Psychology: Human Memory Essay

The article addresses the problems of interference as related to implicit memory. The study reveals the inconsistencies of the previous studies in the area of explicit and implicit memory, and the impact of interference on the memory performance. The authors of the article analyze the three major studies conducted in previous years. Lustig & Hasher (2001) refer to interference as â€Å"a primary source of forgetting and a major focus of memory research†. Previous research has proved that implicit memory is immune to interference, but there is no evidence whether earlier studies have referred to proactive or retroactive interference. The results of the previous research have determined the different patterns of interaction between explicit memory, implicit memory, and interference mechanisms. This difference was later used to suggest that explicit and implicit memory tasks measure different forms of memory and act within different systems of the brain. Despite the clear evidence that implicit memory is immune to interference, Lustig & Hasher (2001) suggest that this evidence is impaired by using wrong methods of research: the authors emphasize the importance of differentiating between target and nontarget memory responses. Lustig & Hasher (2001) have designed a new study, â€Å"in which each fragment presented at test could be completed only by one previously presented target word†. The authors have utilized the three-group study design: in the interference group, the nontarget items were similar to the correct completions; for the control group, nontarget items were unrelated to the test fragments; the third group was used as a baseline and received only test fragments. The control and interference group participants viewed a list of words divided into the two groups of target and nontarget items. The list was followed by a set of exercises to be completed by both groups (word-fragment test). Lustig & Hasher (2001) used planned comparisons to analyze the results of the fragment-completion test. â€Å"The critical question was whether orthographically similar nontargets impaired implicit memory for the target words† (Lustig & Hasher, 2001). Although the control and interference groups have displayed better achievements in fragment-test as compared to the baseline group, the successes of the interference group members were negatively impacted by their exposure to the list of nontarget words. Thus, implicit memory was impacted by interference mechanisms. The authors have analyzed the proportion of incorrect answers as impacted by the group exposure to nontarget words. The results have shown an increasingly great number of intrusions of the non-target words in the interference group as compared to the control and baseline groups.   The results of the study, combined with the previous research results, have led to the conclusion that explicit memory cannot be the only critical factor in determining the presence of interference. On the contrary, the combination of the explicit and implicit memory responses determine the exact patterns of interference and their impact on human memory. Lustig and Hasher (2001) clearly demonstrate that implicit memory is not immune to interference. In addition, the researchers create a new vision of the critical boundary condition for interference, which â€Å"is similarity between critical and nontarget items, not deliberate retrieval† (Lustig & Hasher, 2001). Discussion questions 1. How is the interference phenomenon discussed in earlier studies? 2. Is there any unilateral evidence that implicit memory is immune to interference? 3. Why is the similarity between target and nontarget items potentially important for the investigation of interference and its impact on implicit memory mechanisms? 4. How has the use of fragment-completion test been beneficial for the discovery of interference impact on implicit memory? 5. In the light of the current research results, how can we define a critical boundary condition for interference?

Ghost’s Child Essay

Feather made the right choice, he should not have stayed with Maddy. Intro: Sonya Hartnett’s The Ghost’s Child reveals the mystifying story of Matilda’s remarkable journey up the mountain of life. Even though the departure of Feather pained Maddy emotionally, the overall outcome significantly boosted her emotional strength and confidence. Feather loved Maddy so much, but he knew he couldn’t change, so he had to do what was best for Maddy in order for her to be happy. The loss of Feather as well as the Fay encouraged Maddy to embark on many new adventures.At the end of Matilda’s glorious journey of life, she was, truly, happy. BP1: All Feather wanted was for Maddy to be happy, and the only way that was possible was to free her from herself by leaving her and letting her go. Maddy had thought that because of all the times he crept off to the beach, and to be with just the water and sand, that â€Å"Feather didn't care† about her, but it was not her, it was that Maddy was â€Å"less important than this strange, mysterious summoning thing†. Feather knew he couldn’t change his lifestyle to live with Maddy, and if he didn’t, he would continue to hurt her inside.The only way to satisfy them both was to leave. It was not the fact that Feather could not change for Maddy, but that he could not change enough for Maddy. Feather is willing to do anything for Maddy to â€Å"make her happy†. Even when he says that â€Å"it makes no difference† to him, it actually does, and he knows that if he does â€Å"move to the desert† with Maddy, they won’t be able to live happily together because of Feathers urge to get back to his old life. Maddy was holding Feather back by making him more civilized and changing him to be the opposite of the person she fell in love with.After living with Feather for quite a while, Maddy â€Å"still called him Feather, but it was easy to forget why† because of the new clothes she made him wear and his hair was washed and looked smart, and he had just lost the â€Å"strange smoky shimmer that swam from him† like the sun reflecting off a gold fish, in clear blue water. This shows that Feather left Maddy, not only to help her be happy, but also to let himself be happy. BP2: When Feather left Maddy, he freed her from the windowless â€Å"box† inside her head, and enabled her to live life without worrying about love or oss, and as a result Maddy proceeded to have many great experiences that heavily influenced her life. The loss of Feather strived Maddy to actually do something with her life, rather than dwelling on all of the bad things that have happened. Whether Feather meant to or not, he enabled Maddy to fight for what she wanted, and actually do the things she wanted to do right now. The â€Å"island of stillness† gave Maddy many new experiences and helped her learn a lot from them. The most vital thing that Maddy learns on the island is that â€Å"love is not the strongest or most important thing in the world†.She accepted the fact that she had lost the Fay, and now was losing Feather. After learning this she can properly move on with her life and leave Feather and all their memories together in the past. Maddy going to help with the war was a very significant experience as it gave her the epiphany that she wanted to be an eye doctor for the remainder of her career. She was inspired by the fact that the blind injured men in the war had lost the biggest thing of all, â€Å"they had lost the sight of beautiful things†.This tells us that one bad experience, can often lead to several good life changing experiences BP3: In the end, all of Matilda's great journeys and adventures love and loss, finally enabled her to accept that the loss of Feather did help her learn to be happy. Love can be brutal and leave you injured, but eventually we learn that we can move past this and learn fr om our experiences to help us become wiser more knowledgeable. Through all the amazing good times, and the ever-lasting bad times, all Matilda's memories made up an overall happy life.After the island of stillness and the war, Maddy was living her perfect life, a job she wanted to do and nothing to worry about. It is strange to think of the outcome if she was still living with Feather, and if she would be doing what she was doing now. In the end, all alone â€Å"Matilda was standing on the mountain top, and looking back along the path she’d walked and she was satisfied with what she saw. † Feather leaving, not only hurt Maddy, but more importantly it taught her valuable lessons in life and gave her many amazing experiences.Sonya Hartnett was trying to explain that love can give you as much pain as it does happiness and to really experience great love, you must first experience the bad times as well as the good. Even if something bad does happen and you end up losing th e one thing you love most, you must accept the fact that it has happened and that you cannot change it, and use it as a learning experience. No matter what happens, you have to learn to move on and enjoy all of the good things in life. As Matilda's eyes saw the last things they would ever see, â€Å"on her face were the remnants of a smile†.

See instructions-SIP analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

See instructions-SIP analysis - Essay Example es Climate, Achievement and Participation (CAP), all of which are part of the student learning and betterment of provision of educational services to them. Goals set by the district such as enhanced achievement of students, professional achievement of instructors and expansion of recruitment of qualified teachers. The inquiry process incorporates key strengths that should be a part of the improvement plan along with priority concerns related to â€Å"student achievement, instruction, remediation strategies, program implementation and professional development†. For each priority concern, the root causes and solutions are given. Master design plan, section A includes action and monitoring plans that should be taken in the lieu of improvement. For action plan, resources for implementation, time period and responsible people are described, similarly in monitoring plan, the success for implementation measurement, time period and responsible people are elaborated. In section B of master design plan, the evaluating plan for implementation is given that is helpful for measuring success of the plan. Under the heading of completing the SIP plan, several questions are asked, which should be answered using the concepts of CAP. These questions are related to policies and practices, testing systems, instructional strategies, available resources, funding, etc. At the end, budget for the overall cost of carrying out the plan is given that incorporates funds required for goals accomplishment and funds available. The School Improvement Plan can be linked to School Assessment Results based on goals and objectives designed for the improvement of student education. There are many programs that are started by the school management in order to get good results such as â€Å"Success For All† reading program, â€Å"Everyday Math† program and writing programs such as â€Å"Set-Up to Writing†, â€Å"Write Traits†, â€Å"Thinking Maps† for enhancing writing skills of students. The School

Environmental Health Job Opportunities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environmental Health Job Opportunities - Essay Example A. It is a fact that 60-90% of the population spend a substantial amount of their time indoors, which can be in private or public buildings like offices, restaurants and schools. Indoor air pollution is responsible for many chronic diseases, which include respiratory diseases and some types of cancer (Jantunen, Oliveira Fernandes, Carrer, & Kephalopoulos, 2011). B. A research on fungi contamination was done in elderly care centres in Portugal; because of elderly people spend a lot of time indoors. Therefore, they are highly influenced by indoor air pollution, which involves the use of substances like bioaerosols. The Bioaerosols were evaluated before and after fungi was measured in the microenvironments; fungi load was high in bedrooms and storage areas (40 different fungal species were isolated). Penicillium and Aspergillus were the most common fungi isolated during the study, the living room registered the lowest fungal concentration as opposed to the storage area that had the highest fungal load (Viegas, Almeida-Silva, Gomes, Wolterbeek, & Almeida, 2014) The research was done by administering questionnaires and measuring and determining the content of indoor air in public places like restaurants. The research aimed at evaluating the smoke free law regarding the quality of indoor air, which was introduced by the Portuguese government in 2008. The study registered a very significant decrease in CO, methane, TO and RSP concentrations after the ban had been passed. The study provides foundational data on smoke free law and its effects on indoor air quality in public places (Madureira, Mendes, & Teixeira, 2013). 5. The cost of living refers to the minimum amount of money that one requires to cover expenses on food, housing, clothing, taxes and healthcare (Bertolazzi, 2007). The cost of living is affected by factors

Self reflection Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self reflection - Term Paper Example In the course of the work of the group, there are things that went well and served as our strengths. There are also things that did not go so well and affected our decision-making pitfalls. The interactions with group members also brought about a lot of lessons that have been learned and skills that have been acquired. The reflection makes all these strengths, weaknesses, skills gained, and the approach for future practice known. A major strength of the group work was our approach to work. This is because as group we believed in the power of team spirit and so did everything in a consultative manner. As part of the consultative approach, everyone contributed with their ideas and these ideas were always brainstormed among the larger group to identify the most applicable and feasible ones for implementation. In effect, everything that came out as the final product was a representation of the group’s collective idea rather than the imposition of the views of a few people. This approach ensured that things went well and that things were very smooth and easy for us. Another thing was that there was equal division of the group’s work so that each person would become an active member of the group since passiveness limits the growth of teamwork (Freire 32). Even more, there was high level of efficiency as group members ensured that we avoided long meetings but rather use the little times we had product ively. As much as there were strengths, there were some weaknesses that the group faced. As indicated earlier, decision making was done at the group level through brainstorming activities, where everyone’s contributed counted. There were however some decision-making pitfalls and traps that we faced. For example the boldness to implement group decisions was always a challenge. As a result of this, it was common that we would out away our decision making to later dates in

Combining and using source material Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Combining and using source material - Essay Example e Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2003), and Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (2004) define research as a learning of an object in order to get new data. Howard and Sharp (1983), in his â€Å"Doing Your Research Project†, and Wisker (2008), in his â€Å"The Postgraduate Research Handbook†, have a similar view but add that there must be methodological processes which can gain benefit for research. These fairly general definitions are further expanded by Nunan (1994), â€Å"Research Methods in Language Learning†, who argues that research must include three elements or components such as 1. a question, problem or hypothesis, 2. data, 3. analysis and interpretation of data. For Wisker what is key is that research has an effect on the world, which is in research results, and finds the realization in our behavior in society. Dawson(2002), however, gives a less general definition and focusses specifically on the purposeful examining of the cond uct of other people with the aim of better understanding them or adding new information to knowledge. For the purposes of this essay, the word â€Å"research† will be used to mean specific studying of an object with a particular aim and special

Essentials Mangement (report) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Essentials Mangement (report) - Essay Example The Essentials Management is all about finding solutions to help the organisation to improve efficiency, reduce costs, decrease cycle time and push up strategic initiatives. What are the issues before an ambitious management and an expanding organization? Find solutions to short term and long term problems, lookout and seize the opportunities well in time in this fast moving age of industrial and internet revolution, tackle critical issues posed from time to time and improve effectiveness in functions and crucial programs. Of the four important factors of production, land, labor, capital and organisation, labor (workforce at all levels) is important. The employees can build an organisation just as sometimes it is claimed that the employees can break it. For the organisation to become prosperous and grow employees (including officials of the top management) need to be basically sound and industrious and basic conditions and favourable atmosphere need to be created for them to become b asically sound and industrious. â€Å"If everything is important, then nothing is†¦.Whether it is a multinational corporation, a department within a larger company, or a small entrepreneurial venture, every organisation provides its leader with more distractions and concerns than one person can handle. The key to managing this challenge, of course, is to identify a reasonable number of issues that will have the greater possible impact on the success of your organization, and then spend most your time thinking about, talking about, and working on those issues.†(Lencioni, 2006, introduction. xi) The phrases like decentralization, delegate responsibility etc. often find favor in an expanding organisation. The modern management science favours these techniques. But the critical point for the success of organization is somewhere else. The growth of an organization needs to be a healthy growth. None but the head of an organisation can make it healthy. To delegate responsibility for

Modernism - Edward Weston, Tina Modotti, Manuel Alvarez Bravo Essay

Modernism - Edward Weston, Tina Modotti, Manuel Alvarez Bravo - Essay Example The essay "Modernism - Edward Weston, Tina Modotti, Manuel Alvarez Bravo" discusses modernism through the works of Edward Weston, Tina Modotti and Manuel Alvarez Bravo. Edward Weston’s career in photography lasted for a period of fifty years. He took his last photograph ten years before his death. The rest of his years were spent battling Parkinson’s disease. This artist was quite instrumental in capturing the Modernism era during the twentieth Century. Weston was best known for capturing the real essence of life. Most of his photographs were rather idealistic as he had the ability to bring out the full essence of life using his camera. Weston was particularly fond of using an eight by ten inch camera. This facilitated thorough inspection of life forms and was one of the basic influences on the Modernist era. However, the phase of Modernism cannot be represented by one particular style of photography. As a matter of fact, the same can be said of this particular artist. Weston’s career was not static; it transformed with the times. At the beginning, Weston began with a pastoralist period. However, Mexico changed all this because Weston spent a considerable period of life there. Afterwards, the latter country transformed his work into close images. Mexico made Weston get more interested in life form that included vegetables, landscapes and even nudes. Towards the end of his career, Weston changed his preferences and began doing complex images. Most of the latter pieces were don in California. Modernism as a form of art and photography is based upon the belief that particular objects need not be the main characters. Modernism allows for a number of objects to be used within an art form without making one stand out. This is exactly what Weston did towards the end of his career. This was the point at which Weston made a landmark contribution towards Modernist concepts. Using the influences form Mexico, Weston began making photographs that were fugal and mixed up. These images rarely had one particular subject at hand. He made use of natural objects such as see weeds and Rocks in order to achieve this. One can say that Weston had finally discovered who he really was. It is a known fact that most artists normally struggle with surrounding influences in order to forge their own style. It is indeed very evident that Weston underwent these struggles through the many phase of his career. But he finally discovered his true self after the abandonment of iconic pictures. During the f irst years of his career, Weston was particularly fond of centrality and unification of issues. These were all ideas that he forsook after he started taking more basic images. 2 It is also important to note that one of the outstanding issues in Weston's work was the fact that he seemed to take issue of printing very seriously. During the Modernist era, there was a serious respect for beautifully printed images. This is an aspect that Weston covered critically. For instance most of his prints are quite refined. He considered this aspect as the epitome of his work. Other artists may not be very interested in the printed versions of their work. Most of them may tend to focus on the theme of their work. The latter view is especially prominent in post modernist eras. Weston's manner of photography was unique to his work at that time. However, his methods became very famous later on. He influenced other artists in the Modernism era. For instance, he was one of the first artists to mount his camera on a tripod. He was also instrumental in making most photographers take up the use of large format negatives. Additionally, Weston was instrumental in ensuring that prints were

Individual freedon(see instruction below) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individual freedon(see instruction below) - Essay Example l choice of a person but also to social safety because drug addicts tend to eventually demonstrate complete of partial defeat of consciousness that is often accompanied by physical degeneration and at the end leads to complete isolation and death. Very rarely (only in 5-10% of all cases) drug addicts manage to recover completely. The statistical data show that the results of rehabilitation programs throughout the world can hardly be called optimistic: around 90% of drug addicts who had been detoxified are back to taking drugs. When people who abuse substances become dependant on them, they are guided by the constant desire to take the drug, which sometimes causes them to commit crimes – and this certainly endangers the society. Drug addicts are usually subdivided into two categories: functional and non-functional, the first group being able to live a more or less normal social life sustaining their addiction for years: â€Å"Their lives are not made totally unmanageable by it so they dont tend to drop out of society.† (The long walk to freedom 2001) Psychologist Dan Wolf comes up with the following examples when talking about the functional drug addicts: â€Å"the housewife who cant relax without Valium, the ad executive who can’t keep up without his cocaine, or the friend who can’t socialize unless she has a drink or a joint in her hand.† (The long walk to freedom 2001) Non-functional addicts are people whose personalities and lives are partially or completely destroyed by the drug. Non-functional drug offenders pose the main danger to the society as they are very likely to become inadequate. Apart from being non-productive members of the society, they are likely to commit crimes, and even though legally they remain citizens of the state, in fact they only bring damage to the community they live in. Drug addiction is often called an â€Å"illness† of the entire society destroying it from within. Except from criminal threats, drug addicts very often suffer

Written analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Written analysis - Essay Example Giving it as a hypothetical case, if the customer is late queuing in a place, he or she misses out on a business engagement and hence losses money just because poor service provision on part of the business. If it is a personal engagement, an individual’s name carries some costs to it that cannot be quantified. A person’s dignity cannot be bought with money hence making it even a bigger loss. For the company, the losses that accrue from customer queuing are immense. The company only manages to serve very few customers out of a large number of them hence losing on the opportunity to make money. Secondly, the customer who queues in a place waiting to get some services will avoid coming to do business again and will search for such similar services providers. In the common perfect competition and monopolist market structures, the business will obviously lose on customers. There will be no customer loyalty, and hence this will define the end of the business. This can be managed by having many business agents to serve the customer and expand rooms where these services are offered. At Macro, however, the management is very aware of these queues and the costs they have on business. Arguably, they knew how to manage the situation better by avoiding falling in the pitfall. In this era of the technology revolution, the management could not gamble with it and have introduced highly specialized e-services to the clients by liaising with various service providers. As has been the case, word of mouth has been a potent business marketing tool. Word of mouth, in other words, means customer feedback on the services offered at any organization. Customer feedback is number one yardstick that evaluates and determines if the customers are getting services worth time and money. Only if the customers have satisfied with the business will they comment positively and when they are not satisfied, certainly, they would respond negatively. For any

There is no Safety Without Risk and What You Risk Reveals What You Value Essay Example for Free

There is no Safety Without Risk and What You Risk Reveals What You Value Essay Everyone at one time or another are faced with challenges that goes against what they know is the right thing to do.   Sacrifices are a necessary part of life. We all have to make decisions as to what sacrifices and values we will give up in exchange to be accepted by a certain social class, age group, the community, the church, promotions, jobs and so on. Very emotionally sound people are capable of giving up popularity and acceptance, and choosing isolation to keep their values. These people almost never are persuaded to choose the wrong path, be one of the crowd, giving in to peer pressure.  Ã‚   Some people have their fears and personal conflicts that make their lives difficult because they act against their beliefs and do what others expect of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No one can influence my personal beliefs or opinions. I am not impressed with money or status, do not wear or purchase clothes-or on the other hand avoid wearing clothes-because everyone else wears certain fashions, or disapproves of what I am wearing. I am willing to risk hatred, enmity, a certain status, social approval to keep my values. I determine peoples character by their behavior, not their age, neighborhood, race, monetary status, or any external features. Of course, what they are on the inside shows up on the outside. Substance abuse still affects people’s mental and physical health, whether it is a licensed nurse or drug dealer misusing and distributing drugs. People will always show you who they are, especially when put under pressure or a third party becomes involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1964, a woman named Catherine Genovese was stabbed to death in New York City one night walking home from work. Thirty eight people were reported witnessing the attack. No one did anything to stop the attack. Certainly, someone witnessing an attack involving someone getting murdered is going to hear some distinctive screaming. Many people hearing the attack decided this dispute was none of their business. So what if they would have intervened in an incident that was â€Å"none of their business,† called the police anonymously and it turned out to be nothing. People did not want to risk their image of being one of these old nosey neighbors who peeks in the blind wanting to see trouble.   Should I ever hear someone getting stabbed, I would risk being identified as a nosey person who got involved in something that was none of her business. I could not live with knowing I could have saved a life, anyone’s life and did not act on it that instant moment. I would risk having the entire city gossip about me, calling me paranoid if it involved potentially saving someone’s life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I remember of an incident when I was about 12 years old. This took place at the dance studio I was going to. We were talking about our costumes for an upcoming performance in a huge theatre. I was eager to go to my dance instructor’s car and get the costume catalogs.   She parked her car on the side, towards the back. She did not want to be in the way of parents and other dancers coming into the dance studio. It was about 9:30 P.M. When I went out there, I saw a group of boys talking, but their tone of voice sounded very threatening and demanding to each other. I do remember seeing a very shiny knife in the dark. I wanted to see if one of my friends from dancing was out there. I walked up to the crowd, and asked them what where they doing. The boys or men outside   quickly they all got into their very nice, expensive   sports cars and drove away. Not a one of them seemed to have known I was there or acknowledged me. I did not understand why they reacted when I walked up to them, but all acted like I was invisible. I thought I was going to save someone, anyone from getting hurt. I told many people, and got severely fussed at. For the next week or so, I had lots of trouble, from teachers, other kids, even the school principle kept calling me in the office. The secretaries were very ugly to me.   I am sure the incident at the dance studio had something to do with this. I thought to myself, I did not care if the whole school or my parents turned against me. I stopped a fight. Of course today, I understand why my parents would have been concerned. A twelve year old female going to ask a group of boys or young men in their twenties or so could be very dangerous. Also, a twelve year old who never knew that people actually do get in fist fights is incapable of stopping gang violence or obvious drug deal. I did not realize a drug deal was going on, or that drugs even caused such incidences. I guess I thought this was older brothers of the girls I was dancing with. I was following the values my parents taught me the last 12 years. But they never taught me about situations like this.   I did not know people actually held knives or guns or even got into physical violence with each other. At twelve years old, I had no concept of that, except maybe on television. Of course this is a very unusual situation. Today, I would still risk disapproval from everyone to save someone else’s life. Today, the only reason I could think of the school treating me like I did something wrong was those boys were a bunch of judges and politician’s sons. Today, of course I would be smarter about it saving someone’s life if I thought they were in jeopardy. Knowledge and human compassion should be part of our every day lives so we can help others who at the same time can help us to continue to develop our great society.

Analyze How Embraer Has Structured Itself Economics Essay

Analyze How Embraer Has Structured Itself Economics Essay This paper will focus on the commercial aircraft industry. The report will analyze how Embraer has structured itself and gained competitive advantage in lower end segment of the aircraft industry and then the analysis of cost of capital of Embraer will be projected. The commercial aircraft industry has faced a tough times in recent past which resulted in failures, mergers and joint ventures. The aircraft industry has faced a lot of competition from two of the giants Boeing and Airbus which have dominated the whole aircraft market and has maximum market share. These two giants have huge pool of investment, better infrastructure and government support and because of that they are dominating the aircraft market. All these companies see the current business environment possessing the challenges of a weak global economy and demand due to the economic turmoil, high and unstable fuel costs, and lack of foreign investments. Brazil PEST Framework: Political: Federal Republic framework which is similar to that of United States of America. The federal republic has three independent branches independent branches: executive legislative and judicial. The President heads the executive branch. The increasing divergence between US and Brazilian foreign policy creates high geopolitical risk. This will lead to increasing confrontations between the US and Brazil and the continued decline of foreign direct investment. The main source of violence in Brazil is criminal rather than political. Personal security is poor as there is an extremely high rate of criminal activity in major cities. Police fails to assure safety for citizens as well for business. Brazilian legal system is not very effective and has several faults in them. Honest government is also a big problem in Brazil for ex. the impeachment of a former Brazilian president Mello in 1992 who have been involved in an extortion scheme, and the current corruption scandal of the ruling party of Lula. Inefficient government policies towards economic development of a country for ex. continuous budget deficit, negative net income, high external debt, etc. Poor and inefficient public health and safety conditions infant mortality and mal-nutrition are the leading reasons. Inefficient education system both lack of quality and quantity are the main issues and government is not paying much attention towards this issue. Government regulations favour the minority shareholders. Government policies towards globalisation and openness to market had favoured exports. Economic: Brazil is considered to be as the worlds tenth largest economy and one of the largest economies of South .Its GDP (PPP) per capita is $10,200, putting Brazil in the 105th position in the world. The inflation rate in Brazil is 4.2% which has decreased from 5.9% in 2008. Major export products include aircraft, electrical equipment, automobiles, ethanol, textiles, footwear, iron ore, steel, coffee, orange juice, soybeans and corned beef. The country has been expanding its presence in international financial and commodities markets, and is one of a group of four emerging economies called the BRIC countries. Economic environment still considered volatile as compared to more stable economies. Complex tax policies and regulations. Multiple taxes affecting business plans and increasing risks of contingencies. Considerable bureaucratic rules and regulations for certain businesses and industries. High demand for investments in the distribution channels and infrastructure. Difficulties in reorganizing companies quickly, including high costs for employee terminations. Lack of local financing coupled with high real interest rates. Economic growth risks are high. Private consumption will be constrained by high unemployment and continued erosion of real earnings. The risk of a significant decline in foreign exchange reserves is high because of the economic turmoil. Investment risk in Brazil is much higher than generally perceived. High public debt exposed to domestic interest-rate trends and maturity that is still too short Lack of investment in infrastructure building. Social: The culture of Brazil is very much similar to that of Portuguese culture. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese which is spoken by almost all of the population. Important cultural customs, including a different perception of the due diligence process. Semi-skilled and unskilled labor in certain developing areas. Unequal distribution of wealth a significant portion of the population not participating in the consumer market. Socio-political obstacles to necessary structural reforms (education, social security, job market, taxes, regulations). Technological: In Latin America, Brazil is a leading nation in the field of science and technology. Sectors like bio fuels, agricultural research, remote sensing and aircrafts manufacturing Brazil operate as a global leader. Government put more emphasis on the development of research labs and innovation and RD in these particular sectors to foster growth and development. Overall Risk Assessment of Brazil: Positive Brazil has abundant natural resources. Fiscal and monetary policy has been prudent and realistic. Domestic market potential and low labour costs have continued to attract foreign investors. The current level of growth foster Brazilian companies to be competitive. Strong international financial support. Policy of maintaining fundamental macroeconomic equilibrium. Size and potential of the domestic market. Broad industrial base and a diversified economy. Government policies favoured globalisation. Negative External financing needs are too great in comparison to currency earnings due to the debt amortisation burden. Socio-political obstacles to necessary structural reforms (education, social security, job market, taxes, regulations) Lack of investment in energy, rail, road, port, and airport infrastructure Exposure to fluctuations in world prices for certain staple commodities. Economic environment still considered volatile as compared to more stable economies. Complex tax policies and regulations. Improper financing regulations. Commercial Aircraft Industry Analysis: Embraer is now the worlds third largest aircraft manufacturer they had gained competitive advantage by creating cost- efficient and innovative aircrafts in the lower end segment. Competitive rivalry among existing players: The competitiveness in the aircraft industry is very high but the competition is not very fierce because most of the market is shared between Boeing and Airbus and rest is with Embraer and Bombardier. The aircraft industry is truly a global industry so each of the manufacturers has to think globally. Barrier to exit is very high because of huge investment and high specialised equipments. Boeing and Airbus had gain market share from each other using prices, product design, advertising, and direct selling efforts. Due to the intensity of the rivalry among Boeing and Airbus, the profits are shared. The industry is technically very sound i.e. there is not much differentiation between the players and their products hence, there is much price competition. Threat of new Entrants: Enter into aircraft manufacturing market is very tough because it requires huge capital investment and knowledge of technical know-how. Cost advantages of big players like Boeing and Airbus because they have enormous experience and knowledge about the industry. These two giants have dominated the entire aircraft industry and they also have strong brand loyalty of their products because they are the best in the business. They have a proper network of loyal supplier and distributor for their products and long term after sales service contracts. Threat of substitutes: No immediate substitutes are present for aircraft manufacturers. The players and their products in the industry are substitutes of one another. Bargaining power of Customers: The bargaining power of customers is relatively low in aircraft industries because most of the buyers in the aircraft industries are government of different countries and some private airlines. Aircrafts are very expensive commodities and show high in cost when switching aircrafts because of that the bargaining power is low in aircraft industry. But because of intense competition between Boeing and Airbus the bargaining power of buyers is moderately higher between these two companies otherwise its relatively low in terms of industry. Bargaining power of Supplier: The aircraft industries is dominated by two big giants Boeing and Airbus and they are such big companies that they have more bargaining power than their suppliers so because of this reason the bargaining power will be low in the aircraft industry. The aircraft industry needs huge investments and high class technology the forward integration is very low or impossible for the suppliers. According to this analysis the main components which are needed to compete in aircraft industry are global strategy, cost effectiveness, innovative and high class technology and huge capital. Core Competencies of Embraer which helps them to compete in Aircraft Industry: Country Factor: The Brazilian government has had a strong affect on Embraer. As mentioned, the company was founded by the government in 1969. Before its privatization in 1994, Embraer had established several partnerships abroad and was very focused on exporting its aircraft to new markets. The government does have strategic power and has ability to refuse certain decisions. Global Strategy: Embraer has proven itself a truly global company in many ways. Embraer has more than 90% of its sales outside Brazil. It has a worldwide operation network. It has appeased global investors because it deals mostly in US dollars. Embraer focuses on business growth, solid corporate culture, and strategic partnership to operate globally and market analysis before entering a new market. Economies of scale: Embraer is proved to be a very efficient company in the aircraft industries because Embraer recognises that China has skilled cheap labour and technology intensive manufacturing centre so they have opened their research hubs and manufacturing units in China. Embraer has been able to design common platforms for its aircrafts with superior performance capabilities which helped them to compete in the aircraft industry and now they have become the worlds third manufacturers and they have overtook Bombardiers in several aspects. Innovation: Embraer has focused its RD on the development, systems engineering and integration of the more than 28,000 parts and components that make up an aircraft. Embraers strategy has been to focus its RD funds on key technologies that it can effectively produce in house. It has outsourced the production of components that other companies can manufacture more efficiently. Embraer trains its engineers, not only in aeronautics, but also in market research and finance, allowing a broader understanding of the industry. Determined Approach: Embraer has very determined company they are very much determined of what they are doing and thats why they have succeeded to gain market share from their competitors like Boeing and Airbus. Embraers ability to continually and successfully forecast future global demand and its ability to meet that demand in unique and innovative ways will be the keys to its future success. Cost of Capital Analysis of Embraer: Cost of capital is the minimum required rate of earning or the cut off rate for capital expenditure. Soloman Ezra. To calculate cost of capital we have to calculate cost of equity and cost of debt. Cost of Equity: The minimum rate of return that a firm offers to its shareholders is called cost of equity. Formula: Cost of equity = Risk free Rate + Beta (Mature Market Premium) + Country Risk Premium First to calculate Beta for Embraer: Average Beta = 1.19 Market D/E Ratio = 22.94% Tax Rate = 20.05% Unlevered Beta = 1.00 Cash/ Firm Value = 7.90% Unlevered Beta corrected for cash = 1.09 To calculate Levered Beta the formula is: Levered Beta = Unlevered Beta (1 + (1- tax rate) (D/E ratio) = 1 (1+ (1-.2005) (.2294)) = 1.18. Risk free Rate = Market Interest Rate Default Spread (Brazil) = 8.75 2.60 = 6.15% Equity Risk Premium Brazil = 4.79% * 25.83% / 15.27 = 8.10% Country Risk Premium Brazil = 8.10% 4.79% = 3.31% Cost of equity = Risk free Rate + Beta (Mature Market Premium) + Country Risk Premium = 6.15 + 1.18(8.10) + 3.31 = 19.01% Cost of Debt: (Rf + credit risk rate)(1-T), where T is the corporate tax rate and Rf is the risk free rate. Cost of debt Emerging Market company After Tax= Riskless Rate + Country Default Spread + Company Default Spread (1-T) = (6.15 + 2.25 +2.60) (1- .2005) = 8.79% Sovereign Bonds of Brazil = 2.25 Corporate Bonds of Brazil = 2.60 Country Rating of Brazil is Baa3. WACC Calculation: The WACC equation  is the cost of each capital component  multiplied by its proportional weight and then summing: WACC = E/V * Re + D/V * Rd * (1- T) Where: Re = cost of equity Rd = cost of debt E = market value of the firms equity D =  market value of the firms debt V = E + D E/V = percentage of financing that is equity D/V = percentage of financing that is debt T =  corporate tax rate = 20.05% Market Value of Embraers Equity = 5970531 Brazilian Real for year 2008. Market Value of Embraers Debt = 6990127 Brazilian Real for year 2008. V= 12960658 Brazilian Real WACC = 5970531/12960658 * 19.01 + 6990127/12960658 * 8.79 * (1- .2005) = 10.71%

Advantages and Disadvantages of Triangulation Research

Advantages and Disadvantages of Triangulation Research Triangulation Qualitative Analysis Triangulation is often used in qualitative methodology to increase the validity of findings, but it is not a panacea. Using British examples in the police and public sector, discuss the meaning of the term triangulation, how it can be used in qualitative research and its limitations and potential. Abstract This paper focuses on the use of triangulation within qualitative research using examples from British public sector and more specifically, police research. Qualitative research approaches have been increasingly used within public sector research. Different types of triangulation are explained and the relevance of each type is identified. The purpose of using triangulation within qualitative research; which is to increase validity, is critically discussed. Different types of validity are explained, as well as the significance of the concept of validity to research. Quantitative and qualitative research approaches are critically compared. The use of qualitative approaches within public sector research is defended, and the positivist perspective is challenged by arguing that the use of triangulation can strengthen the validity of qualitative research methodology. Using three examples of public sector research, some advantages and potential limitations of using triangulation within this area are identified. Several examples of police research studies that have adopted the use of triangulation as part of a qualitative approach are critically discussed with reference to different types of triangulation and their relationship to different types of validity. A synthesis of the issues that emerge from the selected police research studies in relation to triangulation is included. The paper concludes that while there are potential limitations associated with the use of triangulation within qualitative research, the cited examples of public sector and police research demonstrate that there are also several potential advantages and that triangulation can contribute to the validity of qualitative research in these domains. It is important to acknowledge that the application or the omission of different types of triangulation within a research study can correspond to its strengths and weaknesses, and there is an implication for the researcher to be knowledgeable and skilled in the use of triangulation in order to optimise its application within qualitative research. In other words, the limitations of triangulation might relate to the way that it is implemented rather than to the strategy itself. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the use of triangulation within qualitative methodology as a means of increasing the validity of findings, with reference to research examples from the police and other public sector areas. Triangulation, Validity and Qualitative Research In simple terms, triangulation refers to the examination of a situation from different perspectives, using different methods (Laws et al 2003). Triangulation is often referred to as the use of mixed methods within research, however Denzin and Lincoln (2000) developed this concept further to include four different types: data triangulation, which refers to the use of a variety of sources of data within a study; investigator triangulation which involves several researchers; theory triangulation, which uses multiple perspectives to interpret a single set of data and methodological triangulation which involves the use of multiple methods to study a single problem. Data triangulation is commonly used within qualitative research as it facilitates understanding of the complexity of a poorly understood phenomenon, an example being the combination of holding in- depth discussions with participants and observing their behaviour within a natural setting (Polit and Beck 2004). Investigator trian gulation can help to overcome the potential problem of personal bias (Sim and Wright 2000). The advantage of using methodological triangulation is that it helps to resolve the limitations that single methods have in studying the complexity of social reality (Kendall 2005). Frequently triangulation involves the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods, the rationale being that the strengths of each are optimised (Flick 2006). This paper however, will focus on the use of triangulation exclusively within qualitative methodology. The purpose of using triangulation within qualitative research is to add rigour, depth, breadth, complexity and richness to the research process (Denzin and Lincoln 2003a). The use of triangulation within qualitative research is therefore, said to increase validity (Giles 2002). The term validity is often referred to as the ability of a research instrument to measure what it is intended to do (De Vaus 2002). There are however, different types of validity; internal validity, which asks whether researchers are actually measuring what they think they are; external validity which relates to the generalisability of the findings of a study to other settings; interpretive validity which is concerned with the accurate understanding and portrayal of data; theoretical validity which relates to the appropriateness of theory that emerges from the data and evaluative validity which refers to the quality of the research process, in relation to the actions of the researcher. Overall, within qualitative research; validity relates to the trustworthiness of the data, its analysis and its interpretation (Waltz et al 2005). Holloway and Wheeler (2002) however, suggest that triangulation does not always confer validity; that this is dependent on the nature of the individual research project and that only researchers who are experienced should use triangulation within qualitative research. Qualitative research approaches seek to understand the meaning of phenomena (Patton 2002a). They aim to represent the true complexities of human behaviour, gaining access to thoughts and feelings that cannot be accessed by using other methods Flanagan 2005). Quantitative research on the other hand, has been criticised for its reductionist approach towards the human experience; it has the ability to produce results which are statistically significant yet humanly insignificant. Qualitative research methods include interviews, observations and document analysis. The qualitative researcher tends to engage more with the research participants and aims to address any associated criticism of the potential for subjectivity by the application of rigorous and systematic methods of data collection and analysis. Qualitative research approaches have increasingly been used in public sector research within the UK, for example within the health care domain, where they have helped to enhance understanding of health, health behaviours and health services (Green and Thorogood 2004). There are also several examples cited within the literature, of qualitative methodology being used in police service research. (for example: Cassell and Symon 2004; Dick 2000; Dick and Jankowicz 2001; Dorn and Brown 2003; Noaks and Wincup 2004; Office for Public Management 2006). Triangulation in Public Sector Research Qualitative research methodology is often employed within the public sector because of the ‘people factor’; public sector organisations such as the police, health and social services and local councils employ large numbers of personnel (Grant and Vidler 2000), added to which these are helping organisations that provide a human service. Qualitative research is described as a naturalistic, interpretative approach that is concerned with understanding the meanings which people attach to phenomena within their social worlds (Ritchie and Lewis 2003). As stated previously, it is very much concerned with human behaviour, experiences, values and beliefs. It does however attract criticism from positivists in terms of not being valued as a scientific approach (Haslam and McGarty 2003). Positivism adopts the position that the purpose of science is to limit research activity to what can be directly observed and measured; that aspects such as feelings, attitudes and beliefs cannot be directly observed and measured and are not therefore, legitimate areas for scientific investigation (Trochim 2006). As previously stated, the implications of this are that there are huge areas within the human experience that would not warrant investigation within the quantitative paradigm. The purpose of triangulation within qualitative research is to challenge the criticism that this is not a scientific approach, by combining multiple observers, theories, methods and data sources in order to overcome the intrinsic bias that arises from single- methods, single observer and single- theory studies (Patton 2002b). There now follows an overview of three public sector research studies that have employed triangulation in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach. McAdam et al (2002) used data triangulation of qualitative methodology to investigate how the principles of total quality management (TQM) are being sustained in the UK public sector by contributing to improved performance levels. The research methodologies included focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Using triangulation served to strengthen their finding which was that quality frameworks play a key role in improving organisational performance over time. A study by Atwal and Caldwell (2006) aimed to explore nurses perceptions of multidisciplinary teamwork in acute health-care. In order to do so, they adopted methodological triangulation by conducting interviews and direct observations of interactions between nurses and health-care professionals in multidisciplinary teams. The findings of this study identified three barriers that hindered teamwork: differing perceptions of teamwork; different levels of skills acquisitions to function as a team member; and the dominance of medical power that influenced interaction in teams. The combination of interview with observation in qualitative research is becoming increasingly popular (Ekstrom 2004). A study by Bryans (2004) aimed to articulate the health visiting expertise involved in recognizing and responding to client need during home visits. The researcher adopted what she describes as an innovative, multi-method approach used to articulate this expertise which involved a 20-minute simulated visit to an actress-client, a post- simulation focused interview and subsequent observation of actual home visits with 15 study participants. The researcher identified the strength of this approach as providing a blend of control and naturalism and considers that this approach could usefully be applied within multidisciplinary contexts. The researcher also acknowledged the limitations of the approach as arising from the variability of naturally-occurring, observational data which meant that simulation and observational data were not directly comparable in terms of content in a study of this type. Comparability of observational and simulation data, and the reliability of the observational data, were also diminished by the use of different methods of data-gathering. These studies collectively demonstrate that the use of triangulation within qualitative research can strengthen its findings; a potential limitation is that it may not be easy to make dependable comparisons between two sets of data due to differences in the ways that the data was collected. Triangulation in Police Research A review of the literature reveals that qualitative research approaches have been employed within police research involving the use of triangulation for some time. An interesting example of the use of triangulation within police research are studies that highlight discrepancies between information given about experiences of crime to the police by comparing this data obtained by other means, for example by using interviews conducted by external researchers (Bechhofer and Paterson 2000a). In other words, a more accurate picture can be gained by the use of triangulation. The same authors refer also to the use of qualitative research and multiple methodologies in order to obtain information about peoples’ perceptions about crime; for example relating to their fear of crime. This information might otherwise be inaccessible. It is possible that the use of triangulation within police research could be effective in dealing with information of a sensitive nature. Lee (2000a) makes reference to a study conducted by Norris et al in 1992 that demonstrated how the use of different methodologies can highlight the difference between perceptions held about, and the reality of, a situation. In this instance observations were made of the demeanour of police officers and citizens in situations where citizens were stopped by the police. During an encounter, blacks and whites were equally likely to present a calm and civil demeanour towards the police. There were also few differences in police demeanour and action towards the two groups. These findings did not support competing claims (i.e. derived from other sources of information) that the police are overtly hostile to blacks, or that blacks display disrespectful attitudes towards the police. Devine and Heath (1999) provide a critique of an ethnographic study conducted by Hobbs in 1988, of petty criminals and local CID detectives working in the East End of London. The ethnographic research consisted of both overt and covert participant observation of both the criminals and the police in a variety of different settings. The researcher was able therefore to gain a variety of sources of data which contributed to what is described by Devine and Heath as the ‘richness of his ethnography’ (p.8). However they also consider that the study would have benefited from investigator triangulation in order to overcome the problem of bias. They felt that this would have led to a more accurate picture of malpractice within the Metropolitan CID. An identified limitation of participant observation is that the researcher can become biased in favour of the group or indeed against them (Moore 2001). A study of this kind is also unlikely to have external validity; as being an ethno graphic study; it is very much informed by the uniqueness of its social and cultural context. The last two studies demonstrate the value of observation as a research method particularly as a component of triangulation. The advantages of observation are as follows: the researcher can observe interaction within a group as well as gain information from people individually via interviews, as the dynamics of a group might influence the nature of communication between its members; the researcher might gain a more objective view of a situation than a research participant who is likely to be immersed in their social world and may not as a result, identify aspects which are of interest to the researcher. Observation also enables the researcher to observe actions, which can be more meaningful in some ways than verbal communication (Weinberg 2001). The value of investigator triangulation is highlighted in a second study cited by Lee (2000b). This also looked at police- citizen interaction using multiple observers from different backgrounds. Data triangulation was also employed as the observers were asked to collect data in two forms, one on a checklist; the other as a narrative account. The two sources of data were then compared. The use of multiple observers should help to overcome the potential problem of personal bias that was said to arise from the Hobbs study. A study by Knock (2002) drew on the findings of a telephone survey of all police forces in England and Wales and interviews with key personnel in 16 police forces to gain information about the use of Sex Offender Orders (SOOs) which came into force in 1998; the aim of these being to provide an additional measure of protection to the public from sex offenders by prohibiting an offender from certain behaviours that had previously been precursors to offending. It was found that the pattern of SOO applications is not uniformly distributed across the country. The researcher commented that the low uptake of SOOs by some forces needs to be carefully interpreted. The use of triangulation allowed for the underlying reasons for low uptake to be identified. These included a general lack of understanding about the SOO process and concerns about inadequate resources for monitoring the Order; this information being gained via the interviews. Furthermore, some forces identified that other strategie s for managing sex offenders without resorting to an Order were considered to be adequate; others had negotiated voluntary agreements with offenders in order to modify their behaviour. The relevance of this study in relation to triangulation is that the ‘first level’ of presenting information could be misleading; the use of more than one methodology facilitated a deeper level of understanding about the variation in applying the SOOs. As with all qualitative research methods, there are advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of telephone interviews. It may be possible for the researcher to enter responses directly onto a computer which could increase time efficiency and accuracy of recording. Respondents might find it easier to respond to questions of a sensitive nature when they are not face- to- face with the interviewer. The disadvantages include a lower response rate than for face- to- face interviews, which reduces further when longer telephone intervie ws are required (Pocock 2000). It is also not possible to observe non- verbal aspects of communication. The use of triangulation therefore, helps to overcome the disadvantages of a single research method. The identified weaknesses of the telephone interview are all aspects which could be compensated for by the additional use of face-to- face interviews. Conversely, the strengths of the telephone interview should help to overcome the limitations of the face- to- face interview. Pain et al (2002) carried out research commissioned by the Home Office to produce a Police Research Series paper which examined homeless and school- excluded young people’s experience of crime and disorder; the rationale being that they had previously been poorly represented in consultation. The need to adopt a qualitative approach for this study was emphasised by the researchers, in order that the young people’s attitudes, experiences and understanding of crime could be explored in depth. The participants were invited to develop a range of visual materials, and observations and informal discussion were also used by the researchers. Findings included that there are negative outcomes of the vicious circle created by being labelled as either homeless or as troublemakers at school; that most of the crimes committed by the homeless young people are petty and victimless, such as begging; that the homeless feel most at risk in spaces where control can be exerted over them, su ch as within the home or in dealings with the police and as a result they actually feel safer on the streets; that crime and homelessness are two factors which are correlated; that school- excluded young people are more likely to be involved in crime, most of which is petty but some of which is serious; that school- excluded young people often feel victimised and have been bullied, some have been the victims of abuse within the home and others have been exposed to crime previously as non- offenders. The researchers highlight the benefits of participatory research approaches as enabling the young people to be involved in the process of research and strategy development, at the same time allowing their interests to be promoted. In other words, they are being empowered. The researchers also acknowledge the limitations of participatory research methods, which are not specified within this research report but which have been identified elsewhere as being time intensive; as having been criticised as involving reduced scientific rigour and that the researchers’ control over the project could be compromised (Arble and Moberg 2006). The researchers comment that the limitations of participatory methods could impact upon the effectiveness of their use as a basis for action. Triangulation involving informal discussion and observation in addition to the participatory methods therefore is a strategy which was used in this instance to overcome the potential limitations of the latter, th us increasing the validity of the research process and the interpretation and application of the data. This is a very interesting study which has revealed some powerful insights into the issues affecting an otherwise disenfranchised group, drawing upon their unique perspectives. Some of the findings are surprising and challenge widely held assumptions and negative perceptions held about homeless young people; that are reflected in the lack of resources, support and appropriate accommodation available for this group (Dean 2006). The impact of such a study could be therefore, to contribute towards improved service delivery for homeless and school- excluded young people. It could be argued that triangulation is a powerful strategy that adds credibility to a study of this kind, which in turn could have an impact on improving the lives of otherwise disempowered and misunderstood groups of young people. In summary, there are several examples within the literature of qualitative approaches adopted within police research which employ triangulation. A synthesis of the issues relating to the use of triangulation in this specific area of work is as follows: triangulation can help to address sensitive issues within police research that might not be effectively dealt with using a single method; triangulation can highlight discrepancies between data obtained as a result of using different sources and methods, which could also be interpreted as a limitation of triangulation, in that it could lead to data from different sources not being directly comparable; it enables the subjective perceptions of participants (and therefore those who may be affected by the outcomes of research studies) to be taken into consideration, in addition to the more objective observations of researchers, this allows for participants to be empowered and to potentially have some influence over the development of strat egy which results from the research process; triangulation potentially allows for the use of multiple researchers, multiple settings, multiple sources and multiple methods to be used within police research; the use of multiple methods enables the strengths to overcome the limitations of each method; triangulation facilitates different levels of research investigation to be carried out, for example underlying reasons for the findings emerging from the use of one method can be identified by the use of an alternative approach, thereby contributing to the depth, breadth, complexity and richness of the research process (Denzin and Lincoln 2003b) and triangulation could add to the credibility of a research study which in turn could impact upon changes being made to improve service provision. Conclusion Robson (2002) agrees with the statement within the question; i.e. that triangulation is not a panacea. It can be problematic, for example when two data sources are inconsistent or conflicting. Further investigation might lead to an even more complex set of understandings. Kirby (2000) agrees that while triangulation is used to overcome the problems associated with using one research method, it does not eliminate these problems, but disguises them by compensating for the weaknesses of one method with the strengths of another. Triangulation is not a unified overall methodology; it is a way of using complementary methods. Coleman and Briggs (2002) argue that while triangulation contributes to validity, it is not a panacea and that its value can be overestimated. Bechhofer and Paterson (2000b) suggest that there are weak and strong forms of triangulation. They describe a weak form as making multiple observations of a situation using the same method and a strong form as making several obs ervations using different methods. Despite these identified limitations of triangulation, examples cited within this paper from public sector and specifically, police research indicate that there are several potential ways in which it can contribute to the validity of the qualitative research process. The advantage of using qualitative methods within public sector and police research has been identified here as enabling the human experience to be valued and investigated. Potential limitations of qualitative research methods can be overcome by the use of triangulation as the strengths of each individual method can compensate for the weaknesses of others. Finally it is important to acknowledge that the appropriate skills of the researcher can contribute towards the quality of a mixed- methods study and that it might be necessary to involve two or more researchers who have complementary research skills in order to optimise the benefits of using triangulation within qualitative research (Tashakkori and Teddlie 2003). References Arble B and Moberg D. Participatory Research in Development of Public health Interventions. Population Health Institute. 2006. p. 3. Atwal A and Caldwell K. Nurses perceptions of multidisciplinary team work in acute health-care. International Journal of Nursing Practice. 12(6) 2006 pp.359-365 Bechhofer F and Paterson L. Principles of Research Design in the Social Sciences. Routledge. 2000. p. 58. Bryans A. Examining health visiting expertise: combining simulation, interview and observation. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 47(6) 2004 pp.623-630, Cassell C and Symon G. Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research. Sage Publications. 2004. p. 316. Coleman and Briggs. Research Methods in Educational Leadership and Management. Sage publications. 2002. p. 70. Dean H. Social Policy. Polity Press. 2006. p. 99 Denzin N and Lincoln Y. Handbook of Qualitative Research. Sage Publications. 2000. p. 391. Denzin N and Lincoln Y Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials. Sage Publications. 2003. p. 8. De Vaus D. Surveys in Social Research. Routledge. 2002. p. 53. Devine F and Heath S. Sociological Research methods in Context. Macmillan. 1999. p. 8. Dick, P. The social construction of meaning of acute stressors: a qualitative study of the personal accounts of police officers using a stress counselling service, Work Stress, 14 (3) 2000. pp.226-244. Dick P. and Jankowicz D social constructionist account of police culture and its influence on the representation and progression of female officers: A repertory grid analysis in a UK police force. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management, 24 (2) 2001. pp. 181-199. Dorn L and Brown B, Making sense of invulnerability at work: a qualitative study of police drivers. Safety Science, 41(10) 2003 pp.837-859. Ekstrom K. Elusive Consumption. Berg Publishers. 2004. p. 57. Flanagan C. Research Methods for AQA A Psychology. Nelson Thornes. 2005. p. 46. Flick U An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Sage Publications. 2006. p. 33 Giles D Advanced Research Methods in Psychology. Routledge. 2002. pp. 220-1 Grant S and Vidler C. Economics in Context. Harcourt Heinemann. 2000. p. 64. Green and Thorogood. Qualitative Methods for Health Research. Sage Publications. 2004. p. 4. Haslam S and McGarty C. Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology. Sage Publications. 2003. p. 389. Holloway I and Wheeler S. Qualitative Research in Nursing. Blackwell publishing. 2002. p. 2. Kendall D. Sociology In Our Times. Thomson Wadsworth. 2007. p. 67. Kirby M. Sociology in Perspective. Harcourt Heinemann. 2000. p. 9. Knock K. The Police Perspective on Sex offender Orders: A preliminary view of policy and practice. Policing and Reducing Crime Unit: Police Research Unit. 2002. Laws S , Harper C and Marcus R. Research for Development: A Practical Guide. Sage Publications. 2003. p. 280. Lee R. Unobtrusive Methods in Social research. Open University Press. 2000. p. 37, 48 McAdam R, Reid R and Saulters R Sustaining quality in the UK public sector: Quality measurement frameworks. International Journal of Quality Reliability Management. 19(5). 2002. pp. 581 – 595 Moore S. Sociology Alive!Nelson Thornes. 2001. p. 34 Noaks L and Wincup E. Criminological Research: Understanding Qualitative Methods. Sage Publications. 2004. p. 101. Office for Public Management. Metropolitan Police Authority and the Metropolitan Police Service. Safer London Panel. Communication Matters. OPM. 2006. Pain R, Francis P, Fuller I, O’Brien K and Williams S. ‘Hard- to- Reach’ Young People and Community Safety: a model for participatory research and consultation. Police research Series paper 152. Home Office 2002. Patton M. Qualitative Research Evaluation Methods. Sage Publications. 2002. pp. 1, 555. Pocock R. Market Research in Health and Social Care. Routledge. 2000. p. 100. Polit D and Beck C. Nursing Research: Principles and Methods. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. 2004. p. 36. Ritchie J and Lewis J. Qualitative Research Practice: a guide for social science students and researchers. Sage Publications. 2003. p. 3. Robson C. Real World Research: A Resource for Social Scientists and Practitioner-Researchers. Blackwell publishing. 2002. p.483. Sim J and Wright C Research in Health Care: Concepts, Designs and Methods. Nelson Thornes 2000. p. 137. Tashakkori A and Teddlie C. Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social Behavioural Research. Sage Publications. 2003. p. 553. Trochim W. Positivism Post-Positivism. Research methods Knowledge Base. Web Centre for Social research Methods. 2006. http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/positvsm.php. Accessed 10th March 2007. Waltz C, Strickland O and Lenz E. Measurement In Nursing And Health Research. Springer Publishing. 2005. p. 217. Weinberg D. Qualitative Research Methods. Blackwell Publishing. 2001. p. 135.

are expeaectation about childs development related to different cultures? :: essays research papers

Parental expectations of their children's development can be influenced bymany factors. factors like media, family beliefs, personal experience. Expectations come from several sources- from parents, teachers, family, peers and ourselves. All these factors relate to social and culture beliefs. Piaget stressed the importance of the environment in children's learningm seeing children as active builders of their own knowledge. The social constructive perspective on child development places main emphasis on the importance of the social environment on child development. Lev Vygotsky's findings showed that children had a great deal to learn from each other through interaction and communication. Unlike piaget, Vygotsky thought that childrem's ability should not be judged only on what they can do alone, but on what they are capable of with help. So the child may be provided with a more challenging and stimulating environment. Constructivist propose that children have qualitatively distinct w ays of thinking, feeling and behaving at different stages of development. Whiting and Edwards ( 1992) discuss the importance of cultural values and their influence on what is perceived as appropriate social behaviour.Hess et al.(1980) carried out cross-culturalstudy into the expectations of American and Japanese mothers about their children's development. He design a developmental expectation procedure to study mother's expectations. The study produced some interesting dara into the cultural differences in the two group's expectations.It showed that the Japanese mother's expectations for early achievement fell into categories of compliance, independence and emotional maturity. In contrast the American mothers expected social skills and verbal assertiveness to be ascertained at a younger age. Whiting and Edwards (1992) discussed the importance of cultural values and their influence on what is seen as an appropriate social behaviour. they explain different expectations of children's development in various cultures and why different cultures expect different things of their children. For example in a more complex society literacy would seen as the most important skills to learn. Whereas in a simple society it is likely that children will learn the physical world. It can be said that cultural needs of society strongly influence parent's expectations of their own children's development.

The Impact of Technology on a Home Schooled Education Essay -- essays

The Impact of Technology on a Home Schooled Education The field of technology is constantly improving, expanding, and changing. Over the past decade, Internet use and web-based communication have sky rocketed, enabling businesses, families, schools, and students to communicate more efficiently. An abundance of information is now available, literally, at the â€Å"click of a button.† This decade-long expansion of technology has had a remarkable impact on the effectiveness of home schooling, making sources available in seconds and instilling valuable life skills in each student that are vital for a successful future in this world of technological growth. The purpose of this research paper is to illustrate the positive impact of emerging technologies on home-schooled children, to demonstrate how technology is improving the effectiveness of these learning environments, and to display the augmentation of educational possibilities for students. The impact of the Internet and the great quantity of its use in public and home schools has grown tremendously over the past decade. Now, many children have the luxury of logging onto an instant messenger program to chat with friends instantaneously or sign into their personal email accounts to check new messages. Years ago, the idea of email was unheard of and unknown of to most. Suddenly it seemed that practically overnight, everyone had a personal email account. With this came the words â€Å"You’ve got mail,† and there began a new era. Email gave home-schooled students the advantage of being able to connect with others students easily. It connected students who live next door to each other to students who live in a complete different country. Email has facilitated the process of ... ...ademic Search/EBSCO database. Eichenlaub, N. (1999, November 28). E-Home Schooling: The Impact of the Internet on Home Schooling. Retrieved March 10 from the World Wide Web: http://www.slais.ubc.ca/people/students/student-projects/N_Eichenlaub/500-WWW/references.htm Strauss, Howard. (1999). The Future of the Web, Intelligent Devices, and Education. Educom Review, Volume 34 Number 4. Retrieved April 15, 2003 from the EDUCAUSE database on the World Wide Web: http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/html/erm9944.html Shemitz, J. (2002, December 29). Jon's Home school Page. Retrieved April 10, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://www.midnightbeach.com/hs/ Rutkowski, Kathleen. (1998, May/June). Home school Pioneers on the Web. Voices of the Web. Retrieved April 9,. 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/may98/voic0598.htm

Macbeth-Response to Aristotles Tragic Hero Essays -- essays research p

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shakespeare uses Aristotle’s ancient description of a tragic hero - a character between good and bad - to portray the protagonist in the tragedy Macbeth. Aristotle’s theory that tragedy must evoke pity or fear from the audience can be done effectively through an everyman character. In order to appeal to the audience and bring forth some empathy, Macbeth must show his righteous morals through his own soliloquies or through other characters’ lines. Macbeth’s changing attitude is influenced not only by Lady Macbeth’s convincing words, but also too by his mind, which is only human and therefore subject to temptation. Macbeth does however reach a turning point where he becomes so radical and paranoid that he can no longer find his moral conscience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Macbeth’s righteous mind is most clearly visible in his first soliloquy in which he debates whether or not to kill the old king Duncan. Macbeth distinctly reveals his tragic flaw as â€Å"Vaulting ambition, which overleaps itself/And falls on the other.†(I, vii, 27-28). Macbeth’s decisions are continuously influenced by Lady Macbeth and her overdriving ambition to become Queen of Scotland. Macbeth knows that in the past he has had spurts of motivation that were fueled by his wife’s encouragement, but when left alone he could piece together his thoughts and discover what was right. Macbeth evokes empathy from the audience during his moral debate becaus...

The Person Whom I Like Most

The person whom I like most Life is very difficult. Once it brings us happy. Once it brings us worry. Those are the ways of life. The personnel who live with us change their behavior according to situations. Most of people like to share only happiness. When we happened to face worry they simply escaped. But I met one person in this world being with me happy, as well as worry. She was not any other than my mother. Name of my mother is D. M. Bandaramanike. She was born in my village too. She was a grate mother for seven children.I think it is a pleasure to be one of them. Now, my mother is passing her Sixty Seven year of age. But she is in a good health. Still she is doing her all works herself. I was able to succeed a lot of goals in my life. I think, I am a perfect man than others in this world. Today I am satisfied with my education, knowledge and position that I have in this society. I think, behind all these, was my mother. Her guidance made me a perfect man. She did not punish me in my life. She advised me to be a good man.Her advice was not to learn everything in the books. She taught me if I could understand what happen â€Å"you are a good, intelligent man†. My aim is to be such kind of a person in this society. My mother gave me a lot of love, faith, kindness and such things. Those things helped me to succeed in my life. Now the time has come to give my love, faith and kindness to my mother. I hope to be friend for my mother. Today, that is my major responsibility I wish her, to be the mother forever. P. M. T. U. Bandara

Four Seasons Hotels Essay

The Four Seasons Company, as per current financial, seems very profitable and the earnings per share are increasing each year. From 1997 to 1998 EPS increased by 66% and from 1998 to 1999 it increased by 22%, actually from 1997 to 1999, the value has more than doubled. The main reason for the increase seems to be a total net earnings increase of 112% in two years. (See Exhibit # 1 for figures). This is a result of increase in revenues and also because costs increased less than revenues. This indicates that in addition to higher sales, efficiency improvements have been effective as yearly costs for operating items dropped 68% and the interest costs also have decreased by 105%, making it interest income. Based on this information, the company is recommended to continue their emphasis on high personal service and quality for their hotels as the customer base are not price sensitive but concerned about service and luxury. It is important to have non-complaining, satisfied customers as this  group is more satisfied than those where service recovery is needed, even when service recovery is performed at a high level. Also, satisfied customers are more loyal and a key to continue having a financially strong company. A key to this development is to continue to focus on employee satisfaction and employment procedures as this is resulting in low turnover (compared to the industry average), highly experienced and motivated staff and consequently excellent service. Also, the strong financials support FSH’s (costly) growth strategy, and would further indicate that the company has the ‘back-bone’ to support such a strategy. 3.0 Leverage the website for marketing purposes The Four Season Hotel (â€Å"FSH†) should further leverage their impressive website. First, they should maximize the site for mass – marketing purposes. For example, the site would allow customers to appreciate all FSH properties, and a customer who has never seen a FSH can view rooms, conference halls, restaurants etc. The website can further provide up-to-date information on vacancies, promotions, city tours etc. This same information could be updated at any time to reflect specials across respective FSH. For instance, the Milan hotel might anticipate low vacancy one week, and could attempt to fill some vacancies by listing a Milan resident special on the site e.g. with a two night stay and get a free dinner in the restaurant. Internal marketing is another great possibility for the FSH, as long as the â€Å"high – tech† is followed by â€Å"high – touch†, and the system is not used to replace the human element. The intranet site should focus on cost-saving promotions, healthy competition between across respective FSH’s, employee feedback pages etc. Management should use the intranet as an additional medium to disseminate information to employees and as a means to obtain information from employees. An easy to use e-commerce site for the hotel would be interesting for select  Four Season’s customers. Again, this should not replace the â€Å"high – touch† that the FSH brand is identified with, but rather add another convenience for its customers. For example, some customers like making their reservation via the Internet and having an additional option with regards to making a hotel booking could turn out positively. 4.0 Establish and manage a common customer awareness database The hotel should change the existing database containing guest preferences into a centralized database available to all FHS properties. This should be deemed a high priority. It would be a typical one-time fix to enhance customer satisfaction and for implementation it could leverage FSH’s existing intranet platform. The main driver for a change of this sort would be its potential to further improve the FSH’s customer service. For example, as existing FSH customers are highly concerned about time there should be no need for them to fill in forms with preferences for each new hotel they arrive at. Also, it would be perceived as impressive for the customer arriving at a new hotel where the personnel would already know their preferences. This would increase the feeling of intimacy and personal touch during the hotel stay and consequently enhance customer loyalty and satisfaction. Additionally, the fact that only 9% of Four Season’s hotel guests are using multiple properties should not lower the importance of making such a change. In fact, 9% of their customer base means that approximately 400.000 customers each year use multiple Four Seasons Hotels. (See Exhibit #1) Also, the positive word-of-mouth this change would bring will most likely increase the number of guests staying at multiple properties. Furthermore, as the hotel has a growth strategy, the number of hotels and rooms will continue to increase and as such enhance the need for the common database. Also, in addition to customer satisfaction, having one database for all hotels would decrease costs for the chain in the long run as it will not have to maintain 50+ different databases. 5.0 Four Season’s management should solicit select feedback from customers. The idea here is quite simple and essentially comes down to ensuring that the hotel maintains its brand. The FSH has done very well by establishing a strong brand and enjoys a high % of repeat customers. Management and employees alike know what the Four Seasons stands for and the experience they aim to offer the customer. That said, and as technology races forward it is important for businesses to leverage it where possible and ‘profitable’. The key for the Four Seasons is to leverage it in a way that does not negatively impact their brand i.e. detract from the overall customer experience offered by Four Season’s employees, which is highly personal, intimate and customer oriented. For example, management could solicit feedback from customers as to whether they would use an automated (electronic) checkout service and whether customers view this as something consistent with the Four Season’s brand. This selective feedback could be centralized at first in that it is sponsored by the corporate office (so as to solicit feedback that could be leveraged across all properties) and then ‘tweaked’ per location to take into consideration cultural specifics etc. Findings could be leveraged across properties and stored in the central database to eventually maintain, reinforce and ultimately improve the Four Season’s brand, customer experience and ultimate profitability. 6.0 Implement a â€Å"Seasons Pass Loyalty Program† Enhancing Customer Loyalty. Implementing a Loyalty program contributes to making guests feeling special, which undoubtedly makes a difference in his or her experience. A loyalty program could even extend to other value chain partners, thereby, allowing for further tracking of guest preferences. Without a loyalty program, FSH loses out on building strong relationships with its guests. As switching costs are minimal, loyalty is low unless a competitor differentiates and thereby increases its odds of attracting return guests. In order to compete successfully within this tier, a reputable brand name is imperative, which also represents a significant barrier to entry for potential new entrants. The common database will undoubtedly enhance the relationships because clients enjoy the sense of community that is established when being part of a loyalty club. Therefore it is important to have mechanisms in place to ensure guests to remain loyal to FSH and choose the company as his or her accommodation provider. To facilitate this, the hotel should introduce a frequent guest card, the ‘Seasons Pass’, which will serve two functions: 1. Track guest activities within FSH so that their preferences can be recorded. 2. Allow guests to collect points every time they stay at a Four Seasons property and use them towards service companies affiliated with Four Seasons, creating loyalty as a result. It will also aid individual FSH locations to better understand which facilities within the hotel or resort are the most sought after and will be able to segment the information based on the region of the world or type of consumer (leisure or business). Through partnering with external companies such as high-end car rental companies, airlines, and travel agencies, FSH will be able to offer guests a solution to every decision they may encounter during their stay. Thus the Seasons Pass and the networked database will ultimately be the bridge to building and maintaining positive guest relationships. Exhibit 1: Financial data for the Four Seasons Hotels – EOY 1997 to EOY 1999: Exhibit # 2: Number of customers using multiple Four Season Hotels each year * Assumed average coverage rate through the year is based on information in case, â€Å"The Roccoco New York Hotel† by Anna S. Mattila. Using the rate accomplished by the Roccoco New York boutique hotel. ** As no information of number of customers per room is provided, one per room is assumed.

Nursing and American Nurses Association Essay

Describe the definition of nursing as put forward by the American Nurses Association. How does it address the metaparadigm theories of nursing? According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), the definition of nursing is â€Å"the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.† Metaparadigm theories of nursing consists of theories that describe the four interrelated concepts, which are persons, environment, health and illness, and nursing. Persons are the recipients of nursing care and include individuals, families, and communities. Environment refers to the surroundings of the client, internal factors affecting the client, and the setting where nursing care is delivered. Health and illness describe the client’s state of well-being. Nursing refers to the actions taken when providing care to a patient. ANA’s definition of nursing has included three of the four concepts that make up the metaparadigm theories of nursing. Its definition strongly emphasizes the concept of nursing. It listed many functions that nurses perform such as: protecting, promoting, optimization of health and physical abilities, preventing illness and injury, alleviating suffering, and advocating for patients (ANA website, n.d.). All these nursing actions are related to the care of health and illness, which is the second concept of the metapardigm theories of nursing. The ANA’s definition of nursing describes in more detail the concept of health and illness in terms of health, abilities, illness, and injury. These physical conditions affect the state of well-being and may lead to one’s own suffering and negative responses (ANA website n.d.). Persons is the third concept. According to the ANA definition of nursing, persons include: individuals, families, communities, and populations that receive nursing care. The fourth concept is environment. It is directly related to the other three concepts mentioned above. The environment is the surroundings or the settings in which nursing care is delivered and includes the in the hospital, home, theater, etc†¦

Academic and Professional Skills Development Essay

There is a new world in the academic and the post academic the students must adapt themselves to. The world has become increasingly competitive and there is an exponential expansion of knowledge and information and this means that the students who will survive in this new world order are the ones who will adapt to keep up with this highly dynamic world. The way universities used to be has changed and they are now not only centres of disseminating knowledge, but also centres of promoting change (Soontiens, 2002). This change is not just intellectual change, it is all encompassing change that makes a complete makeover of the raw material it receives in the formative years and gives out a refined product that is well shaped to tackle the emerging issues in the world. Gone are the days when having a degree was something to be cerebrated by all and sundry. Nowadays, if you have just the undergraduate degree, you are just another first among equals and you do not have any competitive advantage over millions of others who have a first degree like you. This means that learning is a life long process and this world belongs to those who understand this fact (Verville, 1990). This is because the world is now being moved by knowledge and information, and these are two highly dynamic facets; how else do you acquire them apart form engaging seriously in lifelong learning (Soontiens, 2002). Even the world economies have changed from the conventional heavy economies to the modern knowledge based economies where knowledge and information and not machineries and physical labour are now the drivers of the economies. The most powerful thing right now in the world is information and knowledge and students must dedicate their lives to continuous process of learning to be able function in this highly knowledge driven world (Soontiens, 2002). Another important element that the universities are emphasizing today is critical thinking. Thinking is important but critical thinking is what differentiates a smart student or even worker from the rest (Soontiens, 2002). The more the world is changing, the more the problems are evolving and the solutions to these problems must be found for progress to take place. These problems cannot be solved by ordinary thinkers; they can only be solved by critical thinkers. This is another area that the universities are focusing on. They are out to churn graduates with acute problem solving skills by teaching them how to make critical analyses of life situations (Soontiens, 2002). For the students to be said that they have adequate problem solving skills, they must be able to use some habits of the mind and one of these habits is formation of perspectives; which involve the organization of arguments into parts and then separate the most important from the least important. It also involves separating opinions from facts and then the value of each is appreciated (Verville, 1990). This is the basis of critical thinking. Another habit of the mind that is involved in critical thinking is analysis. After forming perspectives, it is important to ponder on the arguments in a way that is reflective. This involves the use of logic and also knowing the limits of the analysis. The other critical habit of the mind that is involved in the process of critical thinking is imagination (Soontiens, 2002). This is the disposition to make an evolution of your view of an issue using contemporary and conventional patterns that will suffice now and in the future. A university that is not equipping its students with the aforementioned abilities is in a very wrong path. The workplace, just like the academic arena has changed significantly. Education alone cannot help one to fit in the contemporary work environment because of its highly social and flexible nature. Thus the universities are putting this into consideration by ensuring that they do not mould academic giants and social dwarfs who cannot fit in today’s workplace. They are churning out all round products that are readily prepared to face the challenging job market and the demanding workplace (Verville, 1990). That is why you see in the workplace today, people are not necessarily doing what they studied. Education students are working in banks, Law students are working as news reporters and so on. This means that one thing that the universities are teaching very well is flexibility: do not just follow one line, there are many things you can do there with your education. In the workplace, the workers must be able to work as a team and individually.   There are some more habits of the mind that can help them to fit well in the highly challenging, demanding and evolving workplace (Soontiens, 2002). One of these habits of the mind is empathy. Empathy involves sensing reasonable views, revering all views and honoring the one that is the most persuasive. The other habit of the mind is communication which is the ability to take the duty of explaining ideas in a clear, truthful and sober way that respects all those who are listening to them or seeing them being communicated.   The other habit of the mind that ought to be developed is that of commitment. This is the recognition of the necessity to act when there is an action worth attention and being patient to the situation one has stepped forward to respond to (James, 2003). The current generation takes the flak for the many ills that are happening in the society. The generation has been labeled as irresponsible, insensitive and morally corrupt and the universities are taking measures to ensure that all the raw materials they receive will be devoid of the aforementioned tags by the time they are being churned out as products. This means that apart from just giving the intellectual knowledge, they are also equipping the students with skills that will make them responsible members of the society who can be trusted to take over the leadership from the old conservative generation that is far beyond the benefit of the modern information and knowledge revolution. This means that there are programs that are teaching leadership skills, social welfare skills and may other skills that can make the students reliable members of the society (Verville, 1990). The habits of the mind that can help the students to become more responsible members of the society include, value which is the choice to apply a pattern of behavior that is intellectual and ignoring the patterns that are less productive. The other habit of the mind is inclination that includes the tendency to apply the aforementioned behavior without pressure or motivation (James, 2003). Sensitivity is another habit of the mind that will make the students to become more responsible members of the society because of its ability to perceive opportunities and threats and also emphasizes the appropriateness of applying behavior that is intellectual in pursuit of opportunities and in evasion of threats. Capability is a habit of the mind that will help the students in application of the basic intellectual skills that are central to behavior while commitment on this platform means the desire to reflect and improve the behavioral performance (James, 2003). In conclusion, university students in the contemporary world must adapt to the knowledge and information that is expanding markedly. They must be life long learners who think critically and are flexible to be able to fit in this highly dynamic world. They must be problem solvers who can work independently and in a team. The education system today, apart from teaching the basics of education is also teaching the students to become responsible citizens who are open minded and can communicate with people from allover the world.   This new approach by the universities is a step in the right direction and should become a global concept inherent in all the academic systems. As illustrated in the essay, this new mode of learning borrows heavily from Costa and Carrick the Habit of the mind and it puts a whole new psychological dispensation to the world of academia that will ensure the mind must change for the individual to embrace the change in the society.