Weight Training free essay sample

Weight training is a type of strength training that uses weights for resistance. Weight training provides a stress to the muscles that causes them to adapt and get stronger, similar to the way aerobic conditioning strengthens your heart. Weight training can be performed with free weights, such as barbells and dumbbells, or by using weight machines. Weight lifting is a crucial part of any athlete or active person, but studies show that weight lifting can be beneficial to the every day person, and can even aid in pain relief for the elderly. Weightlifting improves the coordination of muscles working together, which increases an athlete’s power. Many athletes have the impression that if they lift weights they will develop bulkier muscles which would slow them down, however this is untrue. Weightlifting can create non-bulky muscles that have stronger thicker fibers, which with power training has shown to enhance performance in endurance sports. We will write a custom essay sample on Weight Training or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It also increases the strength of connective tissue, muscles, and tendons. This leads to improved motor performance and a decreased risk of injuries. Weight training helps to tone, lift, firm, and shape your body. Stronger muscles can improve your posture and help keep your body in balance. Weight training can help to reshape problem areas, or areas with stubborn fat that is difficult to get rid of. The combination of a low-fat diet and aerobic activity burns total fat from all over your body. Weight training can increase your lean body mass and therefore increase your metabolism. An increased metabolism speeds up your bodys natural process of breaking down and storing foods. Not only does strength training increase your physical work capacity, it also improves your ability to perform activities of daily living. You will be able to work harder and longer with the proper weight training activities. Strength training is crucial to weight control, because individuals who have more muscle mass have a higher metabolic rate. Muscle is active tissue that consumes calories, while stored fat uses very little energy. Strength training can provide up to a 15% increase in metabolic rate, which is enormously helpful for weight loss and long-term weight control. Building muscle tissue increases the muscles’ demand for glucose. More than 14 million Americans have type II diabetes. This is a three-hundred percent increase over the past forty years, and the numbers are steadily climbing (American Diabetes Association). In addition to being at greater risk for heart and renal disease, diabetes is also the leading cause of blindness in older adults. Fortunately, studies now show that lifestyle changes such as strength training have a profound impact on helping older adults manage their diabetes. In a recent study of Hispanic men and women, 16 weeks of strength training produced dramatic improvements in glucose control that are comparable to taking diabetes medication. Additionally, the study volunteers were stronger, gained muscle, lost body fat, had less depression, and felt much more self-confident (Joslin Diabetes Center Boston, Massachusetts). Weight training causes the muscles pull glucose from the bloodstream so that blood sugar levels don’t rise dangerously. This can also help with the prevention of diabetes for younger people later in life. Studies have shown that people who weight train had better blood sugar control than those who did not weight train. Weightlifting, as helpful as it is for physical strength, is also extremely beneficial for heart health. It helps to melt away visceral fat as well as fat that builds up around the body’s organs, which has been associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Strength training is important for cardiac health because heart disease risk is lower when the body is leaner. One study found that cardiac patients gained not only strength and flexibility but also aerobic capacity when they did strength training three times a week as part of their rehabilitation program. This and other studies have prompted the American Heart Association to recommend strength training as a way to reduce risk of heart disease and as a therapy for patients in cardiac rehabilitation programs As we age, our bodies are less able to create new muscle tissue. Sarcopenia is age-related loss of muscle, and with it comes a reduction in the ability to do functional everyday activities. When you lose weight, you inevitably lose muscle mass as well as fat. By doing strength training exercises, you can reduce the amount of lean muscle tissue that you lose during weight loss. When trying to maintain a stable weight, strength training reduces the age-associated loss of muscle tissue. In addition, strength exercise programs can be a significant help in maintaining our metabolic rate, which ordinarily declines with age and with weight loss. Other issues people face as they age concern balance and flexibility. Most to falls and broken bones in older adults can be linked to poor balance and flexibility. These injuries may not be extremely detrimental to someone of a younger age, but for older people they can end in significant disability and, in sometimes there may even be fatal complications. Strengthening exercises, when done properly and through the full range of motion, increase a persons flexibility and balance, which decrease the likelihood and severity of falls. Arthritis relief is another benefit to weightlifting for people aging. A study done by Tufts University using older men and women with severe knee osteoarthritis showed that weight training decreased pain by 43%, increased muscle strength and general physical performance, improved the clinical signs and symptoms of the disease, and decreased disability. This study concluded that this weight training regimen was just as effective, if not more, as medications used to treat the disease. Similar effects of strength training have been seen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (Growing Stronger). Strength training provides similar improvements in depression as anti-depressant medications. Currently, it is not known if this is because people feel better when they are stronger or if strength training produces a helpful biochemical change in the brain. Many scientists believe it is most likely a combination of the two. When older adults participate in strength training programs, their self-confidence and self-esteem improve, which has a strong impact on their overall quality of life. Weight training also improves your quality of life as you gain body confidence. Strength training will not only make you strong, but will also help you to feel strong about yourself. People who exercise regularly also enjoy improved sleep quality. They fall asleep more quickly, sleep more deeply, awaken less often, and sleep longer. As with depression, the sleep benefits obtained as a result of strength training are comparable to treatment with medication but without the side effects or the expense. Weight lifting has been shown to improve the quality of life for everyone; from athletes preparing for a long season to elderly adults just preparing for the future. Keeping your body in shape at all ages of life is essentially to living long and healthy. Lifting weights can be an easy and effective way to achieve both of those things.

StressMgmt HealthPromotion Essay

StressMgmt HealthPromotion Essay StressMgmt HealthPromotion Essay Pender Ch. 8 â€Å"Stress Management and Health Promotion† More than  ¾ of visits to health care professionals are attributed to or made worse by stress. Stress is inevitable, unavoidable, human experience in any society and more often with rapid and accelerating change. General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)= internal and external manifestations of stress; â€Å"fight or flight† response. Examples of stress behaviors: dilation of pupils, ↑ respiratory rate, ↑ heart rate, ↑ perspiration, ↑ BP, ↑ muscle tension, ↑ gastric motility, ↑ blood glucose level, release of adrenaline, cold, clammy skin. Due to release of catecholamines (adrenaline), glucocorticoids (cortisol), and other hormones. Allostatis= continuous process of adapting to potentially stressful events ~ achieving stability through change. Allostatic load= cumulative negative effects of prolonged environmental and psychosocial stressors. Allostatic load has potential to predict risk for variety of diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Stressors= environmental and internal demands and conflicts among them, which tax or exceed a person’s resources† Body systems that respond to stress: nervous, endocrine, immunologic systems ïÆ'  eventually affect all organ systems. Coping regulates stressful emotions (emotion focused coping) and alters the person- environment relationship that is causing the distress (problem- focused coping). The World Health Org, (WHO) & Global Burden of Disease Survey estimate that stress related disorders & mental illness will be the 2nd leading cause of disabilities by 2020. Stress and Health- In heart disease, long term stress is though to sensitize arterioles to catecholamines, (short term stress= causes over constriction of the vessels & endothelial damage). Evidence proves that providing social support may be more beneficial than receiving it. Psychoneuroimmunology= effects of social and psychological phenomena on the immune system as mediated by the nervous and endocrine systems. P.197 Study of male undergraduate college students some w/ high heart rate reactivity were compared to those with low heart rate reactivity- both took a math test. High reactors showed higher stress related levels of plasma cortisol and increased natural killer cell lysis than the low reactors. Results= people deal w/stress differently possible cause is due to hypothalamic-pituitary adrenocortical axis and the sympathetic adrenomedullary systems. Epigenetics= study of how environmental influences regulate gene expression, is an attempt to describe how experiences such as stress- though not altering the DNA sequence- may modify DNA proteins, leading to enhanced or silenced expression of a specific gene. Stress Across the life span- childhood and adolescence are critical periods characterized by increased vulnerability to stressors. Children experience stress and develop coping patterns early in life. Stress factors in children: self esteem, personality characteristics, gender, social support, parental child rearing patterns, previous stressful exp., and illness. Environmental high risk stressors for children: Personal safety concerns Community violence Prolonged poverty Increased availability of drugs Homelessness Child’s well being and health can be enhanced through constructive stress management. Adolescents= most common stressors are family related, peer stressors, and academic concerns. High stress is in early adolescence is associated with: risk taking behavior, smoking, alcohol, & sex. Effective stress coping processes: Behavioral coping (info gathering) Decision making (problem solving) Cognitive coping (minimizing distress, focusing on positive) Adult social support (talking w/an adult) Relaxation As individuals age, they increase their use of problem solving coping and decrease the use of avoidance coping, compared with the preteen and adolescence years. Young

Media Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Media - Assignment Example Through Braille, the quality of life of visually impaired individuals has improved considerably (Schement,2002). In my opinion, communication is an important aspect in my life. The frequency of the use of communication devices proves that I am capable of using even the most sophisticated and modern communication devices. From the statistics, the most used device is phone. This is because it is easier to use, portable and has an excellent internet connection. I use the phone frequently in social interactions through social media and texting friends. I use the phone minimally in games because there are very few attractive games that I can access through it. The secondly most used device is the laptop. My preference for laptop is based on the fact that is can be used in doing research as proven in my high frequency use in Google search. In addition, it is fast and can be used in searching for items that require a large display. Since I do not have a strong reading culture, I don’t use laptop to read

Empire Windrush Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Empire Windrush - Essay Example The continuous process of the country's growth is a never-ending process, which accounts for the present societal circumstance the Empire has. Its multicultural affinity to various regions in the world has opened up countless opportunities towards improvement of the living standards in Britain. At present, more than 5% of the British population originated from parentage that is predominantly non-British. These include the Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Russian, Africans and Americans (Schiavone, 2003). Also, the number of overseas workers continues to surge ahead. This openness to diverse cultures has paved way for the present status of Britain constituting of different mixtures of excellent methods of civilisation. In addition to that, it also gave way for the country's rich knowledge in different fields including international marketing. Truly, the cultural affinity of the country has led to knowledge cultivation that the country presently enjoys and utilizes towards prov iding a higher degree of citizen satisfaction. Incontestably, the modern Britain owes its current prominence to its history. Britain's rich history is indeed one of the major contributing factors to the country's high quality of life. Judging by its wealthy heritage, numerous historians have long predicted the respectability that previously awaited the country. Indeed, one of the strongest bases for such predictions is the Empire Windrush. The Empire Windrush is a gigantic ship that sailed from Britain to different parts of the world. It is a significant landmark in the multiculturalism background of modern Britain (Kurdi, 2000). The ship Empire Windrush brought the first group of approximately five hundred immigrants to Tilbury near London on June 22, 1948. The Windrush was en route from Australia to England via the Atlantic, docking in Kingston, Jamaica. An advertisement had appeared in a Jamaica newspaper offering cheap transport on the ship for anybody who wanted to come and work in the UK. There was plenty of work in post war Britain and industries such as British Rail, the National Health Service and public transport recruited almost exclusively from Jamaica and Barbados. Though African-Caribbean were encouraged to journey to Britain via immigration campaigns created by successive British governments, many new arrivals were to endure intolerance and extreme racism from certain sectors of indigenous British society. This was to mark African-Caribbean relations with the wider community over a long period. Early African-Carribean immigrants found private employment and housing denied to them on the basis o f race. Housing was in short supply following the wartime bombing, and the shortage led to some of the first clashes with the established white community. Clashes continued and worsened into the 1950s, and there were riots in cities including London, Birmingham and Nottingham. The Second World War paved way for a number of number of outlets including science, technology, art, literature, culture and most of all socio-economic development in a distinct manner. It should be noted immigration changes the demography of a nation and why only demography It influences the local population in a diverse manner whereby the immigrants, though economically backward, generally, bring in their exotic culture and distinct

The NSW English k - 6 Syllabus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The NSW English k - 6 Syllabus - Essay Example It is believed that language goes beyond tangible meanings and explores the meanings of less tangible. In the education context, language is vital for comprehensive and utilization of knowledge. Stone, et al (2004) also noted that language is used to solve problems as a tool through its application in both written and spoken words. In fact, language is used as a learning tool which aids understanding. In light with these deliberations, language is viewed as a vehicle for educational development, which is categorized among the most crucial components for the acquisition of knowledge (Raban, Brooks, and Wolfendale 1995). Development is a necessity in learning, and which is facilitated by language through interaction and socialization. The verbalization of both personal and vicarious experience makes individuals evaluate and structure representations of reality. The role of language in learning Characteristically, children go to school with some degree of commonsense understanding of th eir environment. Once in school, children start engaging with books and other children both of their age and older children and even adults. This forms a distinction between utterances and meanings of things said at home and ones made at school. Studies have enumerated the importance of language in education, with many citing that when children learns a language, they not only engage in one kind of learning, but also ensures that, through learning language, they learn how to mean (Raban, Brooks, and Wolfendale 1995). It is also apparent that the language enables students to focus on the object of learning and distinguish it crucial features. Language is critical in structuring student’s awareness in order to become intellectually aware of learning. Language also makes meaning. The ability of teachers and students to negotiate to bring out meaning is well articulated through language (National Languages & Literacy Institute of Australia 1993). Language widens a, shared common ground between teachers and students. It is believed that there are specific conditions required for the learning of a specific object of learning. The manner in which these objects of learning are tackled, and the extent to which required conditions are expressed through language during a lesson or crucial in the learning of students (Raban, Brooks, and Wolfendale 1995). It is also worth noting that apart from general conditions such as light, space, some levels of learning activities necessary for learning, the element of language is of much help. Some students may be in a position to learn certain things through symbolic meaning while others may learn through affective guidance and explanation. The place of interaction in learning and the supporting role of the adult Interaction between the child and adult during early learning is of primary importance. Adults act as guidance in almost all activities undertaken by the children (Stone, et al 2004). Adults are supposed to encourage children to act decisively in their undertakings. In this regard, teachers may find it necessary to take advantage of play situations to teach children different concepts. Physical involvement of adults during play attracts children attention as they complement roles adults in the play. Sometimes children may create and assign adults roles, and this is the best opportunity for adults to interact with the children. Some social and emotional aspects of children may not be reflected during normal conversation or in classroom (Stone,

Marketing strategy of British Airways

Marketing strategy of British Airways British Airways (BA), has a weakness in winning over customer loyalty, they lack in their marketing strategy. This weakness has to be address by the organisation. Despite the fact, its growth through globalisation and the increase in travellers needs, the marketing campaigns were ineffective in the growth of the company. British Airways has a great infrastructure but they need a boost in their marketing strategy to gain more customers and their loyalty. The company needs a huge investment for their strategic management in the future which will lead for better growth for the company.   BA has to keep its goal aligned with the intensive of the growing market trends to match with the customers and the market demands. In comparison to Virgin Atlantic has attracted a huge amount of customer both nationally and internationally. Virgin Atlantic has gained its competitive advantages over British Airways. The main reason for this is because of their proactive attitude and keeping an eagle eye for the new marketing trends and global advertising which leads to an increase its advertisement effectiveness, worldwide. After analysing Virgin Atlantic strength, British Airways has to revised its marketing strategy and turn its weakness into strengths to gain competitive advantage. There is a great opportunity for British Airways, has it got the official airline for the London Olympic, 2012. They won this position for the London Olympic, 2012 from Virgin Atlantic Airlines. Hence this move from British Airways might open new doors for opportunity worldwide. There might be a price battle in the market with B.A; companies like Legacy Carriers might keep its prices low during the games, with a low profit margin. Hence taking some part of the market share from British Airways. Social And Environmental Responsibility British Airways has been improving its standard on their environmental performance by reducing the impact of its on the local and global environment. Hence it is considered as their strengths. There are putting more emphasis on the aircraft noise and emissions around the airports and local area. They also focus on the severe effect of carbon dioxide and other environment effects. In 2005, Sir Richard Branson has announced that he would be running his airline on cellulose ethanol plant fuel, which would be generating through plant waste. Hence, it will be called the Future Fuel for the planet. The importance about this fuel is an environment friendly product. † (Cheap Flights News, Undated) Bad Publicity Bad publicity an always be a threat to an organisational brand image and its reputation. Both the airlines were charged with price fixing scandal over fuel, which lead to an ineffective decision by the management. Both the companies have faced bad publicity through an advertisement campaigning to 8 million customers, in regards to claiming the money back. (Telegraph.co.uk, 2008) Both airlines pilot resulted positive in alcohol, where as British Airways has implemented on 6th November, 2007, they wont be allowing passenger to carry surf boards in their plane, but Virgin Atlantic did vice versa (Personnel Today, 2007). It had a negative impact for British Airways; the surf community across the world has being criticizing on this decision made by British Airways. These decision may break BAs creditability and brand image in the market, bring the company stake holder at risk. (Surfing Waves News, Undated) Due to the meltdown of the economy in 2008 and high fuel prices has bought threats to the companies. Other concerns like high aviation tax, terrorism threats, health issues, etc are major concern for both the Airlines. British Airways Emphasizing On Its Team The mission statement of British Airways â€Å"To be the undisputed leader in world travel† their strategy mainly relies on good leadership which directs them to be an effective management, through good communication, team work and collaboration. British Airways has strength of 48,000 employees which include team player and service providers. Hence making it workforce its base for the success of the company. (http://jyanet.com/cap/0614fe0.htm) The back of the house, which is not seen in the front line like the catering department, cleaning services, maintenance, etc play a major part in the company success without which the company cannot run its day to day operations. There is a vast communication and collaboration with different level of team in the company, starting from when the customer books it flight, accommodation, tour operator, etc. to make this chain of operation successful, they have to work with harmony of communication. This strategy gives them an opportunity to use the new innovative IT- communication systems, ensuring smooth operations. Information Management (IM) is the key for future success in the company. The company relies heavily on its IT, which has bought huge influence on its performance. (Britishairwaysjobs.com) By using Corporate Communications, they mange the global reputation of the company, ensuring that all the parties are been well informed about the happening of the company, the responsibility of the companys intranet is base on corporate communication. It keeps the update of the companys latest news and policies. There are well connected via the company intranet despite being on air, road, etc. (Communitelligence Learning Academy, Undated) In 2001 BA has introduced the Employee Self Service (ESS) project; allow its staff worldwide to manage their day-to-day administration over the web. (Computing, 2001) BA produces it weekly newspaper, magazines for its employee over the Corporate Communications. There have a strong IT operation, which is used to enhanced teamwork and communication channels like IP Telephony channel. In 2005-2006, Cisco Systems and Prime Business Solution were responsible for setting up the new infrastructure for communication over 14,000 offices and airports. (Cisco, 2010) the key message is delivered to the customers through a robust advertisement, which acts as a powerful communication channel done by specialist communication agencies in more than 80 countries where BA operates. Hence highlighting the companys marketing strategy. British Airways Media is the sales arm for the communication channels offered by Britains premier airline brand. It is responsible for the production of High Life Magazine, First Life Magazines, etc. which are classified and distributed in the airplanes, lounges and different advertisement channels. (British Airways Media, Undated) Considerations After analysing the above marketing strategy, strengths and opportunities for British Airways, it can be seen that BA play a very important role in the travel and tourism industry. Which bring together a big work force in terms of services, product and brand image. BA achievement has been done through its communication channels which coordinate smoothly through all the different level of the company. Hence, Building teamwork and employee trust. As they say â€Å"A chain is as strong as its weakest link†. Working together towards a common goal contributes towards BAs strategy, mission, reputation and growth. In 2005, the operating profit for the company was  £ 556 millions and in 2006,  £ 695 million, this is the most efficient way to measure a company progress and growth. These are the positive results of the organisation strategy. To summarise in a sentence, BA is a market leader, set standards and create Bench mark in the industry. Hence, its strategies and mission statement goes in the same direction.

Strindbergs The Stronger Essay -- Strindberg Stronger Essays

Strindberg's "The Stronger" In 'The Stronger' Strindberg focuses upon the role and importance of women at the turn of the 20th century. This is portrayed through a conversation of two women who have different lives and social statuses. Mrs. X is married and therefore socially stronger. Miss Y is unmarried and rather poignantly, doesn't speak. At the turn of the 20th century, women were seen as 2nd class citizens to men. However, this entire play is set in a women's cafà © where Strindberg's purpose is to allow the two characters to fully express their feelings rather than be influenced and controlled by men. Since the play focuses upon the role and importance of marriage and family, the setting of Christmas is significant. It reinforces Mrs. X's family values and the power it gives her over Miss Y However, later on in the play, the strength of constant silence by Miss Y proves more powerful than Mrs X's family values and the setting of Christmas is quite forgotten. Strindberg uses a title and single letter as names for the characters to emphasise the issue of marital status where the individuality of the two women isn't important. It is merely the title that defines the person. We recognise stage directions as defined actions, usually just before or after speech and sometimes during a characters line. They can be used to emphasise a characters speech or to illustrate a certain emotion. This may hint at or reveal a characters personality, where a certain movement may show strength or weakness, particularly important for Miss Y who expresses herself solely through actions and facial expressions. The stage directions in 'The stronger' tell the audience about how strong or weak a character is. For... ...e play, there are times when both characters are strong and weak. It is only at the end of the play where I feel that Mrs X's true strength is shown. She briefly concludes the argument and doesn't appear to have any hard feelings towards Miss Y. She even thanks her for the way she has influenced her family life. Mrs X represented the traditional women of Strindberg's time where her life revolved around her husband and family. This is completely the opposite for Miss Y who represented women wanting a change to the male-dominated world. She doesn't react to Mrs X's patronising speeches about family or children and remains calm. She is more interested in her paper than what Mrs X has to say. Above all, I conclude that Miss Y is 'the stronger'. This is because of her ability to not rise to Mrs X's 'bait'. She is strong in her silence and never retaliates.

Kit Kat

The main competitors of Kit Kat are ‘Time Out’, ‘Mars’, ‘Twix’, and ‘Ferrero’. Among the entire competitors ‘Time Out’ is on the top name of the list. According to the survey most of the people prefer Kit Kat rather than the other chocolates. Cadbury is one of the most popular companies for chocolate. It is known for its original milk chocolates. But when it comes to the snack bars, the first preference is ‘Kit Kat’. Hence we can say that the competitors are trying to improvise the original wafer coated with milk chocolate with other ingredients, such as ‘Tim Out’, which inserted flakes, ‘Twix’ which is combined with caramel flavour and ‘Kinder Buenos’ using hazelnut chocolate. This shows that the difference between Kit Kat has a different way to promote their chocolates and their competitors have different ways of promotion as they give there ingredients importance. Consumers are becoming more design conscious, demanding for goods which are aesthetically pleasing. Talking about Kit Kat, the packing is outstanding because of the striking red and convenient size. The chocolate also has a double packing. First is the outer layer which is red in colour and the second is the inner silver layer which is made of foil to protect the chocolate from bacteria and fungus. Products and there packing are affected by the lifestyle of people. More people are eating Kit Kat on the move, creating opportunities for chocolate bar line to compete in the snack market. Thus having an upper hand over its rivals, Kit Kat has done a good job by putting its product picture in front of their packing, so that it gives a clear meaning of what type of confectionary chocolate bar is Kit Kat. Nevertheless, â€Å"Time Out† has also done a good job by telling straight forwardly that it is a snack bar. On the other hand, â€Å"Twix’ packing may be a bit dull and misleading because there packing has only the product name but not what type of snack it is. At the same time, the gold packing is not so appealing to the customers. As for â€Å"Kinder Buenos† there packing is good and interesting but is big and bulky compared to others. As far as marketing system is concerned, Cadbury focuses on their product placement. The punch line will be, â€Å"location, location, location†. The product will normally be placed on the middle shelf, where most consumers find it at the same eye level, from adults to teenagers. When we talk about â€Å"Twix†, their concern is not with the placement of the product, but Mars Inc, their brand product is the one which takes care of its recognition. The same case is with â€Å"Kinder Buenos†, where Ferraro, their brand does the same for it, and helps maintain the sales. While Kit Kat on the other face, does its promotion by inducing a price which is lower to its competitors. The reason is believed to be the ingredients which are mostly local. This enables them to reduce the price. This acts as strength, because when supply and demand mechanism is taken into consideration, lower price leads to higher demand.

History of Personality Measurement

History of Personality Measurement Free Online Research Papers Psychometrics is primarily concerned with the study of differences between individuals and between groups of individuals. It involves two major research tasks, namely: (i) the construction of instruments and procedures for measurement; and (ii) the development and refinement of theoretical approaches to measurement. Personality has been defined as the â€Å"dynamic organisation within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behaviour and thought† and throughout history has been a subject of intensive investigation and interest. Personality theory can trace its roots back to the days of the Greek physician Hippocrates (450 BC) rates who transferred thought away from the spiritual side of human behaviour and theorized that every body has four fluids or humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile) that fundamentally affected behaviour or personality. Galen (190 AD) added to this theory, believing that predominance of any one humor as outlined by Hippocrates would cause specific temperaments. He also believed that a healthy body was the direct result of a balance in the ratio of these four body temperaments. While this school of thought proceeded to influence both psychology and medicine for centuries, it was Wilhelm Wundt (1879) who first made the clear distinction between human body and personality. Wundt stated that the four temperaments represented the four dimensions of the human personality, paving the way for the development of the numerous personality assessment methods that were to follow. These included: Name Approach Types Adicke, 1879 four different view points to look at the world innovative traditional doctrinaire sceptical Eduard Spranger, 1905 four attitudes towards ethical values artistic religious theoretic economic Hugo Munsterberg, 1913 Devised survey for executives of different organizations, researching qualities they wanted to see in their employees. These were listed as the first personality test to help employers make the best hiring decisions Henry C. Link, 1919 Defines ideal personality testing machine – data received and sorts candidates for suitable jobs Ernst Kretchmer, 1920 Theory of four character styles hypomanic, depressive hyperesthetic anaesthetic Erich Fromm Four human orientations exploitative hoarding receptive marketing Carl Jung, 1922 Four personality types based on human preferences Myers Briggs /Katherine Briggs, 1958 Application of Jung’s theory, based on four questions a. Preferred source of your energy? (Internal or external) b. Preferred source of perception? (Senses or Intuition) c. Preferred decision making system? (On logics or feelings) d. Preferred life style? (ordered or adaptable) Since the development of these initial personality theories much work has been undertaken by psychometricians to develop characteristic selection approaches that are used to explore the correlation between responses to questions about typical behaviours and statements concerning the trait or characteristic being examined. The methodology used to extract this information from the individual has inevitably led to the increase in popularity of the personality trait or psychometric questionnaire which is now in widespread use across various industries to support ongoing training and development as well as the initial recruitment and selection of staff. PERSONALITY TRAIT QUESTIONNAIRES The construction of personality trait questionnaires begins initially with the understanding that there are a pre-defined set of personality traits that can be measured and scored on a recognised scale. While Eysenck’s research identified three major underlying personality factors, the more recent studies agree that that Costa McCrae’s â€Å"big five framework† are appropriate for describing the majority of human personality. By subdividing the big 5 into intermediary variables composed of differing personality traits it is possible to see how individual traits will produce commonality in responses to differing situations. FIGURE 1: THE BIG FIVE FRAMEWORK Extroversion: the extent to which a person is outgoing Neuroticism: the extent to which a person is emotionally unstable Openness to experience: the extent to which a person is imaginative flexible Conscientiousness: the extent to which a person is well-organised Agreeableness: the extent to which a person is good-natured This trait theory measurement attempts to avoid all subjective measurement of personality and move towards and objective measurement based on a generalised response or behaviour to a certain situation, known as a nomothetic approach. This may involve single-trait or multiple trait scales within an individual questionnaire. Factor analysis is then used to determine the minimum number of factors that account for variance and could contribute to a higher level factor within the individual questionnaire. Cattell’s personality type model developed in 1957 seeks to identify the relatively few dimensions that account for all differences in personality, reducing the trait list of over 4500 labels developed by Allport into 35 trait –name-clusters and eventually into 16 high order factors. These 16 source traits are deemed to be the origin or result in the interaction of all traits and habitual responses. Critics of Cattell state that the inter-correlation between the model’s dimensions would suggest that there are fewer than the minimum dimensions that Cattell stated. ISSUES WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF QUESTIONNAIRES The reliability (extent to which measurement procedure is free from unsystematic error) of any questionnaire will be based upon the process by which it was constructed and depends heavily upon the accurate selection of appropriate traits and factors. In addition, the validity (the extent to which the measurement tool actually assesses what it was designed to measure) of any personality profiling questionnaire will be highly dependent upon the accuracy of research and the quality of the administration of the assessment. There is also the business of defining what a trait or competency is Further to this, there is criticism, captured by David McClellan that â€Å"the trouble with psychometric tests is that they tell you what a person can do if asked to do it but they dont tell you what he does do† This lack of practical application, coupled with the hugely negative impacts of a poorly designed or administered test have led to a number of critics voicing opinion around some of he major company, career and business decisions founded on the basis of a single assessment. PERSONALITY TRAIT QUESTIONNAIRES RECRUITMENT The psychological personality trait profile provides an overview of the preferred behaviour that comes almost unconsciously to most people. This is the behaviour that they are comfortable with and can sustain without consciously or actively applying it and it is key to understand this behaviour, especially when considering an individual for a senior position within an organisation. Behavioural flexibility and its measurement is equally important as the ability to be able to adapt to situations that the individual may not naturally be comfortable in may will be a frequent occurrence in a commercial environment. The recruitment process in every organisation is a costly process – to fill a typical  £30,000 position can take up to 16 weeks and cost in the region of  £5000 , in addition, once in position ability to perform with a certain role can dramatically impact the profitability of an organisation. Personality profiling improves the efficiency of the recruitment process identifying the most suitable candidates early on in the recruitment process thereby reducing the time and money spent on unsuitable candidates. In addition, by having further, objective information about a candidate, the employer is able to make a more complete and informed decision regarding selection, benchmarking candidates consistently and objectively with a deeper knowledge of the individual’s general propensity to act in a particular way in a given situation. Personality profiling and the use of trait-based questionnaires can provide valuable insight into the most likely behavioural responses of an individual to external stimuli and a range of situations, determining the most appropriate candidate for a particular position in a recruitment situation. CONCLUSION In summary, while profiling will never provide the definitive answer to how an individual will react in a given situation it can provide a prediction based on â€Å"signs or indicators of likely behaviour† . By utilising this information effectively it is possible to identify a more likely ‘fit’ between individual and role, thereby reducing the likelihood of staff turnover and incongruence between candidate and role. When used in conjunction with other selection and recruitment methods (interviews, aptitude tests, group situational analysis), personality profiling can provide a useful and effective complement to support the costly and time consuming process of personnel selection within an organisation. Therefore, with the assurance design and administration is both professional and effective, personality trait questionnaires can add significant value and provide additional insight to assist businesses in developing and retaining their most important and influent ial asset – their people. Research Papers on History of Personality MeasurementThree Concepts of PsychodynamicResearch Process Part OneEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductOpen Architechture a white paper

Indefinite Articles When to Use An Instead of A - Proofeds Writing Tips

Indefinite Articles When to Use An Instead of A - Proofeds Writing Tips Indefinite Articles: When to Use An Instead of A The problem with the English language is that it rarely sticks to its own rules. This can be confusing when it comes to ensuring high grammatical standards. The indefinite article, for example, can be either â€Å"a† or â€Å"an† depending on the situation. And while this is probably a word you use on a daily basis without even thinking about it, it is still one that many people find confusing. Why Are There Two Versions of This Word? There are two versions of the indefinite article in English because it is easier to pronounce â€Å"an† than â€Å"a† when it comes before a word beginning with a vowel. Using â€Å"an† separates the article from the following noun, so â€Å"an office† is correct but â€Å"a office† would sound wrong to most people. The general rule is to use â€Å"an† before words beginning with vowels and â€Å"a† before words beginning in consonants. But, as with most rules, there are exceptions to this, which is where things get tricky. Hard Vowels One important exception is words beginning with hard vowels. This includes any word that starts with a vowel but sounds like it doesn’t, such as â€Å"university† or â€Å"Europe.† Although these words start with â€Å"u† and â€Å"Eu† respectively, they are pronounced with a â€Å"you-† sound at the beginning. For instance, it is â€Å"you-niversity† rather than â€Å"oo-niversity.† In cases like this the word should be preceded with â€Å"a† rather than â€Å"an,† as in the following example: The koala lived in a eucalyptus tree Correct The koala lived in an eucalyptus tree Incorrect Soft Consonants Another issue that many find confusing is whether to use â€Å"an† before words starting with â€Å"h.† This is, in fact, much simpler to resolve in American English than in other English speaking countries, where words like â€Å"historical† and â€Å"heroic† are sometimes pronounced with a silent â€Å"h.† In Britain, for example, you might meet people who write â€Å"an hotel† rather than â€Å"a hotel.† But in the US this is very rare. If in doubt, the key again lies in the pronunciation. Do you pronounce the â€Å"h† at the start of the word? If so use â€Å"a†; if not use â€Å"an.† For example: There was a house on a hill Correct There was an house on an hill Incorrect Basil is an herb commonly used in Italian cuisine Correct Basil is a herb commonly used in Italian cuisine Incorrect In summary, if you’re ever confused about whether to use â€Å"a† or â€Å"an† in your writing, try reading it out loud; if it starts with a consonant sound, use â€Å"a,† while words which start with a vowel sound need â€Å"an.† And if ever you see a horned horse flying a rotary aircraft, remember that it’s â€Å"a unicorn piloting a helicopter† and not â€Å"an unicorn piloting an helicopter.† You’ll find more helpful grammar tips on our academic blog, while if you’d like to have your work checked by one of our expert proofreaders here at Proofed we offer a variety of services to meet your specific requirements.

Ghana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ghana - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  the first reason provided is the existence of a free media in both broadcast and print. Ghana’s radio stations actively engage their political class by holding the government accountable and demanding for transparent elections. Ghana also has vibrant and vigilant NGO’s and civil society groups which promote a variety of issues such as combating corruption and good governance.As the discussion stresses  the existence of these groups is made possible by the country’s freedoms of expression, association, and movement. The maturing of political leaders in Ghana has also contributed to the country’s rise to the top of the peace index. Political rivals have learned to put animosity aside for the greater good of the nation. By graciously conceding defeat and congratulating opponents, political leadership within the country has aided to breakdown stereotypes about election loss in Africa. Ghana has also been lucky to have one of its sons, Koffi Annan, as a major world peace broker. In his bid to broker peace deals among warring factions across the globe, the nation has rallied behind his efforts by promoting peace within their country first.  Ghana’s democratic political system has contributed to the country’s growing economic prosperity and made it a regional powerhouse in West Africa.  The country is regarded among the globe’s leading gold and diamond producers.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 70

Assignment - Essay Example t of view which is used to express a characters feelings or attitude in a detailed manner, second person point of view, which is used mainly to attract the reader’s attention from the beginning and third person point of view which may be used to introduce a dual point of view from the author and characters of the piece. The author of shame, Dick Gregory, employs the use of the first person point of view. This perspective is effective in creating an intimate relationship with the reader since all emotions and attitudes expressed in the narrative are from the author’s point of view. This technique is quite flexible and subjective because it allows the author to portray a stream of consciousness while conducting an interior monologue. However, this point of view is impaired because the opinions in the narrative are from a particular individual. The author of Propaganda Techniques in Today’s Advertising, employs the use of a third person point of view. She gives the readers insight into what she believes are propaganda fed to citizens by advertising mediums. This technique, allows the author to express her opinion while also expressing the opinion of other individuals on the same topic. This is a convenient and trustworthy way of passing information through an unbiased point of view. It also provides the author with great flexibility when writing the article. The author employs the use of an omniscient narrator, who is well aware of all the information required in describing the article. This perspective is employed when a certain degree of objectivity is required. It is also quite efficient in directing the reader’s attention to the idea being