Foundations of Behavior Essays

Foundations of Behavior Essays Foundations of Behavior Essay Foundations of Behavior Essay Foundations of Behavior Name: Course: Lecturer: : Instructor: Date: Foundations of Behavior Positive and negative reinforcement The concept of reinforcement involves strengthening certain dimensions of behavior, for example, magnitude and rate. Positive reinforcement is a behavioral method where positive behavior is encouraged and nurtured through using positive reinforcements such as rewards. It involves the addition of an encouraging stimulus to increase a definite behavior in an individual. In terms of efficiency, positive reinforcement is better than using punishment to change the behavior of an individual. Praise is an example of positive reinforcement. When a teacher uses praise correctly, they can provide students with positive reinforcement. Negative reinforcement is similar to positive reinforcement with the difference being that it maintains or even amplifies the undesirable behavior. When a mother nags her son to take out the trash everyday and one day he does so, he is surprised that the nagging stops (Taylor et al, 2010). This illustrates the impact of negative reinforcement that will make the b oy take out the trash every week. Positive and negative punishment Positive punishment involves the attempt to decrease undesirable behavior through punishing an individual. This punishment presents an unfortunate result that follows undesirable behavior. An example is a reprimand by the teacher when a student forgets to turn off the phone in class. Positive punishment is normally initiated by another individual but it can also occur naturally. An example of this is involves one touching a hot object and it then becomes a positive punishment (Hockenbury, 2011). Negative punishment involves withdrawing a desirable object or condition in order to change the behavior of a person. It involves punishment through removal, for example, taking away a toy that made a child fight with another. In the classroom setting, some children may require more attention than others may. They get this attention by behaving badly or throwing tantrums in class. When the teacher turns their attention on the student to reprimand them, it may seem a punishment as the child is being told off. However, the child’s behavior is merely being reinforced as the next time he or she may want attention, all they have to do is cause trouble. Such behavior can be controlled by ignoring the child and punishing them in private. If such behavior is not controlled, the child will end up disrupting the learning process and the attention span of other children (Gershoff, 2002). References Gershoff, E. T. (2002). Corporal punishment by parents and associated child behaviors and experiences: a meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin, 128, 4, 539-79. Hockenbury, D. H., Hockenbury, S. E. (2011). Discovering psychology. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Taylor, C. A., Manganello, J. A., Lee, S. J., Rice, J. C. (2010). Mothers’ spanking of 3-year-old children and subsequent risk of children’s aggressive behavior. Pediatrics, 125, 5. Behaviorism approach Behaviorism is a learning theory that is based on the supposition that all things that human beings do are categorized as behaviors. Behaviorism works on the principle that individuals respond to different environmental stimuli in different ways. By studying the reactions of man to these stimuli, behaviorists can understand the human being in a comprehensive way. According to this theory, behaviors can be studied in a scientific manner while disregarding internal states, for example, emotions and cognitions that may prove difficult to measure due to their subjectivity. Rote memorization is an example of behaviorism where children commit to memory the addition and multiplication tables (Smith, 2012). Humanistic psychology Humanistic approach or humanism concentrates on the study of the whole individual. Humanistic psychologists study the behavior of the human being through observation and experience. Humanism grew because of the dissatisfaction of the behaviorism and psychodynamic approaches. The approach deals with offering a new way of understanding human nature as well as providing a diverse array of solutions for psychotherapy. The person-centered therapy technique in counseling is an example of the application of the humanistic theory. Cognitive theory Cognitive theory emphasizes the development processes of children’s thought system. Proposed by Jean Piaget, the cognitive theory addresses how the thought processes manipulate the way in which individuals interact with others and the world. According to Piaget, there were several concepts that distinguished the thought processes of children from that of adults. Piaget uses schemas, assimilation, accommodation and other concepts in trying to explain the child development process (Jago et al, 2012). The three approaches have a similarity in that they all provide valuable answers to some of the challenges in developing efficient teaching methods for children. All the three approaches are also focused on the human being as the subject of study. The humanistic and behaviorism approaches share man’s behavior as the main area of study while the cognitive theory focuses on children’s development. The behaviorism approach has been applied extensively in the studying of behavior self-modification. The humanistic approach has been used in counseling centers through client-centered therapy while the cognitive theory is useful in the education where environment where it is used in developing memory among children (Gutkin, 2002). References Gutkin, T. B. (2002). Special issue - Evidence-based interventions in school psychology: The state of the art and future directions. School Psychology Quarterly, 17, 4. Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/spq/17/4/339/ Jago, R., Page, A. S., Cooper, A. R. (2012). Friends and physical activity during the transition from primary to secondary school. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 44, 1, 111-7. Retrieved from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21697746 Smith, S. F. (2012). A multifaceted view of complex trauma: From Freud to neuroscience, with a little behaviorism as well. Psyccritiques, 57, 27.

Assignment on human growth and development

Assignment on human growth and development This essay uses theoretical perspectives of social sciences relevant to human growth and development by demonstrating the socialisation process and the impact of family structures on the normal development of Gerry. It uses the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to explore the effects of poverty on Gerry’s infancy and it will use Balter, Catherin & Tamis-Lemonda to support Maslow’s philosophy needs. Furthermore it will go on to use Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis to show the effects of attachment during Gerry’s infancy. More still with the use of Erikson’s stages of identity versus role confusion to discuss Gerry’s adolescence, the theory of generativity versus stagnation to explore his adulthood developmental task of his contributing and stagnation to society and finally the psychological crisis of ego integrity verses despair to explain the effects and causes during his development in middle adulthood. However, other psychologists theories will be used to support Erikson’s theories or critic them. During his infancy, 0-2 years by Piaget (1936) (cited in Crawford and Walker 2009 p 22), Gerry and his family experienced poverty because his father had been made redundant. This means that Gerry’s family could not afford to meet his basic needs. According to Maslow’s pyramedical model (1970) ( cited Steers 1998: p21 ) lower -level needs such as food, clothing and shelter have to be fulfilled to a reasonable degree before the more advanced need levels such as self actualisation, esteem, love/ belonging ,and safety are met. It can be argued that the failure of Gerry’s family to meet his basic needs had a profound effect on his development. This argument is supported by Balter, Catherin & Tamis- Lemonda. They argue that â€Å"children growing up in poverty develop developmental delays in intellectual development. Social, emotional and behavioural problems† (Balter, Catherin & Tamis- Lemonda 2003: p.391) (cited Chafel, 1993 and Garbarino, 1993). Poverty goes hand in hand with gross inequality, unemployment and adverse consequences for poor people and society as a whole. Deprivation experienced by poor families affects their quality of life, their health and life expectancy and the education outcomes of their children. Poverty brings despair and fear† Rebach and Bruhn (2001: p. 369). This argument is supported by Spode and Saracho, (2006) (cited in Duncan and Brook-Gunn, 1997), who say that â€Å"children growing up in poverty develop more emotional and behavioural problems than children who live in above the poverty line. This is because early cognitive and behavioural outcomes show to predict later school success†. Another challenge that Gerry encountered was maternal deprivation. This occurred when his mother was in hospital during the birth of Lily and as a result, Gerry had to be looked after by his grandmother. According to Bowlby’s (19 53, 1969) (cited in Smith, Cowe and Blades 2004 p106) maternal deprivation hypothesis, â€Å"children should not be deprived of contact with the mother during a critical period when the primary attachment relationship is being formed†. He also believed that both mother and baby were predisposed biologically to stay in contact and only this relationship would allow normal development. However, critiques of Bowlby like (Oakley 1981) (cited in Holmes 1993: p. 45) argue that to generalise that any separation of mother from child in the first three years of life is likely to be damaging is unwarranted. Oakley further argued that there is no harm in entrusting the infant to the care of a responsible grandmother or baby-minder.

Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Abortion - Essay Example This topic lies within the â€Å"gray areas† of human rights and impedes on religious moralities. Abortion was practiced way back in Ancient times. It was always considered as an option when the child would endanger the life of the mother. It was only in 1869 that the Catholic church considered abortion as† a sin punishable by excommunication† ( Trupin, 2009). Other than this law, abortion was not considered illegal until the 19th century, not because of its moral implications but because there were no laws that existed contradicting abortion. It was then normal for a woman to seek even medical help whenever she wanted to terminate her pregnancy. There were no abortion laws before the 19th century. In 1829, laws restricting abortions began to spread across the United States. In 1965, there were over 250 deaths caused by women who tried to abort their babies Illegally ( civilliberty,about.com) .In the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, bans on abortion were deemed as unconstitutional and were lifted. The lift on bans brought negative tension towards the government. However, things changed drastically after the 1973 US Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion. In addition to this the highly controversial case, the Supreme Court decision on Roe vs. Wade left a deep imprint in the legal history of abortion in the United States. Nevertheless, the incidence of abortion has declined as reported by the study made by Sedgh ( 2007 )which revealed that the† incidence of abortion in the United States decreased by 8% from 1996 to 2003†. Such decline can be attributed to greater access to contraceptives ( pills, condoms) and better orientation on family planning even to grade-school children. There are two types of abortion; surgical and medical. The different forms of abortion differentiate, reliant on the amount of time that has passed since

Describe how water quality is determined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Describe how water quality is determined - Essay Example Keywords: Water quality, guidelines, standards, contamination, pollutants, permissible limits, microbiological. Water Quality Standards Water is essential to life on this planet and its quality impacts both human beings and aquatic marine life (Anon., edugreen, n.d.). Pure water, fit for human consumption and other applications, is odorless, colorless and tasteless but these qualities are lost when contamination takes place. World Health Organization (WHO) has been the nodal agency for developing water quality parameters and recommending them for adoption by the different nations with appropriate modifications, through respective national agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the US. WHO guidelines are only recommendatory in nature, and factors like socio-economic conditions, traditional usage practices, need to conserve water as a resource etc. play important role in the quality standards of water in each country ((Fewtrell and Bartram, 2001). To study the quali ty and lay down relevant parameters, water is broadly divided under three different usages for developing standards for each category - drinking water, wastewater for reuse and recreational water (Fewtrell and Bartram, 2001. pp.17-20). Contamination itself is caused by chemical, physical and microbiological factors. Hence quality standards are based on the matrix of water usage and the relevant contaminants. For example, permissible contamination in agricultural or recreational use water is significantly higher/different than that for human consumption. Thus, the pollutants and permissible limits for different water usages have been developed. Chemical contaminants are very many and include chlorine (as disinfectant), pesticides/herbicides (used in agriculture), toxic organic/inorganic chemicals from industry, soaps and other cleaning agents in domestic wastewater running into sewers, canals and river streams etc. (Excel, n.d.). WHO guidelines indicate the tolerable daily intake (TD I) limits for presence of different chemicals in water, beyond which it is considered unfit for consumption. In respect of genotoxic carcinogens, TDI is nil. For other chemicals, standards of maximum permissible concentration levels are developed for each end-product. While developing the guidelines and standards, verification by relatively easy chemical analysis methods either on spot or in laboratories was kept in mind for practical reasons. Physical contamination consists of suspended particles like sand, soil, clay, decaying vegetative matter, precipitated salts etc. apart from metals, dissolved salts and minerals. These contaminants give color, taste and odor to water, impacting quality of the end-products. Dissolved salts and minerals also discolor clothes when such water is used for washing. Multilayer filtration, water softening and demineralization processes help to reduce physical contamination of water. US-EPA recommends a limit of 500mg per liter or 500ppm for total diss olved salts (TDS) (Excel, n.d.). Individual permissible limits have also been laid down by EPA for heavy metals (toxic) like arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead and silver. Microbiological contamination is the presence of pathogenic microorganisms like viruses, bacteria, protozoa and helminthes, and is usually caused by fecal matter ingress. WHO guidelines identified Escherichia coli (E.coli) for sampling and recommend a zero presence in a 100 ml sample and a presence in

World War I Essay -- History, Cult of the Offensive

World War One took a toll on everyone between 1914 and 1918. What were some of the main causes and effects of World War One? There were many causes to World War One but one of them was the Cult of the Offensive. According to class notes on 4/4/11, countries should not wait to be attacked, they should attack first. The Cult of Offensive was â€Å"a military strategy of constantly attacking the enemy that was believed to be the key to winning World War One but that brought great loss of life while failing to bring decisive victory† (Hunt, 803). This strategy made the citizens ready and wanting to go to war. Also employs German propaganda and quick wars. Another key cause was Nationalism. Nationalism is â€Å"an ideology that arose in the nineteenth century and that holds that all peoples derive their identities from their nations, which are defined by common language, shared cultural traditions, and sometimes religion† (Hunt, G-4). Nationalism can also be described as the attitude that people of a nation have when they care about their national identity as well as the actions these people might take when seeking to achieve self determination. Everyone in the European countries had a lot of pride and joy for their country. This led to these countries trying to prove their dominance and power. Every country had to show that they were the best to all the other countries. Since this was happening, everyone wanted to show their best by helping an alliance in war. During 1870-1914 there was a substantial growth in standing armies (Class notes, 4/4/11). Many men were ready to go to war. Many countries including Germany and France doubled the size of their armies. The arms race then developed which was almost like a contest to see which co... ...security. â€Å"It was supposed to replace the divine secrecy of prewar power politics. As part of Wilson’s vision, the league would guide the world toward disarmament and arbitrate its members’ disputes† (Hunt, 818). The signing of the Treaty of Versailles did not completely end World War One. Many people’s lives were influenced by the political, economic and psychological effects. The war also changed people’s hopes and spirits because they developed a feeling of disillusionment. They believed their governments did not know in any way how to serve the best interests of the people. The psychological effect of the war on people was huge. The loss of their loved ones on the battlefield was very disturbing to them. There were millions of people who died during this war. These people just had to accept reality and release the dreams they had for their families.

Realisation of the Witches in ‘Animated Tales’ version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth Essay

In class we watched an ‘Animated Tales’ version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. We were given the task of introducing, developing and concluding how we felt the witches were realised in ‘Animated Tales’. We compared the ‘Animated Tales’ with the text and discussed how we felt the text was realised. In Act 1 Scene 1, the stage directions of the play tell us that the witches meet on the moor in thunder and lightning. In the Animated Tales, black and grey wavy lines represent this. Although we do not hear the booming of the thunder or the flashing of the lighting, we understand that this is represented by the moody and dark weather. This is called pathetic fallacy, the method of associating weather with something. In this case we are associating the evil witches with dark and unruly weather. We see this also in Act 1 Scene 3 when the witches appear in similar downcast weather. It helps us to associate their evil with evil and disruptive weather. We are told in the stage direction of the first scene that the witches appear on a moor. This is obviously an isolated place and we are able to see this in the Animated Tales. There is nobody on screen but the witches and the only other thing we see is the dark, wavy lines in the sky. An isolated and lonely place helps us better understand the social standing of the witches and how they were seen and treated by people. When we first see the witches on screen in the Animated Tales, they rise from the bottom of the screen in tandem. As they rise we hear a trumpet fanfare. The exclamation of the fanfare represents the sudden and climatic nature of the thunder and lightning that the witches meet in. The music we hear after this fanfare is quite eerie but not at all sinister. It is rather childish and is not the sort of music we would expect to hear when we see the witches. It has a varying tempo and despite the sinister nature of the witches, is not at all scary. It is childish and juvenile, and is paradoxical. It is paradoxical because we do not expect this sort of childish music to be played in conjunction with the appearance of the witches. We can, however, associate this with the confusion of the witches and their deceiving of Macbeth and Banquo. We hear music being played while the witches tell Macbeth and Banquo their prophecies in Act 1 Scene 3 but in this scene the music is somewhat more sinister and moody. It is understood that this is because the witches are about to embark upon evil by prophesising to Macbeth and Banquo and the music reflects this mood. There are a number of points to note about the characters and personalities of the witches. In the first scene when they begin to talk, they do so in rhyme. This gives the impression that they are casting a spell, which is one of the supernatural abilities they possess. They express a number of other supernatural abilities throughout the two scenes, such as the ability to change and control the weather. This is demonstrated early on in the scene when the witches say; â€Å"When shall we three meet again In thunder, lighting, or in rain?† This tells us that they have the supernatural ability to control the weather and make it how they like and this is also seen when one witch changes into a flash of lighting. Another point to note about their early speech is that it contains some paradoxes; â€Å"When the hurlyburly’s done, When the battle’s lost and won.† ————————————– â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair; Hover through fog and filthy air.† These paradoxes are all to do with the witches deceptive nature, and that they withhold the truth a lot of the time. Their speech is often confused and this is the case in Act 1 Scene 3 when they are giving the prophecies to Macbeth and Banquo; â€Å"Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.† —————————————— â€Å"Not so happy, yet much happier.† In this scene they are not telling Macbeth and Banquo everything that they know and are deceiving them with the prophecies. This is due to the disruptive and deceptive nature, and they are intent on causing trouble. Their deceptiveness is also demonstrated in the two scenes in the changing of shape and appearance. Each of the three witches each has two different masks or faces, which they alternate between. They do this when they are talking to Macbeth and Banquo and again it seems that they are deceiving them by doing so. Their body form also changes, and at one stage one witch changes into form of a raven, with outstretched wings. The raven was said to be a symbol, or messenger, of death and Lady Macbeth speaks of it in Act 1 Scene 5; â€Å"The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements.† The witches, in their prophecies to Macbeth, are deceiving him and weaving a web of trouble. After hearing of the prophecies the ambitious Macbeth is already beginning to think of murdering to achieve his ultimate aim of being king and this is why the changing of form into a raven, the messenger of death, is important. In Act 1 Scene 3, the witches demonstrate several of their supernatural abilities. At the beginning when the First witch talks of the sailor’s wife and says she will hinder her husband’s journey, her fellow witches say; â€Å"I’ll give thee a wind,† ————————– â€Å"And I another.† This is a demonstration of the witch’s ability to control the weather, which was also demonstrated in Act 1 Scene 1. The other two witches offer to help out by making the sailor’s journey difficult. The first witch also demonstrates the same ability in the passage that follows in which she says she will make the sailor’s journey a tough one. The fact that they are offering to help each other reinforces the belief that they are very much alone and have only each other, and that they are indeed â€Å"weird sisters†. When Macbeth and Banquo are on the moor and the witches appear, they appear to drift in and out of visibility, and at times are even translucent. This is an example of the supernatural ability to disappear or vanish. This ability is also seen at the end of both scenes, when the witches link arms, hover above the ground, which is another of their supernatural abilities, and then vanish. The linking of arms shows the togetherness and closeness of the witches but also makes it seem as if they are casting a spell, another of their supernatural abilities. When the witches are giving their prophecies to Macbeth and Banquo, they are demonstrating the supernatural ability to predict the future. When they tell Macbeth that he will be Thane of Cawdor, the bones of their hands disassemble to become the medal that the Thane of Cawdor wears. The bones are to symbolise death – both the death of King Duncan and also Macdownwald former Thane of Cawdor. It is meaning to say that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor but at the expense of someone else, which is also later the case when he murders Duncan and becomes King. The witch’s bones also change into the form of a crown, which then hovers above Macbeth’s head. It is glowing, and casts a shadow on Macbeth’s face. The shadows that are cast make it seem as if the crown is reflecting on his darker side, and his dark desires. That the crown is just over his head shows that it is out of his reach naturally and he must commit evil to make it his. The witches are tempting Macbeth with the offer of riches and keep it just out of his reach to tease and tempt him, which arouses desires. They are causing trouble by doing this. The witches are quite horrid in appearance. They do not appear to be gender specific and when they appear in the first scene they have a somewhat death-like appearance – they are skeletal and zombie-like and not at all natural. When they appear to Banquo and Macbeth in Scene 3 Banquo is confused as to what they are; â€Å"What are these, So wither’d and so wild in their attire, That look not like th’ inhabitants o’ the earth, And yet are on ‘t? Live you? Or are you aught That man may question?† When they are talking to him and Macbeth they hover around them and their heads become disjointed from the rest of their bodies. The floating heads seem death-like and this shows us again that the witches are very unnatural. In conclusion, I feel that the text is realised well in â€Å"Animated Tales†. The witches are mostly believable and the speech is accurate in accordance with the text. I think however that some parts are a little less realistic than others, simply because of the nature of the cartoon. The witches are well animated and are not at all stereotypical or clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d. I feel that the film is well made and entertaining, and helps to make the text more interesting.

101 Compare and Contrast Essay Ideas for Students

Compare and contrast essays are taught in school for many reasons. For one thing, they are relatively easy to teach, understand, and format. Students can typically understand the structure with just a short amount of instruction. In addition, these essays allow students develop critical thinking skills to approach a variety of topics. Brainstorming Tip One fun way to get students started brainstorming their compare and contrast essays is to create a Venn diagram, where the overlapping sections of the circle contain similarities and the non-overlapping areas contain the differing traits. Following is a list of 101 topics for compare and contrast essays that you are welcome to use in your classroom. As you look through the list you will see that some items are academic in nature while others are included for interest-building and fun writing activities. Apple vs. MicrosoftCoke vs. PepsiRenaissance Art vs. Baroque ArtAntebellum Era vs. Reconstruction Era in American HistoryChildhood vs. AdulthoodStar Wars vs. Star TrekBiology vs. ChemistryAstrology vs. AstronomyAmerican Government vs. British Government (or any world government)Fruits vs. VegetablesDogs vs. CatsEgo vs. SuperegoChristianity vs. Judaism (or any world religion)Republican vs. DemocratMonarchy vs. PresidencyUS President vs. UK Prime MinisterJazz vs. Classical MusicRed vs. White (or any two colors)Soccer vs. FootballNorth vs. South Before the Civil WarNew England Colonies vs. Middle Colonies OR vs. Southern ColoniesCash vs. Credit CardsSam vs. Frodo BagginsGandalf vs. DumbledoreFred vs. ShaggyRap vs. PopArticles of Confederation vs. U.S. ConstitutionHenry VIII vs. King Louis XIVStocks vs. BondsMonopolies vs. OligopoliesCommunism vs. CapitalismSocialism vs. CapitalismDiesel vs. PetroleumNuclear Power vs. Solar PowerSaltwater Fish vs. Freshwater FishSquids vs. OctopusMammals vs. ReptilesBaleen vs. Toothed WhalesSeals vs. Sea LionsCrocodiles vs. AlligatorsBats vs. BirdsOven vs. MicrowaveGreek vs. Roman MythologyChinese vs. JapaneseComedy vs. DramaRenting vs. OwningMozart vs. BeethovenOnline vs. Traditional EducationNorth vs. South PoleWatercolor vs. Oil1984 vs. Fahrenheit 451Emily Dickinson vs. Samuel Taylor ColeridgeW.E.B. DuBois vs. Booker T. WashingtonStrawberries vs. ApplesAirplanes vs. HelicoptersHitler vs. NapoleonRoman Empire vs. British EmpirePaper vs. PlasticItaly vs. SpainBaseball vs. CricketJefferson vs. AdamsThoroughbreds vs. ClydesdalesSpiders vs. ScorpionsNorthern Hemisphere vs. Southern HemisphereHobbes vs. LockeFriends vs. FamilyDried Fruit vs. FreshPorcelain vs. GlassModern Dance vs. Ballroom DancingAmerican Idol vs. The VoiceReality TV vs. SitcomsPicard vs. KirkBooks vs. MoviesMagazines vs. Comic BooksAntique vs. NewPublic vs. Private TransportationEmail vs. LettersFacebook vs. TwitterCoffee vs. an Energy DrinkToads vs. FrogsProfit vs. Non-ProfitBoys vs. GirlsBirds vs. DinosaursHigh School vs. CollegeChamberlain vs. ChurchillOffense vs. DefenseJordan vs. BryantHarry vs. DracoRoses vs. CarnationsPoetry vs. ProseFiction vs. NonfictionLions vs. TigersVampires vs. WerewolvesLollipops vs. popsiclesSummer vs. WinterRecycling vs. LandfillMotorcycle vs. BicycleHalogen vs. IncandescentNewton vs. Einstein. Go on vacation vs. StaycationRock vs. Scissors