Research Paper on Steroids in Sports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research Paper on Steroids in Sports - Essay Example Needless to say, there is tremendous ground breaking pressure on athletes and sports representatives to make sure they bring home the gold; otherwise they might have to suffer dire consequences. With all the stakes that are involved, it is only prudent from the athlete’s point of view to make sure that they are the best in their competitive lot by hook or by crook. This is where the abuse of medicine to enhance their performance comes in; with evidently positive intentions, sports are now infiltrated with infamous scandals relating to doping and usage of steroids to enhance performance. The essay primarily discusses a brief history of the usage of steroids in sports, followed by an analysis of the reasons for the increase and the repercussions that athletes face after failing the test. This essay also analyzes if the repercussions are barring the use of steroids or if there is a need of a stricter policy to ensure that steroids are not abused in sports. Steroids: Steroids are similar to certain hormones present in our body and they act like those hormones and sometimes are introduced artificially in our body. The body in itself is able to produce this hormone to fight stress and helps in promoting growth and development. Therefore, they are a very important part of human body. Introduction of these hormones in the human body will help in increasing the development and stamina of athletes. Especially when people are injured, steroids can help in increase the speed of growth and development of the human body. Therefore, they are a complete hit in the sports arena and are allegedly used by athletes to increase man power and stamina to endure the immense physical strain they put their body through. History: One of the first cases of the usage of steroids in sports was reported in 1954. The Soviets, in the World Weightlifting championship, dominated more than anybody and it was revealed that they were given testosterone injections to enhance their sports perf ormance. However, enhancements had been tried before too; citations go back to Greece. It has been observed that athletes have taken extreme measures and followed stringent regimes in order to increase their physical efficiency and fitness nearing a tournament. Although, one might not want to judge the motives behind this action of theirs, it has been observed that more and more corruption came into sports are the financial stakes of the tournaments were increased. The more the prize money was, the more there was a chance for the athletes to experiment with medicine. Therefore, many athletes from as far as Greek times have been known to take extreme measures like eating meat for months before a tournament, in order to increase the presence of testosterone in their body. The story is not very different today; it might actually feel pretty similar to many of us. We are bombarded with dope tests and other kinds of drug tests that are found negative in players from all kinds of sports, from all over the world. The stakes are so high that even after extreme punishments, sportsmen and sportswomen still find the idea of pushing their body to a new level artificially through medicine. Steroids in High School Sports: The use of drugs that enhance physical capabilities is not only restricted to international sports. At the high school level sports, this problem is increasing, or so is quoted by the

Two Methods for teaching Third Grade students to appreciate Art Essay

Two Methods for teaching Third Grade students to appreciate Art - Essay Example This will enable kinesthetic learning which is so essential for this age-group. A hands-on approach to art in which the students not only look at different forms of art but also take part in creating them will enable the imagination of the children to be captured. The use of water to thin paint can introduce various elements of the basic science curriculum to the children. How water flows, what happens to it when other materials are put in it and what happens to it and other materials when it dries can be made an integral part of this learning experience. This will not only enable the students to understand how paint works but also that "science" is in fact fun and relevant to their actual lives. In the context of third-graders, this can be presented to them as how they can use the water in so many different ways. A second technique for the teaching of art is to introduce the children to the art of many different cultures, and have them try to create their own versions of it. Thus children may be encouraged to bring in pictures from their own culture if the classroom is diverse enough to enable this exercise. The third-graders will learn about other cultures (an essential element of the wider curriculum) and also be self-empowered through discovering that they can produce their own versions of that culture's art. As Gelineau (2003) suggests, the arts can provide opportunities for creative expression and self-fulfillment. The arts can and should be taught for their own sake as legitimate areas of study, but their link within the wider curriculum can also be stressed. Thus, as has been shown in this brief discussion, areas of the curriculum as diverse as science and cultural studies can be brought into the study of art. Most of all, the children should be taught that the appreciation of art is enjoyable, hopefully a lesson that will bring them a lifetime of pleasure in discovering the arts. _______________________________________ Works Cited Gelineau, Phyllis. Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary School Curriculum. Wadsworth, New York: 2003.

Are Ghosts An Illusion Of The Mind Philosophy Essay

Are Ghosts An Illusion Of The Mind Philosophy Essay Ghosts are just one of the many subtopics that reside within the topic of paranormal. Paranormal experiences are studied using parapsychology: a scientific approach to supposedly paranormal experiences. With the use of H. J. Irwins brilliant book called, An Introduction to Parapsychology Third Edition, and Bobby Elgees article called, Evidence of the Paranormal and Ghosts, we are able to deduce a theoretically sound explanation of what is paranormal and since when has the topic been studied. Then, we analyze the survival hypothesis and the ability of a soul to live outside the body. After, we proceed to the definition of ghosts and their usual whereabouts while setting the conditions that they usually appear in as well as to who they appear. Finally, we go on to claiming that these experiences are not really ghosts, but either hallucinations or just simply paranormal due to the witnesses wild conclusion that it couldnt be anything other than a ghost. Ghosts: An Illusion of the Mind Ghosts are not what you think they are, far from it. They arent the friendly little ghost you see in Casper, nor are they the Bloody Baron from SpongeBob Squarepants who haunts the ocean for eternity. They might not even be anything at all, just a word people exploit to an unknown object which might have a logical explanation. Yet, most cultures in the world believe in the body having a soul which like the heart, can exist and survive in another body. Yet, even if such an idea is generally believe by a large population of the world, it may not be true. Thought or belief proves nothing, for if it were, then a group could believe in radioactive helicopter bunnies and it would be fact. Yet, people need proof, therefore, to believe ghosts, we need proof that they exist. Life isnt neither what people see in movies, read in books nor see in pictures. Therefore, neither are ghosts. In order to prove ghosts dont exist, we have to analyze the parapsychological and the paranormal, the survival theory, the situations in which ghost usually appear and how most experiences are most likely fakes. According to Bobby Elgee, the word paranormal simply means not scientifically explainable.' (Elgee, 2009, pg 1) Meanwhile, parapsychology is known as the study of apparent anomalies of behavior and experience that exist apart from currently known explanatory mechanisms that account for organism-environment and organism-organism information and influence flow (Irwin, 1999, pg 1). Therefore, it is the commutation of a being to another, or a being to a surrounding. In other words, parapsychology is using a scientific approach to study experiences that may be paranormal and to determine whether or not the evident paranormal quality of a given class of parapsychological experience is authentic or ontologically real. (Irwin, 1999, pg 9) According to Irwin, recorded instances of parapsychological experiences of course may be found among all cultures and in all historic periods. (Irwin, 1999, pg 13) Yet, the testing of such experiences for accuracy and authenticity was slower to emerge. Some, such as Henry More and Joseph Glanvill showed themselves alert to the possibility of fraud, delusion, and unreliable observation, but their views more religious than scientific as they were endeavoring to ascertain the earthly presence of the devil and diabolical forces. (Irwin, 1999, pg 14) It was later that Francis Bacon made a call for objective scrutiny of parapsychological experiences (Irwin, 1999, pg 14) which was more scientific than More and Glanvill, but at the time society was not receptive to such a view and Bacons arguments went unheeded. (Irwin, 1999, pg 14) Then, a center in England called the Society for Psychical Research where parapsychologists are united in their conviction that the objective investigation of pa rapsychological phenomena was called for, despite the prevailing disinterest in such research among the established divisions of science. (Irwin, 1999, pg 13) Even today, most of society disregards the subject as scientific, yet parapsychology is under taken as a scientific endeavor regardless of its subject matter, flaws in any of its research procedures, and the skeptical rhetoric of its critics. (Irwin, 1999, pg 2) Therefore, Irwin states that, All ESP experiences thus are parapsychological, but we require proof that any of them could be paranormal. (Irwin, 1999, pg 2) How do parapsychologists know that an experience is truly paranormal? According the Elgee, Competent paranormal investigators will attempt to rule out the anomaly (Elgee, 2009, pg 1) or anything that seems abnormal or irregular. If someone captures a photo of a strange orb or mist, parapsychologists would ask all questions possible in order to rule out irregularities such as: is it a reflection? Is it a bug? Is it dust? Is it condensation on the lens of the camera? Is it a problem with the developing and/or printing process? (Elgee, 2009, pg 1) Yet, according to Irwin, parapsychologists focus of study is purely a matter of appearance, of how an experience seems to be. (Irwin, 1999, pg 2) Therefore, even if the survival hypothesis proves not to provide a legitimate basis for their conceptual integration, each of these experiences appears to entail the existence of a nonphysical or spiritual self (Irwin, 1999, pg 9) thereby, the experience is parapsychological. The authenticity of the experience relates to the question of whether the issue of underlying processes concerns the question of how? (Irwin, 1999, pg 9) For it to be paranormal, the question of must be raised. How is this possible? How did this come here? How did it happen? If the question of how cannot be answered, it is hence called paranormal. Yet, there are groups today that are causing a steadfast declination in the belief of the paranormal. They are damaging the credibility of legitimate and accomplished paranormal researchers and parapsychologists by posting photographs that are easily dismissed as well-known and easily identifiable camera malfunctions and other artifacts of the photographic process. (Elgee, 2009) If people keep on claiming that every small malfunction is an apparition or paranormal experience, then nobody would believe if a true paranormal experience emerged. It would be the boy who called wolf all over again, except with ghosts, orbs, mists and many other strange paranormals. According to Irwin, the survival hypothesis concerns the notion of postmortem survival, that is, that a disembodied consciousness or some such discarnate element of human personality might survive bodily death at least for a time. (Irwin, 1999, pg 175) Simply stated, the survival hypothesis is the notion that there is some element of human existence that survives death. (Irwin, 1999, pg 8) For an apparition or spirit to appear, it has to be able to survive outside the body. Due to the fact that apparitions, ghosts as a matter of fact, can be of the living, we can assume that survival does not necessarily imply immortality or eternal existence (Irwin, 1999, pg 175) after death of the body, but more of the soul being able to survive outside the body for a limited time. Therefore, when comprehending an experience in which an apparition is involved, parapsychologists must be able to believe that a disembodied consciousness or some such discarnate element of human personality might surviv e bodily death at least for a time. (Irwin, 1999, pg 175) Due to implications of an existence after death, the survival hypothesis has obvious religious connotations. (Irwin, 1999, pg 175) Yet, since the topic is being studied from a scientific point of view, these are of no concern. Therefore, when looking at the topic from a scientific point of view, we ask questions. In order to analyze, the first step is to ask questions in order to be able to understand all aspects of the situation. Becker asks, is there a nonphysical element of human existence that can separate from the physical body, can survive organic death, can reattach its organization as an integral personality after death, can appear before and haunt the living, [and] can be born again in another body? (Becker, 1993, pg 9) Yet, it cannot be scientifically proven that there is a life after death since there is no evidence. That is a question of faith at this point in time since there is no scientific evidence of the exis tence of ghosts or an afterlife. (Elgee, 2009) Therefore, we have to assume accordingly that in case of a life after death, we could thereby presume a ghost to be real. Yet, until then, all suggestions are merely that and nothing else. A ghost is a type of apparition. According to Irwin, an apparition is encountered in a perceptual-like experience and relates to a person or animal that is not physically present, with physical means of communication being ruled out. (Irwin, 1999, pg 243) Therefore, for it to be an apparition there has to be evidence that the figure is not there and has no possible means of a connection to the witness. Yet, Irwin states that it is held to be pointless to speak of apparitions unless we mean this term to refer to the hypothesis of an objective entity. (Irwin, 1999, pg 243) He goes on to say the having defined the term thus, it is up to parapsychologists to ascertain if these hypothesized objective entities actually exist. (Irwin, 1999, pg 243) Therefore, it is up to parapsychologists to study all rational explanations until there are no explanations, naming the experience as paranormal, but not necessarily an apparition. As Eglee states, If weve done a good job ruling out everything, w e may just be left with something paranormal. Thats it. (Elgee, 2009) We cannot call something unexplainable by a name other than paranormal, or seemingly an apparition. Otherwise, it would be metaphorical to calling someone you dont know Bob. You may assume it to be Bob, but he is just an unknown somebody until evidence proves otherwise. One problem that could be raised against any definition of the apparition (Irwin, 1999, pg 243) is that it could be a hallucination. Unless witnesses by more than one sanitary person, an apparition could be a persons mind playing tricks on the so-called experient. Therefore, parapsychologists have gone from studying the apparition to studying the apparitional experience in order to adopt a phenomenological approach (Irwin, 1999, pg 244) in the field of study. According to Irwin, so-called ghosts are recurrent haunting apparitions, that is, the same figure is witnessed in the same location on a number of occasions often by a number of different experients. (Irwin, 1999, 250) Here, we witness Irwin suggesting that for the figure to be a ghost, it has to be seen in the same location, more than once and by different witnesses. He also adds that some ghosts reportedly perform the same actions in the same location on each occasion they are experienced. (Irwin, 1999, pg 244) He states that they appear real and solid as well as that their appearance changes as the experient moves around it. They occlude objects they move in front of and are occluded by objects they move behind. (Irwin, 1999, pg 244) He also includes instances in which they may cast a shadow or when the experient may perceive their reflection in a mirror. (Irwin, 1999, 244) This disproves the transparent misty forms popularized in fiction (Irwin, 1999, 244) Irwin states that most figures are experienced within 10 feet of the subject and in the majority of cases (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) the figure is not recognized by the experient. (Irwin, 1999, pg 247) If an experience is defined as paranormal, is truly justifiable to be able to call the irregularity a ghost? Even Elgee proclaims, To take the next step and call a possibly paranormal photograph a picture of a ghost is a leap of faith that I, personally, cant swallow. A person can certainly make that statement, but at that point it becomes an opinion, a statement based on belief and faith. (Elgee, 2009) He goes on to proclaim that, At that point, I can choose what I believe. Theres simply no evidence backing it up. (Elgee, 2009) Even in spirit communication there are points where the truth simply depends on faith. The medium could be lying, unless it is one of the rare instances where the medium received some skill the personality demonstrably possessed while alive but which the medium himself/herself does not have. (Irwin, 1999, pg 177) Ghost recognition is simply to irrational to be studied scientifically. As Elgee proclaims, ghost hunting doesnt lend itself to a well-controlled scientific experiment. (Elgee, 2009) He goes on to state that, The methodologies are weak, the equipment used was never originally designed to detect ghosts, and it is nearly impossible to replicate the results. (Elgee, 2009) Therefore, how can it be proved that ghosts exist with the use of insufficient methods and equipment that was not made for ghost hunting? Even Irwin states that, in no way is there any presumption here of the existence of the paranormal even though many contemporary parapsychologists (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) actually regard parapsychology as the study of the paranormal. (Irwin, 1999, pg 1) If someone who has spent most of his life studying the paranormal refuses to proclaim the existence of it, then how can we believe the many who claim without proof that a minor irregularity is something major such as the ghost of dead perso n? Are there really such things as ghosts due to the fact that most of the apparitions seen are dead? According to Irwin, about 70% of recognized apparitions are of people whom the experient knew to be dead. (Irwin, 1999, pg 247) He goes on to proclaim that the number of ghost an experient witnesses may vary with the age of the individual or more precisely, with the number of deceased persons the individual knew. (Irwin, 1999, pg 247) Therefore, it assumed that the more dead people you know, the more likely you are able to see ghosts. Is it truly ghosts? Or is it the mind playing memories of actions you have seen the diseased performing in a certain place every time you pass by. For example, you see your dead grandmother planting flowers in the garden every time you walk by on a visit. Most experients are likely to lie or jump to conclusions, therefore, we can presume that the operation of fraud (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) remain potential interpretations (Irwin, 1999, pg 177) of such proclamations as the sightings of ghosts or other apparitions. It might even be a story used to increase the experients reputation in order to make him/her more interesting. One of Irwins students reported the experience of strolling along a deserted beach and feeling someone walking beside her. (Irwin, 1999, pg 247) Most of humanity gets the same feeling while walking alone, especially in the dark, yet, usually, there is no one there and it is a trick of the mind. The student goes on to proclaim, that she did not see or hear anything to indicate there was something there (Irwin, 1999, pg 247), yet, the sense of a presence was very strong and she felt very comfortable with it. (Irwin, 1999, pg 247) Could it not have been a cool breeze that caused the student to feel comfortable and, assuming it was warm since she was on the beach, the breeze was strong due to the oceans current? No, the student jumped to the conclusion that it was an apparition or spirit, but unfortunately, the student has no proof. Another experience is of one totally deaf man described hearing the rustle of an apparitional figures dress. (Irwin, 1999, pg 247) Is it really true, or is it the yearning of the man to actually hear something, that his mind played tricks on him? Since most experients whom are able to witness many ghosts or apparitions have known many deceased, could it not be assumed that it is just the mind projecting an image of that we wish to see? A similar analogy would be that of a man trapped in a desert seeing a mirage of a lake. What we see, is simply what we wish to see and nothing more. By analyzing the parapsychological and the paranormal, the survival theory, the situations in which ghosts usually appear and how most of those experiences are easily proven fakes, we have come to the conclusion that it is impossible for ghosts to truly exist unless evidence prove otherwise. Even if, later on, experients actually turn out to have a sixth sense that could perceive the dead, could it not be just that: a sixth sense?

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz :: essays research papers

Question #3: Duddy hides his insecurities from himself and others. He is afraid to ask his father if his mother had liked him. What does this reveal about Duddy? Why do we often hide our fears? Two thousand years ago, Jesus had said,"Man does not live by bread alone." This is true, for other than physiological needs, man also has other basic necessities. As outlined in an article written by Professor A. H. Maslow called "A Theory of Human Motivation", these basic necessities include a person’s desire for security, love, esteem and self-actualization. Thus, when Duddy hides his fears from others and himself, he is only pursuing a sense of safety, which is one of the human fundamental needs. A person’s self-projected image is very important. We often hide our own fears because we do not want to acknowledge our dreads. We are afraid that if we show our dreads, our images as great persons will be ruined. People want to feel important, significant and superior; people do not want to feel inferior, subordinate and insignificant. We are afraid that if we concede our fears, others will dismiss us as unimportant. This is even more true for an ambitious young man like Duddy. He springs from humble beginnings, but clearly, he is very eager to become a successful and powerful man. "...his bony cheeks were criss-crossed with scratches as he shaved twice daily in his attempt to encourage a beard." This clearly indicates to the readers that Duddy wants and tries to be someone that he is not. He wants himself and others to think that he is of great significance. The fact that his friends, family and others reject him make his self-projected image even more preponderan t. He must convince himself and others that he is a very important figure and he does this by denying his insecurities. Duddy is not a very well-liked figure in the novel. He arouses readers’ sympathy because his family and friends do not appreciate him. There is much evidence of this throughout the novel. Perhaps the best illustration of this is when Duddy returns from St. Agathe with six expensive sport shirts for Max as a gift, but only to find out that his father is not interested in the gift. Duddy is not loved in his family, yet he needs love desperately. Since his father, uncle and brother do not love him, his desire for love is projected onto his dead mother. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz :: essays research papers Question #3: Duddy hides his insecurities from himself and others. He is afraid to ask his father if his mother had liked him. What does this reveal about Duddy? Why do we often hide our fears? Two thousand years ago, Jesus had said,"Man does not live by bread alone." This is true, for other than physiological needs, man also has other basic necessities. As outlined in an article written by Professor A. H. Maslow called "A Theory of Human Motivation", these basic necessities include a person’s desire for security, love, esteem and self-actualization. Thus, when Duddy hides his fears from others and himself, he is only pursuing a sense of safety, which is one of the human fundamental needs. A person’s self-projected image is very important. We often hide our own fears because we do not want to acknowledge our dreads. We are afraid that if we show our dreads, our images as great persons will be ruined. People want to feel important, significant and superior; people do not want to feel inferior, subordinate and insignificant. We are afraid that if we concede our fears, others will dismiss us as unimportant. This is even more true for an ambitious young man like Duddy. He springs from humble beginnings, but clearly, he is very eager to become a successful and powerful man. "...his bony cheeks were criss-crossed with scratches as he shaved twice daily in his attempt to encourage a beard." This clearly indicates to the readers that Duddy wants and tries to be someone that he is not. He wants himself and others to think that he is of great significance. The fact that his friends, family and others reject him make his self-projected image even more preponderan t. He must convince himself and others that he is a very important figure and he does this by denying his insecurities. Duddy is not a very well-liked figure in the novel. He arouses readers’ sympathy because his family and friends do not appreciate him. There is much evidence of this throughout the novel. Perhaps the best illustration of this is when Duddy returns from St. Agathe with six expensive sport shirts for Max as a gift, but only to find out that his father is not interested in the gift. Duddy is not loved in his family, yet he needs love desperately. Since his father, uncle and brother do not love him, his desire for love is projected onto his dead mother.

Literary Device Essay

Bianca Lynch Literary device essay In the novel At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks He uses mood to help you understand the main character, this also helps you to empathize with his problems and correlate to how they may feel. Another literary device he uses to help you connect to the novel is imagery; he paints an elaborated picture of the town Jeremy Marsh now lives in with his new wife Lexi. The Author describes Boone Creek, a small town in NC Jeremy Marsh has recently moved to for his fiance Lexi Darnell, as a small country hick town that anyone coming from NYC would be ashamed to call home. As Jeremy starts to feel more at home, His perspective of the town is changed. It changes from being a hick town to somewhere refreshing where he could see himself settling down with Lexi and their Daughter to come he expresses this early on in ch. Four of the novel, â€Å"The last month in Boone creek, boring as it had been, was actually†¦refreshing† (Jeremy pg 52). In fact he gets so used to the town that when he went back home to NY for his bachelor party he felt out of place, as if something just didn’t fit. His brothers and best friend Alvin criticized his clothes, the â€Å"lumberjack† shirt Lexi bought him. Although Jeremy always did consider himself a somewhat â€Å"stylish† man and if he was still living in NY would have never been seen in those clothes by wearing it made him feel somehow connected to Lexi and his new home Boone Creek. As I read this novel I pictured a clean cut New Yorker moving so a small country town and becoming lost in all the small town gossip and unfamiliar country ways. † They’ll talk behind our backs, they’ll gossip, and it’ll take folks along time to forget that we ‘lived in sin’† (Lexi pg. 4) Lexi told Jeremy when trying to explain to him why they couldn’t live together before getting married. What Jeremy could not become accustomed to was the constant gossip about other people’s lives, although this did go on in the city it wasn’t as bad because new Yorkers don’t have enough time in the day to just sit around and talk about other people’s lives. Another literary device Nicholas Sparks used to absorb the readers attention is mood. Throughout the whole first half of the novel I was left in suspense s to how Jeremy and Lexis relationship would turn out. In the first four chapters the author tries to get the reader to think that there may be some kind of unfaithfulness going on between Lexi and Jeremy on Lexi’s part. Jeremy goes to Lexis job early one day to surprise her and she wasn’t there and did not mention getting off early to him beforehand. When he went to look for her he found her on the bench that overlooked the river with Rodney, her childhood love,† until , that is they shifted on the bench, and he then realized they were holding hands. (Jeremy pg. 73), this along with many other unexplained disappearances by Lexi leads to the suspense in the novel. As I read the end when lexi dies after labor it puts me in a doleful mood. With Jeremy mourning his wife’s death and the thought of their baby girl not having a mother in her life, he refuses to go see his daughter; in fact he said he never wanted to see her. Since Lexi died during Claries birth Jeremy feels animosity towards her, when asked if he saw her yet he said no. â€Å"Jeremy turned away. He didn’t want to heart that, didn’t want to hear anything about the baby†¦would he ever be happy again? †(Jeremy pg 258) Doris, Lexi’s grandmother finally convinces him to go see her, â€Å"And in that instance, while staring at his daughter through a thousand tears, he fell in love and wanted nothing more than to hold Claire forever. † (Narrator pg 263). Jeremy learns to accept Lexis death and accept the gift she left behind, Claire. Although the novel jumps from suspense to love to distressing times Nicholas Sparks still manages to consume the readers attention by using mood and imajery.

Positive and Negative Reinforcements

Positive and Negative Reinforcement Positive Reinforcement Positive and Negative Reinforcement What are Positive Reinforcement and Negative Reinforcemens? Positive and negative reinforcement are used in most of the three theories. Negative reinforcement is used in behaviorism, where it involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus when a desired behavior occurs. Positive Reinforcement is a technique used to increase desired behavior and is used in operant conditioning.Positive reinforcement is offering of desirable effects or consequences for a behavior with the intention of increasing desired behavior. Positive and Negative reinforcement are used or used in the theories of learning whether it is innate or learned behavior (King 2010). Positive Reinforcement and Skinners experiment Skinner experimented using positive reinforcement, with a rat and came to the conclusion that with a stimulus or positive reinforcement a rat can learn to receive food by pressing a bar. With Skinners exp eriments with the rat he discovered law of effect.Skinners approach to operant conditioning involved the â€Å"Law of Effect† stating that behavior followed by positive outcomes is strengthened and that behaviors followed by negative outcomes are weakened. This means that positive outcomes for behaviors are strengthening to an individual and negative outcomes weaken the behavior of the individual, therefore receiving a positive reinforcement or reward will increase the likelihood of the behavior occurring (King, 2010). Shaping Shaping is one of the first steps of operant conditioning, which is rewarding approximations of a desired behavior.An example the book gives is a rat can be shaped or trained to press a bar to eat. It is not likely for the rat to receive food when being placed in the â€Å"Skinner box†. The experimenter began to give the rat food pellets when the rat is close to the bar. The rat begins to gain the reward and continues to press the bar, which is P ositive reinforcement. Later the experimenter only rewards the rat with a pellet when rat is 2inches from the bar. After rewarding for being within 2inches the rat will have to touch the bar for reward, leading to the rat, pressing he bar and receiving food. When the rat presses bar that’s where reinforcement comes in, which is the process by which a rewarding stimulus or event following a particular behavior increases the probability that the behavior will happen again, the rat now sees that if it presses the bar it receives food, therefore the rat continues to press the bar to receive food. The behavior continues to happen due to the stimulus of food, which is reinforcement (King, 2010). Positive and Negative Reinforcement There is positive and negative reinforcement within operant conditioning.Positive reinforcement is getting a positive result from the stimulus; in turn a negative reinforcement is a behavior of doing something due to a negative stimulus. There are two typ es of reinforcement primary and secondary reinforcement. Primary reinforcement is innate which is not learned or conditioned Secondary reinforcement (King, 2010). Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction The next 3 key concept of classical conditioning is generalization, discrimination, and extinction. First is generalization which is performing a positive reinforced behavior in a different situation.An example of generalization is having three classes and deciding to study for one of the classes every night. Eventually an individual will begin to study every night in all three of their classes. The second discrimination is responding appropriately to stimuli that signal that a behavior will or will not be reinforced. The book gives an example of a restaurant that gives student discounts if the student shows there student identification card and how if someone who is not a student shows their identification card might get a puzzled look.The last is extinction, which is a decre ase in the frequency of a behavior when the behavior is no longer reinforced. Extinction is without the same stimuli and the reinforcement ceases to exist (King, 2010). Schedules of Positive and Negative Reinforcement The patterns that determine when a behavior will be reinforced positively or negatively are schedules of reinforcement, which can be negative and positive reinforcement. The four different types of schedules are; variable interval, fixed interval, variable ratio, and fixed ratio. Variable-interval is a timetable where behavior is reinforced after a certain amount of time has went by.A fixed interval applies to procrastination which is when the first behavior is reinforced after a fixed amount of time has passed. An example of fixed interval is a kindergartener that does not get a bad check mark all week receives candy at the end of the week. A fixed ratio reinforces a behavior after a set number of behaviors. Fixed ratio can be applied to the lottery, because you never know when you will win. The last is variable ratio that is when behaviors are rewarded an average number of times but on an unpredictable basis (King, 2010). Punishment Punishment is a consequence that decreases the likelihood that a behavior will occur.Operant Conditioning consists of two types of punishment positive and negative. Positive punishment is presentation of an unpleasant stimulus following a given behavior in order to decrease the frequency of that behavior. Yelling at your child until they clean their room would be an example of positive punishment, because if they clean their room the yelling will stop. Negative punishment is the opposite the removal of a positive stimulus following a given behavior in order to decrease the frequency of that behavior. Negative reinforcement can be telling your child if you don’t clean your room I will be taking your phone away.You will be removing the cell phone if they don’t clean their room, therefore it is more likel y for that child to clean their room. Both positive and negative reinforcement are used in punishment (King, 2010). Positive, Negative Reinforcement, and Timing Whether positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement timing is an important aspect in reinforcement and punishment. Immediate reinforcement is better than delayed reinforcement because delayed reinforcement means that an individual has to wait for their reward (reinforcement) and for young children that can be hard to comprehend.Immediate punishment is more effective with young children because if you delay their punishment the child is more likely to act that behavior again. The last type is immediate with delayed reinforcement and punishment. The book Experience Psychology gives an example of the three; â€Å"an individual putting off going to the dentist to avoid a punisher, such as pain, but waiting could contribute to greater pain later. Applied behavior analysis is applying operant conditioning to change human beh avior. This analysis looks for rewards that are creating bad behavior and enhances rewards to gain good behavior. King, 2010). † Three Theories Together Behaviorism, operant conditioning, and classical conditioning are different theories on how individuals learn and use positive or negative reinforcement. Behaviorism focuses on observable behavior solely, uses negative reinforcement and that is what makes it different from the other theories. Classical conditioning has two stimuli; (King, 2010) an example of classical conditioning is a child smelling a beautiful flower and is stung by a bee within the flower.Classical conditioning uses negative reinforcement, because it teaches the child that that flower caused the pain and they are more likely not to touch the flower again. The child associates the pain with the flower and is now fearful of the flower. Each theory has good and bad points, but my thought is behavior is learned with rewards, therefore human behavior is better w ith some sort of reward such as positive or negative (reinforcement) (King, 2010). Conclusion Positive and Negative Reinforcement Positive and negative reinforcement are used in behaviorism, classical conditioning, and operant conditioning.Many believe one works better than the other, but it depends on the situation whether negative or positive reinforcement will be used. I believe that Positive reinforcement is the best, because getting a reward makes an individual more likely to increase the desired behavior. Negative reinforcement to me can be stressful to an individual, because if they don’t do what they are supposed to do something could be taken from them (King, 2010). References King, L. (2010) Experience psychology: McGraw-Hill, Avenue of Americas. New York, NY 10020. (p. 167-177).

Managerial and Personal Effectiveness in Human Resources Management The WritePass Journal

Managerial and Personal Effectiveness in Human Resources Management Introduction Managerial and Personal Effectiveness in Human Resources Management ]. Douglas McGregor, J. C.-G., 2006. The Human Side Of Enterprise. McGraw-Hill Professional. Herzberg, F., 1987. One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees? HBR, September. Katz, R., 1974. Skills of an Effective Administrator. Havard Business Review. Lindner, J. R., n.d. Understanding Employee Motivation. Journal Editorial Office. Malik, F., 2010. Productions and Operations Management. 1.1 ed. s.l.:s.n. Pat hargreaves, P. J., 2000. The human resource development handbook.Kogan Page Publishers. Schein, E. H., 1978. Career dynamics: matching individual and organizational needs. Addison-Wesley Pub. Co. Srivastava, M. Sinha, A. K., 2004. Individual Characteristic for Managerial Effectiveness in a Competitive Environment: An Exploration. Conference on Global Competition Competitiveness of Indian Corporate, pp. 119-131. Sutton, R. I. Ford, L. H., 1982. Problem-Solving Adequacy in Hospital Subunits. Human Relations, Volume 35, pp. 675-701. [1] http://books.google.com.pk/books/about/Career_dynamics.html?id=UyqB19IEM5gCredir_esc=y [2] joe.org/joe/1998june/rb3.php [3] http://books.google.com.pk/books/about/The_human_side_of_enterprise.html?id=0Td-U8yTjVECredir_esc=y [4] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1987.tb00605.x/pdf