A Study On Low Back Pain Anthropology Essay

The well-known anthropologist W.M. Krogman frequently talked about the jobs modern worlds have in some of their biological characteristics as being the consequence of the manner we evolved, what Krogman called the â€Å" cicatrixs of human development. † Discuss a biological composite that you believe Krogman might hold been mentioning to, and include in your essay some grounds why he might hold called these a cicatrix of human development. As hominids began walking upright, they underwent extended morphological versions. The human anchor was forced to suit to new perpendicular weight-bearing emphasiss. As a consequence of this comparatively recent development in the spinal column, modern worlds regularly experience lower back strivings, which can be labeled as â€Å" a cicatrix of human development. † In modern worlds, the vertebral column environments and protects the spinal cord as it descends from the brain-stem at the hiatuss magnum to the lower bole. The vertebral column provides the organic structure ‘s chief axial support, but it still remains flexible ; the spinal column is comprised of 24 single castanetss, called vertebrae, and two amalgamate castanetss, the tail bone and the sacrum. The first 7 vertebrae located in the cervix are cervical vertebrae, followed by 12 thoracic vertebrae that connect to the rib coop, and 5 lumbar vertebrae that make up the lower dorsum. The sacrum is composed of 5 vertebrae ( organizing the dorsum of the pelvic girdle ) that fuse together during maturity. The tail bone ( the tailbone ) is made up of irregularly shaped vertebrae that fuse together between the ages of four and six old ages. The thoracic and sacral curvatures form during foetal development. The cervical curve signifiers when a human baby begins to keep up its caput. The c oncave lumbar curve signifiers when a immature human kid begins to walk. These characteristics maintain the balance and support necessary for bipedalism. In quadrupeds, there is a gently C-shaped curve that makes the pectoral part of the spinal column somewhat convex. The human biped, nevertheless, has an S-shaped spinal column ensuing from opposing curvatures ( in the cervical and lumbar spinal parts ) grafted onto the C-shape curvature of a quadruped. The lower dorsum ( lumbar ) vertebrae signifier a really acute curve in worlds by puting the last two inter-vertebral phonograph record at a pronounced angle to the transition of organic structure weight. The spinal curves in the biped let the weight of the organic structure to be carried straight over the hip joint sockets in the midplane, by conveying the centre of gravitation closer to the hips. The weight of a biped is borne down the spinal column to the sacrum, where it passes to the hips and so through the two legs. Because the sum of weight additions increasingly down the spinal column, the vertebrae of a biped are progressively larger as they approach the lumbar part. In contrast, weight bearing does non increase along the spinal column of a quadruped, and so the vertebrae remain of about equal size in the different parts of the spinal column. Intervertebral phonograph record of connective tissue separate each vertebra. The exterior is made up of several beds of fibrocartilage. The interior is the karyon, which is filled with a mush that has the consistence of Jell-O. The karyon of the phonograph record act to buffer each vertebra and absorb daze. Once a human reaches maturity, the operation of the spinal column goes downhill. With age, the spongy discs between the vertebrae lose wet and snap ; the mush inside loses flexibleness and becomes less lissome. The harder, drier discs lose tallness, conveying the vertebrae closer together. Many persons develop serious complications of the vertebral column. Intervertebral phonograph record dislocations affect 1000000s of people worldwide ; many suffer serious chronic hurting, and life long disablement. A ruptured phonograph record, â€Å" a slipped phonograph record † in common idiom, occurs when an intervertebral phonograph record becomes thinner and compressed, doing a herniation of the phonograph record ‘s contents and force per unit area on the spinal nervousnesss, most significantly, the chief sciatic nervus. A tear in the annulus fibrosis on an intervertebral phonograph record allows the soft nucleus pulpous to seep out. This herniation consequences in loss of musculus. An illustration of this muscular devolution is foot retarding force. Almost 90 per centum of herniations happen in vertebrae 4 and 5 in the lumbar vertebrae. These vertebrae have the most acute curve, and bring forth our unsloped position. Because these two vertebrae are so angled, they bear the most differential weight and, consequently, suffer the gr eatest wear and tear. Most people can retrieve from intervertebral phonograph records breakdown without surgery ; the mush that is seeping out will finally abjure from the nervus because it loses wet and it shrinks. However, there are more than 4 million operations a twelvemonth in the United States entirely to rectify disc herniations. If an intervertebral phonograph record interruptions down and consequences in force per unit area on the spinal cord, it can be life endangering. The most immediate symptom is the loss of vesica and bowl control. Another serious complication of the vertebral column is osteoarthritis – the dislocation and eventual loss of the gristle between the vertebrae. This consequences in thickener of the articulations and back uping ligaments and the growing of bony goads that can shut in around the issues for the spinal nervousnesss. Osteoarthritis can take to spinal stricture, which is â€Å" the narrowing of the cardinal spinal canal or its sidelong deferrals † ( Weinstein ) . Lower back hurting was non every bit large as a job for our ascendants. There are three theories to explicate this fact. The first account is that the little organic structure of our ascendants led to less force through lumbar system. The 2nd account is that our ascendants were non couch murphies. Our ascendants had improbably powerful musculuss ( robust castanetss and big articulations ) , as a consequence of changeless physical activity. This helped to continue the lower dorsum. The 3rd account is that our ascendants did non populate every bit long as modern worlds, as so they did non make the age where back jobs emerge. In support of this theory is the fact that the average age for disc surgery is 42 old ages old. Today, more than 70 per centum of grownups suffer from back hurting at one point in their lives, and 30 per centum have had it in the last 30 yearss. There are many ways to handle and forestall back hurting in modern worlds. The most of import is exercising, and increasing our musculus tone of the dorsum and legs. Minimizing sitting is besides good, because chairs offer uneven distribution of weight. Surgery is a intervention option, but it should be the last option ; surgery can be really painful, and sometimes it does non relieve the hurting. Treating back hurting presently costs $ 26 billion a twelvemonth ; which is 2.5 per centum of entire wellness attention costs in the United States. Lower dorsum hurting is a biological composite that Krogman would hold clearly labeled as a cicatrix of human development. It is the inevitable merchandise of bipedalism and length of service. Hopefully medical scientific discipline will progress to a point where it can more efficaciously relieve this painful effect of human development.Mentions:Deyo, Richard A. â€Å" Low Back Pain. † Blackboard. Web.Mann, Alan. â€Å" Bipedalism, Power Point Presentations 1 and 2. † Lecture.

Mortal Kombat: video game Essay

â€Å"According to Time magazine, September 27, 1993, violence in video games is on the rise especially with the release of Mortal Kombat. Over 50 million children all over the United States brought this violence into their homes. The parents and other adults of these children finally decided that the video games in the U. S. had gone too far. † Mortal Kombat was the first game that brought blood and gore into the video game world. Mortal Kombat started in the arcades it was such a hit, they made it into a game you could buy for personal use. Critics raved over it when it was first introduced, saying it was too violent for kids and it needed to be taken off the shelves. This game appealed to many people because of its real-life graphics, blood and gore. The game was also responsible for the video game rating system used today. The game was an instant hit, they made an endless amount of Mortal Kombat games, for every gaming system imaginable, there was even a movie made based on the game. This essay will illustrate how Mortal Kombat is violent, and take a critical point of view of this popular game. Mortal Kombat is a video game based around hand-to-hand combat between two characters in the game. The person playing would control one-character and use combinations of punches, kicks and special moves to cause as much damage to the opponent as possible. This game is fun and very addicting; children would end up playing the game constantly trying to master the moves and techniques of the game. People found it fun because the characters and the worlds that you fight in seem like some fantasy, most people would fight their friends to see who would rein supreme; it was a constant challenge to be the best fighter. With the new game that came out not too, long ago you are able to plug an internet cord in the back of your gaming system and play anyone in the world. This game caught so much criticism that the makers had to take the blood out of the game, and they turned it in to white sweat, but little did the critics know that there were codes you could enter to bring the blood back to the game. There also were codes called â€Å"Fatalities† which were finishing moves where you could decapitate someone’s head, rip their arms off and burn them alive. The new game is even worse than the original with more finishing moves and better graphics. When you go out and buy a game like this, you should know what to expect; that you are going to be fighting an opponent with the intent to kill him. The basic principals of this game are fine, but the more advanced our technology gets the more graphic the games get. The blood and gore look almost life like now, which is not necessary to have to play the game. The game was given the MA rating which is for people 17 and older. The rating made the game intangible for young people to go out and buy. Because young kids could not have the game with the new ratings, they just wanted to play them even more. People who are sheltered from reality will be worse off, than people who are allowed to experience real life. There are some countries in the world, who do not even have electricity let alone video gaming systems, but are still are involved with senseless killing of each other. In other countries, it is just as common for young children to carry guns as it is for Americans to play video games. I think that violence is part of our society. I do not think that video games are any more violent than movies, television and the general violence in the world today. As far as the people who take what they see in video games and imitate it to real life I feel there is a mental problem and they need help, because they have a hard time separating fiction from non-fiction. Mortal Kombat was one of the first of many video games that got controversy for being too violent. This game also led the way for countless other violent video games. I feel as if no one would have made a big deal out of the violence there would not be problems that there are today. As they put stricter ratings on the games it only made people want it more. This game was so popular that there was a movie made after it and all the characters seemed to come to life on the big screen. As the critics put the whole concept of violent video games down, all it did was feed a fire to burn and made Mortal Kombat became larger than life.

About Nobel Peace Prize 2010

Introduction: On October 8, The Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was named the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize by the decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. An overwhelming majority of governments and organizations around the world appreciate the dedication of Liu for his long time pursuing of human-rights improvement in China. Be that as it may, China has blockaded the news which sounds ridiculous to the standpoint of almost all the Chinese people. Recently, the comments of this controversial phenomenon, not exaggerative to say, as one falls another rises.In my point of view it’s not a problem of who is right or wrong, which importantly counts is the respect for China. Closely following behind are the statements and analyses. Development: ?diverse actions Chinese Foreign Ministry: It's a complete violation of the principles of the prize and an insult to the Peace Prize itself for the Nobel committee to award the prize to such a person. Norwegian Prime Minister Jens St oltenberg Liu Xiaobo has been awarded the prize for defending freedom of expression and democracy in a way that deserves attention and respect.US President Barak Obama: This award reminds us that political reform has not kept pace, and that the basic human rights of every man, woman and child must be respected. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s office: The award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo of China is recognition of the growing international consensus for improving human rights practices and culture around the world. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner: This decision embodies the defense of human rights everywhere in the world.The Dalai Lama: Awarding the Peace Prize to him is the international community's recognition of the increasing voices among the Chinese people in pushing China towards political, legal and constitutional reforms. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ As you can see, nearly all the foreign people support Liu, which to some extent shows no respect for the cultu res and customs of China. The Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded to people who â€Å"promote national harmony and international friendship, who promote disarmament and peace†.It was against the Mr. Nobel's wishes when the Nobel Committee gave the prize to Liu, a criminal violated Chinese law. To Chinese people, especially those in political positions, this kind of support is more a curse than a blessing. Though there is an element of plausibility in those arguments put forward by the advocates of Liu, I tend to agree that over the last dozens of years, China has been in an era of enlightenment and progress. The standard of living also reached the expectation of citizens.Not to mention the rules, laws and even details that put human being at the center, and that deter and minimize deception, corruption and scandals. ? asking for release The United States has called on China to end the apparent house arrest of the wife of Nobel Peace Prize winner and jailed dissident Liu Xiaob o. â€Å"His wife's rights should be respected, and she should be allowed to move freely without harassment. † Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has said the release by China of the detained Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo is â€Å"desirable†.The government of Norway, where the Nobel prize is based, said China's reaction was â€Å"inappropriate†. The European Union has called for his release. The increasing number of people who ask for the release of Liu is really exerting a lot more pressure on the judicial system of China than it is designed to deal with. To make a clearer impression of Liu, he is known as an annoyance to the Chinese Communist Party and currently serving an 11-year prison sentence for â€Å"subverting state power†.To be honest, China may not do well enough in some parts. Nevertheless, no country is perfect in every aspect. In this case, I think we should bridge the cultural differences between China and other countries, which hopefu lly leading to understanding, tolerance and even appreciation of different cultures and customs, which is the very theme of â€Å"avatar†. Anyhow, China is not a queen who not only reign but also rain. None of the country leaders do not want to gain the peacefulness through their governance.People should be endowed with a global perspective to prevent their views and ideas from being too one-sided or suburban by listening to, comparing and even absorbing different opinions. Sometimes foreigner should stand at our side to rethink about the question in hand. Will you allow a non necessary reform appear along with disorders in public, while most of us live in happiness and satisfy with the measures country adopts now? ?the relationship between two countriesNorway has been left scrambling to contain damage to its relations with China after the award of the Nobel peace prize to a Chinese dissident caused anger in Beijing. â€Å"We wish to continue our fruitful co-operation in all fields with China,† Norwegian foreign ministry spokeswoman Ragnhild Imerslund said. According to the statements of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu will bring damage to two-way relations. The Beijing government summoned the Norwegian ambassador in protest. It called Mr.Liu a â€Å"criminal†, saying the award violated Nobel principles and could damage relations with Norway. It is hard to say whether the event would disrupt the relations. However this is not the first time China has been offended by the committee’s choice. Past winners include the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, in 1989 for efforts to liberate the Chinese territory. What we just have known now is the cancellation of visits to Norway and from Norway. Conflicts are inevitable, yet Norway has to express esteem to China, as a basic manner to get along with.In recent years, the relationships between two countries have maintained sound development, which produces favorable effects in terms of commerce and trade. The disruption of the relations would be conductive to nobody. Neither of the countries is willing to end up the relationship with such an event. Norway is trying their best to diminish the impact, and the outcome is worth a further notice. Conclusion: From what has been analyzed above, we naturally come to the conclusion that China should be understood and showed respect to.Although there are a variety of thoughts throughout the world, they may be merged and intermingled to only one expectation. That is to say, all the people involved want to underscores the links between development, democracy and universal human rights. China has the competence to achieve the common goal, whereas. Foreign countries do not have to push China to release Liu. I think after a period time, China would solve the problem in a satisfactory approach, such as who to accept the award, how to handle the conditions of Liu, and how to reduce to influen ce of the relationship between China and Norway, and so forth.

CONTRACT GRADE ASSIGNMENT PORTFOLIO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CONTRACT GRADE ASSIGNMENT PORTFOLIO - Essay Example I can characterize much a larger number of words than I use in anything aside from scholastic written work. An inward ear: I hear what I compose or read in my mind just as it were stood up noisy. Thus, my written work has a cadence to it that helps attract consideration regarding it. A confidence in the essentialness of truth: I do not have faith in objectivity or total truth. In any case, I do accept that truth exists remotely, and that a few perspectives are more substantial than others are, and worth communicating as precisely, as could be allowed. I have a memory solid on distinguishment, however not extraordinary on review: Often, I cannot dig up a memory myself. However, in the event that somebody or something triggers a memory, my brain is superior to very nearly everybodys. I think that distinguishment is more imperative than review for an essayist, in light of the fact that, when a memory is covered, numerous types of intriguing associations are made to it in your brain. By complexity, I think that a photographic memory blocks this inventive methodology, which is the reason I am happy that I do not have one. A hesitance to edit: By the time I wrap up, my psyche is now proceeding onward to something else. I can just alter myself by a demonstration of will; I am still not great at it. An over-utilization of moves: Im so fixated on structure that I would begin each sentence with one on the off chance that I let myself. As things seem to be, one of my routine altering assignments is to erase a large portion of the "as a matter of first importance", "on alternate hands and different moves. A fear about fiction: Above all else, I need to be a fiction essayist. It implies such a great amount to me that its taken me years to really have the capacity to compose it. When I attempt to compose fiction, a straining eventual outcome and I stop up: I am dreadfully partial to the first or striking expression, maybe in light of

Why do Organizational Change Initiatives Often Fail Research Paper

Why do Organizational Change Initiatives Often Fail - Research Paper Example How to change may differ across organizations but change is essential for progress or as Abrahamson (2004) calls it â€Å"creative destruction†. Without pain no change is possible and the justification for change is â€Å"change or perish†. Change could involve a process, technology or public process. Research indicates that almost 56-70 percent of mergers and acquisitions fail to achieve the intended objectives while 90 percent of culture change initiatives fail (Atkinson, 2005). If the change objectives are not achieved, the organization should strive to evaluate the causes of failure. Once the causes can be identified it may be possible to apply change management procedure to achieve the change objectives. Consequences of change failure can be disastrous. Change failures not only result in waste of resources but when changes fail people go cynical and lose motivation to work. Failure in managing change can lead to preconceptions and perceptions that can have a demora lizing effect on employees. The causes of failures that have emerged include shortcomings in change leadership, insufficient attention given to the complexities in the change process, or repetitive change syndrome resulting in initiative overload, change chaos and cynicism. Failures could also occur due to lack of clear compelling statement or vision, or when there is no definite plan or directives, no goals and programs, no methods or deadlines. Speeding up the change process could lead to errors that could be devastating. Management may also fail to recognize that adjustment to change could take time. Various tools have been suggested to manage change effectively the most important suggestion being that change requires effective leadership; it requires more than just managing change. This should be a visionary leadership where the vision is effectively communicated to the people concerned. Empowerment is another effective tool to obtain the intended outcome in the change process a s empowerment helps eliminate the obstacles while it also reduces the alienated feeling that employees develop. However, a practicing manager needs to ensure that the stakeholders are involved in the change process from the very beginning. No sense of urgency should be transmitted as this could end up in change chaos. Communication should be honest and be able to generate trust and confidence. Short-term wins should be created as it is an effective tool in receiving cooperation for furthering the process of change. This research was conducted to synthesize the varied perspectives on change leadership and change models that could help an organization to achieve the change objectives. The research will review the top reasons for change initiative failure and how they can be remedied. Various change models of renowned scholars such as Kotter, Lewin, Bridges and Abrahamson have been reviewed and evaluated. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Causes of failure in the change process 2.1.1 Resistance to change Manifestation of resistance Employee resistance to change can be exhibited or communicated in a number of ways, the employees could express cynicism or they may not be â€Å"open† to change or â€Å"not ready† for change (Peccei, Giangreco & Sebastiano, 2011). The resistance to change manifests itself mainly through low-engagement in pro-change behaviors. There can even be more active anti-change behaviors as when people speak out in public against the change or when they undermine its implementation. Resistance is often displayed passively and covertly, asserts Atkinson. If they were displayed in a forthright manner it would have been possible to deal with them logically. Some times staff may attend a change project and display approval but underneath this external facade they nurture

BRAND MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

BRAND MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH - Essay Example To be able to become a market leader it is vital to guide or, to a certain extent, control the customers. If the firm, by means of the obsolete portion of marketing theory, merely follows what the customers want, the brand will certainly, in the future, be surpassed in the market. The explanation is that unless there is a zero turnaround time, or the possibility of delivering immediately what is demanded for, the firm will fail to keep up (Nilson 2003). By the time the firm has created, manufactured and delivered what the customers requested for, they possibly have modified their preferences or a competitor may have by then introduced something into the marketplace satisfying the demand. Moreover, it is not possible for a customer to identify what a producer can offer. Merely listening to customers is to abandon the brand to the consumers and the management of the firm—and abandoning accountability is seldom a way to develop a strong brand identity, value, image, and positioni ng. The objective of this essay is to analyse in detail the McDonald’s brand in terms of its identity, value, image, and positioning. The Brand The significance of brand management is simply described by John Stewart, the CEO of Quaker Oats (Armstrong & Kotler 2007). He stated that â€Å"If this business split up I will give you all the bricks mortar and land and I would keep the brands and trademarks, and I would fare better than you† (Armstrong & Kotler 2007, 214). This evidently means that a strong brand can be more priceless than all the assets of a firm which make brand management very crucial. According to De Chernatony (2006), â€Å"a successful brand is an identifiable product, service, person or place, augmented in such a way that the buyer or user perceives relevant, unique, sustainable added values which match their needs most closely† (p. 13). A brand, in addition, can be defined as a system of signs and symbols that engages the customer in an invent ed or symbolic process that provides tangible value to a product or service (Kapferer 2008). The symbol of McDonald’s, which is an arching M, is only an M until every brand message has been sent or received by the potential customer. Herbert Rotfeld (2008) examines further the other abstract advantages and values branding can put in to a product or service. Similarly, Kapferer (2004) claimed that the brand is a mark whose objective is to express the hidden aspects of the product or service which are not readily available to the senses. McDonald’s is considered as one of the most popular brands across the globe. This essay will show how McDonald’s tries to constantly improve its brand by focusing on both its customers’ and brand owner’s perspectives. It also acknowledges the various stages in the branding and marketing process. Branding builds an identity and image for an organisation, product, or service. In particular, the brand image implies how customers distinguish or recognise the company. The mechanism of brand management will only be effective when a company performs and communicates itself in a trustworthy way (Nilson 2003). Techniques of marketing communication, such as advertising and promotions, are used to build brand identity, images, appeal, and methods which provide the brand its particular image (p. 49). This is represented at McDonald’s by its Golden Arches. The McDonald’s Brand McDonald’

Risk and Quality Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Risk and Quality Management - Assignment Example – Analysis of Risk Management Strategy (2011) 5 Conclusion 6 Sources Cited 7 Appendix 9 Introduction Hedge funds employ a number of different risk management strategies for large scale capital management for private individuals, trusts, pension funds, and other corporate investors seeking return that beats the market averages in order to grow wealth. Some of the risk management strategies used by the Paulson & Co hedge fund include: long-short strategies, portfolio diversification, merger arbitrage, quant computer trading, momentum trading, or distressed asset accumulation. (Barufaldi, 2011) The first imperative of any hedge fund is that it does not lose money on any investment, or in the fund as a whole. The most successful hedge fund managers have such a large amount of capital under management that their investments may move the stock markets and inform other traders. Because of this, large scale capital management, as practiced by Paulson & Co. and other hedge funds, must proceed under unique constraints or restrictions to risk management in seeking to outperform not only the market indices in returns, but also in outperforming other hedge funds, mutual funds, private equity groups, and venture capitalists. This essay will analyze the use of risk management strategies in financial investments made by the by Paulson & Co hedge fund in order to determine the appropriateness of their application in wealth management. Paulson & Co - Risk Management in Hedge Funds John Paulson is a New York native and Harvard graduate who founded his own hedge fund, Paulson & Co., in 1994 on Wall Street. In 2005, Paulson developed a long-short risk management strategy for the fund that placed a large amount of capital in investments that were short the subprime mortgage market through a variety of means including shorting bonds, banking stocks, and real estate, as well as collecting â€Å"credit default swap† insurance obligations that were related to derivative ex posure. (Zschoche, 2008) According to experts, Paulson & Co’s risk management strategies paid off by returning 590 % in one fund and 350 % in another for a total of over $3.7 Billion USD. (Zschoche, 2008) The details of this investment strategy are retold in a book by Gregory Zuckerman, published in 2009, â€Å"The Greatest Trade Ever: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History†. (Zuckerman, 2009) Paulson and Co. reported over $29 billion USD in total assets under management in 2010, making it one of the largest hedge funds in the world. (SharpeInvesting, 2010) Nevertheless, media reports suggest that the firm is down 20% in 2011, making a further review of the hedge fund’s recent risk management strategy since the 3rd quarter of 2010 in need of analysis. Paulson & Co. – Recent History Following Paulson’s success in ‘the world’s greatest trade’ in 2007-9, the hedge fund implemen ted an investment long term risk management strategy that heavily favored gold. Paulson & Co’s risk management strategy then involved placing more than $3.8 billion in gold bullion through ownership of the SPDR Gold Trust ETF (NYSE:GLD) . (Johnston, 2010) This investment included a total percentage of 16% of the total SPDR Gold Trust ETF in 2010. (Katz, 2010) The hedge fund’s broad strategy following the market crash of 2007-9 was to hedge the currency inflation inherent in Quantitative

English home 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English home 6 - Essay Example The government can decide how and where these young ones could be properly safeguarded during the day because their parents are busy at work and would like no hindrance at all as far as their work manifestations are related (Lamb, 1992). One should believe that the government has a clear cut role under such a setting because it is the government itself which can facilitate things as and when they come (Bower, 2000). The child day care centers would convince the parents that their young ones would be taken care of properly and that they do not have to worry at all. If the government wants, it can bring about some form of sanity within the related ranks and this will eventually ensure that the parents know that the government cares about them in the fact that these child day care centers have been formed which shall make their lives easier at the end of the day (Gormley Jr., 1995). However what seems as a missing link here is the fact that a number of parents are unaware of these child day care centers in the first place. Then again it is the responsibility of the government to make sure that the parents know how they can be assisted and what needs to be done to guarantee success in entirety (Moen, 1990). Since the working parents are essentially facilitating the work domains of the government itself, it is of paramount importance to know that these child day care centers are there to take care of the weaknesses which come about within the relationships that working parents do have with their children. However these strained relationships are not entirely of their own making and come up because there is the reality of work that has to be done by these parents (Henderson, 1995). Someone needs to take charge of these young ones and the child day care centers seem to be the perfect fit. If these are not present in the first place, it would be significant to realize that having them will solve quite a few problems which are there or might even crop up in the coming t imes. The gratification element comes in within the equation here as the working parents have to be given the rights that they richly deserve (Cohen, 2001). This is in the form of the child day care centers which should be opened up to take care of the problems that working parents might face in the coming times. The child day care centers exist to serve those working parents who are unable to take care of their children as and when required. However this does not give them the leeway to make use of these child day care centers even on weekly holidays and in vacations. The role of the government is an important one because it sets the exact manner under which success for the working parents could be envisaged and the same can be further bolstered with funding from the domains of the government for the long term success of the problem at hand (Auerbach, 1988). How this issue will be tackled is something that the government must address because it safeguards the rights and interests o f the commoners and especially the working class. The working parents are indeed no exception and should be given the room to exploit their skills and resources without thinking of their own family domains (Zinsmeister, 1998). All said and done, the role of the government will remain no matter what kinds of steps are taken within the building up of these child day

European free trade zone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

European free trade zone - Essay Example The seven member countries of EFTA including Austria, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland were not willing to be the part of the European Economic Community at that time. Finland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein joined EFTA later. Under the EFTA treaty, the member countries made a partnership in order to form and manage a free trade zone, and they initially established such a region among themselves; the free trade area then eventually broadened to include the European Community. By the formation of a European free trade zone, the member countries aimed â€Å"increased productivity, a more efficient use of resources, the expansion of economic activity and full employment as well as promoting financial stability and improving living standards† (â€Å"European free trade area†). Gradually, some countries left the EFTA and presently the EFTA comprises Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. In 1992, EFTA made agreements with EEA (Euro pean Economic Area) to aid its members to join the European internal market freely. These agreements contained specific provision regarding the preservation of social policy, consumer rights, environment, and company law and statistics. In addition, the agreement also included various provisions for the mutual cooperation of EEA-EFTA Member States in various areas such as researches and development, information technology, education, industrial operations, tourism, multimedia sector and civil protection (â€Å"European free trade area†). As Ranchev and Georgi point out, in Southeast Europe, seven countries including Albania, Croatia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Macedonia, and FR Yugoslavia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 27th June 2001 for the establishment of a free trade zone in that area (1-13). After the collapse of the Iron curtain, two free trade areas namely Baltic Free Trade Area (BAFTA) and Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) were for med so as to stabilize the countries under these areas for membership of the EU. However, the original members from both these areas left the agreements and joined EU after the enlargement of EU in 2004. CEFTA has spread its operations to Southern Europe by adding members from Western Balkans and Moldova regions. The EU not only operates as a free trade area but it engages in more widespread operations with its predecessor, the European Economic Community. The EU offers services to EFTA members by sharing its single market through European Economic Area and it maintains provisions for making free trade agreements with most other European countries. Presently Europe includes three multi-lateral free trade areas in addition to the European Union which maintains a single market and one former-FTA. Crises to European Free Trade Zone The European free trade area has faced a large number of crises from the beginning of its history. Although, the free trade zone implementation process for Southeast Europe has been well structured, many economists opine that this trade liberalization process may result in adverse economic impacts. Ranchev and Georgi strongly argue that the concept of free trade zone would raise potential threats to the sustainable economic growth of the

If you could choose to live in any world you wanted to, what would Essay

If you could choose to live in any world you wanted to, what would that world be like - Essay Example These issues would not be allowed within my own world as I believe these in essence mar the basis of development and growth amongst humans. My world would be different in the fact that it will have a more adequate space for understanding one another. There would be openness amongst people and camaraderie all round so that bitterness would not make the rounds of one another’s minds. People would be forthwith in their dealings and there would be respect for the elderly and love for the young ones. In short, my world would entail a character of its own making. It will make us all proud that we could actually live in harmony without any such issues coming to the fore. My world would have economic relief for everyone. There would not be problems for the people who are less affluent and the ones who essentially cannot afford to buy the most glamorous products on display. The economic well-being of the people would take into account their spending patterns, the manner in which they could afford their true basis within the complexities of life and in essence their salaries, which they get from their respective jobs and undertakings. The rich would not get richer by the day and same would be the case for the poor people within this world. In fact there would be an open ground for the rich and the poor to link with one another and thus interact on a level playing field. Similarly, the government of the time within this world would comprise of individuals who are honest with the masses, have proven track record of doing things right and are known to be steadfast in their respective areas of strength. Citizens will have a say in the affairs of the govern ment so that there is accountability from top to bottom and no such issues of treating people in an undignified manner come to the fore. The middle aged adults would be encouraged to join politics so that they could give somewhat constructive back to the society. One should believe that this is a very enticing

Target Corp - Strategic Management - 5 forces - value chain Essay

Target Corp - Strategic Management - 5 forces - value chain - Essay Example Operating in a dynamic business environment, companies often have to change their strategies to suit the industry requirements. Technological environment keeps on changing, so does customer tastes and preferences as well as government policies. The environment an organization was operating in five years ago, and the challenges faced then, are a very different from the challenges faced today. Five years from today, this scenario will be different. Thus, strategic management as a process does not end at any particular time; rather, it is an evolutionary process. As the business environment keeps changing, the management in most cases has to implement changes that will ensure that it successfully meets its goals and objectives. Failure to implement such changes whenever they fall due means that the organization falls short of its goals and objectives. Thus, it fails to live up to its vision, mission and does not achieve its target. As a destination, strategic management aims at achievin g particular goals and objectives, defined by the mission, vision and objective statement of the firm. A destination establishes a journey; not until the company reaches the defined destination, then strategies will keep on changing, through the review process. b. All companies currently must have a strategic plan to survive in the highly competitive business environment. Every organization, serious enough in achieving its goals and objectives needs to have plans on what it hopes to achieve. Even if it lacks a mission statement, then it ought to have a vision of the goals it hopes to achieve in the long term. A strategic management statement defines the vision and the mission, establishes goals and objectives to achieve. These are the underlying factors in a strategic plan of a company. Target Corporation has a vision, a mission and a target objective, the key elements defining a mission statement of a company. Laying out its plans in a well-defined way and manner, with a comprehens ively started goals and objectives, Target Corporation qualifies as a strategic management organization. While defining what it plans to achieve in future, Target Corporation plans to be the leading firm in the retail industry. Coming second from Wal-Mart retail chain in terms of market share and revenue collection, Target Corporation management hopes to become the leading firm, by passing Wal-Mart. the probability of this vision becoming a reality in absence of strategic management plans is zero. Therefore, Target has to lay down a framework that would help it achieve these goals and objectives. To achieve this strategy, the company plans to embark on an aggressive growth and expansion plan. Its long-term plans involve internal and external growth plans on areas identified through the SWOT analysis plan. Externally, it hopes to expand its operations internationally through establishment of more branches. This will not only win the firm a competitive advantage over other firms, but will also help it acquire a larger market share. Another way in which Target shows its strategic management plan is through product diversification and development. Despite offering a range of fashionable products, and enjoying high customer loyalty, the management believes that through product differentiation and diversification, it can win more customers,

Good Communication Drives Superior Financial Performance Essay Example for Free

Good Communication Drives Superior Financial Performance Essay According to Watson Wyatt’s 2009-2010 Communication ROI Study, businesses that communicate with courage, innovation and discipline, particularly in tough economic times, are more successful at engaging employees and achieving desired business results. â€Å"Effective internal communication can keep employees engaged in the business and help companies retain key talent, provide consistent value to customers, and deliver superior financial performance to shareholders,† said the study, which included 328 organizations across the world. Watson Wyatt’s newest communications study, like its other ones, found that businesses that communicate effectively with their employees are also the top financial performers. A key finding of the study was that companies that are highly effective communicators had 47 percent higher total return to shareholders over the last five years, compared to firms that are the least-effective communicators. According to the study, the best companies invest in helping leaders and managers communicate with their employees. While the study points out that only three out of 10 organizations are training managers to deal openly with resistance to change, highly effective communicators are more than three times as likely to do this compared to the least-effective communicators. A survey developed by Accountemps ®, a Robert Half Company, points out another reason why good communication equals good business. The survey found that better and more frequent communication with staff members is perhaps the best way to raise employee morale. The survey was conducted by an independent research firm in 2008 and is based on interviews with 150 senior executives from the nation’s 1,000 largest companies. Nearly half of executives who participated in the survey said better communication is the best remedy for low morale. According to the survey, the absence of open and honest communication with staff tops the list of management missteps that can wear down employee morale.

How Cell Phones Have Influenced The Media

How Cell Phones Have Influenced The Media It is not unfathomable that a 7th Mass Media may appear sometime in the not too distant future. This new mass media is the mobile phone or as some call it, the cell phone. With around 84 percent of American adults owning a cell phone, cell phone usage has already penetrated deep into our society. It is reported that two-thirds of cell phone users also use other features including texting, e-mailing, web browsing and apps (software applications that allow them to play games, access web content and access media or data). Only a third of Americans now use their cell phones just for making phone calls (Domain-b). CellularHYPERLINK http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/how-cell-phones-have-changed-our-lives-432849.html HYPERLINK http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/how-cell-phones-have-changed-our-lives-432849.htmlphones have had a major impact on our lives and the way that we perform everyday tasks. Many of these changes are apparent, while others we may not even be aw are of (Anonymous).A cell phone is the only universal gadget because the need to communicate is more powerful than the need to compute, to be entertained or to be informed (Ahonen 1). With a cell phone we get all of these things wrapped into one little neat device that fits right in our pocket. The cell phone is not the dumb little brother of the internet, nor the dumb tiny screen version of TV. Yes, the cell phone is small, but it has attributes that make it a superior medium in many ways and a dominating media channel in the three most important factors reach, audience accuracy and money (Ahonen 6). What Ahonen is saying is that while small in size, the cell phone will have a huge impact on mass media. The power of the mobile phone as a mass media is six elements not available on previous mass media. (1) The phone is the first truly personal media. A 2006 survey by wired revealed that 63% of the population does not share the phone even with ones spouse, it is that personal. (2) The phone is always carried. A survey in 2005 by BDDO found that 60% of the population sleeps with the phone physically in bed; a Nokia 2006 study found that 72% of us use the phone as our alarm clock. (3) The phone is the first always-on mass media, today many media offer alerts via the phone, what is on another real time media like TV, such as CNN breaking news alerts via SMS. Probably the most important, is that (4) the phone has a built-in payment mechanism. No other media has a built-in payment mechanism, even on the internet you have to subscribe to PayPal or provide a credit card, etc. But already today, older media collect payments through the phone. TV shows from Big Brother to American Idol earn bi llions via SMS votes. Perhaps the most novel phenomenon is that (5) the phone is a creative tool available always at the point of creative impulse. The camera phone (which is also our video recorder and podcast recorder) is in our pocket, always at the ready to snap images and clips. User-generated content is radically altering the media world as seen at YouTube etc. And (6), mobile is the only mass media with near-perfect audience information. Where most print are sold on newsstands and even subscriptions do not tell who in the household consumes the periodicals, and TV and radio rely on Nielsen ratings and similar audience estimates, the internet promised accurate audience measurements. That proved to be a false promise, as firewalls, shared PCs, multiple accounts, removed cookies and users deliberately falsifying their info have proven. But on cellular networks, every individual phone user is identified uniquely, across the billions of phones worldwide. Having a pre-paid account (voucher/pay-as-you-go) does not diminish the unique identification of every phone. Thus mobile for the first time offers near-perfect audience data (Ahonen). Mobiles are an integral part of our lives so much that many of us cannot remember a time without them. To have a mobile has become second nature and we are generally never separated from them we eat, breathe and, yes, even sleep with our mobile phones making them the most private and personal accessory we own today. And yet, there is still a lack of understanding about how mobile can be a powerful, complimentary mass media. It can be boiled down to two key differentiators: 1) mobile is interactive; and 2) mobile has unique features including SMS and MMS. These differentiators create something that no other media can the ability to respond to, initiate and maintain a dialogue between those wanting to communicate, whether they are family and friends, colleagues, or brands and advertisers (Ahonen, Foreward). Like the internet before it, today the phone can replicate everything the previous six mass media can do. You can consume newspapers, read magazine articles, listen to radio and podcasts, buy MP3 songs, watch TV, even watch whole movies on the phone. Any web content can be consumed on the phone, and the phone easily supersedes the interactivity of the web, because e-mail and IM are already on the phone, but SMS and MMS messaging are unique to mobile. Nick Wiggin, the head of the Mobile Marketing Association, says: The mobile phone will be the red-button technology of the future it will enable interaction with broadcast media, be that radio, posters or TV. Mobile is the media glue that links different communications solutions together (Bonello). These days people are all about portability we want to get news, listen to music, and even watch some of our favorite TV shows all on the go. Mobiles are an integral part of our lives, so much that many of us cannot remember a time without them. To have a mobile has become second nature and we are generally never separated from them. We eat, breathe and, yes, even sleep with our mobile phones, making them the most private and personal accessory we own today(Ahonen). The future will be even more mobile. We will be connecting more people, devices, pets, plants, etc all via mobile, not via the traditional internet or television or any other technology (Ahonen and Moore 55). Mobile is a simple solution for many people to simplify their lives and how they choose to get their information. Will cell phones phase out more traditional media such as print media, Television and Radio? This is still uncertain but largely people own twice as many cell phones as TV sets, there are three times as many cell phone subscribers as internet users, and four times as many cell phones as Personal Computers. Advertising, news, TV, internet giants, social networking and even Hollywood movies and printed books are now rushing to capture their share of this 7th mass media (Ahonen 1). Through about six decades of continuous evolution, the mobile phone has retained its relevance to the life of the modern man. At every stage in his growth curve, it has undergone metamorphosis, adding features and functionalities that make it even more indispensable. It started as an extension of the landline; a bridge between the home and office landlines. It found relevance in the need of the modern professional to remain in communication in and out of home or office, at play, in the car, at lunch and anywhere else. The mobile phone has since moved up from this simplistic role to become more actively involved in the way modern businesses are conducted (Awe). How has mobile changed news media? How many people get their news has largely changed. First was radio, then television, and then came the internet. So where does the cell phone fit into all of this? The cell phone is a valuable tool for both obtaining news and capturing it live. Chicago even has its very own 9-1-1 video call line where citizens send images from their cell phones to the police department if they witness a crime has been committed. The images from 9-1-1 callers will allow authorities to analyze emergency situations more objectively, says Jose Santiago the executive director of the citys Emergency Management and Communication.They also can be used as evidence in a criminal case, he said (Main). Portable news via a personal cell phone is accessible to the public 24/7 wherever that specific person may be; this has made news on the go a likely choice for anyone with a cell phone who wants to keep up with what is going on in the news. Nearly half of American adults say the y get at least some of their local news and information on their cell phone or tablet computer according to a survey by the Pew research center (Purcell, Rainey, Rosenstiel, and Mitchell). How we get our music is also changing due to the mobile phone. In adapting to an age where the passion for music, particularly among the young and the young at heart, has risen to obsessive proportions, mobile phones have largely become music devices. There are mobile phones on the market that are anything between a radio transistor and an MP 3 player. There are many that can give almost the same music experience as traditional music devices. Apart from downloading music for listening pleasure, mobile phone users can also download any music of their choice as ring tones (Awe). Music was the first content type to emerge as paid downloaded content to mobile phones 11 years ago. Today mobile is a giant new market opportunity for the music industry. (Ahonen 46). With so many changes and advancements in technology these days it is not surprising that music and how people get and listen to their music has transitioned as well. The portable music revolution has been with us for only a few y ears according to an article in Wired Magazine online, but we may see a slow transition from a standard mp3 player to a cell phone when it comes to music access and playback. This change will not be driven by cell phones that act like MP3 players, dishing out music that must be organized by the user. It wont even be about software that streams your own music to your phone. Instead, the next great thing in music technology will be cell phone applications that replicate the experience of listening to interactive, customized radio stations at a computer (Buskirk). According to Buskirk, interactive radio on your cell phone can replace your mp3 player. Most interactive radio services such as Pandora, Flycast, and AOL radio have free and paid versions for getting access to your music. Of course not everyone will automatically throw away their standard mp3 players in favor of this option. One of the downsides to accessing music via cell phone is that the music is streaming online so if you have no signal, then you have no music. Accessing music with our cell phone will become a viable option and will continue to grow in popularity but it will not totally replace other more traditional methods. Books are also transitioning. In fact, while items like the Amazon Kindle are popular portable reading devices, there is another portable device some others prefer, the cell phone. A growing number of people are getting their book fix via mobile phone. It is considered a more convenient method over the dedicated e readers available. The idea of downloading a book to a device you already own is most appealing to those on a budget or to those who simply do not want to carry something extra around all the time to access their books (Kharif). In this technology-enamored nation, the mobile phone has become widespread as an entertainment and communication device that reading e-mail, news headlines and weather forecasts, rather advanced mobile features by global standards, is routine. Now, Japans cell-phone users are turning pages. Tens of thousands of Japanese cell-phone owners are poring over full-length novels on their tiny screens. You can read whenever you have a spare moment, and you dont even need to use both hands, says Taro Matsumura, a 24-year-old graduate student who sometimes reads essays and serial novels on his phone. Such times could be just around the corner in the United States, where cell phones are become increasingly used for relaying data, including video, digital photos and music( Associated Press). It has also been noted that cell phones may be more important to the future of publishing than dedicated e-reading devices. Whereas in the US dedicated devices such as the Kindle, Nook, and iPad get most of the spotlight, these devices have been slow to make it to the rest of the world and so most people elsewhere read on their mobile phones. Since mobile phones tend to be considerably less expensive than e-book devices, in the developing world they are far more likely to be owned for other purposes already (Meadows). Using cell phones for internet access is also very popular these days. Although most people still access the Internet on a computer, the use of mobile devices to check e-mail or browse the Web is growing, outpacing even laptops in some markets, according to a new study (Associated Press). What is media convergence in relation to cell phones? Convergence is the process where several media channels come together to exist and operate in synergy or rather in harmony. A media convergence is basically seen in every persons cell phone, glance down at your palm and there sits a device that can click a photograph, edit and modify the same and also send it like a mail. Some people like to define media convergence simply by stating it to be a merger of mass media and communication outlets. In some cases multi utility of the same gadget or some media was also attributed to be a media convergence (K). By virtue of it always being with you, the mobile phone is the most personal of devices. Let us look at the following questions: How many of us have personal pictures on our mobile phones? (It holds our precious treasures) How many of us keep personal appointments or reminders on our mobile? (Like a personal assistant) Is our mobile phone used for an alarm? (We go to bed and wake up with it) Does our mobile phone serve as a GPS? (Gives directions helps us get to where we need to go) There are many uses and most importantly many personal uses for a cell phone because we are busy, always running around either for work or for home the mobile device has grown in importance , and continues to do so. Marketers know this and so does everyone else in the world. They want to interact with us as close to that moment of want as possible. That moment when we see something and we want it! They want to have a hand in creating that moment for us. Marketers, merchandisers and everyone else want to interact with us as much as possible and wherever we find ourselves. The mobile phone allows the message (whatever that may be) to reach us wherever we find ourselves. For many of us, where they find our mobile phone they will most likely find us! Thats why media convergence is taking place at the mobile phone. Not because of the phone but because of us (HC). Blogger Cdauphin states in his blog on Open Salon about Media Convergence and the smart phone: As an avid cell phone user I find that my use of the computer, a past necessity, seems to have gone downhill. Different mass media being converted into the newest technologies has been going on for decades, however I find that the technologies of the smart phones many of us use today has really taken this to a new level and opened up a whole new way of accessing as many media portals in one small device. So much of my life can now be found in this little device that fits in my pocket that my Internet, television and even book usage has gone down significantly. As a daily news addict I have not only changed from reading the newspaper to watching it on television, but now I get an alert on my phone from BBC News every time there is a new breaking story. Being interested in the happenings around the world no longer takes any effort- my phone does the work for me (Cdauphin). Mobile advertising is the next big thing according to an article in the Economist, last year spending on mobile ads was $871million worldwide. At the moment, most mobile advertising takes the form of text messages. The 2.5 billion mobile phones around the world can potentially reach a much bigger audience than the planets billion or so personal computers. The number of mobile phones in use is also growing much faster than the number of computers, especially in poorer countries. Better yet, most people carry their mobile with them everywheresomething that cannot be said of television or computers. Yet the biggest selling point of mobile ads is what marketing types call relevance. Advertisers believe that about half of all traditional advertising does not reach the right audience. Less effort and money is wasted with online advertising: half of it is sold on a pay-per-click basis, which means advertisers pay only when consumers click on an ad but mobile advertising through text message s is the most focused: if marketers use mobile firms profiles of their customers cleverly enough, they can tailor their advertisements to match each subscribers habits. While it is true that mobile phones have helped us connect and make changes in how we get our information on a day to day basis, there are also conflicting views on whether or not this is a good thing. Though cell phones can be wonderful, liberating tools of communication, freeing us from the confines of an office, and providing more leisure time, they often do the exact opposite. Cell phone use has blurred the boundaries between work and non-work time, increasing stress and tension within families and between friends. As Noelle Chesley, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, explained in a report on CBS News, The question of blurred boundaries may become an irrelevant one for the next generation of workers, spouses, and parents because they cannot imagine life any other way. As Slate commented in his Adbusters essay, It seems the more connected we are, the more detached we become(Dangl). One of the greatest disadvantages of the cellular phone i s the fact that we do not talk to strangers when traveling anymore. In the past, several people waiting for a bus would engage in a conversation while they were waiting. People who traveled the same routes every day might develop friendships along the way. This situation does not happen anymore. Today when people are waiting for a bus, they just pull out their cell phones and speak with old friends, missing out on the opportunity to make new ones. In large cities, many people do not know their neighbors, even though they may have lived in the same neighborhood for years. As a society, we are beginning to lose the face-to-face contact that was such an important part of our lives in the past. Cell phones are a great asset in aiding in our everyday lives. However, you should remember, however, to hang up every once in a while and pay attention to the world around you (Anonymous).

Indivdual Differences In Pain Tolerance Psychology Essay

Indivdual Differences In Pain Tolerance Psychology Essay It is generally agreed that the perception of pain does not only depend on the noxious input, but also on a variety of psychological variables including an individuals emotional state. The amygdala is one area of the brain linked with the regulation of both emotion and pain (Lapate, Lee, Salomons, van Reekum, Grieschar Davidson, 2012). This region has also been implicated in trait aggression and the act of cursing. The current study aimed to expand on previous work looking into the hypoalgesic effect of swearing on pain (Stephens, Atkins and Kingston, 2009; Stephens Umland 2011) whilst also examining the role of trait aggression and gender. Participants consisted of 50 students from the University of Central Lancashire. They took part in two cold pressor task trials whilst either cursing or repeating the word chair. They also completed the Trait Aggression Questionnaire (Buss Perry, 1992). Physiological readings of heart rate and systolic/diastolic blood pressure were taken along with cold pressor latency. It was found that swearing had no impact on pain tolerance and there were no differences in physiological reading between any of the conditions. However, the results showed that both males and females who scored high on the trait aggression questionnaire could withstand the cold pressor task for longer than those low in trait aggression. Males also lasted longer on the cold pressor task than females across both the swearing and non-swearing conditions. The lack of findings with regards to swearing could be due to the manner in which participants were asked to curse. Despite this, the findings do support the idea that individual differences need to be taken into account when studying pain and when dealing with pain in the clinical population. Physical pain has been subject to vast amounts of research across various disciplines. From an evolutionary point of view, pain serves an important purpose. For example, it motivates action to escape or avoid noxious stimuli (Ploghaus, Tracey, Gati, Clare, Menon, Matthews, Nicholas Rawlins, 1999). The more that is discovered about the physiological and psychological processes involved in the perception of pain, the more complex it has become (Ogden, 2007). Traditionally, the main body of research into pain has been on the pharmacological control of pain and has been focused on the spinal cord processes of pain relief. As more is being learnt about the different types of pain modality systems it is becoming clearer that pharmacology is not the only way to manipulate these mechanisms (Villemure Bushnell, 2002). More recent evidence has been provided using neuroimaging as a means to further explore these mechanisms. Functional neuroimaging has shown that certain areas of the brain are activated when pain is experienced. These include the thalamus, somatosensory and prefrontal cortices and the anterior cingulate cortex (Ploghaus et al, 1999). However, recent research on pain has focussed more on the role that emotions play in pain regulation. The current view is of pain is much more multidimensional. This means the perception of pain does not necessarily depend on the level of noxious input; rather it is heavily influenced by many psychological variables (Wiech Tracey, 2009). The emotional dimension of pain is further supported by findings that show a large percentage of neurons in the medial thalamus that respond to noxious stimuli applied directly to the skin are changeable depending on the motivational and affective state of the animal (Price, 2002 cited in Wickens, 2009). Therefore it is necessary to study other areas of the brain in relation to pain. More and more research is showing that the amygdala may play an important role in the integration of affective regulation and pain perception (Lapate, Lee, Salomons, van Reekum, Grieschar Davidson, 2012). Using a combination of behavioural, physiological and neuroimaging methods (Lapate et al. (2012) demonstrated that both pain and emotion regulation are reflected in amygdala function. Other recent studies have also focused on the influence emotions have on pain. For example, Godinho,  Magnin,  Frot,  Perche   Garcia-Larrea (2006) demonstrated that empathy with other peoples suffering increased a participants own reported pain intensity. In addition, De Wied and Verbaten (2001) conducted a study looking at the effect positive and negative pictures would have on participants pain tolerance. They found that participants viewing the positive pictures prior to the task could withstand pain for longer than participants viewing the negative pictures before the task. With regards t o negative emotions it has been found that inducing anger or sadness (Rainville, Bao Chrà ©tien, 2005) or a depressed mood (Berna, Leknes, Holmes, Edwards, Goodwin Tracey, 2010) in healthy participants increases pain intensity and leads to individuals rating pain as more unpleasant than if these negative emotions had not been induced. Given that emotions are linked to the effects of pain, research has also explored the role they play in its regulation. For example recent research has looked at the effects of swearing on pain tolerance. The use of taboo words, or swearing, is a prominent yet understudied part of human language (Van Lancker Cummings, 1999) which is used across all cultures (Pinker, 2007). Swearing can be used as a means to express emotion, particularly negative. The primary meanings of offensive words are connotative (Jay Janschewitz, 2008) rather than denotative meaning they have an emotional feeling distinct from the actual meaning of the word. As soon as a child learns to speak, they learn to curse. Children learn that cursing is a form of coping with stress and it has been hypothesised that being punished for cursing as a child can lead to the words holding a negative emotional connotation for the user (Jay, King Duncan, 2006). Therefore it is important to explore how swear words effect emotions compared to normal language. It has been suggested that the connotations and denotations of words are actually processed and stored in different parts of the brain, with denotation being primarily dealt with in the neocortex of the left hemisphere and connotation being processed across connections between the neocortex and the limbic system in the right hemisphere (Pinker, 2007). Interestingly it appears that the neuropathology of swearing is distinct from the main language areas of the brain. This can be seen in cases of severely aphasic patients where cursing is done with almost perfect articulation in comparison to the patients disabilities in other areas of language and speech (Van Lancker Cummings, 1999). It has also been found that for patients suffering from coprolalia (the obscene linguistic outbursts of Gilles de la Tourettes syndrome) the symptoms are the same (although culturally specific taboos) in different languages which is evidence to support the act of cursing as having a neurobiological basis (Pinker, 2007). The amygdala has also been implicated in swearing with neuroimaging studies showing increased activation in this area of the brain on hearing/saying taboo words (Jay, 2000). However, despite swearing being common in both clinical and non-clinical populations, it is a relatively neglected area of study. This may be due partly to a universal negative reaction to profanity (Van Lancker Cummings, 1999). In particular it is surprising that swearing as a response to pain has received such little attention in the scientific community. To date there appears to be only two studies in the area of swearing as a response to pain, both of which were conducted by Dr Richard Stephens (Stephens, Atkins and Kingston, 2009Stephens, et al. 2009; Stephens Umland 2011).In the first of these studies Stephens et al. (2009) looked at swearing as a response to pain by asking participants to submerge their hand in freezing cold ice water (the cold pressor task). They hypothesised that swearing would be a maladaptive response to pain. In total 67 participants took part in a swearing and non-swearing trial. In the swearing trial they were asked to repeat a swear word they would use if in pain and in the non-swearing trial they were asked what word they could use for a table. Stephens took heart rate readings as well as using a perceived pain scale. In this study he found that swearing increased cold pressor latency (i.e. the time that they could keep their hand in the ice water), lowered pain perception and was accompanied by an incr eased heart rate. The increased heart rate is indicative of sympathetic nervous system activation, or the fight or flight response. As this study included both male and female participants the element of gender based differences in pain tolerance had to be considered. While this is a physical difference, the emotional effect of swearing for males compared to females could affect pain tolerance. The main gender difference with regard to pain tolerance found in Stephens et al.s (2009) study was that males could withstand the cold pressor task for longer than females. Women have been found to show greater sensitivity to experimentally induceds pain than men (Riley, Robinson, Wise, Myers Fillingim, 1998) although a review of studies conducted over the past ten years looking at pain and gender suggests that pain tolerance is the only measure in which there is significant difference between males and females during the cold pressor task (Racinea, Tousignant-La ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ammec, Kloda, Dione, Dupuis Choinià ¨re, 2012). Other gender differences in the study by Stephens et al. (2009) were observed with females having a greater reduction in perceived pain and a greater increase in heart rate during the swearing condition. This could be due to gender differences in swearing. For example, it has been found that females perceive more power in swear words than males (Dewaele, 2004). It has also been found that although swearing frequency is similar across both genders, males tend to be more offensive than females (Jay Janschewitz, 2008). There have also been inconsistent results in studies looking at physiological responses to pain in men and women. Maixner and Humphrey (1993) found that women responded to pain with an increased heart rate, as shown in Stephens et al. (2009), and men responded to pain with an increase in blood pressure. However a more recent study conducted by alAbsi, Peterson and Wittmers (2002) found a relationship between blood pressure and pain perception only amongst their female participants whilst other studies have found no evidence of gender differences when looking at the blood pressure/pain relationship (Helfer McCubbin, 2001; Poudevigne, OConner Pasley, 2002). These gender differences could go some way to explain why swearing has the different effects on pain perception and physiological responses.In a second study conducted by Ste phens Umland (2011) replicated earlier findings in a second study on 71 participants. , most of the results from the first study were replicated. Participants were able to keep their hand in the cold water for longer if they were swearing, and heart rate was also increased. With regards toHowever, when they looked at gender differences they found males lasted longer during the cold pressor task than females as before but this time there was no dramatic change in heart rate for the female participants. One possible reason for swearing being an effective response to pain is that it could activate part of the brain known as the Rage Circuit. This is an evolutionary response in mammals which goes from part of the amygdala, through the hypothalamus then into the midbrain. It is like a sudden reflex response to pain or frustration. When this happens the rage circuit triggers the parts of the brain connected with negative emotion including words with a strong emotional connotation such as swearing (Pinker, 2007). Indeed, Stephens et al. (2009) suggested that swearing may be effective due to it inducing a negative emotion despite previous research suggesting that negative emotion actually decreases pain tolerance and increases pain perception (Berna et al., 2010; De Wied Verbaten, 2001; Rainville et al., 2005). It should be noted however that such research tends to consider the emotional state prior to the experience of pain rather than the emotional response to noxious stimuli (Rainvil le, Bao Chrà ©tien, 2005). Another explanation for the hypoalgesic effect of swearing could be the role of the amygdala in the fight or flight response. The central nucleus of the pathway projects to the hypothalamus which then triggers the sympathetic nervous system resulting in the fight or flight response of raised heart rate and blood pressure (Wickens, 2009). This response can be activated by a number of different stimuli; including pain and can increase pain tolerance and decrease the perception of pain. Further activation of the amygdala, such as through swearing, may increase physiological reactions further resulting in this mechanism being even more effective against pain. Negative emotions such as anxiety and depression have received a lot of attention in the field of pain research. It is becoming apparent that other negative emotions, such as anger, fear and aggression may also be involved in the perception of pain (Quartana, Bounds, Yoon, Goodin Burns, 2010). Aggression is one of the negative emotions that have been suggested to be linked to swearing (Stephens Umland, 2011). Many studies have been conducted in the past on whether pain elicits aggression, but there has been little research into whether aggression as a trait has an effect on pain tolerance and pain perception. In a study conducted by Seguin, Pihl, Boulerice, Tremblay Harden (1996) adolescent boys were asked to take part in a pain tolerance task assessed via finger pressure pain. Trait aggression was recorded as stable, unstable or no history. The results suggested that boys classed as unstable aggressors displayed the lowest pain tolerance, whereas boys classed as stable aggressors displayed the highest pain tolerance. Another study found that male participants who displayed higher levels and frequency of aggression could endure longer periods of pain compared to males with lower levels of aggression (Niel, Hunnicut-Ferguson, Reidy, Martines Zeichner, 2007). This seems to suggest that aggression does, in some way, play a role in pain tolerance. The main issue arising from these studies is that they only included male participants. A more recent study looking at a sample of both males and females found no significant relationship between pain tolerance and trait aggression once the mens conformity to a masculine gender role had been controlled for (Reidy, Dimmick, MacDonald, Zeichner, 2009). These conflicting results highlight the need for further research into the role of trait aggression in the experience of pain alongside the effects of swearing and including both male and female participants. The amygdala has already been mentioned in connection with pain modulation, swearing and emotion however it has also been linked with trait aggression. In a recent study 20 volunteers underwent brain scans which revealed a significant negative correlation between trait aggression and amygdala volume (Matthies, Rusch, Weber, Lieb, Phillipsen, Tuescher et al., 2012). Due to this and the previous inconclusive research into the role of trait aggression and pain, a high/low trait aggression condition will be included in the current study to see if there is any interaction between trait aggression and swearing during the cold pressor task. The main aim of the current study is to try and replicate the results found by Stephens et al. (2009; 2011). A cold pressor task will be used as the noxious stimuli with swearing, gender and trait aggression being compared with regards to cold pressor latency. Heart rate will be recorded as in Stephens et al. (2009; 2011) but the current study will also record systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These physiological responses were not measured in the original studies on swearing and pain and would provide more evidence that the sympathetic nervous system is activated to a greater degree whilst swearing as well as giving more insight into the blood pressure and pain relationship (Helfer McCubbin, 2001; Poudevigne, OConner Pasley, 2002). Based on previous research several hypotheses were generated. In line with the findings of Stephens et al. (2009; 2011) it is hypothesised that cold pressor latency will be longer in the swearing condition compared to the non-swearing condition for males and females. It is also expected that physiological responses (systolic/diastolic blood pressure and heart rate) will be higher in the swearing condition compared to the non-swearing condition. Additionally, males are expected to withstand the noxious stimulus (cold pressor task) for longer than females across the swearing and non-swearing conditions. In line with Stephens et al. (2009), but not Stephens Umland (2011) it is hypothesised that females will display a greater increase in heart rate (and therefore systolic and diastolic blood pressure) in the swearing condition in comparison to the males. HypothesisIn line with Stephens et al., (2009; 2011):Cold pressor latency will be longer in the swearing condition compared to the non-swearing condition for males and females.Systolic blood pressure will be higher in the swearing condition compared to the non-swearing condition for males and females.Diastolic blood pressure will be higher in the swearing condition compared to the non-swearing condition for males and females.Heart rate will be higher in the swearing condition compared to the non-swearing condition for males and females.Overall males will withstand the noxious stimulus (cold pressor task) for longer than females across the swearing and the non-swearing conditions.In line with Stephens et al., (2009), but not Stephens Umland (2011):Females will display a greater increase in heart rate (and therefore systolic and diastolic blood pressure) in the swearing condition in comparison to the males.Due to the inconclusive research into the role of trait aggression and pain tol erance no specific hypothesis will be generated for this variable. Instead it will be examined whether trait aggression will have any effect on systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and cold pressor latency across the swearing and non-swearing conditions and also whether there are any gender differences. METHOD DESIGN A 2 x 2 x 2 mixed subjects design was employed for this study. The between subjects factors were gender (male/female) and trait aggression (high/low). The within factor was swearing with all participants taking part in both the swearing and the non-swearing condition. The order of conditions (swearing/non-swearing) was counterbalanced for each participant. The dependent variables measured were systolic blood pressure (mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (mmHg), heart rate (BPM) and cold pressor latency (length of time participants kept their hand in the cold water in seconds). The cold pressor task was employed as the painful stimulus. To avoid demand effects participants were not informed of the true nature of the task until they were debriefed. PARTICIPANTS The participants consisted of 50 students attending various courses at the University of Central Lancashire. They were recruited using both opportunity sampling and through the research participation pool where students receive credit for taking part in research. Participation was entirely voluntary. There were 25 females and 25 males with ages ranging from 18 to 44 years. Mean age was 23.4 years (SD = 5.71). Participants were screened for existing heart conditions, high/low blood pressure and circulatory problems. No participants were excluded from the study on the basis of this screening. MATERIALS Prior to taking part in the study, participants were given a brief sheet (see Appendix 1 for brief) and screened using a health screening questionnaire provided by the University of Central Lancashire (see Appendix 2 for Health Screening Questionnaire). For the Cold Pressor Task a bucket filled with a mixture of cold water and ice was used. Prior to each task a thermometer was used to check the temperature was 0 °C. For baseline readings and between tasks a bucket containing room temperature water (25  °C) was used. Physiological readings were obtained using a LifeSource ® UA-767 Plus machine which measures both blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) and heart rate. Trait aggression was measured using a trait aggression questionnaire (Buss Perry, 1992). This questionnaire consists of 29 items which participants rank on a likert scale of one to five with one being not at all like you and five being completely like you. Examples of statements are; Once in a while I cant control the urge to strike another person and I tell my friends openly when I disagree with them. Within the questionnaire are four subscales which measure verbal aggression, physical aggression, hostility and anger. For the purposes of this study the overall trait aggression score was used where a higher score on the questionnaire equals a higher level of trait aggression. The questionnaire has been shown to have good internal consistency (ÃŽÂ ± = .89) as well as test-retest reliability (r = .80; Buss Perry, 1992). (See Appendix 3 for Trait Aggression Questionnaire). After completing the aggression questionnaire participants were made fully aware of the nature of the study th rough the debrief (see Appendix 4 for debrief). PROCEDURE For the task students individually attended a research laboratory on campus at the University of Central Lancashire. They were informed that the study would be looking into physiological responses to the cold pressor task and asked to complete a health screening questionnaire. Following this participants were asked to make themselves comfortable whilst the blood pressure/heart rate cuff was placed around their non-dominant arm before submerging their dominant hand up to the wrist in a bucket of room temperature water for three minutes. At the end of the three minutes a baseline blood pressure and heart rate reading were recorded. Participants were then asked for what swear word they would use if they were to bang their thumb with a hammer and also what word they would use to describe a chair. Whilst repeating their chosen word for either cursing or chair, participants submerged their dominant hand in the cold water. They were given the instruction to keep their hand in the water unti l it became too uncomfortable or painful. A time limit of three minutes was imposed due to safety reasons and 11 participants reached the limit in one or both conditions. During the task, heart rate and blood pressure were recorded every 30 seconds. Once they removed their hand they were asked to submerge it back in the bucket of room temperature water for three minutes. Following this participants were asked to repeat the initial cold pressor task, this time repeating the chosen word not used in the first condition. Order of conditions was counter-balanced for all participants. Following both cold pressor tasks participants were asked to complete the aggression questionnaire before being fully debriefed. The trait aggression questionnaires were scored and then a median split performed. Possible trait aggression scores range from 29 145. Participants in this study scored from 49 113 with a median of 69.5. Trait aggression was then split into high or low, with high being equal to, or more than 69.5, (n25) and low being less than 69.5 (n25). The research was conducted with the approval of the ethics committee at the University of Central Lancashire The research was conducted with the approval of the ethics committee at the University of Central LancashireRESULTS For the purpose of analysis, averages were taken of the systolic, diastolic and heart rate readings for male and female participants with high and low trait aggression in each condition (swearing/non-swearing). Cold pressor latency was recorded in seconds. the trait aggression questionnaires were scored and then a median split performed. Possible trait aggression scores range from 29 145. Participants in this study scored from 49 113 with a median of 69.5. Trait aggression was then split into high or low, with high being equal to, or more than 69.5, (n25) and low being less than 69.5 (n25). (For raw data refer to Appendix 5) The effects of swearing/aggression on systolic blood pressure during the cold pressor task Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) was recorded during the cold pressor task. Table 1 shows the means and standard deviations of systolic blood pressure during the swearing and non-swearing conditions for high/low trait aggressive males and females. Table 1: Means (and standard deviations) of Systolic Blood Pressure (mmHg) across swearing/non-swearing conditions for high/low trait aggressive males/females. HIGH AGGRESSION LOW AGGRESSION TOTAL SWEARING MALE 125.24 (20.95) 129.21 (16.05) 127.15 (18.48) FEMALE 123.31 (12.45) 119.81 (11.65) 121.49 (11.92) TOTAL 124.31 (17.07) 124.32 (14.45) 124.32 (11.92) NON SWEARING MALE 121.45 (16.46) 129.48 (19.54) 125.30 (18.09) FEMALE 119.33 (13.77) 116.44 (11.28) 117.82 (12.36) TOTAL 120.43 (14.95) 122.70 (16.82) 121.56 (15.79) A 2 (trait aggression: high/low) x 2 (gender: male/female) x 2 (swearing/non-swearing) mixed subjects factorial ANOVA revealed no significant main effect of swearing condition on systolic blood pressure (F(1,46) = 1.57, p = 0.217, Eta ² = 0.033). There was a non-significant main effect of gender (F(1,46) = 2.95, p = 0.093, Eta ² = 0.060) and a non-significant main effect of trait aggression (F(1,46) = 0.13, p = 0.718, Eta ² = 0.003). In addition, the interaction between swearing and trait aggression showed no significance (F(1,46) = 0.29, p = 0.593, Eta ² = 0.006). The interaction between swearing and gender was non-significant (F(1,46) = 0.19, p = 0.662, Eta ² = 0.004) as was the interaction between gender and trait aggression (F(1,46) = 1.42, p = 0.240, Eta ² = 0.030). Overall there was no significant 3-way interaction between swearing, gender and trait aggression (F(1,46) = 0.16, p = 0.691, Eta ² = 0.003). (For analysis output on systolic blood pressure see Appendix 6). The Effect of swearing/aggression on diastolic blood pressure during the cold pressor task Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) was recorded during the cold pressor task. Table 2 shows the means and standard deviations of diastolic blood pressure during the swearing and non-swearing conditions for high/low trait aggressive males and females. Table 2: Means (and standard deviations) of Diastolic Blood Pressure (mmHg) across swearing/non-swearing conditions for high/low trait aggressive males/females. HIGH AGGRESSION LOW AGGRESSION TOTAL SWEARING MALE 78.73 (17.66) 87.37 (12.75) 82.88 (15.81) FEMALE 85.63 (9.85) 79.50 (16.37) 82.44 (13.72) TOTAL 82.04 (14.58) 83.28 (14.99) 82.66 (14.65) NON SWEARING MALE 80.56 (13.05) 86.24 (13.05) 82.88 (15.81) FEMALE 85.21 (8.81) 85.74 (10.06) 85.49 (9.29) TOTAL 82.79 (11.24) 85.98 (11.78) 84.39 (11.51) A 2 (trait aggression: high/low) x 2 (gender: male/female) x 2 (swearing/non-swearing) mixed subjects factorial ANOVA revealed no significant main effect of swearing condition on diastolic blood pressure (F(1,46) = 0.65, p = 0.425, Eta ² = 0.014). There was a non-significant main effect of gender (F(1,46) = 0.07, p = 0.801, Eta ² = 0.001) and a non-significant main effect of trait aggression (F(1,46) = 0.48, p = 0.491, Eta ² = 0.010). In addition the interaction between swearing and trait aggression showed no significance (F(1,46) = 0.21, p = 0.651, Eta ² = 0.004). The interaction between swearing and gender was non-significant (F(1,46) = 0.40, p = 0.531, Eta ² = 0.009) as was the interaction between gender and trait aggression (F(1,46) = 2.51, p = 0.120, Eta ² = 0.030). Overall there was no significant 3-way interaction between swearing, gender and trait aggression (F(1,46) = 1.41, p = 0.241, Eta ² = 0.030). (For analysis output on diastolic blood pressure see Appendix 7). The Effect of swearing/aggression on heart rate during the cold pressor task Heart rate (BPM) was recorded during the cold pressor task. Table 3 shows the means and standard deviations of heart rate during the swearing and non-swearing conditions for high/low trait aggressive males and females. Table 3: Means (and standard deviations) of heart rate (bpm) across swearing/non-swearing conditions for high/low trait aggressive males/females. HIGH AGGRESSION LOW AGGRESSION TOTAL SWEARING MALE 83.79 (11.45) 81.93 (15.86) 82.90 (13.48) FEMALE 92.10 (16.79) 87.34 (16.14) 86.92 (16.29) TOTAL 87.78 (14.59) 84.74 (15.91) 86.26 (15.19) NON SWEARING MALE 84.57 (20.16) 84.91 (16.13) 84.73 (17.96) FEMALE 89.88 (12.40) 85.17 (16.42) 87.43 (14.53) TOTAL 87.12 (16.76) 85.04 (15.94) 86.08 (16.22) A 2 (trait aggression: high/low) x 2 (gender: male/female) x 2 (swearing/non-swearing) mixed subjects factorial ANOVA revealed no significant main effect of swearing condition on heart rate (F(1,46) = 0.01, p = 0.934, Eta ² = .000). There was a non-significant main effect of gender (F(1,46) = 1.40, p = 0.243, Eta ² = 0.030) and a non-significant main effect of trait aggression (F(1,46) = 0.46, p = 0.503, Eta ² = 0.010). In addition the interaction between swearing and trait aggression showed no significance (F(1,46) = 0.09, p = 0.770, Eta ² = 0.002). The interaction between swearing and gender was non-significant (F(1,46) = 1.14, p = 0.292, Eta ² = 0.024) as was the interaction between gender and trait aggression (F(1,46) = 0.24, p = 0.628, Eta ² = 0.005). Overall there was no significant 3-way interaction between swearing, gender and trait aggression (F(1,46) = 0.08, p = 0.780, Eta ² = 0.002). (For analysis output on heart rate see Appendix 8). The Effect of swearing/aggression on cold pressor latency during the cold pressor task Cold pressor latency (the length of time participants kept their hand in the ice water) was recorded in seconds. Table 4 shows the means and standard deviations of cold pressor

Comparing Ron Howards How the Grinch Stole Christmas to Dr. Seuss Gri

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