Benedicks Changing views on Love in Much Ado about Nothing :: essays research papers

Throughout Act one and two, Benedick repeatedly says that he will never love a woman or get married. At some stage in the duration of the play his mindset changes. In the end he is head over heels in love for Beatrice whom he once quarreled with habitually. The turnabout in his behavior was brought about by the deceiving Claudio and Pedro who indirectly told Benedick that Beatrice loved him. At the beginning, Benedick’s attitude is negative towards women in general. He swears he will never marry, as he is very critical of women and does not trust any of them not to cheat on him. He seems to oppose with Beatrice in a competition to outwit, outsmart, and out-insult each other. Obviously he has been in some sort of past relationship with Beatrice because when he meets her at the masked ball, she describes him as a selfish pig. We can infer that Benedick has some kind of deep feelings for her because after she insults him he is hurt and says, â€Å"Will your grace command me any service to the world’s end? I will go on the slightest errand now to the Antipodes that you can devise to send me on. I will fetch you a toothpick from the furthest inch of Asia . . . do you any embassage to the pigmies, rather than hold three words’ conference with this harpy† (II.i.229–235). This blatantly means that he does not wish to talk to her. When Benedick hears that Claudio has fallen in love for Hero, he is enraged. He thought that Claudio would live a bachelor’s life like him. Benedick tells him that men who are in love are not masculine. Near the end of Act IV, Benedick’s complete change is evident when Benedick chooses love over friendship. Benedick challenges Claudio, previously his closest friend in the world, to duel to the death over Claudio’s accusation as to Hero’s unethical behavior. After Beatrice complains to him about Claudio’s mistake, Benedick gives in, â€Å"Enough, I am engaged. I will challenge him.† At this point, there is no doubt that Benedick has switched his allegiances entirely over to Beatrice. But then again, Benedick was relieved that Hero was proved guilty so he would not have to fight his close friend Claudio. On the â€Å"second† wedding day of Hero and Claudio, Benedick showed maturity by not fighting Pedro and Claudio when they teased him about loving Beatrice.

How skilful communication influence patients’ health behaviours

Abstract This essay analyses how skilful communication can influence the health behaviours of the patients. It looks at the importance of communication in healthcare and the different models of communication available to the healthcare personnel. These professionals need to decide on the model to use in order to ensure that they persuade the patients to change their health decisions by adhering to all the recommendations given to them Introduction Effective communication between healthcare personnel and the patients is important in clinical function as well as building a therapeutic relationship between them and the patients. Much of the dissatisfaction registered by patients and their failure to change their health behaviours are as a result of the breakdown of their relationship with the health care providers (Bryan 2009, p.75). However, many doctors often tend to overestimate their ability to effectively communicate with the patients thereby exacerbating the problem. Skilful communication and interpersonal skills encompasses the ability of healthcare professionals to gather information and use it to advise the patients appropriately with a view of influencing their health behaviours (Webb 2011, p. 57). This essay covers how skilful communication influences the health behaviour of patients. Healthcare Communication Communication is an important clinical skill that is very essential to clinical competence. The components of communication include non-verbal behaviours, listening and attending skills. All healthcare professionals need to understand the basic anatomy and physiology of communication (Bryan 2009, p. 66). They need to understand the variables that affect reception, processing and expression. A good comprehension of communication on delivery of healthcare is important in influencing health behaviour of the patients. They also need to understand the multicultural context in which the communication process occurs because it affects the manner in which the patients perceive the disseminated information. This should be in tandem with a good comprehension of therapeutic responses as they are significant in care management, increasing patient awareness and capacity for self-care and personal health management (Van 2009, p. 101). Models of Healthcare Communication Human beings often respond to illness and health differently, for instance some may choose to ignore or deny health threats while others face the threats by collecting the necessary information and acting accordingly and appropriately (Muller 2001, p. 88). There are different models designed to help understand the ways in which healthcare professionals interact with particular health outcomes. All these models contribute towards the successful understanding of communication in healthcare. These models are as follows: the therapeutic model, king’s interactive model, the developmental model, health belief model, health belief model for compliance, and the model for participative decision making (Jones & Jenkins 2007, p. 18). ). The therapeutic model puts emphasis on the importance of relationships in assisting the patients to adjust to their current conditions and take positive measures aimed at improving their health. The model emphasises on dyadic communication and the level of success is dependent on respect, trust, genuineness and non-judgemental attitude (Eisenberg 2012, p. 45).The healthy belief model explains how healthy people seek to avoid illnesses by outlining the nature of people’s preventative healthcare. The model is designed to indicate how personal health behaviours are influenced by perceived threats and benefits. It emphasises on perceptions and beliefs that can be modified to result in changed health behaviour. In this model communication is perceived as an essential tool for influencing the behaviour of the patients. The health belief model for compliance is an expansion of the health belief model and it includes the beliefs of patients that are already suffering from illnesses and have to comply with treatment. It aims at predicting compliance of patients to treatment to assist healthcare professionals in designing interventions to suit the needs of individual patients (Hugman 2009, p. 33). The King’s interaction model explains the communication between a nurse and a patient. It incorporates transactional aspects of human communication and the need for feedback. The model regards the trust between the nurse and the patient as vital in the effectiveness of the communication process. The model for participative decision making for patient doctor interaction postulates that when clients don’t get enough information from doctors or when there are communication barriers then they are likely to reject the treatment or decrease compliance (Eisenberg 2012, p.24). Therefore, the patients are supposed to be fully informed on their conditions and all the available options for treatment. The development model for health communication focuses on the communication occurring within the various relationships in healthcare settings. Its emphasis is on how different factors and contexts influence the interactions between different individuals in health communication. All the participants have their own pers pectives based on their individual beliefs and values. These perspectives influence the choice of the participants to interact with the others and as such healthcare personnel must always have this in mind (Hugman 2009, p.71). Importance of Skilful Communication as an Aspect of Care In an attempt to show the importance of communication in healthcare delivery, it is apparent that communication and healthcare delivery are indivisible. Delivery of healthcare to the patients encompasses more than just the administration of drugs. Healthcare delivery has moved from the task oriented practice it was in the past towards a therapeutic process that involves a wide range of roles focused on the health of the individual patients, their health and wellbeing (Tamparo & Lindh 2008, p. 69). The therapeutic effect of good communication between healthcare professionals and patients on healthcare delivery cannot be ignored. Provision of social support to the patients reassures them and can even lower blood pressure. Patients regard the health professionals who communicate effectively at an emotional level as warm, caring and empathetic. This enables the patients to engender trust in them and encourages them to disclose worries and concerns that they would have otherwise not have disclosed. In addition to this, useful and informative communication between the healthcare professionals and the patients encourages them to take more interest in their condition, ask pertinent questions and develop greater understanding and self-care (Jones & Jenkins 2007, p.38). It is this interest and understanding of the importance of self-care that drives the patients to positively change their health behaviours. This happens especially when the patients are allowed to ask questions and are involved in treatment decisions. The patients also experience benefits when the health professionals provide a good environment, give accurate information, use therapeutic communication and encourage positive motivation (Nemeth 2008, p. 93). Therefore good communication in the relationship between healthcare professionals and patients is an important tool for therapeutic intervention as well as good care. Basic communication skills alone are not sufficient to create and sustain successful therapeutic relationship between the patients and the healthcare providers. Successful therapeutic relationships are made up of shared perceptions and feelings on the nature of the problem, objectives of treatment and psychological support. Interpersonal skills develop from the basic communication between the doctors, nurses and other carers with the patients. Appropriate communication should be centred on both the carers and the patients as both sides are important in building and sustaining interpersonal relationships. The ultimate goal of any communication between the medical personnel and the patients is always to improve the health of the patients and medical care. Good communication skills are required for developing a high quality, effective and safe healthcare delivery. The skills are important for gathering information, diagnosis, treatment and educating the patients (Nemeth 2008, p.55). Eff ective communication benefits both the doctors and the patients because they are part of the treatment process. Previous studies on communication between the patients and doctors and nurses demonstrate that many patients are discontented even when the doctors and nurses consider it sufficient or excellent (Pilnick et al 2010, p 47). This implies that doctors and nurses often tend to overestimate their communication abilities. Patient surveys consistently indicate that the want the communication between them and the healthcare personnel to be improved (Tamparo & Lindh 2008, p.88). In the past most of the medical personnel considered disclosing bad news to patients as inhumane and detrimental to their medical condition. However, medical practice has now evolved from paternalism to individualism and is now characterised by shared decision making and communication that is centred on the patients. Effective communication between the doctors and the patients is very important in clinical function because it plays a central role in healthcare delivery. Perhaps the most significant importance of communication in influencing health behaviour of the patients stems from the fact that the nature of health care is changing from treatment of illnesses to management of chronic disease as more and more people are now living with survivable chronic illnesses (Van 2009, p.74). This implies that the healthcare professionals need to encourage the patients to take good care of their health. For instance the patients living with diabetes are required to manage their blood sugar levels. Quality of life is more important to healthcare as patients are now living longer with chronic illnesses like cancer and bipolar disorders. Therefore treatment choice is now more dependent on the individual patients and must suit their preferences, values and expectations. Conclusion Communication is an important tool that healthcare personnel can use to pass useful information to the patients. Well educated patients and their families need to be informed to make important health decisions in order to attain the aims of managed healthcare. Healthcare professionals need to disseminate relevant and persuasive information to the patients to help them change their health behaviours. They can rely on the models of healthcare communication to communicate to the patients based on their individual characteristics. References Bryan, K. (2009). Communication in healthcare. Oxford [England: Peter Lang. Eisenberg, A. M. (2012). Prescriptive communication for the healthcare provider. S.l.: Trafford On Demand Pub. Hugman, B. (2009). Healthcare communication. London: Pharmaceutical Press. Jones, R., & Jenkins, F. (2007). Key topics in healthcare management: Understanding the big picture. Oxford: Radcliffe. Muller, P. (2001). Healthcare communication: A rhetorical handbook. San Jose: Writers Club Press. Nemeth, C. P. (2008). Improving healthcare team communication: Building on lessons from aviation and aerospace. Aldershot, England: Ashgate. Pilnick, A., Hindmarsh, J., & Gill, V. T. (2010). Communication in Healthcare Settings: Policy, Participation and New Technologies. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. Tamparo, C. D., & Lindh, W. Q. (2008). Therapeutic communications for health care. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. Van, S. G. M. (2009). Communication skills for the health care professional: Concepts, practice, and evidence. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Webb, L. (2011). Nursing: Communication skills in practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Health promotion Essay

The 21st century poses vast challenges for public health, with environmental threats, cultural diversity and an ever aging population. The role of health promotion is as important as ever, within this assignment I will look at the issues we face and the techniques used to alter public perception and behaviour. One definition widely highlighted from the World Health Organisation states that health is ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well being’ (WHO 1947). This definition encompasses the indicators of poor health but does seem to view health as something that is quite conventional and static. This can be contrasted to a definition from Parsons who defines health as ‘the state of optimum capacity for an individual for the effective performance of the roles and tasks for which they have been socialised’ (Parsons 1971). Here we are viewing health as something maintained to the standard needed for us to perform our lifestyles. Health promotion is of great apprehension not only for the NHS but also many other groups that are involved in health care such as social, environmental and welfare practices. At its core is the intention of empowering individuals and communities to allow greater control of their health by providing information, education and support. Varying methods and strategies are used to change people’s perceptions of health, with the aim of working toward the creation of stronger communities and improved future health for all. The health belief model emphasises the function of beliefs and perceptions in human decision making. Originally developed by Rosenstock in 1966 it looks to predict patterns in health behaviour, such as willingness to partake in vaccinations and act upon health advice. It suggests that the factors that govern an individual changing their behaviour are based around an assessment  of how feasible change is and the benefits provided. It puts forward the idea that people need relevance or a trigger to initiate decision making (Naidoo, Wills 1994). This model incorporates Bandura’s concept of self-efficacy. This suggests that an individual must believe they have the capability and insight to see an intended behaviour change through (Bandura 1991). The empowerment model seeks to expand the individual’s capability to control their own health. This model facilitates a move toward change by building an individual’s sense of worth and identity, allowing them to indentify their own health concerns (Naidoo, Wills 1994). It aims to develop decision making and problem solving skills, giving the individual the tools needed to see changes through with independent thought and action. This model can be very effective for young people who sometimes struggle to make independent decisions and are susceptible to peer and environmental pressures. There is a strong relationship between employment and health. The main negative being occupational ill health, this can be an issue for many people working within manual job roles, as well as people working in stressful high pressure environments. It’s shown that having little or no control over work processes and being in lower positions can contribute to ill health (Marmot et al 2006). Unemployment is of a greater risk to ill health than employment, moving people into work can be seen as a health promotion in its own right. Employment brings higher living standards, more disposable income, improved confidence and wellbeing. Gender is still a large determinant, men generally work in more manual roles and take poorer care of their health overall. Loosing work can actually double the risk of a middle aged man dying within the following five years. Evidently there are strong links between employment and men’s wellbeing. Men over the age of 65 are also three and a half times more at risk of developing coronary heart disease than women (DH, 1998). Men’s life expectancy still lags behind that of women and within Europe there are large inequalities in life expectancy. These differences are greatest in men, where as the difference between the best and worst countries for male life expectancy is 17 years, for women it is 12 (BBC, 2013). Clearly there ar e health inequalities within gender that need to be addressed. The promotional campaign stoptober is clearly targeted toward working classes; the majority of the subjects pictured are in uniforms that are associated with lower paid roles. There is evidence to  suggest that smoking related deaths are higher amongst poorer social classes (ASH, 2006). The branding used is very simple and appeals to people’s logic through the use planning, note making and goals toward quitting. This appeals to the individual and gives a greater sense of empowerment and personal involvement in the process of creating change. The campaign seems to utilise the stages of change model, the process is broken down into stages and encourages involvement in the planning process. Initially encouraging the participant to write down why they are taking part (contemplation) and then take part in a planning process (preparing to change) along with accepting extra support (Prochaska, DiClemente 1992). Evidence from studies shows that when people are involved in a planning process there is a higher probability they will succeed (McLeod, Clark 1993). There is no mention of the harms of smoking and shock tactics are not used. Raising awareness of the dangers is clearly not enough and more personal tactics are used. With addictive habits highlighting the negative consequences does not seem to help create behavioural change, clearly ‘short term gratification is a greater incentive than long term harm’ (Nanidoo, Wills, 1996, pg 182). There is a very collaborative feel behind the promotional material with comments like ‘you’re not in this alone’ and ‘were with you all the way’. There is clear intent to show that the task of quitting is achievable and by anyone. As Bandura states ‘seeing people similar to oneself succeed by sustained effort raises observers beliefs that they too possess the capabilities to succeed’ (Bandura 1994). This is clearly a core strategy of this campaign, when we see someone succeeding this helps to increase own self efficacy. Health has broad range of definitions and many see health as an all encompassing ideal state. Some however acknowledge that a functional state of health can be achieved despite the presence of illness or disease. The role of health promotion is to help people work towards their personal health potential, at the same time reducing the strain on services. With the recent rises in poverty there is clearly demand for new and effective health promotions. Stoptober meets these needs well by using tried and tested health promotion techniques. It is an effective and socially relevant campaign and last years figures of ‘160 000’ quitters speaks volumes on its success. Word count 1100 References ASH (2006) Major Online Mapping Project Shows ‘Iron Chain’ Between Smoking and Deprivation http://www.ash.org.uk/media-room/press-releases/major-online-mapping-project-shows-iron-chain-between-smoking-and-deprivation. (Accessed 02/11/13) Bandura, A. (1991). Self-efficacy mechanism in physiological activation and preventing behaviours. Cambridge University press Bandura, A. (1995). Self-efficacy in changing societies. Cambridge University Press BBC (2013) European men lag behind in life expectancy. (Online). Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21760905 (Accessed 03/11/13) Boseley,S. (2006) Iron chain links smoking and poverty. Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/oct/09/smoking.socialexclusion (accessed 02/11/13) Current Nursing. (2012) Stages of change model (Online): Available at: http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/transtheoretical_model.html Davidson, N. Lloyd, T. (2001) Promoting Men’s Health: A guide for practitioners. Harcourt Publishers Naidoo, J. Wills, J. (1994) Health Promotion: Foundations for practice. London. Bailliere Tindall Marmot,M. Wilkinson, R. (2006) Social Determinants of Health, 2nd Edition. Oxford. Oxford University Press. NHS, Smokefree. (2013). Sto ptober. (Online).Available at: http://www. http://smokefree.nhs.uk/stoptober/. (Accessed 25/10/13) NHS, Smokefree (2013) Stoptober (leaflet) (Accessed 14/10/13) Ogden, J. (2012) Health Phychology: A Textbook. Berkshire. Open University Press. Prochaska J, DiClemente C, Norcross, J (1992). In search of how people change: Applications to Addictive Behaviours. American Psychologist, Vol. 47, No 9 Tones, K. Tilford, S. (2001) Health promotion: Effectiveness, efficiency and equity. Cheltenham. Nelson Thornes WHO, (2013). World Health Organisation. (Online).Available at: http://www.who.int/en/. (Accessed 23/10/13)

Research Essay

Research I I. The effectiveness of Malunggay (Moringa Oleifera) as a soap†¦ II. The Feasibility of Paper to become Furniture†¦ III. The capability of Talahib (Saccharum spotaneum) to become a rope†¦ The Effectiveness of Malunggay (Moringa Oleifera) as a Cleaning Agent (Biologically- Based Research) Chapter 1 Introduction A. Background of the Study In our world, the taste of the chili was not famous to some people because it is spicy, hot, and very less aroma when eaten but because of its taste it is later on found out that chili was a good mosquito killer because of its pesticidal property while kamias was also used as spice but it was discovered that it has properties such as astringent, stomachic, refrigerant and anti scorbutic. Other researchers use kamias as wine but in this research the proponents was to test the properties of kamias fruit with chili as a mosquito killer. B. Statement of the Problem * The researchers aim to study the effect of Malunggay leaves as a cleaning agent of common household stains. * The researchers also aim to study how Malunggay (Moringa Oleifera) will be turned into a cleaning agent. Essential Questions * Can the Malunggay leaves be effective of being a Cleaning Agent? * Is there many or few differences between the Malunggay leaves or commercials? * Are the Malunggay leaves capable of replacing commerciality? C. Hypotheses * The Malunggay leaves will be effective when cleaning different kinds of stains, dirt, clutters, and bad odors * The Malunggay Cleaning Agent will be a great alternative in cleaning different kinds of surfaces. D. Significance and Importance of the Research Study This particular and specific research study can easily contribute to the youth generation, for them to be capable of deriving cleaning agents from different kinds of plants, fruits, vegetables and other great alternatives. It is again for the Youth to develop their resourcefulness by using alternative plants as different functions in life. Research studies like this also develops the value of open-mindedness to young researchers and if landed to the right plant, this will serve as an everyday use to clean common household stains. E. Scope and Limitations Our research study is only limited to the Malunggay plant and just the leaves of the Malunggay. This only occurs when the Malunggay leaves are pounded and scrubbed on common and everyday household stains. F. Definition of Terms * Cleaning Agent – a fragrant substance, liquid, is used to remove dirt, dusts, stains, bad smells and molds in different kinds of solid surfaces * Malunggay (Moringa Oleifera) – a native plant from India. But rapidly and immediately spread to tropical regions. Malunggay was considered medicinal food, because it is rich in vitamins, nutrients and different kinds of  minerals. It is really helpful to those people who are suffering coughs and other diseases. The Feasibility of Paper to become Furniture (School- Based Research) Chapter 1 Introduction A. Background of the Study Paper refers to a flexible material made from pulped rags, woods, and other related things, which is used to write on, wrap in or cover walls; a single sheet of this, an official document, newspaper, essay or lecture, a set of examination questions, personal documents are made of paper. Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing, printing, drawing or packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose from woods. Paper is a versatile material with many uses. Whilst the common is for writing and printing. It is also seldomly used as food ingredient in Asian Cultures. The oldest known archaeological fragments of the immediate precursor to modern paper date to 2nd century BC in China. The pulp papermaking process is ascribed to Cai Lun, a 2nd-century AD Han court eunuch. With paper an effective substitute for silk in many applications, China could export silk in greater quantity, contributing to a Golden Age. Paper spread from China through the Middle East to medieval Europe in the 13th century, where the first water-powered paper mills were built. In the 19th century, industrial manufacture greatly lowered its cost, enabling mass exchange of information and contributing to significant  cultural shifts. In 1844, Canadian inventor Charles Fenerty and German F.G. Keller independently developed processes for pulping wood fibers. Furniture refers to the basic things, objects, and materials often used in everyday life such as chairs, tables, desks and other related things. These things are often made from wood, plastics, glass, steel and other sources. It refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as sitting and sleeping. Furniture is also used to hold objects at a convenient height for work. B. Statement of the Problem * The researchers aim to use paper from Sta. Clara Parish School (SCPS) and use waste papers to create different kinds of furniture. * The researchers also aim to study the factor of Reusing, Reducing and Recycling and helping Schools to make use of Waste Papers to become useful for people. Essential Questions * Can Paper be effective on making or creating different kinds of furniture? * Is there many or few differences between furniture made from paper and wood? * Can we make furniture out of paper and make it sturdy enough even when paper is used? * Is Paper capable of replacing furniture made from wood? C. Hypotheses * The researchers can say that Paper will be effective; it can be turned into furniture. * The Paper Furniture will be a great alternative and it can be sturdy furniture. D. Significance and Importance of the Research Study This particular and specific research study can easily contribute to the youth generation, for them to be capable of deriving furniture from different kinds of things, objects, and materials. It is again for the Youth to develop their resourcefulness by using alternative things as different functions in life. Research studies like this also develops the value of open-mindedness to young researchers and if landed to  the right object, this will serve as an everyday furniture in many people’s houses. E. Scope and Limitations Our research study is only limited at Sta. Clara Parish School Pasay. And only the used papers or waste papers that can help a program of the school called Waste Minimization Program that is facilitated by the Student Coordinating Body (SCB). Waste Paper only occurs when a certain paper was already used and surely cannot be used again. F. Definition of Terms * Paper – A Thin material made from wood mainly used for writing, drawing, graphing, printing, packaging and other uses. * Furniture – These are the movable things that are made from wood. And commonly used for everyday activities such as sitting, eating in, sleeping, and other human activities for everyday. These examples are chairs tables, desks, bed and other. The Capability of Talahib (Saccharum Spotaneum) as a Cleaning Agent (Physically- Based Research) Chapter 1 Introduction A. Background of the Study Rope is a linear collection of plies, yarns or strands which are twisted or braided together in order to combine them into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting, but are far too flexible to provide compressive strength. As a result, they cannot be used for pushing or similar compressive applications. Rope is thicker and stronger than similarly constructed cord, line, string, and twine. Rope may be constructed of any long, stringy, fibrous material, but  generally is constructed of certain natural or synthetic fibres. Synthetic fibre ropes are significantly stronger than their natural fibre counterparts, but also possess certain disadvantages, including slipperiness. Rope is of paramount importance in fields as diverse as construction, seafaring, exploration, sports, hangings, theatre, and communications; and has been used since prehistoric times. In order to fasten rope, a large number of knots have been invented for countless uses. Talahib (Saccharum Spotaneum) is a grass native to South Asia. It is a coarse, erect and perennial grass, growing up to three meters in height, with spreading rhizomatous roots Panicles are white and erect, measuring 15 to 30 centimetres long, with slender and whole branches, the joints covered with soft white hair. Spikelet are about 3.5 millimetres long, much shorter than the copious, long, white hairs at the base. In the Terai-Duar savannah and grasslands, a lowland eco-region at the base of the Himalaya range in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Bhutan, Talahib grass quickly colonises exposed silt plains created each year by the retreating monsoon floods, forming almost pure stands on the lowest portions of the floodplain. It is also said that Talahib can be a great alternative medicine as well. In Siddha, the whole plant is used for diseases of vatam and pittam, vomiting and various abdominal disorders, mental diseases, dyspnoea, anemia and obesity. In Uttar Pradesh, paste prepared f rom equal quantities of fresh roots of Cynodon dactylon and Saccharum spotaneum is given with cow’s milk and sugar for leucorrhea, early morning for one month. B. Statement of the Problem * The researchers aim to study the effect of Talahib when used as a bundled, strengthened and tightened rope. * The researchers also aim to study how Talahib (Saccharum Spotaneum) will become or be bundled together as a rope. Essential Questions * Can the Talahib be used in making a strong rope? * How strong is the Talahib rope if bundled and tightened together? * Is the Talahib rope capable of replacing the Synthetic Ropes? C. Hypotheses * The Talahib Rope will be strong, tightened and the researchers can make a bundle out of the Talahib Strands. * The Talahib Rope will be effective, efficient, useful and can be easily made. D. Significance and Importance of the Research Study This particular and specific research study can easily contribute to the youth generation, for them to be capable of deriving ropes from different kinds of plants and materials. It is again for the Youth to develop their resourcefulness by using alternative plants as different functions in life. Research studies like this also develops the value of open-mindedness to young researchers and if landed to the right plant, this will serve as an effective use in climbing, rescuing people and other activities that ropes are involved. E. Scope and Limitations Our research study is only limited to the Talahib plant and just the strands of the Talahib that is harvested. This only occurs when Talahib strands are thin-like structures and can undergo the process of bundling or combining together as one. F. Definition of Terms * Rope – Rope is a linear collection of plies, yarns or strands which are twisted or braided together in order to combine them into a larger and stronger form * Talahib (Saccharum Spotaneum) – is a grass native to South Asia. It is a coarse, erect and perennial grass, growing up to three meters in height, with spreading rhizomatous roots

Psychology Development in Chine

History and Systems of psychology PSYC 331 Dr. Bihan Al Qaimari Midterm Paper â€Å"Development of Psychology in China† Name: Ahmad Shiber Student number: 1071843 Introduction: When we started this class, we started learning the history of psychology, its theories, and its development. I couldn’t help but notice that the course curriculum is focused on European and American psychologists and their theories, which gives us a very westernized view of psychology and the nature of humans and their humanity.Studying psychology from a western point of view also limits the horizons of applying psychology and how it explained since it will be connected to mainly western church ideologies and financial and political systems are in the west like capitalism and democracy. I developed an interest in far eastern cultures four years ago studying the common religions in that region basics of languages spoken there, and I even started studying the Japanese language as a second language .Thus, I was interested of how these cultures saw psychology and compare their psychological thinking with Greek and Islamic psychological thinking and philosophy which was covered in class. I was amazed by the sheer amount of knowledge these cultures had offered in psychology and I was disheartened on how it is almost never mentioned in psychology classes or when mentioned it gets marginalized. Of all the cultures that constitute the Far East, I chose China.In this paper I will discuss the development of psychology in this country from its historical roots till the modern day, along with all the ups and downs of this field. I hope to shed light on the amazing contributions to the psychology field in particular, and to humanity in general. Attachment: a brief description of Chinese culture of well being. The Historical Roots: Modern psychology was brought to China from the West in the late 1800s, but the study and discussion of psychological issues had a long history in ancient Chin a. Read also Memory – ForgettingEarly psychological thinking in China not only was contained in diverse philosophical, political, military, and other literature but was also expressed through various practices in education, medicine, and human resource management. The influence of Chinese culture on world psychology has been widely recognized in current literature in the field and is attracting more and more attention (Jing, 1994; Murphy & Kovach, 1972; Wang, 1993). In China a rich body of psychological thought existed in the writings of the ancient Chinese philosophers.One of the most important figures was Confucius (551-479 B. C. ) whose teaching has, for centuries, exerted a profound influence on the development of China's cultural history. Confucian thinking emphasized the discussion of human nature, education, human development, and interpersonal relationships. For example, when Confucius discussed human nature, he asserted that â€Å"human nature is the order of heavenâ₠¬  (Jing, 1994, p. 668). By this Confucius meant that our patterns of existence are determined by Nature or by God.He did not address this issue in order to differentiate whether human nature was good or evil but proposed it as a common heritage upon which personal and mental development could be based through education: â€Å"By nature close to each other, but through practice far from each other† (Analects 17:2, Dawson, 1993). This means that people are similar when they are born but that they become different as a result of social molding; hence the importance of learning. Confucius was a famous teacher as well as a philosopher; he advocated that all people should be educated, irrespective of their abilities.He categorized people into three types: superior, medium, and inferior and concluded that everyone should be educated according to their abilities. These ideas are in agreement with the modern idea of everyone's right to an education and the concept of individual diff erences and the need to provide education in a suitable form for all to benefit, whatever their abilities. With regard to human development, Confucius viewed this as a life-long process as stated in the summary of his own life:. At fifteen I set my mind on learning, at thirty I became firm in my purpose; at forty I was free from doubts; at fifty I came to know fate; t sixty I could tell truth from falsehood by listening to other people; at seventy I followed my heart's desire without trespassing the norm of conduct. (Analects 2:4; Tang, 1996). A distinctive feature of this outlook is an emphasis on the development of wisdom and social maturity at a later age. Contrary to some modern thinking that human development is primarily an early childhood process (as has been proposed by Freud or Piaget), Confucius gave new insight with the view that development is a life-long process. In addition to Confucianism, other Chinese philosophies such as Taoism and Zen Buddhism were also important. For instance, Chinese Taoist scholars considered that opposition exists everywhere in the universe and that the synthesis of contrary systems operates to form an integrated unity that is a manifestation of the power and operation of the Yang and the Yin, the alternating forces expressive of light and darkness, birth and decay, male and female. These powers, which in their combined operation form the Tao, the Way, the great principle of the universe, are the mainspring of every activity, the mechanism of constant change and balance, which maintains the harmony of the cosmos. (Fitzgerald, 1976, p. 220). According to Lao-tzu (570-490 B.C. ), the reputed founder of Taoism, nature keeps a proper balance in all its working. If any activity moves to an extreme in one direction, sooner or later a change occurs to swing it back toward the opposite. This thinking may have influenced Jungian psychology, for â€Å"Jung discovered the self from Eastern philosophy and characterized it ‘as a kind of compensation for the conflict between inside and outside † (Jung, as cited in Kuo, 1971, p. 97). In addition, recent findings indicate that the self-actualization theories of Rogers and Maslow bear certain similarities to concepts in Taoism and Zen Buddhism (e. . , Chang ; Page, 1991; Ma, 1990). The practice of naive psychology was widespread in ancient China, and many present-day psychology applications could trace their roots to thousands of years ago. For instance, in Medical Principles of the Yellow Emperor, the first Chinese encyclopedia of medicine, published about 2,000 years ago, links between brain pathology and psychological problems were described, and a bio-psycho-social model was the main approach to medical and mental treatment (Wang, 1993).Another famous ancient Chinese text, Sun-tzu's classic book The Art of War, was written 2,500 years ago. It is a treatise on strategies of warfare containing an analysis of human nature, organization, leadership, the effects of the environment, and the importance of information and may have influenced the development of modern organizational psychology. The most important contribution of Chinese culture to the application of psychology is that of mental testing. It is common to think of testing as both a recent and a Western development. The origins of testing, however, are neither recent nor Western.The roots of psychological testing can be traced back to the concepts and practices of ancient China for some 3,000 years (Anastasi, 1988; Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 1993). Various methods for measuring talent and behavior were popular, such as observing traits from behavioral changes, identifying intelligence by response speed, eliciting personality across situations, and measuring mental attributes through interviews (Lin, 1980). The purpose of all these tests was to allow the Chinese emperor to assess his officials' fitness for office. By the time of the Han Dynasty (206 B. C. to A. D. 20), the use of t est batteries (two or more tests used in conjunction) was quite common in the civil service examination system (Zhang, 1988) with essay writing and oral exams in topics such as civil law, military affairs, agriculture, revenue, and geography. Tests had become quite well developed by the time of the Ming Dynasty (A. D. 1368-1644). During this period, there was a national multi-stage testing program that involved local and regional testing centers equipped with special testing booths. Those who did well on the test at the local level went on to the provincial capital for more extensive essay examinations.After this second testing, those with the highest test scores went on to the nation's capital for a final round of examinations. Only those who passed this third set of tests were eligible for public office. It is probable that the Western world learned about these national testing programs through exposure to the Chinese during the 19th century. Reports by British missionaries and di plomats encouraged the British East India Company to copy the Chinese system in 1832 as a method for selecting employees for overseas duty.Testing programs worked well for the company, and the British government adopted a similar system of testing for its civil service in 1855. Later, French, German, and American governments in succession endorsed it, and the testing movement in the Western world has grown rapidly since then (Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 1993). Testing was also well developed in ancient Chinese folk culture. An article written by a scholar, Yen (531-590), indicated that, the so-called â€Å"testing the child at one year of age† was a popular custom in southern China.On a child's first birthday, he/she would be placed on a large table full of food, clothing, paper, pens, jewelry, toys, books with, in addition, an arrow and sword for the boys, and needle and thread for the girls. The baby was encouraged to crawl freely and pick up the item he or she liked best. By observ ing what the baby grasped first, the proud parents projected the baby's intelligence, personality characteristics and aptitude by the things taken from the table. This custom lasted until the 20th Century. (Zhang, 1988, p. 02). Although clearly not a test by modern standards, it does illustrate a willingness to assess individual differences by concrete means. Zhang (1988) also noted that Lin Xie, a well-known 6th century scholar, designed what appeared to be the first experimental psychological test in the world. He asked people to draw a square with one hand and at the same time draw a circle with the other. His aim was to show that, with interference from the attempt to do the second task, neither task could be done correctly.Interestingly, Binet in the 1890s developed a similar test as part of the early psychological work on the effect of distraction (internal and external) on mental tasks (Pillsbury, 1929; Woodworth & Marquis, 1949). Binet may have been aware of the Chinese hist ory. This review is only a brief discussion of the historical background of Chinese psychology. However, psychology in China did not develop into a systematic discipline, despite the fact that the concepts of psychology have deep roots in Chinese civilization dating back almost 2,500 years.Furthermore, few empirical studies have been done in this area of knowledge in China, compared with studies done in the Western world. Thus, Chinese psychology has lacked a scientific basis because of the belief that Chinese scholars should only concern themselves with â€Å"book learning, literature, history and poetry–but not with science† (Fitzgerald, 1976, p. 274). When Chinese intellectuals began the reform movement in the early 1900s, they promoted an uncompromising rejection of Chinese traditions (especially those with Confucian roots) and advocated total or whole-hearted Westernization, in terms of science.Chinese psychology became a graft product of Western and Soviet psycho logy (Barabanshchikova & Koltsova, 1989). Early Chinese psychologists had adopted the Western ideas of behaviorism, psychoanalysis, and gestalt psychology, and the works of Pavlov, Bekhterev, and Komilov were translated from the Russian. Nowadays, however, more and more scholars taking the cross-cultural view of psychology (e. g. , Matsumoto, 2000) have realized that it is not appropriate simply to apply Western theories to explain the behavior of the Chinese or any other cultural group.Although the collection process has not been fully carried out, some Chinese psychologists (such as Gao, 1986) have started their exploration of the old studies and literature to search for the roots of Chinese psychology. Those valuable assets of the old civilization, when thoroughly explored, may give us new insights into the understanding of contemporary psychology. For example, researchers are studying early writings on traditional Chinese medicine and translating their conclusions into testable hypotheses of therapeutic effectiveness (Lee & Hu, 1993; Li, Xu, & Kuang, 1988; Tseng, 1973).This kind of work is also significant in cross-cultural studies and has particular relevance in the Chinese context. Development of Modern Chinese Psychology: Chinese psychology began a long time ago, but the modern scientific method is only recent. However, the era of modern Chinese psychology commenced in the late 1800s with the dissemination of Western psychology in China along with other Western influences. Chinese students who had studied in the West brought back ideas fundamental to modern psychology and translated Western books.In 1889, Yan Yongjing translated a Japanese version of Joseph Haven's Mental Philosophy (1875), which was regarded as the first Western psychology book to be published in China (Kodama, 1991). Psychology as an independent scientific discipline was first taught in some Chinese pedagogical institutions at the turn of this century. The Chinese educational reformer , Cai Yuanpei, who studied psychology at Wilhelm Wundt's Laboratory in Leipzig and who later became president of Beijing University, set up the first psychology laboratory at Beijing University in 1917 (Jing, 1994).In 1920, the first psychology department was established in South Eastern University in Nanjing (Li, 1994). In August 1921, the Chinese Psychological Society was formally founded. Unfortunately, its activities were interrupted by the Sino-Japanese war. Meanwhile, some Chinese scholars finished their studies in Western universities and returned to China to teach and do research in psychology. They played important roles in laying the foundation for the development of modern Chinese psychology. One of the most widely known Chinese psychologists from that period was R. Y.Kuo, who went to the University of California at Berkeley in 1918 and returned to China in 1929. As a behaviorist, his major contributions were in the field of the developmental analysis of animal behavior a nd the nervous system (Brown, 1981). Another influential figure was P. L. Chen, known as the founder of Chinese industrial psychology, who carried out field studies in Chinese factories after studying under Charles Spearman of University College London. Later, Chen's study on the G factor was translated and noted as an achievement in the developing understanding of intelligence (Wang, 1993).Another was S. Pan, who obtained his Ph. D. in Chicago in 1927, having worked with Carr on the influence of context on learning and memory. He later became president of the Chinese Psychological Society when it was re-established in 1955 after the People's Republic of China was founded. In short, from the 1920s through the 1940s, Chinese psychology was oriented mainly toward Western psychology and in fact was not different from the latter. Experimental approaches were emphasized, and Chinese psychologists were strongly influenced by the schools of functionalism, behaviorism, and the Freudians.Psy chology was basically an imported product whose general development was slow because of the unstable social environment in China during this period. After the founding of the People's Republic in 1949, psychology was reestablished under the auspices of the Communist Party. The new psychology took Marxism-Leninism and Mao's thought as the basic philosophy underlying its psychological theory. For instance, Marxism's materialist dialectics saw psychology (apart from experimental psychology) as entirely hypothetical and, therefore, not materialist and not permitted.Although the Western psychology of the 1930s was well known, it was rejected after 1949 because of its capitalist nature. Chinese psychology during the mentioned time period was guided by the slogan â€Å"Learn from the Soviet Psychology† (Barabanshchikova ; Koltsova, 1989, p. 118), and books by Soviet psychologists (Pavlov, Luria, Sechenov, etc. ) were translated into Chinese; Chinese students and postgraduates began to study in Russia rather than in the United States (Barabanshchikova ; Koltsova). Soviet psychology focused on the relationship between psychology nd the workings of the central nervous system, especially as shown in the work of Pavlov with animals, whereas Western psychology with its emphasis on individual differences was seen as a â€Å"tool of the bourgeoisie,† which contradicted the Marxist doctrine that states that people are primarily shaped by their social class. Jing (1994) noted that as in the Soviet Union in the 1940s and in 1950s, there were no independent departments of psychology in Chinese universities. Psychology was a secondary discipline in the departments of philosophy or education. It was only 30 years later, after the Chinese Cultural Revolution, that independent departments of psychology were reestablished in Chinese universities). (p. 670). Psychology had a preliminary development in the 1950s and early 1960s. In 1958, the Institute of Psychology was se t up as a part of the Chinese Academy of Science, where, because it was classified as a science, its funding was more favorable than that of other social sciences. About half of the 3,000 Chinese psychologists then worked in normal universities or pedagogical institutes in the fields of developmental and educational psychology (Jing, 1994).Some basic psychological studies were also carried out on perception, conceptual development, memory, and physiological psychology. The publication of three important Chinese textbooks in the early 1960s reflected a significant development of teaching and research during that period: general psychology (Cao, 1963), educational psychology (Pan, 1964), and child psychology (Zhu, 1962). However, the development of psychology was not smooth because of the ebb and flow of political movements. Even though it is a science, psychology could be construed as an ideology and hence a threat to the doctrine promulgated by the ruling regime or by influential se gments of society,† noted Leung and Zhang (1995, p. 694). Jing (1994) gave an explanation for this statement. He described the 1958 campaign against the â€Å"bourgeois direction in psychology† that criticized the â€Å"globalization† and â€Å"abstractionism† of psychology. This criticism was aimed at basic research with controlled experiments. In China, confounding political matters with academic ones led to the suppression of certain subfields in psychology.For example, social psychology and psychological testing were abolished â€Å"on the grounds that the former ignored the class nature of social groups, and the latter stressed too heavily individual differences rather than social differences† (Jing, 1994, p. 671). The only social psychology articles then published were criticisms of the bourgeois and idealist values of Western psychology. As Brown (1983) noted, Western theories were viewed as a tool for exploiting the working class and a false bourgeois science, which contradicted the Marxist framework of historical materialism.Kuo (1971) gave some interesting examples of how Western-style psychological research was seen to be politically dominated. For example, Kretch and Crutchfield's proposed social psychology program for factory managers to help eliminate conflict between workers and factory owners was described as actually intended â€Å"to iron out the class struggle, to diminish the proletarian's fighting will for revolution, and to sacrifice the proletarian basic profits in order to meet the need of capitalists† (p. 100).For these reasons, between 1966 and 1976, during the period of the Cultural Revolution, psychology was attacked by the extreme leftist revolutionaries as a â€Å"bourgeois pseudo-science† and was uprooted completely as a scientific discipline. Leading psychologists were labelled as â€Å"reactionary academic authorities,† scientific research and teaching institutions were dis solved, and psychologists were dispatched to remote areas of the country to work on the farms. The disaster lasted until the termination of the Cultural Revolution in 1976. (Jing, 1994, p. 72). In a later article (1995) Jing commented that this was a â€Å"dark period† for psychology in China and lamented the â€Å"great price to be paid for political interference in science† (p. 719). Happily, Chinese economic reform launched an open-door policy to the outside world in the late 1970s, and psychology was rehabilitated as a scientific discipline. Both the Chinese Psychological Society (CPS) and Institute of Psychology have resumed their academic activities; research in, and application of, psychology is being carried out all over China.With increased international exchanges, new ideas and areas of research such as cognitive psychology and counseling psychology have become popular. For example major cities now have counseling telephone hot lines (Xu, Guo, Fang, & Yan, 19 94), many high schools have their own counselors, and cognitive behavior therapy is a popular new approach to psychiatric problems. Chinese counseling models have to adapt to the characteristics of Chinese clients and counselors (Wang, 1994). Many Chinese psychologists visited other countries, and psychologists from abroad visited China and lectured in China's universities.Thus began a more favorable environment for the present development of Chinese psychology. Wang (1993) gave a good picture of the current scene: By 1991, the CPS had more than 2,900 members, two thirds of whom were developmental and educational psychologists. The CPS has 11 special divisions of psychology, including educational, developmental, medical, general-experimental, industrial, sports, physiological, judicial psychology, and psychological measurement. Each province has its own psychological association such as counseling (Wang, 1993, p. 92).Because psychology restored its momentum in the late 1970s, Chines e psychologists have reached a consensus on building psychology with Chinese characteristics (Chen, 1993; Shi, 1989). Yue (1994) reflected on the need for Chinese psychologists to strengthen their theoretical roots and bind their work closely to life in China. Wang (1993) concluded that much recent Chinese psychological research has been closely linked with economic and social reform, technological developments, and applications of psychology (e. g. , the design of Chinese language computers, the effects of the single-child policy).Bond (1996) and the Chinese Culture Connection (1987) noted that Chinese society is still shaped by Confucian values such as filial piety and industriousness, the saving of face, and the networks of personal relationships. Even in 1922, Chinese psychologists were exhorted to unearth existing Chinese materials, investigate new materials from overseas, and based on these two sources, invent our own theories and experiments †¦ the content must be approp riate to the national situation, and the form, must insofar as is possible, be of a Chinese nature. Jing ; Fu, 1995, p. 723). In experimental psychology, the Chinese language with its ideographic characters has become a subject of great interest (see Bond, 1986, for some examples). Extensive studies are being carried out in this field, including ideographic and sound characteristics of Chinese characters; the relationship between Chinese languages and Western languages; the hemispheric laterality of information processing of the Chinese language; and reading and comprehension of the Chinese language.Because of the importance of the application of these studies to school education, artificial intelligence, and industrial technology, many Chinese psychologists are collaborating in their research efforts in the hope of finding some answers, such as how to simplify the typing of Chinese characters on computers (Tan ; Peng, 1991; Yu, Feng, ; Cao, 1990; Zhang ; Shu, 1989; Zhang, Zhang, ; Peng, 1990). Developmental psychology is another area of intensive study.There are 300 million children in China, and any new knowledge acquired in the field would have important implications for the education of this next generation (Jing, 1994). For example, Mei (1991) demonstrated that the remote rural minority people's tradition of keeping their babies propped up in sandbags for most of their first 6 months resulted in lower IQ scores up to the age of 16. Much has been published on concept development, language development, the development of thinking, personality, and moral development, gifted children, and slow learners (see Dong, 1989; Liu, 1982; Zhu & Lin, 1986).These findings have been applied to improve the teaching and testing of children, such as the development of the standardized Higher Education Entrance Examination. In addition, since the national family planning and birth control program was implemented in the mid-1980s the characteristics of the only-child policy h ave been a hot topic (Chen, 1985; Falbo & Poston, 1993; Jing, 1995). For example, Ying and Zhang (1992) found that rural Chinese still expected their children rather than the government to support them in their old age. This will clearly be a burden on a single child with four dependent grandparents.Psychologists are concerned with the school achievement and social development of these only children as well as the social psychological effects and personality problems that may be encountered in the future. Within this area, cross-cultural psychology studies among China's minority groups offer an important new prospect (Hong ; Wang, 1994; Xie, Zhang, Yu, ; Jui, 1993). In the field of medical and clinical psychology, besides the introduction of Western psychotherapeutic methods (behavior modification, group therapy, psychoanalysis, etc. ), the demonstration of the effectiveness of some traditional Chinese medical treatments (e. . , acupuncture, see Ng, 1999a) and therapies (e. g. , qig ong ; taichi, see Ng, 1999b) has been a significant development (San, 1990; Sun, 1984; Wang, 1979). Moreover, many psychologists are also involved in the process of modernization in industrial, military, and educational areas, playing important roles in policy making. For example, psychometricians helped to initiate the standardization of college entrance examinations. In personnel selection for the Air Force, psychologists are widely consulted and are actively participating in the design of selection procedures (Hao, Zhang, Zhang, ; Wang 1996).Industrial psychologists also make their contribution to the establishment of color standards of industrial illumination as well as to the developments of signs and symbols for technical products. The role of psychology has become increasingly prominent in China's rapid modernization and economic and social development. Disadvantageous Factors that May Impede the Development of Psychology: Although psychology is recognized by the Chinese gove rnment and is enjoying apparent prosperity at the moment, its future status is questionable.The development of psychology is contingent on economic growth. Compared with the other natural sciences (such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry), the development of psychology depends especially on the resources and prevailing intellectual practices of that country. It was reported in the mid-1980s that there were well over 60,000 psychologists who belonged to the American Psychological Association (Mays, Rubin, Sabourin, & Walker, 1996), whereas there were fewer than 3,000 registered members in the Chinese Psychological Society by 1991 (Wang, 1993).The ratio of psychologists to the general population is higher in developed countries than in developing countries. China has fewer than 2 psychologists for every million people (Jing & Fu, 1995). A developing country has to provide for its people's basic needs–food, shelter, health–before it can afford to provide for their â⠂¬Å"higher† psychological needs. When a country is underdeveloped, the more important problems of developing industry, commerce, and agriculture receive more attention because of the need to improve basic living conditions for everyone.In China today, with its economic pressures and its huge population problem, the further development of psychology cannot be seen as a top national priority. However, the Chinese government has begun to recognize that economic progress ultimately depends on the talents of the managers and workers and now sees the value of investing in modern management selection and training (e. g. , the setting up in 1999 of the Beijing Senior Management Selection Centre; personal communication, Gu Xiang Dong, January, 1999). Because the Chinese Government employs almost all the psychologists in the country, the future of the profession depends n its support (Jing ; Fu, 1995). In practical terms, lack of funding in developing countries means that psychologists cannot afford to attend international conferences, buy expensive books and journals, or experiment with highly technical equipment. Jing and Fu noted,. As China's market-oriented reform continues, people in academic circles are adjusting their ways of making a living. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the main organizational body of scientific research in China, started its reform in the middle 1980s to satisfy the market need for applied technology. p. 721). In 1993, the CAS elected to move 70% of its staff into research related to economic development and thus more than 50,000 people began to conduct research in areas relevant to the market economy (Wang, 1995). It is also known that a further 10,000 of the original CAS staff have become businessmen or managers as a result of the expansion of private business enterprises (Jing & Fu, 1995). Budgetary difficulties are a more immediate problem for reform. In developed countries, psychology can rely on private funding.For example , the ratio of private to government funding in the United States was as high as 1 to 10 in 1990 (see Rosenzweig, 1992), whereas in China there is little private funding to which psychologists can turn. If such funding does exist, psychology is rarely on the list for support. The lack of funding for research has had an adverse impact on basic research. In an analysis of 2,274 studies between 1979 and 1988 in developmental and educational psychology involving 362,665 participants, Shi (1990) found that 48. 9% of the studies were applied research whereas only 8% were described as basic research. The rest were more or less repetitions or adaptations of previous studies or instruments. ) Psychologists in China are predominantly concerned with applied problems, and research that addresses economic and social problems. This situation was aptly described by Long (1987): â€Å"The pressing need †¦ was a technocrat in a factory, not a rat in a Skinner box† (p. 232). An applied or ientation is understandable in the light of the heavy emphasis placed on economic development. It may be expected that psychology will play an important role in the attainment of China's present goal to modernize industry, agriculture, science, and technology.The main problems for Chinese psychologists are how to help the nation accomplish these important tasks with minimal funding and lack of facilities (Jing ; Fu, 1995). The development of psychology is based on having a sufficient number of people with advanced training, and universities are the main source of training for psychologists. Bachelor degree courses in psychology are similar to those in the United States, but Chinese lecturers have far heavier teaching commitments than their Western counterparts, and they are often required to teach topics well outside their specialist areas.The lack of educational funding also limits access to leading journals and books in the field. Universities in China can afford to subscribe to o nly a few American and European journals, and most newly published English language books are not available in the library or if they are, their use may be restricted. Thus â€Å"psychological knowledge transmitted to China falls behind the times and is less sophisticated than that in the West† (Jing ; Fu, 1995, p. 725).At present, there are only six psychology departments and four psychology institutions among all the institutions of higher education, although all normal universities and teachers' colleges have psychology curricula and established psychology teaching and research groups. This provision is clearly inadequate for future needs. In addition, students often teach in the universities in which they received their degree, leading to a restricted perspective of the discipline. To a certain extent, China must depend on the developed world for the training of its psychologists (Jing & Fu, 1995).This dependence comes through the importation of foreign experts as well as the training abroad of Chinese psychologists at the postgraduate level and the subsequent brain drain, as many of the latter do not return to China. Another serious problem affecting the development of psychology is that there are no specific career paths for students who major in psychology. There is no organized postgraduate professional psychology training, and psychology graduates are often trapped in low-income jobs. Thus, uncertain career prospects have turned away many talented students.Unfortunately many students who chose psychology as a major have turned to unrelated professions on graduation. Future Perspective The field of psychology has a long road to travel before it will reach its maturity in China. Despite the difficulties mentioned here, recent developments have revealed some directions for the future. As we have seen, the development of Chinese psychology is closely linked with the social environment and with government policy, such as the influence of the family planning program and the open door policy. This link will continue and will orient most psychological research toward practical applications.Given the poor resources in research and the limited number of psychologists, the nationwide and collaborative approach will greatly facilitate research, teaching, and the practical application of psychology. Chinese psychology has attracted tremendous interest from all over the world in recent years. The reason for this sinophilia (Leung & Zhang, 1995, p. 696) â€Å"is because of the increasing importance of China world-wide, both politically and economically. † In the next few years, more emphasis will be put on the mutual communication and exchange of ideas with the rest of the world.Chinese psychology will certainly benefit from learning from Western advanced psychology. However, to interpret the mental phenomena and behavior of the Chinese people, attention must also be focused on the theoretical construction of China's ancient psyc hological heritage traced through traditional Chinese culture. It may be that this will eventually reflect Fairbank's view (1992, p. 258) when he stated, â€Å"Chinese learning for the substance the essential principles and Western learning for function the practical applications. 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Suicide Essay

Suicide has always been an objective of primary interest and main concern to people of different cultures and historical periods. Suicide as a phenomenon has been discussed and described In literature, philosophy, and sociology. There are various definitions of suicide that have been proposed by the writers and researchers, such as the Intentional act of killing oneself, the act of terminating life, and the act of deliberate self-destruction. Some difficulties arise when we try to explain seclude specifically because the nature of suicide is very complex, and it is hard to justify suicidal behavior or distinguish it from other behavior.For example, a person, who knows that smoking leads to the serious health risks but deliberately engages in this activity and dies consequently, has not committed suicide. On the other hand, if a mentally ill individual arranges the circumstances for his or her deaths (by cutting veins, Jumping off buildings, etc. ), we can say that this person has com mitted suicide. In America, suicide rates are going up rapidly since 1999. But in our modern society, if a person commits suicide, it does not mean that that this person is bad and fragile. All of us experience problems during some periods of our lives.But the mall point Is that some people know how to handle these problems and some of them are getting lost because they see no light In the end of the tunnel and eventually give up. Thus, people normally commit suicide to end up agonizing emotional pain. These people are unable to see other options of solving their problems: they feel very isolated and distressed. The factors that contribute to stress or trauma and cause suicide are: financial situation, working environment, school, death of a loved one, loss of Job, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, etc.Philosophical revelation about suicide sakes us back to the time of Socrates, including Plato and Aristotle. In his Laws, Plato declared that suicide is outrageous and people, wh o committed suicide, should be buried in unidentified graves. However, according to Plato, suicide under some circumstances can be excused: when person's mind Is morally degraded; when suicide Is done by Judicial order; when the self-killing results from shame of participating In disgustingly unfair procedures.In contrast, the Stoics thought that suicide may be reasonable If the quality of life Is not available to an Individual and one's life is lacking the desired advantages. The philosopher Seneca claimed that an intelligent person â€Å"lives as long as he ought, not as long as he can. † (R. Frey, 1978) Suicide is forbidden by almost all religions and is viewed as a severe sin. Church has demanded that since suicide involves self-killing, then the person who destroys his or her life is sinning in the same way as if this person killed another individual.Life is given by God and it is sacred, therefore, the Christians are against suicide and euthanasia. Suicide violates God' s privilege in determining when people shall die. The nineteenth century carried new developments that have formed theoretical Hough about suicide topic. It was viewed as the predictable response of a suffering person who was Ignored by society. Also, It was the time of recognition of psychiatry as a telephone that could treat depression, hysteria and other disorders accountable for seclude.And finally, In the work of sociologist Druthers, suicide was described as a social disease producing extensive isolation. The sociologists had explained suicide analysis various causes, such as climate, season, and religion. Thus, he concluded that suicide rate is greater in the warmer months in all countries. He also masticates that suicide is greater in Protestant countries compared to Catholic countries. In general, Druthers viewed suicide as a social fact and considered social reasons, such as lack of connections between people and less integration in family constitution.Druthers developed t he four classifications of suicide: * Egoistic suicide. The factors responsible for it are depression and disappointment. He concludes that the people who strongly attached to their families or some other type of groups are less likely to come across these issues. * Altruistic suicide occurs when attachment is too great and the person is forced to commit self- ailing. Druthers provides examples of old and ill people or women who want to die after the death of their loved ones. Anomic suicide results from breakdown of standards and values, when a degree of regulation is too low. This can happen either during economic depression or quick economic expansion. * Fatalistic suicide occurs when regulation is too strong. The people are blocked by harsh discipline and they see no possible ways to improve their lives. Many of the modern sociological theories have been originated based on a Druthers idea of social integration. However, some of them have created new approaches in the study of s uicide.Thus Breed (1963) interviewed the families of people who committed suicide and introduced into sociology a research method, which provided sociologists with true situations of suicide. Are there any rational circumstances under which suicide can be morally Justified? The moral position on this question holds that it is wrong because people life is sacred. Although this theory is related to the religious version, it is also can be found in the work of Ronald Drink (R. Drink, 1993). Based on this view, individual life is valuable; and suicide violets our obligation to honor our lives.

Case study on Expert Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case study on Expert Systems - Essay Example â€Å"An expert system is an information system that holds and stores the expertise of human experts and then reproduces human reasoning and decision making† (Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005, p. 729). According to (Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 446), an expert system can be defined as knowledge exhaustive computer program that captures the skills or expertise of human in limited fields of knowledge. An expert system can help decision making by creating related questions and describing the causes for taking definite action (Laudon & Laudon, 1999). This first example encompasses the implementation of expert system in the manufacturing industry. In this regard Lee (2009) presented a detailed overview of a new type of system development and implimentataion at US defense department. The new technology based expert system will be helpful in development of the new generation of weapons systems. This expert system is aimed to effectively manufacture the intended products through giving the advanced materials and current manufacturing techniques. This system is acknowledged as the Intelligent Processing of Materials (IPM) program (Lee, 2009). The implementation of the IPM is aimed to diminish the manufacturing expenditure by using expert systems as well as intelligent control over the major development areas. The main aim of this system is to be functional and efficient in greater stresses, higher temperatures, and harsher environments, for the reason that new material involves all these factors in the overall production and developm ent. According to development teams, IPM program will minimize the overall development time and make intelligent decision. This expert system will make use of analysis as well as synthesis tools to shape models of the material processes. During all these processes the expert system will also control the in-situ sensors to monitor real states of processes. This expert system will be a compensation of the