusive cadence. Music theorists have long observed that cadences tend to be organized in a stereotypical fashion. It is not simply the final note of the cadence that is predictable; the final note is often approached in a characteristic of formulaic manner (Huron 154). Cadences, however are not the only feature that increase the feeling of uncertainty Another feature is the increase in uncertainty that commonly follows after the closure point (Huron 156). So not only is there high predictability before the cadence but after as well. Listeners are more apt to forebode predictability with points of disruption or closure. Music in Silent Movies (To be changed) Silent Movies In todays movies there is barely ever a silent moment. For example, while actors are walking down the street multiple sounds can be heard: the actors dialogue, the sound of footsteps, cars screeching down the road, birds chirping, etc. There is constant noise in current movies, never allowing for one second of silence. In 1890s to the late 1920s silent films were prominent among towns and cities in the United States. Although they are called silent movies, they are far from silent. Characteristics of silent films include: little or no dialogue (if there was dialogue it was written in pamphlets and given to the audience), usually black and white, live orchestras and sometimes live narrators or actors. Because there was no recorded dialogue, silent films relied heavily on the acting of actors and the music to set the mood and tone for the film. Most actors were required to over act to be able to convey the emotions across the camera without verbal help. Actors like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Clara Bow, and Blanche Sweet were all prominent in silent films and were used to portray the emotions the audience longed for. Genres of silent films include comedies, westerns, horror, science fiction, documentaries, series, animates, epics and experimental films. Like the actors in silent films, music played an essential role in this movie era, As silent cinema developed, and especially after c.1912, music came to play a crucial role in shaping and conditioning the viewers response to moving pictures (Cooke 5). Musicians were needed to write scores for the films that would effect peoples emotions the same way words would. The music was needed to take the audience through the story emotionally, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..music, by its very physical presence, created a sense of three-dimensionality singularly lacking in the projected image: while the film was projected from the rear of the hall to the screen at the front, so music played at the front was projected backwards over the audience and through a kind of transference or slippage between sound and image, the depth created by the sound is transferred to the flat surface image (Kalinak 1992, 44). (Cooke 6). Silent films were seen as an art form that had never been tried before. It was new technology that everyone was fascinated in learning and perfecting The silent era was a period of immense creativity, and there seems to be no end to its surprises (Brownlow XI). Silent films have been and will be longed cherished as timeless classics. Unfortunately, ninety percent of the films made during the silent era have disintegrated due to the use of nitrate film (Scorsese IX). Organizations like the National Film Registry and the Library of Congress work to preserve these movies and prevent any further losses. Charlie Chaplin As stated previously, Charlie Chaplin was a famous actor and director of silent films. Charlie Chaplin was born on April 16, 1889 in London, England. Charlie was born into fame, both his parents being renowned vocalists and actors. Appearing in small rolls for films like The Eight Lancashire Kids and Sherlock Holmes, Chaplin began his career before the age of fourteen I went home on the bus dazed with happiness, and began to get the full realization of what happened to me. I had suddenly left behind a like of poverty and was entering a long desired dream-a dream my mother had often spoken about, had reveled in. I was to become an actor! (Chaplin 78). Chaplin continued his career through vaudeville, which brought him to the United States where in 1913 he signed with the Keystone Film Company, making thirty-five films. From 1915 on, Chaplin directed his own movies and the popularity of his baggy-trousered tramp character earned him a million-dollar contract with First National in 1917 (Cooke 27). While working under First National, Chaplin made the films Shoulder Arms in 1918, The Kid in 1921 and The Pilgrim in 1923. In his later years, Chaplin focused away from directing and dabbled in music, sports and writing. Charlie Chaplin was a self-taught musician and wrote music for many of his films, for example Sing a Song, Eternally and With You Dear in Bombay. Chaplin also authored four books: My Autobiography, My Trip Abroad, A Comedian Sees the World and My Life in Pictures. Charlie Chaplin died Christmas day in 1977 at the age of seventy-eight. Over Charlie Chaplins career he was able to convey to the audience any character he wished Chaplins range of characters was extraordinary: he could be a waiter, a down-and-outer turned cop, a hapless immigrant, a vagrant violinist, a soldier- all with equal conviction (Kobel 59). Being the chameleon that Chaplin was, he spoke to the audience through his characters; appealing to peoples emotions and desires. (More sources and information to be added) How Major Tonalitys Effect on Human Emotion is used in Chaplins Movie

Persuation Paper -- essays research papers

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The Relationships Between Quaker, The Company, And Semiotics :: essays research papers

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