Abstract This paper examines the effects of violent music as debated in Congress, the American Psychological Association, and parents, over why violent music encourages violence, especially rap and rock music.
From the Paper "In the aftermath of the Columbine High School shootings, fingers quickly pointed at the violent media favored by the killers: violent video games, Quentin Tarantino films, Marilyn Manson music. For decades, violent lyrics and themes in popular music have been targeted for being responsible for almost every social ill- from school violence to teenagers increasing disrespect towards their parents."
Abstract This paper is a brief discussion of motivational theory. Various theories of motivation are outlined, including the most widely recognized modern motivational theory of opportunity-cost. The importance of motivation is also discussed.
From the Paper "Motivation is the study of what makes us do things. Every day we are faced with many decisions. What choice we make is the study of motivation. There are several theories of motivation, the theory of opportunity-cost is the most widely recognized. This paper will discuss the major forces that drive us and influence our decisions.
The advent of the industrialized age forced many companies to study what motivates their workers in an attempt to boost production. It was believed that money was the key motivational factor in driving employee performance. It was later found that other factors besides money effect their attitudes and work ethics (Lindner, 1998). This led to further studies in an attempt to understand the factors that motivate employees. These included Maslow's need-hierarchy theory, Herzberg's two-factor theory, Vroom's expectancy theory, Adam's equity theory, and Skinner's reinforcement theory (Lindner, 1998). All of these theories centered on one factor. Modern motivational theory believes that all of these theories are summarized in one idea, opportunity-cost (Lindner, 1998). This idea is centered on the idea that every action has a cost. This cost may be time, money, or emotional. In making our decisions we weigh the potential gain from the action against the cost (Lindner, 1998)."
Abstract The paper shows that there has been much debate centered on the growing number of single parents raising children and how society tends to blame single parent homes for the majority of ills including drug abuse, violent crimes and juvenile delinquency. While there are some single parent households headed by men, the overwhelming majority of single parent homes are headed by women. The paper shows that this fact sparks another concern, since the average household income for the female single parent is a mere 24,000 per year, which depending on the size of the family could mean that many single parent households are living at or below the poverty rate. The paper questions that with the apparent negatives of being a child in a single parent household, is it a valid conclusion to say that on average, children of single parent households are worse of than their counterparts living in a two-parent household? This paper also discusses how children of single parents cope emotionally and how they fare academically relative to their peers.
From the Paper "They may also be more knowledgeable, cultured and well rounded if they have two sets of families to learn from and be loved by. These aspects may help them become more determined to succeed in their endeavors, teach them to become great leaders and valuable contributors to their families and to society. Single parent families are not economic bads, as a matter of fact, many of the worlds great leaders, visionaries, entertainers, politicians, TV personalities and others who make a valuable contribution to society every day are products of single parent homes."
Tags: fatherless, juvenile, delinquency, independence, responsibility, underage, sex
Abstract This paper discusses the Florida ban on gay adoption, as well as other legal and ethical aspects of same sex parenting. The paper explores the question of whether children brought up by gay parents are at a disadvantage in any way and uses professional research to back up the findings.
From the Paper "Despite the number of laws passed or the numerous movies or television shows that support gay rights, the negative conations associated with same-sex parent adoption continue to taint both attitudes and laws. Society is still laden with negative biases against homosexual adoption, and against gays in general (Johnson, et al., 1995) which severely limits their rights as people and as parents."
Abstract Finding the key to motivating employees is not a lesson easily learned, nor is it a lesson which, once learned, can be considered mastered. Instead, individual employees respond to different types of motivation in different ways, and successful supervisors develop comprehensive understanding of each of their employees and the corporate environment in which they operate. This research examines types of motivation and the components the go into successfully motivating employees to meet their goals and objectives.
From the Paper "Introduction
Finding the key to motivating employees is not a lesson easily learned, nor is it a lesson which, once learned, can be considered mastered. Instead, individual employees respond to different types of motivation in different ways, and successful supervisors develop comprehensive understanding of each of their employees and the corporate environment in which they operate. This research examines types of motivation and the components the go into successfully motivating employees to meet their goals and objectives.
Motivation Theories
Understanding motivation and performance begins with understanding that the workers are not necessarily to be blamed if their performance or motivation is not what the supervisor envisions. Instead of ..."
Abstract This paper explores the often misdiagnosed manifestation of bipolar disorder in youth. The paper addresses the misconception that "depression" only affects adults. It looks at the many symptoms of bipolar disorder in children which continues through adolescence. It explains that even though there is no cure for the disorder, there are several treatments available - these are discussed. The paper also lists the type of behavior attributed to a youth suffering from bipolar disorder.
From the Paper "As a brain disorder affecting of 1 to 2 percent of the general population, bipolar disorder is considered to be genetically transmitted. Other than "bad genes", there is no other known cause (Durand et al., 2000). The disorder itself is rooted in biochemical imbalances that occur within the central nervous system. Symptoms include extreme mood swings, rise or fall in activity levels, and erratic behavioral changes. Most children with this disorder will go from a nearly euphoric high mood (manic) to a deeply depressed pessimistic and sometimes even suicidal mood (Depressive)."
From the Paper "Cognitive Development: Contrasting the Theories of Piaget and Vygotsky
Introduction
This research contrasts the cognitive development theories of Jean Piaget and L. S Vygotsky. The implications of these theories for the teaching of young children are also addressed.
Comparing the Theories
The origins of social learning theory lie in attempts to combine psychoanalytic and stimulus.response theory into a comprehensive explanation of human behavior (Grusec, 1992, pp. 776.786). Various theories of human development often tend to view people as either active or passive in interactions with their environments (Cohen, 1987, p. 22). A passive concept of human..."
Abstract This paper discusses the condition known as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) occurs when a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, an act that sends her baby a toxin that has been proven to hinder the growth of the baby's brain, cause birth defects, and rob the child of the chance to learn. It focuses on studies in this field and what research is still being performed.
From the Paper "Until the 1970s, the traditional medical thinking was that the mother's placenta was a natural barrier protecting an unborn child from harmful substances (Streissguth, 1983). That belief changed in the 1950s, when researchers discovered certain diseases, such as rubella, could cross the placenta and cause birth defects. In the 1970s, research on animals confirmed alcohol was a teratogen, an agent that produces defects in a developing embryo."
Abstract This paper contrasts both traditional psychoanalysis and a newer tradition, behavioral family therapy and looks at their applicability in different situations. The author explains that psychoanalysis, developed by Freud, helps the client gain more awareness and understanding of their inner world including motivations. The author points out that behavioral family therapy, a melding of behavior therapy and family therapy, assumes that all behavior is learned, or conditioned, and can be unlearned and changed and that the family, viewed as a system, is the focus of this learning.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Description
Comparison
Depth/Insight
Focus on Family
Goals
Length of Therapy
Meaning Orientation
Conformity
Application to Different Situations
From the Paper "While they both emphasize family, they do so in very different ways. In psychoanalysis, the therapeutic arrangement is between the therapist and the individual. Family members are not brought into the therapeutic alliance. In family therapy, the family is the unit that works with the therapist. The family is not separated out, but placed at the center of the working process."
Tags: motivation, awareness, conditioned, system, unit
This paper discusses the problem of substance abuse in nurses and the legal, ethical, political, and economic problems stemming from their substance abuse.
Abstract This paper stresses that problems with substance abuse in nurses affect more than the individual; they affect the whole work team. The author defines an impaired nurse as a nurse who is unable to meet the requirements of a professional code of ethics and standards of practice because cognitive, interpersonal, or psychomotor skills are affected by excessive drug or alcohol use. The paper states that many impaired nurses are super-nurses; unfortunately, when they are finally recognized as having a chemical dependency, it is almost too late for an appropriate intervention that may save them from losing their jobs.
From the Paper "The problem is that little research is actually available on substance abuse among nurses. In studying the history and present problems with substance abuse, it is important to define the meaning of substance abuse among nurses or others. ?Substance misuse is defined as maladaptive patterns of psychoactive substance use indicated by continued use even when faced with recurrent occupational, social, psychological or physical problems as well as/or use in dangerous situations.?"
Abstract Music has long been thought of as a mood-altering medium. As a way of influencing customer's moods, virtually all retail stores including supermarkets have some sort of background music playing. A number of studies have been done that analyze the effect in-store music has on customer perception and behavior but relatively few that examine the actual effect of a particular type of music influencing the purchase of a particular product. This paper tries to prove that music associated with a particular country (i.e. stereotypically Italian music will influence people to buy pasta or olive oil) will influence people to buy products associated from the country associated with the music in a supermarket setting.
From the Paper "Although dreams may contain elements of ordinary things, these elements are often scrambled in fantastic ways. Sigmund Freud, the first psychologist in the modern era that tried to analyze dreams, believed that dreams often delineated concealed fulfillment of repressed wishes. In Freudian dream interpretation, every dream has a manifest content that could come from the events of the day or early memories; and a latent content that comes from an individual's unconscious desires. By using Freud's theories of dreams, the rest of his theories can be explained. Freud viewed dreams as ?the royal road to the unconscious.? "
Abstract General summaries of the last four stages of human development: Adolescence, Young Adulthood, Middle Adulthood, and Late Adulthood. Examines physical, cognitive, and psycho-social aspects of development.
Adolescence
Definition
Reproduction
Risky behavior
Cognitive: Piaget (Formal operations), Elkind
Identity vs. identity confusion (Erikson)
Peer and Family relations
Young Adulthood
Cognitive: Postformal thought, Triarchic theory of
Intelligence (Sternberg), Emotional Intelligence
Personality: 5 factor model (Costa & McCrae)
Intimacy vs. Isolation (Erikson)
Levinson & the Grant Study
Culture: Marriage, childbirth, remaining single
Late Adulthood
Biological aging ? genetic programming, variable rate
theories
Physical changes
Cognitive ? Metamemory, semantic, procedural, sensory
Ego integrity versus despair (Erikson)
Disengagement, continuity, and activity theories
Retirement
Marriage, family, peer relationships
Living arrangements
From the Paper "Adolescence is the developmental transition from childhood to adulthood. Although its beginning or end is not clearly marked in Western societies, adolescence lasts about a decade from age 11 or 12 until the late teens or early twenties. Adolescence carries many risks to healthy development, as well as opportunities for physical, cognitive, and psychosocial growth."
Tags: erikson, geriatric, jung, middle-age, old, piaget, stage, young
Abstract History
Location
Occupations
Schooling
Family
Context of Interview
Discussion
Activity in normal day ? sleep, exercise, groups
Diet
Sensory changes
Memory assessment
Changing relationships: family & peers
Retirement and goals
Analysis
Physical performance: causes of illness, injury, and
sensory dysfunction
Education - Engagement process (Schaie), memory
Ego integrity versus despair (Erikson), Grant Study
Role of religion
Continuity theory (Atchley)
Balanced investment - role of siblings and family
members
From the Paper "Born in 1932, AB is a sixty-eight year old female from the central New York state area. AB grew up in a small town with her twin brother and two sisters. Her father passed away when she was two, and her siblings were then raised by their single mother. In her adult life, AB has worked as a dietician at a University Hospital. Currently, AB resides at the retirement community in New York."
Tags: aging, cognitive, elkind, erikson, geriatrics, late, old, social
Abstract A short analysis of arguments about the possibility that television causes violence in children, focusing on studies that have examined this issue.
From the Paper "What is playing on the television or radio? Chances are high that children are around and that there is something on the television or radio directly or indirectly associated with violence. Images of violence have simply become apart of today's culture."
