NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT - Essay Example ject is dependent on the markets expectations and changing preferences, to introduce a new idea, the company should look at time as a scarce resource. What the new product development manager can do is to look at the whole process and see what to cut down without compromising the quality of the product. For instance, if the new product entails smaller risk, the test marketing can be done on a smaller and shorter scale so as to cut down on time to deliver the product to the market without cutting down on the value that will be provided to the consumer. Also, the new product development manager can utilize simultaneous product development which utilized cross-functional planning. This will cut down on the time it takes to pass on from one process to another because all the involved functions will be part of the planning process. The new product development manager can significantly cut down on time it takes from idea generation to launching the product to the market. For new product development, financial budget is one of the crucial factors that can determine the success of a new project. As new projects in terms of overall research throughout the process can be costly, not enough budget is one of the challenges that a new product development manager can experience. It is very usual that the whole project has an initial budget as included by the company. However, since these are new projects that are supported by new technology, those budgets are usually the best estimates of those who are involved. Midway through the project, the new product development manager will learn that the costs are significantly different from the estimates, and that the budget that has initially been set, usually by the top management is insufficient. Due to certain management policies and corporate politics, revision and application for a new budget to be approved is usually a problem. Thus, a new product manager could be left with what was initially planned, and decide to pursue or

How does a free market prevent a monopoly Essay Example for Free

How does a free market prevent a monopoly Essay We often listen to this statement that there are no monopolies in a free market or a free market prevents monopolies. Though there are some arguments about if the statement is completely true and, if a government plays a part in making or preventing a monopoly. To understand and to validate the statement first we need to understand few terms used in the statement and concepts of market. Types of market economies There are majorly four types of market economies namely: * Free-Market Economy (or Liberal Market Economy). An economic system comprised mainly of privately-owned enterprise (businesses), low levels of regulation and relies heavily on the free-price system to allocate resources. This is distinguished with a planned economy based on private enterprise. * Social Market Economy A free-market system that utilizes heavy taxation and regulation and recognizes organized labour at the national level, but relies on the free-price system rather than economic planning to allocate goods and services. * Market Socialism and Socialist Market Economies An economic system comprised of state-run or worker-run enterprises and either a free-price system or a directed and regulated market to allocate resources. This is distinguished with a socialist planned economy. * Mutualism and Cooperative Markets A form of participatory economics where enterprises are run as worker and consumer cooperatives (socially-owned) which compete with each other in a market economy. This is distinguished from participatory and cooperative planning. To describe free market economy in a nutshell, it is the kind of economy in which the system of prices is a result of a vast number of voluntary transactions, rather than of political decrees as in a controlled market. The freer the market, the more prices will reflect consumer habits and demands, and the more valuable the information in these prices is to all players in the economy. Through free competition between vendors for the provision of products and services, prices tend to decrease, and quality tends to increase. Types of Competition There are namely four major kinds of competition * Perfect Competition * Monopolistic Competition * Oligopoly * Monopoly Monopoly exists when a single seller controls the supply of a good or service and prevents other businesses from entering the field. Being the only provider of a certain good or service gives the seller considerable control over price. Monopolies are prohibited by law however; government-regulated monopolies do exist in some business areas because of the huge up-front investment that must be made in order to provide some types of services. Examples of monopolies in the India are public utility companies that provide services and/or products such as gas, water, electricity and railways. To talk about monopoly in detail while single-firm monopolies are rare, except for those subject to public regulation, it is useful to examine the monopolist’s market conduct and performance to establish a standard at the pole opposite that of perfect competition. As the sole supplier of a distinctive product, the monopolistic company can set any selling price, provided it accepts the sales that correspond to that price. Market demand is generally inversely related to price, and the monopolist presumably will set a price that produces the greatest profits, given the relationship of production costs to output. By restricting output, the firm can raise its selling price significantly. The monopolist will generally charge prices well in excess of production costs and reap profits well above a normal interest return on investment. His output will be substantially smaller, and his price higher, than if he had to meet established market prices as in perfect competition. The monopolist may or may not produce at minimal average cost, depending on his cost-output relationship; if he does not, there are no market pressures to force him to do so. If the monopolist is subject to no threat of entry by a competitor, he will presumably set a selling price that maximizes profits for the industry he monopolizes. If he faces only impeded entry, he may elect to charge a price sufficiently low to discourage entry but above a competitive price—if this will maximize his long-run profits. Though monopoly has its advantages like in some industries it is the most cost-effective way of providing services, example is public utilities, as it would obviously be inefficient to have 2 or more competing sewer or power distribution systems in a city, monopoly has many disadvantages like Poor level of service as there is no fear of competition, No consumer sovereignty. Consumers may be charged high prices for low quality of goods and services. Lack of competition may also lead to low quality and out dated goods and services hence making it necessary to check a market from becoming monopolist to safeguard the interests of consumers. Now coming back to the question ‘how does a free market prevent a monopoly? ’ In a free market, competition drives away bad ideas. What stops monopolies? Small companies being allowed to set up and compete, without loads of regulations and fees making it impossible for them to afford to keep costs down. The free market prevents people from cornering the market, because there is always someone else that is capable and willing to make the same product for the same or lesser price. Eventually, if that keeps going, everything will be free in the free market, or rather, people will start trading for goods and services again, like they used to. Of course, along this path to free produce, you have the interruption of the Laws of Supply and Demand, where you eventually have too much product for the demand, and can no longer make a profit because of your losses. Price Wars eventually even themselves out, because at a certain price, everyone will be able to buy your product, and then no one else will need it anymore. When you have a high demand for a product, the price is naturally high. This obviously attracts investors and manufacturers to that field in order to make as much profit as possible. As more competitors enter that field of production, the prices for the product fall accordingly, until the supply meets the demand, and prices regulate based on 1. The cost to produce, and 2. The fact that everyone already has one and likely doesnt need another right now. For e. g. in the early days of the automotive market, Ford used to say You can have the Model-T in any colour you want, as long as its black. Then Chevrolet came in with more colour choices, and to compete, Ford had to change its policy or they would have fallen off the face of the Earth. Though there is an argument that exists, which says government sometimes does enable formation of a monopoly for example corporate trusts. Government supports an entity to a level that it becomes very big and later, in order to keep a check on the entity from preventing it to become a monopoly, government lays down set of rules and regulations which make it practically impossible for new budding competitors to grow up to the level of first organisation and compete efficiently, resulting in formation of a monopoly. But in the end, No matter how successful a company is, it is never immune from competition. It always faces at least potential competition, as well as actual competition from companies that offer substitutes. References: http://wiki. answers. com http://www. britannica. com http://answers. yahoo. com http://www. physicsforums. com.

The Role of Women in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay -- Essays P

The Role of Women in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight In the Fourteenth Century, Feudalism and its offspring, chivalry, were in decline due to drastic social and economic changes. In this light, _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_ presents both a nostalgic support of the feudal hierarchies and an implicit criticism of changes, which, if left unchecked will lead to its ultimate destruction. I would suggest that the women in the story are the Gawain poet's primary instruments in this critique and reinforcement of Feudalism. By positioning The Virgin Mary (as the singular female archetype representing spiritual love, obedience, chastity, and life) against Morgan and Bertilak's wife (who represent the traditional female archetypes of courtly love, disobedience, lust and death) the Gawain poet points out the conflict between courtly love and spiritual love which he, and other critics of the time, felt had drastically weakened the religious values behind chivalry. As such, the poem is a warning to its Aristocratic readers that the traditional r eligious values underlying the feudal system must be upheld in order to avert destruction of their way of life. It is easy to read _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_ as a romantic celebration of chivalry, but Ruth Hamilton believes that "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight contains a more wide-ranging, more serious criticism of chivalry than has heretofore been noticed" (113). Specifically, she feels that the poet is showing Gawain's reliance on chivalry's outside form and substance at the expense of the original values of the Christian religion from which it sprang. As she shows, "the first order of knights were monastic ones, who took vows of poverty, obedience, and chastity. The first duties th... ...eties facing Arthur's Camelot--specifically women, magic, adultery, and incest--with Morgan representing a trope for all the ills. Morgan, Gerald. "The Action of the Hunting and Bedroom Scenes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Medium Aevum 56 (1987): 200-16. Morgan argues that a moral struggle is suggested by the juxtaposition of the hunt scenes and the bedroom scenes, with the Lady in the role of the hunter and Gawain as the hunted. Warner, Marina. Alone of all Her Sex: The Myth and the Cult of the Virgin Mary. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1976. Warner's book details the special importance of the Virgin Mary throughout Christianity and explores her religious and secular meaning. She discusses such things as the Church's attitude toward virginity, the role model of the Virgin martyr, the Virgin's relics, and her role as an intercessor with God. The Role of Women in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay -- Essays P The Role of Women in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight In the Fourteenth Century, Feudalism and its offspring, chivalry, were in decline due to drastic social and economic changes. In this light, _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_ presents both a nostalgic support of the feudal hierarchies and an implicit criticism of changes, which, if left unchecked will lead to its ultimate destruction. I would suggest that the women in the story are the Gawain poet's primary instruments in this critique and reinforcement of Feudalism. By positioning The Virgin Mary (as the singular female archetype representing spiritual love, obedience, chastity, and life) against Morgan and Bertilak's wife (who represent the traditional female archetypes of courtly love, disobedience, lust and death) the Gawain poet points out the conflict between courtly love and spiritual love which he, and other critics of the time, felt had drastically weakened the religious values behind chivalry. As such, the poem is a warning to its Aristocratic readers that the traditional r eligious values underlying the feudal system must be upheld in order to avert destruction of their way of life. It is easy to read _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_ as a romantic celebration of chivalry, but Ruth Hamilton believes that "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight contains a more wide-ranging, more serious criticism of chivalry than has heretofore been noticed" (113). Specifically, she feels that the poet is showing Gawain's reliance on chivalry's outside form and substance at the expense of the original values of the Christian religion from which it sprang. As she shows, "the first order of knights were monastic ones, who took vows of poverty, obedience, and chastity. The first duties th... ...eties facing Arthur's Camelot--specifically women, magic, adultery, and incest--with Morgan representing a trope for all the ills. Morgan, Gerald. "The Action of the Hunting and Bedroom Scenes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Medium Aevum 56 (1987): 200-16. Morgan argues that a moral struggle is suggested by the juxtaposition of the hunt scenes and the bedroom scenes, with the Lady in the role of the hunter and Gawain as the hunted. Warner, Marina. Alone of all Her Sex: The Myth and the Cult of the Virgin Mary. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1976. Warner's book details the special importance of the Virgin Mary throughout Christianity and explores her religious and secular meaning. She discusses such things as the Church's attitude toward virginity, the role model of the Virgin martyr, the Virgin's relics, and her role as an intercessor with God.

Research Proposal Childhood Obesity Essay

The topic of this research proposal is addressing childhood obesity in the United States. This epidemic has been going on for many years now and has become an issue most recently being addressed by the United States government through their task force, which hopes to end this problem. By reviewing the many factors involved which include economic boundaries for the children’s families, early education in nutrition, and progress made in battling this epidemic thus far, we will be able to determine when it is the best time to introduce good nutritional knowledge and application, as well as physical activity, for children in the United States in hopes of ending this problem overall. In order to determine this answer, the researcher will need to research the changes that have taken place thus far by reviewing articles that show what certain states have been actively promoting healthy eating and physical activity, like in Portland ME who has educational programs for residents. This program also allows for scholarships for these programs for families who cannot afford the classes. The researcher will also have to review articles in the ProQuest database that show what has been studied so far regarding nutrition for young children as well as other sources like the White House website articles related to the task force being led by First Lady Michelle Obama. The researcher will also need to show an overview of the current problem at hand with one in three children in the country qualifying as obese. The researcher will review some of the problems that may be contributing factors like target marketing to children by fast food establishments and limited physical activity by children today, By reviewing all of this information, the researcher should be able to show progress made toward ending this problem and answer when good nutrition and physical activity should be introduced in a child’s life.

Reaction Paper †Fiction: Short Story

â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall† is a small story written by Katherine Anne Porter, the American writer. It was published in 1930 along with other short stories alike, as part of story collection called â€Å"Flowering Judas†. The reaction to this fiction story from a reader’s point of view I’m going to express in this short essay. The whole setting of this story is drawn around the bed of Ms. Weatherall, where she is spending the last moments of her life. The author is focusing her attention on Granny’s thoughts in form of her own self-monologue. The other characters present in the final scene of Granny’s life are: her own daughter, Cornelia, Dr. Harry, the priest, and her grandchildren, who are invited to visit their grandmother before she dies. The fact that Granny Weatherall is having a serious illness is concealed from her by the doctor and the relatives. Being close to death Ms. Weatherall is staying in bright mind and is rehearsing her own thoughts of the past and is fantasizing about present as what she would do if she did not have to stay in bed. The other characters in the story display little action, like quiet talk of Granny’s daughter to the doctor that irritates Ms. Weatherall as she starts feeling more concern about herself. The doctor, on the other hand, is trying to cheer Ms. Weatherall up by telling her that she is looking good and referring to her as â€Å"little girl†, which is inappropriate with ladies of her age. The author is mainly concentrating on Granny’s thoughts in this story. In her memories she goes back into past, sees her husband that died many years ago, and, even against her will, she reminds about events that happened to her when she was a teenager. The author is writing the story the way readers can see not only old woman dying among her relatives but as she watches her own life before her eyes before she passes away. The other people who surround Ms. Weatherall seem not to destruct her from her own thoughts with their actions. The concept of this inner journey is to introduce the reader to Ms. Weatherall’s personality and what her life was about. All the sudden the old lady is seeing things that happened to her many years ago, the memories she either regretted or kept hidden through her entire life. These memories become so lose that she almost experiences them over again after so many years. The author makes it obvious that the old lady has given her heart and soul to being a mother and wife up to her final breath. The whole flow of the story changes as Ms. Weatherall gets close to dying. It seems like the flow of her thoughts is becoming more emotional. Granny starts denying her critical condition and it seems like sh e loses control over the situation. She recalls, once when she thought she was close to dying twenty years ago she did not feel that way and she did not expect death coming. This event has given her the experience of not being afraid of it. She survived that day, and from that point on death has become something invisible to her. Granny almost fell as she could get up of the bed and return to her daily activities. In her own thoughts she acts as she has got things to do tomorrow. She displays incredible stubbornness and will to continue as her death comes closer. The author wanted to make connection between the simple rehearsal of thoughts to almost euphorical state of mind as death comes closer. Ms. Weatherall was always an honest catholic, and her faith in God is inspiring her even now. She remembers, when she was young her faith helped her to overcome any obstacles, and everything she was about to take on could easily be accomplished. â€Å"Thank God there was a little margin over for peace: then a person could spread out the plan of life and tuck in the edges orderly†. Finally Granny Weatherall rests in peace like her long lived father who was her hero and whose image she kept in her mind until her final hour. I personally like the story and how it is told. I found myself relate to this story because a year ago I went through the same period of sorrow when my grandmother was passing away. In this story I felt not only sympathy to Ms. Weatherall as I read it, but I was pleasantly impressed of her courage and will to live even after knowing that she was close to dying. I think this is because she is not only courageous person but she truly has God in her heart. I think this is a really good work by the author as she found a very interesting theme of life and death. I read somewhere that each person before dying sees their own life flashing before them. This was a really good example of interpretations of final thoughts of person and emotional preparation to the end of life.

A Worn Path Essays - Phoenixes In Popular Culture, Eudora Welty

A Worn Path Essays - Phoenixes In Popular Culture, Eudora Welty A Worn Path Conflict in Eudora Welty's A Worn Path In Eudora Weltys A Worn Path the conflict was not apparent at the very beginning. What was a poor, elderly sick woman doing gallivanting in the forest during the dead of winter? The reason became clear towards the conclusion of the story as the action revealed that the conflict was obtaining the necessary medicine for her grandson. When this conflict became obvious, another question came to mind. What kind of society did this woman live in that she had to go all the way from her home in the countryside to the city by herself to get the medicine? The conflict being illustrated is that of an individual versus society and the four problems that Phoenix faces as a result of this was her old age, her health, her grandsons health and her state of poverty. Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles (paragraph 2). This quotation was one of many indications of Phoenix Jacksons old age. Normally, in society there are benefits for the elderly and those of the golden age. There are various organizations that help people who are over the age of sixty-five. They also provide various services towards them such as meals on wheels. Was there not someone who could have delivered the medicine to this woman of nearly 100 years of age? Perhaps Phoenix Jackson was too shy or had too much pride to ask for a service of that nature. The doctors from the medical building knew about the condition of Phoenixs grandson and did nothing to try and help. This showed the lack of respect that was present in the society. In todays society, someone of that age commands and deserves the proper respect. She carried a thin, small cane made from an umbrella, and with this she kept tapping the frozen earth in front of her, (paragraph 1). The next conflict that plagued her is that of her health. In the preceding quotation, there was one important note that readers should take into consideration. The fact that she kept persistently tapping the earth in front of her could only indicate one thingthat she was visually impaired. She may not have been completely blind, but she had to have been substantially impaired to have kept tapping her cane in a redundant manner. Someone who is even remotely visually impaired should not be traveling in the forest. Phoenix also suffered from a problem that often plagues people at an old age. This problem is senility. But she sat down to rest She did not dare to close her eyes and when a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble-cake on it she spoke to him. That would be acceptable, she said. But when she went to take it there was just her own hand in the air, (paragraph 15). This was just one out of many instances in the story where Phoenix talked to herself and had hallucinations. Talking to ones self in the forest is a definite sign of senility. Phoenix did not allow her two disabilities to get in her way, but had society cared for her properly she would have been in an institution for the elderly. As for her grandsons health, the readers know that he also, was not doing well. The only pertinent information given was that he swallowed lye, (paragraph 91). He, also, should have been receiving professional care. An American society in the nineteen fortys did not provide free health care, and that sets up the final conflict, the state of poverty of Phoenix Jackson. Its Christmas time, Grandma, said the attendant. Could I give you a few pennies out of my purse? Five pennies is a nickel, said Phoenix stiffly, (paragraph 100) This quotation, a conversation between Phoenix and the attendant at the medical building, came after Phoenix had arrived at the doctors office and had already received her medicine from the attendant. Phoenix was not ashamed to ask for the extra pocket change so that she could buy her grandson a windmill made out of paper. That nickel was the second nickel that she had managed to obtain. The first five cents

The History of Cyber Crimes essay

The History of Cyber Crimes essay The History of Cyber Crimes essay The History of Cyber Crimes essayThe processes of globalization, including the globalization of information technology, provide unlimited opportunities to influence at individual and society. One of the negative consequences of the development of information technology is the emergence and development of new forms of crime – the crime in the sphere of high technologies, when computers or computer networks serve as the object of criminal attacks, and as well as means or method of committing crimes.The emergence of crime in the sphere of computer information and telecommunications associated with the advent of computer networks and the creation of information enviroment.   As computer technology in various fields of activity become more and more using and increased, sonumber of crimes and results from damage to their commission rise too.Cybercrime cause damage to the world economy amounting to 445 billion dollars a year, according to a new report by the Center for Strategic an d International Studies (CSIS). The authors point out that cybercrime – is a growing industry that harms trade, competitiveness and innovations.According to counting, the conservative counting the damage is estimated at   375 million dollars, and the most daring at 575 million. Cybercrime – in fact, is a tax on innovation, which slows down global development, reducing the level of inventors and investors profit, said Jim Lewis from the Center of Strategic and international Studies. For developed countries, cybercrime has serious consequences for the labor market (Edwards,  2014).The largest losses bear the largest economics in the world, and the leaders among them are the United States, China, Japan and Germany, losing $ 200 million annually. Losses associated with the leakage of personal information, such as the theft of the credit card is 150 million. In the USA, about 40 million people, about 15% of the total population, faced with theft personal information by hackers. In Turkey, this kind of crime affected 54 million people, in Germany 16 million, in China more than 20 million people (Thompson,  2014).The history of cybercrimeAppearing in the mid 60-ies of 20th century, computer networks, since the mid 70s had been growing until the end of the century it was not entangled the half planet   by the web of World Wide Web.Packet communication technology (splitting files into pieces and their delivery to the recipient in different ways) was developed in 1961 by a MITs’ student D. Klyaynrokom. Then George Licklider advanced the concept of Galactic Network, describing it as a network of interconnected computers with which anyone can access data and programs located on any computer (Bresiger,  2013).The prototype of the Internet is the first high-speed continental computer network ARPANet, established in DARPA Army Advanced Research Projects Agency commissioned by the Department of Defenseof USA. The idea of creating such a ne twork was born in 1964 in Larry Roberts and was consistes in creation of decentralized system, consisting of separate independent segments, where there wouldn’t be the main computer, that can be destroyed in the event of nuclear war. Such a network was originally designed as a sustainable communication systems, capable to continue working even after a nuclear attack. In the event of failure of one computer, the transfer was carried out on the bypass channels.Experiments about connecting computers and combining them into a network carried out since 1965. September 2, 1969 two computers were successfully connected to each other, result was a successful exchange of information. On October 20 of that year, a similar experiment was conducted between computers located in different cities. From that moment ARPANet began its work. This network was connected more and more computers military and scientific institutions (Robertson, 2010).After the development of R. Tomlinson in 1971 e-m ail system, began a rapid expansion of the network, connected the growing number of new users. In 1976, R. Metkalif created the first local computer network Intranet (Ethernet). Further growth of users exhausted the possibilities used in ARPANet Protocol NCP, and in January 1, 1983, all computers switched to the protocol TCP / IP. ARPANet network continued to expand, and in 1986 on the basis of its National Science Foundation of the United States created NSFNet, covering about 10,000 computers in the United States and abroad.Minutes of WWW (World Wide Web) was established in early 1991, by the European physics laboratory. In May 17, was launched the first Web-server. Network development has gone exponentially. In the mid 90-ies of 20th century to the Internet was connected more than 13 million users.The rapid development of computer networks and their penetration into various spheres of human activity, as has been said, changed the nature of criminal attacks and gave rise to new for ms of them. So in which areas of activity penetrated the network was depended most pressing threat to the current time. Thus, in the 60s, when computer networks were used mostly in military and scientific institutions, the main danger was considered the loss of sensitive information, as well as unauthorized access to it. In the 70s to the fore came the problem of economic crime in the field of computer technology breaking the bank computer networks, industrial espionage. In the 80s crimes became widespread hacking and illegal distribution of computer programs. With the advent and development in the 90 years of the Internet, a whole range of issues related to criminal encroachments on privacy of personal information appeared, f.e. distribution of child pornography at networks, operation extremist virtual network communities. In addition, in the last few years the new problem bringings the spread of viruses and that more and more concerned about western researchers, the use of the In ternet for terrorist purposes.Computers as a weapon to commit a crime have been used before widespread computer networks. On the first computer crime opinions of researchers are different. Some believe the first officially registered cases of the use of computer technology to commit crimes, when it   marked the advent of high-tech crime, stealing from the bank Minnessoty (USA) committed using a computer in 1966. Others as the first offense of this kind is called perfect with a computer crime in the amount of tax 620 thousand dollars, for which in 1969 Alphonse Confessori was brought before a USA court.The subsequent history of crimes committed using a computer, is noted the following most notable cases:In 1973, the cashier of the New York Citibank transferred into his account 2 million dollars, using the office computer.the end of the 70s – â€Å"robbery† of â€Å"Security Pacific Bank† (10,2 Mill. USD);1984 the message of the first in the world computer viru ses;1985 disabling using the virus of electronic voting systems in the USA Congress;1987-1988 gg. The appearance of the first computer virus in the USSR;1987 the invasion of 17-year-old hacker in the US computer systems. This invasion is still considered the most dangerous because the offender was able to walk to the file management system and missiles the US Air Force Base â€Å"Robbins†. His presence was detected only after he took copies of the software, estimated at 1.2 million. Dollars, including top-secret program of artificial intelligence;1989 American student lock computer 6000 Pentagon; International Congress of the computer pirates in the Netherlands with a demonstration of the possibility of unlimited introduction of computer systems;1990 disabling NASA, work for 24 hours, a group of Australian hackers.1991 theft in Outeconombank a 125.5 thousand dollars;1992 the deliberate disruption of the Ignalina nuclear power plant reactors ACS;1993 Some electronic fr aud in the Central Bank of Russia (in the amount of 68 billion rub.);1995 an attempt to steal a Russian engineer of the City Bank 2.8 million dollars (Bain,  2010).Currently, no one is surprised intrusion into computer systems, computer viruses, fraud committed using Internet technologies. The history of computer crime turns into a story of growth statistics on criminal assault on global information networks.The history of cybercrime is inextricably linked with the history of legislation to combat abuse in the sphere of high technologies. In the future, we will analyze this relationship. As cyber crime is not in place, continuing to evolve, creating new forms of criminal attacks, and, in addition, the problem of cybercrime is relatively recent, the international community is still in search of not only effective criminal law and other methods to combat this problem, but in the process of developing a common policy on this issue.The development of cyberspace and used its technolo gy of global communication occurs quite rapidly, so the problem for lawmakers is that it is necessary to take into account these trends and opportunities to keep up in the new legislative regulation of relations arising in the information space. In addition, it is necessary to take into account factors transborder cyberspace allows you to make illegal under national law actions from the territory of another state, in which there are other legal norms. An important feature of cyberspace is the fact that it is difficult to determine the exact location of the criminals and the commission of one or other unlawful acts.This restriction of the rights is most evident in the failure to adequately respond to the threats posed by virtual teams organizations, individual online communities, political institutions, states as subjects of law in cyberspace.A comprehensive description of this phenomenon is difficult by two reasons. Firstly, there is no currently   generally accepted definition o f cybercrime. Secondly, because of differences in the legal systems of different countries and novelty problem of delinquent behavior, cybercrime as a legal term is not used in all countries of the world (Woodburn,  2011).Types of cybercrimesThe rapid growth of IT-sector has not only positive but also negative side, manifesting itself in an unprecedented expansion of cybercrime market. Computer crime is becoming more sophisticated, global, capturing new market segments and ahead the reaction of lawmakers.Today is quite acute problem of tax-free financial transactions laundering dirty money through bank electronic systems. The list of crimes committed using information theft can be continued. Mention may be made a cyber attacks on military and space computer networks, systems, industrial espionage and the use of compromising in politics. Especially active criminals began to apply a world network possibilities. The feature of the global network is no borders. For organizations such as the arms trade or drug is enough to create the appropriate site and wait for the receipt of proposals. Physical server that is hosting the information will be in any of the countries of the world (Collins,  2013).For criminal purposes worldwide network used of professionals and applying knowledge for the purposes of industrial espionage, terrorism or political goals. They are able to spread their actions financial panic and provoke a military catastrophe, damage important information on the most dangerous objects because the activity and energy complex, transport, banks largely depends on reliable storage, analysis and transmission of information.Cybercrime investigationsThe annual assessment of the state of cybercrime makes worrying laymen and professionals. The laymen is most concerned about a marked reduction in the level of protection of the citizen of the modern information society, and at the same range of sensitive issues is quite wide from a technical vulnerability vu lnerability to PD support systems with electronic cash. The professionals is waved about all aspects of the problem: technical, legal and institutional.Investigate cybercrime is extremely difficult. Every crime is unique, but there are a number of universal steps investigation of a crime in the information field: The first step it is always assessment the situation by law enforcement officers and trying to understand what is technically happened to any legally protected information unauthorized access occurred, what elements of a crime, legally speaking, are contained in known and objective facts. If technically correct and legally correct to gather sufficient information, the next step may be decided to institute criminal proceedings, which will be investigated by other qualified investigators with the support staff operational units and experts in the field of computer and technical research. The court delivered its verdict in accordance with the criminal and criminal procedural law, the following basic steps of the competent authorities:prove that the event itself was a crime, why it happened, define and document the time, place, method and other circumstances of the offense;to prove the guilt of certain persons in the commission of a crime;investigate the circumstances that characterize the identity of the accused;document the harm caused by the crime;identify the circumstances that contributed to the commission of the crime.The purposes of computer and technical expertise are to find digital traces that are related to a person or group of people, to assess compliance of these tracks of a particular situation and identify those that are forensically significant, that can and should form the basis of the investigation. An important issue presentation of research results in such a way that they are understandable to those of a purely legal knowledge are not familiar with the intricacies of IT, judges, prosecutors, lawyers and other participants in the pr oceedings (Anderlini   McGregor,  2014).The most famous cybercrimesOne of the first high-profile hacking attacks committed in 1983, by an American student and one of the most famous in the future hacker Kevin Mitnick. Using one of the university computers, he entered into a global network ARPANet, an Internet precursor, and get into the Pentagon computers. He had access to all the files of the Ministry of Defense. Mitnick was arrested right on campus. He was convicted and served his first real sentence after spending six months in a correctional center for young people.Losing banks of almost $ 25 million dollars made two hackers from Russia. In November 2000, in the US, the FBI caught hackers from Chelyabinsk: 20-year-old Alexey Ivanov and 25-year-old Vasily Gorshkov. Russians managed to hack the computer systems of several companies and steal credit card numbers, in particular, they stole 15.7 thousand card numbers from Western Union. In 2002, Gorshkov was sentenced to three ye ars in prison, and Ivanov was sentenced to four years (Walker-Osborne Price,  2011).$ 12 million tried to kidnap Vladimir Levin. In March 1995, he was arrested in London. The Security Service of the American Citybank accused Levin that in June and October 1994, he hacked into a central server and tried to rob a bank customer accounts. New York court sentenced Levin to 36 months in prison and deported to Russia.Another hacker attack on NASA undertook in 2001-2002 from the UK hacker Gary McKinnon. He managed to get into computers belonging to the Army, NASA, Navy, Department of Defense, Air Force and Pentagon. In total, McKinnon gained unauthorized access to 97 computers, each time he found information about flying saucers. He was arrested in 2002, but for lack of evidence was released.Loud attack carried out in 2002, a hacker Adrian Lamo. He was able to gain access to the internal network of the newspaper New York Times, where he began to modify important files. Lamo changed confi dential databases, one of which contains a list of cooperating with the newspaper experts, he added his own name. In August 2003, Adrian Lamo was arrested, sentenced to two years probation and was appointed to pay Times 65 thousand dollars as compensation (Stevenson,  2013).ConclusionCurrently, computer and telecommunication technologies cover virtually every sector of society. Not foreseeing the opportunities for abuse, it has put these technologies into their service, which gave rise to a new kind of crime computer-related crime.The problem of cybercrime has developed into a global community. In order to develop a scientific approach to solving this problem it is necessary formalization: isolation and identification of the main objects of the fundamental properties of the phenomenon.The results of the analysis of the characteristics of computer crime can be predictive of complication struggle with it because the ways of committing computer crimes each year are becoming more sop histicated and difficult to define the character. To solve this problem scientist need to integrated approach.

Overview of the Worlds Offset Time Zones

Overview of the World's Offset Time Zones While most of the world is familiar with time zones that differ in increments of an hour, there are many places in the world that use offset time zones. These time zones are offset by a half-hour or even fifteen minutes off of the standard twenty four time zones of the world. The twenty four time zones of the world are based on fifteen degree increments of longitude. This is so because the earth takes twenty four hours to rotate and there are 360 degrees of longitude, so 360 divided by 24 equals 15. Thus, in one hour the sun moves across fifteen degrees of longitude. The offset time zones of the world were designed to better coordinate noon as the point in the day when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. India, the worlds second most populous country utilizes an offset time zone. India is a half-hour ahead of Pakistan to the west and a half-hour behind Bangladesh to the east. Iran is a half-hour ahead of its western neighbor Iraq while Afghanistan, just east of Iran, is an hour ahead of Iran but is a half-hour behind neighboring countries such as Turkmenistan and Pakistan. Australias Northern Territory and South Australia are offset in the Australian Central Standard Time zone. These central portions of the country are offset by being a half-hour behind the east (Australian Eastern Standard Time) coast but an hour and a half ahead of the state of Western Australia (Australian Western Standard Time). In Canada, much of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador are in the Newfoundland Standard Time (NST) zone, which is a half-hour ahead of Atlantic Standard Time (AST). The island of Newfoundland and southeastern Labrador are in NST while the remainder of Labrador along with neighboring provinces New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia lie in AST. Venezuelas offset time zone was established by President Hugo Chavez in late 2007. Venezuelas offset time zone makes it a half hour earlier than Guyana to the east and a half hour later than Colombia to the west. One of the most unusual time zone offsets is Nepal, which is fifteen minutes behind neighboring Bangladesh, which is on a standard time zone. Nearby Myanmar (Burma), is a half-hour ahead of Bangladesh but an hour ahead of offset India. The Australian territory of the Cocos Islands shares the time zone of Myanmar. The islands of Marquesas in French Polynesia are also offset and are a half-hour ahead of the rest of French Polynesia. Use the Elsewhere on the Web links associated with this article to explore more about offset time zones, including maps.

Criminal law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 5

Criminal law - Essay Example Most of the campaigners for euthanasia are those directly affected by this, in that, they are themselves suffering from a terminal illness, or have a loved one that has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. The impetus behind the legalisation stems from the desire to end the suffering of the loved one or their own suffering if they are the one diagnosed with the terminal illness. This paper aims to discuss how the courts should deal with the issue of euthanasia and whether it is time for a change in legislation so that those assisting a loved one to die would not have to fear the possibility of criminal charges for their actions. It is important to make the distinction between active and passive euthanasia in order to assess the way in which the criminal and civil courts have determined the legality of the treatment. With active euthanasia the person’s death is brought about by the deliberate administration of medication to terminate the life of that person. Conversely, passive euthanasia occurs where treatment of the patient is refused or terminated, culminating in the death of the patient. A common use of this form of euthanasia would involve the removal of ventilation equipment to assist the breathing of the patient, or the removal of a feeding tube. In some cases, where a patient is critically ill, the relatives of the patient might instruct the doctors not to administer treatment if the patient goes into cardiac arrest. Although active and passive euthanasia will have the effect of terminating the life of the patient, the courts seem to be more readily able to accept passive euthanasia over activ e euthanasia. Part of the reasoning behind this stems from the notion that a patient is entitled to refuse to undergo treatment that will prolong their life, but they are not allowed to insist on any treatment that will hasten their

Older people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Older people - Essay Example Decisions in providing care in an abused elderly are often based on the principles of autonomy and beneficence – what the client wants and what will promote good care. Based on autonomy, abused clients have the right to respect, informed consent, and self-determination. If a competent abused client decides not to do anything about the situation, client’s decision must be upheld. On the other hand, healthcare professionals are put into a dilemma where beneficence, in an abusive situation, is needed. Healthcare professionals’ follows the principle of doing good and preventing evil harm thus, weighing between the ethical principles of autonomy and beneficence puts care interventions into a dilemma. Legal interventions and criminal charges also apply to an abusive situation. The Charter of Residents Rights and Responsibilities under the Aged Care Act of 1997 explicitly states that â€Å"people living in aged care homes in Australia have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to live without exploitation, abuse or neglect†. Physical, sexual, and financial abuse is very obvious and that abuse can be reported promptly while psychological abuse and neglect are less easily determined. Verifications from a multidisciplinary team or a health professional are needed to prove psychological abuse or neglect. Legal interventions could involve revoking power of attorney arrangements, taking out a domestic violence order, or having the perpetrator evicted from the older person’s premises.  ... Specific factors identified are fast history of a fall, age, female gender, lower extremity weakness, balance problems, low levels of physical activity, cognitive impairment, psychotropic drug use and polypharmacy, chronic medical problems (stroke, arthritis, Parkinson’s Disease), sensory loss, orthostatic hypotension, acute health problems (pneumonia, urinary tract infections), dizziness, diabetes, depression, and incontinence (Nay, 2009, p. 192). Incidence The incidence of falls increases with age and varies according to residential location. Falls are more common in residential aged care facilities where 30-60% cases of falls were reported in 12 months than in hospitals with 17 falls out of 1000 bed days (Nay, 2009, p. 190). In Australia, for the year 2005-2006, the estimated number of hospitalized injury cases due to falls in people aged 65 years and over was 66, 800 – a rise of 10% since 2003-2004. Half of all fall injury cases for people aged 65 years and older oc cur from home (Byrne, 2010, p. 141). Falls are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among older people. In community-dwelling older people, 5-10% of falls result in major injuries such as fractures, head trauma, and major lacerations. In residential aged care facilities, major injuries range from 10-30%. Falls have also been identified as a contributory risk factor in 40% of residential aged care admissions (Nay, 2009, p. 192). Implications for Practice The increase in the incidence of falls among acute care facilities and residential aged care facilities seems to be alarming. High incidence of falls among older people implies that an enormous amount of effort must be put in prevention interventions and programs for falls. A review to assess the effectiveness of current prevention

Multiple Linear Regression Analysis Research Paper

Multiple Linear Regression Analysis - Research Paper Example The multiple regression analysis methods show that the policy has contributed over 92% of the labor force, employment as per the expectation of the policy by the government. It concludes that the program is efficient, thus suggesting a continuation of such as policies for the unemployment rate reduction. The research findings show that all the coefficients are proportionally significant in the calculations and apart from inflation. This is because the statistics that are calculated are higher than the critical value identified. The results show that the model variables are accurate since they explain over 98% of the independent body. It is recognized that the policy has improved the employment of the labor force to rise above 100% as per the government policy. The research paper concludes that programs that support active employment have a great impact on the levels of employment. This is recognized through the comparison of each and every program’s impact on the employment le vel. The promotion program that deals with employment of the unemployed is identified to have the greater influence on the employment levels. The primary activity that is defined to be of much impact on the promotion program is job training. Comparison of the minor programs within the promotional program shows that capacity building programs and subsidies have a greater employment impact. The omission of observation activities in long periods is identified to be one of the demerits of the models. Â   Â  

Background Information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Background Information - Essay Example ortfolio Strategy group develops a â€Å"Monthly Lead List† which is used by marketing department for the purpose of identification of customers that are part of our portfolio. The list undergoes strict quality checks by an independent Quality Control Analyst, who validates the data by utilizing critical business logic and by using QC results tab for result presentation. The US Bank’s Data Management and Analytics group prepares the Month-end-marketing Metrics, which is also utilized by the marketing department to develop a report that provides guidance regarding marketing sales goals, actual and budgeted costs of marketing, cost per application, cost per lead and the associated variances. Interaction with legal and compliance department for approval of the marketing material that is under development for the purpose of compliance to relevant laws is also carried out by marketing department. During the period before June 1, 2014 approvals for marketing material was only sought from the legal department, but now the marketing department utilizes US Bank’s â€Å"ticket management system† for this purpose. So, now marketing material is approved by compliance department after it has been approved by the legal department. Based on audit, the rating for Marketing review and Portfolio strategy has been labeled â€Å"Effective†. Policy and procedures related to quality control process for marketing lead list have been prepared and released by the Business unit. Whether adequate Quality Control was implemented by the independent analyst or not, could not be ascertained, since supporting documents were insufficient to support the analyst’s position. The team is in the process of implementing control measures which is an indication that they are aware of the prevailing

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

Poetry - Essay Example The man has to pass through the narrow road, but in the presence of the doe, it could be difficult and might end up causing another accident. While throwing the doe in the river would mean killing the fawn inside the doe’s womb, it was certain that the fawn could not be born anyway. He could still ignore it, since was not his duty. It is a poem of love and compassion that causes the narrator emotional discomfort, between ignoring the situation and moving on, or acting responsibly. Even if doing the right thing is not his duty, even if doing the right thing would disrupt his journey, the heart still insists on doing the right thing. This is a complex real life situation, that presents a battle between the mind and the heart, where the heart insists on compassion, but the mind calls for making a decision based on the line duty. The sense of compassion is calling on him, but the sense of duty urges him to progress. The narrator has to act and stop ignoring the situation. He knows very well that leaving the doe still laid on the road, when it is dark, is likely to cause more accidents. Therefore, he opts to sacrifice his time and remove the doe from the road, for the benefit of other road users. This way, he drags the doe out of the street and into the river, thus clearing the road. This is a poem of responsibility, a poem of self-sacrifice, a poem of performing duty, for the benefit of all. A poem of human compassion for others. â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† This is a poem of nice memories of a son who spend time with his drunken father waltzing around the house, messing up his mother’s kitchen and disorganizing the house in the name of fun. It is a poem expressing disapproval of the father’s drunkenness, but still expressing the unconditional love the son had for the father. This is a narration of a real life situation, where the relationship between parents and their children could go soar within a family, but one fact remains clear, they are one blood. Therefore, regardless of the bad blood and soar relationship, a child will still love his parents. It is a narration of a family setting where the father is irresponsible and uncaring, messing up the house setting notwithstanding the wife’s concern. It is a story of a father trying to engage his son despite being drunk, a fact that causes more harm than good to the son. Nevertheless, the son is still fond of his father, and has to continue clinging to him even when the dancing turns nasty and disorderly. For the love of his father, the son has to withstand the pain caused on his ears and his wrist as waltzing around the house continues. It is a poem narrating the lifestyle of a family made up of a father who does manual work, and takes alcohol to cool off the pressure caused by his hard labor, but still wants to spend a perfect evening with his children. It’s a poem telling the story of a not so well-to-do family in pursuit of balancing the nature o f their job and the family life. Achieving the balance is quite difficult. Nevertheless, the attempt made, though not wholesomely pleasing, is still worth appreciation. â€Å"Digging† This is a poem narrating the hard work of the old folks, who could do nothing else but sustain their families through tilling the land. It is a reflection of the changing times, when the

Background Information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Background Information - Essay Example ortfolio Strategy group develops a â€Å"Monthly Lead List† which is used by marketing department for the purpose of identification of customers that are part of our portfolio. The list undergoes strict quality checks by an independent Quality Control Analyst, who validates the data by utilizing critical business logic and by using QC results tab for result presentation. The US Bank’s Data Management and Analytics group prepares the Month-end-marketing Metrics, which is also utilized by the marketing department to develop a report that provides guidance regarding marketing sales goals, actual and budgeted costs of marketing, cost per application, cost per lead and the associated variances. Interaction with legal and compliance department for approval of the marketing material that is under development for the purpose of compliance to relevant laws is also carried out by marketing department. During the period before June 1, 2014 approvals for marketing material was only sought from the legal department, but now the marketing department utilizes US Bank’s â€Å"ticket management system† for this purpose. So, now marketing material is approved by compliance department after it has been approved by the legal department. Based on audit, the rating for Marketing review and Portfolio strategy has been labeled â€Å"Effective†. Policy and procedures related to quality control process for marketing lead list have been prepared and released by the Business unit. Whether adequate Quality Control was implemented by the independent analyst or not, could not be ascertained, since supporting documents were insufficient to support the analyst’s position. The team is in the process of implementing control measures which is an indication that they are aware of the prevailing

Macro1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Macro1 - Essay Example pected benefits provided to other individuals who are not directly involved in the decision making process regarding production or the consumption of a good. The consumption of different goods by the consumers sometimes benefits them in terms of providing them spillover benefits. This applies to a situation in which people are given free education but they do not pay taxes in return, or there is not taxation system applied on them. This can sometimes be called subsidizing the people. The resulting misallocation or the reduction in Federal Reserve can only be corrected by stopping providing subsidy to the consumers who are using that good or service, or taxing the people if they were not taxed before, or even taxing them higher than the amount that was applied before. This will mean to raise the tax brackets, i.e. upgrading the tax percentages each of the individuals have to pay. Providing benefits to the consumers who do not pay in return is termed as giving unexpected benefit and th e real solution behind the correction of the misallocated resources would be to increase the amount of taxes in a certain region or whole country for some period of time so that the allocated money invested in that good or service is taken back. Then the taxes might be reduced as they were before. 3: There are various goods and services in which people enjoy spillover benefits. Let’s just call government as a production unit, education as a good, and public as consumers who will be benefitted through that good. The government will provide that good, i.e. education free to all the consumers in the public, and no direct tuition fees are collected. In return the government or that production company is not getting back anything in return. This will mean the public enjoying the spillover benefits over the services provided to them. The education is free in most of the countries in the world at school level where no hidden charges are taken. However, there are hidden charges, as the

Hello Kitty Singapore Essay Example for Free

Hello Kitty Singapore Essay A person has many needs at any given time. Abraham Maslow sought to explain why people are driven by particular needs at particular times. According to him, human needs are arranged in a hierarchy (refer to Figure 1), from the most pressing to the least pressing. In order of importance, they are physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs. The most basic level of needs must be satisfied first before desiring higher level needs. Therefore, having a Mctoy fulfils the forth level needs, called as ‘Esteem Needs’. Self-esteem is the desire for status, self-respect and prestige. Owning the series of Hello Kitty dolls has gained a sense of fulfilment to the individual because it is not that easy to get the limited edition toys at any time. Besides that, the ‘Kiasu’ attitude which is very popular among Singaporeans to have something which everyone else is having, regardless of whether it is of any use. The fear of losing out drives the feeling to fulfil their esteem needs, where they are happy knowing they too have one like others. In order to fulfil the esteem need, people are often engaged in either profession or hobby to gain recognition. For those who loves collecting dolls, use this hobby as a platform to gain recognition from others so that they will be praised. Thus, they feel that by owning the series of hello kitty dolls can make them gained recognition. How has McDonald’s created value to its consumers by offering Hello Kittty dolls in their Extra Value Meals? Marke ting experts, Don Peppers and Martha Rogers say that ‘The only value a company will ever create is the value that comes from customers.’ Customer value is the relationship between the consumers perception of benefits they believe they will derive from a purchased compared to the price that will be paid. The total benefit package includes functional attributes of the product and related service attributes. Creating value not only transforms sales effectiveness, it also provides insulation from price pressure. There are many sales strategies, tactics and techniques for creating value for customers. McDonald’s has identified the benefits that consumers would gain from the promotion by creating a series of value to its customer through the promotion. The total value created to its consumers by McDonald’s comprises of four sources namely product, services, personnel and image. Firstly, the product (Hello kitty Dolls) were given as a premium to its loyal consumers at its cost price when consumer purchases the Extra Value Meal, rather than charging any extra amount for it. McDonalds has created value to its consumers by offering this product premium. In terms of service, McDonald’s has created value to its consumers an alternative way of getting the exclusive dolls, where these dolls can only be purchased through McDonald’s outlets during the limited period of time. This series of limited-edition toys will not be available as and when consumers want them. Thirdly, the satisfaction gained by consumers by owning these dolls. As the dolls were limited edition and were sold at cheaper price, McDonald’s has created the satisfaction feeling among its consumers when they own them. And finally image value is created to McDonald’s consumers where the consumers have the option to choose designs of their preferences during the one-month promotion. The image of ‘Kitty’ representing different cultures wedding costumes creates value to those owning them. Thus, McDonald’s has added up values from all the four sources mentioned above to successfully create values to its consumers through its ‘Hello Kitty’ Promotion. Recommendations and Conclusion Here are several alternatives that McDonald’s should have considered before carrying out the promotion to avoid such havoc from happening: 1) Study the consumer behaviour of Singaporeans 2) Periods of the promotion 3) Increase the number of toys offered for promotion In conclusion, the havoc caused from the ‘Hello Kitty’ Promotion in Singapore has not tarnished McDonald’s image in any aspect. This was proven when McDonald’s introduced another six sets of designs featured royal costumes around the world a year after, and the sales seem not to be declining. There was no repeat of the previous year’s frenzy as McDonald’s was prepared. Several precautions were taken such as limiting the number of dolls each customer can buy to four, and had more dolls in stock for panic buying. Besides that, to monitor and control the crowds, McDonald’s has hired security personnel and mobile squad officers to visit McDonald’s outlets.

Age and Gender Differences in Attitudes

Age and Gender Differences in Attitudes A survey was carried out among people from two different age categories to determine whether age and gender individually result in different attitudes towards seeking psychological help. The 653 participants each completed a shorter version of the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale survey. The survey results were later grouped based on gender where there was 319 males and 334 females. The gender groups were again each classified into two age categories; as either young or older adults. The results indicated females have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help than males and that older adults have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help. It was also found that participants who had previously sought psychological help had more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help. This research needs to consider the methodological limitations, such as the selection of the participants by the experimenters, which could h ave biased the results and also whether the length of the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale survey produces different results. Age and Gender Differences in Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Psychotherapy has been described as embarrassing and potentially difficult and it induces fear and avoidance in some individuals (Vogel, Wester Larson, 2007). Andrews, Issakidis Carters study (2001, as cited in Vogel, Wester Larson, 2007) found that less than one third of individuals who experience psychological distress do seek help from a mental health professional (p 410). For many people, counselling and seeking psychological help is an uncomfortable way to deal with personal problems. This may be true for many men as the findings of most studies related to attitudes towards seeking psychological help have been particularly consistent that women tend to have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help (Fisher Farina 1995). Some researchers have found that age is another barrier which underutilizes help seeking (Mackenzie, Gekoski Knox, 2006) and it is generally uncommon for an individual to discontinue a psychological service once they have experience it for t he first time (Deane Todd, 1996). Attitudes towards psychological help seeking vary between individuals due to avoidance factors and demographic influences. Kushner and Shers study (1989, as cited in Vogel, Wester Larson, 2007) found that different avoidance factors are likely to vary in their intensity and importance depending on the characteristics of the individual (eg., sex, age) as well as social and cultural differences (p 413). Vogel, Wester Larson (2007) stated that some researchers have suggested that traditional gender roles influence professional help seeking (p 414) which is possibly why males avoid seeking help. The behaviours and characteristics associated with traditional masculinity form a system of social beliefs- that is, an ideology- regarding the expectation of how men should be (1995, as cited in Levant, Wimer, Williams, Smalley Noronha). This ideology influences the way that adults think, feel and behave in gender matters. Therefore, males may feel that they need to mask their problems due to traditional masculinity which is why females are mainly found to have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Veoff, Kulka Douvan (1981) believe that adolescents and seniors are both reluctant to help-seeking due to one avoidance factor in common; Social norms, which changes across the age groups. However, social stigma has been conceptualised as one of the most significant barriers to treatment for both younger and older adults (Vogel, Wester and Larson, 2007). Vogel, Wester and Larson (2007) concluded that younger adults however are more affected by the avoidance factor social stigma as adolescence is a time of developing and building a sense of identity. Being a young adult is also the time when peers and norm groups may be particularly salient (1989, as cited in Vogel, Wester and Larson, 2007). Therefore, some young adults may be reluctant to help seeking because of the threats as being judged negatively (2002, as cited in Vogel, Wester and Larson, 2007). Some individuals may or may not find psychological help beneficial and this determines whether they continue or discontinue the service. However, most people who have received help from a professional psychologist or counsellor rate themselves as more likely to continuing seeking help as compared to people who have received no psychological help (Deane Todd, 1996). Consistent with this research, females with more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help rate themselves as more likely to seek professional help (Deane Todd, 1996). The present study aimed to determine whether age and gender affect attitudes towards seeking psychological help. From the research examined, it was anticipated that age, gender and previous history of counselling influences attitudes towards help seeking. It was hypothesised that females will have more positive attitudes towards psychological help seeking than men and younger adults will have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help. It was also hypothesised that individuals who have previously sought psychological help would have more positive attitudes towards psychological help seeking. Method Participants The 653 participants in this study consisted of 319 males and 334 females. Participants needed to be specifically selected based on their age, since the research involved investigating age and gender differences in attitudes towards seeking psychological help. There were two age categories that separated the younger adults from the older adults. Younger adults were classified between the ages of 18 years to 30 years of age, whereas the older adults were classified over 55 years of age. Of the 653 participants, 373 participants were classified as younger adults and 280 participants as older. The younger adults group consisted of 178 males and 195 females, whereas the older adult group consisted of 141 males and 139 females. The mean age of the 653 participants was 38.05 (SD= 20.10) and the ages ranged from 18 years of age to 85 years of age. The mean age of the 178 younger male adults was 21.72 (SD= 4.38), whereas the mean age of the 141 older males was 60.11 (SD= 6.10). The mean age of the 195 younger female adults was 20.90 (SD= 3.26), whereas the mean age of the 139 older females was 60.64 (SD= 7.73). Materials A shorter version of the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale was used to measure participants attitudes towards seeking psychological help. The scale for each statement ranged from 0 (disagree) to 3 (agree). The scale contained 10 statements, some of which expressed negative attitudes towards seeking psychological help and other expressed positive attitudes. Reverse scoring was needed for the statements which expressed negative attitudes towards seeking psychological help so that a higher score represents a more positive attitude. The statements which represented positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help did not have to use reverse scoring. The maximum possible score was 30 which represented the highest positive attitude towards seeking professional psychological help, whereas the minimum possible score was 0, which represented the lowest support for seeking professional psychological help. A demographic sheet was also attached to the Attitudes Towards Seeking Psychological Help Scale. The demographic sheet questioned for information such as date of birth, age, sex, occupation, country of birth and whether the participant has had no, little or a lot of counselling prior to completing the scale. Procedure The shorter version of the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale was provided to all students attending Victoria University who are enrolled in Psychology 1B. Psychology 1B students were instructed to make an additional three copies as they each needed to survey four people. Each Psychology 1B student needed to survey two males and two females, however one participant from each gender needed to be either 18 years of age to 30 years of age and the other needed to be over 55 years of age. The participants were not allowed to complete the survey if they were a psychologist or a psychology student. The unit coordinator of Psychology 1B derived the mean age and mean attitude score towards seeking psychological help for the following categories: (a) young male adults, (b) young female adults, (c) older male adults and (d) older female adults. Results An analysis of the mean attitude scores towards seeking psychological help for each of the four participant categories were used to determine whether the hypotheses were supported. The mean attitude scores towards seeking professional psychological help for all four participants categories are presented in Table 1. Table 1 The mean attitude scores towards psychological help seeking Males Females Younger (18-30) 15.13 18.36 (5.56) (5.01) Older (55+) 14.74 19.78 (6.76) (6.07) Total 14.96 18.95 (6.11) (5.52) Note. Numbers in brackets are the standard deviations of each mean attitude score. The results from Table 1 indicates that females have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help with a mean of 18.95 (SD=5.52) as compared to males who scored a mean of 14.96 (SD=6.11). This finding supported the hypothesis that females have a more positive attitude towards seeking psychological help than males. From the table, it is also evident that older participants have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help with a mean of 17.24 (SD=6.90), as compared to younger adults who scored a mean of 16.82 (SD=5.52). This result did not support the hypothesis younger adults have a more positive attitude towards seeking psychological help than older adults. In terms of counselling history, a no counselling history was mostly reported. Of the 653 participants, 418 participants had never had counselling before with a mean of 15.76 (SD=5.98), 203 participants have had little counselling before with a mean of 18.69 (SD=5.71) and 32 participants have had a lot of counselling with a mean of 22.44 (SD=5.62). Discussion In this study, two of the three hypotheses were supported. Both hypotheses (a) females have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help than men and (b) individuals who had previously sought psychological help would have more positive attitudes towards psychological help seeking were supported in this study. However, the hypothesis (c) younger adults will have more positive attitudes towards psychological help seeking than older adults was not supported. A gender difference in attitudes towards psychological help seeking is one of the most consistent findings in the literature (Ang, Lim Tan, 2004). In the present study, the results suggested that females had more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help than men. This finding supports the results of previous research of Vogel, Wester and Larson (2007) where they researched factors that inhibit seeking help. In their study, Vogel, Wester and Larson (2007) found that gender role plays a part in psychological help seeking. This was evident as men were more likely to think that they would be stigmatized for consulting a psychologist or counsellor. Women in contrast, are more open towards seeking psychological help and feel comfortable and less ashamed. However, because gender role is recognised by so many people, women may feel that they are expected to act reverse to a man. In this study, females may have felt that it would only be normal for them to have positive attitude s towards seeking help as compared to men because they are usually classified as weaker and softer than men. To address this limitation in further research, participants should be given the opportunity to make a statement or comment on why they believe their gender should and should not seek psychological help. This may further help explain gender role which is defined as one of the most common factors that prevents seeking psychological help. On the other hand, a previous history or experience seeking psychological help indicated that participants were more likely to have more positive attitudes towards psychological help seeking than those people who have not sought help. Deane and Todds study (1996) supports the findings of this study as their results were very similar. For example, approximately 35% of participants have had little or a continuation of therapy in this study which is similar to the 40% of participants in Deane and Todds study (1996). In this study, participant needed to mark whether they had never had counselling before, have had little counselling or have had a lot of counselling. This approach used to determine whether a previous history encourages a positive attitude towards psychotherapy could have been used more effectively to find out the duration of therapy and for those who have had no counselling; to find out whether something is inhibiting them from seeking psychological help or if they simply do not need it. In future research, participants who have received psychotherapy both short term and long term should be questioned about the duration of psychotherapy they have had. On the other hand, participants who have not received psychotherapy should be given the opportunity to further elaborate on their choice of not seeking help. The results did not support the hypothesis that younger adults will have more positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help than older adults. These findings differ from those of previous studies (e.g., Mackenzie, Gekoski Knox, 2006; Vogel, Wester Larson 2007) in which respectively reported that older adults attitudes towards seeking psychological help are generally positive and younger adults are reluctant to help seeking due to a certain avoidance factor; social stigma. This could be due to the way researchers from previous studies tested their participants to determine their attitudes. In some studies, participants may have been tested for their opinions on psychological help seeking, whereas others may have been tested on their actual use of a psychotherapy service. In this study, participants were tested to determine their opinions towards seeking psychological help, whereas other studies may have tested peoples attitudes after using the service. Future research should mention what their participants are tested for so that other researchers are able to correctly support or find differences in their findings. A further limitation of the study was that the participants were not given the opportunity to provide statements about how they feel about seeking psychotherapy as a quantitative scale measure was used to determine their attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Therefore, their responses were restricted using the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale survey. Future research should also employ a qualitative measure to help support the results produced from a quantitative measure. Overall, the results of the study suggest that gender role does impact attitudes towards seeking psychological help as one gender consistently showed more positive attitudes towards help seeking. The results also suggest that older adults have more positive attitudes towards psychological help seeking than younger adults. It may be that adults in the present are exposed to a positive interpretation of psychotherapy which encourages them to view seeking psychological help more positively. Also, the results of the study suggest that a previous history of psychotherapy will make an individual view psychological help seeking with a positive attitude. This may be because the individual learns that the therapy is beneficial and outweighs their reasons for avoiding during psychotherapy.

Good and Evil in Human Nature in Lord of the Flies and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde :: William Golding Robert Louis Stevenson Essays

Good and Evil in Human Nature in Lord of the Flies and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde The novels The strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lord of the Flies by William Golding both portray a very similar message. In both novels there are characters, which represent both good and evil showing the contrasts, which occur throughout the whole storyline. Both novels can be described as an allegory as they both show different levels and meanings e.g. in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde one represents good the other evil even though they are the same person. This gives us the indication that Stevenson's message is that evil can be found inside everyone. Also Golding uses characters to bring this message across as well. Lord of the Flies is situated on an island and when the boy's plane crashes they are provided with the ideal surrounding with great resources to survive until they're rescued. The island almost acts as a parent even though they are without parental supervision. The island can be compared to the Garden of Eden as it's described as a "natural beauty". But straight away we are warned there is a "dark side" to the island. Almost suggesting something will go wrong or this is where something horrendous will take place. The children's main aim when they are all together is to pick a leader. This is where the conflict begins mainly because Ralph gets picked and Jack becomes Jealous. Ralph shows maturity and intelligence where Jack shows power and strength. Golding almost suggests that if Jack and Ralph were combined they would be the ultimate leader. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde shows how scientific experiments can go wrong and Stevenson tells that even though we try to avoid evil it will never go away. The novel all starts with the concern of Mr. Utterson, Henry Jekyll's lawyer. He is worried and confused that Jekyll has left all his possessions in his will to a Mr. Hyde who he has never met. "All his possessions were to pass into the hands of his friend and benefactor Edward Hyde" Utterson confronts Jekyll's old friend Dr. Lanyon but he hasn't heard of a Mr. Hyde. "No. Never heard of him. Since my time" Its ironic that the name Hyde can be heard as hide so we are told that even before we begin to read that Mr. Hyde must be strange or almost none existent. Utterson tracks down Hyde and is horrified by the way he looks and doesn't understand how Jekyll could be friends with such

‘Herbert and Harry’ by Pamela Allen Essay

The genre of picture books is predominantly aimed at younger readers and often referred to as children’s books. Herbert & Harry is a children’s picture book, written by Pamela Allen in 1986, which tells the story of two brothers who have a falling out over treasure they found. It is a picture book which not only tells a story but which possesses moralistic values and ideologies through the story. Together with the written aspects of the text the illustrations fulfil an important role in the message this book expresses. These two main features of any picture book are, quite obviously, what works on the reader to get a certain view across. Picture books are a great way of getting a message to children. Along with other resources and mediums children, in their early learning years tend to do a lot of reading of such books, this provides an effective tool to convey moral and ethical messages to young readers. It would however, be incorrect to state that all children appreciate the same messages through picture books, for some young students may not appreciate a message at all. In this specific picture book the message is perhaps a little more obvious. While the story does not distinctly state that money does not make you happy, it does state that you can be happy without money, or treasure in Herbert & Harry’s case. Herbert and Harry are brothers who do everything together, happily, one day however they stumble across treasure which Herbert chooses over his brother, this leads onto their parting, while Herbert struggles to hide and guard the treasure he becomes miserable and tired, â€Å"Harry, who had not treasure, has always been able to sleep soundly.†(Allen, 1986) This quote sums up the message in the story and is accompanied by an illustration which shows just how happy Harry is without money. The use of these tools is what makes the reader think and feel what the autho r is attempting convey. The narration of the visual and verbal texts plays a significant part in the affect the picture book has on the reader. The verbal element this text is very important in analysing what the affect on the reader is. A picture book can use many different tools when writing the words to try and express a certain view or value. In the instance of Herbert & Harry, the words â€Å"they†, â€Å"same† and â€Å"together† (Allen, 1986) are used quite frequently in the first few pages. This repetitive use of these words drums home the idea that the brothers did everything together. While  quite insignificant by itself, this message adds a great depth to the final conclusion of the book. The names given to the characters are also important factors. Herbert and Harry are quite similar, which gives the reader the impression that these brothers are pretty much the same people. Through out the story the verbal text turns its focus on each brother separately; this could perhaps show us that the characters have parted and that perhaps they are not the same person any longer. While fighting over the treasure, Herbert says; â€Å"This treasure is mine,† â€Å"I pulled it up† (Allen, 1986) while Harry says, â€Å"I chose this place to cast our net† (Allen, 1986). The use of ‘our net’ perhaps says to the reader that Harry is a little more selfless than Herbert is, this could encourage the reader to agree that Herbert is acting selfishly. Another difference can be found in the intended tone they use. Where Herbert â€Å"shouted† (Allen, 1986), Harry simply â€Å"said† (Allen, 1986) suggesting that Herbert has spoken with more aggression than Harry did. The fact that â€Å"Harry was a strong swimmer and managed to get safely home† (Allen, 1986) could propose that, through the use of the word safely, Herbert had put Harry in danger when he pushed him overboard. This is may be where text starts persuading the reader to dislike one character, Herbert. It could also be said that the word ‘home’ in this sentence was deliberately placed there to reiterate that that’s where Harry was going; â€Å"safely home.† â€Å"Herbert rowed the treasure as fast as he could†¦until he reached a lonely stretch of coast.† The word lonely plays a key role in this quote and ultimately the rest of the picture book. It sets the scene for where Herbert is for the remainder of the story. Alone and lonely. Promoting the reader to recognise that the character is alone on his stretch of coast, alone â€Å"as far away from Harry as possible.† (Allen, 1986). The author has used repetition in a lot of the verbal text in the story. â€Å"The land got emptier and emptier† and â€Å"the treasure got heavier and heavier† (Allen, 1986), are examples of this. Repetition enables the author to emphasize a feeling for the reader to understand just how, in this case, empty the land is and how heavy the treasure is. It is a tool that is used to stress a point. Another example of repetition in this story is where Herbert began to chip the rock in order to hide the treasure, â€Å"Chip chip, chip chip, chip chip, chip chip, went Herbert.† (Allen, 1986). This could suggest that while Herbert does have the treasure and it would seem that he had beaten Harry, in fact it has been  more than hard work maintaining the treasure, and perhaps not so fun either. This could be the moral of the story. Allen uses many different tools to stress this point through the use of the verbal and visual texts in the picture book. In the final stages of the story the author has uses contrast to weight the values incorporated into the story. â€Å"While Harry, who had no treasure, has always been able to sleep soundly.† This quote ties together the idea that money and in this case treasure, will not always make you happy, in fact one can be happy without it. This use of contrast enables the reader to explore the story and the values within it more objectively. The verbal text can influence a reader just as much as the pictures or visual text of a book, and normally one will reinforce the other. The pictures in this book are notably significant when assessing the author’s presumed intention. There are several significant illustrations which, combined with the verbal text not only tell the story but reinforce the values which the author is expressing. Children’s books often use the pictures to present a certain moral standing, â€Å"their shape [pictures], their style, their composition are also means of conveying information about how viewers are being invited to respond to the story.† (Nodelman et al, 2003), this children’s picture book, and it’s pictures are no different. In the beginning of the story when we are invited to believe that the brothers are equal, the pictures reiterate this. The brothers look the same, apart from the colour of their clothes they are identical. Perhaps it is this that prompts the reader to show no favoring toward any brother; this however is encouraged later in the story when the pictures start to change. In the beginning of the story the pictures reflect happiness, the brothers are smiling, one could even point out that while fishing together from the same boat, the fish they have caught are even smiling. This is not the case however after they have their falling out over the treasure. Once the story begins to tell of Herbert’s struggle with the treasure and its hiding the illustrations seem to have zoomed out. Where Harry and Herbert were once the largest focus in the pictures herbert has now got smaller in comparison to his surrounding mountainous terrain â€Å"Characters depicted as small shapes surrounded by forests or large empty rooms seem threatened or lost. If the figure of the character were enlarged so that it filled th e space, the same  figure would seem much less bleak.† (Nodelman et al, 2003). In all of the illustrations of Herbert without Harry he is depicted small, and is in fact surrounded by seemingly empty mountains. This recapitulates the feeling given by the verbal text, that Herbert is alone and threatened â€Å"what if someone had followed him and stole the treasure while he slept?† (Allen, 1986). The sentiment of the book so far is that Herbert is not having a good time hiding his treasure and being all alone. His size in the illustrations is somewhat proof of this. Barren colours were used in most all of these pictures, perhaps representing a lack of life and vibrancy. The stark contrast between not only the words, on the last two pages of the book coincide with the overall feeling of the book. On one side, there is a picture of Herbert, in his fort, amoungst the mountains, seemingly skinny, bored, and tired, and on the other page, Harry, plump, happy, warm and surrounded by children, presumably grandchildren. This contrast in similar fashion as the words expresses the differences their lives have taken. Harry with a smile on his face seems happy and fulfilled, yet Herbert, who has the treasure is alone, small and tired â€Å"But still, he cannot sleep.† (Allen, 1986). This use of comparison and opposition echos the view that treasure is not worth the lengths Herbert went to for, and that one can be happy and fulfilled without it. Another question raised with these last two pictures, is perhaps that the reason Herbert could not sleep was not in fact that he was worried about his treasure but maybe he found it hard to sleep because he was alone and didn’t have a family that we see Harry has. Picture books are quite unique as far as story telling goes, not only do they use verbal text but visual ones as well. Without words the picture would seem incomplete or perhaps tell a slightly different story, the same with the words. It is the special relationship between the two that tell the story to its fullest. A combination of the two that give the author the opportunity to express the views and values intended â€Å"the pictures focus attention on specific aspects of the words and cause viewers to interpret them in specific ways.† (Nodelman et al, 2003). A junction of the two aspects of any picture book, the visual and the verbal text allow for the interpretation of any moral, or ideological message within a story. REFERENCES Allen, Pamela, HERBERT & HARRY, 1986, Melbourne, Nelson Publishers Nodelman, P and Reimer, M, ‘Picture Books’, from THE PLEASURES OF CHILDRENS LITERATURE, 3rd ed, 2003, Boston, Allyn & Bacon, pp. 274-301

Girl with a Pearl Earring

One of Johannes Vermeer’s mysterious artworks which are universally recognized is the Girl with a Pearl Earring. This piece of artwork still poses a few unanswered questions and wonders after more than a century of studies. The identity of the sitter in the portrait, who is she? What significance did the pearl earring have? When was the exact date of the painting? Vermeer was born and raised in the Dutch town, Delft and began his genre paintings in the late 1650s. Although Vermeer produced only 36 paintings in his lifetime, he had a different approach to his artworks. Dutch paintings were very popular as it captures the everyday experiences and the affection of the land and homes in the town. Paintings celebrate and record the facts of life enhancing the intense consideration of warmth and cooler qualities of light. Vermeer adapted the expressive scenes taking on a timeless presence to impart them as extraordinary dignity and moral gravity. Girl with a Pearl Earring has been called as The Dutch Mona Lisa during the Golden Age. She is young, delicate and has an appealing and questioning look on her face with her head slightly turned towards us. She is wearing a rich golden robe with a white collar, a blue turban with yellow falling behind her. She is set against a dark defined background which dominates the space of the scene. Vermeer discovered the skill behind optics and light to capture what the audience sees. The uneven and spotted dark background enhance the three-dimensional effect of the figure as light illuminates something delicate which takes us to the pearl earring as a focal point. Pearls in the17th Century was a status symbol and conveys a sense of purity and innocence which together make a representation of a timeless beauty. Over many centuries, the young girl with sympathetic eyes starring over her shoulder holds no attributes that identify her and her age Vermeer is known for painting religious and mythological themes and the evident interest of the female presence and activity. This encourages the audience to understand Vermeer’s challenge to explore the intimate aspects of female nature as well as their relation to social context. It is the lack of historic and iconographic framework that conveys such immediacy to all who view her. Identities of the sitter’s in most of Vermeer’s paintings have ever been recognized, including the girl in Girl with a Pearl Earring. It has believed she may have been Vermeer’s first daughter; Maria aged about 12 or 13 between 1665 and1667. The painting was not seen as a portrait but a tronie, and considers the model in Vermeer’s Art of Painting. Contemporary scholars do not agree with the subject as they believe the painting is an idealized study and reveals Vermeer’s classical tendencies. Even though his artworks seem so realistic, modification to scale and shape have been made to achieve balance in the composition and strength. The mixtures of colours used by Vermeer suggest the intensity of light and tonal values. His paint build-up through brushwork creates uneven and granular effects and captures the attention of the audience. There are studies which explore the number of aspects of Vermeer’s painting techniques and materials although it is difficult to describe as his methods is complicated by the artist experimenting different techniques throughout his career. It has been detected that the use of chalk, charcoal, tempera and oil paints in various tones were used with the initial drawing of the figure. One of the most important stages in his procedure is the underpainting after the initial drawing was complete to ensure the accuracy of lights and darks, composition, volume and substances to the form to create an effect illumination. Colours used in underpainting include warm browns, black and white. The next stage was to give correct colouring and fix the final contours of the forms. This procedure is called working-up. Each area of the painting corresponded to a distinct visual experience to render the illusionistic visual experience as convincing as possible. As you can see, the girl’s face was illuminated with the work-up procedure with two layers of thin flesh tone using a badger. As artist had very few colours in the days, glazing was used to create the vibrant colours. For example, blue and red were glazed over each other to create purple. There were two areas in which Vermeer used glazing. The blue part of the turban with ultramarine blue and white and then a thin transparent layer of ultramarine once the first layer was dry to add depth and chromatic power to the underlying opaque blue. While Vermeer’s painting techniques was never a fixed technique, his artworks show that his use of methods and materials were those used by contemporaries. His work shows a sense of realistic impression, sensuous quality and mystery. This enables the audiences to understand the sophisticated perspective and his used of innovative ways to create a sense of space and awareness of its psychological impact.