Human factors in technology Essay Example for Free

Human factors in technology Essay Man is the only being who has utilized technology, to the point that it also caused technology to change rapidly through time. Technology has been one of the most influential concepts in the lives of every human being throughout history. It was so influential that it had become one of the major deciding factors in the direction of history. Technological innovations had evolved from the simple to the very complex. From the simple stone cutting tools that prehistoric man had, to the contemporary blades that virtually do not need any resharpening at all. There had also been evolution from the very crude computing technique such as the finger counting, to the very complex supercomputers. In terms of transportation, from the very simple mode of walking and running, man had innovated transportation technology by inventing and innovating cars, planes, ships, etc. Technology had not only affected transportation and computing, but also the social and psychological scene as well. Companies whose general trade is information and technology are the ones whose organizational structure is very much affected by the technological changes. Most of the companies are either computer manufacturers or technological research companies. Apple Inc. , formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc. is an American-based multinational corporation which has its focus on technical manufacturing and designing of electronics and software programs for variations of consumers all around the world. It headquarters can be found in Cupertino, California (Apple, Inc. , 2007; History of Apple, 2007; Mesa, 1998; Apple. com, 2007). This company basically focuses on the development and support of several electronic gadgets for the market. This same company currently has its eyes focused on the innovation of already existing technologies, as well as the formation of a new breed of technology for the market. Some of its world-famous creations are the iPod, iPhone and the AppleTV. Aside from these electronic equipment and gadgets, the Apple, Inc. is also into the creation of new and better software programs. In the past, it had focused on creating and developing operating systems (OS), and specific application programs. Today, Apple, Inc. is now setting the path before it releases its newest operating system, the Mac OS X â€Å"Leopard†. Apple is very much into expanding its frontiers by exploring new ways of marketing and product presentation (Apple, Inc. , 2007; History of Apple, 2007; Mesa, 1998; Apple. com, 2007). It is now into the trend of having an online store where its products, whether hardware or software, can be bought by just a click of the mouse. The company is well-known for their very user-friendly hardware as well as software. Their iPod series, as well as their iPhone, Macintosh series of personal computers and peripherals, iLife software suite, and the Mac OS are just some of their best-known software and hardware products. Also, the company is a major supplier of prosumer software products for specialized purposes such as the audio and film industry (Apple, Inc. , 2007; History of Apple, 2007; Mesa, 1998; Apple. com, 2007). The mentioned things about Apple, Inc. , set up a background for the contemporary company. Technology has an implicit message, and that is to put everything into a very objective perspective, where everything could and should not be subject to an individual’s / group’s personal judgments or beliefs. By virtue of technology, man was able to do things such as measurement and judgment without having biases. With the use of technology, organizations can track their development without having doubts if the people who assessed them were biased about the evaluation process. But this strength is also its weak point. Being very objective would mean that the assessment would be very strict, and it would be guided by certain sets of quantified measurements such as numbers and / or a set of quantified codes. These standards for judgment and assessment can be used to evaluate employees’ activities, company sales and company economic standing. Having these strict standards would mean an easier, more efficient and more economic way of assessing the company. With these, companies such as the Apple could rely on machines about their company’s survival. Machines, which are products of modern technology, could be programmed to assess particular aspects of the company and suggest possible options about how to make the company even more productive. This may sound farfetched, but it could be a good way of looking at the possibility of how machines could help organizations in optimizing their parts. Business oriented companies such as the Apple is currently facing the possibilities of having less human members, and more help from the technology they are developing. These companies, with the help of modern technology, could be able to assess their employees using certain standards that can be input to a computer for further assessment. This way, there would be less processing time, less need for human HRD team members, less specialists in the field of assessing people, more possible members for the pool of computer and technology specialists (which could also mean more capital would be invested on the specialty of the company), and less expenses on the part of the company. Looking at the advantages posed by this method, it would be good to conclude that this could boost company income, thus uplift the lives of its employees in an economic and political sense. On the other hand, this method could also pose a very detrimental effect to the company as a whole, both in the macro and micro perspectives. One disadvantage of this method would be that without the subjective judgments of humans on human resources, it would be possible to miss important and potentially able applicants. Also, it would be possible that the programmed machines would not be able to look the implicit factors such as family background and the personality types of the applicants. Another is the fact that hardcore statistics, which programmed machines use, does not claim that the results are products of the interplay of all possible factors, instead it can only present results with the extraneous factors (which may possibly matter) omitted. References: Apple. com (2007).Retrieved August 9, 2007 from http://www. asia. apple. com/. Apple, Inc. (2007). Wikipedia: The Fee Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 9, 2007 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Apple_Computer. History of Apple (2007). ). Wikipedia: The Fee Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 9, 2007 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/History_of_Apple_Inc.. Mesa, A. (2007). Apple History Timeline. The Apple Museum. Retrieved August 9, 2007 from http://applemuseum. bott. org/sections/history. html.

Involved In Knowing A Word

Involved In Knowing A Word Word knowledge plays an important role in language teaching, it provides the basis for learners to grasp four language skills listening, speaking, reading and writing. Without a certain amount of words, learners cannot expect to understand fully the content of listening and reading and express their meaning clearly in the process of speaking and writing. Lexical competence is one of components of communicative competence (Meara 1996).however, knowing a word is complicated and it involves knowing its form, meaning and use (Nation,2001) .e.g. spelling, pronunciation, grammar, denotative and connotative meaning, word associations, frequency, collocation and register. For English Learners in China, due to limited exposure to the target language, they have got difficulties with collocations and collocation errors are often found in their writing and speaking. In order to achieve a high level of competence in English, it is better for students to know more collocations. Nowadays in China, collocation has become one of the most important issues in English language teaching and learning. In this paper, firstly, the author attempts to explain and exemplify the question of what is involved in knowing a word, and some aspects of word knowledge are discussed. Secondly, collocation as one aspect of word knowledge is chosen to discuss in more detail, then some issues with respect to collocation are discussed, including the definition of collocation, the classification of collocations and the significant of collocation,. Finally, it deals with the classroom practice, as an English language teacher, some suggestions are given on the teaching of collocation in the classroom. What is involved in knowing a word? In the L1 acquisition, it is very common that learners may know how to speak one word in mother tongue but they do not know how to spell this word, while in L2 acquisition, learners may know the written form of word, but they do not know how to pronounce it clearly, or learners may know one meaning of a word, however, they do not know other meanings of this word in different contexts. Even learners may know both form and meaning of a word, but they do not know how to use this word appropriately in different contexts. Therefore, knowing a word is quite a complex cognitive process, and knowing a word involves understanding many aspects of word knowledge. Nation (2001:23) points out that words are not isolated units of language. Therefore, the question of what is involved in knowing a word has attracted considerable attention in the field of vocabulary acquisition. Researchers have identified different types of word knowledge. Richards (1976) and Nation (1990, 2001) list different aspec ts of word knowledge which learners needs to know about a word. I will use Nations classification of word knowledge as the basis for my discussion. More information, see the appendix 2. In recent decades, Nation is one of the worlds leading authorities on vocabulary acquisition. Based on the earlier word framework (Nation, 1990), Nation (2001:27) points out that knowing a word involves knowing its form, meaning and use, and each category is broken down into receptive and productive knowledge. Each of these three categories can be found in the discussion brief below. More details please see appendix two. Word form Knowing one word form includes spoken form, written form and word parts (Nation, 2001). Spoke and written form are essential word knowledge which helps learners to move forward to literacy. The knowledge of phonics, word reorganization and spelling provides a basis for learners to decode word meaning and use the word appropriately in different context. Knowing the spoken form means being able to understand the spoken form in hearing this word, this is receptive knowledge, as well as being able to pronounce the word clearly and make other people understood in the conversation, this is productive knowledge. Knowing the written form means being able to recognize the written form when reading, this is receptive knowledge; in the meantime, knowing the written form means being able to spell correctly the written form in writing, this is productive knowledge (Schmitt, 2000).Schmitt points out that the more similar between the second language and first language in spelling and pronunciation, the easier learners to attain these knowledge in second language. For example, it is easier for Spanish to learn the spoken and written form of English than to learn Chinese and Japanese, due to different orthographic and pronunciation systems (ibid). In terms of word parts, it involves knowing the prefix, suffix and stem that make up a word as well as knowing the word family (Nation 2001). It is possible to decode the meaning of unknown word when knowing the prefix, suffix or stem of this word. Take the word unbelievable, for an example. Prefix un means not, opposite, believe means trust something, -able means can be, worthy of, therefore the meaning of unbelievable is Not to be believed. In addition, Nation (2001) point out that knowing a word involves knowing the members of word family that will increase as proficiency develops. For example, knowing the word able, learners may know unable, disable, in the beginning, then they will know enable, ability, abilities, disabled disability. Normally, the knowledge of phonics, word reorganization and spelling are learnt by explicit instruction, such as repeat exercises, drills and rote memorization. Although this explicit instruction helps learners to acquire this knowledge to some extent, however, too much depending on exercises and rote memorization leads to boredom and decrease motivation. The best way to develop the phonics, word reorganization and spelling skill is to provide more opportunities to engage in meaningful reading and writing in the particular context. In addition, Learners can be trained and encouraged to use learning strategies. Such as finding analogies, cover and recall, focusing on difficult parts and setting regular learning goals (Nation: 2001:46). 2.2 Word meaning: Nation (2001) points out that knowing the meaning of a word includes connecting form and meaning, concept and referents, and word associations. Normally the word form and meaning are learned together. it means that when learners hear and see the word form, the meaning of this word will retrieved, in the meantime, when they want to express the meaning of word, the form of this word will retrieved as well. Daulton (1998) points out that the same form in the target language and first language makes learning the word meanings burden light. For example, English has some loan words from Japan; this helps Japanese learn some English words easier. In terms of concepts and referents, each word has got a core concept, while other meanings vary. It means a word has got a lot of meanings depending on the different contexts. Aitcheson (1987) also points out that there is a fuzzy boundary in the meanings of a word. One of the main reasons is that schema is different in the different contexts (Schm itt, 2000). In addition, Richards (1976:81) claims that words do not exist in isolation .Knowing a word involves knowing word association. Word associations are the links that words are related to each other in peoples mind. One word is given to a learner; some other that are similar or opposite, and related words easily come to mind. e.g. Accident-car, blood, hospital. School- chair, table, classroom, students, teachers; Home- kitchen, dish, food. 2.3 Word use Nation (2001) points out that knowing how to use a word involves knowing the word grammatical functions, collocations and being aware of constraints on use due to many factors, such as register, frequency and different cultures. Grammatical function is one of the most important linguistic constraints in choosing a word to use, and grammatical function refers to word classes and what grammatical patterns one word can fit into (ibid).e.g. we can say I know a lot, I eat a lot, I read a lot, however we cannot say I knowledge a lot, I eaten a lot, I reading a lot. Register and frequency are other particular types of word constrains on use. Register is considered as the stylistic constraints that make each word more or less appropriate for certain language situations or language purposes (Schmitt, 2000:31). In terms of word frequency, High frequency words (laugh) are heard and seen and used more frequently than low frequency words (guffaw, giggle, and chuckle). Generally speaking, low frequency words are used in the particular discipline, e.g. medicine, law, engineering, literature and so on). Therefore, High frequency words are more easily recognized and recalled than low frequency words. Therefore, knowing the use of a word should be aware of constrains on use of a word. In this section, word form, word meaning and word use are discussed. Next I will select collocation as one type of word knowledge (collocation) to discuss in more detail.Firstly, I will explore the definition of collocation, the types of collocation, and then I suggest that the knowledge of collocations is essential for learners, lastly, some advice on teaching and learning collocations in the classroom are given. The definition and clarification of collocation Collocation is defined in different way by researchers. collocation refers to items whose meaning is not obvious from their parts (Palm 1933 in Firth 1957, summarised in Nation, 2001:317).e.g., blonde hair, shrug his shoulders, fizzy drink, bite the dust. According to Schmittà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ 2000:76à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °,collocation is described as the tendency of two or more words to co-occur in discourse. Here co-occurrence is the main characteristic of collocation. Similar to Schmitt, Lewis (2000:132) describes it in another way as collocation is the way in which words co-occur in natural text in statistically significant ways, in this definition, the way words naturally co-occur is emphasized. It implies that people cannot put two or more words together arbitrarily, because words co-occur naturally. In fact, it is very common that some learners in foreign and second language context tend to put two or more words together arbitrarily because of the first language interference. For example, d o a decision instead of make a decision, big rain instead of heavy rain. Nation (2001:371) defines collocation asany generally accepted grouping of words into phrases or clauses. This definition reflects the two criteria of collocation which are frequency occur together and have some degree of semantic unpredictability (ibid). The above definitions indicate that words co-occur naturally, it is not easy for learners to get the meaning of collocation form its components, and as a result, it may cause problems for learners to acquire the knowledge of collocations. The definition of collocation leads to the shift to explore the types of collocation. Collocations are divided into two basic types: grammatical/syntactic collocations and Semantic/lexical collocations (Schmitt.2000). The former refers to one word combines with other words with the grammatical rule. E.g. get used to, be good at .the latter means multi words co-occur to contribute the meaning. E.g. make a mistake, catch a bus. Lewis (2000) lists different types of collocation, such as verb+noun, noun+noun, adjective + noun, verb+adjective, fixed phrase, part of proverb, binomial, trinomial and so on. The significance of learning collocations 4.1 The underlying rule of organization of lexicon Sinclair (1991) advances two principles (the open-choice principle and the idiom principle) to explain the organization of the texts. The open-choice principle suggests that you can put any word in the slot to make texts as long as you follow the grammar rule. It is known as slot-and-filler model. However, this principle cannot explain the collocation constrains. The idiom principle highlights that there are some regularities when two or more words combine together, and Sinclair claims that there are some constrains on the choices words in discourse(ibid), in other words, the way words co-occur are not random. Hill (2000) also agrees with the idea that the lexicon is not arbitrary. E.g. commit. A relatively fixed set of words can co-occur with it. E.g. suicide, crime, murder, sin. But not promise, advice, plan. 4.2 The size of collocation Groups of words or phrases are used very frequently to express meaning in the oral and written texts. Hill (2000) claims that two or more than two words collocations make up a huge percentage in the text. It is estimated that up to 70% of everything we use in oral and written texts are fixed expression. This widely used collocation implies that if non-native learners have got a huge amount of collocation, it will be helpful for them to achieve native-like fluency in the target language. Nation (2001) also points out that knowing the collocation knowledge of a word is one of the most important aspects of knowing a word. 4.3 Native-like fluency Learning collocation helps learners to speak and write English in a more natural and accurate way (Dell and McCarthy, 2008).if learners store a huge number of collocations, this allows them to retrieve ready-made language, think more quickly and produce language efficiently (Hill 2000).in addition, they do not need to make sentences word by word to express themselves, and this assists them in using English not only naturally but accurately. According to my experience of teaching English in China, due to the first language interference, the direct translate are used to produce language, the inaccurate use of collocation is very common in the essay writing, and this is one of the main causes which lead to the emergence of Chinglish, e.g. eat medicine, make exercise, receive the telephone e, open/close the radio, look TV instead of take medicine, do exercise, answer the telephone, turn on/turn off radio, watch TV. 4.4 language acquisition Learning collocation enhances language acquisition (Hill, 2000). Nation (2001) points out that collocation helps learners to store knowledge quickly. If learners have got a huge number of collocations in mind, it is easier for them to retrieve ready-made language from their mental lexicon and think more quickly because they can recognize big chunks of language when reading and listening, and this is very helpful for them to understand the meaning in the speed of speech and the long reading texts. In contrast, if learners decode the meaning of speech and texts word by word, maybe they know the meaning of each word, however, they do not know the meaning of collocation or chunks in the long discourse. It may be difficult for them to get the accurate meaning of the speech and texts. Based on my teaching experiences as a high school English teacher, I found that most of the students in my class have got difficulty understanding the meaning of the entire paragraph due to lack of collocatio n competence. Hill (2000) also agree with this explanation that one of the main reason for having difficulty in reading or listening is due to lack of collocation competence, rather than the load of new words. E.g. as far as I know, the old sheep comes up with the idea that he will give up on his dream to look after little sheep, however, he cannot make this decision due to other people. This makes him keep crying all the time. Even though students know the meaning of each word in the above paragraph, it is still very hard for them to understand the entire paragraph because they are not familiar with some collocations inside. In the above two sections, the definition, types of collocation and the significance of collocation were discussed. In the next section, I would like to give some suggestions on teaching and learning collocations in the classroom. 5. Teaching collocations in the classroom Here are some suggestions and activities for English language teachers that will help students to acquire the knowledge of collocations in the classroom. 5.1 Raising awareness of collocation in classroom Woolard (2000) points out that raising learners awareness of the importance of collocations is a good way to help them notice them. Teachers should explain the rationale for collocation, the significance of learning collocation in language acquisition, and then make learners know that words are not used in isolation, knowing one word also means knowing which word is likely to co-occur with it, Teachers can emphasize in the classroom instruction that knowing collocations not only helps them to receive (reading and listening) and store language quickly but also produce language naturally and accurately. E.g. When teaching reading, it is an effective way to ask learners to identify collocations in the texts and let them make a list of collocations. When teaching speaking, teachers can ask learners to predict the collocations of the word. If teachers encourage learners to notice collocations in input and output teaching activities, this practice will help learners develop an ability to n otice and use collocations. It also helps learners to develop learner autonomy, when they read newspaper, listen to radio, watch TV and talk to other people in English. They will notice the existence of collocations in spoken and written texts. 5.2 Increasing language input and providing output opportunities Using the authentic reading texts is an effective way to teach collocations. In the classroom, Lewis (2000) also suggests that teachers should choose the right kind of texts which includes different types of collocations. These texts can be used in the intensive reading practice. However, this is not enough to acquire the knowledge of collocations. Krashen(1985 )points out that enough comprehensible input is a source of language acquisition. Collocations are used in different types of texts, such as newspaper, magazine, and story books. It is good for learners to do extensive reading to encounter collocations in these authentic texts and remember them in the notebooks. In addition, extensive reading provides learners with context to make the understanding of the meaning of collocation easier and deeper, therefore. Extensive reading not only helps them to know how native speakers use the collocations in the natural way, but also moves learning collocations from short to long-term memo ry. However, Swain (1995) claims that despite the fact that learners are given a rich source of comprehensible input in the French immersion programmes in Canada. It is still hard for learners to produce the native-like language proficiency. Teaching collocations also needs to provide opportunities to learners to practice how to use collocations. These activities can be some communicative activities in terms of writing and speaking. Hill, Lewis and Lewis (2000) suggest that teachers can ask learners to find the collocations in the reading texts, and then use these collocations to reconstruct the content. Some collocation errors can be found. Teachers need to write down these errors in the blackboard and make learners to analyse them. The same activities can be done by listening to tapes or stories and then ask learners to speak out the collocations. Some exercises are used to help learners acquire collocations (Dell and McCarthy, 2008). Such as Fill in blanks, Match games True/False. 5.3 Using resources: Collocation Dictionaries and corpora and concordances It is a good way to get learners use collocation dictionaries to know more about collocations. e.g. Oxford Collocations Dictionary for students of English. In addition, with the development of internet, the innovative corpora and concordances are becoming the effective way for learners to check collocations online. They provide great texts to check collocations and grow dramatically with the update texts. Corpus has brought great insights into linguistics, especially into the study of collocations. A corpus collects the written or spoken texts and stores them in the computer. It is very helpful and efficient way to use the corpus to check how the people use collocations in written or spoken texts .Sinclair (1991:32) defines a concordance is a collection of the occurrences of a word-form, each in its own textual environment. Compared to collocation dictionary, concordance allows us view more collocation lists in the corpus. However, I think it is necessary for teachers to provide learners with some training to help them use it well, this also encourage learner autonomy. 6. Conclusion In this paper, I have explained and exemplified the question what is involved knowing a word. Word form, word meaning and word use were discussed briefly. Such as spelling, pronunciation, word parts, word meanings, word associations, grammatical functions, register, collocations, frequency and so on. In these many aspects of word knowledge, collocation as one type of word knowledge was chosen to explore. First, the definition and classification of collocation were discussed, and then the reason for choosing collocations was explained. Next, this author proceeded to explore how to teach collocations in the classroom. Lastly, this paper offers some suggestions on how to help learners acquire the knowledge of collocations in the classroom. Appendix 1: The meaning of knowing a word(Richards,1976), 1 The native speaker of a language continues to expand his vocabulary in adulthood, whereas there is comparatively little development of syntax in adult life. 2 Knowing a word means knowing the degree of probability of encountering that word in speech or print. For many words we also know the sort of words most likely to be found associated with the word 3 Knowing a word implies knowing the limitations imposed on the use of the word according to variations of function and situation. 4 Knowing a word means knowing the syntactic behavior associated with that word. 5 Knowing a word entails knowledge of the underlying form of a word and the derivations that can be made from it. 6 Knowing a word entails knowledge of the network of associations between that word and other words in language. 7 Knowing a word means knowing the semantic value of a word. 8 Knowing a word means knowing many of the different meanings associated with the word. Appendix 2: What is involved in knowing a word? (Nation, 2001) Form spoken R P What does the word sound like? How is the word pronounced? written R P What does the word look like? How is the word written and spelled? word parts R P What parts are recognizable in this word? What word parts are needed to express the meaning? Meaning Form and meaning R P What meaning does this word form signal? What word form can be used to express this meaning? Concept and referents R P What is included in the concept? What items can the concept refer to? associations R P What other words does this make us think of? What other words could we use instead of this one? Use grammatical functions R P In what patterns does the word occur? In what patterns must we use this word? collocations R P What words or types of words occur with this one? What words or types of words must we use with this one? constraints on use (register, frequency ) R P Where, when, and how often would we expect to meet this word? Where, when, and how often can we use this word?

Application of Positivist Theory in Criminology

Application of Positivist Theory in Criminology Positivist Theory and its Implications on the James Holmes Case Over the years, various theoretical frameworks have been proposed to explain the nature and causation of crimes. This includes the collective positivist theory, particularly the biological and psychological trait theories as explanations on why individuals commit certain crimes. The positivist tradition in criminology suggests that psychological, biological, and even social forces determine a person’s criminal behavior, hence noting that the criminal act is beyond the control of the person. To examine this theory and its implications to crime, one may analyze the case of James Holmes, the suspect of mass shooting at the Century movie house in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people on July 20, 2012. Investigations revealed that the alleged perpetrator had history of mental consultations, which strongly affirmed issues with his mental well-being. Considering that Holmes exhibited substantial signs and symptoms indicative of mental illness, prompt diagnosis and treatment might have prevented the fatal Aurora shooting; true to the goals of a positivist psychology, it is also best to manage Holmes through a treatment in a mental health facility, rather than a criminal punishment. Before examining how a psychological diagnosis and treatment might have prevented Holmes’ criminal act, it would be imperative to briefly discuss a specific sub-theory of the positivist psychology: the trait theory. The trait theory is an umbrella term that encompasses a combination of various biological, psychological, and social factors that predispose an individual to develop and exhibit criminal behavior (van Gelder de Vries, 2012). These factors can be present at birth and may continually influence a person’s social functioning over his or her life course. Biologically, criminal behaviors may be attributed to factors such as genetics, hormones, metabolism, and neuro-physiological conditions. The trait theory also turns to the psychodynamics of a person to determine underlying mood disorders, personality traits, and cognitive patterns that result to criminal behavior. The theory likewise integrates social factors including social learning and environmental constrai nts as potential causes of criminal behavior or delinquency. As will be explained in the succeeding parts of this essay, Holmes had mental health issues that feature a combination of these factors. There are several indicators and clinical pathways that would have prevented Holmes from committing the mass shooting in Aurora, beginning with his prior psychological assessments. Reports note that the accused gunman had appointments with three mental health practitioners before the violent rampage. These experts include Dr. Lynne Fenton, the head psychiatrist of the mental health services of University of Colorado (Denver) (BBC, 2013). Dr. Fenton sent a report to the university’s threat assessment team regarding Holmes’ risk for homicidal behavior, but final diagnosis and follow-up evaluations were not carried out (Rosenberg, 2014). There were also other indicators of the gunman’s psychological disturbance, including a â€Å"bizarre guttural, freakish† personal voicemail message (BBC, 2013). While the results of Holmes’ post-arrest mental health assessment remain confidential, psychologists believe that the gunman might be suffering from schizoph renia and psychopathy (Solty, 2012). These conditions could explain Holmes’ impaired ideation or sense of reality as well as his propensity to commit violence. Nonetheless, issues about his mental well-being were not promptly diagnosed and treated. Psychotherapy would have â€Å"contained† and managed his hallucinations and impaired thought processes, hence the prevention of the fatal shooting. As noted earlier, the trait theory also includes biological factors that combine with psychological factors that, when promptly addressed, could have prevented Holmes from attacking and killing civilians. Similar to his psychological assessment, published evidences of a neurobiological trauma or head injury were absent. However, one may add the possibility of brain trauma or brain tumor as an underlying or aggravating factors for his mental health issue. The planning and execution of mass killing itself attest to the gunman’s lack of empathy and reasonable judgment. These traits are characteristic of damage in the orbitofrontal cortex part of the brain (Burke, 2014). In other words, brain imaging studies such as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scanning can help validate or rule out the aforementioned conditions. The quantification and measurement offered by these diagnostic tests are central to the positivist psychology. In any case, it would ha ve added to an effective clinical management to prevent Holmes from exhibiting violence. Moreover, the trait theory also provides an explanation for the social dimensions that might have influenced Holmes’ criminal behavior. One may begin by looking at the following analysis of Solty (2012): It is clear that Holmes seems to have felt himself to be in a hopeless situation. And as a man he didn’t have the increasingly popular option of female students in North America of becoming an entrepreneur of one’s own youthful†¦ [and] in his obvious desperation Holmes anticipated his suspension [from the University of Colorado]. He prepared and pursued his own de-matriculation. In his state, he must have realized that he would probably no longer be a top performer. (p.10) The above description highlights that there are constraining social factors that might have led to Holmes’ frustrations. Media reports note that Holmes never had a romantic relationship prior to the shooting incident; he was also rejected by the women whom he contacted at a casual dating website (BBC, 2013). A consistent achiever, Holmes might have been affected by a decline in his academic performance, which led to his plan to withdraw from the university. Thus, feelings of social rejection also add another angle to Holmes’ criminal behavior. Experts also found a link between Holmes’ fondness for video games, relative to the popular vigilante figure- Batman, and aggression. Simply put, the gunman’s violent tendencies might also be reinforced through social learning. Considerations for these social factors could have also solidified any psychiatric diagnosis and determine appropriate clinical interventions to address Holmes’ mental health issues. Convinced that Holmes’ criminal behavior was a result of biological and psychosocial factors beyond his control, it is reasonable to insist that the appropriate intervention would be confinement and treatment to a mental health facility. This view also conforms to the core tradition of criminological positivism in that it places emphasis on therapy or rehabilitation, rather than punishment exemplified by incarceration or death penalty. It must be re-emphasized that Holmes was and continues to have substantial psychological issues that impair his judgment and sense of reality. While in jail, he even committed suicide attempts (BBC, 2013). Without psychotherapy and other treatment modalities to manage his mental health condition, containing and incarcerating Holmes would only be futile. In particular, studies note that the rate of recidivism among mentally-ill inmates could be as high as 80% because they receive lack or insufficient psychiatric treatments inside the prison (Burk e, 2014). The ability of the trait theory to sufficiently explain the host of factors for Holmes’ criminal behavior only indicates that the final resolution to this case would be an intervention that follows a positivist approach. Overall, Holmes provides a case in point as to how various factors may work to develop a criminal mind among people who are susceptible to violence. This gunman shows that personality traits and the elements of these traits could eventually reach its maximum tolerance, depriving a person of any remaining rationality and sense of reality. Psychological and criminological positivism suggests that such criminal behavior could have been prevented or managed through prompt diagnosis and treatment. Now that damage was already done, the only way forward is to treat and rehabilitate the psychologically unstable gunman. References BBC. (2013, April 1). Profile: Aurora cinema shooting suspect James Holmes. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-18937513 Burke, R. H. (2014). An introduction to criminological theory (4th ed.). New York: Routledge. Rosenberg, J. (2014). Mass shootings and mental health policy. Journal of Sociology Social Welfare, 41(1), 107-121. Solty, I. (2012). Dear Left: The NRA is right – The mass shooter as high-achiever: Historical-materialist considerations on the resistible fall of James Holmes and the pathologization and culturalization of the cinema massacre in Aurora, Colorado. Socialism Democracy, 26(3), 1-13. Retrieved from 10.1080/08854300.2012.722372 van Gelder, J.-L., de Vries, R. E. (2012). Traits and states: Integrating personality and affect into a model of criminal decision making* traits and states. Criminology, 50(3), 637-671. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.2012.00276.x

The Saga of Kirke :: Classics

The Saga of Kirke. In various situations in the Kirke episode the themes of false paradise and loyalty are present. The Island of Kirke gives itself a false appearance of divinity. The goddess Kirke gives off a false appearance of enchantment and courtesy. Odysseus and his men convey the theme of loyalty throughout the episode of Kirke to each other. Odysseus shows loyalty not just to his men, but to his wife and his homeland as well. From the ship's arrival on the shore the island gives itself a false appearance of divinity. Odysseus narrates that an unseen god has lured them into the cove: "We came/ washed in our silent ship upon her shore/ and found a cove, a haven for a ship-/ some god, invisible, conned us in" (154-157). False appearance of divinity comes out on third day on the island of Kirke. On Odysseus's way back to the seashore from the observation rock he comes across a big buck, which he kills to feed his men. Odysseus perceives the buck as a gift from the gods: ", some god's compassion/ Set a big buck in motion to cross my path-/ So hands were washed to take what heaven sent us" (173-200). Kirke herself gives off a false appearance to the men. When the first group of Odysseus's men come to the house, they were enticed by the goddess's song: "In the entrance way they stayed to listen there:" (240-241). She shows the men that she is courteous by inviting the men in and giving them food and drink. The goddess works her magic on the men by giving them temptations to deal with. She gives them food to eat, and wine that she has laced with some sort of potion that causes the men to lose desire to go home. Kirke then turns the men into pigs. She uses false appearance as a courteous enchanting god the lure the men in. "/ to call them in./ While she prepared a meal of cheese and baley/ and amber honey mixed with Pramnian wine./ adding her own vile pinch,/ / all/ swinish now" (253-265). The men are not the only ones that have to deal with the deception of Kirke. She tries to deceive Odysseus with the same food and drink that she offered his men, but with the knowledge attained from Hermes he was able to out wit the goddess. When her first attempt fails she then tries flattery to dupe Odysseus into the bedroom to lie with her: " 'What a champion, of what country, can you be?/ We two shall mingle and make love upon our bed.

The American Revolution: A War for Independence Essay -- American War o

The American Revolution was a war for independence. It was a war which was fought for equal rights and the freedom of a would be nation. It showed the pure courage and heart of the American colonists by pitting them against a much more powerful opponent. The British had the best army in the world, and the colonists were often just poor farmers armed with their hunting muskets. It was truly a case of David versus Goliath. The reasons, course, and outcome of the American Revolution provided the perfect scenario for achieving independence. The ideas behind the revolution came much earlier than 1776. They came from deep within the Enlightenment. Although there was not much support behind these ideas, it is important to note that they existed. Stress had been building in the colonies since the end of the Seven Years’ War. For the first time ever there was a standing British army in the colonies. The British had nearly doubled their national debt defending their colonies, and they felt it was time for the colonies to start contributing some money. The colonists were expected to care for the British soldiers in the colonies. They would feed, clothe, and house these soldiers. The soldiers were there for the soul purpose of tightening England's grip on her colony. Needless to say, this did not please the colonists very much. They had enjoyed freedom under a neglectful Britain in the early 1700’s. Now they face the possibility of losing all they had gained. The American Revolution was directly set off by continuous arguments over increased taxes. The first tax to come was in the form of the Navigation Acts. The Navigation Acts "were acts passed by the British Parliament to regulate colonial tra... ...ship and cunning diplomacy the colonists surprised the world and won their independence. Works Cited - Buckler, John, Bennett D. Hill, and John P. McKay. A History of Western Society. Boston, PA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1975. - Lecky, William E. H. The American Revolution 1763-1783. New York, NY: D. Appleton and Company, 1924. - Morgan, Edmund S. The Birth of the Republic, 1763-1789. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 1956. - Morris, Richard B. The American Revolution ‘A Short History’. Huntington, NY: Robert E. Krieger Publishing Company, 1955. - Stokesbury, James L. A Short History of the American Revolution. New York, NY: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1991. - Ward, Harry M. The American Revolution: Nationhood Achieved 1763-1788. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press, Inc., 1995.

Factors Affecting Essay

Few markets avoid change, which involves new products or new ways of making existing products. Some industries are more likely to undergo substantial changes brought about by new technologies and new adaptations of existing technologies. The IT, computer and mobile phone markets are experiencing more innovation than most. How do businesses benefit from introducing radical new products and what factors influence the range and pace of innovation? Spending on research and development (R&D) is growing globally and in most industrial sectors. The benefits to a country of encouraging R&D spending include: †¢creation of high-tech jobs †¢creation of high-added-value products that may then be manufactured in that country †¢prestige – a country being linked to scientific and technological breakthroughs †¢Attraction of investment by multinational corporations. Several factors may influence the level of research and development (R&D) and innovation by a business: †¢The nature of the industry. Rapidly changing technologies – and consumer expectations – in pharmaceutical products, defense, computer and software products and motor vehicles lead to the need for substantial investment in R&D by leading firms. Other businesses, such as hotels and hairdressing, would need to spend much less as the scope for innovation is more limited. †¢The R&D and innovation spending plans of competitors. In most markets, it is essential to innovate as much as or more than competitors if market share and technical leadership are to be maintained. However, a monopoly may limit R&D spending if it believes that the risk of a more technically advanced competitor entering the market is limited. On the other hand, profits from a monopoly could be used to finance research into innovative products if the risk of competitor entry into the industry is high. †¢Business expectations. If business managers are optimistic about the future state of the economy and the rate of economic growth and consumer demand, then they are more likely to agree to substantial budgets for R&D and aim to introduce more innovative products. †¢The risk profile or culture of the business. The attitude of the management to risk and whether shareholders are prepared to invest for the long term will have a significant effect on the sums that businesses can inject into R&D programmes. ‘Short-termism’ is an accusation made towards many major UK financial institutions and the need to satisfy these investors could discourage managers from investing in R&D. Government policy towards grants to businesses and universities for R&D programmes and the range and scope of tax allowances for such expenditure will influence decisions by businesses. †¢Finance is needed for effective R&D. In many firms this may be limited and will restrict the number of new innovations that could be made. Reference: http://classof1.com/homework-help/operations-management-homework-help View as multi-pages

Single-Sex School’s Benefits

Single-sex school's benefits In some countries single-sex schools is not provided and against the law. In 2002, only a dozen schools were separating sexes and this research is according to the National Association for Single Sex Public Education. Many parents believe that placing their child in single-sex schools give them sexual freedom. Students in single-sex school benefit more than those in co-education. It improves the behaviour, performance of the students, although boys and girls have different styles of learning. Most of the people agree on that the behavior of students differs.In co-education schools grades are equally for both genders. Indicting that neither gender is disadvantaged by the other, in fact the reverse is true. Sex segregation increases gender divisions among children. â€Å"Separating boys and girls in public school classrooms makes gender very salient, and this salience reinforces stereotypes and sexism,† Fabes said. In the other hand, according to Vai l, â€Å"By far, the advantages most often associated with schooling boys and girls separately is that eliminates distraction. Freed from the worries of impressing the opposite sex, boys and girls can focus on their books† (vail, 2002, p. 5). Moreover, in coeducational settings, the culture is one of socialization where for some academics might not be a priority. For these individuals, single-sex classes or single-sex schools might be a better choice. â€Å"Single-sex school officials say test scores and attendance rise and attitude improve† (Vail, 2002, p. 33). An experiment take place at Matthew Henson Elmentray School, Dunkel reports that if the disciplinary problems decrease, the attendance will increase and the academic performance will improve and positive attitudes will appear.By providing single-sex schools which decrease the disciplinary problems, the students will have the maximum achievement. Students have different styles of learning. Co-education interacts between boys and girls that sum up all the styles which are better. According to professor Alan Smithers, There are no overriding advantages for single-sex schools on educational grounds. Studies all over the world have failed to detect any major differences. ‘Studies show that here is difference in children's brains beyond the larger volume of boy's brains and the earlier completion of girl's brain growth, which have nothing related to learning. However, Boys and girls have different styles, according to Leonard Sax which says â€Å"The kind of learning environment that is best for boys is not necessarily best for girls† (Vail, 2002, P. 36). Scientist thinks that in co-education school require different teaching techniques at different time† (Howley , 1994) . These different teaching techniques will decrease the performance of students.Boys have a weird ways in concentration, such that boys tend to use a lot of space. So if boy and girl share a table the boy mig ht take a big room by spreading his papers over the entire table which leave little room for the girl, as Gurian and Ballew stated, â€Å"This tendency can affect psychosocial dynamics† (2003, p. 18). There is another environmental learning-style difference is collaborative learning. Girls seem to benefit from this collaborative learning style than boys as Gollnick and Chinn stated, â€Å", â€Å"Girls are more likely to learn in cooperative mathematics activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2004 , p. 152).But in the other hand, boys do not benefit from this learning and style instead they might can not collaborative easy with girls. Many people believe that sex segregation decrease the performance of the students. Richard Fabes, PH. D, one of the authors of the Science article said â€Å"Though public sentiment may have strengthened in support of such setting for improving the learning environment and outcomes for both boys and girls, the science is just not there to support this†. However, Supporters of single-sex school are totally against what Richard Fabes said. They believe that single-sex schools increase performance.Teachers of single-sex schools do not have to teach a lot of different styles, they just can concentrate on only one teaching style which will help the students a lot to understand easily. Moreover, the concentration of students and participation will increase a lot. Distraction between students will decline. There is assumption here that boys and girls should learn about each other in school. But is the main goal of school is to develop students socially? The assumption is false; other, there are a lot of another ways to develop socially through family, neighbourhood and clubs.Finally, single-sex school students behaviour is much better than co-education schools students because the distraction vanish, attendance rise and positive attitudes will occur. Most of the people agree on that boys and girls have different styles which decrease there performance. There is kind of learning which is good for boys and not good for girls. Each sex cooperates with each other better than cooperating with the opposite sex. Moreover, single-sex schools help the students to participate more than in co-education schools.So every country should provide a choice to parents to have single-sex education along with co-education. Reference List |Internet | |In text Citation | |Internet article |Alan Smith ‘ Advantages of Co-Education' | | | | | |Gurian and Ballew (2003, p. 8). ‘The Advantages of Single-sex Education' | | | | | |Gollnick and Chinn 2004, p. 152). ‘The Advantages of Single-sex Education' | | | | | |(Howley , 1994) . ‘The Advantages of Single-sex Education'. | | | | |Richard Fabes ‘Single-Sex Schools Fail to Improve Learning'. | | | | | |(Vail, 2002, p. 35). (Vail, 2002, P. 36). (Vail, 2002, P. 33). | | |'The Advantages of Single-sex Education' | | | Sources: 1-‘The Advantages of Single-s ex Education' from: NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL VOLUME 23, NUMBER 2, 2006-2007 http://www. eric. ed. gov/PDFS/ED492000. pdf 2-‘The Advantages of Co-Education' from: http://www. cathedral-school. co. uk/co-education. html 3-‘Single-Sex Schooles Fail to Improve Learning' from: Arizona State University http://psychcentral. com/news/2011/09/23/single-sex-schools-fail-to-improve-learning/29723. html