This paper covers the debate on whether or not smoking marijuana causes amotivational syndrome. It sets up standards for a case study to test the hypothesis.
Abstract This paper looks at whether smoking marijuana causes amotivational syndrome, the term given to the tranquilizing of marijuana on its users, particularly adolescents. The author discusses the symptoms, such as apathy, an inability to carry out plans or concentrate, and impairment of speech and writing. The paper also discusses plans for a twelve-year study, and concludes that the research already conducted on amotivational syndrome is not influenced by the amount of marijuana one smokes.
From the Paper "Amotivational Syndrome is a syndrome in which people are predisposed to. Smoking marijuana during adolescence can stunt an individual's psychological growth, but it does not necessarily lead to Amotivational Syndrome. There is no doubt that a correlation exists between marijuana use and Amotivational Syndrome, but the causal relationship is unclear. There is a substantial amount of information against marijuana being the cause of Amotivational Syndrome, but it is still considered to be a factor in perpetuating the syndrome further. It is common for people with other psychological disorders or learning disorders to have several of the symptoms of Amotivational Syndrome."
Abstract An argumentative essay discussing the occurrence of co-dependence among women, how it can be dealt with, and what some causes may be. The author looks at women in physical and mentally abusive relationships.
From the Paper "There are many women today who are in relationships that are abusive either physically or emotionally. What's worse is that many of these women stay in the abusive relationships or go from one abusive relationship to another throughout the course of their lives. When asked why, some common replies are that their partner doesn't really treat them badly, they have a lot of good qualities, or that he says he will change. The truth of the matter is, these women stay in abusive relationships because they are codependent and this is a problem that needs to be dealt with."
Abstract This paper examines looks at the European and American methods of diagnosing Borderline Personality Disorder. The author covers several areas including it's definition, symptoms, history and possible reasons for its occurrence. Particular attention is paid to the knowledge that it is one of the most controversial diagnoses in psychology, and what affect this has had on anyone seeking treatment for this disorder.
From the Paper "These people have a pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation. They have a markedly and persistently unstable self-image; recurrent self mutilating or suicidal behavior, gestures or threats and chronic feelings of emptiness. They have difficult controlling anger, and show inappropriate, intense anger. They Transient, stress related paranoid ideation or severe disassociate symptoms. Borderline personality is usually accompanied by "symptom disorders" such as eating disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, premenstrual tension, dissociative disorder or anxiety disorder."
The following paper examines one of the most continually compelling arguments about human nature, whether biology really is destiny or whether it is culture that is destiny.
Abstract This paper explores some of the aspects of this nature versus nurture controversy, with reference to Francisco Ayala's Population and Evolutionary Genetics: A Primer. The author argues as Ayala suggests in his discussion on the complex interplay between genotype and phenotype as evidenced in twin studies, that environment, and in particular the aspect of environment usually referred to as culture, are more important in determining human behavior and personality than are genetics. This paper acknowledges the ways in which genetics affects human behavior while still arguing that environment and culture are far more important than genetics in determining behavior.
From the Paper ?Behavior is one of the most complex and interesting of human characteristics and like many other characteristics, such as height or weight, behavior has come to be understood to reflect a combination of influences, some genetic, others environmental. While it had for many years been assumed that behavior was essentially all learned, in recent years advances in a number of techniques have allowed researchers new and provocative glimpses into the genetic basis of human behavior.?
Abstract This essay studies the book "The Anatomy of Motive", a book by an FBI profiler that is concerned with the reasons that people can kill senselessly and so have to be hunted to begin with. The book examines some of the most widely known murder cases ever such as: Andrew Cunanan, who killed the designer Gianni Versace in Miami Beach in 1997; Timothy J. McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber; the Una bomber, Theodore Kaczynski; and more.This book is a careful study about the similarities shared by these cases and yet also the many ways in which they are unique. "
From the Paper "One of the hardest questions for most people to answer is why people kill each other? We are not, of course, talking about what makes people kill in self defense, because we can all understand this (even if we ourselves might not do so) or those will in the line of duty as soldiers. Again, we might (because of religious or moral concerns) choose not to do so ourselves, but we can understand why someone would kill in a situation like this. But what can possibly be the motivation for people to commit the kind of murder that is usually considered to be a senseless one. What are ? what can be? ? The motivations behind serial, mass, and spree killings? John Douglas and Mark Olshaker try to answer these questions for us in their book The Anatomy of Motive, a book by an FBI profiler that is actually less concerned with the mechanics of profiling than with the reasons that people commit these kinds of crimes and so have to be hunted to begin with."
Abstract This essay gives advice to the parent or teacher on how to begin the process of literacy in a child through play. The essay begins with Sarah Wilford's five "literacy goals" that can be accomplished by nurturing a child's natural tendency toward play. These are: 1) developing an understanding of the symbolic process, 2) fostering language growth, 3) strengthening the child's problem-solving abilities, 4) motivating children to continue in literacy activities, and 5) helping the child develop a joy in participating in all facets of literacy. The paper then expands on these goals, providing various ways to encourage literacy through play.
From the Paper "By nurturing a child's natural tendency to play, a parent or teacher can nurture the child's growing understanding of literacy. As children begin to understand the concept of props and players being representations of other people or things in their playtime activities, they begin to grasp a basic understanding that written words represent spoken words in the same way. By trying to help others to understand the meanings of their representations, their vocabularies increase. When they attempt to solve problems encountered in play, they are adding to their knowledge of their understanding of the purpose of words, and their uses."
Abstract This paper is a study of children's behaviour in kindergarten. It includes situations they face, a detailed analysis of their behavior and a plan of how to deal with their behavior, all written by whom they were observed. This paper describes the observations that the author made as well as his conclusions regarding the children's behaviour.
From the Paper "Observed Behavior: It is playtime, and two of the girls are at the art center having a conversation, during which they both decide that they want to do the same thing with the materials. Abby decides that if they share the piece they will both be happier. Heaven does not think that this is a good idea, for she had the piece of material first, so she argues with Abby telling her that whoever had it first gets the siding (the piece of material). Then as they are fighting, and I think that intervention will be needed, Abby decides to explain the concept of sharing to Heaven and then asks her if she understands. Heaven slowly but surely, nods her head ?yes.? They cut the piece, the person who did not actually cut, got to choose which piece of the siding she wanted in order to make it fair. Then afterwards when I came back, both girls were playing happily."
Tags: analysis, behavour, children, educations, observation, observations, plan
Abstract An analysis of the book "Girl, Interrupted" by Susan Kaysen which tells about the author's stay in a mental hospital for a period of one and a half years. The writer claims that the book is funny and has a humorous side to it, but due to its nature has an underlying element of caution. The paper looks at the information that is missing from the novel to make this a true autobiography.
From the Paper "In Girl, Interrupted, the author Susanna Kaysen talks about her year and a half in a "mental hospital." The language is alternately funny, quirky, or brutally strong, but always shows remarkable insight into at least some facets of herself. The topic she avoids facing throughout the book is why she was there. She was a "voluntary admission," although she was obviously under great pressure from both family and the psychiatrist who admitted her. She acknowledges that she made a suicide attempt, although she saved herself by getting herself to a public area where she collapsed."
Abstract In this paper, the topic of child abuse is addressed. It begins with providing alarming statistics of the rise in child abuse of the past decades and proceeds to listing factors which contribute to child abuse according to the experts. Poverty is listed as one of the main contributors to child abuse and this correlation is examined. The social and emotional costs to the individual and society are also addressed.
From the Paper "Child abuse is a problem that has a major cost to society. It is said that more children are reported to have sustained abuse and neglect in America than in any other industrialized nation. (CWLA, 1997) Firstly, there is a cost to the child, including a physical one, a psychological one and a social one. The most obvious impact is to the child's health. Annual figures for child abuse have reported over 2 million cases of abuse or neglect and around 2000 child fatalities as a result of abuse and neglect. (NCCAN, 1992) There are also continuing effects on both the child's psychology and their interaction with society. Child abuse is often related to ongoing problems with the child fitting into society. Results that have been shown in studies vary from learning difficulties, depression and anxiety to the child being more likely to take part in antisocial behaviour. (Drucker, 1997)"
This paper analyzes the various types of body languages that individuals display, particularly in the workplace, between employees and employers/management.
Abstract This paper deals with body language, specifically in relation to the manager and to employee-manager communications. The author discusses why communication as a manager is so important and also introduces the nature of communication and the part that body language plays in communication. The paper also explains why body language is even more important in a manager-employee relationship, where the nature of the relationship means that hidden meanings are expected. The paper also describes the different types of body language which include posture, affect, eye contact, etc.
From the Paper "When listening to an employee a manager can gain insight into their real thoughts by looking them in the eye, by taking note of their posture, by listening to their tone and taking note of any affect behavior. If their is any behavior indicating boredom it is also a sign that the employee is not really listening and this can then be rectified. It is also important to keep in mind that what appears on the surface does not always represent real feelings. There is a need to look beyond what is a surface smile and look to body language for clues about real feelings. Once you are aware of these feelings you can then discuss them and rectify any problems."
Abstract This paper analyzes and examines the different motivational techniques used for individuals who lack drive and enthusiasm. In Part II, the numerous motivational techniques used for individuals who lack drive and enthusiasm are discussed. Lastly, this paper concludes with an evaluation of the effectiveness of the various motivational techniques used for individuals who lack drive and enthusiasm.
From the Paper "Motivational techniques are a problematic area to study, both due to the wide variety of motivational techniques available and also due to the fact that motivational techniques will impact each and every individual in different ways. What is especially fascinating about motivational techniques is the plethora of factors and influences that govern the direction, initiation, intensity, and persistence of human behavior. Discovering what motivates individuals to engage in certain types of behavior (whether it be participating in or refraining from such conduct) offers psychologists and other individuals numerous benefits. First, doing so may enable such individuals to better understand and predict how an individual will behave in a given situation, whether it is in an educational, employment, relationship, or social environment. Next, understanding what motivational techniques are effective on a particular individual will provide such individuals with tools to try to control or prevent forms of undesirable behavior while fostering desirable conduct."
The following essay critically compares two books, "The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care" by Dr. Benjamin Spock and , "Caring For Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5", edited by Steven P. Shelov.
Abstract This paper discusses Dr.Spock's book which tends to adopt a more relaxed and common sense approach, while Steven Shelov's book makes use of the recent advances in medical, psychological and technological knowledge to offer advice which embraces a more scientific and calculated strategy to childcare.
From the Paper ?During the last fifty years the world has witnessed many social, political and economic changes, and this has been mirrored in the advice and guidance offered to parents on the subject of child development. The world into which a child is born today is vastly different from that of 1946, when Dr. Benjamin Spock first released his child rearing how-to manual, The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, and the nature of the advice offered, and the language with which it is conveyed is therefore far removed from that contained in the 1991 guidebook, Caring For Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5, edited by Steven P. Shelov. Yet, despite the many differences, the two books also contain a surprising number of similarities which suggests that, irrespective of the dramatic changes that may affect the lives of individuals, the fundamental problems associated with child rearing, and the effective solutions, remain constant.?
This paper scrutinizes various treatment methods available for sexual offenders (including sexual assault, incest and paedophilia) as well the future and societal issues concerning this problem.
2,717 words (approx. 10.9 pages), 14 sources, 2002, $ 81.95
Abstract This paper endeavours to explore the different types of treatment employed in the rehabilitation process for sex offenders and what the current and future societal issues surrounding offender treatment are. It defines what a sexual crime is, what types of sexual offenders there are and the various styles of treatment that are currently employed to battle this type of psychosis. It looks at matching the type of treatment most influential to the different type of sexual offender and highlights some future concerns society needs to address in order to continue the research the rehabilitation of the sexual offender effectively.
From the Paper Incest offenders usually do not have long criminal histories before the current charges, and most are being convicted for the first time. They are the most minimising and denying of the sexual offender sorts and will be adamant that it happened 'only once', that the child "propositioned" them, that alcohol was to blame, etc. Destroying this system of denial and twisted beliefs is necessary and can perhaps best be achieved in tandem with family-based therapy. Within a correctional institution setting, endeavours must be made to contact the family and/or social service networks dealing with the family so as to successfully face the offender
Abstract In "Beyond the Pleasure Principle", Freud presents his theory of the opposition between the death instinct (Eros) and the life instinct (Thanatos). Included in this examination and summary of Freud's theory, is the discussion of the role of the repetition compulsion, of the sexual instincts and of binding. All of these issues are set to an example so that they can be demonstrated along with how the play of opposition between these two basic forces contributes to forming the individual personality.
From the Paper "Freud uses two terms, Eros and Thanatos, to label what he calls the instinct of life and the instinct of death, respectively. Part of the energy of the life instinct is the Libido and that energy gets directed at oneself so that you want to preserve yourself, grow, develop, and advance. Heavily opposing the life instinct is the death instinct, which is geared towards destruction. This destructive instinct wants to keep things the same and is a drive to an earlier state, ultimately death (or "nothing"). Freud explains that the death instinct will often get repressed, showing itself as an aggression turned outward towards others. Freud claims that the pleasure principle, which aims at reducing tension, "seems actually to serve the death instincts" (1961, 77). "The pleasure principle, then, is a tendency operating in the service of a function whose business it is to free the mental apparatus entirely from excitation or to keep the amount of excitation in it constant or to keep it as low as possible" (Freud, 1961, 76). In other words, the pleasure principle works for what is pleasurable, which, according to Freud is a relaxed state without tension or stimuli. So, for Freud, the pleasure principle urges us to repeat actions that bring us to that relaxed and unstimulated state of being. Even taking drugs that make us forget and put us in a state of dull sensation could be an action that Freud would classify as the pleasure principle working. The pleasure principle would urge the person to continue the action of taking that particular drug over and over even though this would ultimately lead to death, which is the ultimate goal of the pleasure principle since it when we are dead we have absolutely no incoming stimuli."
Tags: freudian, freud, instinct, pleasure, principle, psychology, repetition, theory
Abstract This paper presents a look at children, television and American values. The writer collects and reviews empirical evidence about the way television affects American values in the children of the nation. The writer uses a survey approach and conducts a study of children age 5-10 year old and combines the results in this paper.
From the Paper "American values are as American as apple pie. When one has children one of the things they hope for is that they can raise those children to have strong American values, which might include respect for others, hard work and the ability to accept diversity. Often times the lack of American values is blamed on the things that children watch on television. Experts claim that the television shows that are popular today with children send a message to the children that they do not have to have values to be well liked and successful in life. Research is firmly divided on the issue and the debate continues. American values can be confusing for anyone who has to depend solely on television to attain them. Television shows today target audiences of children not only with the content of the show but with the commercials that are supporting the show. Even when the age bracket in question is not being targeted they watch and they learn from the messages that are sent."
