ITunes price changes hurt some rankings Assignment

ITunes price changes hurt some rankings - Assignment Example The article points out that two days after Apple iTunes Music store raised its prices on some individuals tracks, the sales dipped and with that the rankings of the songs. The iTunes top 100 chart registered 40 songs at $1.29 and 60 songs at the normal $0.99 price point. After the price change, the $1.29 songs lost 5.3 places on the chart while the $0.99 songs gained an average 2.5 chart positions. These changes give a general idea of how incremental changes in revenue can be reached. Moving up and down the chart impacts the revenue greatly which in turn is impacted by price changes. These changes are solely chart position, but a general idea of incremental changes in revenue can be reached. By looking at the unit sales of the most recent Soundscan top track downloads chart, the different between chart positions can offer a view into how moving up and down the chart impacts revenue. An assumption here is that the iTunes Top 100 chart is representative of the Soundscan top track downl oads chart. Given its market dominance, this is a reasonable assumption. I chose this article because it gives a good idea of how small changes in price can turn around Sales. A significant notion raised by this article is the way in which how prices alter the rankings of songs in the music industry. The prices change the rankings and the rankings which in turn impact sales and revenue. This article relates to chapter nine of our text book in which key issues related to initiating and responding to price changes are discussed. Buyer reaction to price changes are a result of the value the customers see in the price change. (Glenn Peoples) Works Cited Glenn Peoples, Nashville. How iTunes Price Changes Hurt Some Rankings. 10 April 2009. 19 May 2011 . Article: 7 in 10 Americans say High gas prices hurt This article is related to a recent chapter that we covered from our text book. Customers don’t react to price changes in a very straight forward way. A price increase is expected to lower sales. This is because a brand’s price and its image are closely tied together. Price changes will alter consumer perception about a particular product and the way they want to consume it. Thus price is a very critical factor. I chose this article because it offers insight into how price changes in a mandatory commodity such as gas influences the common man. The survey was conducted by USA today in which they asked people if recent changes in prices of gasoline have impacted them financially. 7 in 10 Americans believed it did. More than half of them claimed that they have had to make changes to account for higher prices of gasoline. 21% of them felt the impact so heavily that they believed it jeopardized their standard of living. (Stauss) Stauss, Gary. 7 in 10 Americans say high gas prices hurt . 18 May 2011. 19 May 2011 . Article: Apple and Starbucks announce music partnership The article talks of the Apple and Starbucks music partnership. Under this partnership, cu stomers at Starbucks will be able to wirelessly browse, look around for music, buy and download music from the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks on their iPod touch, iphone, Mac or PCs running iTunes in a participating location. They will also be available to avail the new â€Å"Now Playing† service under which the name of the song playing in the Starbucks store at that particular moment will be shown. They will then be able to buy and download songs directly to their device. The partnership will benefit both Apple and Starbucks and is a classic example of horizontal marketing. I selected this article because I felt that having free access to the iTunes Wi-Fi Music store and the Now Playing service of Starbucks is a great ways to attract customers to both Starbucks and Apple iTunes. It will trigger greater revenues for both companies. This

Androids History Essay Example for Free

Androids History Essay Apps can be downloaded from third-party sites or through online stores such as Google Play (formerly Android Market), the app store run by Google. In June 2012, there were more than 600,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from Google Play was 20 billion. Android became the world’s leading smart phone platform at the end of 2010. For the first quarter of 2012, Android had a 59% smart phone market share worldwide. At the half of 2012, there were 400 million devices activated and 1 million activations per day. Analysts point to the advantage to Android of being a multi-channel, multi-carrier OS. HISTORY: Android, Inc. was founded in Palo Alto, California, United States in October 2003 by Andy Rubin,Rich Miner Nick Sears and Chris White to develop. Google acquired Android Inc. on August 17, 2005, making Android Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Google. VERSION HISTORY: Android has been updated frequently since the original release of Astro, with each fixing bugs and adding new features. Each version after Astro and Bender is named in alphabetical order. List of Android version code names: ? Android consists of a kernel based on the Linux kernel 2. 6, with middleware, libraries and APIs written in C and application software running on an application framework which includes Java-compatible libraries based on Apache Harmony. Android uses the Dalvik virtual machine with just-in-time compilation. The main hardware platform for Android is the ARM architecture

Are Bull Markets Supported By Rational Growth in Stock Valuations? :: Finance Financial Economics Essays

Introduction â€Å"The rich get richer† is a frequently heard adage in the United States, a country quickly associated with capitalism. US financial markets make headline news on a daily basis, so people are well aware when the domestic stock market’s indices rise or fall. Given the widespread distribution of information on the stock market’s performance, much excitement can easily be generated during a bull market, broadly defined as a trend during which stock prices are climbing. Does the publicity and excitement surrounding a bull market further perpetuate rising stock prices? A look at historic daily closing values for the S&P 500 index from January 2, 1997 to December 31, 1999 reveals overall growth of 99.35%[i], which on average indicates similar growth in the stock prices of the companies included in the index. Clearly, this three year period falls within a bull market, since the S&P 500 is commonly utilized to represent average performance of the stock market on the whole. A return of 99.35% on an investment is excellent and far exceeds the general return on â€Å"risk-free† investments like FDIC insured savings accounts or Treasury bills. [i] Percent change calculation derived from widely published market data Examination of Common Stock Valuation to Account for Rising Share Prices Like most economic evaluations, the decision to purchase a share of a company’s stock is based on an individual’s willingness to pay versus the current selling price of the share. Fundamentally, the willingness to pay is determined by a valuation of that share of stock. For a given share of common stock, the willingness to pay is, or should be, linked to the present value of the stream of future cash flows that the investor will receive from expected dividends and through any expected capital gain for selling the share at a higher price than at which it was purchased.[i] Thus, there are three main factors the affect the valuation of a share of common stock: future dividends, future market price of the share, and the discount rate used. [i] Fundamentals of Financial Management, Eugene F. Brigham & Joel F. Houston, Harcourt College Publishers: Forth Worth, 2001. (p. 409) Future Dividends Are Bull Markets Supported By Rational Growth in Stock Valuations? :: Finance Financial Economics Essays Introduction â€Å"The rich get richer† is a frequently heard adage in the United States, a country quickly associated with capitalism. US financial markets make headline news on a daily basis, so people are well aware when the domestic stock market’s indices rise or fall. Given the widespread distribution of information on the stock market’s performance, much excitement can easily be generated during a bull market, broadly defined as a trend during which stock prices are climbing. Does the publicity and excitement surrounding a bull market further perpetuate rising stock prices? A look at historic daily closing values for the S&P 500 index from January 2, 1997 to December 31, 1999 reveals overall growth of 99.35%[i], which on average indicates similar growth in the stock prices of the companies included in the index. Clearly, this three year period falls within a bull market, since the S&P 500 is commonly utilized to represent average performance of the stock market on the whole. A return of 99.35% on an investment is excellent and far exceeds the general return on â€Å"risk-free† investments like FDIC insured savings accounts or Treasury bills. [i] Percent change calculation derived from widely published market data Examination of Common Stock Valuation to Account for Rising Share Prices Like most economic evaluations, the decision to purchase a share of a company’s stock is based on an individual’s willingness to pay versus the current selling price of the share. Fundamentally, the willingness to pay is determined by a valuation of that share of stock. For a given share of common stock, the willingness to pay is, or should be, linked to the present value of the stream of future cash flows that the investor will receive from expected dividends and through any expected capital gain for selling the share at a higher price than at which it was purchased.[i] Thus, there are three main factors the affect the valuation of a share of common stock: future dividends, future market price of the share, and the discount rate used. [i] Fundamentals of Financial Management, Eugene F. Brigham & Joel F. Houston, Harcourt College Publishers: Forth Worth, 2001. (p. 409) Future Dividends

Brice Family Essay

The Brice family consisted of a family unit of five. The father Davie a lawyer, the mother Caroline, their teenage daughter Claudia, the younger daughter Laura and younger son Don. The family was referred by a psychiatrist who had been seeing Claudia, but felt the whole family needed to be in therapy. The first session was a challenge, the family agreed to go in all together only for the initial session and they were not very comfortable to begin with. The mother Caroline felt the problem that should be address was the issues their teen daughter was having and she did not believe the entire family should be there. Both the mother and daughter came in angry to the therapy session and there was a lot of tension in the room. The father was respectful and stated he was happy to be there, but his body language told the therapist he has not comfortable being there. The youngest daughter Laura seemed to be in a cheerful mood with high energy. The youngest son Don did not show up for the first session. During the session there was an argument that broke out between mother and daughter, Carolyn seems to think they are in therapy to resolve the daughter’s issues that is affecting the entire family, but she does not feel the family as a unit has a problem. Both therapists agreed that it would not be ideal to start the family session without the youngest son Don who did not show up. David and Carolyn did not seem happy with this choice and felt the longer they waited  for their daughter to get help the worst it would get. Carl explain the dynamics of the family and how important it was to have Don at the initiation of the family session, and asked the family to think if they wanted to be a part of the family they are in, and if they did to call and set up a time for the next session with Don include. Dave did not hesitate and agreed to set up an appointment then and there; he looked over at his wife and asked he if she agreed. Carolyn agreed and towards the end of the session Carl connected with Laura the youngest daughter by engaging her in dialog and asking what she thought about everything that was going on in the family. By doing this Carl was able to show the family how every member of the family has a valuable place in therapy, and it is not just about one person. Second Session The second session with the Brice family was as intense as the first one. Don the younger brother did attend the second session. He came in with a sloppy walk. Don has long blond hair and dressed in body shirt jeans and sandals. He introduced himself to Carl and seemed confident. Once the family was settle and the session started the focus of the session would always seem to try and come back to Claudia. Both parents think that Claudia is the cause of the family dysfunction and their marriage is in trouble because of her. Carl did a great job by taking the focus away from Claudia and putting it back on both parents. He was able to have them see that there were other issues that stemmed with them as a couple, and the structure of the family unit. David over working and not being a part of the family and Carolyn being over involved with her mother and her needs. Whitaker and Napier conceptualized the family’s difficulties as a whole problem. They did not see it stem form one family member. They felt the family all had some issues as individuals and as a couple for the parents that were not address when they should have been. Because the issues were set aside they resurfaced and intensified along with Claudia’s changing attitude and miss behavior. This is one of the reasons both parents seem to focus on Claudia and identified her as the main cause of the family’s problems. When using individual understanding of a family’s problem each family member is seen separate. The family is not taken in as a unit, but instead they work on the individual to be able to create harmony in the family. Each member issue are addressed  individually and worked on without the rest of the family having a part. When looked at as individual there is a targeted behavior the individual is seeing as the problem not the family unit as a whole. Carl used the systemic family approach with the Brice family, both therapist looked at the circular interaction of the family problem, the family role of each family member and how they fit in to contributing to the family dysfunction and made sure the entire family was present for the first intervention. Both therapist looked for positive contributions to the social organization of the family that they could look back on to start working with the family as one unit and not focus on one member of the family to be the problem. One of the interventions came by the simple sitting arrangement the family had. The family in the beginning of the session unconsciously sat according to the family structure and how they felt it was. By having the therapist change the seating arrangements was a symbolic change and shift in the family structure to what it should be. Systematic therapy seems to be the best time of therapy for the Brice family. In this paper I have talked about the first two sessions of the Brice family, I have included Whitaker’s and Napier’s conceptualization of the families difficulties and described ho this differs from individual understanding. I also talked about specific interventions used with the family.

A Disappointing Holiday

The cool breeze swept through my hair, making me shiver with excitement. I arched my neck to take full view of the breathtaking beauty of Eiffel Tower, which towered above me like some iron giant. It was such a lovely day. The melodious chime of the twittering birds filled me with glee. The sun too, it seemed, was in a playful mood, playing hide and seek behind the fluffy clouds. â€Å"Trrring trrring! † The telephone rang all of a sudden; bringing me out of the scenic beauties my mind was roaming in. â€Å"Hello† I said. â€Å"Oh! Hello Ferva beta! I have some good news for you! † It was my uncle. Yes, yes! I am listening! † I replied enthusiastically. â€Å"Well! Your tickets have been confirmed for day after tomorrow. † â€Å"Oh really! † â€Å"Yes. Now be ready beta. Don’t miss out anything and take care! Goodbye! † â€Å"Goodbye uncle! † I replied, bringing our conversation to an end. I breathed deeply, thinking of th e adventures in store for me. Ever since my uncle had invited me to visit his family in Paris during my holidays, I had been simply restless. I had been surfing the Net since the past few days for the best tourist locations, and had even set out a travel plan.I was to travel to Paris and visit the monumental beauties of France. Switzerland’s picturesque locations would be my next destination, where I would scale the snowy Alps; move on to Holland and witness the magnificent windmills; a day or two in Italy, and then back to Paris. It was all perfectly planned! These vacations would be the best ones I ever had! The next day was spent fidgeting around endlessly. My mother gave me a box of chocolates as a token of love, and my sister just couldn’t stop reading out her endless wish list! My father was to drive me to the airport, and I counted each passing second in wait. Honk, honk! † â€Å"Finally,† I cried, and headed straight towards the staircase in full s peed. I really couldn’t believe it! My dream vacation was at last going to come true! Once again my mind wandered to the lush green valleys of Europe and I†¦ â€Å"Ouch! † A sharp cry of pain left my mouth as I found myself sprawled on the concrete steps. In my haste, I had hurt myself. The car that was to take me to the airport took me to the hospital instead. This was the most devastating moment for me. I could not help thinking that my flight was leaving without me, my dream had shattered within the blink of an eye.At the hospital, what I thought was a sprain turned out to be a fracture, and I was strictly restricted to six weeks of complete bed rest. A pall of gloom hung over me as I heard my mother call my uncle to inform him of the accident. I was brought home, and though my fracture had healed to a certain extent, my misery never left me. â€Å"Oh, come on! † said my sister, â€Å"my shopping list can wait until next time! † she added cheerful ly. But I could only answer her with a wry smile. It just seemed impossible for me to come to terms with the fact that my plans could fail.And it was in this time of disappointment that I even complained to Allah. once when I was crying silently over how my hopes had been shattered, my mother came up to me and holding my hand said. â€Å"Beta, I know that you have been let down but you must learn that this is part of life. † She paused to take a breath. â€Å"Always remember, God never harms his creations. In fact, there is always betterment behind every decision. † The calm words of my mother made me realise that no matter how much we plan, the ultimate power is God. This moment of truth made me feel better than before.

Technical Report Writing

Technical Report Writing Researchers spend much of their time investigating and determining why or how things happen. Once they do this, they need to compose their findings in such a manner that it can be presented clearly and precisely to others. This is called technical report writing. It’s only by doing this that the researcher can convey his findings to others. Technical report writing is an incredibly important ability for anyone in the research or technical field. Using a technical report to explain your findings and how you arrived at that conclusion is vital to every researcher. Technical reports communicate to readers in such a way that everyone can learn from your research. It makes your hard work more accessible. Coming up with a thesis is important in technical report writing. By doing so one can maintain a tightly controlled report that addresses the main components. In technical report writing make sure that these following items are clearly stated. The report should be dated with your name and affiliation. This is so everyone will have no question about who performed the research and findings. Good technical report writing will contain a short paragraph that summarizes what your paper is about. A reader should be able to scan this paragraph in technical report writing and get a very good idea of what the whole paper is about. Choose appropriate keywords such as to assist others in locating your paper for their own research purposes. Write clearly and concisely so that others may read and understand what you are trying to explain. Technical report writing will often include graphs and diagrams to illustrate the data from the research. Keep your focus on the content of your paper, include the details of your work, the problems encountered, questions that arose and the consequences or your actions towards the research. Make sure that the beginning and last sentence of every paragraph clearly states the body of the paragraph and summarizes appropriately. Technical report writing involves precision in writing. Always explain the points clearly for the readers, even when it might be overkill. Since research often includes more than one individual’s participation, always give credit to them by acknowledging them in your technical report writing. When writing your report, cite references used in the research so that the reader can identify other related works. Always explain how those references affected your research. Technical report writing should be neat and organized. Don’t skip around all over the paper with any one specific action in regards to the research. For example, if you were to explain your methods in conducting the research, explain the methods completely in one section of your technical report writing. Don’t explain parts of the method in several different paragraphs scattered throughout the report. Decide before you do your technical report writing how you want to organize and in what order. Then write according to the organization that you’ve established. In technical report writing it’s important to make references back to the methods if necessary throughout the report but your main explanation of the methods should be contained within that one section. Simply reporting data and findings is not what technical report writing is about. The writer needs to spend time analyzing the data and show what your interpretation of the information is. Thoroughly discuss all the different aspects that have arisen due to your research, whether it’s negative or on the positive side. Technical report writing is expanding on facts with good writing that hooks the reader’s attention.

election of 1844 essays

election of 1844 essays How often do you think about the origin of the alcoholic beverage youre drinking? I bet not too often. But after reading this report, Im sure youll think about the beginning of wine and other alcoholic drinks every time youre partying. Dionysus (Bacchus) was the Greek god of the vines, which is where wine comes from. The name Dionysus itself means he who gives wine. He is also the god of joy, fertility, and agriculture. He has a dual nature. On one hand, he brings joy and great ecstasy. On the other hand, he brings brutal, unthinking rage. These, reflecting both sides of wine nature. Dionysus is the son of Semele and Zues. He is the only god to have a mortal parent. Zues came to Semele one night only as a divine presence. She was so pleased to be the lover of a god, even though she did not know which one. Hera became enraged when she found out about the affair. She disguised herself as Zues and convinced Semele she would see her lover as he really was. When Zues returned to Semele, she made him promise to grant her one wish. He agreed to it and even swore on the Styx River. She then asked him to show her his true form. Zues was unhappy, knowing what would happen, but having sworn, he had no choice. He appeared in his true form, and Semele instantly turned to ashes. Zues managed to rescue Dionysus and stitch him into his thigh until he was ready to be born. This birth from Zues alone confirmed immortality upon him. After Dionysus was born Hera was still in a jealous rage and ordered the Titans to kill him. They followed her orders and ripped Dionysus t o pieces. However, Rhea brought him back to life, and Zues arranged for his protection. He did this by leaving him with the Nysaean nymphs, who nourished him through infancy and childhood. They were rewarded for their care by being placed among the stars. Once Dionysus had grown into manhood, he d ...

Tips For Writing Flawless Economics Essays

Tips For Writing Flawless Economics Essays Economics Essay: Crafting an Impressive Essay When in college and studying economics, at some point you will be required to come up with an economic essay. To make it substantial, you need to provide points of arguments and back them up with evidence to support their validity. In order to come up with a first-class essay, you first need to conduct extensive research for your work, structure a thesis for your work and create an outline that will ensure your work is logical. An economic essay relies on facts and each point made concerning the topic of discussion should be supported appropriately, and creativity used to give room for more interpretation and understanding by the reader. Below is a step by step guide that will help you in the writing of an impressive economics essay. Requirements of an Economics Essay Most of the economics essays are posted in terms of the question. After getting your topic, read it through several times until you are conversant with it. Additionally, if you do not understand it properly, do not hesitate to consult your professor. When you understand it, write it down on a sticky note and stick it where you can see and refer to it. Also, highlight the keywords in the provided instructions. It is a sure way of reminding yourself to stick to the required information related to the topic throughout your writing. Conduct Thorough Research Only start your research process when you have familiarized and understood the topic you are to discuss. Several essays only require the information in your textbook for them to be well answered. Just in case you find the information not sufficient, you can refer to the reference section of the book and use the provided sources to conduct more research. All in all, don’t forget that your professor is there to guide you. Use his knowledge and understanding to your advantage and consult where necessary. As you do your research, you are bound to find some unfamiliar terms. Do not take them for granted, try and find their meanings to gain a better understanding of them. Additionally, keep in mind that you are to tick to the main topic of discussion. When you are reading through your source materials, keep to the materials related to your work and avoid any information that is unrelated. Create a Plan for Your Writing After you are done conducting research and you have collected a sufficient amount of evidence and relative backup arguments, you should start thinking of how to write your economics essay. It is prudent to insist and repeat that when it comes to economics essay, you cannot deviate from the topic of discussion throughout the whole essay.   Having a concise plan will help you achieve this. However, do not confuse an essay plan as your outline for writing an essay. Both are different, and its still too early to start thinking about an essay outline at this point. The essay plan consists of a rough draft of the key point that you need to address in your essay. Listing them is important in helping you distinguish the most relevant, from the irrelevant and therefore use the required information in writing your economics essay. Arrange Your Material After you have come up with the essential materials that you are to put in your economics essay, you should arrange them in order to achieve a logical flow of ideas. This will help in the writing of your final draft since the ideas are well put and the narrations of your arguments are smooth. Have in mind the outline of an essay which is the introduction, main body paragraphs, and the conclusion section. When structuring your main body paragraphs, consider the length of paper you are required to submit.   This will ensure that you don’t squeeze your words in ways that will make the point vague and not understandable. It is easier to put a central focus on key issues, and only fill them with brief, but straight to the point arguments. Introduce Your Essay After putting together your research materials and you have a clear understanding of the topic you are to discuss, you can now embark on writing your economics essay.   The crucial but still technical part of writing an essay is the introduction, and that of an economic essay is no different.   It is recommended that you handle this part of the essay first and be done with it. It will also serve as a guideline of how you are to write your body paragraphs and still stick to the topic of discussion. An introduction for an economic essay serves as an extended and broadened version of your main argument that you formulated on the rough draft about your main points. Outline your Main Body Paragraphs After you have successfully broadened your main argument for the economic essay in the introduction part, you have already set the tone for what the reader is to expect as the read your work. Do not forget to stick to the main topic of discussion while writing your body paragraphs. At this point, assemble a more comprehensive outline of your main body paragraphs. This was already done when you arranged your research information in a logical order on a rough draft. For the final copy, you should do the same to ensure you work has a logical flow of the ideas you have presented. Ensure that each point of view and the related argument are done each in their own paragraphs. Your outline should be made of a single sentence addressing your point of view, and several citations that act as a source of material to justify your argument. Writing the Main Body Paragraphs Using the outline created for your main body of the essay, you will easily write the body paragraphs. The only thing left to do is expounding your main points with well-structured arguments from different sources as back up to make the work factual and creative. In simple terms, your body paragraphs will start with the main sentences you came up with in your essay outline and the evidence you gathered from the research materials you used. It is important to stress that the narration of your essay should have a logical flow of ideas and offer each piece of information clearly and straight forward. Make use of transition sentences at the end of each body paragraph to connect on body paragraph to the other for the achievement of a logical connection. Use Compelling Evidence For Your Work A point to note is that an economic essay clearly relies on facts and data as compared to other essays within diverse disciplines. This means that quoting what an author said will not be enough to support your point of view. Avail to the reader specified statistics, facts, and figures. The factual evidence is the argumentative part of your economic essay that gives your work its essence. This should engage you to ensure that every single argument you put across for the main sentences of your body paragraphs is complemented with facts and statistical evidence. Write the Conclusion After you have written your body paragraphs of the economic essay you are working on, consider this the end of discussion for the main part of your essay. What remains now is a summative narrative that briefly reminds the reader of the important points put across and their validity. A concrete conclusion is important as it helps consolidate the trust of the reader in your work and point of argument. This will give the reader a conclusive general impression of the work they are reading. A weak conclusion should be avoided as the reader will remain unimpressed and the work presented won’t be relevant to them thus a waste of time on both sides. Think of a conclusion as a summative part of your whole essay. This is the thought you let your reader leave with after reading and contemplate about as they carry out their own businesses. The best way of creating a good conclusion is restating the central argument that you expressed in the introduction of your economic essay. Read through Your Draft It is naive to think that your work is done when you completed writing your essay. You should always polish your paper to make it worth a read and be sure that you will receive good grades. However, it is too early, to begin with proofreading your work for errors related to spellings, punctuation or grammar. After concluding your work, focus on reading through your work to be sure that each detail presented in your main body paragraphs are associated with the topic. Also, ensure that they are backed up by credible evidence from reliable sources. Any deviations should be cut off the main work. As we said earlier, quality work does not rely on the number of words, but on the preciseness and factual illustration of your written economics essay. Do a Review of the Consistency of Your Writing After confirming the relevance of your information to your topic and each argument is structured according to the source material, you need now to question the sufficiency of the information presented. To start off, ensure that the main argument is clear and understandable to the reader.   Double check its legibility and understanding to the target audience. Make sure that you eliminate any hint of ambiguity to make your economics essay worth a good grade. Another point to consider should be the application of this principle to the entire essay. You should avoid making the reader question the need for some piece of information in your essay, or what it proves relating to your topic of discussion. Proofread for Spelling and Grammar Polishing your work should be the last step in ensuring your economics essay has been well articulated and structured, and all errors have been resolved accordingly.   This involves correcting all forms of grammatical, punctuation, or spelling errors. This will ensure that your grades are not tanked by such mistakes, and the reader does not end up disappointed in the essay you have written. You should keep in mind that no matter how different your major is from language studies, resolving errors in your work is important because by overlooking them, you stand to lose substantial marks that will affect your grade. Make sure you follow the right instruction and hand in a well-written essay that is both impressive and creative.

How the media negatively effects women's body image Essay

How the media negatively effects women's body image - Essay Example In movies, particularly, but also in television shows and the accompanying commercials, womens and girls appearance is frequently commented on: 58 percent of female characters in movies had comments made about their looks, as did 28 percent in television shows and 26 percent of the female models in the accompanying commercials† (â€Å"Media’s Effect on†). The definition of a beautiful woman has undergone a radical transformation over the last few decades, and no factor’s role is as dominating in causing this effect than media. The trend of a skinny woman being defined as beautiful started around the mid-20th century. It would not be wrong to state that the new definition of beauty is just as old as the television itself. Hollywood has played a pivotal role in bringing a transformation in the definition of a beautiful woman. By offering roles to skinny and beautiful actresses from as early as the later half of the 20th century in movies, television and media has been slowly but progressively reincarnating the image of a beautiful woman. Today, the transformation has completed and its biggest victims are ordinary women. When women look at the skinny actresses and models at the cover pages of their famous magazines and in the soaps, even the most beautiful women who are naturally beautiful according to all reasonable and right standards find themselves losing to the beauty of these cover girls. Women are trying a range of techniques and strategies in an attempt to meet the standards of beauty in the contemporary age. From changing diet plans, adopting an intense exercise regime, to undergoing liposuction surgery to get that supposedly extra fat sucked out, women are doing it all. â€Å"The mindset that a person can never be "too rich or too thin" is all too prevalent in society, and it makes it difficult for females to achieve any level of contentment with their physical appearance† (Serdar). All of this comes at a great cost. Some women have to pay a lot of

INTRO TO THIRD SECTOR Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

INTRO TO THIRD SECTOR - Article Example Many nonprofit organizations have been negatively impacted by the bad economic times in recent times, which have lowered donation income. This paper discusses different concepts associated with running and managing a nonprofit organization. Nonprofit Management Focusing on the importance of managing stakeholder and relationships in nonprofit organizations, some of the most important stakeholder groups include volunteers, suppliers, lenders, government, and the community. Nonprofit organizations face similar accountability issues as private businesses. Some of the accountability issues nonprofits face are fiduciary, legal, professional, and the duty to preserve and serve the public good. Michael in his argument states that, stakeholder groups have a lot of influence over nonprofit organizations. Managers of nonprofit organizations must clearly understand the expectations of stakeholder groups. It is imperative for managers to keep the lines of communication open at all times with its stakeholders. Some of the mechanisms that are used by nonprofits to facilitate communication with stakeholders are conferences, advisory committees, member surveys, newsletters, and data sheets (Michael, 2013). Research Statement and methodology From perspective point of view we find that, nonprofit organizations provide vital services that markedly contribute to the health of our communities. The goal of this research in regards to Nonprofit Management aspect however, is to find the concrete solutions that should be initiated in such organizations to enhance growth and provision of quality services in our communities. We believe that fundamental organizational and management principles can be used by leaders in the nonprofit sector to strengthen both their systems and service delivery. The Nonprofit Management Program however, provides affordable, practical and accessible information to people working in and with the nonprofit arena, whether they are paid staff, directors, board me mbers, philanthropists or volunteers. It integrates commitment facets to entire community and that’s why this research plays a vital position in analyzing the better things to be considered for better service delivery (Drucker, 2006). Meanwhile, the manager of a nonprofit has control over the relations with its stakeholders. The support of stakeholders can be maintained by satisfying their concerns and meeting their expectations. The effectiveness of a nonprofit organization is dependent on the ability of these entities of maintaining productive relationship with all stakeholder groups. One of the findings of the study performed by the author of the journal article is that when executives use a consistent or thematic approach in dealing with the different stakeholder groups the organization is perceived as more effective. More so, the article provided an interesting discussion of the influence stakeholders have on nonprofit organizations. It is in the best interest of a manag er to maintain constant communication with stakeholders in order to understand their needs. The existence of nonprofit organizations is deeply engrained in the society of the United States as it has deep roots. The Greco-Roman culture places emphasis on community, citizenship, and social responsibility. Two distinct concepts associated with nonprofits are charity and philanthropy. Charity refers to giving intended to attend current human needs, while philanthropy is

Waste water in UAE Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Waste water in UAE - Personal Statement Example t decades, rapid economic development and an exponentially expanding population have compelled the government to rely on non-conventional water resources. Some of the sources include desalination (Madwar & Tarazi, 2013) or treated wastewater as optional sources of water for irrigation purposes (MoHUD, 2014). The treated wastewater is widely applied as marginal water suitable for the cultivating of forages, in landscaping, in fruit farms among other uses (Alhumoud, et al, 2010). In the UAE, the yearly production of treated wastewater is averagely 450 million cubic meters, approximately 8% of the nation’s water capacity (Issa, et al, 2012). However, only approximately 60% percent of the treated wastewater is reused in the required areas. The low efficiency stems from the low capacity of the of the country’s distributing system following water treatment (Hamad, et al, 2013: Al-katheeri, 2008). Further, the reuse of treated wastewater presents several forms of risks that ex tend to the environment, health economic and strategic (Radan, 2010). The disturbing fact, however, is the challenges encountered in measuring the risks. The proposal presents an assessment of different options for the reuse of the treated wastewater and maps out the risks faced in the various phases. It further creates a basis for coming to terms with the continuation of the work plan that can establish financial functions that represent various risks. Through the synthesis of existing literature, the report seeks to establish the bet course of action for salvaging the situation. Hamad, A., Ahmed, A., & Douboni, M. (2013). Cost-effective wastewater treatment and recycling in mini-plants using mass integration. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 4(4), 246-256. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10098-002-0166-7 Worku, G. B. (2013). Demand for improved public transport services in the UAE: A contingent valuation study in Dubai. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(10),

Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Critical thinking - Essay Example Its workforce of over 17, 000 men and women voted Iceland Frozen Foods the third most successful company compared with all other companies in motivating them to do their best. Four years before the turnaround, morale was ‘at rock bottom after 40% of staff at the Deeside head office were made redundant’ (The Sunday Times, 2009). It is quite reasonable to assume in retrospect that top management at the time was incapable of motivating the workforce to achieve profitability and ensure the survival of the firm. It is quite likely that ‘scientific management’ or Taylorism as it is also called, may have been, the paradigm under which the top managers of Iceland Frozen Foods worked, in running the day to day affairs of the company. Or, they may not even have given much thought to motivating the workforce, but merely continued on traditional lines, hiring and firing believing that labour was a disposable item. Taylorism is explained as the ‘decoupling of the labour process from the skills of the workforce’, and has been defined as ‘management strategies that are based upon the separation of conception from execution’ Pruijt, 2000). The knowledge and skills of how best to run the enterprise are confined to the heads of the few top mangers. The rest of the workforce merely follows orders to the letter. They have no discretion as to how they do their day to day jobs. They have to follow strictly laid out procedures. This may work well in some industries, say on a car assembly line, but in enterprises with close customer contact, this approach is unlikely to be optimal. Nevertheless, Prujit also acknowledges that McDonalds and call centres (customer service operations) use such strategies and can claim success by ensuring ‘predictability and controllability’ (op. cit.). After Taylorism , Herzberg’s two-factor motivational theory became influential in alerting management to the value of tapping into the need for

Refliction Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Refliction Paper - Assignment Example In the nineteenth and the twentieth century, more children were brought in as child labourers. The only time that child labour reduced was when the labour standards grew, and labour standards improved. This increased the political power of working people and social reformers to demand legislation regulating child labour (Hindman 44). These political reformers changed the lives of many children. This was least expected from them because they were the company owners who received cheap labour from these children. The history of child labour in the United States was a long reign. In history, it is said that children worked for their parents, or they were employed by an outside employer. However, child labour cases have changed. In this era child, employment is associated with a lot of risks. In addition, technology has improvised the society thus reducing much labour which fell under children responsibility. Nevertheless some of these equipment’s that are brought in companies are equally dangerous to youth and people who are not improvised to operate the machines. The most important thing that have changed my mind is that I thought the only people who were enslaved were black people but surprisingly I have come to learn that even the white people were enslaved. The most significant determinant that I think is important is that even though the children were enslaved later on they were set free in the year 1938 (Hindman 44). It is relaxing that the children would no longer suffer the torture they went

Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Critical thinking - Essay Example Its workforce of over 17, 000 men and women voted Iceland Frozen Foods the third most successful company compared with all other companies in motivating them to do their best. Four years before the turnaround, morale was ‘at rock bottom after 40% of staff at the Deeside head office were made redundant’ (The Sunday Times, 2009). It is quite reasonable to assume in retrospect that top management at the time was incapable of motivating the workforce to achieve profitability and ensure the survival of the firm. It is quite likely that ‘scientific management’ or Taylorism as it is also called, may have been, the paradigm under which the top managers of Iceland Frozen Foods worked, in running the day to day affairs of the company. Or, they may not even have given much thought to motivating the workforce, but merely continued on traditional lines, hiring and firing believing that labour was a disposable item. Taylorism is explained as the ‘decoupling of the labour process from the skills of the workforce’, and has been defined as ‘management strategies that are based upon the separation of conception from execution’ Pruijt, 2000). The knowledge and skills of how best to run the enterprise are confined to the heads of the few top mangers. The rest of the workforce merely follows orders to the letter. They have no discretion as to how they do their day to day jobs. They have to follow strictly laid out procedures. This may work well in some industries, say on a car assembly line, but in enterprises with close customer contact, this approach is unlikely to be optimal. Nevertheless, Prujit also acknowledges that McDonalds and call centres (customer service operations) use such strategies and can claim success by ensuring ‘predictability and controllability’ (op. cit.). After Taylorism , Herzberg’s two-factor motivational theory became influential in alerting management to the value of tapping into the need for

Reading Response to Quotes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading Response to Quotes - Assignment Example Abstract imagery is often described as trickery because images like that are not intended to show the world the way it is, but rather give us a perspective from which an artist looks at it. 2. This quote touches upon perspective as the way to both actualize an artist in the imagery he or she creates and accentuate something he or she wants viewers to contemplate again. Many photographs like Nicholas Prior in his Conspiracy of Silence project, where he uses a dirty window between a camera and an object of photography, tend to play with codes of photographic truth to make viewers think metaphorically when they see visual images. All in all, a visual image has always been a powerful tool of communication between those who create an image and those who look at it. 3. It is quite an interesting quote to think about. Visual images, whether it is photography, painting or movie, help us grasp changes that either the world we live in or the inner world of a certain artist go through. In my opinion, when it comes to such an important visual system as perspective it may symbolize the anatomy of impressions and reflections an artist has at certain point, which often directly correlates to perspectives with which he or she chooses to look at the world, objects and

Interest groups Essay Example for Free

Interest groups Essay More than any other group special interest groups hold an enormous amount of sway in the American political system. What is interesting here is the fact that most of the public looks upon special interest groups with disdain. There are a number of reasons for this but before the reasons can be defined special interests must be defined. An interest group is an organized faction that seeks to sway political influence that is favorable to them. For example, many corporations pressure politicians to ease immigration laws because they earn enormous volumes of money by using labor that is generally inexpensive. When it comes to the effect that special interest groups have on democratic pluralism, the effect is generally negative. The reason for this is that special interest groups undermine the democratic process and this frustrates the public to a significant degree. Probably the most significant area that voters express frustration in is the notion that special interest groups are favored by politicians more than the popular will of the American people. That is, if a special interest group promotes an item or an agenda that is opposed by the vast majority of the America people, politicians will still give significant attention to the special interest groups and then will side with the special interest groups against the will of the people. This creates a significant amount of anger and discontent on the part of the voters because it leads to a situation where the representative form of government is no longer acting in a manner that would be deemed representative. In other words, the elected officials no longer promote the interests of the public, but rather promote the interests of front groups, elitists and corporatists. Sadly, this assessment – while somewhat oversimplified – is very close to accurate. One of the reasons that special interest groups have such influence is because an enormous amount of money is required to run a successful election and special interest groups bring with them a great deal of money. While this may seem like a cynical assessment of the current political landscape it is also an accurate one. It would be next to impossible for someone such as James Madison to support the current situation where special interest groups yield significant sway in the government arena. While Madison did understand that political factions were inevitable and also not inherently bad, his belief system (like most of the framers) was generally influenced by John Locke and Locke’s belief in the Social Contract. Within the framework of the Social Contract it is explicitly stated that the government is supposed to protect the inalienable rights of the individual. When the goals of special interests are placed above the needs and benefit of the American people, then the entire notion of the Social Contract is undermined. As such, it would be difficult to believe that Madison would support the current landscape of special interest groups that dominate American politics. Granted, while there is much discontent in the United States regarding special interest groups these groups will never go away. These groups are well funded and their money is welcomed by politicians. As such, interest groups will remain on the political landscape forever and ever. Literally. Bibliography Madison, J. , Hamilton, A. , and Jay, J. (Date Unknown)THE FEDERALIST PAPERS. Retrieved 4 September 2007 from http://patriotpost. us/fedpapers/fedpapers. html Scheikart, Larry. A PATRIOT’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. New York: Penguin, 2007. Zinn, Howard. A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. New York: Harper’s, 2007.

Glasgow Coma and Glasgow Outcome Scales for Brain Injury

Glasgow Coma and Glasgow Outcome Scales for Brain Injury ABSTRACT Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death in adults under the age of 45 and an estimated 7.7 million people in the European Union are living with a disability caused by TBI. The severities of these injuries are differentiated by the use of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and the outcome is assessed by the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). These scales can be used to develop a prognosis for individuals with TBI’s in various ways. Primarily, the lower the GCS score the more severe the brain injury and therefore the worse the outcome for the patient. The GOS is applied 6 months after injury and provides a score of 1-5 with a lower score indicating the worse outcome, death. To conclude GCS by itself cannot be used to provide a long term prognosis for brain injuries. GCS can be used in addition to other factors such as presence of a midline shift on Computer Tomography and fixed pupil dilations are significant in determining prognosis. The presence of lesions on the brainst em correlates with the GCS and GOS scores allowing reliable and valid prognosis’ to be made. INTRODUCTION Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects an estimated 1.4 million people every year in the United Kingdom (UK)[1], and is a leading cause of death in adults under the age of 45. [2] It is currently estimated that at least 7.7 million people in the European Union are living with disabilities caused by TBI’s. [3] TBI’s account for 6.6% of the Accident Emergency (AE) attendees. [4] 95% of all TBI’s presented at AE are mild, 5% severe and moderate injuries. [5] It is extremely important to determine the severity of the TBI as it has implications on the treatment and later rehabilitation of the patient. TBI can be open or closed injuries, with open TBI injuries being linked to worse functional outcomes and increased mortality. The most common method of assessing TBI is the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and a common method for addressing the outcome of a patient is the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). WHAT IS THE GLASGOW COMA SCALE? The GCS is a test to ascertain the consciousness of a patient after being subject to a TBI. The maximum score with this scale is 15 and the minimum 3, this is comprised of three sections: eye opening, verbal response and motor response. (Table 1). GCS is included in National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guideline on head injury3 to provide information on survival rates for patients suffering different severities of TBI. The guideline also indicates that GCS is a measurement that should be taken at the scene of the injury by paramedics. If this is not possible it should be taken at admission to AE as early indication of TBI severity is imperative in the later treatment. The GCS differentiates between the severities of head injury by score ranges. A GCS of 13-15 indicates a mild head injury, 9-12 moderate and 3-8 severe. The GCS score can be affected by the time it is applied after injury, therefore in order to universalise this, GCS is often used once the patient has been stabilised.4 The GCS can be difficult to use in trauma cases, as localised trauma, swelling, sedation and intubation can affect testing the eye and verbal responses. [6] [7] In a survey performed by The European Brain Injury Consortium only 49% of patients could be tested fully against the scale after being stabilised in resuscitation.[8] Feature Response Score Total Eye Opening Spontaneously 4 To speech 3 To pain 2 No response 1 E: /4 Verbal Response Orientated 5 Confused 4 Inappropriate words 3 Incomprehensible words 2 No response 1 V: /5 Motor Response Obeys commands 6 Localises pain 5 Withdraws from pain 4 Flexion to pain 3 Extension t pain 2 No response 1 M:/6 Total Score GCS /15 Table 1- Glasgow Coma Scale Components of the GCS and how each section is scored individually Adapted from: Bethel J. 2012, Emergency care of children and adults with head injury, Nursing Standard, 26(43), 49-56 The GCS is considered by some to have acceptable inter-rater reliability[9] when used by experienced practitioners. However mistakes are made consistently by inexperienced users of up to 1 mark per section. Inter-rater reliability was shown to improve after exposure to a training video.[10] Reliability with scoring is imperative in making accurate TBI severity diagnosis, and then the relevant treatment associated with them. In severe TBI’s the motor component of the GCS is the best indicator of prognosis, this is due to verbal and eye scores not being able to be performed. [11] This has led to an adaption of the motor score of the GCS, called the simplified motor score (SMS). The SMS has 3 scores: 2 obey commands, 1 localises pain and 0 withdrawal to pain.[12] It was found that the SMS and GCS were useful in indicating whether neurosurgery was needed and also intubation. Overall GCS was better in predicting chance of death, however SMS was able to be used to assess patient involved in trauma more effectively as intubation and eye swelling would not be detrimental.12 This indicates that SMS may be better used in conjunction with GCS with patients who present to AE with severe head trauma. HOW CAN THE GLASGOW COMA SCALE BE USED IN BRAIN INJURY PROGNOSIS? A more severe TBI will lead to a worse 6-month functional outcome for the patient. 30% of patients with initial GCS [13] and 50% of patients with GCS ≠¤8 after being stabilized in resuscitation will die.6 Patients who have a GCS score of 3-5 have a 5% chance of survival 6 months after injury.[14] There is no direct correlation between GCS score and the patient’s ability to function in daily life afterwards. This is due to varied functional outcomes being linked to different scores on the GCS.[15] Patients with GCS ≠¥8 had 85% chance of favourable prognosis, if this score was obtained 24 hours post-admission.[16] The predictive value of GCS scores alter according to the time at which the score was obtained. GCS scores obtained at least 24 hours after trauma were linked to the grade the TBI was classified by MRI data. These grades are associated with brain stem lesions, grade 4 being the worst and grade 1 the best. The higher the GCS score the lower the grade of brainstem lesion and therefore the better prognosis in terms of functional outcome for the patient. 14 In a study performed by Utomo et al there were no patients with GCS 3-8 that were living independently 6 months after injury. In addition patients with this GCS score were 24 times more likely to die when compared to patients with GCS score 13-15.[17] GCS alone cannot accurately predict the brain injury prognosis for a patient. However, if GCS is applied with computer tomography (CT) evidence and pupil dilations, then a prognosis of possible functional outcome can be made for an individual patient.[18] WHAT IS THE GLASGOW OUTCOME SCALE? The GOS was developed to assess functional recovery of patients with brain injuries.[19] The GOS is based on a structured interview that assesses 7 areas: consciousness, independence at home, independence in the community, work, leisure and social events, relationship with family and friends and finally return to normal life.[20] The area in which the patient is living is not taken into account with the GOS but is taken note of separately. GOS is often split into two broad outcomes: favourable and unfavourable. Favourable outcome encompasses good recovery and moderately disabled. Unfavourable outcome includes: death, persistent vegetative state and severely disabled.9 The standard GOS has a 5 point scale (Table 2) but was extended after concerns were raised that it was not sensitive enough in detecting minor disabilities that may restrict the patient in returning to work. This led to the GOS extended (GOSE) being devised. Guidance has been published to increase the universal reliability of the GOSE[21], but there are still issues with its application. This is mainly due to the time period between the TBI and the GOSE being applied, this is normally taken at 6-12 months post injury. A GOS assessment at 12 months was more reliable than at 6 months[22], but it may increase the number of patients lost in follow up. 10% of patients who were moderately or severely disabled at the 6 month GOS test improved by one category. GOS GOS(extended) 1 Death 1 Death 2 Persistent Vegetative State 2 Persistent Vegetative State 3 Severely Disabled 3 Lower Severely Disabled 4 Upper Severely Disabled 4 Moderately Disabled 5 Lower Moderately Disabled 6 Upper Moderately Disabled 5 Good recovery 7 Lower Good Recovery 8 Upper Good Recovery Table 2 Glasgow Outcome Scale Shows on the left hand side the original GOS (5 point scale) and on the right the extended GOS (8 point scale) Adapted from: Nichol A, Higgins A, Gabbe B, Murray L, Cooper D, Cameron P. 2011, Measuring functional and quality of life outcomes following major head injury: Coma scales and checklists, Injury, 42(3), 281-287 The 5 sections of the GOS refer to the functional ability that will ultimately be achieved by the patient. Vegetative state refers to the patient being unable to respond; severely disabled patients cannot live on their own; moderately disabled patients can live by their selves but have reduced ability to work; good recovery infers that the patient returns to work fully.[23] It is also possible that the patient when interviewed presents a more positive outlook of their situation leading to the GOS score being faulty. In addition to this a patient may be given a GOS score of 5 indicating a good recovery, but this only refers to the patient being able to return to work. With a good recovery prognosis may still have changes in personality and an inability to cope in social situations.20 This leads to the GOS not fully indicating a good recovery, again highlighting the reason why the GOSE was devised. Under these circumstances a patient can be given a GOSE score of 7 indicating a lower good recovery. The GOS and the GOSE scores can be obtained via phone call increasing their practicality as a scale. This scale is reliable when performed over the phone due to the standardized interview which informs the score that the patient will receive.19 HOW CAN THE GLASGOW OUTCOME SCALE BE USED IN BRAIN INJURY PROGNOSIS? When applied to the GOS a patient with a severe TBI had 40% likelihood of death; 4% chance of being in a vegetative state; 16% severe disability; 19% moderate disability and 21% chance of a good recovery.6 This was a 40% likelihood of a favourable functional outcome at the 6-month GOS test. This is compared to mild brain injury that had 9% chance of dying; 0% of being in a vegetative state; 14% of severe disability; 24% of moderate disability and 53% of having a good recovery.6 This has a 77% overall prognosis of a favourable outcome for individuals with a mild brain injury. This shows that the GOS will make a differentiation in functional outcome for different severity of brain injury. This score is unlikely to change from an unfavourable to favourable outcome after this time period although some small improvements may be seen.18 Any further improvement is probably linked to rehabilitative treatment, and not the improvement of the patient’s TBI. There is a 94% chance of a good recovery with GCS >8.5 (9 +) and age ≠¤49.5 years. This is compared to an 81% chance of good recovery with GCS >8.5 (9 +) and age ≠¥49.5 years. This highlights how age can affect the probability of a patient achieving a good recovery from their brain injury.[24] Patient’s aged >75 years with a moderate or severe TBI were three times more likely to die from their TBI than patients aged 65-74 years. It was also less common for patients aged >75 years to be living independently 6 months post-injury than patients that were younger.15 The age of the patient and the severity of their TBI need to be taken into account when deciding on treatment. The prognoses for individuals in the 75+ age range are unfavourable according to the GOS. 15 Due to this treatment should be decided based on this factor. There is a correlation between the GOC score a patient is given and the grade of their brainstem lesion that is provided by MRI data. A higher grade of brainstem lesion correlates to a more unfavourable outcome for the patient.14 CONCLUSIONS Overall the GCS cannot by itself provide either long or short term brain injury prognosis. This is because there are too many variables that affect each GCS score, including the fluctuation of the GOS associated with these scores and the difference in reliability depending on who has applied the scale. The GCS is used to assess the severity of a brain injury and to allow medical professionals to constantly monitor the patient’s progress. GOS can be used to give prognosis 6 to 12 months after injury; if the scale is used before this time then the score will not indicate the full functional outcome of the patient. This time period of scoring is not beneficial for prognosis at such a time that it will be used to inform treatment of the patient. The GOS does not provide a long term prognosis for brain injury as over time and with rehabilitation improvements can be made past what is predicted. Due to the time period necessary for GOS to be more accurately applied, the GCS can be used for the interim on a general scale in order to infer the likely GOC score a patient may receive. This score will be linked to other factors such as age, pupil dilation and presence of a midline shift on computer tomography, in addition to initial GCS score.18 To conclude the GCS and GOS are vital in identifying the severity of brain injury and are still the most used scales for their purpose due to their simplicity and acceptable reliability. The use of these scales in brain injury prognosis helps direct treatment for individual patients, and allows realistic individual rehabilitation goals to be made for that individual. References [1]Hodgkinson D, Berry E, Yates D. 1994, Mild head injury – a positive approach to management, European Journal of Emergency Medicine, 1(1), 9-12 [2] Moppett I. 2007, Traumatic brain injury: assessment, resuscitation and early management, British Journal of Anaesthesia, 99(1), 18-31 [3] Roozenbeek B, Maas A, Menon D. 2013, Changing patterns in the epidemiology of traumatic brain injury, Nature Reviews Neurology, 9(4), 231-236 [4] Swann I, Walker A. 2001, Who cares for the patient with head injury now?, Emergency Medicine, 18(5), 352-357 [5] National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) 2014 Head Injury; Triage, assessment, investigation and early management of head injury in children, young people and adults Available at: http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg176/resources/guidance-head-injury-pdf (Accessed 18/03/2015) [6] Chieregato A, Martino C, Pransani V, Nori G, Russo E, Simini B et al. 2010, Classification of traumatic brain injury: the Glasgow Coma Scale is not enough, Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandanavica,  54(6), 696-702 [7] Kushner D, Johnson-Greene D. 2014, Changes in cognition and continence as predictors of rehabilitation outcomes in individuals with severe traumatic brain injury, Journal of Rehabilitation Research Development, 57(7), 1057-1068 [8] Murray G, Teasdale G, Braakman R et al. 1999, The European Brain Injury Consortium survey of head injuries, Acta neurochirurgica, 141(3), 223-236 [9] Rowley G, Fielding K. 1991, Reliability and accuracy of the Glasgow Coma Scale with experienced and inexperienced users, Lancet, 337(8740), 535-538 [10] McLernon S. 2014, The Glasgow Coma Scale 40 years on: A review of its practical use, British Journal od Neuroscience Nursing, 10(4), 179-184 [11]  Lingsma H, Roozenbeek B, Steyerberg E, Murray G, Maas A. 2010, Early prognosis in traumatic brain injury: from prophecies to predictions, Lancet Neurology 9(5), 543-554 [12] Singh B, Murad H, Prokop L, Erwin P, Wang Z, Parsaik A, et al. 2013, Meta-analysis of Glasgow Coma Score and Simplified Motor Score in predicting traumatic brain injury outcomes, Brain Injury, 27(3), 293-300 [13] Thornhill S, Teasdale G, Murray G, McEwan J, Roy C, Penny K. 2000, Disability in young people and adults one year after head injury: prospective cohort study, British Medical Journal 320(7250), 1631-1635 [14] Maas A, Stocchetti N, Bullock R. 2008, Moderate and severe traumatic brain injury in adults, the Lancet Neurology, 7(8), 728-741 [15]  Udekwu P, Kromhout-Schiro S, Vaslef S, Baker C, Oller D. 2004, Glasgow coma scales score, mortality, and functional outcome in head-injured patients, Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgey, 56(5), 1084-1089 [16] Woischneck D, Firsching R, Schmitz B, Kapapa T. 2013, The prognostic reliability of the Glasgow Coma Scale in traumatic brain injuries: evaluation of MRI data, European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, 39(1), 79-86 [17] Utomo W, Gabbe B, Simpson P, Cameron P. 2009, Predictors of in-hospital mortality and 6-moth functional outcomes in older adults after moderate to severe brain injury, Injury, 40(9), 973-977 [18]  Husson E, Ribbers G, Willemse-van Son A, Stam H. 2010, Prognosis of six-month functioning after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury: A systematic review of prospective cohort studies, Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 42(1), 425-436 [19]  Brooks D, Hosie J, Bond M, Jennett B, Aughton M. 1986, Cognitive sequelae of severe head injury I relation to the Glasgow Outcome Scale, Journal of Neurological and Neurosurgical Psychiatry, 49(5), 549-553 [20] Jourdan c, Bosserelle V, Azerad S, Ghout I, Bayen E, Aegerter P, Weiss J, Mateo J, Lescot T, Vigue B, Razarourte K, Pradat-Diehl P, Azouvi P. 2013, Predictive factors for 1-year outcome of a cohort of patients with severe traumatic brain injury: results from PariS-TBI study, Brain Injury, 27(9), 1000-1007 [21] Wilson J, Pettigrew L, Teasdale G. 1998, Structured interviews for the Glasgow Outcome Scale and the extended Glasgow Outcome Scale: Guidelines for their use, Journal of Neuro-trauma, 15(8), 573-587 [22] Nalt J. 2001, Prediction of outcome in mild to moderate head injury: A review, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 23(6), 837-851 [23] : Nichol A, Higgins A, Gabbe B, Murray L, Cooper D, Cameron P. 2011, Measuring functional and quality of life outcomes following major head injury: Coma scales and checklists, Injury, 42(3), 281-287 [24] Oh H, Seo W. 2013, Development of a decision tree analysis model that predicts recovery from acute brain injury , Japan Journal of Nursing Science, 10(1), 89-97

Free Essays - Realism and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Realism and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is an immensely realistic novel, revealing how a child's morals and actions clash with those of the society around him. Twain shows realism in almost every aspect of his writing; the description of the setting, that of the characters, and even the way characters speak. Twain also satirizes many of the foundations of that society. Showing the hypocrisy of people involved in education, religion, and romanticism through absurd, yet very real examples. Most importantly, Twain shows the way Huckleberry's moral beliefs form amidst a time of uncertainty in his life.    Realism is a literary style in which the author describes people, their actions, their emotions and surroundings as close to the reality as possible. The characters are not perfectly good or completely evil; they exhibit strengths and weaknesses, just as real people. The characters often commit crimes or do immoral things, and are not always just good or just evil. In a realistic novel, aspects of the time period or location are also taken into consideration. Characters dress in clothes that befit them, and speak with local dialects. Most importantly, characters are not sugar coated or exaggerated. The characters do things as they would normally do them, and are not worse or better then their real life counterparts.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Using his experiences as a steamboat engineer, Mark Twain creates a realistic novel through meticulous detail in the descriptions of the setting, diction, and characters. The setting is described with much detail and imagery, so as to make it as close as possible to the actual surroundings. Twain uses a page just to describe the sunrise over the river.      The first thing to see, looking away over the water, was a kind of dull line - that was the woods on t'other side; you couldn't make nothing else out; then a pale place in the sky; then more paleness spreading around; then the river softened up away off, and warn't black any more, but gray; you could see little dark spots drifting along ever so far away-trading-scows, and such things; and long black streaks-rafts ... and by and by you could see a streak on the water which you know by the look of the streak that there's a snag there in a swift current which breaks on it and makes that streak look that way; and you see the mist curl up off of the water, and the east reddens up.

Kinship System in Foraging and Horticultural

I have chosen to write about the San Tribe because their ways are very intriguing to me. The San or also known as the â€Å"Bushman†, are located in the Kalahari Desert. These tribes have lived in this area for around four thousand years. They have a diet of primarily nuts, fruits, melons, and berries. Since their women gather about eighty per-cent of the food for their unit there is more of these fruits and other things than there is meat. Their men gather meat about once or twice a week and accountable for about twenty per-cent of the food which is meat of some kind. San is a group of people who know how to enjoy their lives since only gathering food two or three times a week they spend the rest of their time on leisure activities. These activities could include any of the following, visiting one another or just sleeping. (Lee, 1979) When you do not have to get more and more you can enjoy what you have and not have to over work yourself and it would have to b4e more comfortable for your body with less strain and worry. The San is a Ban society and their livelihood comes from foraging, which is hunting and gathering what they require to survive. These Nomadic tribes of kin people travel over the land year after year to prime locations for known where they gather food and water and not only do they survive they are a thriving community. They travel in small independent communities that break apart and then rejoin other members at different times. They tend to live in the most marginal environment in the world. Their community is a reciprocal unit in the fact that they have an exchange economical system. Among the kinship group, there is a form of giving of services and goods in a mutual agreed upon atmosphere. This is not only among the family unit but also by the completely camp residents and visitors alike share in the quantity of food available equally. The collectors distribute the food in either a raw or a prepared portion and then distributed around to each. You can find a constant flow of nut, berries roots as well as melons around the fireplaces of each resident all given to meet the standard of equality (1969a’p. 58). This foraging system is an immediate return system; they must consume to stop spoilage. Woodburn, 1988) It is also a way to prevent a large amount of produce from remaining in the event of there moving about, as they tend to move constantly. This foraging system works because even as they give without expectation of exchange or immediate return there is an unwritten rules that all has even in the event there is no kill by some of the parties on a certain day. There are some times when hunters can go weeks without a kill and they must rely on the hunters that h ave luck in those times. Even though San men are widely skilled at hunting there can be different level of success but this does not have a status level on it for anyone as far as being accepted. There is a great deal of modesty in the village as the hunters return to camp upon a successful hunt. The hunter coming into camp does not give off an atmosphere of bragging; in fact, it is to the contraire. There are unspoken rules followed by the hunter as well as the others. This keeps one from feeling inferior or superior to another bringing forth feelings of jealousy. This also brings a reinforcement of social ties and helps to be closer knitting together of family units. You could also feel safer in the event a family member is hurt or was to become ill and could not provide their part of the food for a while.. Well I am afraid in comparison to our society there is not a great deal to say is the same as foraging. We here are more likely to let those that will not work go hungry. Of course, we have the welfare system and food pantries that do make it easier for those who do not have to get food. However, we do not work on the general idea of every one being equal those that work harder have more. The more you apply your self the more you have. We also do have leaders that can make us do things whether we want to or not. The seat belt law is an example of this. As far as kinship in our family my children and grandchildren would be considered one that I personally would share anything I have with but not all in our family feels this way. We are in a dog eat dog society and I fear it has rubbed off on most everyone. I believe if you do not work for it, you do not get it and I have tried to teach my family these same rules to live by. However, we do tend to do for our own kin folk first in taking care of them. We look out for our immediate family in providing for them and making sure, they have what they need. I remember as a child we lived in the city and my mothers family (brothers, sisters and some of their children would come and stay with us and we would help them get a job and get started. Dad owned an apartment house so they could stay in one of our apartments and we would feed them until they could do for themselves. Rules followed now are less kinship in our society in this present time.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 35

â€Å"Nevertheless† – Damon's eyes took on a steely glint – â€Å"without the amulet my assistant and I will not perform.† â€Å"But – with it you will? I say, are you saying that you lost your amulet here?† â€Å"As a matter of fact, yes. Just around the time the party arrangements were being set up.† Damon flashed a beautiful, haunting smile at the young vampires and then turned it off suddenly. â€Å"I had no idea I would have your help, and I was trying to find a way to get an invitation. So I took a look around to see how the place would be laid out.† â€Å"Don't tell me it was before the grass was rolled,† someone said apprehensively. â€Å"Unfortunately, yes. And I was given a psychic message, which told me that the k – the amulet is buried somewhere here.† There was a chorus of groans from the crowd. Then there were individual voices raised, pointing out the difficulties: the rock-hardness of the rolled grass, the many ballrooms with their many floral arrangements in soil, the kitchen garden and flower gardens (which we haven't even seen yet, Elena thought.) â€Å"I realize the virtual impossibility of finding this,† Damon said, taking the half of the fox key back into his hand and making it disappear neatly by passing it near Elena's hand, which was ready to receive it. She now had a special place for it – Lady Ulma had seen to that. Damon was saying, â€Å"That is why I simply said no at the beginning. But you pressed me, and now I've given you the full answer.† There was some more grumbling, but then people began walking out in ones and twos and threes, talking about the best places to start looking. Damon, they're going to destroy Bloddeuwedd's grounds, Elena protested silently. Good. We'll offer all the jewels you three girls have on you, as well as all the gold I have on me, as a recompense. But what four people can't do, maybe a thousand can. Elena sighed. I still wish we'd had the chance to talk to Bloddeuwedd. Not just to hear her speak, but to ask her some questions. I mean what reason would a beautiful blossom like her have to protect Shinichi and Misao? Damon's telepathic answer was brief. Well, let's try the top rooms, then. That was where she was headed, anyway. They found a case of crystal stairs – quite difficult to locate when all the walls were transparent, and frightening to ascend. Once on the second floor they looked for another one. Eventually Elena found it, by stumbling over the first step. â€Å"Oh,† she said, looking from the step, which now showed itself through a line of red across its front edge, to her shin, which showed the same damage. â€Å"Well, it may be invisible, but we aren't.† â€Å"It's not quite invisible.† Damon was channeling Power to his eyes, she knew. She'd been doing the same – but these days she wondered which of them had more of her blood in them: him or her? â€Å"Don't strain yourself, I can see the steps,† he said. â€Å"Just shut your eyes.† â€Å"My eyes – † Before she could ask why she knew why and before she could scream he had picked her up, his body warm and solid and the only solid thing anywhere around. He headed up the stairs holding her so that her dress was out of the way of the blood droplets that fell freely into space. For someone afraid of heights, it was a wild, terrifying ride: even though she knew Damon was in top condition and would not drop her and even though she was certain he could see where he was going. Still, left to herself and her own volition, she would never have made it farther than the first stair. As it was, she didn't even dare wiggle much in case she threw Damon off balance. She could only whimper and try to endure. When, an eternity later, they reached the top, Elena wondered who would carry her down, or if she would be left here the rest of her life. They were confronted by Bloddeuwedd, the most enchantingly inhuman creature Elena had yet seen. Enchanting†¦but odd. Was there not a slight primrose pattern to her hair in back and on the sides? Wasn't her face actually the shape of an apple-blossom petal as well as having the petal's faint bloom? â€Å"You are in my private library,† she said. And, as if a mirror had cracked, Elena came free of the last of Bloddeuwedd's glamour. The gods had made her out of flowers†¦but flowers don't speak. Bloddeuwedd's voice was toneless and flat. It ruined the image of the flower-made girl completely. â€Å"We're sorry,† Damon said – naturally not at all out of breath. â€Å"But we'd like to ask you some questions.† â€Å"If you think I will help you, I will not,† the flower-petal girl said in the same nasal tone. â€Å"I hate humans.† â€Å"But I am a vampire, as you have surely already discerned,† Damon was beginning, laying the charm on thick, when Bloddeuwedd interrupted him. â€Å"Once a human, always a human.† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† Damon's loss of control might have been the best thing that could have happened, Elena thought, trying to keep behind him. He was so clearly sincere about his scorn for humans that Bloddeuwedd softened a little. â€Å"What did you come to ask?† â€Å"Only if you had seen one of two kitsune lately: they're brother and sister and call themselves Shinichi and Misao.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Or they might – I'm sorry? Yes?† â€Å"The thieves came to my house at night. I was at a party. I flew back from the party and almost caught them. Kitsune are hard to catch, though.† â€Å"Where†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damon swallowed. â€Å"Where were they?† â€Å"Running down the front stairs.† â€Å"And do you remember the date that they were here?† â€Å"It was the night that the grounds were made ready for this party. Stone rollers went over the grass. The canopy was erected.† Weird things to do at night, Elena thought, but then she remembered – again. The light was always the same. But her heart was beating fast. Shinichi and Misao could only have been here for one reason: to drop off half of the fox key. And maybe drop it in the Great Ballroom, Elena thought. She watched dully as the entire outside of the library rotated, almost like a giant planetarium, so that Bloddeuwedd could pick out a globe and place it in some contraption that must make the music play in various rooms. â€Å"Excuse me,† Damon said. â€Å"This is my private library,† Bloddeuwedd said coldly against the swelling of the glorious ending to the Firebird Suite. â€Å"Meaning now we must leave?† â€Å"Meaning now I am going to kill you.†

Psychological Testing Essay

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children measures simultaneous and sequential processing skills as well as subscales that measure academic achievement. The age range this test investigates is ages 2-12 years. There are ten mental processing subtests as well as six achievement subtests. Only three of the subtests are administered to all ages groups, making the sub-testing age-specific. The older the child in question, the longer the tests will take. The sequential processing scale measures short term memory and problem solving is organized around sequences. The simultaneous scale measures several problems that need to be solved at the same time. Achievement scales measure applied skills of the individual. b) Intelligence in children of preschool age is very unstable whereas their intelligence begins to stabilize as they reach school age. The assessment tools for infants are different to school-going children in the sense that they measure development rather than academic foundations. These tests measure how quickly the child is developing in terms of motor skills, linguistic development, adaptive behavior and social interaction. It has to be given that school-aged children have a higher vocabulary and language skill that can be better tested than the infant who is still using monosyllabic noises rather than words. Motor skills also develop more rapidly as well as reasoning skills. c) Mental age does not refer to the actual age of the person in question. A person with a mental age of 5 years may actually only be 4 years chronologically and vice versa. Due to this anomaly, data derived from IQ testing does not follow a bell-curve on data sheets. The deviation IQ is implemented to smooth out inconsistencies. Instead of actual scores, the person is allocated a percentile score so that it can be placed more realistically on a normal curve chart. Mental age does not necessarily increase over time in the same way that chronological age does and this age difference gradually decreases around adolescence. For these reasons a deviation IQ is used as opposed to actual raw scores. d) Originally named the Binet-Simon test, the Testing underwent several revisions over time with the most significant change being that it included the first Intelligence Quotient after 1916 when it became the Stanford-Binet test. The Binet-Simon test was initially used to determine the intelligence of retarded children, came to the conclusion that rather than portraying a chronological age, the children displayed a mental age instead. The 1986 version of the test include a wider perimeter sample group in order to decrease inequities that occurred in race and gender previously. It had been engineered for children alone but in 2003 was amended to accommodate adults as well. Design changes were made also to accommodate and measure behavior at age levels. e) Fluid and crystallized intelligence both form part of general intelligence. Fluid intelligence relates to reasoning and problem solving and is largely thought of as being independent of learning or experience. It is therefore an inherent or instinctual intelligence. Crystallized intelligence on the other hand refers to the intelligence that you gain from experience and what you have learnt in life. This intelligence is something that increases with age due to experiences and the assimilation of knowledge through what we have learned. Fluid intelligence therefore decreases with age and peaks during adolescence while crystallized intelligence will continue to grow. f) The general intelligence factor (g-factor) is meant to be a measurement of the persons overall intelligence. The two-factor theory was initiated by Spearman who derived a g-factor from two functions: a generalized ability and a specific ability. Therefore according to Spearman a person’s intelligence could be determined by a general intelligence as well as a specific intelligence (s-factor). Multi-factor intelligence theories implement the individual ability to be intelligent in various fields. Thurstone found that there were multiple areas in which a person could display intelligence and derived 7 factors that he called primary abilities: word fluency, verbal comprehension, spatial concept, numerical facilitation, memory by association, reasoning and perceptual speed. g) Individual tests require one-one-one consultation and measure verbal and non-verbal abilities. The Stanford-Binet and the Wechsler tests both require this environment. Group tests are most often administered to large groups and do no require one-on-one consultation. These tests are most often aptitude tests or cognitive abilities. Scoring in these terms is most often more objective than in individual tests and also simplify the role of the coordinator. Group testing is not culture-specific as opposed to individual testing which can be more culturally loaded and also more subjective. It is not as easy to establish a relationship with the person in a group testing environment as it is when the person is tested individually. h) Army alpha and beta tests were prototypes initially used in group testing to place soldiers during the First World War. Alpha groups were those who were proficient in the English language. Those who were not initially considered alpha groups were those who were placed in beta groups who were intelligent but not native English speakers. This hypothesis was that people’s intelligence was inherited. This method was first used to identify where in the army the person was likely to be placed, given their responses to the tests and the results. The beta test decreased its use of verbal knowledge presumably because they are non-English and it used mainly pictographic references. i) Aptitude and achievement tests are both standardized. Aptitude testing assesses the ability of the person to learn in certain areas. These tests are developed in order to determine which field of proficiency the person is most likely to excel in. These also measure numerical and literal ability as well as mechanical and abstract reasoning. Achievement tests on the other hand measure how well a person has achieved a skill. It is mostly used to ascertain academic levels and therefore is useful in determining whether a person is inherently able to learn something or not. An aptitude test will be able to validate that a person is most likely to achieve highly in a certain area and not as highly in others. j) The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children is an individual test that does not require reading or writing. It measures verbal intelligence and response times which can be useful in the diagnosis of Attention Deficits or other such disorders/abnormal patterns. This form of testing is significant in that it supplies the coordinator with information as to how fast the child can assimilate and react to questions. It also ascertains the quality and efficiency of vocabulary as well as word processing. The test is significant also in that t determines the respondent’s concentration levels and possible problems in their attention span. This is useful in that answers require verbal reactions. k) Physical disability does not necessarily mean that there will be discrepancies in the IQ of the person. Testing a person who is deaf for instance, requires a different approach to testing as well as a different means for the test. These individuals need a non-verbal based test and verbal ability is therefore a non-entity in their testing. A blind person on the other hand will not benefit from spatially based tests or units that require sight. The tests used to identify IQ would have to be verbally based and not pictorial. This considered, a speech impaired individual will also not have the same verbal component as someone who is able to speak. However, this does not mean that a mute person is not able to understand verbal interjection. For this reason, the IQ test has to be tailored to the specific disability reflected by the individual. l) Certain cultures encourage some skills more than they do others. The culture fair test is non-verbal and does not therefore test linguistic understanding insomuch as if the person tested is not an English speaker, they cannot be expected to understand English word and sentence structure. The culture fair test therefore measures analytical and reasoning ability and makes use of abstract and unusual visual spatial pictographs. From this the spatial and pictorial representations are believed to be universal to all cultures and thus understood well from one culture to the next. It was initially meant to reduce cultural or ethnic bias that can be produced when a test is designed to be effect for a certain culture. It is also independent of educational foundations and therefore measures inherent skill rather than acquired skills. 2 a) Personality testing identifies certain traits inherently part of an individuals psychological make-up. These tests basically help you determine what personality attributes you have and therefore help to identify what career types may be more pertinent to whom. Aspects of the personality often denote what particular attributes the personality has and thus what lifestyle s better suited to whom. Jung and Myers-Briggs typology identify different personality types that are said to help the individual determine their best career path. The ability test measures a person’s ability to learn new skills and also their potential in certain fields. Ability tests also seek to ascertain what the person has learnt or assimilated in terms of whatever they are studying, for example, school tests. b) Personality traits are characteristics of the individual and certain personality qualities that are inherent to the person. There are theories that propose that all traits are present in all people but to varying degrees (lesser or more). Idiographic personality trait view maintains that each person has a unique psychological structure that is not shared by anyone else. For this reason, it is impossible to compare any two people. The nomothetic view however, sees people as unique in their combination of traits. This means that while they do share personality traits to various degrees this can be compared by degrees of each trait in comparable people. c) Items are chosen depending on the specific group that is being studied. For example, screening of normal behavior in police officer applicants will be given items that pertain to the criminal justice system. The group is split into two: one group is what the coordinator would think of as displaying abnormal reactions/behavior and the other would be normal. Items are distributed equally in both groups and reactions towards the stimuli are recorded. The empirical criterion key does not assume that respondents are able to observe their own behavior but rather sees the objects or items as stimuli that require a response. Those they believe to be normal are used as a scale by which abnormal behavior can be compared. d) Forced-choice format gives a more well-rounded result then standard testing. The forced choice format basically allows the respondent one of two statements that they most likely agree with. The advantage of this is that it not only gives an accurate representation of reality, but it prevents the choice from becoming monotonous. It is easier to score these kinds of questions than if the respondent was asked multiple choice questions. As a design this format prevents the respondent from being consciously manipulated and therefore makes sure that the answers are truthful. This form of questionnaire is also shorter, preventing the individual from becoming tired and losing focus on the questions that are being asked. This prevents answers from becoming distorted. e) Response sets or response style refers to the person’s propensity to answer the same response for all or most of the questions. For instance, if the person responded ‘yes’ to the above question and then ‘yes’ again, regardless of the nature of the question. This is usually counterbalanced in tests because there are times when the person is biased towards a certain question based on its contents. Counterbalancing this response requires the same question to be asked in a different way and later in the questionnaire. This situation of response bias is also termed ‘acquiescence’ as the person performs this unconsciously or with lack of interest in the nature of the questions. f) Factor analysis is used to describe variables in a research situation. For instance, we have a research questionnaire that we now have to translate into data specific terms. We have the variables that were studied and the scores for each variable. In psychometric intelligence testing we could have any number of variables that determine the overall factor. An example of this would be that while we are aware that there are multiple factors within the intelligence study, all these factors contribute to the g-factor or general intelligence factor. In this case ‘g’ is the only factor that is common in all persons. What this analysis does is ascertain what particular factors which people are most affiliated with. Basically we could determine which factor is specific to which person. g) Objective self reporting methods of personality assessment is based on standardized questionnaires with limited responses available as well as a fixed scoring system. It is based on nomothetic principles and is therefore less ambiguous then the progressive methods. Progressive personality assessment techniques use intuitive responses and the intuitive scoring is also use. This personality assessment is based on idiographic principles which make it entirely different to the objective method. The problem with progressive techniques is that there is no fixed scoring system, however the problem with the objective method is that it does not leave room for intuitive or interpretive responses which are natural human conditions. h) Word association tests require the coordinator to present the group or person with a word. The person responds to this with the first word that comes to mind. This is a free association and therefore does not give the person the chance to think about their answer. A table measures the test word, the response time and the response. Responses to the words can be either the opposite in meaning; an association with the word (green-yellow); or even a definitive answer. The basis of this test is that it provides a pattern of how the individual sees words and how they associate with things. The association of about 100 words will give the coordinator a pattern of response that can be determined as normal, abnormal or as an anomaly. Most people will have a set pattern of responses. i) The interaction between a need and a press is called a thema. There is a need that is ensued by a press. To simplify this, Murray identified 28 needs and forces that press them into fruition. This makes the relationship interactive and determined by this interaction is the thema. The thema therefore can be linked to other units of these interactions to form serial thema. The greatest portion of the persons thema is dependent on the amount of press and needs that are present in that specific thema. This theory is used to determine personality types that are identified by specific needs and forces of press. Murray conducted this typology on Adolf Hitler in order to ascertain the needs and forces that culminated in his erratic behavior. j) Interest inventories conduct in-depth investigation into a person’s likes and dislikes and this helps to determine what type of career path is best suited to the individual. Clearly you should not study or undertake careers in which you would have to partake in activities you intensely dislike. Neither would it be advisable to become involved in vocations that you are indifferent to. The key would be to become involved in a career that contains more of your inventories ‘likes’ than ‘dislikes’. These interest inventories help you to discover what it is exactly that you like or dislike. This particular form of inventory is highly related to personality in the sense that certain personalities are more likely to enjoy certain key activities. An example of this would be an artist or writer enjoying solitude in a way that an actor might not. 3 b) Test name: Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. Test uses: The Stanford Binet was initially indicated for the correct placement of children in educational settings. It is now one of the most widely used intelligence tests. It is useful for determining cognitive skills and intelligence in children and adults. Population test was designed for: As already stated, it was designed for children in educational settings in order to ensure that they were placed in the right class environment. Administration of test: The time it takes to administer this test depends on the age of the respondent and how many subtests are administered. It may take from 45-90 minutes standard but may take longer depending on the conditions at the time and the variables concerned. The respondent is timed at each subtest and is determined by estimated entry level. Timing is approximately 5 minutes per test. Depending on the age, the articles measured include: fluid reasoning, knowledge, quantitative reasoning, visual-spatial processing and working memory. Characteristics of normative samples: The Stanford Binet normative sample reflect the 2000 U. S census and bias reviews are conducted on race, ethnicity, gender, religion and socio-economic status. Because it is a standardized test, normative or mean scores are derived per age group and the representative sample is matched to the individual standing. It was standardized on a national representative sample of 5 000 subjects. Reliability information: Reliability in this test is considered high. The internal median consistency score was . 97. Subtest reliabilities differ from age-group to age-group. Reliability coefficients ranged from . 91 to . 98, with coefficients for the five factor indices ranging from . 90 to . 92. Subtest coefficients ranged from . 84 to . 89. Validity information: correlations in the validity were considered high with an approximate value of . 90 compared to earlier Stanford Binet editions and high compared to other tests. Strengths of the test: This test can assist in the diagnosis of learning disabilities as well as determine the level of competency for young children compared to a normative structure. It can be used to determine developmental stages and knowledge and can be used in all age-groups from pre-school to adults. Weaknesses of the test: Due to the lack of co-operation sometimes shown in very young preschoolers the test results may not be indicative of true ability because of their lack of interest in partaking in the study. Different age-groups are administered different subtests which may also be considered a criticism in terms of its universal application.