Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Diabetes Case Study of Angelo Reyes in the Neighborhood

Diabetes of Angelo Reyes in the Neighborhood - Case Study Example Angelo is a 40-year-old Hispanic architect who has had diabetes mellitus type 1 since the age of 13. He is very compliant with diabetes management and strongly believes that he is healthy. However, Angelo and her husband Rachel are expecting to have twin babies and Angelo is apprehensive about the changes that can happen in his routine. Together with others advises he is considering an insulin pump therapy to manage diabetes. To understand Angelo’s dilemma, it is essential to learn diabetes and its types. Diabetes happened because there is a lack of insulin or because there are factors affecting the production of insulin (Watkins, p. 1). Diabetes was noted as early as 1500 B.C. by Ancient Egyptians and when Greek doctor Arataeus derived diabetes from the Greek word siphon, the disease that draws water from the body (Brill, p. 8).Watkins (2003) delineate WHO criteria for the diagnosis of diabetes such as 1) symptoms of diabetes plus casual venous plasma glucose >11.1 mmol/l, 2) fasting plasma glucose >7.0 mmol/l or whole blood 6.1 mmol/l, and 3) 2-hour plasma glucose >11.1 mmol/l (p. 1). Diabetes mellitus is categorized into type 1 and type 2. Angelo has type 1 diabetes mellitus which depends on exogenous injected insulin due to absolute deficiency of insulin secondary to beta cells destruction. Lifelong insulin is needed to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis and sustain life (McDowell, Brown, &Matthews, p. 2). Diabetes is a chronic and a lifelong disease. There is no cure for diabetes yet. However, there are existing treatments which requires the individuals and families to modify their life routines. Successful management of diabetes involves learning how the disease works, signs to watch for, and keeping and checking blood sugar levels normal (Brill, p. 17). Overview of the Incidence of Diabetes in United States The American Diabetes Association (2011) released data from the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet that the total prevalence of diabetes among child ren and adults in the United States is 25.8 million (8.3% of the population). In addition to this statistic are the 79 million people with prediabetes, 1.9 million of these are new cases of diabetes in people age 20 years and older since the 2010 survey. Typical Presenting Signs Signs and symptoms of diabetes may appear abruptly or gradually, depending on the production of insulin in the body. Mr. Reyeswill have clinical presentations of increased thirst (polydipsia) and urination (polyuria) due to the excess sugar drawing water from body tissues and the kidneys flushing out extra water to lower the concentration of sugar in urine. Mr. Reyes may also feel fatigue and may have increased appetite (polyphagia) due to lack of proper body fuel and cell starvation. Despite of increased appetite, Mr. Reyes will suffer from weight loss because the lack of glucose for nourishment burn body fat to compensate for the energy requirements. Increased glucose in the eyes can also cause bleeding or leaking of fluids in eyes blood vessels which damages the blood vessels and results in blurring of vision. Mr. Reyes will also have healing difficulties and are more prone to infections of the bladder or skin. Other clinical manifestations might present are headache,

Monday, October 28, 2019

What is Truth Essay Example for Free

What is Truth Essay Abstract â€Å"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. † Truth is education, but a person could never find the truth without being enlightened. The truth is the easiest thing to find, but many people do not care to find it. Most are more comfortable with the truth or afraid of what actually might be true. However, if they would just be optimistic and fearless they might actually experience and learn more. Anyone can find, learn, and appreciate almost anything that can be taught. And when a person can truly experience any one thing they become enlightened. Not only can this person share his experience but he can also spread the knowledge of what he had learned. Sometimes it is important to examine all possibilities because the amount you can learn can have huge impact on your life. In Mark Twain’s â€Å"Advice to Youths† and Plato’s â€Å"The Allegory of the Caves,† both authors portray that enlightening and experiencing are the two most important aspects of finding the truth. The Truth is in the Knowledge First of all, as a child, you can find more truths simply just listening to your parents then you could if you just ignore them. The amount of respect and trust you show your parents is directly related to the amount of freedoms and trust they give back to a child. The more a child can show they can listen and learn the more their parents enable them to broaden their experiences. [In Advice to Youth, Twain states, â€Å"Most parents think they know better than you do, and you can generally make more by humoring them that superstition then you can by acting on your own judgment †] Just because you do what your parents tell you, doesn’t mean you need to believe what they’re saying. Just watch your mouth while listening, and still form your opinion down the road. That way your parents will be happy, and still think they know more. While you can still be enlightened more later on down the road. Only one thing can even compare in importance to the truth, and that is a lie. Everyone sees lying as a bad thing, but it is a very important part of life. Every aspect of lie is important; they all have an impact on the outcome in the end. [In Advice to Youth, Twain says, â€Å"Now as to the matter of lying. You want to be very careful about lying; otherwise you’re nearly sure to get caught. †] Once someone catches you in a lie; your relationship changes for the rest of your life. Some might have the tolerance to forgive but they still will have lost faith in you as person. That is why Mark Twain is saying how important lying is in finding the truth in life. You must experience both sides of lies, and learn from them. You never know what a lie might cost you. A person can have a horrible experience the worst time in their life, but as long as they pick themselves up and learn from it; one achieves the best possible outcome from their situation. When someone is down it is pretty hard to cheer them up. You should help them realize they built character and knowledge from it, and the result is a stronger person. [In The Allegory of the Cave, Plato writes, â€Å"Build your character thoughtfully and painstakingly upon these precepts, and by and by, when you have got it built, you will be surprised and gratified to see how nicely and sharply it resembles everyone else’s. †] Sometimes a person cannot help what happens in their life. That is why a lot of people look at you differently as person after you react to controversy. Some would go as far as saying that helps build character and also shows toughness. The more a person is able to experience in life; the more enlightened and knowledgeable they become. First hand experiences are the easiest, and more often than not, the most effective way to educate. There is no better way to start building memory then hands on activities with whichever subject you want to learn about. [Plato also states, â€Å"Last of all he will be able to see the sun and not mere reflections of him in the water, but he will see him in the water, but he will see him in his own proper place, and not another; and he will contemplate him as he is. †] You cannot send someone out to do a job they’ve never done before. You will end up with a mess, which is why experience is just as important as learning anything. It is also why experiencing is just as important to truth as anything else. In closing, both Twain and Plato were saying that you need to learn if you want to find the truth about anything. And when they mean learn they are talking about every single thing around someone. You can simply enjoy life more by broadening skills and learning about things near and far. It is more important to find the truth rather than being scared or avoiding it. The truth can be something bad but you’ll never come out on the positive end of it if you don’t learn from it. Not everything is wrong just because everyone says that it is. A person needs to experience to find the truth and form their own opinion.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Divorce Rhtorical Analysis :: essays research papers fc

Most people, when thinking about divorce, worry about the impact that it has on the children that are involved. Even though children are most likely better off if totally incompatible parents separate instead of staying together, divorce is about loss and change, and it is still hard for children. Everyone knows that divorce has its effects on children. There are three different sources that try to explain these effects. Graham Blaine Jr. states that divorce is a threat to all children, whereas Rhona Mahony states that divorce is not always the cause of behavioral or academic problems in children coming from divorced families. Yvette Walczak and Sheila Burns state that the extent of the damage can be determined by the parents and their methods of explanation to the children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Graham Blaine Jr. who is the Chief of Psychiatry at Harvard University health services writes a chapter in the book Explaining Divorce to Children. This chapter is entitled â€Å"The Effect of Divorce upon the Personality Development of Children and Youth.† He addresses this chapter to parents who are considering getting a divorce or are in the middle of the divorce process. The author uses a combination of Ethos and Pathos to support his theory on divorce. Blaine uses these strategies to highlight the mixed emotions a child may endure while going through such a confusing stage of their early lives. This then gives the audience a better understanding of the certain personalities children may gain while coping with sad situation of split parents. He also draws on his experience as a psychiatrist to give statistics as well as true stories to back up his reasoning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blaine uses five specific guidelines for parents to follow in order to try and lessen the effect of divorce upon the child. These are: 1) Place children with whichever parent remarries unless there is a marked incompatibility between that parent and the child. 2) Children under twelve should not be sent to boarding school. 3) If children must be shuffled between two families, then one household should be established as home and the other as a place to visit. 4) Do not give children under twelve a choice regarding the parent with whom they are to live, and do not tell children about an impending divorce until definite plans for the future had been agreed upon. 5) Children should not be placed in a position where they serve as confidants or spies for one parent against the other.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Washington Square :: Essays Papers

Washington Square I’m depressed. Well, how could I not be? I just finished reading Washington Square. I’m happy it’s over, but I’m not happy I finished it. No, that doesn’t make sense does it? Lets just say, I had a feeling how it was going to end up; I just hoped that I would be wrong. Unfortunately the one time I didn’t want to be right I was. Isn’t that the way it always works? I guess so. Catherine, dear plain old, Catherine. Poor girl, father thinks she’s plain, she thinks she’s plain, her aunt thinks she’s plain, even the man who she thinks loves her thinks she’s plain. Although James erases this thought in the beginning of the book I still believe it, â€Å"plain† equals â€Å"ugly†. I feel so bad for her but I guess you had to have what happened to her happen, or else we wouldn’t have such a depressing story. I tell you though, I’m glad my daddy isn’t rich or I would swear off guys as well. I felt so horrible when I knew before her what Morris was like. Which brings me to Morris Townsend. He’s a rat, I smelt a rat from the beginning but I figured it was just because for me guys for the most part are always rats. But of course he was after her money, she was â€Å"plain† and her father was â€Å"rich† no her father wasn’t â€Å"rich†. By god he was rich. So Catherine’s got a big dowry, lots of money, but she’s â€Å"plain†. Oh, well the money will compensate. This shows you the kind of man he is. Well at least it erases the theory that women are gold diggers. James makes the reader dislike Catherine’s father. He makes him seem like an insensitive uncaring prick, but I really don’t think he is. Yes I know parents are supposed to think that their child is the most beautiful thing in the world but hey, that theory’s over rated. It’s not that he didn’t love his daughter; he just knew the truth. He was realistic about the entire idea of this strikingly handsome man falling head over heals in love with his daughter who isn’t the greatest looking chick in the world. Something doesn’t quite fit.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Bhopal Ethics Essay

The Bhopal gas leak was a terrible tragedy in which thousands of helpless civilians were killed and hundreds of thousands were injured as they slept. Determining who was at fault and, consequently, who should compensate the victims and clean up the site are questions that have plagued the affected parties, my Rotman classmates and the world at large for over 25 years. The analysis to follow, in attempting to present the roles and responsibilities of each major player, will demonstrate the incredible difficulty involved in assigning conclusive responsibility for the tragedy. This will be followed by my personal reflections on the incident in which I present an additional culprit to those discussed in class. Union Carbide Corporation (US): In seeking to assign responsibility for the incident, there are two clear opportunities to point the finger at Union Carbide Corporation. Firstly, pressure from the corporate office to stop losses backed Union Carbide India into a corner that led to the cost-cutting proposal that ultimately produced the disaster. If, as Milton Friedman said, the social responsibility of a business is to increase profits, then Union Carbide Corporation is under a purely fiduciary, and not a moral or ethical, responsibility to the company’s shareholders and their decision to approve the cost-cutting plan seems appropriate. Friedman’s view, however, is far from universally accepted. Many believe that corporations’ responsibilities to their shareholders, employees, customers and communities extend past fiduciary and enter the realms of ethics and CSR. These people will lay blame for the incident at Union Carbide Corporation for putting profits before people. A second criticism often leveled at Union Carbide Corporation is the fact that their inspectors had visited the Bhopal plant a year before the incident and noted sixty-one safety issues. A grand total of zero of these recommendations had been implemented by the time of the incident. While responsibility for implementation certainly rests with Union Carbide India, the parent company cannot escape blameless as they bear responsibility for following up and ensuring their plants are meeting their own safety guidance. This negligence led to disaster. Union Carbide India Limited: The Indian subsidiary of Union Carbide’s level of responsibility for the Bhopal tragedy is also difficult to determine. It clearly bears responsibility for non-functioning safety and emergency equipment that greatly exacerbated the scope of the tragedy. It is simply unacceptable that the cooling unit had been disabled for over one year. Union Carbide India also failed its responsibilities by hiring under-qualified and illiterate employees, and then failing to train them appropriately. These employees did not understand the dangers and worked in a world where minor leaks were commonplace and corroded instruments could not be trusted. As well, the subsidiary surely deserves blame for not correcting any of the safety violations identified before the incident. Defendants of the Indian subsidiary, however, will remind their critics that cutting these corners were required to keep their plant open and preserve their jobs and important pesticides. Without pressure from their US parent to eliminate losses, they argue, such drastic measures would not have been necessary. Here again we see how easily complications arise when attempting to assign responsibility for ethical lapses. Government of India: The government of India was the strongest proponent in bringing a Union Carbide plant to Bhopal as the prospect of jobs and much needed pesticides led to an offer Union Carbide could not refuse: cheap labour, tax breaks, few workplace safety restrictions and a guaranteed market for 100% of their output. The Government of India, in addition to economic growth, also bears responsibility for the safety and well-being of its citizens; here, they failed to live up to their full mandate. Firstly, the decision to favour economic growth over safety was questionable ethically and ended up costing them dearly. Secondly, the Government neglected the densely-populated shanty town that had grown up near the plant on land deeded from local officials. Its residents were the first and main victims of the poisonous gas. Still, many will argue that a cost-benefit analysis made creating jobs and accessible pesticide for a poor and hungry region the proper priority. While many were ultimately harmed by the leak, how many more had benefitted from the poverty-alleviating jobs and hunger-alleviating crops? Here again we find valid points and counter-points, leaving us no closer to assigning conclusive blame and responsibility for the tragedy. Dow Chemical: While Dow certainly protected itself in the purchase agreement from a legal standpoint, there are those that suggest the proper ethical action is for Dow to assume responsibility for any outstanding clean up and compensation. While this may innately feel like the right thing to do, the counterpoint that Dow had nothing to do with the incident and should not be punished after paying fair market value for Union Carbide is also valid. Personal Reflection: Analyzing the conduct of the major parties has not produced any conclusive allocation of responsibility. It is clear that each party deserves significant blame but no party deserves total blame. There is, however, an overlooked culprit that I believe deserves the bulk of the blame: the expectations market that has hijacked the decision making of US corporations(1). Ever-increasing emphasis on the expectations market (stock prices) instead of the real market (products/services, relationships with customers and communities) has left businesses making short-term, profit-chasing decisions at the expense of their reputation, ethics and long-term viability. Approving cost cuts that jeopardized safety in Bhopal is just one of all too many such instances. This juxtaposition of ethics vs. eeting financial expectations, however, is fatally flawed – there are many examples where ethical decisions produce long term financial success (Tylenol and Maple Leaf Foods recalls, for example). Queens University took the ethical route vis a vis the Radler donation and the class poll revealed that only a very small percentage of us had heard of that incident. I believe that if Queens had ta ken the easier, unethical decision and never offered to return the donation, this story would have been much more widely publicized and Queens would have suffered in the long run. Moreover, there is no shortage of examples where short-term unethical decisions destroy companies and make them miss their projections forever! (Enron, Bre-X, Nortel, etc – sadly this is a very long list indeed). In short, I disagree with Friedman and lay the bulk of Bhopal blame at the financial system in which Union Carbide operated. Fear of getting hammered by the expectations market led to corporate’s threat to close the Bhopal plant which set off the chain reaction that ultimately ended in tragedy. Fear of incurring further losses after the tragedy than focused Union Carbide’s efforts on avoiding liability, rather than taking the ethical high-ground and assuming fair responsibility for compensation and clean up. Corporate promotion of hypernorms such as integrity, compassion and responsibility will ultimately benefit all stakeholders and provide corporations with the enduring financial rewards that accrue to those that are respected and well-liked by the real market (ie. onsumers and communities, not analysts and speculators). We need to usher in a new era where businesses chase solid reputations and community longevity instead of quarterly earnings expectations. The default corporate reaction to adversity must shift towards upholding these hypernorms, rather than hiding behind lawyers and waiting until the blame has been transferred elsewhere. Realizing that employing the ethical strategy does not compromise, but actually enhances long term financial viability is a cruc ial first step.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free St Augustine on Lying Essay

Free St Augustine on Lying Essay St Augustine on Lying In his book On Lying Saint Augustine analyzed the concept lie in all its aspects taking into the consideration intention of lying, moral side of liar, his will and circumstances which provoked lying. Without doubt, one can observe that philosopher indicated that strong will can prevent us from lying. Will is the possibility to make one's own decision, to choose one's own actions, to determine what is good and what is evil. Saint Augustine (2005, p. 390) affirmed that it would be unmoral to lie in any case, even if you want to rescue another life or to save one's own life. As we see he was not the supporter of lying. He supposed that the action with an evil moral object is never justified in any case. For there is no need to be afraid of any of those definitions, when the mind has a good conscience, that it utters that which to be true it either knows, or opines, or believes, and that it has no wish to make any thing believed but that which it utters (Augustine, 2005, p. 387). Saint Augustine distinguished such types of lying: lies in religion; lies that only damage and benefit nobody; lies that damage other people and benefit somebody; lies told for the delight of lying; lies told to satisfy others; lies that are harmful to nobody and that benefit someone; lies which are not harmful that save someone's life; lies that damage nobody and that save someone's chastity. Saint Augustine (2005, p. 383) supposed that jokes or mistakes are not lying because when we listened to jokes we feel that the tone of voice and mood of joker render that his intention is to make us laugh but not to deceit us. The philosopher emphasized the importance of intention of the speaker and told that even truth thought false by the speaker is a lie. Augustine stated that free will existed and people can choose to choose good (truth, sincerity) or to choose evil (lie). Man can choose a life of good will himself. According to Saint Augustine all kinds of lies are sinful in its entity and ruin moral principles of behaviour. Augustine claimed that a lie should never be told for any man's civil life (at the earth), since the value of such is one's everlasting (at the paradise) life.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Policy Statements3500120112395 Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Policy Statements3500120112395 Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers Policy Statements3500120112395 You're preparing for a conference. You've been given a country. You've read the research report. You've researched your country's stance. You've even got some clauses ready that you think are pretty good. But what are you going to say? A policy statement is a necessity when you go to a conference. You may not want to talk, but the chairs have the right to call you up to speak whenever they want. In some conferences they even ask that you send them your speech before the conference! Policy statements can often be pretty boring, but they are useful. Through the statements you can learn what people's stances are on the issues and figure out which issue they have focused on. This lets you decide who will be your allies and who else may be your enemies. Here are some of the key things to put in a policy statement (this is not rigid but definitely recommended): Address the committee - The first thing you need to do is greet your audience, a way to do that would be by saying something like this when you start: "Fellow delegates and esteemed chairs" Tell them who you are - I don't mean your personality, but the country you're representing. Make this clear from very soon into the speech: "As the representative for Cambodia" or "On behalf of Jamaica" or just "Canada believes" Briefly state what the issue is - This could be general about all the issues being discussed in the committee or specifically about the topic you are going to discuss. Don't go on for ages about it though, they probably know most of the stuff anyway, keep it short and to the point Explain what has already been done to solve the issue - Focus this mainly on what your country has done, but make reference to other big events too. Again though, short and to the point, they don't need a detailed history of the crisis Introduce what solutions you think are the most important - Don't go in depth about your clauses but just state the general ideas you will be pushing for in a resolution: "Guatemala believes that the only way to solve this is through the removal of foreign military from Iraq to allow the country its independence again" Conclude formally/powerfully - "The delegate hopes for a discussion to solve these issues and help the world become a better place" (like that but less cliched) or "Without these solutions the world is guaranteed to slip into chaos. It is our duty to rectify the situation before this can happen" "The delegate yields the floor back to chair" (when asked) Here's an example of a policy statement (bear in mind that it should not really be more than 2 minutes in length and you can be stopped if the Chair's believe that time is running out). Honourable chairs, fellow delegates, it is with grave urgency that we meet today. Venezuela is considerately alarmed by the rise of extremism within Syria. We strongly oppose the actions of the "Islamic State", and their brutality within the Middle East. However violence from foreign powers must not be resorted to, as it would serve only to worsen the issue. Venezuela believes that the Syrian people should be the ones responsible for the resolution of their internal conflicts without foreign interference and should be assisted politically to develop solutions that encourage eventual peace within the region. The insurgency in Syria is a pressing issue that must of course be addressed. The use of religion to promote violence is an age-old tactic for those in search of power. In the past, we have condemned the military attacks by NATO against Syria as these serve only to fuel terrorist organisations. We propose that the financing of the Syrian civil war caused a conflict that escalated and gave terrorist groups leverage within the country and so will not support military measures sent in by countries extraneous to the local threat of the Islamic State. We propose meetings where the countries' governmental figures will be actively encouraged to find political solutions that will lead to peace within the region. We propose an alliance that allows the countries

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Versailles Treaty Put an End to World War I

The Versailles Treaty Put an End to World War I The Versailles Treaty, signed on June 28, 1919 in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles in Paris, was the peace settlement between Germany and the Allied Powers that officially ended World War I. However, the conditions in the treaty were so punitive upon Germany that many believe the Versailles Treaty laid the groundwork for the eventual rise of Nazis in Germany and the eruption of World War II. Debated at the Paris Peace Conference On January 18, 1919- just over two months after the fighting in World War Is Western Front ended- the Paris Peace Conference opened, beginning the five months of debates and discussions that surrounded the drawing up of the Versailles Treaty.   Although many diplomats from the Allied Powers participated, the big three (Prime Minister David Lloyd George of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau of France, and  President Woodrow Wilson  of the United States)  were the most influential. Germany was not invited. On May 7, 1919, the Versailles Treaty was handed over to Germany, who was told they had only three weeks in which to accept the Treaty. Considering that in many ways the Versailles Treaty was meant to punish Germany, Germany, of course, found much fault with the Versailles Treaty. Germany did send back a list of complaints about the Treaty; however, the Allied Powers ignored most of them. The Versailles Treaty: A Very Long Document The Versailles Treaty itself is a very long and extensive document, made up of 440 Articles (plus Annexes), which have been divided into 15 parts. The first part of the Versailles Treaty established the League of Nations. Other parts included the terms of military limitations, prisoners of war, finances, access to ports and waterways, and reparations. Versailles Treaty Terms Spark Controversy The most controversial aspect of the Versailles Treaty was that Germany was to take full responsibility for the damage caused during World War I (known as the war guilt clause, Article 231). This clause specifically stated: The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies. Other controversial sections included the major land concessions forced upon Germany (including the loss of all her colonies), the limitation of the German army to 100,000 men, and the extremely large sum in reparations Germany was to pay to the Allied Powers. Also enraging was Article 227 in Part VII, which stated the Allies intention of charging German Emperor Wilhelm II with supreme offence against international morality and the sanctity of treaties. Wilhelm II was to be tried in front of a tribunal made up of five judges. The terms of the Versailles Treaty were so seemingly hostile to Germany that German Chancellor Philipp Scheidemann resigned rather than sign it. However, Germany realized they had to sign it for they had no military power left to resist. Versailles Treaty Signed On June 28, 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Germanys representatives Hermann Mà ¼ller and Johannes Bell signed the Versailles Treaty in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles near Paris, France.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING REPORT FOR New Zealand Essay

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING REPORT FOR New Zealand - Essay Example 1. Annual Growth Rate in Country The annual growth rate of the nation itself is 1.3%(Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook 1). 2. Birth Growth Rate in Country Birth rates have remained steady and are currently contribute to an approximate growth rate of 1.0% per annum (New Zealand Statistical Database 1). 3. Fertility Growth Rate in Country As of statistics gathered, the fertility rate within the country stands at .04% (New Zealand Statistical Database 1) 2.1 children per female The average number of children per female member of the society works to 1.9 (Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook 1). 4. Net Migration Rate in Country The research notes that there are approximately 2.26 migrants per 1,000 individuals (Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook 1). E. Death Rate in Country Likewise, the current death rate within the country stands at 7.54 New Zealand Statistical Database 1). 1. Number of Deaths Per Thousand in Country In much the same way, the number of deaths per thousand individuals is 7.20 (Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook 1). 2. Infant Mortality Rate in Country Infant mortality comes in at at a low 5.59 (Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook 1). F. ... 2. Life Expectancy for Total Population of Country Life expectancy for total population was noted to equate to 80.7 (Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook 1). 3. Life Expectancy for Males in Country The average life expectancy for a male is currently 78.4 years of age (New Zealand Statistical Database 1). 4. Life Expectancy for Females in Country Similarly, and not surprisingly, the average life extinct for females is nominally higher at 82.4 years of age (New Zealand Statistical Database 1). G. Ethnic Groups in Country (actual number and population percentage) Major ethnic groups include: Caucasian, Maori, Asian, Pacific islanders (Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook 1). 1. Number of Ethnic Groups in Country There are currently 4 major ethnic groups represented within the country (Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook 1). 2. Name and Size of Ethnic Groups in Country With regards to the name and size of the ethnic groups, the following statistics helps to shed light on the percentage totals exhibited: 78% European 14.6% Maori 9.2% Asian 6.9% Pacific islanders (Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook 1). H. Religious Groups in Country (population) Of the total population in New Zealand, approximately 2,924,318 consider themselves to be religiously affiliated (New Zealand Statistical Database 1). 1. Number of Religious Groups in Country Of the main and measurable religious groups within the country, New Zealand currently recognizes the existence of 22 separate and distinct groups (Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook 1). 2. Names and Size of Religious Groups in Country Of these groups, the majority are affiliated as follows: Christianity – 53.6% Undeclared – 7.7% Hinduism 1.7% Buddhism 1.4%

Friday, October 18, 2019

Media affects Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Media affects - Research Paper Example Notable cases are; the media-coverage of Iraq war, various terrorist attacks all over the world and the media influence on the belief that all Muslims are terrorists. The media has also been accused on many occasions to be bias since it tends to support some groups while others are struggling. Although the media claims it handles tragedies well, offers a positive picture in regards to Muslims and terrorism and that it is not bias, is not convincing enough because evidence to the contrary lies all over an example being the Iraq war. BACKGROUND Back in the World War II the media seemed not to be aware of a great deal of horrifying events that occurred. It was quite serious that â€Å"we did not know† was coined to mean the media all over Europe. This was mostly in respect to concentration camps that littered Germany where people were tortured and even killed (Petren, Clinton and Nyama 2). Such information could not have gone off the media’s radar. Despite this, the media insisted that it was as surprised to find out the truth about the existence of concentration camps just like the rest of the people. The modern era of heightened technology a great deal of information can be gathered and disseminated as news but using the same technology the media can gravely manipulate the truth to serve certain purposes and interests. The current revolutions happening in the Middle East and North Africa are a good indicator of how modern technology can be used to transmit information. Egypt and Tunisia are countries whose presidents, Hosni Sayyid Mubarak and Ben Ali respectively, were ousted by the general public (Howard). Mubarak blocked the internet as his regime considered it as one of the most reliable links among the protesters. The sites useful in sharing information and escalating the protesters’ messages of anti-Mubarak and Ali’s regimes were Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. Yemen, Jordan, Bahrain and Libya among others are undergoing same revo lts and the same digital media is proving helpful in relaying the actual scenario on the ground. It is even noted that aides to the Libyan leader Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi have advised him to tender his resignation on Twitter (Howard). The media has done a good job in publicizing the Iraq war and terrorism activities in Afghanistan but the truth value of these publications is largely questionable. The media was quite keen to offer live coverage on events as they unfolded in the Iraq war but when it was over and the country was on its path to reconstruction, media attention became scarce (Sydney 482). The media has oversimplified the reality in the post-war Iraq and as it now unfolds a great deal of corruption and poor governance is going on. It is clear that the media covering the war in Iraq followed the Bush administration’s advice of failing to reveal the extent of the damage and loss of lives that the war was causing (Kuypers 68). Many restrictions in the name of urging the media for restraint were initiated by the administration. The press was not allowed to cover funerals of fallen soldiers nor the arrival of their caskets at the Dover Air Force base (483). Although the government claimed it was not censoring the media in coverage of Iraq, the media should not necessarily have complied as their mission is to get the story right by bringing forth the actual footage and photographs without letting their impact or shock lure their judgment

ARE HERBAL REMEDIES SAFE AND EFFECTIVE Research Paper

ARE HERBAL REMEDIES SAFE AND EFFECTIVE - Research Paper Example A herbal remedy that relieves inflammation and pain called Chinese Thunder God Vine weakens the immune system. The remedy is famous in for causing osteoporosis. Most of the herbs are ineffective unless their maintenance is in small quantities such as nutmeg and its cooking properties. When the nutmeg herbal is in large quantities, it cause liver failure and can at times lead to death. Many types of herbal remedies line the shelves of health food stores and pharmacies. Most people consider that any drug having the label â€Å"natural† as effective and safe. Herbal remedies have been in existence for a long time. Some of the remedies, even those carrying the natural label, can have serious and powerful negative drug effects in the body. The FDA regulates herbal supplements though not in the same manner it does with medicine of food. Herbal remedies form part of the dietary supplements. Regulations that apply to dietary supplements are not strict as those of drugs and food. Manufacturers of herbal drugs, for example, do no need the approval of the FDA before availing them to the markets. When the herbal remedy gets to the market, it is the duty of FDA to ensure its safety. FDA, however, lacks the capacity and funding to check the standards of the many new drugs. When FDA finds an herbal remedy that is not safe, it issues some requirements or orders to the distributor or manufacturer to remove it from the market (Harte 2-3). Soy provides dietary phytoestrogens that possess weak estrogenic activities. The soy herb treats menopausal symptoms and reduces the levels of cholesterol in the body. A review on the Soy’s effectiveness was done on nine clinical trials to examine the impacts of increasing dietary soy. Nine more trials were done to determine the efficiency of Soy extracts. The review gave a conclusion that neither Soy extracts nor increased Soy

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Financial Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Financial Reporting - Essay Example In that sense, â€Å"financial accounting reflects, mirrors, represents, or measures this pre-existent economic reality† (Hines 1991:316). On the other hand, the Conceptual Framework is criticised â€Å"for not fulfilling its functional objectives, principally that of providing a basis for guiding standard-setting and resolving accounting controversies† (Hines, 1991:313). The purpose of the essay is to provide a critical overview of the conceptual framework and to analyze why it is criticized for not fulfilling its functional objectives as discussed above. This paper is organized as follows. The remainder of this paper is structured in the following way: Section 2 provides a general overview of the Conceptual Framework and its development; Section 3 provides a critical discussion of the concepts identified in previous section; Section 4 is concluding part of the essay. The Conceptual Framework is a tool which â€Å"sets out the concepts that underlie the preparation and presentation of financial statements† (Ifrs.com, 2014, n.p.). This tool is used by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) for developing and updating/revising International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) (Ifrs.com, 2014, n.p.). The main objective of the Conceptual Framework is to help users in developing, revising, interpreting and understanding the IFRSs (Hoogervorst, Clark & Knubley, 2014). The Conceptual framework was initially established in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s in the USA (Pike & Chui, 2012). CF served as a foundation for accounting standards with identification of key principles and a set of qualitative characteristics (Pike & Chui, 2012). The first product produced by the CF project was the concepts statement on the objectives of financial reporting (Solomons, 1986). CF was aimed to be a set of prescriptive principles that would guide board members in standards’ setting and practitioners in problem solving processes (Hines,

Diversity and the Island Nation of Tagg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Diversity and the Island Nation of Tagg - Essay Example The island of Tagg is a good example of a region that can be governed using a combination of legal structures. It is expected that the exploration of oil will affect the religion and the value system of the people of Tagg. The presence of the oil company has led to an increase in the population of the island. Moreover, the arrival of the oil company has resulted to changes in the societal setting of the island of Tagg. Gabbay (2010) indicates that numerous challenges have emanated since the oil company set up its operations in the island. The changes in the social, monetary and political structure of the island have to be monitored using various approaches. This piece discusses the legal issues to be addressed by the council of elders at Tagg with the intention of safeguarding the interests of the citizens. The recent increase in population is attributable to the arrival of the oil company in the Island. The increase in population is interfering with the value system of the people in the island (Marmor, 2005). Additionally, the changes are affecting the cultures of the people of Tagg. Initially the Island of Tagg was a homogenous nation that preserved their culture. Presently, the Island has become a melting pot of different cultures. The council of elders is finding it difficult to formulate laws in the island. As such, they are opting to replicate the approaches that have been effective to other governments in their territory. The council of elders is mandated to contain the challenges brought by the exploration of oil in the island meaning that the elders will adhere to the legal theories that advocate for absolute respect of law to avoid committing mistakes similar to those committed by authorities in the past (Gabbay, 2010). The elders will formulate laws that are in line with the societal principles. Legal system Authorities use common law in promoting mutual existence among populations meaning that the legal system that has assisted authorities in protec ting large diverse populations. According to Marmor (2005), common law allows for equitable sharing of national resources; furthermore, such a system punishes evil. It also preserves culture by presuming that a person is always innocent until his guilt is proven. Activities such as oil exploration can benefit the populace effectively when the council of elders in the island of Tagg uses common law. USA is an example of a nation that has embraced common law in their jurisdictions. Challenges like an increase in population can be controlled through restructuring common law principles that govern citizens’ relationship (Gabbay, 2010). Embracing the principle of common law does not interfere with the value system in a society since it allows the populace to influence the jurisdiction used in a region. This creates fairness in large diverse populations. However, the state has the absolute authority in formulating laws. It is the duty of the council of elders in Tagg to introduce t he federal system of governance in the Island for the advantage of the masses. According to Posner (2004), the existence of private property in a society determines the formulation of civil laws. A legal system that uses civil laws focuses on preserving the diverse population. Challenges have emerged in the society because of the desire to create wealth. Nations use civil laws in societies affected by globalization to preserve culture. Indeed, the legal systems that enhance

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Financial Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Financial Reporting - Essay Example In that sense, â€Å"financial accounting reflects, mirrors, represents, or measures this pre-existent economic reality† (Hines 1991:316). On the other hand, the Conceptual Framework is criticised â€Å"for not fulfilling its functional objectives, principally that of providing a basis for guiding standard-setting and resolving accounting controversies† (Hines, 1991:313). The purpose of the essay is to provide a critical overview of the conceptual framework and to analyze why it is criticized for not fulfilling its functional objectives as discussed above. This paper is organized as follows. The remainder of this paper is structured in the following way: Section 2 provides a general overview of the Conceptual Framework and its development; Section 3 provides a critical discussion of the concepts identified in previous section; Section 4 is concluding part of the essay. The Conceptual Framework is a tool which â€Å"sets out the concepts that underlie the preparation and presentation of financial statements† (Ifrs.com, 2014, n.p.). This tool is used by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) for developing and updating/revising International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) (Ifrs.com, 2014, n.p.). The main objective of the Conceptual Framework is to help users in developing, revising, interpreting and understanding the IFRSs (Hoogervorst, Clark & Knubley, 2014). The Conceptual framework was initially established in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s in the USA (Pike & Chui, 2012). CF served as a foundation for accounting standards with identification of key principles and a set of qualitative characteristics (Pike & Chui, 2012). The first product produced by the CF project was the concepts statement on the objectives of financial reporting (Solomons, 1986). CF was aimed to be a set of prescriptive principles that would guide board members in standards’ setting and practitioners in problem solving processes (Hines,

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Proprietary and Contract Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Proprietary and Contract Security - Essay Example The problem has more to do with the thinking among executives proprietary security has no alternative. There is the feeling that contract security has a mix of the good and the bad. Why take the risk and get into trouble in case the security turns out to be bad (Shamus McGillicuddy). Nonetheless, reports from companies who have dared to venture and have the open system installed are encouraging. They work well and their cost is low. Some of them have gone on to say that they have better features than proprietary security. The function of security systems essentially includes spam, spyware and phishing blockers, virus protection, web filter, protocol control, intrusion prevention, a firewall and several other applications. The open sources all of these. Although company executives swear by contract security, they have only gone the extra mile and added this security along with proprietary sources in most cases. The time is not ripe for a complete recourse to the contract source and probably will never be. Proprietary security has too many aces up its sleeve that contract security will find hard to trump. Proprietary securities have access to far more rese... They also have more resources and access to critical ideas because of their size and reach. They have wide acceptance and are financially powerful to deal with any crisis. In case of any lacunae in a model, they have the capability to recall the entire lot and have replacement done at the same time. Disadvantages Because of mass production, they cannot have the maneuverability and diversity that contract security offers. They have enormous power to push their products but although they have wide range of features included in their products they cannot arrange for the maneuverability and diversity that contract sources can provide. In terms of cost, if they have to tailor make products for customers, they can be quite expensive. Contract Security The contract security segment has formed a National Association of Security Companies (NASCO). Organizations such as NASCO wield tremendous clout and are capable of bridging the gap that may exist between the proprietary and contract security. Tracy A. Henke, assistant secretary for the Office of Grants and Training, spoke about the importance of private security personnel participating in joint training with federal agencies. She also pointed out that the DHS is certifying more and more state training programs. The summit also featured sessions designed to foster an open discussion about issues directly impacting contract security operations (NASCO Concludes First Contract Security Summit). Advantages Contract securities can be powerful in applications and give value for money for niche organizations such as health and medicine. They are particularly useful for those seeking special attention in certain areas of professionals

The International Expansion of Design Practices Essay Example for Free

The International Expansion of Design Practices Essay Designing world-class structures is now made easier with software that any architect in the globe may use in the privacy of his home.   3D modeling, rendering and animation software is but an example of such specialized software, making it easier for architects around the world to compete in designing architectural marvels (Advanced Micro Systems, Inc.).   As a matter of fact, architects are already competing to create the world’s best designs.   By their interaction alone, the world of design must be raising its levels of competence to build finer, safer and more beautiful buildings (Coduto).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Kalo Opera Festiva and Danske Arkitekters Landsforbund (the federation of Danish Architects), together with investors were expected to initiate an international architectural competition around the end of the year 2003 (â€Å"International Architectural Competition†).   In the year 2004, the Friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Inc. announced that there were three architectural firms selected by the Architectural Review Committee in one of the stages of the International Architectural Design Competition (ArcSpace.com).   Then there are international competitions that encompass only a specified region.   In Asia, ten architectural companies from Thailand were chosen for an international reward in the year 2005 (Asia Africa Intelligence Wire).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unsurprisingly, such international competitions urge today’s architect to not only improve his designs by learning from global talents that he competes with, but also to work on becoming the very best in the global field of design practices.   Twenty four design firms from all over the globe submitted proposals to compete for the position of Master Designer of the Orange County Great Park (PR Newswire).   Undoubtedly, all of the proposals submitted were excellent, and world-class!   However, only one architect was to become a true model for the rest of the architectural community to follow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As mentioned before, architects are getting together at the regional level as well.   This practice is also very healthy for their profession.   The city of the angels regularly lists its top architectural firms, each inspiring the others (Kissock).   The American Institute of Architects claims that â€Å"good design makes a difference.†Ã‚   This association of architects describes itself thus: â€Å"For almost 150 years, members of The American Institute of Architects have worked with each other and their communities to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and cityscapes.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The architectural community in Australia is said to have received many international awards for its designs (Johnston).   What is more, the entire international community of architects has its own list of top international design firms (KEO International Consultants)!   The competition is stiff, and absolutely healthy.   Under the watchful guiding eye of the top-notch international community of architects, it is difficult for an architectural firm to make an inferior design and thereby endanger the safety of the people who would be occupying the building thus designed.   The world of architectural design is expecting improved output at all levels and at all times.   This international expansion of design practices makes for a safer and more beautiful world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Given the above facts, we hypothesize that the international expansion of design practices is good for the architectural profession.   With the advent of the Internet and the glories of globalization and technology, it is expected that architects around the world must have seen massive improvements in their designs, seeing that they now have access to superior designs from around the world that serve as models in their work.   In this case, as in most others, global heads are better than one! Bibliography Advanced Micro Systems, Inc. (2007). Available at http://www.amsystems.com. (25 January 2007). ArcSpace.com. (24 May 2004). â€Å"International Architectural Design Competition.† Available at http://www.arcspace.com/architects/Predock/canada_museum. (25 January 2007). Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. (4 March 2005). â€Å"Thai Architectural Firms Receive International Award.† Available at http://www.accessmylibrary.com/comsite5/bin/pdinventory.pl?pdlanding=1referid=2930purchase_type=ITMitem_id=0286-18970560. (25 January 2007). Coduto, Donald. (2005). Foundation Design: Principles and Practices. USA: Prentice Hall. International Architectural Competition. Available at http://www.operafest.dk/uk/?Kalo+Opera+Festival/International+Architectural+Competition. (25 January 2007). Johnston, Lindsey. â€Å"The Sun Shines on Architectural Education in Australia.† The International Education Site. Available at http://www.intstudy.com/articles/twearch.htm. (25 January 2007). Keo International Consultants. (2006). Available at http://www.keoic.com/. (25 January 2007). Kissock, Nancy. (12 March 2001). â€Å"Architectural Firms.† Los Angeles Business Journal. Available at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5072/is_11_23/ai_71841058. (25 January 2007). PR Newswire. â€Å"International Architectural Firms Compete to Design Orange County Great Park.† Available at http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109STORY=/www/story/06-03-2005/0003775011EDATE. (25 January 2007). The American Institute of Architects. (2007). Available at http://www.aia.org/about_default. (25 January 2007).

Monday, October 14, 2019

Change Blindness and Visual Memory: Research and Theories

Change Blindness and Visual Memory: Research and Theories What is change blindness and what can it tell us about attention? Recent research on visual memory has shown that people have great difficulty in detecting obvious changes to an object, such as colour and size, if the change occurs simultaneously with a distraction. The term change blindness is used to describe this phenomenon and much research has been carried out to further our understanding of the condition. Research on change blindness has also produced valuable information about how our visual attention is involved in the encoding process. A variety of tests have been developed to test the prevalence of change blindness and the results show that it is a robust phenomenon. Although change blindness was studied many decades ago it is only in the last decade that research in this area has increased dramatically. Earlier research relied on using shapes or novel objects to induce change blindness and therefore some argued that the condition was caused by artificial stimuli. However, Grimes (1996) showed that more natural images could be used to induce change blindness. Using a computer screen he showed observers photographic images of natural scenes and asked the observers to remember as much of the photograph as possible for a later memory test. However, during a saccade (when observers were visually scanning one object to another in the image) the image was altered. The observers were then asked if they noticed if anything had changed to the image. Invariably, observers were oblivious to the changes even when they were ma jor ones, such as two people exchanging heads. Although previous experiments had shown the existence of change blindness, Grimes 1996 study was the first to show that individuals can fail to detect major alterations to images. Moreover, Grimes used everyday natural images thereby bringing demonstrations of change blindness closer to everyday perceptual experience. Other similar studies also showed that different distracters could be used to induce change blindness. For example, during eye blinking (O’Regan et al 2000) or by applying mudsplats in the surrounding area of the objects that were changed (O’Regan et al 1999). The fact that distractions are needed to induce change blindness suggests that attention is needed for change perception. Without distracters it is very easy for an observer to notice any change that has taken place. This led researchers to investigate the role of attention in change blindness and now there is mounting evidence that attention plays a pivotal role in the condition. For example, in change blindness tasks it has been found that attention to objects can vary depending on the objects location and this can influence whether the change is detected. This has been demonstrated by studies such as Rensink et al (1997). They developed the flicker task which involves using an original and altered image that is repeatedly shown to the observer with the two images separated by a blank screen for a fraction of a second. As with other distracters the observers demonstrated change blindness by invariably taking a long time before they noticed the change to the original image (average being 40 repeats). Another interesting finding of this study is that the observers found it easier to detect changes to objects that were the centre of interest of a scene than objects that were of marginal interest even when the changes were of equal physical salience. This has also been found in other change blindness studies. Levin Simons, (1997), for example, found the same effect when they changed movie objects during a film cut. One theory to explain this finding is that focused attention is required to detect change. This makes sense as a change of any object is always accompanied by a motion signal and therefore attracts attention to the site of change. This allows the change to be observed. However, if the signal is too weak (e.g., because of distracters such as saccades or blanking) it will fail to draw attention to the location of the change which will result in change blindness (Rensink et al 1997). Change blindness can also be demonstrated in real-life situations. Simons and Levin (1998) carried out an experiment in which members of the public were approached by an experimenter who asked for directions. During their conversation two actors carrying a large occluder would walk between the experimenter and subject. At this point the experimenter would swap places with a colleague who would continue the conversation with the subject. The findings showed that some individuals failed to notice that the experimenter had swapped places with another person even though the differences between the two were obvious, such as size and different clothes. This study was important because it showed that change blindness could occur using complex stimuli usually found in the real world. Therefore, finding change blindness can occur in more naturalistic settings counteracted some claims that it was only caused by artificial disruptions, such as the blanking-out distracter in the flicker paradigm (Simons Rensink 2005). There are several theories that attempt to explain change blindness in relation to the interaction between attention and visual perception. For example, Rensink (2000, 2001) developed his coherence theory. This theory is based on several assumptions. First, prior to focussed attention there is an initial stage of processing across the visual field of view. This processing produces representations of several objects in the field of view, but the representations are not stable and therefore are quickly replaced by new stimuli at their location. Second, focused attention produces a very detailed and longer-lasting representation of the object. This allows the representation of the object to be more stable which can withstand brief interruption. Therefore, a change in a focused object will be easily detectable. Third, removing focussed attention will result in the representation of the object disintegrating and returning to the unstable state it was prior to focussed attention. From the above assumptions it follows that only changes made to objects that are the focus of attention will be detected. This can explain why change blindness is a common phenomenon, because any changes to an unattended object will not be detected. The assumption that attentional processes are crucial in underlying change blindness is a common one. For example, Hollingworth and Henderson (2002) agree with the assumption. However, they propose an alternative theory of the relationship between attention and object perception. They argue that detailed perceptions are formed when we look at objects which are the focus of attention. These representations are then incorporated into a mental map and information about these visual representations is then stored in the long-term memory. Therefore, multiple fixations of a scene will result in information accumulating in the long-term memory about local objects from both the attended and previously attended areas, and this forms a detailed representation of the scene as a whole (Hollingworth and Henderson 2002). There are several differences between Hollingworth and Hendersons theory and the coherence theory that have implications about understanding the role of attention in change blindness. First, if objects change, (e.g., disappear or move) sometime after they were attended to, according to Hollingworth and Henderson they would still be mentally visible for some time after the change. Therefore, any change has a good chance of being noticed. Whereas the coherence theory predicts that when attention is withdrawn from objects the mental representation of such objects disintegrate rapidly and therefore any change will result in change blindness. Second, unlike the coherence theory, Hollingworth and Henderson assume that detailed representations of most scenes are stored in the long-term memory. Therefore, any changes made to objects should be detected several minutes later. Finally, in the coherence theory it assumed that focusing attention on an object produces a very detailed image that ca n withstand a brief interruption, such as a saccade. In contrast, Hollingworth and Henderson believe that less detailed visual representations are made when the object is the focus of attention. To date, research has not provided clear evidence to support either Hollingworth and Hendersons theory or the coherence theory (see Simons Rensink 2005 for an overview). Therefore, further investigations are required to better understand the interaction between attention and change blindness. Change blindness is a robust phenomenon that has been demonstrated in many different laboratory and naturalistic studies. The overall assumption of the findings of change-blindness experiments is that attention seems to play a major role in determining the extent of the condition. The importance of attention in change blindness appears to arise because we do not maintain a detailed representation of what we have just seen. Otherwise individuals would have little problem noticing the obvious changes that occur between images. Change blindness studies have proved a useful tool in providing information about the processing mechanisms of attention, such as we direct attention more to objects of interest within a scene. However, although studies on change blindness have increased our understanding of attention there is much debate about the exact role of attention in change blindness. Further research is therefore required to fully understand the relationship between attention and change blindness and what other factors are involved in the condition. References Grimes J. (1996). On the failure to detect changes in scenes across sac-cades. In K. Akins (Ed.), Perception (Vancouver Studies in Cognitive Science, Vol. 5. (89-110). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hollingworth A. Henderson J. M. (2002). Accurate visual memory for previously attended objects in natural scenes. Journal of  Experimental Psychology: Human Perception Performance, 28,  113-136 Levin D.T. Simons D.J. (1997). Failure to detect changes to attended objects in motion pictures. Psychonomic Bulletin Review, 4, 501-506 Mark T. Keane Eysenck W. (2005) Cognitive Psychology: A Students Handbook Psychology Press UK pages 133-136 O’Regan J.K., Rensink R.A., Clark J.J. (1999). Change-blindness as a result of mudsplashes Nature 398, 34 ORegan J.K, Deubel, H., Clark J.J., Rensink R.A. (2000). Picture changes during blinks: Looking without seeing and seeing without looking. Visual Cognition, 7, 191-211 Proctor R. Johnson W (2004) Attention: Theory and Practice. Sage Publications inc pages 212-214 Rensink R. A (2001) Change Blindness: Implications for the Nature of Visual Attention. In Vision Attention. M. Jenkin L. Harris, eds. New York: Springer. 2001. 169-188 Rensink R.A., O’Regan J.K., Clark, J.J. (1997) To see or not to see: The need for attention to perceive changes in scenes. Psychol. S 8, 368–373 Simons D.J. and Levin D.T. (1997) Change blindness. Trends Cogn Sci. 1, 261–267 Simons D.J. and Levin D.T. (1998) Failure to detect changes to people in a real-world interaction. Psychon. Bull. Rev. 5, 644–649 Simons D.J. Rensink R.A (2005) Change blindness: Past, present, and future. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Vol.9 No.1 16

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Martin Luther King :: essays research papers

Martin Luther King Jr. King was born Michael Luther King in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. He was one of the three children of Martin Luther King Sr., pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Alberta (Williams) King, a former schoolteacher. He was renamed "Martin" when he was about 6 years old. After going to local grammar and high schools, at the age of 15, he entered Morehouse College located in Atlanta, under a special program for gifted students in 1944. He wasn't planning to enter the ministry, but then he met Dr. Benjamin Mays, a scholar whose manner and behavior convinced him that a religious career could be academically satisfying as well. After receiving his bachelor's degree in 1948, King attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, winning the Plafker Award as the outstanding student of the graduating class, and the J. Lewis Crozer Fellowship as well. He completed the coursework for his doctorate in 1953, and was granted the degree two years later upon achievement of his study. While in Boston, King met Coretta Scott, from Marion, Alabama, who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. They were married in 1953 and had four children. King then became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery in 1954. He had been pastor slightly more than a year when the city's small group of civil-rights advocates decided to contest racial segregation on that city's public bus system. On Dec. 1, 1955, a black woman named Rosa Parks had refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger and as a result had been arrested for disobeying the city's segregation law. Black activists formed the Montgomery Improvement Association to boycott the transit system and chose King as their leader. He had the advantage of being a young, well-trained man who was too new in town to have made enemies; he was normally respected, and his family links and professional standing would allow him to find another pastorate should the boycott not do well. In his first speech to the group as its president, King stated: â€Å"We have no alternative but to protest. For many years we have shown an amazing patience. We have sometimes given our white brothers the feeling that we liked the way we were being treated. But we come here tonight to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice. Martin Luther King :: essays research papers Martin Luther King Jr. King was born Michael Luther King in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. He was one of the three children of Martin Luther King Sr., pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Alberta (Williams) King, a former schoolteacher. He was renamed "Martin" when he was about 6 years old. After going to local grammar and high schools, at the age of 15, he entered Morehouse College located in Atlanta, under a special program for gifted students in 1944. He wasn't planning to enter the ministry, but then he met Dr. Benjamin Mays, a scholar whose manner and behavior convinced him that a religious career could be academically satisfying as well. After receiving his bachelor's degree in 1948, King attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, winning the Plafker Award as the outstanding student of the graduating class, and the J. Lewis Crozer Fellowship as well. He completed the coursework for his doctorate in 1953, and was granted the degree two years later upon achievement of his study. While in Boston, King met Coretta Scott, from Marion, Alabama, who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. They were married in 1953 and had four children. King then became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery in 1954. He had been pastor slightly more than a year when the city's small group of civil-rights advocates decided to contest racial segregation on that city's public bus system. On Dec. 1, 1955, a black woman named Rosa Parks had refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger and as a result had been arrested for disobeying the city's segregation law. Black activists formed the Montgomery Improvement Association to boycott the transit system and chose King as their leader. He had the advantage of being a young, well-trained man who was too new in town to have made enemies; he was normally respected, and his family links and professional standing would allow him to find another pastorate should the boycott not do well. In his first speech to the group as its president, King stated: â€Å"We have no alternative but to protest. For many years we have shown an amazing patience. We have sometimes given our white brothers the feeling that we liked the way we were being treated. But we come here tonight to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Capital Punishment :: social issues

Capital Punishment In the past, people have invariably felt that if they had been wronged in some way, it was his or her right to take vengeance on the person that had wronged them. This mentality still exists, even today, but in a lesser form because the law has now outlined a person's rights and developed punishments that conform to those rights, yet allow for the retribution for their crime. However, some feel that those laws and punishments are too lax and criminals of today take advantage of them, ie. organized crime, knowing very well that the punishments for their crime, whether it be murder, theft, or any other number of criminal activities, will be so negligible that it may be well worth their risk. Although in the past, the number of crimes that were subjected to capital punishment, defined simply as the death penalty for a crime, were outrageous. Amendments were made to reflect the changes in the society's views on the morality of capital punishment. That resulted in the narrowing down of the list of one hundred crimes to twelve, punishable by the death penalty in 1833, and in 1869 it was cut down yet again to just three: treason, rape, and murder because of violent nature of these crimes. These crimes, even today, are still viewed as violent and should be punished with the highest degree of discipline available to achieve justice. After much public pressure, capital punishment was suspended on a trial run in 1967. This proved to be ineffective, because even though the law stipulated that crimes such as treason or the murder of law enforcement agents, were still to be subjected to the death penalty, the federal cabinet continued to commute those criminals from death to life sentences, hence the law was not being followed and justice was not being served. This soon was followed with capital punishment's abolishment in 1976, as a formal declaration of what was already happening or rather what was not happening. It is felt that because of this and the fact that there has not been an execution since 1967, that today's current form of punishments are no longer a sufficient deterrent for such serious crimes and have contributed to a ever rising crime rate. So, this is where the real issue of whether or not capital punishment should exist begins and such a controversial issue could be best understood if we looked at capital punishment in a perspective of how it fulfils or does not fulfil society's ideas Capital Punishment :: social issues Capital Punishment In the past, people have invariably felt that if they had been wronged in some way, it was his or her right to take vengeance on the person that had wronged them. This mentality still exists, even today, but in a lesser form because the law has now outlined a person's rights and developed punishments that conform to those rights, yet allow for the retribution for their crime. However, some feel that those laws and punishments are too lax and criminals of today take advantage of them, ie. organized crime, knowing very well that the punishments for their crime, whether it be murder, theft, or any other number of criminal activities, will be so negligible that it may be well worth their risk. Although in the past, the number of crimes that were subjected to capital punishment, defined simply as the death penalty for a crime, were outrageous. Amendments were made to reflect the changes in the society's views on the morality of capital punishment. That resulted in the narrowing down of the list of one hundred crimes to twelve, punishable by the death penalty in 1833, and in 1869 it was cut down yet again to just three: treason, rape, and murder because of violent nature of these crimes. These crimes, even today, are still viewed as violent and should be punished with the highest degree of discipline available to achieve justice. After much public pressure, capital punishment was suspended on a trial run in 1967. This proved to be ineffective, because even though the law stipulated that crimes such as treason or the murder of law enforcement agents, were still to be subjected to the death penalty, the federal cabinet continued to commute those criminals from death to life sentences, hence the law was not being followed and justice was not being served. This soon was followed with capital punishment's abolishment in 1976, as a formal declaration of what was already happening or rather what was not happening. It is felt that because of this and the fact that there has not been an execution since 1967, that today's current form of punishments are no longer a sufficient deterrent for such serious crimes and have contributed to a ever rising crime rate. So, this is where the real issue of whether or not capital punishment should exist begins and such a controversial issue could be best understood if we looked at capital punishment in a perspective of how it fulfils or does not fulfil society's ideas

Emperial Rome vs Han Essay

The Classical Period was a time where large, land-based empires were developed. The leaders of these empires were met with many questions on how to control their territories. While both the Han empire and Imperial Rome exercised political control over their empires through government structure, they differed in their organization of bureaucrats and their reliance on slavery. Both the Han and Imperial Rome exercised political control through similar government structure. The Han emperor, who was believed to be the â€Å"Mandate of Heaven†, had absolute power over all of his people. They relied heavily on their trained bureaucrats, the Shi, to carry out lawful duties. This reliance was supported by Confucian ways and stabilized the empire. Imperial Rome also practiced having a singular ruler to control the whole. The Roman emperor also was believed to have power over the citizens of Rome. The Romans also had their own class of bureaucrats who were valued highly. This social stratification unified Rome as a country. Both Han and Imperial Rome relied on social hierarchy to help with exercising political control over their empires. They practiced this structure because it unified power in the state and lessened the amount of chaos. The Han relied on their bureaucratic class of trained officials to exercise political control; whereas in Rome bureaucracy was given as a reward to returned war heroes. The Han’s bureaucrats, the Shi, were trained in the Confucian ways. This made the officials more reliable and prone to do the right thing. The Shi were also taught to embody the law and enforce it in the state. This method of â€Å"lead by example† helped citizens strive to do their best. If the citizens were all hoping to be a better man, the society as a whole would be a better place. The Han’s bureaucrats were ran more on a basis of trust in their behavior than the Roman’s. This method of trust in the bureaucrats was heavily supported by the Confucian teachings and their training in becoming better men. In Imperial Rome, bureaucracy was given to returned warriors. Rome hoped that by rewarding good soldiers there would be more desire to go fight in a war and succeed. These bureaucrats enforced the laws rather than embodying them. They weren’t reliable, but were forceful enough to get the job done by using fear to make the citizens behave and do as the laws said. The bureaucracy was given to the returned war heroes as a reward for their accomplishments in battles. This gave soldiers more desire to fight and do well in wars so that when they returned they would be honored for their accomplishments. The Han relied more on trust to carry out their political control than Imperial Rome did. The Hans trained their bureaucrats to make them more trustworthy and faithful to their ruler. However, Rome used their successful soldiers because they fought in many wars; they needed motivation for their soldiers to go be successful and to fight bravely and honorably. While both civilizations had slaves, Han China didn’t rely greatly on their slaves; however in Imperial Rome slaves were a critical and indispensable part of the society. In Chinese societies slaves were used mostly for at home chores such as cooking, cleaning, or going shopping. Even without slaves performing these domestic tasks, the Han could’ve survived. Also, slaves in China were treated less harshly than those in Rome. The slaves in China were allowed to refuse certain tasks that were not included in their contract when they first signed to their owner without fearing a severe beating. Lastly, China had an overall more lenient view on their slaves. The owners in Han were not as strict or cruel. However in Imperial Rome, slaves were mostly captured war prisoners who were being punished. This led to harsh punishment of the slaves to make sure they behaved and did as told. Slaves began doing a majority of the physical labor in Imperial Rome which made them an asset to the Roman society. If Rome were to lose their slaves, the economy would crumble and the empire would fall. Finally, some Roman slaves were given high titles, such as lawyers or doctors. So to lose these slaves would be to lost tons of profit. Both societies used slaves, but Imperial Rome was much more reliant on their slaves than Han China was. The Hans didn’t rely on slaves much because they knew that they weren’t reliable and if they kept a strong hold on them they would rebel and cause the fall of the empire. However, Rome used the method of scaring their slaves into doing the right thing. If the slaves feared a brutal beating they would be sure to make the right decisions and follow directions. In both Han China and Imperial Rome government structure was used to help exercise political control, however they differed on their organization of bureaucracy and their reliance on slavery.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Essay

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is considered a hero by millions of India’s oppressed OBCs (Other Backward Castes or ‘lowered castes’) and Dalits. He was India’s 20th century crusader against the caste system. He was a statesman, national leader, and the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. Dr. Ambedkar’s thoughts and writings still have significant influence on the masses of Indians working to free themselves from Brahmanism (the caste system, as validated by the religion called Hinduism). Following are just a few quotes from literally thousands of pages of Ambedkar speeches and writings. Speaking about the coming Indian independence from Great Britain, Ambedkar stated, â€Å"†¦we are going to enter into a life of contradictions. In politics we will have equality, and in social and economic life we will have inequality. In politics we will be recognizing the principle of one-man one vote and one vote one value. In our social and economic life, we shall by reason of our social and economic structure continue to deny the principle of one-man one value. How long shall we continue to live this life of contradictions? How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life? If we continue to deny it for long, we will do so only by putting our political democracy in peril.† (p.295) â€Å"†¦whether conversion can solve the problem of untouchability. The answer to that question is emphatically in the affirmative.† (p.87) â€Å"Hinduism is a religion which is not founded on morality. Whatever morality Hinduism has, it is not an integral part of it.† (p.257) â€Å"I do not want to be misunderstood when I say that Brahmanism is an enemy which must be dealt with. By Brahmanism, I do not mean the power, privileges and interests of the Brahmins as a community. That is not the sense in which I am using the word. By Brahmanism, I mean the negation of the spirit of liberty, equality, and fraternity. In that sense, it is rampant in all classes and is not confined to the Brahmins alone, though they have been the originators of it.† (p.88) â€Å"Hinduism is not interested in the common man. Hinduism is not interested in society as a whole. The center of interest lies in a class, and its philosophy is concerned in sustaining and supporting the rights of that class. That is why in the philosophy of Hinduism, the interests of the common man as well as of society are denied, suppressed, and sacrificed to the interest of this class of Supermen (Brahmin).† (p. 258) â€Å"†¦there can be no doubt that caste is one and an essential and integral part of Hinduism†¦A Hindu is as much born into caste as he is born in Hinduism. Indeed a person cannot be born in Hinduism unless he is born in caste. Caste and Hinduism are inseparable.† (p.259) â€Å"The record of the Brahmins as law givers for the Shudras (OBC’s), for the Untouchables (Dalits) and for women is the blackest as compared with the record of the intellectual classes in other parts of the world. For no intellectual class has prostituted its intelligence to invent a philosophy to keep its uneducated countrymen in a perpetual state of ignorance and poverty as the Brahmins have done in India.† (p.259) Despite recent news telling us that India is surging forward in mordernization and in economic and social gains, the current growth trends are touching, at most, fifteen percent of the Indian population. The vast majority of India remains unaffected by the current growth trends. These masses will continue to remain unaffected until the Kingdom of God comes and brings opportunity to the Indian majority (OBCs and Dalits).

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Eroupean business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Eroupean business - Essay Example Along with this evolution of humans and territories, the political setup, which ruled villages, also evolved and new political setups came into being, to rule cities, provinces or states and importantly countries. With the evolution and formation of countries, the political setups also evolved, with countries governed by different political setups including democracy, monarchy, Theocracy, Despotism, etc. This evolution and establishment of many countries with different political setups have necessitated the formation of an overseeing or conglomerate organization. The role of ‘conglomerate’ organization is manifold as it provides a forum to discuss as well as solve many important issues apart from aiding unison of countries. This paper will focus on one such organization, European Union. European Union is a conglomeration of countries in the continent of Europe. But, that conglomeration or integration has not been fully actualized, as certain older member states particularly United Kingdom opposing it and mistrusting it. So, this paper will first analyze why certain member states particularly UK is mistrusting European integration, and then will discuss the changes particularly in stitutional structure and economic changes that might reinvigorate the process of European integration. United Kingdom is regarded as one of the most dominant countries in the world history, as it strengthened its sovereignty as well as spread its influence all over the world in the earlier centuries. But, in recent times or in recent decades, citizens think that its supremacy and importantly sovereignty is being challenged by external issues or organizations, with which UK is voluntarily associated. That is, some actions of external bodies like European Union (UK holds membership of it) and its court is undermining the powers as well as the laws issued by the UK Parliament, thereby UK’s sovereignty. According to majority of the

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Wal-Mart at the New York Stock Exchange Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wal-Mart at the New York Stock Exchange - Essay Example The company is one of the biggest retailers in the world and deals in various products ranging from food items and clothing to electronics and pharmaceuticals. It operates in three business segments – Walmart US, Walmart International and Sam’s club. The company has operations in all states of the US besides 11 other countries including the developing economies like China and India (50). Ernst and Young LLP are Wal-Mart’s independent auditors. The auditors in their report have stated that the internal controls over the financial reporting are satisfactory and as per accounting principles as of January 31, 2011, and that the statements presented in the annual report provide the fair financial position of the company as a whole for both the years 2010 and 2011. Industry outlook The retail industry is one of the most competitive and unpredictable industries. With the world becoming a global village, it has become imperative that organizations in this sector reach ou t to unexplored geographical locations earlier than their competitors to take advantage of the new markets. For this, they need to be quick to adapt to the new cultures of these markets. This sector also has competition from technological innovations in communication. Since it has now become easier to get in touch with the customer through the internet, companies need to utilize these facilities to the fullest and at the earliest. Environmental concerns are also the issues which the companies in this sector cannot ignore. Future plans As per the CEO, Duke â€Å"the company has five-point priorities – growth by adding customers†¦..expanding the company sustainability effort† (D’Innocenzio and Bartels). Expansion within the US remains his top priority as well. The company plans to increase its Sam’s Club membership by improving the customer experience for its members. They also plan to increase transparency is the price. Wal-Mart is also planning to ex pand web presence to more geographical locations. Wal-Mart US is experimenting with new formats and is planning to launch Walmart Express to start with. Walmart international is targeting to increase new space by 23 to 24 million square feet in emerging markets this year. Income Statement analysis The company uses multi-step income statement. The company’s gross margin was at 25.26% in 2011 as against 25.4% in 2010. This shows that the gross profit did not show much change as a percentage of sales over the two years. In absolute numbers, the gross profits for 2011 and 2010 (in millions) were $106,562 and $103, 641respectively. Income from operations before income tax (in millions) was $23,538 in 2011 and $22,118 in 2010. The increase in both these incomes is attributable to increased sales due to its expansion into new markets and increase in the number of stores. The company increased its floor space by 3.4% during the financial year 2011 (Annual Report 17). The favorable ex change rate also helped the sales figure to increase (17). One more reason for this increase is the reduction of the effect of the financial crisis in US markets. Cash Flow statement analysis Cash Flow statement shows that the net cash (in millions) provided by the operating activities for 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $23,643, $26,249 and $23,147 respectively.

Monday, October 7, 2019

Tourism in California and the Environmental Concerns Essay

Tourism in California and the Environmental Concerns - Essay Example Initially, people were inspired by the California dream and left their assets behind and started their journey in search of California they dreamt off. When they reached there, they had to face despair and disappointment as things were not as they perceived it to be. These people then had to go back without any memories or anything to show; at times people did not even reach back safely. The image of California being extravagant and adored is fairly a very recent picture and if one goes in depth of it then there's a very deep history attached to it. The present state of California is because of the hard work and efforts of the miners who were in search of the California dream. Through their struggle, California has been founded And has been transforming its state resulting in the steady ongoing of the heritage of this dream. California dream is not just about this place but it contains an amalgamation of the people and the dream which they are living. This dream is not just about the positives aspects of California but it also contains many different puzzles that need to be fit together in order to see this dream turn to reality. California is a hub of activities with various opportunities that bring numerous opportunities and hence guarantees a successful way to lead a life for all those who reside in California. It is also known as a place where the sun is endless. California is about hard work, efforts, beauty, beautiful tanned women, bright sunny days, and breezy nights. California is one of the most densely polluted countries of the world. Pollution has literally damaged the entire state in such a way that its impact is very obvious. Tourism is an essential part of the California economy. California is one of those countries that are a major tourist attraction; California has the honour of housing the home of all legendary actors that is Hollywood. From amazing shopping malls to Hollywood and an amazing blend of various restaurants, California offers every thing that a tourist wants during vacations. Tourism in California is very expensive.

Sunday, October 6, 2019

New venture opportunity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

New venture opportunity - Essay Example The main aim of ESS Designs will be to provide a simple, classy and well-tailored look for all our clients. We not only want to provide a distinctive look but we also want to be recognized as a trendsetter in the clothing industry. To start with the new company, the first range of product that ESS Designs will focus on will be a collection of jackets for women, men and children. Based on the research that the appointed team members of ESS Designs have conducted, there have been a lot of customer’s requests that have been made by various customers on the scarcity of jackets’ design. Therefore, building upon this, the first range of product that ESS Designs will focus on will be on a collection of jackets for all our targeted clientele. As a start-up company, ESS Designs will first operate in a small geographical region. However, it is evident that with the inception of technology our client reach may go beyond the borders. The company will be located in the United States in Pennsylvania. This is where our headquarters will be. Nevertheless, ESS Designs will embrace the use of advertising and public relation to make our new range of product known and also to build upon the image of the company. It is also worth noting that the prices of our products will be quite pocket-friendly thus aside from quality will strive to ensure that our targeted consumers are well catered for with regards to the pricing range. In order to examine the impact of this new venture, a thorough SWOT analysis will be conducted on ESS Designs.

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Critically consider the position of the 'reasonable person' in both Coursework

Critically consider the position of the 'reasonable person' in both the laws of contract and negligence. Uses cases and examples from both areas of laws to illustrate your answer - Coursework Example It will critically evaluate the concept and how it intersects with these branches of law. The study will review the concepts in light of examples and other aspects of judicial precedence. â€Å"The reasonable man [person] provides a legal standard against which a defendant’s culpability can be evaluated. If he is found to have behaved as a â€Å"reasonable† person would have under similar circumstances, he might be owed compensation rather than a punitive penalty.† (Donovan, 2013, p. 100). This means the concept of a reasonable person exists to provide a basic standard of a expectation that a person of a certain level of mental awareness should be able to foresee and deal with. This means that a reasonable person is deduced through an assessment of what an individual will have ideally considered in similar situations and contexts. The usage of the doctrine of reasonable person varies across different branches of law. It is utilised in criminal law and may be varied in setting the standard of care or standard of responsiveness based on the category of law that is being discussed. In the law of contract, the standard of a reasonable person is often invoked to examine the actions of a party in relation to a contract that is seen as an arms-length transaction or not. This is meant to ascertain if the contract was fair or not and hence, it provides guidance on how the law was put together and how the legal convention was utilised in dealing with people and in dealing with various processes that culminated in the formulation of the contract. A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two parties with an intention to create a legal relationship and it goes through the stages of offer, acceptance and mutual exchange of consideration (Hunt, 2014). A contract is voluntary and hence, each party must enter the contract willingly and without duress. Therefore, it can be stated that in cases where a person enters a

Friday, October 4, 2019

Simulation of Sales Promotions towards Buying Behavior Essay Example for Free

Simulation of Sales Promotions towards Buying Behavior Essay Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of sales promotion on buying behavior among university students. Specifically, Kongunadu Arts and Science College was chosen as study location. The research data was collected from 171 respondents. The data were collected using self-administrated questionnaires. This study found that there was no significant difference between gender and buying behavior (t = -1.003, p 0.05). There were significant relationship between attitude towards price discounts (r = 0. 372, p 0.01), coupons (r = 0.270, p 0.01), free samples (r = 0.256, p 0.01) and buy-one-get-one-free (r = 0.338, p 0.01) with buying behavior. Results of Hierarchical Multiple Regression found that of the four variables, price discount (ß = 0.256) was more influential that of buy-one-get-one free (ß = 0.183), coupon discounts (ß = 0.014) and free samples (ß = 0.040). The findings of this study would help marketers to understand the types of promotion that significantly influence buying behaviour of the respondents. Hence, this could help marketers in their marketing planning to become more competitive and gain profit. Keywords: Sales promotion. Buying behavior. University students 1. Background of Study Many purchase situations are so habitual that consumers conduct very little cognitive activity (Wathieu Murre, 2007). In such cases, it is hard to motivate behaviors such as brand svwtching or increases in the number of units purchased. One of the advantages of promotions is that they can stimulate consumers to think and evaluate brands and purchase possibilities when they otherwise may not have. Therefore, many marketers and retailers utilize different kinds of promotion tools and strategies in order to understand the preference of consumers and boost their sales. Normally, sales may attract more customers spend their money, make consumption and purchase the products they wish during this super save period as the they believed that during the sales promotion, prices of all products are cheaper than usual. This phenomenon shows that some of the consumers are easily tempted when they see the word of sales promotion. Other than price reductions, coupon or rebate given by the retailer and other promotional tools like free sample, bonus pack and buy one get one free were found to be inducing consumer buy more than they expect (Gilbert, 1999). What are more crucial now are consumers themselves not aware the influence of sales promotion on their buying behaviour and especially little is understood about their responds to the various promotional strategies practice by marketers. This will eventually lead to over-consuming and buy the products which are not necessary and useless. 2. Purpose and Significant of Study Research on marketing tools is indeed important to understand the most influencing tools to compete with competitors. Through this information, marketers and retailers could well plan their resources to gain the maxiirium profit. Thus this study aim to investigate the preference of consumer on different promotional tools, marketers and retailers will able to aware of the consumer behavior so that they can utilize the right and th most effective promotion technique to attract customers. From the consumer perspective, this study will reveal the consumer attitude toward sales promotion and thus raise the awareness of consumers about their behavior that influenced by sales promotion. It also presents better understanding and information to consumers where their purchase behavior will be affected differently due to different type of promotional tools. 3. Literature Review Promotion is one of the techniques to attract consumers to purchase more or try a product or service. Severe outcomes of promotion included sales increased, quantify of stock used and attract new consumers. For example, price promotion refers to temporary price reduction which offers to consumers. The characteristic is the retailer would label a specific percentage or cash saving for the products or services. Previous studies indicated that a sudden increase of sales would experience by retailers because of price-conscious of consumers (Banks Moorthy, 1999; Kopalle Mela, 1999; Smith Sinha, 2000; Gilbert Jackaria, 2002). According to Blackwell, Miniard and Engel (2001), price discounts played significant roles in influencing consumer product trial behavior by which indirectly attract new consumer. In term of coupon promotions, those consumers obtained coupon are entitled to get discount of the products at its brighial price (Ndubisi Chew, 2006). Previous study found that coupon promotions do not have significant effect on volume of product purchase by consumer (Gilbert Jackarias, 2002). Later, a study conducted by Ndubisi and Chew (2006) at Malaysia has re-affirmed the statement by Gilbert and Jackarias (2002). They also reported that coupon promotion was among the least used and unpopular promotional tools by consumers. However, the results in Dotsons (2001) research proved that women report being more likely to use only coupons than men (p 0.05) and the youngest age group (less than 25 years old) reports a higher possibilify of taking advantage of bonus packs (p 0.05), price deals (p 0.05) and samples (p 0.05) than the age group of 35 to 54 respectively. According to Kardes (1999), marketing managers aware of product trial related to behavioral experience of consumers towards a product. Thus, sending free sample take place in promotional tools. Free samples refers to consumers are giving a free small sample of the product so that consumers have the chance to try and use the product. Shimp (2003) reported that a free sample had influence on consumers buying behavior while Gilbert and Jackaria (2002) have shown otherwise. Free sample was positively related to immediate sales of that particular (Lammers, 1991). Promotion technique of buy-one-get-one-free is one of the types of bonus packs in which the consumers are offered the additional product at the ordinary price but are in an enhanced package. Consumer would be easily persuaded to buy products as there is no extra cost need and more valuable perceived by consumers (Sinha Smith, 2000). Besides, this promotion technique would beneficial to retailers in speed up the stock clearance compared to price promotions (Li, Sun Wang, 2007). Relating with buying behavior, consumers usually have endless demand to ftilfiU their needs and satisfaction to obtain something new or better as every individual has their own behavior, attitude and thought while choosing products, services and making purchase decision. Consequently, there is a large body of literattire, which has examined consumers buying behavior and the studies have reported that many factor would infiuence consumer behavior whether buy or not to buy a product. According to Smelser and Baltes (2001), most of the daily life activities dominated by buying goods behavior and also experience which gained from the place such as shopping centers, cify centre, shops, recreational park, tourism centre and so on, where some stimulation radius can be stimulated. William (2002) revealed that social class has significant determination on purchase evaluation criteria. Attitude formation, motivation, value orientation, income, socialization during childhood and education levels will influence ones social class. According to Yip (2003), social class of an individual indirectly shows that low income would cause limited choice when making purchase decisions. High purchasing power, sales person and sales circumstances was among three key factors which influenced impulsive clothes buying practice among women consumer (Naimah Tan, 1999). 4. Methodology For the convinence of the researchers Kongunadu College of Arts and Science was selected as location of study. The data collection process was conducted among the students with prior permission from the department. Even though this small sample might not able to representative of all the population, it is considered as appropriate sampling because of using a relatively homogeneous group and this is helpful to minimize random error that might occur in using a heterogeneous sample such as the general public (Calder, Philips Tybout, 1981). Pilot study had been done before the actual study take place. The purpose of pilot study was to assess the reliability of the instruments that used in actual study. For this research, the pilot test had involved a total of 25 students in order to ensure that the question were understandable by the actual respondents. In addition, pre-test allowed the researcher to improve confidence and to make sure that the items that existed in questionnaire was suiting the studys requirement. 4.1 Instrumentation The present study used the questionnaire as the instrument of the study. The questionnaire was divided into three parts that were background of the respondents, the respondents attitude and perception with regards to different promotional tools and buying behaviour of respondents. In first part of questionnaire, each respondent was asked to answer both open-ended and close-ended questions. Open-ended questions allowed respondents to generate an answer without limitations such as age and family monthly income. On the other hand, close-ended questions required respondents to select from a set of answer already provided such as gender and race. Second part of the questionnaire was consisted of thirty two items where each different promotional tool was measured using eight items. The items developed to determine respondents attitude towards different promotional tools. There were four different promotional tools tested (i.e., price discounts, coupons, free samples and buy-one-get-one-fre e). Respondents were required to give a respond on a four point ordinal scale (strongly disagree, disagree, agree, strongly agree). The last of the questionnaire was also used four points ordinal scale (strongly disagree, disagree, agree, strongly agree) where there were thirteen items measuring the consumers buying behaviour, adopted from Bakeweà ¼ and Mitchell study. In the addition, the responses are given from one point in one end to four points in the other end. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 16.0 was used to analyze data. For analytical purposes, each scale of the total attitude score (price discounts, coupon discount, free samples and buy-one-get-one-free approach) were categorized into two categorized, solely based on the mean score of each measurement. The reliability for attitude towards price discounts scale was 0.752 while the reliabiliy of attitude towards coupons scale was 0.827. Furthermore, the reliability for attitude towards free samples scale was 0.862 and the reliabiliy for attitude towards buy-one-get-one-free scale was 0.806. Buying behaviour scale had achieved reliability of 0.680. These five instruments had achieved acceptable reliability for business and social science research. 5. Research Finding and Discussion 5.1 Attitude towards Price Discounts Table 1 demonstrates that more than half of the respondents agree that they prefer brands which offer price discounts, but more than half of the respondents prefer their favourite brands than brands which offer price discounts. This study also interested in indentifying about the category of attitude towards price discounts. The scale of the total attitude towards price discounts was then categorized into two equal groups. Respondents who scored above the mean scale (2.56 points) were categorized as having favourable attitude towards price discounts and respondents who scored below of the mean scale were categorized as having unfavourable attitude towards price discounts. Table 1 showed that less than half of the respondents (40.4%) had unfavourable attitude towards price discounts, where as there were 69.0% of the respondents have favourable attitude towards price discounts. 5.2 Attitude towards Coupons Table 1 indicated that the first statement was agreed by most of the respondents which were 53.2%. They acknowledged that a brand offers coupon would be a reason for them to buy. The respondents feel that a brand which offers coupon doesn’t give them a good buy (56.1%). Respondents do not give priority for the brands which offers coupon and they prefer their regular and favourite brands more. The data in Table 3 showed that the score of total attitude towards coupons of the respondents in range of lower than 2.44 points which were 49.7% of the respondents have unfavourable attitude towards coupons. On the other hand, there was 50.3% of the respondents have favourable attitude towards coupons. This indicated that exactly half of the respondents have positive attitude towards coupons promotion in this research. 5.3 Attitude towards Free Samples According to Table 1, exactly half of the respondents agreed that when they buy a brand that offers free samples, they feel they are getting a good buy (51.4%) and free sample has allowed them to buy more quantities of the same product. Moreover, half of the respondents prefer to buy the same brand even if they have free samples on other brands. However, Shimp (2003) reported that free sample had influence on consumers buying behaviour. As presented by Table 3, the scale of the total attitude towards free samples score cut point for two equal groups was 2.46 points which mean the group who scored higher than the mean scale of 2.46 has favourable attitude towards free samples and respondents who scored below of the mean scale were classified as having unfavourable attitude towards free samples. Based on Table 3, it proved that majority of the respondents (55.6%) have favourable attitude towards free samples while there were 44.4% of the respondents have unfavourable attitude towards free samples. This showed that there were 95 respondents (55.6%) out of the 171 respondents willing to consume more during the sales promotion with free samples technique. 5.4 Attitude towards Buy-One-Get-One-Free Table 1 illustrated the respondents in this study have agreed perception on all of the eight statements related to buy-one-get-one-free promotion tool. It showed that the percentage of the respondents who agreed on the statements was more or higher than respondents who disagreed on it. For example, 62.6 of the respondents agreed that a brand offers buy-one-get-one-free could be a reason for them to buy. Based on Table 1, it presented the scale of the attitude towards buy-one-get-one-free cut point for two equal groups were 2.6 points. Respondents who scored below the mean scale ( 2.6 points) of the attitude towards buy-one-get-one-free were categorized as having unfavourable attitude where as respondents who scored above the mean scale (2.6 points) were categorized as having favourable attitude towards buy-one-get-one-free. In Table 3, there were 48% of the respondents who have unfavourable attitude towards buy-one-get-one-free while 52% of the respondents have favourable attitude to wards buy-one get-one-free. 5.5 Respondents Buying Behaviour According to Brown (2007), buying behaviour refers to the decision processes and acts of people involved in buying and using products. There were total of 13 statements used to examine the respondents buying behaviour. The responses were scored by four point ordinal scale. Table 2 indicated the descriptive analysis of each question for buying behaviour. The analysis had been divided into two levels of buying behaviour: agree and disagree. From Table 2, it showed that majority of the respondents (80.7%) agreed in general, they try to get the best overall quality and 81.8% of them agreed they look very carefully to find the best value for money. More to the point, there were 71.9% of respondents agreed once they find the product they like, they will buy it regularly and 81.3% of them would carefully watch how much they spend. Among the 13 statements, the statement of I normally shop quickly, buying the first product or brand I find that seems good enough agreed by most least respondent s which were 56.8% of respondents. The results of buying behaviour level as shown in Table 3. Equal range was used to categorize the buying behaviour that is low and high level Respondents who under 2.87 points and above were categorized as having high levels of buying behaviour and vice versa. There were 49.7% of respondents in category of low level buying behaviour and 50.3% of respondents have high level of buying behaviour. The respondents, who have high level of buying behaviour normally, have high level of involvement where they are paying more attention towards sales promotion (Raaij et al, 2001). The result of Independent Samples T-test showed that there was no significant difference between buying behaviour and gender (t = -1.003, p 0.05). It was consistent with previous study by Chu (2006). However, the mean score of buying behaviour of male (M = 2.8390) respondents is slightly lower than female respondents (M =2.9059). 5.6 The relationship between the selected variables and buying behaviour The result of Pearson Correlation test revealed that there was a significant relationship between attitude towards price discounts and buying behaviour among respondents (r = 0.372, p ≠¤ 0.001) (refer to Table 4). The results of this study reaffirmed that findings of previous study by. Blackwell, Miniard and Engel (2001) that price discounts play significant roles in influencing consumers purchase trial behaviour, and Smith and Sinha (2000), price promotions can induced consumers buying behaviour and result in a short term increases in sales. There was a significant relationship between attitude towards coupons and buying behaviour (r = 0.270, p≠¤ 0.001). The result of this study was inconsistent with previous study in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia which found that coupons have no significant relationship on product trial ptu-chase (Ndubisi Chew, 2006). This may caused by locality difference. This study also found that, there was a significant relationship between attitude towards free samples and buying behaviour (r = 0.256, p ≠¤ 0.001). The result is consistent with Shimp (2003) that a free sample had influence on consumers buying behaviour. Besides, Lammers (1991) also verified that free samples did have a positive impact on immediate sales of the product. Lastly, there was a significant relationship between attitude towards buy-one-get-one-free and buying behaviour (r = 0.338, p ≠¤ 0.001). It showed that the promotion tools with buy-one-get-one-free did attract and induce consumers favourable attitude on buying behaviour. Table 5 summarizes results of a multiple regression analyses of the buying behaviour. All the four selected variables namely: price discounts, coupons, free samples and buy-one-get-one-free which significantly related to buying behaviour was regressed using hierarchical method. Model 1 was used to in interpreting the buying behaviour of the respondents. Of the four variables, price discount (ß = 0.256) was more influential that of buy-one-get-one free (ß = 0.183), coupon discounts (ß = 0.014) and free samples (ß = 0.040). 6. Implications, Recommendations and Conclusions 6.1 Implications Every consumer has their own personal characteristic especially in choosing and making purchase decision. With the growing number of sales promotion, it is important to determine the consumers perception towards their buying behaviour. Besides, this study also examines several factors which included socio-demographic background (gender) and attitude towards four different promotional tools on buying behaviour. From the findings, it was noticed that consumers respond positively to the various promotional tools that is promoted by the marketers. It is because consumers are believed that during the sales promotion, prices of all products are cheaper than usual and they felt they are getting a good buy. It meant that the more positive or favourable the attitude towards promotional tools, the more increasing possibility consumers make purchase decision during sales promotion. Gender was found to have no significant difference on buying behaviour. The results of this study have several implications that would be beneficial to marketers, consumers and future research. From the marketers perspective, they can have a better understanding of UPM students buying behaviour so that they can better predict the wants and needs of potential consumers. The information derived from this research enable marketers to aware of the consumer behaviour. It will help them utilize the right and the most effective promotion technique to attract customers. Moreover, the study from Ndubisi and Chew (2006) also supported that by offering the right promotional tools, it can help organizations carefully plan their promotional strategies by giving preference to the more effective tools. It is vital because the precise marketing strategies decision assists the company to minimize cost and maximize their profit. In addition, the current research made consumers more aware of their easily influence behaviour to sales promotion because it present better understanding and information to consumers where they respond differently due to different type of promotional tools. The research also created consumer awareness to make careful analysis before they decide to buy products and services. Hence, the consumers will realize the importance of understanding the changing environment and update themselves from time to time (Hang, 2008). Finally, consumers were benefited through this study and becoming smarter day by day. This study was also useful to academicians where current study could serve as a reference and may provide some guides for researchers who would like to study about the same topic. 6.2 Recommendations Although this research has taken vital steps to identify the factors that influence buying behaviour, it also has certain limitations. Firstly, the limitation of the data prevents further exploration of the study. There was an age limit and only 171 respondents have been participated in this study. The respondents were almost homogenous for age types because there were between 18 to 24 years old and represent early adulthood only. Different stages of life cycles of respondents would yield different results. Therefore, future researchers are suggested to increase the sample size variety especially in respondents age to decrease the error for the purpose of the generalizing result to a wider population. They can do comparison among early, middle and late adolescents in regards to buying behaviour. Secondly, future researchers may further scope to duplicate the study in different environment and different geographical locations. Different environment played a significant factor that influence respondents behaviour specifically workplace, supermarkets and shopping complexes or malls. Working individuals could behave in a different manner compared with this sample. Besides, the individuals who do not have occupation such as housewife and retired person may also behave differently because the understanding and experience of respondents towards the questions might influence their answers. Since this study was conducted in Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, it could not represent other people in urban or rural areas where the quality of life is different. Thirdly, future researchers are suggested to use interview technique in doing research especially at the place here transactions happen. This will enable the researchers obtain an accurate information based on the respondents fresh memory; Last but not least, this research has only examines four promotional tools that influence buying behaviour. Future researchers are suggested to determine other promotional tools such as rebates, sweeptakes, in pack premiums and so forth. Besides, the study can also specify in category of products or services to have more focus information. However, for more meaningful findings the different promotional tools can be investigated together rather than separately so that the interactions among them can be better understand. As a result, it can assist marketers and consumers understand other promotional tools that may influence the buying behaviour. 6.3 Conclusions Sales promotions play an important role in the marketing programs of marketers and retailers. A large percentage of marketers sales are made on promotion. This situation is becoming apparently when the financial crisis and economic downtime happened in 2008. The marketers are rather use variety of promotional tools to offers consumers an extra inducement to buy their products than advertising in classic media. It is supported by the research from Curzon (2009) who stated that sales promotions are not only effective in attaining short-term sales as they are also more cost-effective compared to other integrated marketing communications tools such as advertising. In conclusion, the consumers attitude towards different promotional tools on buying behaviour is favourable. It showed that sales promotion tools are supplementary or complementary to existing business as an additional marketing strategy. This research demonstrated that consumers buying behaviour were motivated by multiple types of factors, including socio-demography, promotional tools such as price discounts, coupons, free samples and buy-one-get-one-free. In addition, the framework provides new insights into the understanding of how students respond to various promotional tools offered by marketers and the impacts on their buying behaviour, which may be essential for marketers in order to utilize accurate marketing strategies to promote products.