This paper discusses and compares the issue of bias in the cases of 'Affirmative Action at the University of Selkirk' and 'Portrait of a Canadian Advisor'.
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that the perceptualbiases in the cases of 'Affirmative Action at the University of Selkirk' and 'Portrait of a Canadian Advisor' are different in that the contexts are radically distinct. Further, the writer points out that they are similar in that the perceptualbiases in both cases are based heavily upon stereotypes. The writer concludes that in this analysis, one can see how and why the Selkirk and Canadian advisors' cases differ significantly. The writer notes the implications of this for programs to address biases in both contexts.
From the Paper "A similar perceptual bias based upon stereotypes can be seen in the case of the Canadian advisors. The difference between the biases in this case and the Selkirk case is largely one of context, with the biases being racially/culturally-based with respect to the Canadian advisors while they are gender-based in the case of Affirmative Action at Selkirk."
"This being said, the interesting thing about the Canadian advisor case is how it is similar to the Selkirk case in being not an obvious or overt stereotyping but a more complex and subtle form of bias. The Canadian advisor case consists of two distinct models of the Canadian advisor: one based upon surveys of the advisors themselves and the other based upon field surveys of advisors from their spouses and colleagues. A key difference between these two models illustrates the perceptual biases that these advisors show towards the host countries in which they work."
Abstract This paper discusses sex differences in perceptual skills. The writer discusses the most prominent disparities between men and women. The writer suggests such differences in the areas of spatial skills, mathematical reasoning, target-directed motor skills, inferring intentions and detecting the feelings of others. In this paper, the writer examines these differences and looks at possible reasons.
From the Paper "Rhoads argues that it is time for people to start taking sex differences seriously. Rhoads makes the case that increasing scientific evidence is showing that differences between men and women are hardwired into their biology, ranging from the subtle e.g. men get a chemical high from winning, while women get one from nursing, to the profound, women with high testosterone levels are more promiscuous, more competitive and more conflicted about having children than women with average levels of testosterone. While there are many ... "
Abstract This paper provides a summary of a simulation for using perceptual maps in marketing. For each major phase of the simulation, the paper details the situation and recommends a solution. It also provides justification for the recommendation and its results. The paper presents the relationship between differentiation and positioning of products and service in relation to the expected results. It discusses the impact of the life cycle of the product on marketing initiatives along with what impact the product life cycle had on the product in the simulation.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing
Phase One
Phase Two
Phase Three
Differentiation and Positioning
Product Life Cycle
Conclusion
From the Paper "A consumer's perception to a product, service or company is detrimental to the success of an organization. Because of this, organizations use perceptual maps to gauge consumer perception and develop strategic marketing initiatives. "Perceptual maps are visual representations of what the customer thinks of the brand, service or product" (UOP, 2006 1). This paper provides a summary of simulation for using perceptual maps in marketing. For each major phase of the simulation, the situation is detailed along with the recommended solution, justification for the recommendation and the results for the recommendation. Presented is the relationship between differentiation and positioning of products and service in relation to the expected results. The impact of the life cycle of the product on marketing initiatives along with what impact the product life cycle had on the product in the simulation is also detailed."
This paper presents a simulation discussing the creation, use and interpretion of perceptual maps, in addition to learning how to determine the positioning of a product.
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that in today's competitive markets, companies struggle to maintain their products' brand, pricing, image, quality and demand. The writer points out that a product's life cycle either may end quickly or be maintained successfully through consistent innovative marketing plans. The paper then presents a simulation, in which the writer was chosen as the new marketing manager and challenged to assess the position of Thorr Motorcycle's existing product, Cruiser Thorr, in the market and reverse the downward trend. The assessment focuses on three main objectives. The first objective is to choose the proper parameters and construct a perceptual map. The second objective iss to create a marketing plan with a budget of $13 million determining whether to reposition the company or to launch a new product. The last objective is to determine the parameter values for the future of the company. The writer concludes that although the company is currently facing a difficult challenge with the decreasing demand for its Cruiser Thorr motorcycle, this assessment and proposed marketing plan will assure the company a successful new beginning for its prized product.
From the Paper "So price will remain the same, but there will be more promotions added. Some of the added promotions include free test rides, increased giveaways, and better insurance and protection plans. Distribution was increased by choosing to have the motorcycles available at dealers, exclusive showrooms, and for purchase on the internet, with options for upgrades. The new service additions are training to dealers, club memberships, customization options, financial services, and services to owner groups. The marketing plan that was put in place was determined by the competitor product comparison and market research ratings. In determining the proper choice for the company, a thorough SWOTT analysis was conducted.
"The final objective in the simulation was to assess whether or not this author's marketing plan was successful after having been implemented and running for a year by interpreting data from customer surveys and plotting the data on a perceptual map."
Abstract Due to the astounding body of evidence suggesting that marriage failure generally results from a breakdown of communication and from unrealistic marriage expectations and/or on spousal perceptualbiases, it seems that marriage counseling and premarital counseling could in fact be highly useful tools for assuring the survival of a marriage. By performing a literature review on several sources on the subject of divorce statistics and the history of marital counseling, the paper suggests that couples who received marriage counseling during marriage or pre-marital counseling before marriage report a lower rate of divorce than those who never had the benefit of counseling. The paper then describes the methodology and findings of a research project performed to prove this hypothesis.
From the Paper "If divorce is usually caused by some force for which counseling cannot really provide an answer, such as social or economic pressure, then there is less support for a hypothesis regarding the power of marital and premarital counseling to prevent divorce. However, if divorce is based on preventable or treatable flaws within the relationship, than the hypothesis may stand. Secondly, one must address the issue as to whether or not couples inside a therapeutical setting show any signs of being better adjusted than couples outside a therapeutical setting, and if past evidence has shown premarital counseling to be effective. If it has not, then the hypothesis as currently stated may still be correct, but it will have to be far more conclusive to prove its point. Finally, one must address the issue of whether or not counseling may in some cases be seen as evidence of impending marriage dissolution rather than marital health, and as such be seen as a negative relational sign. (For example, it is possible that most people approach counseling as a last-ditch effort to save their relationship, or that most of the people enrolled in premarital counseling are in very high risk groups and already undergoing problems. If so, it is further possible that the situation is not so much one of the efficacy or inefficacy of counseling programs themselves, but rather concerns itself with the way in which counseling programs segregate failed from non-failed relationships)."
Abstract The paper explains that sensory information is organized and interpreted by perceptual processes. The paper discusses how a study of visual perceptual processes is crucial in the comprehension of how people understand and interact with their environments. The paper then looks at perceptual principles of relative size and relative height and examines how the film "Yellow Submarine" demonstrates correct and incorrect usage of these cues through its variety of visual displays.
From the Paper "Sensation refers to the process by which the nervous system receives and represents incoming stimulus energy while perception is the organization and interpretation of this energy into meaningful units. Perception takes the sensory information to a new level, incorporating top-down knowledge with the incoming information from the receptors to give environmental information and assist actions within the environment. Visual perception can be described perfectly by the statement "There is more to life than what meets the eye." When light, the stimulus for vision, enters the eye, the retina contains photoreceptors that receive this information and transmit it down a chain that eventually leads to the primary visual cortex. Along the way, this information is interpreted and changed in such a way that what hits the photoreceptors is not necessarily what is seen. "
Abstract This paper attempts to answer the question ?what are the various concepts the term "consciousness" picks out?? It outlines six different notions of consciousness, self-consciousness, minimal consciousness, perceptual consciousness, phenomenal consciousness, access consciousness and higher order consciousness and shows why they are not equivalent. It examines how every one of these concepts of consciousness is problematic in that they have all alluded a complete scientific explanation and how phenomenal consciousness and perceptual consciousness are more likely to allude scientific analysis than the others.
From the Paper "Matters are different, however, when it comes to phenomenal consciousness (and therefore perceptual consciousness, for remember that perceptually conscious mental states are a subset of the phenomenally conscious ones). To be sure, phenomenally conscious mental states can and do represent the world and play an important role in producing behavior. That's why so many mental states are both phenomenally conscious and access conscious. But an explanation of the functional role phenomenally conscious states play in can never be a complete explanation of those states. For such an explanation will inevitably leave something out of the picture. What will it leave out? An explanation of the subjective quality of the experience?something that can differ from individual to individual."
Abstract This paper deals with the way our mind interprets what our eyes see, sometimes creating visual tricks like the Kanisza triangle, the Rubik's face-vase, the classic Muller-Lyer illusion and the Necker cube (illustrations included). Perceptual Psychology, the Gestalt principles of grouping, depth perception and perceptual constancy are also discussed with reference to Stephen Pinker and David Marr.
From the Paper "Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder and indeed it is this humble organ that perceives everything that is resplendent in the world. But in strictly scientific terms what we experience is nothing more than the constant bombardment of countless stimuli pulsing with information that needs to be decoded. So, cocooned within a world of darkness, how does the mind translate this flood of sensation? How does the eye transform light into neural messages? And how from this living neurochemistry do we create conscious experiences? This paper attempts to answer these questions whilst highlighting the challenges that the mind faces when replacing the loss of information in the transition from the world outside to the world within."
Abstract The paper introduces and defines Agnosia as a rare perceptual disorder of the brain whereby the person is unable to recognize and identify objects or persons whose characteristics are known to him. The paper shows several different types of Agnosia and explains the treatment offered to sufferers of the disorder. Finally, it explains the theory behind the treatment by a specialist in the field, Stephen Kosslyn, who conducted experiments and tests on sufferers.
From the Paper "He conducted experiments that showed how images act as functional representations with real-life spatial characteristics. His experiments indicated that it takes time for images to represent metric distance and that this property affects real-time processing of images. Using a test whereby the experiment subjects imagined to the point of overflow, the result showed that images also have spatial aspects. The same result pointed to the high correlation between the size of the visualized or imagined object and the distance. Moreover, it revealed that it took the experiment subjects longer time to visualize the properties of subjectively smaller images."
Tags: temporo-parieto-occipital, point, apperceptive, pictorialism
Abstract This paper discusses how Rollo May was a leading psychologist in the movement variously called humanistic psychology, perceptual psychology and existential psychology. It describes the central idea being the search for self and meaning, which links members of this group of psychologists. The writer explains how May assumes that he is addressing the human beings of the twentieth century and how he attempts to show how they can find themselves and lead better lives.
From the Paper "His book begins with "Our Predicament," showing that he is looking at the state of humankind in his own time, then proceeds to show how we can address that predicament and find solutions for ourselves. May emphasizes at the outset that his book is not a substitute for psychotherapy but only a guide to understanding what happens in his version of psychotherapy."
Abstract The paper discusses how the question of whether or not human beings are consciously aware of the perceptual processing which unfolds in section V1 of the human brain is one that has dogged researchers for a number of years. With this in mind, the paper briefly explores a number of scholarly articles which seem split on whether or not humans are aware of the activities taking place in the V1 area of the human mind.
Abstract This paper focuses on the market research strategies the Mattel company can use to ascertain the damage to their brand caused when they disclosed that their manufacturing partner in mainland China had used lead-based paints in the production of Fischer-Price Toys and toys from several other brands. The paper attempts to determine the specific steps Mattel can take to overcome the marketing challenges Matel faces and defines specific strategies that will measure the perception of Mattel today after the recalls and the level of credibility Matel's apologies generated. The paper concludes with several recommendations for Mattel.
Outline:
Introduction
Defining a Market Research Strategy
Perceptual Mapping and Audits
Voice of the Customer Programs to Reconnect with Global Customers
Re-vamping the CRM system to be more Channel-Specific
Recommendations
From the Paper "Throughout August and September, 2007 Mattel Corporation disclosed that their manufacturing partner in mainland China had used lead-based paints in the production of Fischer-Price Toys in addition to toys from several other brands (Associated Press, 2007). Chinese manufacturers countered that is was Mattel's own lack of safety and quality standards with suppliers that set the stage for lead paint being procured from unreliable and unqualified third party suppliers. As a result, Mattel apologized to both the Chinese government and the American consumers with extensive media coverage of both (Thottam, 2007)."
A review of "Prevention of Traffic Accidents: The Assessment of Perceptual-Motor Alterations before Obtaining a Driving License. A Longitudinal Study of the First Years of Driving" by Fermina Martin and Angeles Estevez.
Abstract This paper examines the 2005 article written by Fermina Martin and Angeles Estevez entitled, "Prevention of Traffic Accidents: The Assessment of Perceptual-Motor Alterations before Obtaining a Driving License. A Longitudinal Study of the First Years of Driving." The paper first discusses the objectives, design and methods of the study. It then discusses the results and the conclusions reached by the authors.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Conclusions Reached by Authors
From the Paper "While this research was conducted in Spain, the authors believe that similar results would mostly likely be revealed in other cultures. The research involved an individual's perception abilities, cognitive levels of understanding (intelligence) and visuo-motor coordination, and there should be a generalized expected outcome at least in other Western countries. And so - given the possibility that widely varying traffic conditions must be taken into account - these kinds of tests could be given in the United States. It is known that teenagers are involved in more accidents than mature drivers, and the cost of their insurance is based on that fact. For teenage drivers whose parents are picking up the tab for their auto insurance, they are no doubt going to be under pressure from their families to drive safely. But study upon study for many years now reflects that peer pressure is often more compelling for teens than family pressure, and hence, accidents will happen in the case of young drivers."
Abstract This paper is about evaluating the personalities of others. Our judgments of others can be wrong because of biases in how we perceive other people. A bias is "any consistent manner of perception or interpretation that does not reflect the objective information or a purely logical analysis of it" (Gray, 1999, pp. 519-520). These biases are of three main types: not using our full resources for perception, not having complete information, or having certain motives that lead us into false judgments.
Abstract This essay considers whether gender-biased advertisements are a reflection of the social status quo or whether they are actually creating the basis for sexist stereotyping in our society. To consider this topic further, the paper explains that it must be examined from a cause and effect point of view and then attempts to shed some light as to the reasons, both implicit and explicitly, why advertisements rely so heavily on sexist, gender-biased images to sell products. The paper concludes with the finding that mass media can definitely propagate sexual stereotypes as well as perpetuate existing ones.
From the Paper "Advertisements typically emphasize the use of cosmetics and household wares by women while girls are portrayed playing with dolls and domestic appliances. Boys on the other hand are pictured playing with vehicles and games of war and competition, while men are associated with cars and sports. This in turn creates the impression of women as emotional and dependent and men as aggressive, dominant and independent. (footnote 1) In an advertisement for Nautica, we see two men playing football, a sport associated with masculinity, while wearing the Nautica line of clothing and accessories (Vanity Fair 38-39). If one is careful in observing the ad, the models can be seen wearing watches while playing."
