Saturday, February 29, 2020

Behaviourists Explain Maladaptive Bbevaviour in Terms

Behaviourism was first developed in the early 20th century by an American psychologist John B Watson, who at the time was working in the field of animal psychology. He believed that all behaviour was observable and therefore scientific, and worked on the principle and study of the association between a stimulus and response. Watson did not deny the existence of inner experiences, but insisted that they could not be studied because they were not observable ) Watson’s stimulus and response theory of psychology claimed that all complex forms of behaviour – emotions, habits etc – are seen as composed of simple muscular and glandular elements that can be observed and measured, and that emotional reactions are learned in much the same way. Watson aimed to prove his beliefs with laboratory experiments, and one of these experiments was known as â€Å" The Little Albert Experiment†. Little Albert was a small young boy of about 18 months of age , Young Albert would sit happily on the floor and play with a white rat. Young Albert did not like loud noises, and on the presentation of the rat, scientists would clang two metal rods together behind Young Albert’s head, which resulted in screaming from young Albert. The result of this â€Å" conditioning† experiment was that Albert came to associate the rat with fear, and on following presentations of the rat, young Albert displayed considerable fear. Around the turn of the 20th century, another American psychologist Edward Lee Thorndike, investigated how animals learn, in one experiment he placed a cat in a â€Å"puzzle box† and measured the time it took to escape. Over a number of trials, the time taken to escape decreased, and from this observation he developed the â€Å"law of (positive) effect†, which states that any behaviour leading to a positive outcome will tend to be repeated in similar circumstances. If we like the consequences of our actions then the actions are likely to be repeated, this ype of learning was known as operant conditioning . Thorndike’s work was developed by such behaviourist’s such as B. F. Skinner. Skinner approach to psychology was scientific, his views came from Darwin’s theories of evolution. Skinner focused on the environment as a cause for human behaviour, he did not think that people acted for moral reasons, believing they reacted in response to their environme nt. For example: a person might do a good thing not for moral reasons, but for the rewards received for the act. Skinner believed that the mental process was irrelevant. To prove his theories skinner invented what is now referred to as the â€Å" skinner box†. This was a small box with a lever mechanism inside that dispensed a food pellet when pressed. Many experiments were done using this box system, and in one of these experiments a rat was rewarded with a food pellet on every press of a lever ( condition A). In another condition ( condition B ) the rat was only rewarded with a food pellet only sometimes when pressing the lever. They found that rat B pressed the lever much more! Why was this? Because the lever pressing was only occasionally rewarded, it took longer to figure out that in no longer worked. Skinner believed that reinforcement is a key concept in behaviourism, that it increases the likelihood that an action will be repeated in the future, however, punishment on the other hand, will reduce the likelihood that an action will be repeated. For example: shouting at a child who is behaving in an irritating way, might in fact lead to the behaviour appearing more frequently. The shouting therefore, is seen as reinforcing( providing attention) rather that punishing. Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist who studied the digestion of dogs, he found that laboratory dogs would salivate at the sight of a food dish, from this he reasoned that the dogs learned an association between the dog bowl and the food it usually contained. In behavioural terms the food ( the unconditioned stimulus or UCS) had been associated with the bowl ( the conditioned stimulus or CS) giving rise to the conditioned response or CR of the dog salivating at the sight of the bowl. In these terms the unconditioned response or UCR would be the dog salivating at the sight of food. In further experiments a bell was continually rung immediately before feeding, Pavlov was able to condition a dog to salivate whenever a bell was rung. After a period of conditioning, Pavlov discovered the dog would salivate at the sound of a bell even if no food was forthcoming, and by pairing the conditioned stimulus of the bell with a light, he could get the dog to salivate at the presentation of the light only, even though the light and the food had never been presented together. This type of conditioning demonstrates how readily behaviour will form predictive associations. This learnt behaviour was called classical conditioning. In terms of human behaviour classical conditioning involves involuntary behaviour such as a fear response, they can be elicited, meaning you can do something that produces an involuntary response. Operant conditioning involves voluntary behaviours. Voluntary behaviours are those that cannot be made to happen, meaning that you cannot get those behaviours until someone carries them out. Behavioural approaches assume that what is learned may be unlearned, and explains why phobias tend to get worse as time goes on. When you meet you fear, your fear level rises (fight)and so does your level of adrenaline. If you avoid the fear ( flight) you will reduce the fear and your level of adrenaline. This is the connection between your fear and your response to it. The result from this is a maladaptive behaviour, often with an avoidance and a rise in anxiety levels, leading to stress and other ways of behaviour and coping strategies. Social learning theory is another approach to behaviourism of Albert Brandura , it emphasizes the importance of observing and modelling behaviours, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others, Brandura pointed out that much of what we learn is in the consequence of observation, indirect rewards/punishments and modelling. (www. psychology. org) What are the behavioural approaches to therapy? Behavioural therapy concentrates on taking away the old responses or conditioning new ones, there are a number of techniques that can be used: * Systematic desensitisation ( experiences in imagination) * In vivo exposure ( experiences in reality) The way in which these techniques work is that it is difficult to feel two opposing states at the same time ie, relaxation and fear. The client will be coached in relaxation techniques and then encouraged to remain relaxed whilst imagining themselves in a mildly frightening situation, once able to do this, they will be encouraged to imagine themselves in a more slightly distressing situation and so on. * Flooding Flooding is a behavioural technique that relies on the idea that it is not possible to maintain a state of fear indefinitely. Flood therapy will expose the client to the fear / situation until their fear drops to normal, the idea that when released from that fear their fear level will drop to a normal and acceptable tolerance. * Selective reinforcement This is based on operant conditioning, and for example: in schools and at home any good behaviour is reinforced by means of reward. * Modelling This makes use of observational learning, the client will watch the therapist/teacher and copy what they do. This gives the opportunity to view adaptive behaviour on which to base a new response. * Cognitive behaviour This is another approach to psychology, the origin of the word â€Å" cognitive† comes from Latin, which means to â€Å"know and understand†. This perspective is directly linked with the internal mental processes of thought, such as memory, problem-solving, thinking and language. The cognitive psychological perspective is seen as a response to behaviourism because cognitive psychologists see humans as rational beings and not as programmed animals with no ability to think. The study of the mental processes is not observable, which does contrast with â€Å" traditional behaviourists ideas†, which is to study only observable ways. The focus of cognitive psychologists is the way the brain processes information ( stimuli) received ( input ) which leads to a certain behaviour ( output ). This process is often compared with the computer function, however this comparison is not too coherent because the human mind/brain, is far more advanced than a computer. Humanistic psychologists see this approach as cold because the cognitive psychologists ignore any emotions any individual may have, and may well prove everything in a way that is too clinical. All mental processes are investigated scientifically, which is good to cognitive behaviour. (I apologize that i slightly went off track with the reference to the humanistic approach, but i felt it very relevant to compare a behavioural approach with the humanistic approaches such as Maslow and Rogers) There is a belief in behavioural therapy that human behaviour does not just happen, but is caused by environmental events that cannot be controlled, and this has been criticised by other approaches for ignoring learning due to evolution. This can also be said about human behaviour and the relevance to food, diet and nutrition. It is a known fact certain foods have chemicals that do alter one’s behaviour, and in the day’s of food being tampered with and injected with growth hormones, one has to be aware of this. It is now at this point in the essay that i will turn to the view of the psychoanalytic one and their view to the behavioural approach in therapy. Psychoanalytic approach to behaviourism One thing that is certain, and that few textbooks of psychology ignore Freud and many are built around his theories† â€Å"Freud’s approach was as logical and his findings as carefully tested as Pavlovs† â€Å"The foundation of Freud’s method-psychic determination and the relentless logic of free association are scientific† â€Å"Freud’s method was to take everything anybody said at any time or place regardless of truth or falsity in terms of external reality to be used a s basic data in revealing the dynamics of the personality† â€Å"Freud devised a means of diagnosing man’s troubles, not of suppressing them, and the emotions we suppress are the mental equivalents that all is not well within the body† (Freud and the Post Freudians. J. A. C. Brown) Freud, first published his psychoanalytic theory of personality in which the unconscious mind played a crucial role. Freud combined the then current notions of consciousness, perception and memory with the ideas of biologically based instincts, to make a new theory of psychodynamics. Freud’s theory, which forms the basis of the psychodynamic approach, represented a major challenge to behaviourism. Freud’s theory of personality was based on the assumption that all behaviour stems from the unconscious mind. He divided the personality into three different parts, that of the id, the ego and the super-ego, which Freud believed were often in conflict with each other. * The id operates on the pleasure principle seeking immediate gratification. * The ego obeys the reality principle and plans for the future * The super-ego is conscious and makes us aware of our moral standards Freud believed that we all have a stream of psychic energy, he called this constant psychic energy the libido, reflecting that the sex drive was a primary life instinct. If this energy was suppressed, the energy would seek out another outlet, such as in dreams and/or neurotic behaviour. Freud believed we go through several personality developmental stages in the early years of life. He called these stages the psychosexual stages. During each of these stages the pleasure seeking impulses of the id focus on a particular part of the body. The first year of life Freud called the oral stage, whereby babies derived pleasure from sucking and/or nursing. The second stage was termed the anal stage, and Freud believed infants derived pleasure from withholding and expelling faeces. The next stage was the phallic stage where the child derived pleasure from his or her genitals. During the phallic stage the child reached a conflict called the oedipal conflict , whereby Freud believed the anxiety caused was the basis of all later anxieties. The oedipal conflict resolved at the latency period, which lasted from the age of seven to twelve, and during this time children became less concerned with their bodies and turned their attention to life skills, and finally adolescence and puberty brought about the genital stage, which is the mature stage of adult sexuality. Freud placed much emphasis on child development believing that if the child at any given time was denied the gratification needed in each stage, then a maladaptive behaviour was to take place, for example: a man might be hostile towards his boss, an older co-worker, and all other â€Å"parent figures† in his life because he is unconsciously re-enacting childhood conflicts with an overprotective parent. The psychoanalyst would help the client recognise his hidden, pent up anger toward the parent, experience it, and trace how this unconscious source of continuing anger and the defences around it have been creating problems. (Psychology Bernstein) Freud believed that many clues to the unconscious lie in the constant stream of thoughts, feelings, memories and images experienced by all people. These clues can be uncovered and understood if the client relaxes defences that block or distort the stream of consciousness. Thus, one of the most basic techniques of psychoanalysis is free association, in which the client relaxes, often lying on a couch, reporting everything that comes to mind as soon as it occurs, no matter how trivial, bizarre, or embarrassing it may seem. Clues to the unconscious may appear in the way thoughts are linked, rather than in the thoughts themselves. For example: if the client stops talking or claim that their minds are blank, the psychoanalyst may suspect that unconscious defence mechanisms are keeping threatening material out of the consciousness. The interpretation of dreams is another one of Freud’s ideas, and psychoanalysts believe that dreams express wishes, impulses and fantasies that the dreamer’s defences keep unconscious during waking hours. The psychoanalyst will look at the client’s thoughts and behaviours, and will help the client to become aware of all the aspects of their personality, including the defences and the unconscious material behind them. The basic strategy is to construct accurate accounts of what has happened to the client ( but has been â€Å" forgotten†) and what is happening to the client ( but is not understood), and in this way help the client to see their maladaptive behaviour towards their life. â€Å"The psychodynamic approach emphasizes internal conflicts, mostly unconscious, which usually pit sexual or aggressive instincts against environmental obstacles to their expression†( Psychology Bernstein) â€Å"The psychodynamic approach holds, that all behaviour and mental processes, reflect constant and mostly unconscious struggles within each person. Usually these struggles involve conflict between the impulse to satisfy instincts or wishes( for food, sex or aggression for example ) and the restrictions imposed by society. From this perspective, a display of violence ( or hostility, or even anxiety)reflects the breakdown of civilizing defences against the expression of primitive urges â€Å"(Psychology Bernstein) â€Å" the psychodynamic approach assumes that if clients gain insight into underlying problems, the symptoms created by those problems will disappear† ( Psychology Bernstein) Conclusion Although there are clear divisions in these two approaches, there is a case that the perspectives and the research, have contributed a great deal to understanding human behaviour. Therefore it is worth remembering that psychology is a dynamic science and new theories and experiments are conducted every day. As technology advances so does the field of psychology, and the study of human behaviour needs to be with the use of all the approaches that are available, whether it be behaviourism, psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, Jungian, humanistic, integrated or whatever the approach that is being used. After all, we are all unique, and one cap certainly does not fit all! However, because the classical psychoanalytic treatment may require as many as three to five sessions per week, usually over several years the cost is of consideration both in private practice and within the national health system, and this may well reflect the reason why the behavioural approach of CBT/REBT is widely used within such quarters. ( Psychology Bernstein) REFERENCES First steps in counselling Sanders 2010 Freud and the Post Freudians J. A. C. Brown 1985 www. psychology. org Psychology Third Edition Bernstein, Stewart, Roy, Srull, Wickers 1994 Behaviourists Explain Maladaptive Bbevaviour in Terms Behaviourism was first developed in the early 20th century by an American psychologist John B Watson, who at the time was working in the field of animal psychology. He believed that all behaviour was observable and therefore scientific, and worked on the principle and study of the association between a stimulus and response. Watson did not deny the existence of inner experiences, but insisted that they could not be studied because they were not observable ) Watson’s stimulus and response theory of psychology claimed that all complex forms of behaviour – emotions, habits etc – are seen as composed of simple muscular and glandular elements that can be observed and measured, and that emotional reactions are learned in much the same way. Watson aimed to prove his beliefs with laboratory experiments, and one of these experiments was known as â€Å" The Little Albert Experiment†. Little Albert was a small young boy of about 18 months of age , Young Albert would sit happily on the floor and play with a white rat. Young Albert did not like loud noises, and on the presentation of the rat, scientists would clang two metal rods together behind Young Albert’s head, which resulted in screaming from young Albert. The result of this â€Å" conditioning† experiment was that Albert came to associate the rat with fear, and on following presentations of the rat, young Albert displayed considerable fear. Around the turn of the 20th century, another American psychologist Edward Lee Thorndike, investigated how animals learn, in one experiment he placed a cat in a â€Å"puzzle box† and measured the time it took to escape. Over a number of trials, the time taken to escape decreased, and from this observation he developed the â€Å"law of (positive) effect†, which states that any behaviour leading to a positive outcome will tend to be repeated in similar circumstances. If we like the consequences of our actions then the actions are likely to be repeated, this ype of learning was known as operant conditioning . Thorndike’s work was developed by such behaviourist’s such as B. F. Skinner. Skinner approach to psychology was scientific, his views came from Darwin’s theories of evolution. Skinner focused on the environment as a cause for human behaviour, he did not think that people acted for moral reasons, believing they reacted in response to their environme nt. For example: a person might do a good thing not for moral reasons, but for the rewards received for the act. Skinner believed that the mental process was irrelevant. To prove his theories skinner invented what is now referred to as the â€Å" skinner box†. This was a small box with a lever mechanism inside that dispensed a food pellet when pressed. Many experiments were done using this box system, and in one of these experiments a rat was rewarded with a food pellet on every press of a lever ( condition A). In another condition ( condition B ) the rat was only rewarded with a food pellet only sometimes when pressing the lever. They found that rat B pressed the lever much more! Why was this? Because the lever pressing was only occasionally rewarded, it took longer to figure out that in no longer worked. Skinner believed that reinforcement is a key concept in behaviourism, that it increases the likelihood that an action will be repeated in the future, however, punishment on the other hand, will reduce the likelihood that an action will be repeated. For example: shouting at a child who is behaving in an irritating way, might in fact lead to the behaviour appearing more frequently. The shouting therefore, is seen as reinforcing( providing attention) rather that punishing. Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist who studied the digestion of dogs, he found that laboratory dogs would salivate at the sight of a food dish, from this he reasoned that the dogs learned an association between the dog bowl and the food it usually contained. In behavioural terms the food ( the unconditioned stimulus or UCS) had been associated with the bowl ( the conditioned stimulus or CS) giving rise to the conditioned response or CR of the dog salivating at the sight of the bowl. In these terms the unconditioned response or UCR would be the dog salivating at the sight of food. In further experiments a bell was continually rung immediately before feeding, Pavlov was able to condition a dog to salivate whenever a bell was rung. After a period of conditioning, Pavlov discovered the dog would salivate at the sound of a bell even if no food was forthcoming, and by pairing the conditioned stimulus of the bell with a light, he could get the dog to salivate at the presentation of the light only, even though the light and the food had never been presented together. This type of conditioning demonstrates how readily behaviour will form predictive associations. This learnt behaviour was called classical conditioning. In terms of human behaviour classical conditioning involves involuntary behaviour such as a fear response, they can be elicited, meaning you can do something that produces an involuntary response. Operant conditioning involves voluntary behaviours. Voluntary behaviours are those that cannot be made to happen, meaning that you cannot get those behaviours until someone carries them out. Behavioural approaches assume that what is learned may be unlearned, and explains why phobias tend to get worse as time goes on. When you meet you fear, your fear level rises (fight)and so does your level of adrenaline. If you avoid the fear ( flight) you will reduce the fear and your level of adrenaline. This is the connection between your fear and your response to it. The result from this is a maladaptive behaviour, often with an avoidance and a rise in anxiety levels, leading to stress and other ways of behaviour and coping strategies. Social learning theory is another approach to behaviourism of Albert Brandura , it emphasizes the importance of observing and modelling behaviours, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others, Brandura pointed out that much of what we learn is in the consequence of observation, indirect rewards/punishments and modelling. (www. psychology. org) What are the behavioural approaches to therapy? Behavioural therapy concentrates on taking away the old responses or conditioning new ones, there are a number of techniques that can be used: * Systematic desensitisation ( experiences in imagination) * In vivo exposure ( experiences in reality) The way in which these techniques work is that it is difficult to feel two opposing states at the same time ie, relaxation and fear. The client will be coached in relaxation techniques and then encouraged to remain relaxed whilst imagining themselves in a mildly frightening situation, once able to do this, they will be encouraged to imagine themselves in a more slightly distressing situation and so on. * Flooding Flooding is a behavioural technique that relies on the idea that it is not possible to maintain a state of fear indefinitely. Flood therapy will expose the client to the fear / situation until their fear drops to normal, the idea that when released from that fear their fear level will drop to a normal and acceptable tolerance. * Selective reinforcement This is based on operant conditioning, and for example: in schools and at home any good behaviour is reinforced by means of reward. * Modelling This makes use of observational learning, the client will watch the therapist/teacher and copy what they do. This gives the opportunity to view adaptive behaviour on which to base a new response. * Cognitive behaviour This is another approach to psychology, the origin of the word â€Å" cognitive† comes from Latin, which means to â€Å"know and understand†. This perspective is directly linked with the internal mental processes of thought, such as memory, problem-solving, thinking and language. The cognitive psychological perspective is seen as a response to behaviourism because cognitive psychologists see humans as rational beings and not as programmed animals with no ability to think. The study of the mental processes is not observable, which does contrast with â€Å" traditional behaviourists ideas†, which is to study only observable ways. The focus of cognitive psychologists is the way the brain processes information ( stimuli) received ( input ) which leads to a certain behaviour ( output ). This process is often compared with the computer function, however this comparison is not too coherent because the human mind/brain, is far more advanced than a computer. Humanistic psychologists see this approach as cold because the cognitive psychologists ignore any emotions any individual may have, and may well prove everything in a way that is too clinical. All mental processes are investigated scientifically, which is good to cognitive behaviour. (I apologize that i slightly went off track with the reference to the humanistic approach, but i felt it very relevant to compare a behavioural approach with the humanistic approaches such as Maslow and Rogers) There is a belief in behavioural therapy that human behaviour does not just happen, but is caused by environmental events that cannot be controlled, and this has been criticised by other approaches for ignoring learning due to evolution. This can also be said about human behaviour and the relevance to food, diet and nutrition. It is a known fact certain foods have chemicals that do alter one’s behaviour, and in the day’s of food being tampered with and injected with growth hormones, one has to be aware of this. It is now at this point in the essay that i will turn to the view of the psychoanalytic one and their view to the behavioural approach in therapy. Psychoanalytic approach to behaviourism One thing that is certain, and that few textbooks of psychology ignore Freud and many are built around his theories† â€Å"Freud’s approach was as logical and his findings as carefully tested as Pavlovs† â€Å"The foundation of Freud’s method-psychic determination and the relentless logic of free association are scientific† â€Å"Freud’s method was to take everything anybody said at any time or place regardless of truth or falsity in terms of external reality to be used a s basic data in revealing the dynamics of the personality† â€Å"Freud devised a means of diagnosing man’s troubles, not of suppressing them, and the emotions we suppress are the mental equivalents that all is not well within the body† (Freud and the Post Freudians. J. A. C. Brown) Freud, first published his psychoanalytic theory of personality in which the unconscious mind played a crucial role. Freud combined the then current notions of consciousness, perception and memory with the ideas of biologically based instincts, to make a new theory of psychodynamics. Freud’s theory, which forms the basis of the psychodynamic approach, represented a major challenge to behaviourism. Freud’s theory of personality was based on the assumption that all behaviour stems from the unconscious mind. He divided the personality into three different parts, that of the id, the ego and the super-ego, which Freud believed were often in conflict with each other. * The id operates on the pleasure principle seeking immediate gratification. * The ego obeys the reality principle and plans for the future * The super-ego is conscious and makes us aware of our moral standards Freud believed that we all have a stream of psychic energy, he called this constant psychic energy the libido, reflecting that the sex drive was a primary life instinct. If this energy was suppressed, the energy would seek out another outlet, such as in dreams and/or neurotic behaviour. Freud believed we go through several personality developmental stages in the early years of life. He called these stages the psychosexual stages. During each of these stages the pleasure seeking impulses of the id focus on a particular part of the body. The first year of life Freud called the oral stage, whereby babies derived pleasure from sucking and/or nursing. The second stage was termed the anal stage, and Freud believed infants derived pleasure from withholding and expelling faeces. The next stage was the phallic stage where the child derived pleasure from his or her genitals. During the phallic stage the child reached a conflict called the oedipal conflict , whereby Freud believed the anxiety caused was the basis of all later anxieties. The oedipal conflict resolved at the latency period, which lasted from the age of seven to twelve, and during this time children became less concerned with their bodies and turned their attention to life skills, and finally adolescence and puberty brought about the genital stage, which is the mature stage of adult sexuality. Freud placed much emphasis on child development believing that if the child at any given time was denied the gratification needed in each stage, then a maladaptive behaviour was to take place, for example: a man might be hostile towards his boss, an older co-worker, and all other â€Å"parent figures† in his life because he is unconsciously re-enacting childhood conflicts with an overprotective parent. The psychoanalyst would help the client recognise his hidden, pent up anger toward the parent, experience it, and trace how this unconscious source of continuing anger and the defences around it have been creating problems. (Psychology Bernstein) Freud believed that many clues to the unconscious lie in the constant stream of thoughts, feelings, memories and images experienced by all people. These clues can be uncovered and understood if the client relaxes defences that block or distort the stream of consciousness. Thus, one of the most basic techniques of psychoanalysis is free association, in which the client relaxes, often lying on a couch, reporting everything that comes to mind as soon as it occurs, no matter how trivial, bizarre, or embarrassing it may seem. Clues to the unconscious may appear in the way thoughts are linked, rather than in the thoughts themselves. For example: if the client stops talking or claim that their minds are blank, the psychoanalyst may suspect that unconscious defence mechanisms are keeping threatening material out of the consciousness. The interpretation of dreams is another one of Freud’s ideas, and psychoanalysts believe that dreams express wishes, impulses and fantasies that the dreamer’s defences keep unconscious during waking hours. The psychoanalyst will look at the client’s thoughts and behaviours, and will help the client to become aware of all the aspects of their personality, including the defences and the unconscious material behind them. The basic strategy is to construct accurate accounts of what has happened to the client ( but has been â€Å" forgotten†) and what is happening to the client ( but is not understood), and in this way help the client to see their maladaptive behaviour towards their life. â€Å"The psychodynamic approach emphasizes internal conflicts, mostly unconscious, which usually pit sexual or aggressive instincts against environmental obstacles to their expression†( Psychology Bernstein) â€Å"The psychodynamic approach holds, that all behaviour and mental processes, reflect constant and mostly unconscious struggles within each person. Usually these struggles involve conflict between the impulse to satisfy instincts or wishes( for food, sex or aggression for example ) and the restrictions imposed by society. From this perspective, a display of violence ( or hostility, or even anxiety)reflects the breakdown of civilizing defences against the expression of primitive urges â€Å"(Psychology Bernstein) â€Å" the psychodynamic approach assumes that if clients gain insight into underlying problems, the symptoms created by those problems will disappear† ( Psychology Bernstein) Conclusion Although there are clear divisions in these two approaches, there is a case that the perspectives and the research, have contributed a great deal to understanding human behaviour. Therefore it is worth remembering that psychology is a dynamic science and new theories and experiments are conducted every day. As technology advances so does the field of psychology, and the study of human behaviour needs to be with the use of all the approaches that are available, whether it be behaviourism, psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, Jungian, humanistic, integrated or whatever the approach that is being used. After all, we are all unique, and one cap certainly does not fit all! However, because the classical psychoanalytic treatment may require as many as three to five sessions per week, usually over several years the cost is of consideration both in private practice and within the national health system, and this may well reflect the reason why the behavioural approach of CBT/REBT is widely used within such quarters. ( Psychology Bernstein) REFERENCES First steps in counselling Sanders 2010 Freud and the Post Freudians J. A. C. Brown 1985 www. psychology. org Psychology Third Edition Bernstein, Stewart, Roy, Srull, Wickers 1994

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Business Policy - British Airways Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Business Policy - British Airways - Case Study Example According to the International Air Transport Association, the industry lost up to $8 billion in 2008 which is even greater than what was forecasted previously. The report uses a PESTEL analysis (See PESTEL Analysis: Appendix D) to scan the external environmental structure of the company. The business cycle of British Airways includes several parameters. This is due to the fact that airline industry is characterized by longer business cycle resulting from the lower profitability and for the lower shareholder returns. (Liehr, Nd, page 1). The marketing environment is constantly changing and with every change in the last few years airlines industry is being affected. The demand for the airline industry is highly income elastic. (â€Å"An analysis of British Airways Marketing Environment†, 2008) Thus the rise in the fuel prices last year and recent economic turmoil has affected the airlines industry in huge way as the passengers are avoiding more expensive air travels. According t o a report by Air Transport association of America, the revenue generated from passenger travels for all airlines fell by 19 % during the month of February, 2009 when compared to February 2008. This is the forth consecutive month where loss is being recorded. The business sector, hit badly by the economic crisis are cutting back on their airline trips. British airways having ten flights operating daily between London and New York is among the worst hit. (â€Å"Lucrative Business class air travel hit by crisis†, 2009) The company saw a decline in 8.6 percent in premium traffic and 4.1 percent in non premium. (â€Å"Lucrative Business class air travel hit by crisis†, 2009)   Also there are other factors which are directly affecting the industry. The events like terrorist attacks in the recent past closely linked with the airplanes may be considered as an external factor affecting air traveling. This assumption is based on the fact that these events lead to the introduc tion of strict security norms and regulation from the EU and US, affecting from summer 2006 resulting in a fall of customer traveling confidence.(â€Å"An analysis of British Airways Marketing Environment†, 2008). The intervention of Government rules and regulation were present in the areas of controlling the place of flight, the pricing policy etc. Also there are restrictions in the number and types of baggage that they carry, which ultimately is becoming the restriction on the part of the customers.

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Rebellion or Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rebellion or Revolution - Essay Example In this paper I will take a specific position on the two concepts and aim to define each one of them. There have been numerous revolution and rebellions in the past. There has been confusion to some extent in terming an event a rebellion or a revolution. Numerous authors, researchers, historians, have all tried to establish a difference between a rebellion and a revolution. In the following paragraphs I will attempt to establish the difference between the two by taking a specific position on each. In order to do so, I have fallen back on the work of other scholars and some real life examples from the past. First, I will define each of them individually and then try to establish the difference between the two. According to me, a rebellion is an act of protesting or defying the higher authority. In most cases rebellion is a protest or against an ideology, requirement or a restriction. Through a rebellion, an attempt is made at changing a part of a system (for example part of a governme nt). A rebellion is always associated with a negative attitude if not a destructive one. Rebellions lack a proper direction and in most cases lack an affirmative program. Rebellion in most cases is associated with violence. Brinkley (2010) in his article points how to rebellion attitude is associated with negative emotions. But a rebellion is not always violent and negative. But a rebellion is an aggressive attempt to walk away from the routine and the accepted. Rebellion is a fight against the flaws or loopholes in a system that is accepted by majority of the society. It is aimed at changing or refining a part of the system. Rebellion is not associated with majority of the population but is supported only by a few. Hence, the scale of a rebellion is small. A rebellion unlike the common belief can be both violent and non-violent. Example of violent rebellion is rebellion against the Gaddafi government in Libya. A very good example of a non-violent rebellion is the protest by Gandhi against the injustice SA against the Indians. This is very well depicted in the 1982 movie Gandhi (Gandhi, 1982). This is will addressed again later. A revolution on the other hand is much larger in scale and is aimed at overthrowing the entire system or bringing in a major change in the way a system works. A revolution is associated with a positive attitude and is supported by majority of the society. As a result of a revolution there is a fundamental change being brought about with respect to power in a system. Revolution is mainly associated with political change and is much shorter with respect to duration but on a much bigger scale than a rebellion. A revolution brings in a major reform and attracts huge support from different quarters of the society. World has seen numerous revolutions in the past which has resulted in a total change. A revolution can be both violent and non-violent but it is always associated with positive emotion. Russian revolution was a violent revolution which bought a major political change in Russia while the Indian independence movement was a non-violent revolution which got India freedom. Now that the definitions and concepts of the two have been established, let’s see how they are different from each other. To put in a simplest way, revolution is born put of a rebellion. Rebellion is on a smaller scale and is aimed at showing discontent about the system while revolution is aimed at completely overthrowing a system. Rebellion is a narrow domain while revolution is a much broader field. A rebellion becomes a revolution when it gains momentum and realize its capability to bring in change on a large scale. A rebellion can happen at a individual level and might consider individual interests or interests of a small section of the society. Rebellion attitudes are

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Diabetes Explained Essay example -- Medical Conditions

Special cells in the pancreas produce a hormone called insulin to regulate metabolism. When this hormone is not present glucose cannot enter body cells and blood glucose levels rise. Hyperglycemia may result from this situation. This process is the development of diabetes mellitus. Type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, has two forms; immune-mediated and idiopathic. Type 1 diabetes accounts for 5-10% of cases in the United States. Research has shown that there is an inherited tendency for developing the disease; it may be triggered by environmental factors (Rosdahl & Kowalski, 2008). It also has an autoimmune component since antibodies to insulin and islet cells are present at the time of diagnosis (p. 1187). Because type 1 diabetes needs to be managed very carefully, are [Delete] carbohydrate counting and a low fat diet [â€Å"are†] the best way [Plural] to make sure that glucose and insulin are available in the right propor tions. When diagnosed the goal is to achieve metabolic stabilization, restore body weight, and relieve symptoms of hyperglycemia. Type 1 diabetics rely heavily on their diet to control their condition. It is just as important as accurately checking their glucose on a regular basis. A person with type 1 diabetes needs to find the right balance of foods [Should not be plural] choices to regulate their diet and control their glucose levels. If this is not achieved [Insert comma] long term complications for diabetes can arise which include; damage to the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes, and nerves. Carbohydrate intake must be carefully coordinated with an exercise program and medication, this is imperative so that glucose and insulin are available in the right a... ...i, G. (2011). Short Report: Treatment effects of meals with different glycaemic index on postprandial blood glucose response in patients with type 1 diabetes treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. Diabetic Medicine, 227-229. doi:10.1111/.1464-5491.2010.03176.x Rosdahl, C.B., & Kowalski, M.T., (2008). Textbook of Basic Nursing (9th Ed.) Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins Scavone, G., Manto, A., Gagliardi, L., Caputo, S., Mancini, L., Zaccardi, F., & Ghirlanda, G. (2010). Effect of carbohydrate counting and medical nutritional therapy on glycaemic control Type 1 diabetic subjects: a pilot study. Diabetic Medicine, Vol. 27, (477-479). doi:10.1111/.1464-5491.2010.02963.x Thornton, H. (2009, June). Type 1 diabetes, part 1: An Introduction. British Journal of School Nursing, Vol. 4, (No 5), 223-227. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Pros and Cons of Gender Quotas Essay

There has been a considerable improvement of female representation in many areas of life in the past century: in â€Å"2012, women took home more than a third of the medals† awarded at the London Olympics, but more importantly, â€Å"the percentage of women on the boards of the 100 largest companies has risen over the past year to a record of 15. 6%. And in the last six months, 35% of new board appointments to FTSE 250 companies have been women† (Braund). Many countries, led by Norway, have promoted female representation by implementing gender quotas for corporate boards and they do so because gender quotas increase diversity in the workplace and with increased diversity comes many derivative benefits. Increased diversity by itself is a tremendous benefit; â€Å"it is in conformity with the notions of equality and representation† (Bilkisu). By increasing diversity on corporate boards, we can â€Å"give speedy increase in women’s representation [and] guarantee ‘equality of results’ for women and men aspirants† and, in doing so, support the concepts of freedom and liberty that this country was found upon (Bilkisu). Furthermore, not only do gender quotas promote democracy through increased diversity, they also help to defeat the tendencies of groups composed of similar individuals. Corporate boards with members that â€Å"have similar backgrounds and have been through similar socialization are more likely than not to share views and presumptions and [are] less likely to engage in vigorous discussion and to challenge management† (Gratton). Sharing views and presumptions and the reluctance to debate amongst one another results in groupthink, in which group members try to minimize conflict by reaching consensus and therefore create an atmosphere of decreased creativity, uniqueness, and independent thinking. This scenario often exists in all male or majority male corporate boards because â€Å"they tend towards ‘the risky shift’ which results in them colluding with each other [and] also lack the diverse networks that are so crucial to effective information search and decision making† (Gratton). Diversity promoted by gender quotas â€Å"can provide a wider range of opinion, experience and networking but also can help prevent groupthink that can hinder innovation† (Dong-youb). By introducing more women, businesses can reate an environment that stifles groupthink tendencies and allows for a larger variety of ideas and opinions to be shared. Introducing more women to corporate boards through gender quotas can help the business â€Å"better understand the needs of diverse customers and workers† and with the increasing globalization of the world’s economy, the customer base and work force for businesses are in fact becoming more diverse (Dong-youb). A better understanding of this increasingly diverse group of people allows the business to service their markets properly and enjoy continued profitability. Additionally, â€Å"women appear to be gradually taking control of the economy†¦ women control about 70 percent of household spending† and with women making more of the economic decisions, the need for more women on corporate boards becomes even more glaringly apparent (Bart). Especially â€Å"in the consumer sector [where] the products and services†¦ are mainly bought by women,† it is obvious that appointing more women to corporate boards would support the increasing number of female consumers by promoting their interests in business decisions (Gratton). Companies that choose to ignore this shift in society would be wasting the ample amount of talent that exists already, as well as passing up the â€Å"estimated economic benefits and boost to productivity of increasing female participation in the workforce†¦ at 11 percent of gross domestic product† (Coonan). â€Å"Diversity at the board-level also provides role models at the top of the corporate ladder that encourage aspiring younger employees with non-traditional qualifications or backgrounds† (Dong-youb). There have been an increasing number of women enrolling in higher education in proportion to men and an increase in the number of women on corporate boards would provide those young aspiring women with a role model. However, despite all the benefits that implementing gender quotas could have, there has not been as much change on the makeup of corporate boards as would be expected and there is a group of people that â€Å"are becoming frustrated by a lack of progress in this area and simply want quotas†¦ as a catalyst to disrupt the inertia and stimulate affirmative action† (Jury). Cons of Gender Quotas  While there are many people who see the benefits of gender quotas on corporate boards and strongly support the implementation of such, there are also people who view a gender quota as â€Å"wrong in principle, has difficulties in practice, is tokenistic and is counterproductive to the end goal† (Jury). Much of the view that gender quotas are not the solution to the lack of diversity on corporate boards can be contributed to the belief that â€Å"the fundamental criteria for a board appointment must be talent and appropriateness† and this belief is shared by both businesses and the women that businesses employ (Gratton). Everyone prefers to be chosen for certain positions based on merit as opposed to being picked for other reasons, since being chosen based on merit acknowledges strengths and dismisses any accusations of preferential treatment, especially when selection processes are transparent. Women facing minority representation on corporate boards are especially adamant that they â€Å"don’t want to go on a board as a token gesture[, they] want to be there because it’s meritorious† (McFarland). Women, just like men, want to be recognized for their skills and achievements and not their appearance or gender; â€Å"no woman wants to be a token female[,] yet the recent call for quotas of women in the boardroom runs the risk of achieving exactly that† (Mantzarapis). Implementing a gender quota for corporate boards can affect the dynamics of the workplace negatively by promoting the perception that women are only being appointed onto boards due to gender and not ability. These assumptions and questions concerning the reasons behind the promotion of women all contribute to â€Å"undermin[ing] her ability from the start and may make it more difficult for her to prove herself† (Mantzarapis). Even if the company openly claims that its decisions are based only on merit and not gender, the existence of gender quotas alone causes questions to be asked about the reasons behind a promotion or appointment no matter what the real reasons are. Since a quota system based on gender would undermine the merits of those females who would be appointed to corporate boards, those against gender quotas believe â€Å"it would be an insult to women and a great disservice to companies if women are appointed to fill quotas†¦ as standards will inevitably be compromised when an arbitrary numerical target is set against an unrealistic timeline† (Khoo).

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

The Association For Project Management - 1141 Words

The Association for Project Management (APM) published the first edition of the APM body of knowledge (APM Bok) in 1992. The reason for publishing APM Bok was because, PMBOK ® does not elaborate upon knowledge of interpersonal skills and interaction with the stakeholders. In 2012, APM Body of Knowledge 6th edition was published, and unlike the old version, the 6th edition is based on analysis of the functions rather than on a project life cycle. APM Body of Knowledge 6th edition provides the standard definition of the project management making it a primary source of study for APM qualifications, membership and other professional standards. APM Bok identifies 69 areas of knowledge, each of which is covered in a topic containing four sections: contextual, delivery, people, and interfaces. The APM Body of Knowledge 6th edition aims to provide high level definitions for each of the 69 topic areas which are contained in the full text. The standard provides introductions and common guides to those areas considered essential to the discipline of managing projects, programs and portfolios. APM Body of Knowledge 6th Edition provides more detailed definitions of each topic, suggested reading lists, a glossary, list of acronyms and an index, as well as cross-referencing, section-coding and a word search capability in the digital version. The book is supported by the APM Body of Knowledge+ a collaborative and online knowledge resource developed by the APM community. It provides anShow MoreRelatedProject Management Association Of Canada785 Words   |  4 PagesDeep Shaileshkumar Shah Mini-Research 2 ENMG-650: Project/Program Management Certification Project/Program Management Certification Organization is something which consist group of people which is use to plan, manage, work, arrange and set specific goals. 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Monday, December 30, 2019

Proportions Problems Worksheet - Practical Questions

A proportion is a set of 2 fractions that equal each other. This article focuses on how to use proportions to solve real life problems. Real World Uses of Proportions Modifying a budget for a restaurant chain that is expanding from 3 locations to 20 locationsCreating a skyscraper from blueprintsCalculating tips, commissions, and sales tax Modifying a Recipe On Monday, you are cooking enough white rice to serve exactly 3 people. The recipe calls for 2 cups of water and 1 cup of dry rice. On Sunday, you are going to serve rice to 12 people. How would the recipe change? If you’ve ever made rice, you know that this ratio — 1 part dry rice and 2 parts water  Ã¢â‚¬â€ is important. Mess it up, and you’ll be scooping a gummy, hot mess on top of your guests crawfish à ©touffà ©e. Because you are quadrupling your guest list (3 people * 4 12 people), you must quadruple your recipe. Cook 8 cups of water and 4 cups of dry rice. These shifts in a recipe demonstrate the heart of proportions: use a ratio to accommodate lifes greater and smaller changes. Algebra and Proportions 1 Sure, with the right numbers, you can forgo setting up an algebraic equation to determine the amounts of dry rice and water. What happens when the numbers are not so friendly? On Thanksgiving, youll be serving rice to 25 people. How much water   do you need?Because the ratio of 2 parts water and 1 part dry rice applies to cooking 25 servings of rice, use a proportion to determine the quantity of ingredients. Note: Translating a word problem into an equation is super important. Yes, you can solve an incorrectly set up equation and find an answer. You can also mix rice and water together to create food to serve at Thanksgiving. Whether the answer or food is palatable depends on the equation. Think about what you know: 3 servings of cooked rice 2 cups of water; 1 cup of dry rice25 servings of cooked rice ? cups of water; ? cup of dry rice3 servings of cooked rice/25 servings of cooked rice 2 cups of water/x cups of water3/25 2/x Cross multiply. Hint: Write these fractions vertically to get the full understanding of cross multiplying. To cross multiply, take the first fractions numerator and multiply it by the second fractions denominator. Then take the second fractions numerator and multiply it by the first fractions denominator.3 * x 2 * 253x 50Divide both sides of the equation by 3 to solve for x.3x/3 50/3x 16.6667 cups of waterFreeze- verify that the answer is correct.Is 3/25 2/16.6667?3/25 .122/16.6667 .12Whoo hoo! The first proportion is right.   Algebra and Proportions 2 Remember that x will not always be in the numerator. Sometimes the variable is in the denominator, but the process is the same. Solve the following for x. 36/x 108/12 Cross multiply:36 * 12 108 * x432 108xDivide both sides by 108 to solve for x.432/108 108x/1084 xCheck and make sure the answer is right. Remember, a proportion is defined as 2 equivalent fractions:Does 36/4 108/12?36/4 9108/12 9It’s right! Practice Exercises Instructions: For each exercise, set up a proportion and solve. Check each answer.1. Damian is making brownies to serve at the family picnic. If the recipe calls for 2  ½ cups of cocoa to serve 4 people, how many cups will he need if there will be 60 people at the picnic? 2. A piglet can gain 3 pounds in 36 hours. If this rate continues, the pig will reach 18 pounds in _________ hours. 3. Denise’s rabbit can eat 70 pounds of food in 80 days. How long will it take the rabbit to eat 87.5 pounds? 4. Jessica drives 130 miles every two hours. If this rate continues, how long will it take her to drive 1,000 miles?