Monday, September 30, 2019

Antivirus Programs

Today, people rely on computers to create, store, and manage critical information, many times via a home computer network. Information transmitted over networks has a higher degree of security risk than information kept in user’s home or company premises. Thus, it is crucial that they take measures to protect their computer and data from loss, damage, and misuse resulting from computer security risks. Antivirus programs are an effective way to protect a computer against viruses. An antivirus program protects a computer against viruses by identifying and removing any computer viruses found in memory, on storage media, or on incoming files.[1] When u purchases a new computer, it often includes antivirus software. Antivirus programs work by scanning for programs that normally are read from but not modified. In addition, many antivirus programs automatically scan files downloaded from the Web, e-mail attachments, opened files, and all types of removable media inserted in the computer (Karanos 201-205). One technique that antivirus programs use to identify a virus is to look for virus signatures, or virus definitions, which are known specific patterns of virus code. According to Shelly and Cashman (Antivirus Programs), many vendors of antivirus programs allow registered users to update virus signature files automatically from the Web at no cost for a specified time. Updating the antivirus program’s signature files regularly is important, because it will download any new virus definitions that have been added since the last update. Methods that guarantee a computer or network is safe from computer viruses simply do not exist. Installing, updating, and using an antivirus program, though, is an effective technique to safeguard your computer from loss.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

History of Indian Airlines

Brief History of Indian Airlines India's chiefly domestic state-owned carrier, Indian Airlines Ltd. , flies passengers and cargo to 59 domestic and 16 international destinations. Its fleet numbered 52 aircraft in 2000. Indian Airlines has traditionally based its network around the four main hubs of Delhi, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Calcutta, and Chennai (formerly Madras). The airline carries about six million passengers a year and has a substantial freight operation. Origins The Air Corporations Act of 1953 amalgamated India's dozen or so airlines, most of them undercapitalized, into two nationalized air carriers: Air-India Ltd. given responsibility for international routes, and Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC), the domestic airline. The eight airlines that were amalgamated into IAC included Air Services of India Ltd. , Airways (India) Ltd. , Bharat Airways Ltd. , Deccan Airways Ltd. (already 70 percent government-owned), Himalayan Aviation Ltd. , Indian National Airways Ltd. , Kalin ga Airlines, Ltd. , plus the domestic operations of Air-India Ltd. IAC began operations with a fleet of 74 of the war surplus Douglas DC-3s that had founded its short-lived predecessors. The airline also had three times as many employees as it needed, writes R.E. G. Davies, a situation that was slow to change due to the government's refusal to allow layoffs. Davies also writes that the standard of maintenance was low and the airline suffered many accidents in its early years. IAC soon moved to bolster its fleet by ordering a few new de Havilland 114 Herons, retired after only a couple of years of service, and Vickers Viscount 768s, which were assigned to trunk routes. The DC-3s continued to supply feeder traffic; they soon began to be phased out by Fokker F-27s and Avro 748s. IAC began flying short-haul jets–French-made Caravelles–in the mid-1960s.The Caravelles were so popular that IAC soon needed larger jets to on the routes between Bombay (Mumbai), Delhi, Calcutta, and Madras (Chennai) that formed the India's domestic trunk network. IAC's first Boeing 737s entered service in 1971. Between 1962 and 1972, IAC was called upon to support the military in several campaigns, first in skirmishes with China, and later with the wars with Pakistan that ultimately led to the creation of Bangladesh. Confidence and Crisis in the 1970s and 1980s IAC announced a Rs45 million loss for 1972. The next year, the company had several incidents of aircraft damage or loss.Labor unrest, high fuel costs, political burdens, and built-in inefficiencies added to the company's problems. However, these were met with such resolve that IAC had the confidence to order its first wide-body jets, Airbus A300s, in 1975. A program to produce ground support equipment in Indian factories was part of the deal. In 1976, new routes stretched across political divisions to Kabul, Afghanistan, in the northwest, and the Maldive Islands in the south. The government allowed the formation of a few new limited service airlines in the 1970s: Air Works India, Huns Air, and Goldensun Aviation.None of them had long life spans. Around 1979, IAC dropped the word â€Å"Corporation† from its name. Another national airline, Vayudoot, was formed in 1981 and tasked with carrying feeder traffic from India's smaller communities. Indian Airlines' managing director, Gerry Pais, was Vayudoot's part-time chairman. Vayudoot was serving more than 100 destinations within India by 1990. The government also set up a helicopter corporation to serve off-shore oil fields. Britain's  Financial Times  described Indian Airlines as the world's third largest domestic carrier in the mid-1980s.With business growing at better than ten percent a year, it was increasing its capacity. Indian Airlines ordered a dozen of the new Boeing 757s in August 1984. After Rajiv Gandhi, a former Indian Airlines pilot, became prime minister, this order was changed to Airbus A320s due to what were perceived as political reasons. However, the crash of an Indian Airlines A320 in Bangalore on February 14, 1990–the type's second major crash globally in a two-year period–sorely tested management's faith in the plane, which featured new fly-by-wire flight controls and electronic cockpit instrumentation.As part of a plan to merge Indian Airlines with Air-India, the state's international carrier, two leading young industrialists were appointed to chair the boards of the two companies in autumn 1986. Neither these plans nor the new chairmen lasted very long. In 1987, Indian Airlines carried 10 million passengers and earned a profit of Rs630 million ($48 million). However, the quality of its service was facing criticism, to be heightened by the coming entry of new carriers into the market. India's chiefly domestic state-owned carrier, Indian Airlines Ltd. flies passengers and cargo to 59 domestic and 16 international destinations. Its fleet numbered 52 aircraft in 2000. Indian Airline s has traditionally based its network around the four main hubs of Delhi, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Calcutta, and Chennai (formerly Madras). The airline carries about six million passengers a year and has a substantial freight operation. Origins The Air Corporations Act of 1953 amalgamated India's dozen or so airlines, most of them undercapitalized, into two nationalized air carriers: Air-India Ltd. given responsibility for international routes, and Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC), the domestic airline. The eight airlines that were amalgamated into IAC included Air Services of India Ltd. , Airways (India) Ltd. , Bharat Airways Ltd. , Deccan Airways Ltd. (already 70 percent government-owned), Himalayan Aviation Ltd. , Indian National Airways Ltd. , Kalinga Airlines, Ltd. , plus the domestic operations of Air-India Ltd. IAC began operations with a fleet of 74 of the war surplus Douglas DC-3s that had founded its short-lived predecessors.The airline also had three times as many emplo yees as it needed, writes R. E. G. Davies, a situation that was slow to change due to the government's refusal to allow layoffs. Davies also writes that the standard of maintenance was low and the airline suffered many accidents in its early years. IAC soon moved to bolster its fleet by ordering a few new de Havilland 114 Herons, retired after only a couple of years of service, and Vickers Viscount 768s, which were assigned to trunk routes. The DC-3s continued to supply feeder traffic; they soon began to be phased out by Fokker F-27s and Avro 748s.IAC began flying short-haul jets–French-made Caravelles–in the mid-1960s. The Caravelles were so popular that IAC soon needed larger jets to on the routes between Bombay (Mumbai), Delhi, Calcutta, and Madras (Chennai) that formed the India's domestic trunk network. IAC's first Boeing 737s entered service in 1971. Between 1962 and 1972, IAC was called upon to support the military in several campaigns, first in skirmishes with China, and later with the wars with Pakistan that ultimately led to the creation of Bangladesh. Confidence and Crisis in the 1970s and 1980sIAC announced a Rs45 million loss for 1972. The next year, the company had several incidents of aircraft damage or loss. Labor unrest, high fuel costs, political burdens, and built-in inefficiencies added to the company's problems. However, these were met with such resolve that IAC had the confidence to order its first wide-body jets, Airbus A300s, in 1975. A program to produce ground support equipment in Indian factories was part of the deal. In 1976, new routes stretched across political divisions to Kabul, Afghanistan, in the northwest, and the Maldive Islands in the south.The government allowed the formation of a few new limited service airlines in the 1970s: Air Works India, Huns Air, and Goldensun Aviation. None of them had long life spans. Around 1979, IAC dropped the word â€Å"Corporation† from its name. Another national airline, Vayudoot, was formed in 1981 and tasked with carrying feeder traffic from India's smaller communities. Indian Airlines' managing director, Gerry Pais, was Vayudoot's part-time chairman. Vayudoot was serving more than 100 destinations within India by 1990.The government also set up a helicopter corporation to serve off-shore oil fields. Britain's  Financial Times  described Indian Airlines as the world's third largest domestic carrier in the mid-1980s. With business growing at better than ten percent a year, it was increasing its capacity. Indian Airlines ordered a dozen of the new Boeing 757s in August 1984. After Rajiv Gandhi, a former Indian Airlines pilot, became prime minister, this order was changed to Airbus A320s due to what were perceived as political reasons.However, the crash of an Indian Airlines A320 in Bangalore on February 14, 1990–the type's second major crash globally in a two-year period–sorely tested management's faith in the plane, which feature d new fly-by-wire flight controls and electronic cockpit instrumentation. As part of a plan to merge Indian Airlines with Air-India, the state's international carrier, two leading young industrialists were appointed to chair the boards of the two companies in autumn 1986. Neither these plans nor the new chairmen lasted very long.In 1987, Indian Airlines carried 10 million passengers and earned a profit of Rs630 million ($48 million). However, the quality of its service was facing criticism, to be heightened by the coming entry of new carriers into the market. Chronology * Key Dates: * 1953:  Indian Airlines is formed as India's domestic airline. * 1965:  Short-haul Caravelle jets enter the fleet. * 1972:  IAC records a rare loss. * 1975:  The company orders its first widebody jets. * 1992:  India's domestic air market is deregulated. * 1998:  Plans to merge Indian Airlines with Air-India are drawn up but not approved. 2001:  The Indian government solicits bidders for p artial ownership of Indian Airlines. Additional Details * State-Owned Company * Incorporated:  1953 as Indian Airlines Corporation * Employees:  22,500 * Sales:  Rs 3,755 crore ($1 billion) (2001) * NAIC:  481111 Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation; 481112 Scheduled Freight Air Transportation; 481211 Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation; 481212 Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportationhttp://www. referenceforbusiness. com/history2/65/Indian-Airlines-Ltd. html#ixzz2DAhNxQo5

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Education and Richard Wright

During last week, I read 2 excerpts from Richard Wright and Malcolm X’ autobiographical writing. The interesting part is the authors both got self- educated by reading books while they were in tough situations because of racism. Although the way they accessed to education was different, they had a strong feeling that word could lift them up, and fight for their people after reading books. Ralph Ellison once said â€Å"If the word has the potency to revive and make us free, it has also the power to blind, imprison, and destroy. The similar quote is also right from Bel Kaufman, he said â€Å"Education is not a product: mark, diploma, job, money in that order; it is a process, a never ending one. † Words are the symbol human beings use to express what they want to say. It can be used in speaking and writing. Using words are the only thing people can do in order to communicate. Therefore when it comes to those who don’t have chance to learn in school, words will open the new whole world to them. That makes people escape from their ignorance, and enter to the world of education. Moreover, if people can use words fluently, it will be effective. Words do not have any physical power to kill, but mental power which can last in a long period of time. The quote of Ralph Elision is right, and it can apply in Richard Wright and Malcolm X’ situation. The criticism of people to Mencken makes Richard Wright curious, and brings him to books. The desire in writing letters, and the competition with his inmates bring Malcolm X to prison’s library to get dictionary and book. They both are brought to the new world, and find out their true feelings in reading books. With Richard, he thinks words can use as weapon to fight against unequal events in the world, reveal the truth of history, especially racism. On the other hand, Malcolm X tries to learn as many words as he can in order to fully understand the book, and gain more knowledge, which can help him gain respect of people around him. In the other quote, human come to education is not only for making money, it also helps people get the ideas how things work. Knowledge itself is the most important thing to make people realize the value of things, not just for making profit. Furthermore, knowledge is like the endless ocean, once people get into it, a lot of new things open to them. Thus, with Richard Wright and Malcolm X, whom dropped out of school, education is not a process to make money; it is the one that helps them understand what they lack of. As a writer, Richard Wright would think a lot about what needs to write. His mind would never end thinking to make more ideas, and give all he had into his books. Malcolm X was the same, he spent almost 15 hours per day to read, even though he was pretty successful at the time. Those two quotes are great philosophies. I learn a lot more from the quotes and through Richard Wright and Malcolm X’ self- educations. That’s good for me when I read them, and my mind opens wider.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Territory and Ethnicity Affecting a City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Territory and Ethnicity Affecting a City - Essay Example The notion of social justice in the matter of geography is closely linked with the concept of ethnicity. The problem is not in the equality of the various segments of the population, but an opportunity for self-realization and prospects at the same time as justice requires for universal rights in the questions of rights and obligations. Focusing on this issue D.Smith argued that justice requires certain equality in the distribution of resources. Thus, for example, rural schools and then people with such education face a number of barriers and stereotypes. The idea of a balance of equity and efficiency was also discussed by many types of research. In developed countries with strong social policies, aimed at supporting the poor, the share of which is always higher in the less developed areas, inter-regional income inequality is reduced. An example France, Sweden and other countries of continental Europe can be noted. However, in developed countries of the Anglo-Saxon world spatial mitigation of regional differences in income of the population does not occur, because the priority of the social cohesion in these countries is less important, and the extent of redistribution and social cohesion are not so great. The emphasis is on self-mobility of the population: people move from depressed areas where they would be able to find work and more opportunities to earn. Inequality in living standards and income of different regions appears due to economic skills of the population, natural features, and geographical position.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Orignial topic - adopting a positive or negative viewpoint Essay - 2

Orignial topic - adopting a positive or negative viewpoint - Essay Example auses major health problems, is more dangerous for the non-smoker than smoking is for the smoker, is most dangerous for children and is an infringement on rights, the right to live. The definition of secondhand smoke is smoke that a person inhales due to someone else’s who is smoking close to them. While some disagree and say that the hazard from second-hand smoke is negligible, others have identified numerous properties of secondhand smoke that make it more than obvious this type of smoke is even more powerful and therefore more harmful than the smoke the smoker themselves is inhaling into their own lungs. When a smoker inhales through a cigarette filter they are getting only about half of the poisons tar and nicotine that are found in a comparable sized amount of secondhand smoke according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Despite the fact they are non-smokers, this same report states that roughly â€Å"3,000 non-smokers a year die from lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke† and another â€Å"37,000 non-smokers a year die from heart disease attributed to secondhand smoke† (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1992). These figures are verified by other data of the detrimental effects of secondhand smoke, for example, a study demonstrated that women who did not smoke that were married to heavy smoking men suffered twice the risk of developing lung cancer as compared to women married to non-smoking men. Another study performed on workers such as waitresses and bartenders who are repeatedly exposed for an extended period of time to secondhand smoke experienced a 25-75 percent greater possibility of contracting lung cancer, with the odds becoming proportionately higher with the time employed in these types of places. These are studies on adult lungs. Imagine the damage done to smaller, weaker and less developed more susceptible lungs. â€Å"Children exposed to high levels of secondhand smoke are susceptible to greater instances of bronchitis, pneumonia

Compare Deaths of General Washington with that of Alexander Hamilton Research Paper

Compare Deaths of General Washington with that of Alexander Hamilton - Research Paper Example Alexander Hamilton died as Aaron Burr shot him. Aaron was a political opponent in the famous duel that ended his life in 1804. Some Hamilton’s last words were about his faith in Christ and his firm belief in Christianity and fervent hope of clemency through the virtues and mediations of Christ1. Washington’s religious convictions Washington and his family were initially Anglicans. Washington used to go to church in his wife’s company. He never participated in some rituals like taking communion. He therefore, used to leave the church before the services ended so that he did not take the communion. This went on until he ceased attending church on communion occasions since a priest reprimanded him. He attended many services at many churches as a President. Among those churches he attended were Presbyterian, Catholic, Quaker, and Congregational. He officially addressed twenty-two religious groups, which gave him more understanding on religion. Washington was a very g enerous man who attended many charity events and donated to the poor, schools, and colleges. In 1793, widows and orphans in Philadelphia suffered from yellow fever endemic that distressed the capital city. As a leading citizen, Washington led the country in demonstrating charity to the affected2. General Washington’s Christian affiliations General Washington was an honest leader who believed in religious rights, and used his powers as general and president to enhance goodwill among Protestants, Catholics, and Jews. Both in public and in private, he denounced prejudicial tendencies of diverse kinds together with religious bigotry. He was always deluding of making every American to enjoy the provisions within their boundaries as illustrated by his ideologies in the book of Micah. He was not superstitious since he hoped that America would be a place where truth and reason will overcome biases and superstition. Washington also used to go to church and he was an affiliate of the A nglican Church. Before the war began, he was a successful proprietor who served on the vestry for Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia and for Pohick Church, which was close to his Mount Vernon home. The parish was the part of local government and it deal mostly with public matters like roads. Washington and other Framers emphasized the Christian ideologies of America. He did not separate his Christian principles from his public policies. This is evident in the American Revolution when he reminded his soldiers, that for them to be patriotic, they should show the characters of true Christians. He called on every man and officer to live and act like Christian soldiers shielding the treasured rights and autonomy of his country. He also assured the Delaware Indians who had their children in American schools that the congress would do everything to assist them in their wise intentions of wanting to learn the religion of Jesus Christ. Washington liked using Christian references and rheto ric in official acts and writings.3 Washington used to declare his Christianity loyalty openly. This is what all the honest Christians do unless they are hypocrites. Washington was not a hypocrite because most of the people who knew him best proved that. Washington was a true deist who appeared to have the characteristics disregard of the past Deist for the appearance and doctrine of institutional belief. Additionally he had a strong hatred of the â€Å"upper-class Deist for sectarian†

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Reflection on the revolution in France Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflection on the revolution in France - Essay Example Burke’s stand is clarified when he writes â€Å"no man should be the judge in his own cause†.1And â€Å"this can only be done by a power out of themselves and not in the exercise of its function, subject to that will and to those passions which it is its office to bridle and subdue†. 2The French revolutionists demonstrated this point when they overlooked their main cause, which was freedom and started demanding equality, which is also known as ‘freedom’s enemy’. Burke opined that liberty although a necessity, should however be limited, otherwise it can result in extreme chaos. Burke also focused primarily on presenting practical solutions instead of fixating on the metaphysics when he writes â€Å"What is the use of discussing a man's abstract right to food or to medicine? The question is upon the method of procuring and administering them. In this deliberation I shall always advise to call in the aid of the farmer and the physician, rather t han the professor." 3He was a Whig and a Protestant and while rejecting a monarchic government he also accentuated the need of adhering to rules of the government to keep the nation functioning in the appropriate order. Burke stresses upon man’s complex nature and the subtleties that affect it when he says: â€Å"The nature of man is intricate; the objects of society are of the greatest possible complexity: and therefore no simple disposition or direction of power can be suitable either to man’s nature or to the quality of his affairs†. 4 He criticizes the governments for being ignorant and not fully capable of making the right decisions by keeping in mind man’s complicated temperament and the situation at that place and time. â€Å"Political reason is a computing principle; adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, morally and not metaphysically, or mathematically, true moral denominations†. 5 Here Burke assumes that man’s actions are related to his own being or points of interest and he does not necessarily act according to his fellow’s welfare. With this in mind Burke believed that there is a need for a flexible social control depending on the circumstances at that particular moment. Burke was in fact, both a monarchist and a democrat. At times he looks up to the controlled regime of a King or a dictator whereas sometimes he consents a democratic government and the rights it gives its citizens. During Burke’s time there was a lot of confusion about the way things should be. The way governments worked was changing and if we follow his ways we see not so much political philosophy as everyday rationality. Burke was a true traditionalist and it was his words that defined conservatism. Having read his writings in this day and age, it can only be hoped that he would approve of the way our governments’ work. However nothing can be said about whether he would approve of the results because governme nts nowadays cross several norms and have many different ways to work around various rules. We are not sure of what the individual rights of people really are and have lost the focus to more false rights of masses that beg for increased modifications. This has affected society in more ways that we know. We are getting lost in this distorted society that we live in, something that Burke would have not respected or supported. Burke tried his best to create a balance between political requirements and the realities of human nature. We cannot say that his solutions were flawless however they also

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Animal testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Animal testing - Essay Example The same government that recommended safety medical test using animals has now provided a contradictory law against animal use in the scientific experiments. Animal rights activists and ecologists have ganged up to protect the welfare of animals by all means. After experiencing the suffering of a frog during a dissection practice lesson in high school, the urge to re-evaluate the consequences of animal testing was unavoidable. The hypothesis of this paper is that animal testing is an unethical practice that should be replaced with alternative medical research procedures. Activists such as Abbot have commended the efforts of the European Centre for Validation of Alternative Methods that will liberate animals from their current burden. By taking a multi-point view, this essay aims at evaluating the pros and cons of animal testing from a neutral ground to expose in black and white the nature of this procedure. Consequently, the readers of this paper will experience an unbiased conclusio n based on the real matters in the animal research practice. Animal Testing in Medical Research My concern for animal testing started right from my high school experience when the anatomy class was required, as part of the curriculum, to dissect a frog and analyze it. I could not figure out the reason for the excitement that the anatomy students displayed throughout the whole experience. I was keen to observe the discomfort of the frog during the dissection process and I realized that animals too, just like human beings, are sensitive to pain. When the entire process was complete, it was the happiness of every student to finally relieve the frog from this torture. Later, I came to learn that the procedure of dissecting a frog was conducted for every anatomy class, not only in my high school, but in most other institutions in the world. In addition, I learnt that animals have been used for a long time not only for dissection but also as test subjects for almost every medicine that hu man beings consume today. This experience of frog dissection in high school has a direct connection with the widespread practice of animal testing that has all along seen animals under experimentation. Although animal experimentation has its own benefits in the medical sector, it is a great source of animal suffering, which should also be a concern for any civilized nation. The complexity of this situation can only be resolved if various dimensions of this issue are carefully evaluated. Animal experimentation is a scientific procedure that has grown slowly but consistently since the evolution of scientific research. The underlying fact is that physiologists in the 17th century saw animal research as a new platform to advance the biological and medical knowledge. This scientific procedure emerged when the scientists identified unique similarity between the toxicology effects of drugs in both humans and animals. Rowan, a writer of the scientist magazine, points out that although the d egree of the effects varied in the two species, scientists found that these differences were minimal and could not hinder the adoption of this procedure. Their concern was to find a testing method that would provide empirical and statistical evidence without subjecting human beings to any harm. The argument was that the human species have the highest priority when it comes to medical research. In these

Monday, September 23, 2019

BCEN Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

BCEN - Assignment Example The markets are dwindling, leaving us almost stranded. With the above in mind, I think it is wise we sell off the chemicals department, to safeguard the hardware depot. A personal valuation of the company puts it at roughly $500,000, which I think would be a good sales price for the business. Please look into this matter and consider taking the best decision. The best way for a company to plan for unpredictable crises is to ensure that there is a crises management tactic put in place to deal with any unexpected occurrence. This may involve having an efficient communication plan. The best strategy to combat an online rumor is to come up with a fast and comprehensive rebuttal. A quick and consistent crisis response plan is essential for a company in responding to crises. Prioritizing stakeholders involves complete mapping to show the manner in which the stakeholders interlink, and the influence they hold on each other (Seeger, Sellnow & Ulmer

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Deals with the Devil Essay Example for Free

Deals with the Devil Essay The Devil is portrayed in many ways and throughout many different types of literature, movies, and music. The most iconic image of the devil is a red beast with horns, a pointed tail, and a pitchfork in his hand. This famous image depicts an evil monster that is in the depths of hell where he rules over the other evil beings of the world. This is only one image of many that you can find in a vast amount of literature and media both past and present. In The Devil and Tom Walker, the devil is described as a black woodsman, human in form but with red eyes. Similarly in The Devil and Daniel Webster, the Devil is described as a â€Å"dark-dressed stranger,† who is soft spoken but has an evil smile. In these descriptions you still get a sense of evil from the Devil but he is in human form. So what or who is the Devil? From early stories in Christianity, Lucifer commonly known as Satan or the Devil is originally an archangel created in the image of God. He is the highest form of an angel, but challenges God and is cast down to rule the pits of hell. Can someone created in the image of God as Christianity suggests be a dark stranger or a red beast? The Devil can be depicted in many ways, but what the Devil really represents is the existence greed and moral corruptness in society. Regardless of the imagery, the Devil plays a similar role throughout literature and media both past and present. One of the earliest stories of a man making a pact with the Devil is a character named Faust, from an old German legend. Faust was a brilliant scholar but always wanted more knowledge. The Devil comes to him one night and promises him infinite wisdom for a certain amount of time after which Faust’s soul would be owned by the Devil. Faust readily agrees and signs a contract with the Devil. Faust lives with his infinite knowledge until the year comes when the Devil comes to collect his soul. Faust is then taken by the Devil and spends the rest of eternity in hell. This story maybe one of the original stories of the Devil making a deal with a man for his soul. The Devil knows and uses the man’s greatest desire to lure him into signing a contract to get his soul. Man is easily corruptible when promised his deepest desire and choses instant gratification without fully understanding or thinking of the repercussions. In Anne Rice’s novel Memnoch the Devil, the Devil begins to stalk Lestate until one evening he appears to him and takes him on a voyage. Lestate is a very old and powerful Vampire, known to only look out himself and his own needs. The Devil takes Lestate to Heaven and Hell where he tells Lestate the story of the beginning of time when God created the world and human beings. Memnoch, or the Devil, spent a lot of time on Earth admiring God’s creation, but begins to notice the suffering and pain of human beings and the souls of deceased that are stuck in between Heaven and Earth. He describes God as uncaring of the evil in the world he created and begs God to do something to help the humans that are suffering on Earth and Sheol, which is the afterlife. Memnoch claims that he is not evil in fact he was an archangel created in God’s image, but because he questioned God several times about why he is letting humans suffer God gets angry. God casts him out of Heaven to find all the lost souls on earth and Sheol that he thinks deserves to be in the Kingdom of Heaven, before Memnoch can return. This turns out to be a daunting task and he enlists Lestate to be his partner and adversary of God. This journey throws Lestate to question everything he has ever known about God and the Devil, sfor he has lived centuries and had dismissed such notion that Heaven and Hell exist. Lestate ends up running from the Devil and when he returns to Earth he steals a biblical artifact, Veronica’s Veil, he reveals the artifact to the world. In the end it is revealed that the Devil was only using Lestate by allowing him to return with an artifact that would renew faith in God and therefore limit the amount of souls sent to Hell. In this story the Devil is manipulative and cunning though he claims he is not evil. Although Lestate never made a deal with the Devil, the Devil won by using Lestate’s narcissism for his own purposes. In the Phantom of the Opera, a popular Broadway show, one can view the Devil as the representation of the masked phantom in the opera house. The young understudy Christine hears a beautiful voice calling to her when she arrives at the opera house. She had heard stories of an â€Å"Angel of Music† who could give her a more powerful and beautiful voice and readily begins to sing with the Devil. A series of mysterious accidents forces the lead singer to lose her voice therefore losing the star role in the opera. Christine is the given then given the lead role after her voice improves drastically while practicing with the Devil. â€Å"The Angel of Music† takes Christine to the depths of the opera house tunnels against her will. Christine is in love with another man, who searches for her in the tunnels of the opera house. The Devil captures Christine’s love and tells her he will kill him if she doesn’t stay with him. This story is similar to the short stories of The Devil and Tom Walker and The Devil and Daniel Webster, in that the characters make a deal with the Devil to improve some aspect of their lives but when the Devil wants to collect on their deal none of the characters want to go willingly. One noticeable difference between the stories is that in the end of The Phantom of the Opera Christine shows kindness to the â€Å"Angel of Music† and he lets her go and he disappears forever leaving only his mask behind. Overall mankind has shown a pattern of making deals with the devil for their desires to their own detriment. From the short stories of, The Devil and Daniel Webster and The Devil and Tom Walker, to the legend of Faust, and the Phantom of the Opera musical you can see similarities in all the characters desiring something unattainable. The Devil then comes to them and promises to deliver their wishes for a small price, merely their souls for the rest of eternity. The Devil feeds on the lack of moral integrity and uses this to gain power over these characters souls. On the other hand, in Memnoch the Devil, Anne Rice changes the â€Å"deal with the devil† theme because Lestate never actually bargains with the devil, none the less the Devil gets what he desires. As you can see, literature and other mediums have adapted the story of making a pact with the Devil in many ways. Works Cited Faust. (n.d.). Retrieved 10 8, 2012, from Wikipeadia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faust Rice, A. (1995). Memnoch the Devil. Knopf. The Phantom of the Opera. (n.d.). Retrieved 10 8, 2012, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_of_the_Opera

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Difference Between Training And Development

The Difference Between Training And Development According to the text, it can be seen the distinction among training and development, such as description base on the case make us enable to acquire a better perspective about the meaning of the terms. Training refers to the imparting specific skill with the acquisition of knowledge in order for a person to carry out in a specific task or job. Also with the training process there are some advantages that bring on into a company such as: Improving class and amount of employees in their output Increase the ownership in the businesses, creating on them a stronger link with the company (Tesco) Becoming more organized, productive and flexible and more able to face new needs in internal and external situations Makes feel the employee more loyal, committed to the organization by educating him about by culture, philosophy and policies from the organization. Coming out with new abilities and skills in all employees such as empower staff, better standards. Development it is more about helping the person grow and extend their abilities; refers to the learning opportunities designed to help employees to grow (K. Aswathappa 194p) It can be seen that in tesco as an example they share responsibilities among training and development, because each trainee is responsible for his or her own development, causative to their personal development. Also the development its a process that work out together between employee and managers, creating an interaction where the manager its the one that will help the employee to achieve certain goals, but also more responsibilities on the trainee. In the development process are more focus in the personality of and individual, where its continuous, generating an internal motivation where the people will be ready to meet his future needs. It is very important to analyze that tesco adopts the needs of the customers, reading then in the way that they could satisfy them, giving them what they want. In this way its important to see, how tesco is expanding and having more diversity in their merchandise trying to provide to the customers in all the ways, such as airlines, banking, electrical goods, insurance, and so on. Also they are creating the possibility t give them the possibility of one stop shopping, get whatever they want (the times100, 1 case study) So because of the widening markets that they have, its very important that they need to have a well trainee staff that can recognize the needs of their customer. Also with the training, they improve the knowledge and their skills for the job making for them a muck more qualify worker than can be able to provide the best service. As every body now tesco is a very large company, that is making a lot of openings every day, and where all their store are not located in the same areas, and does not have the same customers, for this reason they use the market segmentation to identify, analyze the market, therefore they can realize what is the demand and the goods that the customer want getting this from the customer profile, with this they can be ahead to see what they would need and what kind of employees will fit more or even what training the will need to provide to be more productive in the businesses and give the best service. 3.0 METHOD LIST THE METHODS OF TRAINING CARRIED OUT BY TESCO. DESCRIBE HOW TRAINING NEEDS ARE INDETIFY Tesco offers two different training methods, which give the possibility to then employee to explore their abilities and take the best for it. On the job training: this is by the far the most important training method, under this method training takes place in the normal work location, he new employee its allocate to a specific job, he or she its instructed by an experience worker or by a special supervisor who explain him how the things work, with this method the employees does not only learn how to work under guidance also produce goods, its inexpensive, also relate the employee with the environment in the workplace (P C Reddy, P C Tripathi 196p) In tesco there are some steps that it will be describe: Shadowing: working together with the managers, learning how to do the things Coaching: trying to help the people out into situation of any kind to work thought to get some solutions. Mentoring: guide and advise new employees Job rotation: basically is when the employee has the opportunity to move around into the different branches to get new skills and get more experience. Also this method give some advantages to the company like: cheaper than others method to the company. Manager can observe the improve of the employees and also can solve issues The employee during the training period is producing goods or working, so its productive for the company. The employee can show what she or he learns and put that in practice. Off the job training: its more focus in training in specific skills or for the individual development in certain areas such as, team building, communication and so. Also it is provide with some external courses that brings the opportunities to tescos staff the possibility to learn and gain more knowledge from expert and professional people. This method is compose by an: induction start from day one, and its when the managers introduce them to business showing them how its compose, targets etc, giving them the opportunity to learn quickly about the company. According to tesco needs, is a company that is expanding their businesses all around the country and also around the world and analyzing and reading the profile of their customer give them the chance to be ahead while process of marketing, In the other hand the company looks for people with different skills and abilities to be more competitive and deliver a better performance with innovation and new products. With the idea of hire people of different backgrounds, show to the people that tesco is a place where everybody can fit and also expose to the people that is a place where they can fin people from everywhere that can bring some ideas, get closer to the people giving them a nice service make them happy to have them back. 4.0 COMPARISON ANALYSE TESCOS METHOD OF DEVELOPING ITS EMPLOYEES.CONSIDER THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF SUCH A PROGAMME. As is well know tesco has development programs that help people out to get involve in the company and is base of this points: -According to the strategy of the company and what they needs are, they concur to create ways to achieve those aims. -Also another important point is the attendance at those courses that the employee is in, it is very important being that because is easy to get in use to with the work environment. -Recording the performance of the employee makes much more easier to see their improve in the process, giving to the manager or guide -With the advises of what they have done, its helpful in the way that it can be uses as a re feeding for the employee to realize how are they doing right or wrong. So with this method the company provide full support to all the employees, in all the topics and areas, because as they said Recruiting new staff its more expensive than retaining new staff (the times100, 2009,Tesco case study) It can be said, development programmers also usually includes elements of planned study and experience, and frequently supported by a coaching or counseling facility (D, Nickson, 154p). Following this it can be seen that this method has some strengths and weaknesses that help in the process of the employee to success or to fail, whether the companies can provide the all program but also depends on the employee, according to this it will be show the characteristics: Gives the opportunity to the employee to get growth in abilities of leading, managing, and working in the shop whit the advantage to get operation skills. Offer to people apprenticeship or encouraging the studying or planning for a qualification whilst at work (Tesco) With this program their employees could be more productive and valuable to the company in long term, whit this actions, they can give secure and confident to their employee, showing them that they are important for the company and motivating them, so they will understand how useful they are for the company. Helping the people to learn much more quickly how to do the jobs guiding them. Improve the performance of the employee at work keeping them update with all the new staff. Also this can be a good way to attract good workers, that ones nice and good work expectations But in other hand this program has some disadvantages that can be attach to this plan such as the budget that they have to spent, because those programmers could be out of their, or in the other they might have the problem that people would not sing in the courses making the company just waste the money. Mix of knowledge, as all now development is the process to help people to grow and extend their abilities, but people can bring their old baggage so that could create misunderstandings with the others, implementing their old or previous knowledge that might fit or not in the new place. Time, it is a factor that is important to remark, being an essential part of any process , because some companies are not able to wait until the employees learn, understand and get ready, so it will become a fight against time, so does it play a significant role. 5.0 BENEFITS EVALUATE THE BENEFITS FOR TESCO IN PROVIDING A STRUCTURED TRAINING PROGRAMME.TO WHAT EXTEN DO YOU THINK THE TRAINING HAS ACHIEVED A RETURN ON INVESMESNT. Tescos programs have been created with the aim of train and develop their staff, and with it, gives the chance to monitoring and evaluated their process according to their performance. As it can be seen this method bring the opportunity to see how the performance of the employee is, giving to them a better and solid feedback providing more order a better focus aim and also construct a better confident in the employee making them aware of their performance. Also in the way that with this process they can measure and analyze better what they have done in al their activities such as activities plans, personal development plans, and so. More over about this gives the chance to expand their view and have a wide vision in the way that other department can give a feedback, so they can improve and do better performance in the case that they might need. Has interaction between management and employee during their training giving them the possibility to express themselves. The aim of training its t improve knowledge and skills in an individuals changing their attitudes, it is one of the most important potential motivators, with it can lead to so many benefits in training(J. Mullins 489P) such as: Motivate the staff, raising their confident and commitment the more to the company, obtaining from them a better performance. Give them the chance to have a career progression also with the felling of personal achievement, so the training will provide them with the chance to get recognition and also progress and see what they have done. Helping them out also to progress and develop their abilities, skills and knowledge by giving them the right tools. Its morally wrong to give a leadership role without some of training wring from them and those who work with them J.Adair. The path to leadership I do think that all companies do the training with the aim invest in themselves and also in people, as it can be seen that now everything and markets are more competitive they need to make the difference, and how this can be possible? By giving them the opportunities to improve, be better, teach them, and after all evaluate them and use what they have learned, making all the process go trough. So I do think that afterwards the training process is when the company will see the results for all what they have done for their staff that later on will give back with their job and productivity. 6.0 CONCLUSION to summarized this report it can be seen that tesco and any other company needs to have the right training being that is an important lever to bring improvement, changes to the company and staff. Also it can be seen how tesco focus in their staff trying to provide to them the best and the most qualify training with the aim of expand their business but also with the concern that first need to have the right people, to the right job at in the right moment, and how this can be possible, whit the right an adequate training and development program. 7.0 REFRENCES Aswathappa, K (2005) Human resource and personal management. Mc Graw Hill. (pp195) P C Tripathi P N Reddy (2008) Principals of management, Mc Graw Hill (pp196) D Nickson (2002) Human resource management for the hospitality and tourism industries, Elsevier (pp 154) Tesco(2009) How training and development support business growth The time 100, 2009 L J Mullins (2009) Management and organizational behaviour Prentice Hall, (pp489,)

Friday, September 20, 2019

Effect of Background Environment on Learning and Recognition

Effect of Background Environment on Learning and Recognition The effect of background environment on the learning and recognition of Chinese numeric characters Abstract Previous researches on human memory found that the context present at learning and testing can have a significant impact on how well information is remembered, suggesting that information learned in one context is better recalled when the same context is reinstated during testing (McGeoch, 1932; Godden Baddeley, 1975; Schwabe Wolf, 2009). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of classical background music on learning and recognition of Chinese numeric characters. Participants (N=60) were randomly exposed to four different situations over an established period of time while given a sheet consisting of nine Chinese numeric characters to remember. After remembering the list of numbers they were tested on their recall of the numbers either in the same environment they were learnt or in the alternative environment. Using a 22 between-subject designs analysis it was found that recall was better in the matching conditions. Additionally, numbers learned in a quiet conditio n produced more errors during recall in a noisy condition, suggesting that performance is worse when the environmental contexts are mismatched. These results suggest that the effects of background noise on memory retrieval can be eliminated when a dissimilar learning context is reinstated at test. These findings have important implications for educational concerns. Introduction The theory of working memory model considers the mind to have strictly limited attention resources in processing parallel steams of information, and can become overloaded when exposed to excessive amount of information. Early investigations of memory discovered that the context at learning and recall can have an impact on how well information is remembered, suggesting that information learned in one context is better remembered when similar context is reinstated during recall. Accordingly, in this context it has been established by prior studies that external stimuli such as background music would possibly interfere with cognitive processing. Previous researches that have tested recognition memory in an environmental context that is different from the learning context have produced inconsistent results. (Davidson, Powell, 1986; Banburry Berry, 1998) observed that background music enhance task performance on a variety of tasks. However, (Saufley, OtakaBavaresco, 1985; Klatte, Bergstro m Lachmann, 2013) found that students’ exam performance were not significantly better when learning and testing took place in the same environmental context, compare to a different context. This aspect of memory has been known as context-dependent memory (CDM). The CDM has been extended to different context and have received some previous attentions in the literature, including; olfactory stimuli (Pointer Bond, 1998; Cann Ross, 1989), alcohol states (Eich, 1980), and testing environment (Godden Baddeley, 1975), among many other context. Background music has been shown to be another potential context under which CDM seems to occur. In a number of studies changes in context between learning and testing have produced a significant affect during recall,whereas, in other studies this effects has not been shown (GeiselmanGlenny, 1977; Geiselman Bjork, 1980; Russo, Ward, GeurtsScheres, 1999; Smith, Glenberg Bjork, 1978; Smith Vela, 2001; Godden Baddeley, 1975; Smith, 1985; Fernandez Alonso, 2001). Nevertheless while external stimulus (such as music) appears to enhance individuals’ learning, it could be distracting to others. For instance, (Smith, 1985) examined the e ffect of background music on CDM. In which subjects were asked to learn a list of words under one of three background music conditions (Mozart piece, jazz selection or quiet condition). He concluded that participants who were exposed to the same musical context recalled significantly more words during testing. This provides evidence that the idea of background music can serve as an effective retrieval cue for earlier learned material and does produce CDM effects. According to the literature cited above, individuals tend to recall information better when the environmental context matches from encoding to retrieval. This was supportedin a study conducted by (Grant, Bredahl, Clay, Ferrie, McDorman Dark, 1998). In this study, the participants were instructed to study meaningful information under either noisy or quiet conditions. Then, they were asked multiple-choice and short-answer questions on the previously learned material. A reduction in recall was noticed in participants whose noise level was mismatched during learning and testing compare to those whose noise-level was matched. This suggests if the music played throughoutthe administration of the test and learning is the same, this will improves memory because similar background cues promote memory retrieval. Researches have also demonstrated the effects of background noise on task performance (Hygge, Evans Bullinger, 2002; Ylias and Heaven, 2003), underlining the harmful effects of noise as a distractoron an individual’s performance. Banbury and Berry (1998) found that performance was lower in the presence of background noise (taped office noise) compare to quiet conditions during recall. Also greater disruption was noticed when both learning and recall occurred in the same noisy environment. However, there has also been research contradicting these findings. Avila,Furnham and McClelland (2011) found no significant difference in task performance in the presence background noise. The present study considers the effects of background environment on learning and recognition of Chinese numeric characters. Three research questions are addressed. The first question is whether learning context affect recall. The second research question is whether testing context affect recall. And finally, the third research question that was addressed is to see whether there is an interaction between learning contexts and testing context. Also, in line with previous studies (Grant, Bredahl, Clay, Ferrie, McDorman Dark, 1998; Cann Ross, 1989; Smith, 1985), it was predicted that there would be an effect of context. It was expected that tasks performed in learn quiet-test quiet conditions would yield better results during recall than tasks performed in learn noisy-test noisy conditions, indicating that the background environment(Classical music) is a distracter to performance. The rationale for these predictions would be that background music could prevent full concentration on memo ry task; this could be because extra information during testing could be distracting to participants. Additionally, percentage error scores were expected to be significantly higher in the quiet-noisy condition during learning and recall, suggesting that background noise contribute to lower performance in memory. Perhaps this could be due to the fact that attention will be drawn to the background music while learning, therefore, leading to poorer recall during testing. Finally, performance was predicted to be significantly higherin no background noise condition. The rationale for these results would be that according to prior studies the presence of background noiseand changed environment during recall could impair performance, potentially through distraction. Method Design The first research question used a 22 between-subjects design to analyse the collected data. This was chosen to determine whether differences exist between different background situations (quiet and noisy) and whether one is more effective than the other. The independent variable was context at learning, with two levels; quiet and noisy. This addresses whether background music affects learning. The second research questions also used a between-subjects design. The independent variable was the context at testing, with two levels; quiet and noisy. This addresses whether background music affects recall at testing. The third research question addresses whether there this a interaction between context at learning and testing. For all the research questions the dependent variable was the number of errors. This was measured by counting the numbers of incorrect answers given by each participant. Participants Sixty participants (22 Males, 38 Females), ranging in age from 18 to 65 years old (M=29, SD=12. 1) participated in the study. The groups were randomly allocated from personal contacts of the researchers. Participants were divided into four groups each assigned to four different conditions. However, it is important to note that any Chinese participants or anyone with a previous knowledge of Chinese language were excluded from the study, due to the nature of the task. Materials (or Measures) The stimuli were the ‘noise’,which was played via Youtube throughout the study for a specific condition. Since classical music may cover a wide range of stylistic variances, the present study used Vivaldi The Four Seasonsthis was chosen as classical music is frequently heard in the radio and thus musical style would be familiar to the participants (VanWeelden, 2012). The test consisted of nine Chinese numeric characters,which were selected for the purpose of the study (appendix). In order to avoid practice destruction sheet (word search) was used, which was randomly selected on the Internet (appendix 7). Procedure The experiment was conducted in a room assigned by the researchers. Participants were given consent forms to fill out at the beginning of the study and were informed of their right to withdraw at any point (appendix 3,4). They were also given an instruction sheet, detailing what they were required to do (appendix 2). The study was an independent-measure design. All sixty participants were assigned to four different conditions. Each condition consisted of 15 participants and depending on their groups they were exposed to either a quiet or a noisy room with classical music being played in the background. Also, depending on the conditions the researchers explained to the participants that music would be played while they were given a sheet with nine Chinese numeric characters to remember the meaning of (appendix 1). The participants were then given five minutes to remember the meaning of each numeric character. Then, in order to redirect participant’s attention and to avoid pract ice subjects were given a distraction task of a word search to complete under three minutes. Then, they were asked to return to their respective room, depending on their conditions (quiet or noisy) and were allowed five minutes to identify the meanings of the same nine Chinese characters on a separate testing sheet presenting with symbols but no meanings (appendix 6). At the end of the experiment participants were debriefed (appendix 5) and instructed in the same verbal and written manner throughout the experiment. Result The analysis conducted a 22 ANOVA with learn (quiet, noisy) and test (quiet, noisy) conditions as between-subject variables were conducted on the percentage error recall. This was done In order to determine whether recall would be higher when the learning and testing context were quiet in comparison to noisy, and whether recall would be better when learning and testing context matched compared to mismatched. The mean and standard deviation for recall scores are reported in table 1. The results of the ANOVA confirmed that as predicted there was a significant main effect of context at learningF(1,56)=6. 287, P=0. 015, such that participants made significantly more errors in a noisycondition than in a quiet condition (M=22. 96 and M=11. 85 respectively). (See graph 1, figure 1). In addition, along with the prediction, there was not a significant main effect of context at test (p>0. 05),noisy condition produced more error compare to quiet condition (M= 21. 48 and M=13. 33 respectively). And finally, There was not a statistically significant interaction effect between learning and testing context, F(1,56)=3. 381, P=0. 071. This means that context at learning had the same effect at both levels of the other IV, context at test. Table 1. Percentage memory recall during quiet and noisy test conditions following quiet and noisy learning conditions. Figure 1: Estimated mean log of errors scores in Chinese numeric character recall task of context at learning. Discussion Our primary goal in this experiment was to examine the effect of background music on learning and recall. It was predicted that the detrimental influence of background music on memory retrieval would be lessened if the learning and retrieval environments matched. The present findings confirmed this prediction. The participants performed worse when the learning and testing context were dissimilar. This is in line with previous studies of impaired memory retrieval following background noise (Dalton Behm, 2007; Dobbs, Furnham McClelland, 2011). If, however, the learning and testing context were matched, this detrimental effect of stress disappeared. But, in confliction with some studies, the results provide no evidence for an interaction of background music and context effects in memory processes. Participants learned better in learn quiet-test quiet condition (M=11. 85), but did not necessarily recall higher when they were tested in a noisy condition (M=31. 11). Also, participants prod uced more errors in learn noisy-test noisy (M=14. 81) as opposed to learn noisy-test quiet condition (M=11. 85), suggesting that participants performed poorly when the learning and test context were mismatched. This can be supported by many studies (Fernandez Alonso, 2001; Schwabe Wolf, 2009). Although we focused mainly on the manipulation of the environmental (i. e. , external) context, it is important to note that the presence or absence of other stimuli can also be conceptualised as a change in internal context. In this study internal stimulus such as personality trait, emotional state and mood were not assessed during learning and recall. Also, mood, which can be affected by emotions and feelings, can improve or hinder with successful learning model of the engaged individual. Additionally, as mentioned before personality trait could be a factor that needs to be considered. The influence of music on memory performance has also been linked to personality types. A study piloted by Furnham and Bradley (1997) demonstratedthat pop music could be a distracter on the performance of introverts and extraverts. It was proposed that in the presence of music extravert would perform better than introverts. The findings determined that when pop music was played recall was severely le ssened for both introverts and extraverts. Also, it was shown that introverts recalled significantly lower than extraverts in the presence of pop music condition as well as introverts in the silent condition. Overall, introverts seemed to be easily distracted in the presence of background noise. This researchexposed evidence that overall background noise, such as music, TV and background conversation could improve performance in complicated cognitive tasks for extraverts, while it will considerably impair introverts’ task performance (Furnham Bradley, 1997; Dobbs, Furnham McClelland, 2011). A possible confounding variable in between-subjects designs in this experiment could have been related to individual differences, in which the participants’ characteristic differed one group to another, for instance the participants in one group may be older, smarter, then the participants in another group. This was somehow controlled by giving the exact same information to every participant and treated equally. Also, environmental variables may have affected the findings in which characteristics of the environment differed between groups, for example the groups were tested in different rooms, one group may be tested in a larger room and another group in a smaller room. However, we had no control over assignment of individuals to groups, as the groups were randomly allocated. It is important to note that the Chinese numeric characters where unfamiliar to the participants, these may have affected their recall regardless the condition their were set in, however, this needs to be taken into further consideration. A group of different ages were exposed to one task that had been designed to assess the participants’ ability ton how well they canremember unfamiliar Chinese characters. As Fernandez Alonso (2001) found that older participants recall better when they were tested in the same context, but no effects was shown for the younger participants. However, this had no impact on the direction of the data, but it makes the sample less reliable. In summary, the results of the present experiment indicate that the detrimental effects of background music on memory retrieval can be prevented when the environmental context at learning and testing match. These findings have important implications for educational concerns, to find out whether the negative impact of background music on learning or testing will be reduced if students are tested in the same room/context, instead of in an unfamiliar room. Word count: 2194

Thursday, September 19, 2019

History and Analysis of the Schwarzkopf Advertising Campaign Essay

The media control all mass communication all over the world, its existence is integral to today’s twenty-four hour society. All media is highly influential, from on television to radio, newspapers to magazines, but especially the  £19billion advertising industry. Although many people refuse to admit it we are easily manipulated into buying particular products subconsciously, a well-produced and marketed advert can increase sales revenue for any product. Schwarzkopf hair care & dyes is well known as an alternative to the mainstream hair companies. Hans Schwarzkopf whose first formula in 1903 was an instant hit with his female customers established Schwarzkopf in 1868. The water-soluble powder shampoo, â€Å"The Shampoo with the Black Head†, offered an easy-to-use and value-for-money alternative to the expensive oils and harsh soaps of the time. Since then the brand has continued to grow and is famous for providing striking colours for women with a more adventurous styl e at an affordable price. Their latest advertised product â€Å"Live Unlimited Gloss† hair colour was featured on the back page of Heat magazine issue 533. Heat is the UK’s leading women’s celebrity weekly costing  £1.65 and a target audience of young celebrity conscious women. The target audience for Live Unlimited Gloss hair colour is young women aged 18-25 who want to make a statement with their hair colour and fashions, on a low budget. In the top-right corner of the advert there is the Schwarzkopf logo in silver, set in a black background. To the left of this it says â€Å"111 YEARS Schwarzkopf† in a clear font. This instils confidence in the viewer that the product is of good quality and they will receive the benefits of the company’s long experience. Underneath this, th... ...hine, but also cares for your hair as in the company’s slogan. The third and final bullet-point uses the statistic that â€Å"9 out of 10 women are delighted by the long lasting shine.† The reader is finally persuaded by the largely positive recommendation from other women. By saying the shine is â€Å"long-lasting,† the customer is guaranteed good value for money. In conclusion, this advert from Heat Magazine is very effective in portraying the message of the advert. The advert is subtle, and presents the main feature of shiny hair well, without being too garish and shows Schwarzkopf as being of high quality and professional. Not being someone who colours my hair this product does not interest me directly but I would probably suggest it to another based on this advert. In my opinion, this makes the advert successful as it reaches and is relevant to the target audience.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Opposing Goals of Comfort and Power in Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Opposing Goals of Comfort and Power in Macbeth  Ã‚  Ã‚   People have a hard time getting what they want; in fact, the things they want can be incompatible with each other and any attempt to reach one of these goals hurt the other.   In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1606), the protagonist is lured to murder the king, Duncan, by the desire for power, an appetite whetted by witch’s prophecies and his wife’s encouragement. But when he reaches the kingship, he finds himself insecure. He attempts to remove threats that decrease his security, including his companion Banquo and his son Fleance, prophesied to be king. His lords grow angry and revolt successfully, after witches lure Macbeth into a false sense of security by further foretelling. In Macbeth, we see that, despite appearances of paradox, man’s goals of comfort and power are forever opposed in increment, though the two may decline together. The power from knowledge causes discomfort. As often has been said, ignorance is bliss. After Macbeth is promised the throne, Banquo asks why Macbeth is less than ecstatic. "Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear / Things that do sound so fair?" (Act I, Scene 3, p. 332) Macbeth’s new knowledge makes him uncomfortable, as he realizes the implications. His first thoughts considering murdering Duncan appear, and he is scared. After he commits the murder, Macbeth says, "To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself." (Act II, Scene 2, p. 347) Knowing that has committed such a vile act makes him uncomfortable. It will be difficult to act innocent and to deal with his guilt. When he later decides to murder Banquo and Fleance, he tells his wife, "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, / Till thou applaud the deed." (Act III, Scene 2, p. 359) Hecate sets Macbeth up for his final fall, explaining her strategy, "As by the strength of their illusion Shall draw him on to his confusion. He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear. And you all know security Is mortals' chiefest enemy." (Act III, Scene 5, p. 365) The security provided by the second set of predictions is only fleeting. Feeling there is no threat to his power, Macbeth acts wildly, bringing his downfall and loss of both comfort and security. The problem with knowledge was that it was power resulting in a decline in comfort. The Opposing Goals of Comfort and Power in Shakespeare's Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework The Opposing Goals of Comfort and Power in Macbeth  Ã‚  Ã‚   People have a hard time getting what they want; in fact, the things they want can be incompatible with each other and any attempt to reach one of these goals hurt the other.   In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1606), the protagonist is lured to murder the king, Duncan, by the desire for power, an appetite whetted by witch’s prophecies and his wife’s encouragement. But when he reaches the kingship, he finds himself insecure. He attempts to remove threats that decrease his security, including his companion Banquo and his son Fleance, prophesied to be king. His lords grow angry and revolt successfully, after witches lure Macbeth into a false sense of security by further foretelling. In Macbeth, we see that, despite appearances of paradox, man’s goals of comfort and power are forever opposed in increment, though the two may decline together. The power from knowledge causes discomfort. As often has been said, ignorance is bliss. After Macbeth is promised the throne, Banquo asks why Macbeth is less than ecstatic. "Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear / Things that do sound so fair?" (Act I, Scene 3, p. 332) Macbeth’s new knowledge makes him uncomfortable, as he realizes the implications. His first thoughts considering murdering Duncan appear, and he is scared. After he commits the murder, Macbeth says, "To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself." (Act II, Scene 2, p. 347) Knowing that has committed such a vile act makes him uncomfortable. It will be difficult to act innocent and to deal with his guilt. When he later decides to murder Banquo and Fleance, he tells his wife, "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, / Till thou applaud the deed." (Act III, Scene 2, p. 359) Hecate sets Macbeth up for his final fall, explaining her strategy, "As by the strength of their illusion Shall draw him on to his confusion. He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear. And you all know security Is mortals' chiefest enemy." (Act III, Scene 5, p. 365) The security provided by the second set of predictions is only fleeting. Feeling there is no threat to his power, Macbeth acts wildly, bringing his downfall and loss of both comfort and security. The problem with knowledge was that it was power resulting in a decline in comfort.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Impact of Social Media

A Media Research On Impact of social media, texting and other technologies on interpersonal communication. Submitted as a part of Media Research MJMC- 2011-2013 [pic] Submitted by: Sakshi Choudhary Prerna Wadhwa Adittya Kaul Chitra Singh Megha Sharma Zosang Pachuau Anumika Bahukhandi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The successful completion of this file marks the beginning of a learning experience on such an interesting topic. It would be worthwhile to mention the contributions made by the people around me leading to the completion of this practical file.We are deeply indebted to Ms, Manu Sharma for giving me kind and valuable guidance throughout the course of this study. It was her constant and catalytic actuation that led to the successful completion of this practical file. Without her untiring efforts and encouragement, this file could not have taken its present shape. We would also like to thank to all other faculty members who provided constant support and encouragement, during the project. Sak shi Choudhary Prerna Wadhwa Adittya Kaul Chitra Singh Megha Sharma Zosang Pachuau Anumika Bahukhandi TITLEImpact of social media, texting and other technologies on interpersonal communication INTRODUCTION Social networking media, texting and other technologies have crept into our lives like no other technology revolution in the recent past. The social media revolution has completely transformed how we used to live our lives. In this context, we felt it would be interesting to understand the impact of social media on three major facets of human existence: The psychological impact Revolutionary impact and The social impact The psychological impact of social media on individuals is immense.The positive aspect of the entire experience has been the ability to connect with people. The core USP of texting and social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter is its ability to connect with people across the world and this brings a certain sense of joy to people. You would have met lots of your old friends through Facebook and that ability to stay in touch with them irrespective of locations makes it a very positive psychological impact on individuals. However, there is another side to this coin. I know a lot of young adults who wake up to Facebook without even brushing their teeth.On a personal level, I have known people who have been online on Facebook for ages without even signing out. There comes a point, after the initial connect with old friends, where you would be idling your time on Facebook doing literally nothing for a long time. This idling time makes you lost and completely distracted from what you had initially intended to do. From 10 mins of Facebook, it would have become 2 hours of Facebook at a stretch. So this addiction to social networking sites makes one even unaware of the real time zones, creating a negative impact on people’s mindsets.This addiction to stay connected and noticed makes one prioritize these small things over many more impor tant activities. Revolutionary Impact: The biggest power of the social medium is the ability to mobilize support for social causes in a very short span of time. The Arab Spring is a point in case for the biggest achievement of the social medium and it also reflected some of its own shortcomings. The advent of the Arab Spring would not have been possible if not for the social media. Both Twitter and Facebook were extensively used to galvanize support to shake the dictator regime and remove it from office.The Tahirir Square uprising symbolized the potential of social media to trigger and create change in a nation’s prospects. However, it also has showed some of the shortcomings of the medium itself. Even though the social media was able to assist the revolution, it needed people on the ground to sustain it and implement the changes. Almost after a year, they have had their President elected and ironically it is a leader from the radical Muslim Brotherhood. Social media could no t help in implementing change on the ground because its not accountable and its virtual in nature.This entire episode shows the impact power of social media and also shows that social media can trigger and support movements but the success of such movements depends much upon the core issues raised on the ground. One of the biggest successes of the social media revolution is the amount of fairness that intrinsically the social networking sites have especially Twitter. There is such an open platform for the common citizen to interact and evolve; it shapes many people’s identities and ideologies. Being an open and unbiased medium, it is actually the world’s most efficient democracy in its truest sense.In addition, it helps to provide so much information that it enriches people with loads of information. Information is indeed wealth and this medium provides so much for it. Ironically, this extensive outpouring of information leads to one of the common issues that social me dia in general faces. Social Impact: Having an opinion on any issue is a right for any individual, there is no doubt it. However, the power of social media is such that it influences people’s opinions very fast. It also leads to opinion makers who make short sighted comments that might be just fitting for a 140 letter character.There is a certain level of irresponsibility within certain sets of people that leads to this discussion being only a one way street. One way abuse or giving opinions without responsibility makes the social media, at times, an ocean which has varied levels of depth. While it is a legitimate right for anyone to have their view, it needs to be with decorum that befits educated individuals. Amidst all these various impacts of the medium, one gets the impression that social media has blatantly obvious positives and some surreal negatives that get underplayed very often.Since everyone brags about the positives, the negative impacts at every stage of the ass essment need to be also taken into account. It liberates the common man to have his voice heard in an open platform and helps to connect people across generations. In this process, it also provides him an additional freedom for individuals to air their views on issues. However, this excessive overflow of information and  connections  can also have a detrimental effect on the personal lives and attitude of individuals if it is not handled in a mature manner.The balance needs to be the key, with regards to the virtual life and the real life, only this balance and a matured democratic  mindset  can make the social media experience a worthwhile one. Modern conveniences such as using cell phones and the creation of social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter) for interaction have shown a variety of influences in the research. Within the social networking spectrum exists the activities of instant messaging (IMing), texting, blogging, bulletin boards, and posting ( comments, status updates, and videos).Greenfield and Yan use the â€Å"Effects Model† to explain the shift from seeing the Internet as doing something to adolescents to an outlook that consists of adolescents taking an active role in co-constructing their own environments. As with any object, the responsibility falls upon the internet user or social networker as to the purpose of engaging in the activity and what is hoped to be accomplished. However, technological side effects may not always be apparent to the individual user and, combined with millions of other users, may have large-scale implications.Therefore, each participant has a dual role—as an individual who may be affected by the social environment and as a participant who is interacting with others and co-constructing the same environment. Given that communication plays a central role in personal relationships and that relationships are assessed by the communication skills of others (Burleson, 2003), impairme nt in the ability to effectively communicate may hinder successful relational development in young adults.This can potentially impact an array of life areas such as family relationships, socialization, school performance, and employment. Further, the failure of young people to effectively resolve conflicts in person can jeopardize safety and may lead to chronic acts of 4 violence that include verbal threats, pushing, grabbing, punching, and fighting. Thus, the lack of conflict resolution skills may lead to the use of human services and involvement in the legal system, requiring the need to access limited financial resources, and also the risk of out-of-home placement.Despite the potential benefits for adolescents who engage in the various types of social networking, such as the sense of being understood and supported by peers the research is showing that the excess use of this technology may underhandedly inhibit proper interpersonal skill development. Due to the nature of the socia l work profession and its efforts to enhance the lives of youth and plan for their successful transition into adulthood, further examination of the impact of social networking on adolescents is justified.Therefore, it is the purpose of this study to examine the impact of social networking on the skills of communication and conflict resolution within the young adult population. Benefits and Concerns of Social Networking Different theories have surfaced regarding the impact of social networking. It has been found that participation in social network sites provides a number of potential benefits for adolescents. It provides a virtual place to spend time and share thoughts and objects with personal meaning, such as pictures and stories, and remain closely connected with friends regardless of geographic distance.Also, it is believed that individuals may feel empowered when using social networking to establish relationships that provide information, mutual assistance, and support. Finally , it was found that teens with difficulties may use online relationships as temporary bridges that bring them into safe and comfortable face-to face relationships. All of these mentioned benefits to participants, especially adolescents who are attempting to practice social skills and explore who they are as individuals, add to the justification of including social networking into the current developmental perspective.Despite the potential advantages of social networking, there are a number of concerns. A well-known study conducted by Kraut, Patterson, Lundmark, Kiesler, Mukophadhyay and Scherlis (1998) was one of the first to examine the relationship between Internet use and the aspects of social involvement and psychological well-being. The HomeNet field trial followed 93 families in their first 12-18 months of being online. A total of 256 people took part in the study. It was hypothesized that the users would increase their sense of social support and feel less lonely, be less aff ected by stress, and have improved mental health.However, the results of the study showed the opposite. Associations were found between increased Internet use and decreased social involvement, feeling more lonely, and an increase in depressive symptoms. Another result was that higher Internet use was related to a decrease in communication among family members. The results of the original study were criticized and caused much controversy, prompting a second study. The follow-up study found varying results that contradicted the results of the first study in all areas except life stress.Another consequence of social networking that has been addressed in the research is the issue of cyber bullying. Much data exists regarding the negative aspects of social networking and the incidence of cyber bullying and victimization among users. Traditionally, bullying has taken place during face-to-face interaction. However, advances in technology have opened up new ways for this to occur over elect ronics, from texting on cell phones to the posting of comments or videos on websites. Regarding text bullying, the prevalence of its occurrence ranges from 15-32% .In nationally representative surveys of 10-17 year-olds, it was found that twice as many youth reported they were victims of online harassment in 2005 as compared to data from 2000. The issue of cyber abuse (bullying, unwanted sexual advances, and stalking) should be taken very seriously due to the detrimental effects on victims, which include feelings of depression, guilt, shame, as well as self-harm and withdrawing from family and friends. Using a phenomenological approach, an analysis of anonymous posts by adolescents revealed a high incidence of cyber bullying from both real-life acquaintances and those who were met online.In another study, it was found that students who were text bullied were significantly more likely to feel unsafe at school than those students who had not been text bullied. Whether due to low self- esteem or poor social 11 skills, adolescents who turn to online relationships because of feelings of isolation by peers may find that online relationships are filled with complications. It is within these relationships that adolescents may be victimized by cyber bullying, unwanted sexual advances, and even cyber stalking. MEDIUMSInternet surfing The term â€Å"Internet surfing† appeared after the creation of the personal computer and the Internet and is seen as an extension of â€Å"channel surfing†, where viewers randomly change channels on a television using a remote control with no real physical effort. Internet surfing is activity described as spending time visiting either random or targeted websites on the Internet for non-communication purposes. Users can view websites to gather information, play interactive games, shop, and view photos and movies.Surfing the Internet can be addictive in nature because individuals receive short-term gratification every time they go online, making it very desirable to continue to go online to receive this gratification. Studies have demonstrated that excessive Internet surfing may increase depression and social anxiety. Therefore, individuals who struggle with Internet surfing and also participate in social networking as a means of meeting their social needs may be at risk for a significant decline in communication and conflict resolution skills due to their isolative behaviors.Moreover, it was found out adolescents with low perceived friendship quality reported significantly higher depression and social anxiety. Since excessive computer use can inhibit exploring one’s actual environment and impact the growth of friendships, this is of major concern. Instant messaging. In contrast to surfing, instant messaging (IM-ing) consists of sending real-time online computer messages to another user in a mutually established conversation. Researchers found that IM-ing is the most popular method of communication among teens who go online, with 75% using this medium and 48% doing so at least once a day.This format is typically private and can be an opportunity for adolescents to practice and develop social skills. However, a recent longitudinal study showed that IM-ing6 predicted more depression among adolescents over a six month period. The effects of Internet surfing and IM-ing on internalizing problems may be closely related due to the finding that adolescents who spend more time IM-ing also spend more time surfing. Texting The short messaging service (SMS), more commonly known as â€Å"texting†, is the cellular phone version of IM-ing and also results in virtually instant messages between the sender and receiver.Cell phones have been engineered over the past years to accommodate the demand of texting, such as offering a full QWERTY keyboard, and many cell phone carriers offer plans that contain unlimited texting. A survey conducted on 2,277 American adults by the Pew Research Cent er found that 18-24 year olds sent or received an average of 109. 5 text messages per day, which works out to be more than 3,200 text messages per month. In a European study of 635 participants ages 16-55 years old who visited a website and completed an online questionnaire, 48. % reported preferring to use their cell phones for texting over voice calls and 26. 1% reported texting too much This study also measured levels of loneliness, expressive control, interaction anxiousness, and conversational involvement. Two significant findings were that 61% of the participants stated they say things in text that they would not feel comfortable saying face-to-face and 64% stated they feel they are able to express their true feelings best in text messages rather than in face-to-face interactions or voice calls. Modern conveniences such as using cell phones and the creation f social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter) for interaction have shown a variety of influences in the research. Within the social networking spectrum exists the activities of instant messaging (IMing), texting, blogging, bulletin boards, and posting (comments, status updates, and videos). Greenfield and Yan use the â€Å"Effects Model† to explain the shift from seeing the Internet as doing something to adolescents to an outlook that consists of adolescents taking an active role in co-constructing their own environments.As with any object, the responsibility falls upon the internet user or social networker as to the purpose of engaging in the activity and what is hoped to be accomplished. However, technological side effects may not always be apparent to the individual user and, combined with millions of other users, may have large-scale implications. Therefore, each participant has a dual role—as an individual who may be affected by the social environment and as a participant who is interacting with others and co-constructing the same environment.Given that communicati on plays a central role in personal relationships and that relationships are assessed by the communication skills of others (Burleson, 2003), impairment in the ability to effectively communicate may hinder successful relational development in young adults. This can potentially impact an array of life areas such as family relationships, socialization, school performance, and employment. Further, the failure of young people to effectively resolve conflicts in person can jeopardize safety and may lead to chronic acts of 4 violence that include verbal threats, pushing, grabbing, punching, and fighting.Thus, the lack of conflict resolution skills may lead to the use of human services and involvement in the legal system, requiring the need to access limited financial resources, and also the risk of out-of-home placement. Despite the potential benefits for adolescents who engage in the various types of social networking, such as the sense of being understood and supported by peers the rese arch is showing that the excess use of this technology may underhandedly inhibit proper interpersonal skill development.Due to the nature of the social work profession and its efforts to enhance the lives of youth and plan for their successful transition into adulthood, further examination of the impact of social networking on adolescents is justified. Therefore, it is the purpose of this study to examine the impact of social networking on the skills of communication and conflict resolution within the young adult population. Statement of problem This project focuses on evaluating the impact of social media, texting and other technologies on interpersonal communication.It will help us in knowing the positive and negative impact of these respective mediums interpersonal communication. Nowadays people spend more than 50% of their time on socializing or texting. Some of the most popular Social Medias are facebook, twitter, blogs, BBM, whatsapp texting. The popularity of these social med iums has not only captured the interest of people but has also influenced their interpersonal communication strongly. The main agenda behind this research is to find out the impact of these mediums on the interpersonal communication of people. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDYResearch can be defined as the search for knowledge or as any systematic investigation to establish facts. The primary purpose for  research is discovering,  interpreting, and the  development  of methods and systems for the advancement of human  knowledge  on a wide variety of  scientific matters  of our world and the universe. HYPOTHESIS An hypothesis is a specific statement of prediction. It describes in concrete terms what you expect will happen in your study. NULL HYPOTHESIS: There is a direct relationship between Impact of social media, texting and other technologies on interpersonal communication.ALTERNATE HYPOTHESIS: There is no conclusive relationship between Impact of social media, texting and other technologies on interpersonal communication Literature Review According to Vitak (2008), there are some reasons why an individual uses asocial networking site. The first reason is for them to meet strangers and become friends with  them. This  type  of  relationship  is  what  we  call  a  weak  interpersonal relationship. The majority of respondents of her research paper (57%) said they were initially  introduced  to  those  Ã¢â‚¬Å"friends†Ã‚  through  mutual  friends,  which increases  the likelihood  of  such  relationships  developing  into  strong  ties.On  the  other  hand, responses  to  a  separate  question  overwhelmingly  support  the  hypothesis. While  asignificant portion or respondents said they have at least a few online-online friends,85% said they do not communicate with the majority of their online-only friends, and just one respondent said  that he/she considered those  f riends as  a  strong  tie. Through social networking sites  like facebook, the user tends to  maintain his weak interpersonal relationship with his online friends because of an easy communication.He can use private messaging, chat rooms, and other method of communicating provided by the website. On the other hand, a strong interpersonal relationship with his offline friends needs time and effort to be maintained. Distance between two users that can change an offline relationship into online relationship is also a reason why an individual uses SNSs. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of  respondents said the majority of their friends have a Facebook account, which suggests that many students use the site to stay in touch with their offline friends.Keeping in touch with friends remains the primary reason for site usage across both years in school and gender. Furthermore, approximately one-third (31%) of respondents with friends who do not have a Facebook account say they would be clo ser to those friends if they were on the site, and 87% of respondents said they had never experienced negative consequences in their offline relationships due to content in their Facebook profiles, which suggests that most respondents benefit from using the site.With the use of  private messaging and chat rooms of this site, students can communicate and maintain a healthy relationship with their friends from far places with ease that takes only a few seconds to complete it. Social Networking Sites also have  negative effects in  offline relationships. Something’s found in the site can lead to misinterpretation for some people. Because of online messaging or comments that are visible to everyone in the friends list of a user, an offline relationship can be affected or destroyed due to fights that will happen.For example, a jealous boyfriend saw a comment from a mysterious boy posted on the wall of his girlfriend that says intimate words, because of this, the relationship between the girl and his boyfriend can be broken. Another negative effect is, because of posting comments on the wall of a user became much easier, it will also be effortless for other  people to spread rumors and gossips that can destroy a life of an individual. As a larger percentage of communication moves into the digital arena, we will see a general weakening of ties between people.This weakening will be less pervasive among a person’s closest circle of friends and more obvious among lesser friends, as digital  communication  will  become  the  primary  mode  of  communication  in  theserelationships http://www. scribd. com/doc/27327211/The-Influence-of-Social-Networking-Sites-to-Interpersonal-Relationships-of-the-Students-of-Rogationist-College-High-School-Department-S-Y-2009-2010 Social Networking and Interpersonal Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills among College Freshmen By John J. Drussell Social Networking ActivitiesAdvancements in te chnology have resulted in people being able to access a wealth of information and participate in virtual opportunities not previously available. Through the tools of computers and cell phones, society has moved from engaging in face-to-face interaction while performing these activities to endeavors that do not require in-person interaction with others. The devices have therefore become the actual mediators between people and knowledge or entertainment. Within recent years, technology has also made available different avenues for communicating.The capabilities of computers and cell phones have allowed users to develop means to participate in the world of social networking, now making the device the mediator of communication between individuals. 5 Internet surfing. The term â€Å"Internet surfing† appeared after the creation of the personal computer and the Internet and is seen as an extension of â€Å"channel surfing†, where viewers randomly change channels on a televis ion using a remote control with no real physical effort. Internet surfing is activity described as spending time visiting either random or targeted websites on the Internet for non-communication purposes.Users can view websites to gather information, play interactive games, shop, and view photos and movies. Surfing the Internet can be addictive in nature because individuals receive short-term gratification every time they go online, making it very desirable to continue to go online to receive this gratification (Selfout, Branje, Delsing, Bogt & Meeus, 2009; Hall & Parsons, 2001). Studies have demonstrated that excessive Internet surfing may increase depression and social anxiety (Selfout et al. , 2009; Morgan & Cotton, 2003).Therefore, individuals who struggle with Internet surfing and also participate in social networking as a means of meeting their social needs may be at risk for a significant decline in communication and conflict resolution skills due to their isolative behaviors . Moreover, Selfout et al. , (2009) found that adolescents with low perceived friendship quality reported significantly higher depression and social anxiety. Since excessive computer use can inhibit exploring one’s actual environment and impact the growth of friendships, this is of major concern.Instant messaging. In contrast to surfing, instant messaging (IM-ing) consists of sending real-time online computer messages to another user in a mutually established conversation. Researchers found that IM-ing is the most popular method of communication among teens who go online, with 75% using this medium and 48% doing so at least once a day (Hinduja & Patchin, 2008; Lenhart et al. , 2005). This format is typically private and can be an opportunity for adolescents to practice and develop social skills (Selfout et al. 2009; Morgan & Cotton, 2003; Valkenburg & Peter, 2007). However, a recent longitudinal study showed that IM-ing6 predicted more depression among adolescents over a six month period (Selfout et al. , 2009; Van den Eijnden, Meerkerk, Vermulst, Spijkerman & Engels, 2008). The effects of Internet surfing and IM-ing on internalizing problems may be closely related due to the finding that adolescents who spend more time IM-ing also spend more time surfing (Selfout et al. , 2008; Subrahmanyam, Greenfield, Kraut, & Gross, 2001). Texting.The short messaging service (SMS), more commonly known as â€Å"texting†, is the cellular phone version of IM-ing and also results in virtually instant messages between the sender and receiver. Cell phones have been engineered over the past years to accommodate the demand of texting, such as offering a full QWERTY keyboard, and many cell phone carriers offer plans that contain unlimited texting. In fact, Crabtree et al. (2003) expected SMS to dominate mobile messaging in regards to both traffic volume and revenue well into the last quarter of the decade (Reid & Reid, 2007).In a Norwegian study of 19-21 year olds, pa rticipants sent an average of six texts per day in 2001. When the same age group was measured again in 2007, this number tripled to an average of 18 text messages sent per day (Ling, 2010). A survey conducted on 2,277 American adults by the Pew Research Center found that 18-24 year olds sent or received an average of 109. 5 text messages per day, which works out to be more than 3,200 text messages per month (Smith, 2011). In a European study of 635 participants ages 16-55 years old who visited a website and completed an online questionnaire, 48. % reported preferring to use their cell phones for texting over voice calls and 26. 1% reported texting too much This study also measured levels of loneliness, expressive control, interaction anxiousness, and conversational involvement. Two significant findings were that 61% of the participants stated they say things in text that they would not feel comfortable saying face-to-face and 64% stated they feel they are able to express 7 their tru e feelings best in text messages rather than in face-to-face interactions or voice calls (Reid & Reid, 2007). Quality of Social Networking RelationshipsPersonal interaction is and has always been an important function of the human experience. Prior to the technological revolution and creation of personal computers and cell phones, relationships were typically developed and maintained by means of face-to-face interaction and verbal or written communication. With the development of the Information Age, characterized by the ability for people to freely and conveniently access and exchange information through technology, the way in which our society interacts with one another has continued to transform.Technological Determinism Theory attempts to help explain how changes in methods of communication through advancements in technology impacts general society. According to this theory, media technology shapes how individuals in a society feel, act, and think as well as influences how socie ty functions as they move from one technological age to another. In other words, people learn how to think and feel the way they do based upon the messages they receive through the current technology.This theory supports the belief that â€Å"the medium is the message† and that people adapt accordingly and will utilize the means in which society as a whole is using to communicate. As the medium changes, so does society’s way of communicating. If the medium is impersonal, then the message itself is also impersonal (Mcluhan, 1962). With the creation of the virtual world, individuals have the opportunity to interact with others, both known and unknown, in a variety of ways. With the change in nature of these relationships, it has been of interest to gauge the perceived quality of online relationships.Because Internet sites, such as America Online (AOL) and Facebook, allow groups of users to 8 connect with other groups, users engage in group forming activities that are com parable to faceto-face groups (Giffords, 2009). According to Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe (2007), social networking sites on the Internet may be used to strengthen relationships that already exist, therefore acting as a bridge between the online and offline worlds (Perez-Latte, Portilla, & Blanco, 2011).A study by the USC-Annenberg Digital Future Project (2006) on Internet usage found that 43% of Internet users who are part of online communities feel as strongly about their online communities as they do about their real-life communities (Giffords, 2009). In another research study among adolescents, a prominent finding was that participants who had developed friendships and relationships online consider them to be as real as relationships in their actual lives. Further, these online friendships were described as being ong-term, trusting, and very meaningful (Mishna et al. , 2009). Because of potential attached meaning to these virtual relationships and the possibilities that human interaction may become volatile and unpredictable, it is of explicit interest to investigate how users, specifically adolescents and young adults, manage to communicate and resolve conflicts within these communities. Therefore, more research is needed in this area. Benefits and Concerns of Social Networking Different theories have surfaced regarding the impact of social networking.It has been found that participation in social network sites provides a number of potential benefits for adolescents. Cited by Hinduja and Patchin (2008), it was found that benefits of online interaction include that it provides a means in which to learn the ability to relate to others, tolerate differing viewpoints, express thoughts and feelings in a healthy way, and practice critical thinking skills (Hinduja & Patchin, 2008; Berson, Berson, & Ferron, 2002), In addition, Clavert (2002) states 9 that communicating with others on the Internet is an opportunity to explore self-identity and enhance self-disco very.Another perceived benefit is that the Internet increases the possibility to contact peers, thus enhancing self-esteem and feelings of well-being (Selfhout et al. , 2008; Morgan & Cotton, 2003; Valkenberg & Peter, 2007). Further in regards to social networking, the Internet provides a virtual place to spend time and share thoughts and objects with personal meaning, such as pictures and stories, and remain closely connected with friends regardless of geographic distance (Hinduja & Patchin, 2008; Boyd, 2006).Also, it is believed that individuals may feel empowered when using social networking to establish relationships that provide information, mutual assistance, and support (Giffords, 20069). Finally, it was found that teens with difficulties may use online relationships as temporary bridges that bring them into safe and comfortable face-toface relationships (Wolak, Mitchell, & Finkelhor, 2003).All of these mentioned benefits to participants, especially adolescents who are attemp ting to practice social skills and explore who they are as individuals, add to the justification of including social networking into the current developmental perspective. Despite the potential advantages of social networking, there are a number of concerns. A well-known study conducted by Kraut, Patterson, Lundmark, Kiesler, Mukophadhyay and Scherlis (1998) was one of the first to examine the relationship between Internet use and the aspects of social involvement and psychological well-being.The HomeNet field trial followed 93 families in their first 12-18 months of being online. A total of 256 people took part in the study. It was hypothesized that the users would increase their sense of social support and feel less lonely, be less affected by stress, and have improved mental health. However, the results of the study showed the opposite. Associations were found between increased Internet use and 10 decreased social involvement, feeling more lonely, and an increase in depressive sy mptoms. Another result was that higher Internet use was related to a decrease in communication among family members.The results of the original study were criticized and caused much controversy, prompting a second study. The follow-up study found varying results that contradicted the results of the first study in all areas except life stress. Another consequence of social networking that has been addressed in the research is the issue of cyber bullying. Much data exists regarding the negative aspects of social networking and the incidence of cyber bullying and victimization among users. Traditionally, bullying has taken place during face-to-face interaction.However, advances in technology have opened up new ways for this to occur over electronics, from texting on cell phones to the posting of comments or videos on websites (Marsh, McGee, Nada-Raja, & Williams, 2010; Patchin & Hinduja, 2006). Regarding text bullying, the prevalence of its occurrence ranges from 15-32% (Marsh et al. , 2010; Beran & Li, 2005). In nationally representative surveys of 10-17 year-olds, it was found that twice as many youth reported they were victims of online harassment in 2005 as compared to data from 2000 (Giffords, 2009; Wolak, Mitchell, & Finkelhor, 2006).The issue of cyber abuse (bullying, unwanted sexual advances, and stalking) should be taken very seriously due to the detrimental effects on victims, which include feelings of depression, guilt, shame, as well as self-harm and withdrawing from family and friends (Mishna et al. , 2009). Using a phenomenological approach, an analysis of anonymous posts by adolescents revealed a high incidence of cyber bullying from both real-life acquaintances and those who were met online (Mishna et al. , 2009).In another study, it was found that students who were text bullied were significantly more likely to feel unsafe at school than those students who had not been text bullied (Marsh et al. , 2010). Whether due to low self-esteem or poor soc ial 11 skills, adolescents who turn to online relationships because of feelings of isolation by peers may find that online relationships are filled with complications (Wolak et al. , 2003; Egan, 2000). It is within these relationships that adolescents may be victimized by cyber bullying, unwanted sexual advances, and even cyber stalking.Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills Successfully maneuvering through life requires attaining a set of skills, for example the ability to communicate with others and work through conflicts, that are acquired through different avenues during a person’s developmental journey. From the early days of mainframe computers to the present, computers have been mostly used for interpersonal communication (Sproull & Kiesler, 1991). In fact in terms of meaning, communication is the most important use of the Internet for adolescents (Greenfield & Yan, 2006; Gross, 2004).Regarding conflict resolution, Chung and Asher (1996) and Rose and Asher (1999) have argued that responses to hypothetical situations involving conflict are similar to responses observed during real-life conflict (Johnson, LaVoie, Eggenburg, Mahoney, & Pounds, 2001). This highlights the value in presenting opportunities to practice these skills to prepare for real life situations. However, these hypothetical situations were presented face-to-face to a group by a facilitator and did not include a technological or social networking component.With an overwhelming trend among adolescents and young adults toward the reliance on technology for communication, it is speculated that the decline of face-to-face interaction will result in decreased ability to handle real-life conflicts. In analyzing data from a study of adolescents with close online relationships, it showed that a disproportionate number reported high amounts of conflict with their parents as well as low levels of communication with their parents (Wolak et al. , 2003). In another study, dolescents who en gaged in online 12 communication and felt frightened or that they were in significant trouble did not reach out and communicate with their parents (Mishna et al. , 2009). Empirical data in social work literature, as well as other professional journals, on the effects of school-based conflict resolution programs have been positive, suggesting that teaching conflict resolution skills to students increase their knowledge of how to resolve conflict using non-violent means (Woody, 2001; Johnson, Johnson, Dudley, Mitchell, & Fredrickson, 1997).Although some research exists that examines the activities of social networking and the potential effects, both positive and negative, on its users, there is a gap in the empirical literature. Social networking relies on technology and is conducted over specific devices with no presence of face-to-face interaction, which results in an inability to access interpersonal behavior and signals to facilitate communication. Adding the possibility that rela tionships can become volatile and unpredictable, no current research addresses how social networking affects the ability for users to resolve conflicts in their daily lives.A concerted effort to focus on how social networking impacts the ability to perform the functions of communication and conflict resolution in real-life relationships would be highly beneficial. The available research did not speak to these particular issues, hence the impetus for this quantitative study. Therefore, this researcher proposes the following research question: What is the impact of social networking on interpersonal communication and conflict resolution skills? http://sophia. stkate. edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? article=1021&context=msw_papers OBJECTIVE to analysis Impact of social media, texting and other technologies on interpersonal communication ? to understand the impact of social media on three major facets of human existence o The psychological impact o Revolutionary impact and o The social impact . ? To understand Benefits and Concerns of Social Networking RESEARCH METHODOLOGY RESEARCH PROCESS The research is basically done with the help of ‘Survey’, one of the most important research instruments. A Questionnaire was prepared in order to conduct the survey. Specific and selective questions were added in it accordingly. open ended and 5 close ended questions were added. Sample size was decided and the area of research was decided. How sampling will be done, how it will be divided and what will be the sample size, everything was kept in mind before filling the questionnaires. After preparing the questionnaires, they were sent out to be filled. People filled it by expressing their views and ideas. After getting that questionnaires filled, we went through every questionnaire. And then data and analysis was done. SAMPLING OF RESPONDENT Survey sampling In statistics, survey sampling is random selection of a sample from a finite population.It is an important part of pl anning statistical research and design of experiments. Sophisticated sampling techniques that are both economical and scientifically reliable have been developed. Random Sampling Sampling can be defined as a part of population. Thus random sampling may be defined as the selection of a portion from the whole population in which each elements of the population has an equal chance of being selected. A more please definition is that each element in the population has a non-zero and known probability of selection a randomly drawn sample is an unbiased sample.In this research survey 50 people were surveyed at random to get the relevant information. INSTRUMENT USED A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Questionnaires have advantages over some other types of surveys in that they are cheap, do not require as much effort from the questioner as verbal or telephone surveys, and of ten have standardized answers that make it simple to compile data.However, such standardized answers may frustrate users. Questionnaires are also sharply limited by the fact that respondents must be able to read the questions and respond to them. LIMITATIONS ? It was hard to catch hold of people who could actually take out sometime to fill the questionnaire ? Many of the respondents might not have given the correct information and have filled the questionnaire just for the sake of it. DATA ANALYSIS According to the research done, some of the points and facts that came in light will be provided in data tabulation.The survey was a great help for finding and discovering facts which are as follows: Q. 1 Do you have access to internet? Yes No Almost all the people have access to internet Q. 2 What social networking mediums do you use for communication? According to my research 10% of the people use social networking sites, 60% use instant messaging and 30% use messages or texting Q. 3 wh at is the   most preferred medium that you use? 25% of the people use facebook,30%use BBM, 40% use whatsapp and 5% use other mediums Q. How often do you visit social network websites? 75% of the people said very often they visit the social network websites Q. 5 why do you use social networking sites? 20% of the people use social networking sites for updating photos, status and more, 65% use these sites to socialize, 10% o build professional relations, and 5% to stay in touch with friends Q. 6 how much time do you spend on these networking mediums? 10% of the people spend 1 hour on these mediums, 15% spend 2 hours, 70% spend 3-5 hours and 5% spend all day long.Q. 7 How many text messages do you send in a day? 80% of the people send 10 or even less than 10 text messages in a day Q. 8 Do you think there is any change in your way of communication with friends? If yes, what are the changes you feel? 75% of the people say that they feel that there is a change in their way of com munication with friends. Varied answers were there for this question Q. 9 Do you think people are losing the warmth of relations and becoming formal because of sending messages through these mediums? 0% of the people said yes that they think people are losing the warmth of relations and becoming formal because of sending messages through these mediums and 60% said no they don’t feel it that way Q. 10. Does it exempt them from socialising outside? 40% of the people said that they do exemt from socialising outside and 60% said that they don’t . QUESTIONNAIRE NAME: AGE: GENDER: Q. 1 Do you have access to internet? Yes No Q. 2 What social networking mediums do you use for communication? Q. 3 what is the   most preferred medium that you use?