Consequences of a College Student Cheating Essay

Students are driven to cheat when there are too much emphasis to ace exams from both parents and school officials. It’s difficult to dismiss entirely of why students cheat, but taking the pressure away, students are less likely to engage in such conduct. Cheating implies breaking the rules. Academic dishonesty is using reference materials during a closed-book test or getting the answers ahead of time. Cheating is a significant concern in distance education programs. Students might find someone else to log in and take the exam for them or even have a teacher or more advanced student work with them while they take the exam. No matter how carefully a program is designed to prevent it, some students will always be able to circumvent the safeguards. This might seem like an easy way for a student to get a good grade and get ahead in his or her career. However, when students cheat on exams, everyone is affected. Consequences can vary considerably if a student is caught cheating. A grade of a zero is a standard consequence. Some professors may not report the cheating which only allows the student to continue the wrongful behavior. In most cases, the student will be put on academic probation for a first offense. This will affect the students’ career development because no one can succeed in their career if they have not learned what they were supposed to during the course of their college studies. The student may be able to get a job with more responsibilities and more pay, but they may not be able to keep it, or might even harm people. Whether the student’s career is medical assistant or lawyer, the exams are supposed to show the level of knowledge required for them to perform well. Another consequence of students cheating is that current and future students who do not cheat are penalized for being honest. When students cheat they change the rules of education in favor of themselves. If the course is graded on a curve, then the students who cheat will have their grades inflated and other students will do more poorly as a direct result. Even if the course is not supposed to be graded on a curve, grades are never absolute. Teachers might look at overall test scores and decide that a certain test was too hard, and that students should be allowed to drop a test score or retake it. However, if some students do extremely well because of cheating, then teachers will not know that the test was simply too difficult. They’ll have no motivation to change the test or the way the material is presented next time. With no feedback on their teaching style, teachers will continue to present the same material and the same kinds of tests. In fact, teachers may start to conclude that the tests are too easy because more students are getting very high grades. In other words, once a few students cheat the motivations for other students to do the same increase. When students successfully cheat they change the rules of education in favor of themselves. Cheating can create a culture of dishonesty. Once students find that one person is cheating it changes the entire ethics of the institution. It is harder for students to resist temptation if others are doing it. When it is recognized by the class that cheating is the only way to pass because majority of students are cheating, then the rest will begin to cheat. If students think that ‘everyone’ else is cheating, then it starts to seem right and normal. Because most young people do it, many young people don’t even see it as being wrong. Each person who participates in an anti-social behavior brings that behavior closer to the norm. Cheating can also devalue all students’ certificates and diplomas by casting a negative light on distance education. If society at large thinks that people in distance education programs tend to cheat, then they are less likely to want to hire people who have graduated from those programs. By maintaining academic honesty, students can make sure that their diplomas continue to have value and aren’t just seen as coming from a ‘diploma mill. ’ Finally, the consequences are severe if a student is caught. A student who is caught cheating will face at the very least failure of the assignment or exam. Harsher consequences include failing the course or possibly even expulsion from the institution. Cheating may seem like a rational decision, but the long-term consequences including the loss of money, time, and reputation that go with failing a class or being expelled can be devastating. Cheating has many consequences that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Even though the short-term effect might be positive, as the student collects some high grades, the long term consequences to fellow students, the institution, society, and the student he or she are not worth it.

Mmse in Nursing Essay

A mini mental state examination (MMSE) also known as the Folstein test is a brief 30-point questionnaire test that is used to screen for cognitive impairment in a patient. It’s use I normally in medicine to screen for the presence of dementia. In this case I used it to estimate the severity of cognitive impairment at a given point in time and to follow the course of cognitive changes in an individual over time. Functions assessed are usually arithmetic, memory and orientation (Changsu Han, 2008). I assessed Mrs. Pandey’s state of cognitive impairment using the mini mental state examination. Mrs. Pandey is a young lady suffering from multiple sclerosis. At this point we assume that she has a normal cognitive state and it was proven correct by the mini mental state examination. After my assessment I found that the MMSE was easy to perform in a way that the type of questions to address where given to me already, concentration was nowon effective communicaion with Mrs. Pandey and developing confidence in her to answer the questions to the best of her ability. To some individuals it is difficult to ask some of the questions , an example was the one question were i had to ask the patient to count backwards from 100 by 7. This was because the patient could find it difficult to understand what is required by the question or interprete in a different way, which can affect the accuracy in determining the patient’s state of cognitive impairment. Some of the questions sounded a bit silly which could possibly annoy the patient especially when they have a normal cognitive state (McMurray, A. 2005). This I thought could cause psychological depression to the patient since they might feel they could be so silly enough not to answer some of the questions correctly. The advantage in this examination could be that no answer is wrong; it is just a way of assessing their state of cognitive assessment. Communication was not much a problem. An issue could be misunderstanding the aim or the purpose of the examination; I did do my best I think to explain the purpose of the exam. I really did not need to rephrase most of the questions because Mrs. Pandey is of an English speaking background therefore I just needed to say it as it is. I do not think, though, that my question could help me draw a definite conclusion because people make mistake even if their cognition is normal due to anxiety and nervousness therefore it is difficult to draw an accurate conclusion (Galea, M. Woodward, M. 2005 ) (McMurray, A. 2005). In terms of the video, i was a little disappointed because i was not speaking loud enough so some of the things i said could not be heard in the video. all in all i think i did a good job in communicating with the patuent, i had a profound open posture to the patient and the patient to examiner positioning was perfect in that it gave the patient a state of superiority

FAmily Health Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

FAmily Health Assessment - Essay Example She reports being a binge drinker, whereby she takes one bottles of beer a day. However, during the weekends she consumes more. This risky health behaviour predisposes her to liver and cardiovascular diseases (Chesla, 2010). Nutritionally, the mother reports periods of appetite loss and often forced to consume little quantity of food. The son is allergic to most protein foods including eggs and red meat. The father and the daughter report normal indexes in nutritional standards. The family members consume an average of six glasses of water each on a daily basis. On sleep and rest pattern, the father reports that he does not sleep well especially if there are some noise in the neighbourhood. The mother reports incidences of sleep disturbance, which she cannot know the cause. Despite being college students, the son and the daughter report adequate resting time especially off the learning hours. Sleep disturbance in the father and the mother could result to increment in stress level. On elimination pattern, the father reports difficulty in micturition and a higher urgency in micturition. The mother reports incidences of constipation that resolves spontaneously. The children, however reported normal incidences in elimination pattern. The urgency and dysuria in the father could result from infection of the urinary system and could lead to an altered self-esteem. Constipation in the mother could result from alteration in appetite thus preventing consumption of roughage. Both the mother and the father were advised to seek hospital-specialised interventions (Diehl, 2007). All the family members are active partakers of activity and exercise involvement. Both the son and a daughter have a gym membership of the college and the father and mother reports frequent cases of outdoor jogging and involvement in physical activity. No member of the family reported an unnatural exhaustion during the physical activity and exercise. In the

Aristotle, Eudaimonia, and Egoistic Hedonism Essay

Aristotle, Eudaimonia, and Egoistic Hedonism - Essay Example This cultivation of excellence is what Aristotle defines as happiness. There is a pleasure that derives from the achievement of living well or living ethically. The ultimate goal of the Nicomachean Ethics is then the establishment of what is good and how it is obtained teleologically, or purpose-driven. As Aristotle proposed, "every art and investigationseems to aim at some good," and that this end was happiness. (Bk. I, Ch. 1). In order to answer what role pleasure plays in a happy life it is necessary to differentiate and define what happiness and pleasure respectively mean first. Happiness and pleasure are not synonymous terms, though pleasure can be obtained through living in accordance to the happy life. In the Nicomachean Ethics, the word that was translated to "happiness" is derived from the Greek word "eudaimonia" that carries with it a connotation meaning excellence and high value. Happiness should not be mistaken, as it is defined in contemporary and popular usage as a relative state characterized by the amount of pleasure received from something or liking to something. Instead happiness is instead living a virtuous life, or as Aristotle wrote, happiness is "the activity of the soul in accordance to virtue." (Bk. I, Ch. VII). Requisite in this is the explanation regarding how the soul can be engaged in accordance to virtue and what virtue itself means. Virtue did not pertain to being highly morali stic as it does today, but rather it pertained to its degree of excellence and value. Virtue was translated from the Greek word "arte" that directly relates to the means excellence. Therefore, something was virtuous if it achieved its goal or end well. For example, a computer was virtuous if it processed information well, and performed the myriad of other tasks with proficiency and skill. For a person, this meant that they were virtuous if they lived and achieved happiness. The arte of man is his ability to reason and the more well or excellently he reasoned, the more virtuous he or she was. Living rationally then is living excellently and doing well, and reason is the activity of the soul, or as Aristotle defined as "the exercise of the soul's faculties in conformity with virtue in a complete life." (Bk. I, Ch VII). Pleasure on the other hand holds a different meaning in the Nicomachean Ethics. Pleasure is the positive feelings one obtains through the actions, as opposed to the aim of the actions themselves. For example, if an individual decides to exercise vigorously daily, they may improve their physical appearance to others as a result. Any compliments by others would make the individual feel good, and that good sensation is pleasure. While the aim of exercising might be something else, that is better health and more energy, and the compliments made by others are secondary. The virtuous act of exercise and physical fitness is to get into better health while the pleasurable act would be the compliments towards a more attractive physical appearance. Aristotle would not consider the intended purpose of receiving compliments because of exercise to of excellent virtue, but rather of hedonistic pleasure. Pleasure should not be the end goal, but part of

The descriptions still do not have enough information about the Essay

The descriptions still do not have enough information about the pictures. Please describe the pictures by starting at the left side of the picutre an - Essay Example The color used on the walls of the room is dull; this illustrates the unhappy environment inside the room. The woman is starring down outside the window; this illustrates that the room is upstairs, and the woman is observing an event or person(s). The event may be a sad one, according to facial expression. The person being observed may be a loved one who has just left the house (Friel 34). The second image shows a joyful and exciting event. It can be safely assumed that the picture represents a nuclear family on holiday. The family has a father, mother and three children. The children comprise one boy and two girls; this illustrated by their mode of dressing. The holiday destination is a beach because of blue waves illustrating the sea, the brown color showing the sand, and the background showing a mountain or hill range. The destination seems secure and private. This is because other people are not indicated in the picture. Luxurious hotels usually offer private beach tourism package. The nuclear family illustrated in the picture is not dressed for the holiday occasion. The man is in formal clothing, and the woman and daughters in dresses. Beach events require beachwear and swimming costumes. The image also illustrates love in the family. The man and the woman are looking and smiling at each other; likewise the son and the daughter are also looking at each other. The looks and the smiles illustrate love between family members (Friel

UPA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

UPA - Essay Example As the essay declares a theoretical framework guides research and clarifies what exactly is the purpose of the research. Even though the research question tends to be misleading as the article progresses the purpose of research becomes clear. This research was based on a preconceived notion that the triage is higher when UAPs handle the emergency department. This can produce unbiased results. This also implies that the theoretical framework on the nursing theory constantly guided the author in her research. Not knowing what the real framework can be a problem. The author has used a developmental framework. This paper stresses that while the introduction of the subject tends to be slightly confusing in the beginning the problem has been properly highlighted in the text later. The flow of the subject is efficiently handled. Current and proper references used and cited wherever necessary. The author is not trying to prove that her preconceived notions were correct. The actual results are quoted which revealed that contrary to belief the triage time taken by licensed nurses or by the UAPs did not differ. It convinces the reader to remove this myth from the mind that triage is faster when nurses handle it. Issues have been well argued and presented. References have been cited from various books on this subject. The author still suggests another ‘study to compare the educational level of the triage nurse†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ implying that this has not been covered so far. At times the author tends to contradict her own statements.

Three questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Three questions - Essay Example A research was conducted, on managerial communication in hospital nursing, to identify obstacles and strategies to overcome these barriers. The research study involved the use of a qualitative approach that used 19 nurses from a university hospital. Semi-structured and vignette interviews were used as a mode of collecting data, and thematic analysis was employed as the technique of data analysis (dos Santos et al, 2012). The results garnered from the analysis of the participant nurses’ response to the interview questions provided interesting indicators. The results illustrated that there was fragmentation of work processes, work team involvement, work shifts and resistance to change (dos Santos et al, 2012). To counter these difficulties and challenges, training programs and workshops were held, which were meant to impart the basic and necessary communication skills essential to successful nursing practice. The training covered aspects such as formalization of conduct, communi cation and optimization of communication (Dos Santos et al. 2012). The results were able to illustrate the importance of effective communication in the execution of nursing duties. This is because communication affects the way that change is executed; this is in the sense that effective communication makes it easier for people to accept change. ... A negative attitude will negate their efforts in a manner that will diminish their ability or efforts in carrying out their duties. Attitude determines whether an individual is motivated or not towards their job or other responsibilities they are tasked with executing. In a work situation, the motivational levels of employees towards their work are a significant factor that should be considered by those heading human resource departments (HR) (Oldham & Hackman, 2010). This is because employees are highly motivated to improve operations in the workplace that results into better production of goods and services. HR managers should ensure that the job description of any task, which employees are delegated to, has an element (s) that serves to boost their morale, which translates to a positive attitude in the employee towards their work detail. When employees are given jobs that they deem demeaning or oppressive to them, they develop a negative attitude towards their job. This limits the ir performance, which usually manifests in the quality of the work done at the end of the day (Oldham & Hackman, 2010). To ensure that employees are satisfied with the type of work they are delegated, HR managers should adopt mechanisms of involving their employees in job design and implementation. This gives employee the chance to influence and have a say in matters that affect them directly. Involving employees in job design and implementation helps a firm achieve enhanced employee harmony, satisfaction, loyalty and the overall increase in productivity (Oldham & Hackman, 2010). Maslow’s theory states that humans are driven by their needs that predispose them to self-actualization that motivates

Produce a report on the case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Produce a report on the case study - Essay Example Most commonly, the above effort is delayed because of the market pressures and the appearance of problems in the internal organizational environment. Therefore, in order for a firm to secure its position in its industry it is necessary to ensure that its strategies are appropriately aligned to the market needs and that conflicts in its internal are effectively controlled. Current paper focuses on the examination of the organizational problems of Fishery Products International (FPI), a key competitor in the global fishery industry. The changes that the firm had to promote, mostly because of its transformation in 1087, from a public-sector firm to a firm of the private sector, have negatively affected its performance. Of course, the high level of the firm’s profitability, especially compared to its rivals, cannot be denied. However, it seems that the transition of the firm from the public sector to the private sector has been problematic, even if the problem was not revealed imm ediately, i.e. in 1987 when the firm entered the private sector. The ability of the firm to survive in the private sector depends on the willingness of its stakeholders to support this effort but also on the market’s conditions, which have been proved to be critical for the firm’s stability. ... ? organizational problems The history of the firm is rather short; the firm was established in 1984 through the amalgamation of three major seafood companies. However, the firms participated in the particular organization had a long presence in the particular industry, being related to the first efforts for the establishment of the fishery industry in Canada. This fact should be taken into consideration when evaluating the firm’s performance after the transformation to a legal entity of the private sector. From a first view, the performance of the firm in its industry can be characterized as satisfactory, taking into consideration the market conditions and the environmental challenges, referring especially to the limitation of the fish stock. Despite the above issues, the firm should stabilize its performance and strengthen its position in the global fishery industry in order to be able to face any potential attacks from competitors, as such attack was expressed through the â €˜unsolicited takeover bid’ (case study, p.15) against the firm by NEOS Seafoods Inc. in 1999. The firm’s key organizational problems are highlighted below; suggestions are made for their elimination and the increase of the firm’s competitiveness, so that similar events, like the takeover bid of NEOS, to be avoided in the future. 2.1 Management roles and responsibility One of the key characteristics of FPI is its leadership style. As noted above, the first established in 1984; in 1987 the firm entered the private sector, which means that for about 3 years the firm was under the control of the government. It was in 1984 when the current CEO of the firm, Vic Young, was appointed in his current position. During this period of transition, from 1984 up to 1987, it was unavoidable for the

Advanced Technology the Key to the Chinese Economy Development Essay

Advanced Technology the Key to the Chinese Economy Development - Essay Example China failed to take the next step and the topic of discussion of the articles revolves around the cause of failure taking the Needham under consideration. The high-level equilibrium trap The above concept was first proposed by Mark Elvin and later supported by some eminent historians. Elvin analysed the economy and the surprising technological advancements and came out with the hypothesis of inadequate capital, constraints in the market, lack of entrepreneurship to be the major causes of failure. He supported his view with examples and evidence. The incentives behind technological innovations were led by family farming, the market system and the fee-simple ownership. So the advancement took the rising curve initially (Maluste, 2011, p.22). The population expanded rapidly and the amount of land got limited. The required amount of food to feed the entire population got limited leading to cheap labour and cost of capital increased. So the country lacked the required surplus necessary f or sustained industrialization. Although China reached the threshold level at the fourteenth century the population grew to such a level where there was no requirement for the labour saving devices (Lin, 1995, p.272). The potential of agriculture is correlated with agriculture. If there is inhibition of technology the equilibrium trap is absent. Therefore, the focus should be towards the rising cause of land ratio and the reason which can be stated is the lack of inventive creativity. According to Chao, the worsening of man to land ratio was not due to the orientation of inventions. If the man to land ratio of the twelfth century is taken into account the claim of no need for technological advancements appears tenuous. The surveys proved that in those periods there was not a single day where the farm households were not occupied in the farmlands. Therefore the claim of no need of labour saving devices is not valid (Bloom, et al, 2006, p.1). The other reason stated by the above-discu ssed hypothesis is inadequate surplus from agriculture rising from weak man to land ratio. This reason has some flaws as well. The surplus of per capita should have been higher in the fourteenth and fifteenth century than that achieved in the twelfth century. Again there is no empirical support to claim the statement that high man to land ratio depleted from the agricultural surplus. Therefore the concept of high-level equilibrium trap stands invalid in analysing the reasons of absence of industrial revolution in China (Kuijs, 2012, p.15). Population, Science and innovations China failed to reap the benefits of technological advancements as it did not transform the experience based procedure of discovery to experiment cum science-based improvement. The Needham’s model assumes the source of the invention to be trial and error. One type of trial and error is based on experience while the other is based on experiment. The former refers to the activities of peasants on the farmla nd while the later trial and error refer to the activities of the investor to innovate new technologies. The technology can be freely obtained from the former while that from later trial and error is costly. The implications drawn from the Needham’s model are discussed below (Swamy, 2010, p.12). The probability of invention or innovation of new technology is dependent upon the positive function of the number of trials.  

The Berlin Wall-Why did it come up Why did it go down Research Paper

The Berlin Wall-Why did it come up Why did it go down - Research Paper Example During the pre-war period, Eastern bloc’s authoritarian systems and erosion of political powers in pro-Soviet governments led to circumventing and defection of 3.5 million East Germans into the West where they could travel to other areas and neighboring countries. As a result, to strengthen the Eastern bloc emigration and defection restrictions; where legal migrations was in most cases meant to reunite families or when members of the minority groups were to return to their homelands (Mur, p.7), led to the construction of the Berlin Wall. The wall was intended to restrict movement which together with the Inner German Border, which was more separate and longer, help in implementing the emigration policy between the Eastern Block and West Europe. Reasons for Construction After the World War II, Germany was divided in to four occupation zones which were based on different social and economic ideologies from four allied powers such as United States France, United Kingdom and the So viet Union; whose ideological differences led to further political divisions in the economy. For instance, the Soviet Union expected to undermine the British position within their occupation zones with an aim of directly influencing the United States to withdraw from their positions to a point that nothing would stand along their communist rule. This would later be followed by establishment of Marxism-Leninism system with the major communism party required to channel down Soviet orders down the administrative apparatus; leading to nationalization of property and industries in East Germany Zone, and this led to internal wrangles within the zone and those of the allied powers (Major, p.2). This led to massive emigration of people from East Germany to the west; with creation of an elaborate police force and administration that was to oversee indoctrination of Marxism systems which were introduced in the school curricula and close surveillance of the implementation. In case of violation of the stated communism lines, punishments such as imprisonments, torture and death would apply and reprimands for the persons outside the public attention; which instigated the need to control movement of the people out of East Germany, and to protect the interests of the new communism establishment (Maltz, p.7), the wall had to be created. This was also influenced by the 1950’s Soviet approach of controlling the emigration and national movements; which presented a quandary for some Eastern blocs that were more economically advanced and those that were liberalized, which led to many citizens escaping the East for the West. By 1961, German Democratic Republic wanted to de-Nazify their occupation zone and to promote socialism system as means of public policy and development, which could only be achieved by restricting movement of people with different ideologies in to the zone and thus the construction. In addition, emigrants seemed young and well educated and the East German y officials feared â€Å"brain drain†; leaving for political reasons of communism at the expense of economic expectations by the East Germany would ruin their socialism agenda thus they needed to be controlled. Contraventions by the Soviet Union in and other allied powers in a bid to take full control of East Germany such as the closure of the Inner German Border and

Eternal Love Through Death in John Keats Bright Star Essay Example for Free

Eternal Love Through Death in John Keats Bright Star Essay Love, being one of the most debated topics in literature, often serves as a source of inspirations for many of writers and poets, including John Keats. Throughout his life, he wrote countless love poems and letters, addressing his lover – Fanny Brawne. The star, apart from being the symbol of steadfastness and constancy, it is also a metaphor representing Keats himself. Through Keats’ idea of â€Å"Mansion of life†, the poem is consisted of two floors where the first floor displays his passionate love for Brawne while the second floor talks about his inner desire for death. Keats first expresses his ideal, however paradoxical love. There are two essential yet conflicting qualities in this poem – the reality verses the ideal and the immortal verses the mortal. On one hand, he would like to be like a star, steadfast and unchanging. On the other, he dislikes the solitude of the star as it has to watch â€Å"the moving waters† and â€Å"the new soft-fallen mask/Of snow† from afar like a â€Å"sleepless Eremite†. He continues to state that if he â€Å"has to live ever†, he would rather â€Å"pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast†. The ideas to be eternal and to love simultaneously do not go hand in hand. To love, one has to be human and therefore not an immortal, steadfast star. In the last line of the poem, Keats acknowledges that he would like to â€Å"live ever† in love, but he has to be human in order to experience love, which hints that the love between Keats and Brawne will not last and will eventually fade away as time goes by. The other possible alternative to immortalize their love is â€Å"swoon to death†. One of Keats’ letters from 3 May 1818 to Fanny Brawne echoes the idea of â€Å"swooning† and it says â€Å"†¦I love you; all I can bring you is a swooning admiration of your Beauty.†(Poet.org) This can be interpreted that he wants to die while experiencing intense, ecstatic love or according to the letter, overwhelmed by her beauty. While I was reading Bright Star, I could not help but catch the similarity between Keats and Shakespeare’s idea of love. In the opening of Shakespeare’s sonnet 116, â€Å"Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.† (Shakespeare) Shakespeare talks about his ideal love and marriage. Keats, being a reader of Shakespeare, is in some way affected or inspired by him. Shakespeare describes love as an â€Å"ever-fixed marks† that â€Å"is never shaken† even in the wildest storms. Keats transformed Shakespeare’s â€Å"ever-fixed† into steadfastness. Keats then moves on to talk about a more sexual and sensuous love. With more explicit descriptions of â€Å"my [his] fair love’s† body parts, those descriptions hint the idea of sex and orgasm. He imagines himself â€Å"pilliow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast†. The word â€Å"ripening† gives a notion of youth, implicating that the lady is young and energetic. Keats also describes the rising and falling of her chest when she takes her â€Å"tender-taken breath†. If he could, he would â€Å"so live ever†. However, it is impossible to live forever and the only solution would be â€Å"swoon to death†. Keats did not explicitly tell the readers what it means to be â€Å"swoon to death† and leave us a lot of room for imaginations. The word â€Å"swoon† and other erotic images of the lady’s body parts bring us to the subtext of the poem – sex. La petite mort is a French idiom or euphemism for org asm, meaning little death. According to Oxford Dictionaries, â€Å"swoon† means â€Å"to enter a state of ecstasy or rapture†. Whether he intended to talk about sex at the end of the poem is still indefinable as we have no idea of what Keats was thinking when he wrote the poem. Though Keats did not write any overly sexual poetry, there is always a strong erotic indication in many of his works. If the sexual subtext is intended in the poem, I believe that it creates a nice denouement to the poem. Keats’ obsession with death and his love for Fanny are intertwined seamlessly throughout the poem. In one of his letters, he states â€Å"I have two luxuries to brood over in my walks, your loveliness and the hour of my death† (Poet.org). Not only is Keats intimidated by death, to some extent he is also intrigued by it. Even though he is worried about the approaching death, to him the promise of death is comforting and soothing. The only resolution to achieve the paradoxical ideal of being eternal as well as experiencing love is death. Through death, immutability and steadfastness can be achieved. Keats has seen many people died in his lifetime. His father died when he was eight; his mother died from tuberculosis when he was 14; his brother Tom died also from tuberculosis when he was 19. Along with his family’s deaths, he has also seen a lot of patients died as he was also a medical student. Therefore, constantly seeing people die in a way reminds him of the tran sience and the mutability of life. There are some religious references in the second quatrain of the poem. All these references, other than conveying the loneliness and the solitude of the star, also illustrate his longing for the promising death. The poem was written in 1819, the same year when Keats contracted with tuberculosis. The word â€Å"ablution† is heavily loaded with connotations, both religion and about death. From the Oxford Dictionary, â€Å"ablution† refers to the washing or cleansing of the body†. In Christianity, there are different forms of ablution and one of them is the preparation before the burial of a dead person. Here Keats is hinting that his death is near and the priest will cleans his body after his death with â€Å"the moving waters†. Further Keats also mentions the â€Å"soft-fallen mask/Of snow† in the following two lines. Seasons always act as symbols of different stages of human life in literature. Spring refers to birth or new beginning; summer means m aturity; autumn represents old age while winter symbolizes death. In line 7-8, with â€Å"the mountains and moors† covered in snow, such explicit image suggests that death is approaching. Though death is coming, Keats is not browbeaten. Yet, he is fascinated with death as it helps him to accomplish the co-existence of eternity and love. Bright Star is a poem that can be read on many different levels. To me, the poem is not merely a declaration of his ardent love for Fanny Brawne. It is also an expressive lyric poem addressing his awe as well as obsession with death. The main themes of the poem are smoothly woven together and this showcases Keats’ expressiveness and his wit. Works Cited Keats, John. Bright Star. n.d. Oxford Dictionaies. Oxford Dictionaries. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/. Poet.org. Selected Love Letters to Fanny Brawne by John Keats. 17 October 2013 http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/21012.

Multitouch Gesture Generation and Recognition Techniques

Multitouch Gesture Generation and Recognition Techniques Abstract: A huge number of users are using smart phones to communicate with each other. A smart phone user is exposed to various threats when they use their phone for communication. These threats can disorganization the operation of the smart phone, and transmit or modify user data rather than original [1]. So applications must guarantee privacy and integrity of the information. Single touch mobile security is unable to give efficient performance for confidential data. Hence we are moving towards multitouch mobile security for high security. In computing, multi-touch is authentication technology that enables a surface to recognize the presence of more than one touch points of contact with the touch screen [2]. By using multiple touch points to authenticate user for access confidential data in mobile phones. we are presenting our study about biometric gestures to authenticate user through multitouch finger points for more security [1]. Keywords: Multitouch, biometric gesture, authentication, security, smart phone Finger-tracking, Android Operating system. Introduction Todays IT admins face the troublesome task of managing the unnumberable amounts of mobile devices that connect with enterprise networks a day for communication through network. Securing mobile devices has become increasingly important now days as the numbers of the devices in operation and the uses to which they are put have expanded in world wide. The problem is compounded within the enterprise as the ongoing trend toward IT users or organizations is resulting in more and many more employee-owned devices connecting to the corporate internet. Authentication is a nothing but process in which the credentials provided are compared to those on file in a database of valid users information on a operating system. If the credentials match, the process is completed and the user is granted authorization for access to the system. The permissions and folders came back outline each the surroundings the user sees and also the method he will move with it, as well as the amount of access and differ ent rights comparable to the number of allotted cupboard space and different services [1]. The generally a computer authentication process is to use alphanumerical usernames or text based and passwords. This method has been shown to have some  disadvantages. For example, users tend to pick passwords that can be easily guessed and recognized by other hard to remember. To device this problem, some researchers have  developed authentication techniques that use multitouch biometric gesture as passwords for authentication. Multi-touch, in a computing environment, is an interface technology that enables input gestures on multiple points on the surface of a device. Although most generally used with touch screen devices on handheld devices, such as smart phones and tablets, and other multi-touch has been used for other surfaces as well, including touch pads and whiteboards, tables and walls [2]. In other words, multi-touch refers to the capability of a touch screen (or a touchpad) to recognize two or more points of contact on the surface simultaneously. The constant following of the multiple points permits the portable interface to acknowledge gestures, that modify advanced practicality similar to pinch-to-zoom, pinch. wherever gesture recognition is much of deciphering human gestures via mathematical algorithms. Gestures will originate from any bodily motion however normally originate from the face or hand and alternative human biometric gestures but the identification and recognition of posture, and human behaviours is additionally the topic of gesture recognition techniques. We used Equal Error Rate (EER) to measure accuracy. This is the rate at which False Acceptance Rate (FAR) and False Rejection Rate (FRR). To find out whether using multiple gestures would improve the systems performance, we combined scores of 2 different gestures from the same user in the same order and evaluated the EER of the combined gestures as: FAR= FRR= Developing a Gesture Authentication Technique Biometric systems are an effective way to authenticate valid users generally based on the something they are property [2] in mobile authentication. The goal of biometric identification is that the automatic verification of identity of a living person by proving over some distinctive gestures that solely he possesses in authentication method. Figure1: Multitouch behavior The biometric authentication system has two phases: enrollment phase and authentication phase. If new user must first record his secret hand signs at the first enrollment phase to the system. The process is performing the hand signs at the users discreet choice with sufficient space for hand movement during registration phase. Gesture Taxonomy [1] 1. Parallel: All fingertips are moving in the same direction during the gesture. For example, a bush swipe, during which all 5 fingers move from left to right the screen. 2. Closed: If all fingertips are moving inward toward the center of the hand. For example, a pinch gesture. 3. Opened: All fingertips are moving outward from the center of the hand. For example, a reverse pinch gesture. 4. Circular: All fingertips are rotating around the center of  the hand. For example, a clockwise or counterclockwise  rotation [1]. Figure1: Single touch Matching Touch Sequences to Specific Fingers: Hidden Markov Models [3] Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) are statistical models and simplest versions of dynamic Bayesian Networks, where the system being modelled is a Markov process with an unobserved state. It is a collection of finite states connected by transitions, much like Bayesian Networks. Each state has two probabilities: a transition probability, and an output probability distribution. Parameters of the model are determined by training data [4][5]. Figure2: Hidden Markov Models hidden states, as well as N dimensional observable symbols. Figure3: Multitouch Movement The conventional HMM is expressed as the following [4]. HMM is the mathematical tool to model signals, objects à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that have the temporal structure and follow the Markov process. HMM can be described compactly as ÃŽÂ » = (A, B, à Ã¢â€š ¬) (Figure 4b) where, Figure 4: Conventional Hidden Markov Model A = {aij}: the state transition matrix aij=P[qt+1=sj|qt=si], 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ià ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤Naij=P[qt+1=sj|qt=si], 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ià ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤N B = {bj (k)}: the observation symbol probability distribution bj(k)=P[Ot=vk|qt=sj], 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤jà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤N, 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤Mbj(k)=P[Ot=vk|qt=sj], 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤jà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤N,1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤kà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤M à Ã¢â€š ¬ = {à Ã¢â€š ¬i}: the initial state distribution à Ã¢â€š ¬i=P[q1=si]à Ã¢â€š ¬i=P[q1=si] Set of states: S = {s1s2, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, sN} State at time t: qt Set of symbols: V = {v1, v2, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, vM} Given the observation sequence OT1=O1O2OTO1T=O1O2OT and a model ÃŽÂ » = (A,B,à Ã¢â€š ¬), how do we efficiently compute P(O | ÃŽÂ »), i.e., the probability of the observation sequence given the model. Now let us consider following two states: Training: based on the input data sequences {O}, we calculate and adjust ÃŽÂ »=ÃŽÂ »ÃƒÅ'„ ÃŽÂ »=ÃŽÂ »ÃƒÅ'„ to maximize likelihood P(O | ÃŽÂ ») Recognizing: based on ÃŽÂ »ÃƒÅ'„ =(AÃÅ'„ ,BÃÅ'„ ,à Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ'„ )ÃŽÂ »ÃƒÅ'„=(AÃÅ'„,BÃÅ'„,à Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ'„) for each class, we can then assign the class in which the likelihood P(O | ÃŽÂ ») is maximized. The observation symbol probability distribution P[Ot = vk | qt = sj] can be discrete symbols or continuous variables. If the observations are different symbols. B(i,k)=P(Ot=k|qt=si) B(i,k)=P(Ot=k|qt=si) If the observations are vectors in RL, it is common to represent P[Ot | qt] as a Gaussian: P[Ot=y|qt=si]=N(y;ÃŽÂ ¼i,ÃŽÂ £i) P[Ot=y|qt=si]=ÃŽÂ (y;ÃŽÂ ¼i,ÃŽÂ £i) N(y;ÃŽÂ ¼,ÃŽÂ £)=1(2à Ã¢â€š ¬)L/2|ÃŽÂ £|1/2exp[à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢12(yà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼)TÃŽÂ £Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1(yà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼)] ÃŽÂ (y;ÃŽÂ ¼,ÃŽÂ £)=1(2à Ã¢â€š ¬)L/2|ÃŽÂ £|1/2exp[à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢12(yà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼)TÃŽÂ £Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1(yà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼)] A more flexible representation is a mixture of M Gaussians: P[Ot=y|qt=si]=à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœm=1MP(Mt=m|qt=si)ÃÆ'-ÃÆ'-N(y;ÃŽÂ ¼m,i,ÃŽÂ £m,i) P[Ot=y|qt=si]=à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœm=1MP(Mt=m|qt=si)ÃÆ'-ÃÆ'-ÃŽÂ (y;ÃŽÂ ¼m,i,ÃŽÂ £m,i) where Mt is a hidden variable that specifies which mixture component to use and P(Mt=m|qt=si) =C(i,m) is the conditional prior weight of each mixture component. In our approach, we both implement continuous and discrete output variable distribution for 1st and 2nd HMM stages respectively [3][6]. Dynamic Time Warping Dynamic Time Warping (DTW), introduced by Sakoe and Chiba in 1978, is an algorithm that compares two different sequences that may possibly vary in time. For example, if two video clips of different people walking a particular path were compared, the DTW algorithm would detect the similarities in the walking pattern, despite walking speed differences, accelerations or decelerations. [3][7] Figure 4: Dynamic time warping The algorithm begins with a set of template streams, describing each gesture available in the system database. This results in high computation time, and hence, limitations in recognition speed. Additionally, the storing of many templates for each gesture results in costly space usage on a resource-constrained device. Consider a training set of N sequences fS1; S2; : : : ; SNg, where each Sg represents sample of the same gesture class. Then, each sequence Sg composed by a set of feature vectors at each time t, Sg = fsg1; : : : ; sgLgg for a certain gesture category, where Lg is the length in frames of sequence Sg. Let us assume that sequences are ordered according to their length, so that Lgt1 _ Lg _ Lg+1; 8g 2 [2; ::;N ], the median length sequence is _ S = SdN2 e. This sequence _ S is used as a reference and the rest of sequences are aligned with it using the classical Dynamic Time Warping with Euclidean distance [4], in order to avoid the temporal deformations of various samples from an equivalent gesture class. Therefore, once the alignment method, all sequences have lengthLdN2 e. We define the set of warped sequences as ~ S = f ~ S1; ~ S2; : : : ; ~ SNg. Consider a training set of N sequences fS1; S2; : : : ; SNg, where each Sg represents a sample of the same gesture class. Then, each sequence Sg composed by a set of feature vectors at each time t, Sg = fsg1; : : : ; sgLgg for a certain gesture category, where Lg is the length in frames of sequence Sg. Let us consider that sequences are ordered according to their length, so that Lgt1 _ Lg _ Lg+1; 8g 2 [2; ::;N1], the median length sequence is _ S =SdN2 e[4]. This sequence _ S is used as a reference, and the remaining of sequences are assigned with it using the classical Dynamic Time Warping with Euclidean distance [3], in order to remove the temporal deformations of different samples from the same gesture category. Hence, after the alignment process, all sequences have lengthLdN2 e. We define the set of warped sequences as ~ S = f ~ S1; ~ S2; : : : ; ~ SNg [3]. Input: A gesture C={c1,..cn} with corresponding GMM model ÃŽÂ »={ÃŽÂ »1,..ÃŽÂ »m}, its similarly threshold value  µ, and the testing seprate Q={q1,..qn}, Cost Matrix M is defined,where N(x), x =(i,t) is the set of three upper-left location of x in M. Output:Working path of the dected gesture, if any. //Initialization for i=1:m do for j=1:à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¾ do M(i,j)=v end end for j=1:v do M(0,j)=0 end for t=0:v do for i=1:m do x=(i,j) M(x)=D(qi,ÃŽÂ »i)+minà ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ªÃƒ ªÃ… ¾Ã…’à Ã‚ µ N(à ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ª)M(à ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ªÃƒ ªÃ… ¾Ã…’) End end if m(m,t) W={argminà ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ªÃƒ ªÃ… ¾Ã…’ à Ã‚ µ N(à ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ª)M(à ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ªÃƒ ªÃ… ¾Ã…’)} Return End end [4] Artificial Neural Networks Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are networks of weighted, directed graphs where the nodes are artificial neurons, and the directed edges are connections between them. The most common ANN structure is the feed forward Multi-Layer Perceptron. Feed forward means that the signals only travels one way through the net [4][8]. For input pattern p, the i-th input layer node holds xp,i. Net input to j-th node in hidden layer: Now Output of j-th node in hidden layer: Then Net input to k-th node in output layer: Finally Output of k-th node in output layer: Network error for p: Neurons are arranged in layer wise, with the outputs of each neuron in the same layer being connected to the inputs of the neurons in that layer . Finally, the output layer neurons are assigned a value. Each output layer neuron show the particular class of gesture, and the record is assigned to however classs neuron has the highest value During training, the gesture class for each neuron in the output layer is known, and the nodes can be assigned the correct value. Critical Analysis A critical analysis based on the results achieved by is shown in this section. ANNs, HMMs, and DTW algorithms were implemented on a mobile phone, and measured in performance according to recognition speed, accuracy and time needed to train [3]. Since Bayesian Networks are a super class of HMMs which have been tweaked towards gesture classification, they are not considered. Thus according to recognition, accuracy and training time we can say that DTW gives better performance as compare to HMM and ANN. These results are summarized below: Table 1: Comparison between different algorithms [3] No. Algorithm Recognition Speed Accuracy Training Time 1 HMMs 10.5ms 95.25% Long 2 ANNs 23ms 90% Medium 3 DTW 8ms 95.25% No Training Finger Tracking: Firstly we need adjust finger tracking parameters, thats why we need to activate the calibration in the tab in on-screen display [5][9]. a. Projection Signatures: Projection signatures are performed directly on the resulting threshold binary image of the hand [5]. The core process of this algorithm is consists of adding the binary pixels row by row along a diagonal (the vertical in this case). Previous knowledge of the hand angle is therefore required. A low-pass filter is applied on the signature (row sums) in order to reduce low frequency variations that create many local maxima and cause the problem of multiple positives (more than one detection per fingertip). The five maxima thereby obtained correspond to the position of the five fingers. b. Geometric Properties: The second algorithm is based on the geometric properties and, as shown on line 3 of figure 5, uses a contour image of the hand on which a reference point is set. This point can be determined either by finding the centre of mass of the contour (barycenter or centroid) or by fixing a point on the wrist [6]. Figure 5: Hand Movement Euclidean distances from that point to every contour point are then computed, with the five resulting maxima assumed to correspond to the finger ends [5]. The minima can be used to determine the intersections between fingers (finger valleys). The geometric algorithm also required filtering in order to reduce the problem of multiple positives. c. Circular Hough Transform: The circular Hough transform is applied on the contour image of the hand but could as well be performed on an edge image with complex background if no elements of the image exhibit the circular shape of the fingertip radius. This can be done efficiently for finger ends by eliminating points that are found outside the contour image. The inconvenient is that the set of discard points contains a mix of finger valleys and false positive that cannot be sorted easily [5]. d. Color Markers: While the three previous algorithms rely only on the hand characteristics to find and track the fingers, the marker algorithm tracks color markers attached to the main joints of the fingers. Each color is tracked individually using colour segmentation and filtering [5]. This permits the identification of the different hand segments. The marker colors should therefore be easy to track and should not affect the threshold, edge or contour image of the hand. Respecting these constraints makes it possible to apply all algorithms to the same video images and therefore to compare each algorithm degree of accuracy and precision with respect to the markers [5]. Comparisons: Properties Projection Signature Geometric Properties Circular Hough Transform Color Makers Locates fingers Good Good Good Good Locates fingertips Poor Normal Normal Good Locates finger ends and valleys Poor Good Good Good Work with complex background Poor Good Normal Good Precision Good Good Good Good Accuracy Poor Good Good Good Table 2: Comparison between different techniques [5] All the presented algorithms have succeeded, in various degrees, in detecting each finger. The projection signatures algorithm can only roughly identify a finger, but the circular Hough transform and geometric properties algorithms can find both finger intersections and finger end points, it is important to note that in the case where finger are folded, the end points dont correspond to the fingertips [5]. Conclusion: We have plot three prominent strategies that comprehensively characterize the signal acknowledgment that should be possible on advanced mobile phones Artificial Neural Networks, Dynamic Time Warping and Hidden Markov Models were optimized, and tested on resource constrained devices (in this instance, cellular phones), and compared against each other in terms of accuracy, and computational performance. ANNs proved to have the slowest computation performance due to the large size of the neural network. HMMs performed better, but the DTW algorithm proved to be the fastest, with comparable recognition accuracy. DTWs also did not require training, as is the case with HMMs and ANNs. References [1] Kalyani Devidas: Deshmane Android Software based Multi-touch Gestures Recognition for Secure Biometric Modality [2] Memon, K. Isbister, N. Sae-Bae, N. and K. Ahmed, Multitouch gesture based authentication, IEEE Trans. Inf. Forensics Security, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 568-582, Apr. 2014 [3] Methods for Multi-touch Gesture Recognition:Daniel Wood [4] http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.5772/50204 [5] Finger Tracking Methods Using EyesWeb Anne-Marie Burns1 and Barbara Mazzarino2 [6]https://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~jcorso/t/CSE555/files/lecture_hmm.pdf [7]DWT: Probability-based Dynamic Time Warping and Bag-of-Visual -and-Depth-Words for Human Gesture Recognition [8]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_neural_network [9]http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/gesture-recognition Prof. Ramdas Pandurang Bagawade, Miss Pournima Akash Chavan, BE Computer Pursuing degree in PESs College of Engineering Phaltan. Miss Kajal Kantilal Jadhav, BE Computer Pursuing degree in PESs College of Engineering Phaltan

Cadbury Is A Leading Global Confectionery Company Marketing Essay

Cadbury Is A Leading Global Confectionery Company Marketing Essay Introduction Cadbury is a leading global confectionery company with an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum and candy brands. The company employs around 50,000 people and has direct operations in over 60 countries, selling their products in almost every country around the world. The company creates brands people love, brands like Cadbury, Trident and Halls. The company heritage starts back in 1824 when John Cadbury opened a shop in Birmingham selling cocoa and chocolate. Since then Cadbury have expanded the business throughout the world by a program of organic and acquisition leg growth. On 7 May 2008, the separation of Cadbury confectionery and Americas Beverages business was completed creating Cadbury plc with a vision to be the worlds Biggest and Best confectionery company. Mission Statement Cadbury means quality this is the company promise. The company reputation is built upon quality; the company commitment to continuous improvement will ensure that the company promise is delivered. Cadbury has established itself as a company of fairness and integrity, which always attempts to operate as a socially responsible business. Value Performance Cadbury is passionate about winning. The company competes in a tough but fair way. The company is striving, hardworking and makes the most of the abilities. The company is prepared to take risks and act with speed. Quality Cadbury put quality and safety at the heart of all of the activities such as product, people, partnerships and performance. Respect Cadbury genuinely care for the business and the colleagues which like listen, understand and respond. The company is open, friendly and welcoming. The company embraces new ideas and diverse customs and cultures. Integrity Cadbury always strive to do the right thing. The company does the business with honesty; openness and being straight forward characterize the way. Responsibility Cadbury take accountability for the social, economic and environmental impact. In this way the company aims to make the business, partners and communities better for the future. Cadbury Business Principles are the code of conduct of the company and also take account of global and local cultural and legal standards. They confirm the company commitment to the highest standards of ethics and business conduct. The core purpose of the company is creating brands people love. The core purpose captures the spirit of what the company is trying to achieve as a business. Market Share By participant, the market is relatively fragmented, with the five largest confectionery companies accounting for around 40% of the market. There are a large number of companies which participate in the markets only a regional or local basis. Cadbury compete against multinational, regional and national companies. The graph shows that Cadbury is the second highest of the total confectionery in the market share. Halls is the largest brands in candy of Cadbury. Cadbury have number one and number two confectionery market position in 20 of the worlds 50 largest confectionery markets by retail sales value. Financial statement The graph shows the financial situation of Cadbury from 2006 to 2009. As we can see in the graph, the revenue is reached  ¿Ã‚ ¡5975 million is year 2009 which is slightly increase about 5% from year 2008. In operating income, year 2009 is the highest compare to previous year which is  ¿Ã‚ ¡507 million. Last but not least, year 2009 having 9% of the operating margin which is slightly increase from year 2008. As a conclusion, In year 2009, the performance is pretty well compare to the previous year due to there a keep increase since year 2006 to 2009. PESTLE implication Political The political deals with government influence. The main laws that will affect Cadburys are the consumer protection law. These are the laws and the recent changes in food labeling. The food labeling shouldnt be too influence as Cadburys has label all their goods properly to begin with. Change in manufacturing law will also greatly influence Cadburys as the company may have to change the way to product the cereal. This could lead to the introduction of new mechanical equipment being required or more thorough checks on the current equipment. If new equipment is required if could prove to be very expensive. The Weight and Measures Act, this act should not affect Cadburys since the company have all the equipment and scales used should already be at that of the highest standard. The Trade Description Act, this again should not affect Cadburys due to all the labeling on the products should be correct and thorough giving all the ingredients. The Sale of Good Act, these state that Cadburys should not mislead the consumer. These are currently three conditions. If the government was to introduce a few more it could prove to affect Cadburys. Economic The state of the economy is the main factor. It the country was to go into recession the consumer spending would also drop due to the unemployment. The recession would bring down the sales of a lot of goods mainly the expensive things, which are not necessity. The current economy is well. The interest rates are low and consumer spending is very high. Other economic factor that could affect Cadburys launching a product would be a rise in inflation. This is a rise in price over time. Social If the population size decreased then Cadburys be less people to buy the products therefore less profit.  · If peoples lifestyles changed. For example, nowadays more people wanting to get fit and lose weight, then they will stop eating chocolate and spend their money on gym memberships and others. This means that Cadburys profits will decrease. Technological An increase in capital expenditure will affect Cadburys. For example, more up to date equipment would mean that the goods where produced quicker and cheaper but would also result in job losses. In research and development, keep developing new products to keep up with competition and customer needs. Legal More legislation in place to make sure that the workplace is safe and the worker is better protected. Expensive costs to Cadburys to implement Environment Cadbury launched a corporate social responsibility Web site called DearCadbury.com, which provides consumers information on ethical sourcing, responsible consumption and the environment. The site features Cadburys 2007/08 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability report, which revealed that the company has reduced carbon emissions almost 4 % to date; Cadbury is aiming for a 10 % reduction by 2010. As part of Cadburys Purple Goes Green program, the company committed to a 50 % absolute reduction in carbon emissions by 2020. Cadbury also reported that it has met its 2007 goal of reducing water use by 10 % Competitors situation and SWOT analysis Cadburys major competitors are Thorntons, Lindt, Lindor, Nestle, Master food (Mars) and others. They are competing directly with Cadbury. Nestle is one of the Cadburys main competitor in the market. Nestle is one of the worlds largest food manufacturer, Nestlà ©s headquarters in Switzerland and based in 200 countries worldwide. It is renowned as the worlds leading nutrition and health based company. Nestle grows is product line through innovation as well as renovation and maintains a balance on its geo-environmental activities and product lines. They have 253,000 employees around the world. Cadburys SWOT Strengths The largest global confectionery supplier, with 9.9% of global market share. High financial strength Strong manufacturing competence, established brand name and leader in innovation. Advantage that it is totally focused on chocolate, candy, chewing gum, unique understanding of consumer in these segment. Successfully grown through its acquisition strategy. Weakness The company is dependent on the confectionery and beverage market. Other competitors have greater international experience. Opportunities Expand into new markets. Increase share through targeted acquisitions. Key to survival within the FMCG market is increasing efficiency and reducing costs. Innovation Is key driver. Threat Worldwide, there is an increasingly demanding cost environment, particularly for energy, transport, packaging and sugar. Competitive pressure from other branded suppliers. Social changes. Nestlà ©s SWOT Strengths Globally recognized as one of the largest and powerful food producer, covering almost every country. Quality is a vital element regarding nestle products. Strong internal growth and emphasis on innovation internally. Powerful brand positioning in the consumers mind. The decentralized culture in the organization encourages employees. Weakness The immense diversification portfolio of the firm makes it impossible to run every division smoothly. Retailers do not get set high margin to increase more in sales. Transportation as well as storage problem. Opportunities Invest in snacks that would further diversify its product. Provide incentives to the retailers to increase sales volume. Open cafà © that would exclusively provide Nestle products. Middle class share in most of the economies are growing much larger. Threats Pollution of product should be regarded strictly. The company has not so pretty history with the FDA. Tough market with a tougher competitor for gaining market share. Market is quite mature and the competitors specialize in a certain product that can hit hard on Nestle. In comparison of Cadburys SWOT and Nestlà ©s SWOT, Market objective Financial objective Specific Growth of revenue in UK Increase total confectionery share gain Measureable To growth 5% of revenue compare to previous years Growth in global market share and increase share in the UK by 50 bps Achievable Carry out a number of advertisements in the market and online. Realistic Timely Marketing strategy Product Cadbury dairy milk is made from real chocolate. The ingredients for the chocolate are cocoa butter and there is a glass and half full cream daily milk in every 200 grams of Cadbury daily milk chocolate. Cadbury purchase 65 million liters of fresh milk each year to make Cadbury daily milk chocolate. Price Price is very important in the marketing mix. The price changed for a chocolate bar can be affect whether a consumer will buy it and the level of sales can determine whether or not Cadbury Schweppes will make a profit. Price is also can be affected by factors such as the state of economy, what competitor are doing. The stage reached in product life cycle and above all what price the market will accept. Form the marketing point of view this is what matters. Place Cadbury products are produced at the chocolate factory in Bourneville in Birmingham. After the chocolate is produced, it will go through all quality check and transported to the stockrooms. The following, Cadbury sells the products to shops that deal with beverage and confectionery such as convenient store, super store, petrol station, and others. This kind of distributions can make consumer easy to find the product. Cadbury produces chocolate for more than 200 countries so that they have a chance to enjoy it as well and make profit. Because of this, Cadbury have a wide range of consumer around the world. Promotion The purpose of promotion is to communicate directly with potential or existing customer, in order to encourage them to purchase dairy milk and recommend it to others. There is various ways to promote the product such as TV advertisement, banner on the internet, magazine and newspapers. Forecast and Implication 3-years forecast and budget 2009 2010 2011 2012 Sales 5975 6273.75 6587.44 6916.81 Cost 3210 3370.5 3539.03 3715.98 Profit 509 534.45 561.17 589.23

Intervention in the Rwandan Genocide Essay -- Rwanda History Essays Ge

The Hutus and Tutsis were not traditionally different, and ethnicity in Rwanda only became important during Belgium colonization when the more European-looking Tutsis were chosen as the aristocracy to rule over the Hutus. After Rwanda's independence in 1961 the Hutu majority, comprising roughly 85% of the population, ruled the country. Between 1961 and the outbreak of genocide in 1994 many Tutsis fled the regime due to its discriminatory practices and anti-Tutsi policies. Even after gaining control of the country, however, Hutus had been scared of a Tutsi coup or an invasion from the Tutsi refugees in neighboring Uganda. The regime of president Habyarimana played on these fears in order to distract Rwandans from failing policies and keep their declining party in power. It was the assassination of the president that precipitated the implementation of ethnic cleansing, although not the cause; plans for such an event had been planned out by Colonel Bogasata the previous year, the assass ination of the country's Hutu leader just happened to be a convenient event for his clique of extremist Hutus to exploit. In October of 1993 the UN Security Council authorized the UN Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) following a period of strife between the Rwandan Patriotic Front and the Hutu regime of Rwanda. When the government ordered assassinations were carried out in Kigali on April 6, 1994 there were about 2,500 UNIMAR peacekeepers in Rwanda. Soon after the violent outbreak Hutu government forces executed ten Belgian UNIMAR peacekeepers. On April 14 Belgium announced that it would be withdrawing its UNIMAR battalion, an action that unnerved other involved states and led the U.N. Security Council to cut the number of troops to a mere 270 the following week. Only after a month of vacillation did the UNSC vote to send 5,500 troops back into Rwanda, but it still dragged its feet and as of July only 10% of the promised force had been deployed (Economist, 1994). The RPF, meanwhile, had launched into Rwanda and by mid-July, it had ousted the genocidal regime from Rwanda. Preceding the Rwandan genocide, numerous western states made claims of their willingness to intervene in a humanitarian crisis, and this kind of rhetoric has proved counterproductive in the past by encouraging insecure regimes to act hastily. Alan Kuperman said ?If the West is unwilling to deploy such robust for... ...city in the genocide. This has further damaged relations between the ethnic groups, and has deepened the preexisting cleavages. The presence of a peacekeeping force to maintain order and accountability of the new regime could have hampered such atrocities. The Rwandan situation highlights the limits of intervention, and unfortunately as long as the duty of intervening lies in the hands of slow-responding multinational bodies and democracies too scared of a plummeting public opinion to risk troops for less central or non-state interests, it appears that humanitarian crises run the risk of progressing unacceptably far before the situation can be brought back under control. Works Cited The Economist. Learning from Rwanda (U.N. Peacekeeping Operations). April, 1994. Alison Des Forges, Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda (New York: Human Rights Watch/FIDH, 1999). Kuperman, Alan J. Rwanda in Retrospect. Foreign Affairs 79, no. 1 pp. 94-118 Jan/Feb, 2000. Report of the Independent Inquiry Into the Actions of the United Nations During the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda, 15 December 1999, accessed December 17, 1999 at http://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/rwanda.htm.

Mediations of First Philosophy by Descartes Essay -- Philosophy Philos

Mediations of First Philosophy by Descartes In the â€Å"Mediations of First Philosophy† Descartes tries to prove the existence of God in the third meditation. He does this by coming up with several premises that eventually add up to a solid argument. First, I will explain why Descartes ask the question, does god exist? And why does Descartes think he needs such and argument at this point in the text. Secondly, I will explain, in detail, the arguments that Descartes makes and how he comes to the conclusion that God does exist. Next, I will debate some of Descartes premises that make his argument an unsound one, including circular reasoning. Finally, I will see if his unsound argument has diminished and undermined his principal goals and the incorrigible foundation of knowledge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In earlier meditations Descartes proved that he existed through the Cogito argument. Descartes must now move on to examine and explore questions about the world around him, but instead of doing this he first stop to examine the question of whether or not God exists. Descartes wants to know that he was created by an all knowing, perfect creator that is good and wants to make sure that he was not created by an evil spirit or demon. If Descartes can prove that he was created by a perfect all knowing creator then his ideas must carry some semblance of truth, because God is not a deceiver and he must of placed these ideas in Descartes. Descartes has good reasons for searching for the answer to the question of God’s existence, now he has to come up with a good sound argument to prove it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the â€Å"Meditations on First Philosophy† Descartes gives a couple of major arguments about the existences of god, he gives one argument in the third meditation and on in the fifth meditation. The argument in meditation three and the one we will focus on is known as the â€Å"Trademark Argument†. This argument comes from the fact claimed by Descartes that inside of everyone is a supreme being, which is placed there by whatever created us. From this statement Descartes can say that a mark from a God has been place inside of every one of us. This argument involves the acknowledgement of such an idea is within ourselves, this idea that God is a being who is eternal and infinite and a creator of all things. This is Descartes first premise. His second premise is the â€Å"Causal Adequacy Principle.† The p... ... like Descartes ever has any real concrete arguments for the existence or God or himself existing or any of his theories.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, Descartes made an argument to prove God’s existence and seemed to be able to prove that he existed, but after a taking a closer look and revaluating his theories you see that he uses a lot of circular reasoning. It is really tough to believe any of what Descartes is saying. After reading his meditations you are left confused, mostly because you are trying to decipher what he is saying and you end up going around and around because of the circular reasoning. Even without the circular reasoning the argument just doesn’t make any sense, especially in today’s world, without any data. To be able to fathom a sound argument for the existence of God just sounds too preposterous to believe. To believe that God exists based of faith and religion is what people today and in Descartes time, as well, believed. To say that God exists because there must have been some superior creator that put this idea in my head is very far fetched. People d on’t need to be told that God exists because most people already believe and most of them know that he does.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

computers and life :: essays research papers

Life in a modern technologhy requires skills in dealing with computers...CH 8 Network Management. 8.1 Network Documentation. *Cut sheet diagrams. The first and most critical component for a good network is documentation. Documentation is the most talked about and least performed task in a network. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · diagrams that indicate the path of the physical wiring layout; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · the type of cable; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · the length of each cable; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · the type of termination for the cable; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · physical location of each wall plate or patch panel, and; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · A labeling scheme for easy identification of each wire. * MDF and IDF layouts This is a Physical and logical layout of the Main Distribution Facility and all of the Intermediate Distribution Facilities in the network, layout of rack mounts, auxiliary equipment, and servers in the distribution facility, patch panel labels to identify cable terminations. Identification and configuration details of all equipment located in the distribution facility. *Server and workstation configuration details This is any physical detail of the computer, model and serial number, Physical location, user, and network identification. *Software listings Standard and special software used on each machine in the network. This list includes operating system and application software. *Maintenance records It is also valuable to keep a list of all repairs that have been done to all equipment included in the network. This will help an administrator predict possible future problems with existing hardware and software. *Security measures Includes "soft" security, such as user rights, password definition, and firewall support, but also physical security. Physical or hard security includes things as simple as identifying how the MDF and IDF's are locked, who has access to these rooms and why, how the hosts are protected (security cables - alarms), and who has physical access to the system. *User policies They contain how the users can interact with the network. These policies include what is and what is not permissible on the network. It should also include what the consequences of violating user policies will be. Other aspects of user policies include what minimum user ID and password length should be, and rules for the content of passwords. 8.2 Network Security includes the following. * Network access It involves making the network as secure as possible against unauthorized access. This is done by establishing security policies, such as minimum password length, maximum password age, unique passwords (not allowing the same password repeated), and only allowing the user to logon to the network at particular times of the day or days of the week. computers and life :: essays research papers Life in a modern technologhy requires skills in dealing with computers...CH 8 Network Management. 8.1 Network Documentation. *Cut sheet diagrams. The first and most critical component for a good network is documentation. Documentation is the most talked about and least performed task in a network. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · diagrams that indicate the path of the physical wiring layout; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · the type of cable; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · the length of each cable; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · the type of termination for the cable; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · physical location of each wall plate or patch panel, and; à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · A labeling scheme for easy identification of each wire. * MDF and IDF layouts This is a Physical and logical layout of the Main Distribution Facility and all of the Intermediate Distribution Facilities in the network, layout of rack mounts, auxiliary equipment, and servers in the distribution facility, patch panel labels to identify cable terminations. Identification and configuration details of all equipment located in the distribution facility. *Server and workstation configuration details This is any physical detail of the computer, model and serial number, Physical location, user, and network identification. *Software listings Standard and special software used on each machine in the network. This list includes operating system and application software. *Maintenance records It is also valuable to keep a list of all repairs that have been done to all equipment included in the network. This will help an administrator predict possible future problems with existing hardware and software. *Security measures Includes "soft" security, such as user rights, password definition, and firewall support, but also physical security. Physical or hard security includes things as simple as identifying how the MDF and IDF's are locked, who has access to these rooms and why, how the hosts are protected (security cables - alarms), and who has physical access to the system. *User policies They contain how the users can interact with the network. These policies include what is and what is not permissible on the network. It should also include what the consequences of violating user policies will be. Other aspects of user policies include what minimum user ID and password length should be, and rules for the content of passwords. 8.2 Network Security includes the following. * Network access It involves making the network as secure as possible against unauthorized access. This is done by establishing security policies, such as minimum password length, maximum password age, unique passwords (not allowing the same password repeated), and only allowing the user to logon to the network at particular times of the day or days of the week.

Risk of Schizophrenia Essay

Over the last few decades Schizophrenia has become embedded in mainstream vernacular as any behavior or emotional response that is out of touch with reality. However even with its popularity heightened through movies and headline news stories, schizophrenia is still one of the most enigmatic and least understood disorders of the brain. With current research focused on the role of neurobiology and functioning on a cellular level, investigative analysis has merited new innovations towards its source, however a single organic cause for the disorder still eludes scientists. Although the foundation of the affliction is still unknown, its effects are well documented and over the next few pages will show the changes in the brain as the disease develops, and how those alterations impact the rest of the body and alter various other functions throughout the viscera. The term Schizophrenia was first coined in 1911 by Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Eugen Bleuler and translates from the original Greek as schizo (split) and phrene (mind), making a literal translation of split-mind, in reference to the disjointed thinking of those with the disease (Johnstone, 1994). Although the term was first used in the early twentieth century, according to scholars a ‘madness’ was described in The Ebers Papyrus, a collection of ancient Egyptian medical papers dating back to 1550 BC, which accurately depicts some of schizophrenia’s symptoms (Johnstone, 1994). With its possible documentation over three millennia ago and its symptoms documented in a myriad of medical journals throughout history, the disorder itself is very rare. Those who are at the highest risk of manifestation are offspring whose parents are both schizophrenic, although even at this rate the risk of manifestation is about forty-six percent. Globally however its prevalence is about 0.9 percent or fifty-eight million people worldwide (Hollandsworth, 1990). According to James G. Hollandworth of the University of Southern Mississippi, schizophrenia is primarily characterized by a disintegration of reality perception, consciousness, and thought process which results in a debilitated proficiency in social and professional faculties (Hollandworth, 1990). While schizophrenia can most arguably be classified as a predominantly genetic affliction, there are others factors which can contribute to its development even without a genetic predisposition. These elements include birth defects such as hypoxia and low birth rate, neuroanatomical anomalies, viral infections, along with low IQ and cerebral  atrophy (Hollandsworth, 1990). While these components in themselves are not sufficient enough to cause the disorder, they result in an increased risk for developing the disease. One theory for the cause of schizophrenia that has been studied with great validity is the dopamine hypothesis. This theory postulates that schizophrenia is caused by an overabundance of the dopamine-dependent areas of the brain causing an imbalance that affects the entire system (Hollandsworth, 1990). For this reason many of today’s schizophrenia treatment drugs inhibit dopamine receptor activity in an attempt to return it to its natural equilibrium. Although even with advances in modern science and new drugs being developed every day, the illness is still only treatable and its symptoms still emerge even with proper medication. Even with its origin unknown, scientists have discovered several chromosomes which when damaged or mutated, greatly increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. The chromosomes in particular that act as catalysts are chromosome numbers twenty-two, six, and eleven (Klar, 2004). Chromosome six contains several genes that are linked with immune response which has given rise to the belief that schizophrenia has some association with weakened disease fighting agents. While damage to this chromosome may be linked to the source of the ailment, it may only be the jump starter that kicks off the path to developing the illness. For as scientists know, a lacking immune response caused by chromosome damage can theoretically leave the body vulnerable to infection, which are facilitators that can bring about the emergence of the disorder (Hollandsworth, 1990). Chromosome twenty-two on the other hand is linked with the dopamine hypothesis as this area houses enzymes that aid in transporting neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters, mainly catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) are essential for the breakdown of dopamine. Any disruptions in this particular area can trigger an overabundance or shortage of dopamine, potentially resulting in developing positive or negative schizophrenia symptoms (Chakravarti, 2002). Lastly, chromosome eleven has been associated with schizophrenia on the grounds of genetic translocation, or a chromosome abnormality caused by faulty rearrangements of various strands of DNA. These faults can occur in any number of genes, however during this process it occurs at times pivotal to cell division, making it easy for genes to be incorrectly rearranged (Klar, 2004). When this happens  it can potentially inhibit the development of lateralization of brain function and act as a precursor not only schizophrenia, but other forms of mental illness as well as cognitive impairments (Klar, 2004). Once the subject has developed schizophrenia it affects the brain in very specific ways. When the disorder itself first begins to emerge its early symptoms manifest themselves in a period called The Prodormal Phase (Neale &ump; Oltmanns, 1980). During this phase, which occurs anywhere from six to thirty months before the disease truly emerges, the person may experience social withdrawal , dysphoria, and irritability. As the disorder progresses the symptoms may become more intense, and newer or ‘positive’ symptoms may begin to surface. These positive symptoms can include visual and auditory hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thought processes. In severe cases of thought process deterioration or cognitive slippage, a person can develop schizophasia or ‘word salad’ where a person’s speech is completely incoherent with no understandable thought or message. Following the positive symptoms of the illness, ‘negative’ symptoms can appear as well. These symptoms are aspects of the person’s personality that have been negated by the disease. They are most commonly expressed by the person’s flat or expressionless demeanor, apathy, very little displayed emotion, and continued peculiar behavior (Hollandsworth, 1990). After schizophrenia has completely manifested itself, the patient is usually classified into one of four types. These types are paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, and undifferentiated. Those in the paranoid group display an obsession over their delusions or ha ve hallucinations specifically related to a certain subject or idea, and are usually the most functional of all schizophrenics (Johnstone, 1994). Disorganized types are typically ones who display little emotion and act in a disjointed and inarticulate manner, while catatonic schizophrenics are merely ones who appear in torpor and display lethargic indolence. The undifferentiated type however is hybrid of the three previous types and is a miscellaneous combination of all their symptoms combined (Johnstone, 1994). While the outward symptoms may be relatively easy to recognize, inside the brain is a totally different matter. Schizophrenia can cause structural changes in the brain even though a specific cause for these changes is still unknown. These changes in brain structure are illustrated by larger ventricles, a thicker corpus collosum, a decrease in dendrite  spines in the frontal lobe, disordered hippocampal pyramidal cells, and a shrinkage of the cerebellar vermis, which is mainly responsible for perception. In some studies malformed neuronal migration has been observed which can lead to disjointed thoughts as well as an overall shrinkage of the hippocampus and amygdala (Johnstone, 1994). Due to these changes, a person suffering from the disorder can have reduced functioning in the frontal lobe which can affect their logic and critical thinking skills as well as their ability to successfully plan ahead. This reduced functioning is displayed in the Wisconsin card sorting test, which is administered to measure possible brain damage and assess the functioning of the frontal lobe. Schizophrenics who participate in the test show an inability to successfully transfer their attention to the rules of the exam once they begin. Functional imaging has also shown a lack of activity in the right hemisphere of the frontal lobe during their partaking, which does not increase as the task is administered. It is also shown that in a study by a Dr. Nagy in 1963, that of 260 cases of schizophrenia, roughly fifty-eight percent of the group had some form of cerebral atrophy (Johnstone, 1994). On a cellular level schizophrenia symptoms are thought to be caused by an overabundance of neurotransmitters released between neurons. These neurotransmitters, mainly dopamine and serotonin, in excess can cause hallucinations and delusions which are referred to as ‘positive’ symptoms. Too little of these neurotransmitters however can result in lack of emotion and motivation which mirror the ‘negative’ symptoms of the disorder. Another type of cell affected by schizophrenia is the pyramidal cell in the prefrontal cortex, or the forehead area of the brain. These cells, which are a type of neuron that serve primarily as excitation units in the prefrontal cortex, are shown to have a decrease in basilar dendrite numbers. These basilar dendrites arise from the base of the pyramidal cell’s soma, and with a decrease in their numbers it can indicate a shortened synaptic surface area resulting in possible fallacious thought processing (Broadbelt, Byne, &ump; Jo nes, 2002). Pyramidal cells in the hippocampus are also known to be affected by the disorder can and cause many of the cells in that area to be thrown into disarray, causing cognitive malfunctions. The treatment of this disorder can vary greatly depending on the person; however dopamine inhibiting antipsychotics are a very popular remedy. Although prevalent, these  medications are not perfect and many scientists claim there is still no concrete connection that schizophrenia is exclusively a result of faulty dopaminergic transmissions (Neale &ump; Oltmanns, 1980). It has also been noted that many of the dopamine inhibiting drugs serve only to combat the positive symptoms and leave many of the negative symptoms such as emotional absence unaffected. Another treatment that is still widely used, but much less common is electroconvulsive therapy or shock therapy. This treatment is still very controversial but there has been success in treating schizophrenia symptoms completely, although many patients relapse within six months. Studies have also indicated that although this treatment can be effective there are risks of permanent brain damage. According to Dr. Peter Breggin (2008), a psychiatrist at the State University of New York, shock therapy in animal testing showed statistically significant brain structural abnormalities when compared to animals without it. His study showed the electrical shocks caused changes in the nerve cell walls causing gliosis, or a profound increase in the number of astrocytes in impaired areas of the central nervous system (Breggin, 2008). In conclusion, schizophrenia is unique disorder that affects the brain in many ways, yet manifests itself differently from person to person. As there is no tangible rubric for how the disorder will impact the person, it can be a difficult illness to treat. Its effects on the brain, from enlarged ventricles to a decline in dendrite spines, shows the major impact the illness can have on living a normal life. Although the disorder afflicts just over fifty-eight million people worldwide it is still devastating to those who are affected and while the medical community makes leaps and bounds in understanding the disease, a cure is still far from the horizon. With psychology grant money from universities being invested predominantly in neuropsychology, perhaps sometime in the near future scientists will be able to fully understand this illness and find a successful and permanent cure for it.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder?

There is strong pressure for individuals to become beautiful and to find a beautiful mate. Every day, people spend time and money to become beautiful. We may not be aware of it but we are likely to have experienced or witnessed how people use time and seem to have insufficient time in making themselves beautiful. Teenage siblings race to use the bathroom first because a sibling takes an hour or more to prepare for school.A range of beauty products clutter the bathroom cabinet or dresser with products used for different parts of the body or for various purposes and applied during the day and at night.Couples pressure each other to hurry up so they would beat rush hour traffic and not be late for work. People put on make-up, shave or brush their teeth while racing in the motorway. Cosmetic surgery has become popular. These are just examples of how people invest time and money to meet the pressure of becoming beautiful. Beauty is also strong consideration in looking for a partner or sel ecting a mate. Physical beauty is the initial determinant of attraction, which determines an individual’s interest in another person. While perceptions of beauty depend on personal taste, social influences can sway choices and outcomes.Even if a person finds someone attractive, if their friends or peers disagree then chances are they will not end up with that person. Acceptance of a partner by their peers is important to individuals. An interesting question is how far individuals consider social influences in selecting their partners and how well social influences on beauty standards in partner selection guarantee a good relationship. External Influences on Individual Perceptions of Beauty Perceptions of beauty that individuals use in finding and selecting a partner depend on external influences.These external influences not only affect ideas of a beautiful partner but also determine how well individuals meet the acceptable standards of a beautiful partner. The media as deter minant of standards of beauty. The media is a social institution that creates ideas of beauty and influences individual self-perception (Engeln-Maddox & Miller, 2008). The media is the biggest source of ideas of beauty expressed through different venues such as print magazines, television commercials or shows, and online programs. Mass accessibility led to the exposure and consumption of media by many people.Media also provides ideas of body image as a standard of beauty (Gallagher & Pecot-Hebert, 2007). Media changes the perception of individuals about themselves to make people desire the ideal standards of appearance and beauty. A study on the impact of media towards focus on appearance and beauty of African American girls showed that the portrayal of women as sex objects led to the greater consciousness and focus on personal appearance (Gordon, 2008). African American girls exposed to media portraying Black women as sex objects and who identified themselves with the characters in the media developed greater focus on their appearance.Media also affects individual ideas of beauty by causing individuals to make self-evaluations of their attractiveness. A research on the link between media, body evaluation and perceptions of attractiveness of college men and women showed that those who had positive evaluations of their bodies relative to media ideals perceived themselves as attractive while those who negatively evaluated their bodies reported negative effects on their self-esteem (Tyler, Lopez & Flores, 2009).The impact of media on individual ideas of beauty depends on internalization of ideal beauty and dissatisfaction with one’s body or looks. Internalization of ideal beauty means its acceptance and pursuit of this beauty standard (Dittmar, Halliwell & Stirling, 2009). The internationalization of thin models as ideal beauty influences decisions to undergo a physical makeover that could include cosmetic surgery (Heyes, 2007). Dissatisfaction with oneâ⠂¬â„¢s physical appearance also reinforces the impact of the ideal beauty on body image and self-perception (Engeln-Maddox, 2006).Culture as determinant of standards of beauty. People pursue standards of beauty prevailing in the culture to which they closely associate (Englis, Solomon & Ashmore, 1994). Having large eyes, breasts or hips depends on the beliefs of what constitutes beauty in women. In Africa, having large hips is beautiful because it represents fertility. In Latin America, women with large hips are beautiful with beauty showcased in dances. Changes in the beauty norms also cause shifts in individual ideas of beauty.Standards of beauty within a cultural context are exemplified by patterns of consumption (Bloch & Richins, 1993). Different types of cosmetics, hair products, and beauty enhancement procedures are popular beauty commodities in different cultures. Innovations in product development, technological tools, and marketing strategies for these products are a contin uous activity to create and meet demand. Peers as determinants of standards of beauty. Peers are agents of socialization (Campbell, 1980). Individuals learn about what constitutes beauty from peers.Individual attitudes and behaviors towards beauty is a reflection of collective ideas of beauty. The extent of association or identification with a peer group leads to a stronger influence on beauty standards (Campbell, 1980). A study on changing racial stereotypes through peer groups showed that exposure to positive stereotypes about African Americans led to the development of positive stereotyping by the group and its individual members (Tan et al. , 2001). People consider and adjust to the attitudes and beliefs of their peer groups on a number of issues including ideal beauty.Peers also influence perceptions of attractiveness of a potential mate. A study of social influences on interpersonal interaction showed that women were influenced by perceptions of their peers over the physical a ttractiveness of men as shown by personal ratings that considered initial feedback from other women (Graziano et al. , 1993). Peer Pressure and Fear of Judgment as Drivers of Likes and Dislikes Peer groups affect individual likes and dislikes by influencing attitudes, beliefs and behaviors toward beauty and related aspects.Peer pressure and fear of judgment are determinants of individual likes and dislikes. Peer pressure. Individuals are susceptible to persuasion in making decisions and doing actions depending on collective attitudes and behavior of peers (Griskevicius, Cialdini & Goldstein, 2008). If most or all peers adopt a similar attitude and behave similarly towards something, the extent of persuasive influence of peers is higher. Peer pressure refers to the psychological strain experienced by individuals when comparing themselves with their peers (Daido, 2006).If there is a significant gap, then a person feels greater pressure to consider and adopt the common beliefs and prac tices of the peer group. Fear of judgment. Fear is an emotional state that has a direct relationship with threat avoidance (Maner & Gerend, 2007). In peer groups, fear could emerge in the form of apprehensions over judgments from peers that affect acceptability and support from the group as well as anticipation of conflict with the group. The fear drives individuals to avoid the cause of the fear.A way of avoiding the outcomes feared is to comply with group peer beliefs and activities. Physical and Inner Beauty Beauty could be visible or non-visible or both (Fatovic-Ferencic, Durrigl & Holubar, 2003) Visible beauty is physical and observable by sight. Non-visible beauty refers to characteristics or values that may not be viewable but observable through personality, attitudes, decisions and behaviors. Physical beauty and inner beauty are interrelated but one component could dominate the other. A person may be beautiful on the outside but not beautiful on the inside.While the common p erception of beauty is as physical attribute, beauty comprises the balance between the physical and non-physical components. Informed judgments. With beauty having physical and non-physical components, making judgments requires knowing someone first. A study on the length of acquaintance with consensus over personality judgments showed that the longer one knows and interacts with a person, the more accurate the personal judgment is with the consensus over the personality judgment (Biesanz, West & Millevoi, 2007).Time is a factor in knowing a person. Judgments on beauty, covering both physical and inner beauty, require time to know a person. Physical beauty can be judged immediately based on first impression but judgments on overall beauty require knowing the individual first. Cognitive autonomy. Decision-making on life-changing personal matters such as having a relationship or selecting a partner are done individually. Although, external influences are important, people should learn to balance autonomous thinking with social influences.Cognitive autonomy is an important quality especially for young people and adults who face difficult life choices. This concept refer to the ability to evaluate ideas, express opinions, make decisions, use comparative assessments, and do self-evaluations (Beckert, 2007). Developing cognitive autonomy enables individuals to balance personal preferences with external influences. Self-efficacy. Individuals have varying needs and objectives. Although external feedback can help individuals, developing self-efficacy is important for individuals to make a plan and act to achieve their own goals.Individuals have a close understanding of what they want to achieve and self-efficacy is the factor that mediates planning and goal fulfillment (Lippke et al. , 2009). Other people may not have the same extent of understanding of the person’s goals and plans. The plan to enter into a relationship is achievable through self-efficacy. The C urrent Study The study will investigate the concept of beauty, including the distinction of inner and outer beauty, based on the perspectives of a representative sample of senior students at the university.Views and experiences of the pressures of being beautiful and finding the perfect partner based on standards of beauty will also be gathered. The study will then determine the extent that individuals weigh personal taste and social ideals of beauty, particularly peer influences, in finding the perfect partner and the extent that the balance contributes to the success in finding the perfect mate. Hypotheses 1. University students achieve greater balance between personal taste and social ideals of beauty in finding a life partner when beauty is considered as having inner and outer components.2. A balance between personal taste and social ideals of beauty contributes to the greater success in finding a partner. Method Participants The participants will be 60 randomly selected senior students at the university, evenly distributed between males and females. Senior students are those currently enrolled and expected to graduate after completing the current semester and one more semester. Senior university students will be selected as participants because they are likely to encounter the issue of finding a perfect partner as they near graduation and while establishing their careers.Having males and females as participants would determine any differences between perceptions of beauty, pressure of achieving beauty, and selection of the perfect life partner based on beauty. The participants have to bring with them two of their closest peers to provide an assessment of the physical attributes and perceived personality typology of partner choices. The selection of the respondents will be made by coordinating with the school registry to identify senior university students. Of the list obtained, 30 males and 30 females will be randomly selected.They will be contacted to se ek their permission and schedule a session together with two of their closest friends to participate in the quasi-experiment and answer the questionnaire. Those selected who refused to participate will be replaced by randomly selecting from the list until 60 respondents are completed. Materials The data collection instrument is a structured questionnaire with closed questions requiring the selection of a range of answers including yes/no, ranking a list of items, selecting a single answer from a given list, and rating based on extent of agreement or disagreement.The questions or statements cover the four topics on concept of beauty, pressures of being beautiful, finding a lifetime partner based on personal and/or peer ideas of beauty, and extent that personal and/or peer ideals of beauty contribute to the success in finding the perfect partner. Procedure The quasi-experiment will start with the selected participants going over pictures with basic information and personality descript ions of thirty men for women participants and thirty women for male participants. The graduation pictures of individuals wearing togas will be taken from yearbooks to control other visual factors such as clothing.The pictures will be selected to consider diverse physical and personality attributes based on the yearbook descriptions. The respondents will be asked to select one person from the set of pictures as a potential partner. They will rate the physical attributes and perceived personality traits of the person in the picture. Their friends will view the pictures, select one picture they think is the perfect partner for their friend, and rate the physical features and perceived personality type. The participant will be shown the choice of their peers and explanations for the choice.The participants are given the chance to decide whether to retain their choice or select the choice of their peers. Regardless of their choice, the participants will be asked to answer the questionnai re. The responses will be analyzed using descriptive statistics to summarize responses, t-test to determine differences in responses as influenced by gender, and correlation to determine the relationship between variables. References Beckert, T. (2007). Cognitive autonomy and self-evaluation in adolescence: A conceptual investigation and instrument. North American Journal of Psychology, 9(3), 579-594.Biesanz, J. , West, S. , & Millevoi, A. (2007). What do you learn about someone over time? The relationship between length of acquaintance and consensus and self–other agreement in judgments of personality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(1), 119-135. Bloch, P. , & Richins, M. (1993). Attractiveness, adornments, and exchange. Psychology & Marketing, 19(6), 467-470. Campbell, B. (1980). A theoretical approach to peer influence in adolescent socialization. American Journal of Political Science, 24(2), 324-344. Dittman, H. , Halliwell, E. , & Stirling, E.(2009). 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