Person-Centered Therapy Essay

Person-Centered Therapy is a form of psychoanalytical counseling developed in the 1940s by Carl Rogers. The foundation of this form of therapy stemmed from Rogers’ belief that all people have an inherent desire to be good. Every person has a self-concept or an ideal self which represents what type of person they want to be or think they are. However, a person’s self-concept may not be reflected in their real life experiences and this incongruence creates psychological stress. Rogers’ main goal is to allow the client to explore where their incongruences are rooted and have the clients decide for themselves how to change their behaviors to fit their self-concept. Though the client may reflect on past experiences, Person-Centered Therapy focuses on the client’s current feelings and their current perceived self-worth. The ideal end result of this type of therapy is that the client experiences self-actualization through positive self-acceptance and personal gro wth. In Person-Centered Therapy the relationship between the client and counselor is crucial to eliciting any progress in the client. The counselor must provide an environment in which the client can disclose their deepest feelings comfortably and safely. This establishes trust in the relationship and allows the client to further explore their thoughts. The main components to Rogers’ theory is that the therapist must have unconditional positive regard for the client and must be able to empathize with them genuinely. To do this, the therapist should focus on the client’s positive attributes. Constant positive reinforcement given sincerely makes the client feel secure and supported and they will feel more comfortable speaking about their issues. This increases the likelihood that the client will attempt to make a change in their life. A second key element in Person-Centered Therapy is that it is non-directive therapy. The counselor does not try to direct the client in any part icular direction, but lets the client lead the discussion in their own direction. The counselor must allow the client to do so and encourage them to continue to explore that direction. This way, when the client does decide to make a change in his/her life, it is done on their own terms. That is the most important feature of this type of counseling. In terms of the Helping Skills Model, Person-Centered Therapy focuses primarily on the Exploration Stage. Rogers’ theory is based on the same principles that define the Exploration Stage. The Exploration Stage is a time where the therapist and client develop a rapport and where the therapist really learns about the client’s behavior and personality. The establishment of a trusting relationship between the therapist and client is the goal of the Exploration Stage and is critical for the Person-Centered Therapy theory to be effective. This type of therapy relies heavily on the use of restatements and open-ended questions to encourage the client to open up about their thoughts and emotions. The Exploration Stage and this type of therapy focus on mainly on the clients as they do most of the speaking. Person-Centered Therapy has its strengths and weaknesses/limitations. One important feature of this type of therapy is that the client does not become dependent on the therapist. If the therapy is done correctly, the client will become to realize that he/she is capable of changing his/her life on their own. This type of therapy empowers the client to take control of their issues and solve them independently and in favor of their own desires. Another strength of this type of therapy is that once the client realizes his/her full potential and has gained a high level of self-understanding, the need for therapy is no longer there. They can now go out into the world feeling confident about overcoming any future obstacles. A limitation for this theory of therapy is that it may seem too simple. The theory at its core basically says if someone is in a safe, unprejudiced environment and speak their thoughts to an empathizing person, they will solve their own issues. This means anybody can do this and no real professional is needed. Another limitation is that there is no direction given for clients who cannot come up with their own solutions. This can be very frustrating for both the therapist and client because there is no progress being made. If a client is not capable of realizing his/her own potential and recognize the changes that need to be in their life, there is nothing the counselor can really do without jeopardizing the high level of client autonomy this type of therapy allows. References Hill, C. E. (2009). Helping Skills: Facilitating exploration, insight, and action. (3rd ed.) Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Rogers, C. R. (1992). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 827-832. (Original article published 1957).

Discuss the Role of Endogenous Pacemakers and Exogenous Zeitgebers.

There are 3 biological rhythms in the body. Circadian, which is our body clock which works to a 24-hour cycle and regulates our bodies biochemical, physiological and behavioural processes. Ultradian processes, which are smaller processes that happen inside our 24-hour circadian cycle. These Ultradian cycles are the sleep stages lasting 90-120 minutes, however some other ultradian cycles include hormone release, heart rate, nostril dilation and appetite. Lastly there is Infradian which are outside our circadian 24-hour cycle such as the menstrual cycle and hibernation. These cycles are endogenously controlled, however can be tainted or ‘entrained’ to the environment by exogenous factors. Endogenous pacemakers are biological pacemakers inside us that regulate our cycles. An endogenous pacemaker is the Suprachiasmatic nucleus located in the hypothalamus. It is situated directly above the optic chiasm (allowing it to respond to light) and it responsible for controlling circadian rhythms. At the presence of light, it stimulates the pineal gland to release melatonin. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that promotes sleep. A higher level of melatonin will promote sleep, and thus a lower level will help us wake up and stay alert. It’s this process that endogenously regulates our circadian sleep-wake cycle. The SCN’s influence on our bodies has been demonstrated in Morgans animal study. He bred ‘mutant’ hamsters with entrained ’20-hour’ circadian rhythms. When their SCN was transplanted into their ‘normal’ hamsters they exhibited the mutant rhythm. This shows the role the SCN plays in our circadian cycles, showing it regulates our sleep patterns and that rhythm entraining is done through the SCN. However, this argument can be deeply flawed. The SCN affects other circadian rhythms such as hormone release and these could affect sleep itself as well as individual differences; therefore it may be deterministic to conclude that the SCN is the regulator of sleep. Methodological issues are thrown into the research also. Is the research ethical justifiable? In my opinion, in groundbreaking findings drawing the link between the SCN and sleep it is justifiable to use rats however rats are not similar to humans and therefore cannot be well generalised.

The Escape – Creative Writing

I couldn't breathe. I could feel a large weight on top of me but when I looked there was nothing there. It was getting heavier and heavier. I tried to scream but every time that I tried I felt a shooting pain in my chest. All that I could do was wait and pray. I thought that it was unlikely that I would be found and I kept going over what had happened and couldn't understand how a life so perfect could go so wrong as easily as it had. It wasn't right. I looked down and released a ear splitting scream†¦ The previous month I had just been a normal teenager, going to school and going shopping at the weekend. Then it all changed. I came home from school to find that a large wagon was parked in front of our house and a man was carrying out our belongings. I saw my TV, stereo and Game cube being carried out of the front door by two large men. At first I thought that we were being robbed but then I saw my mum and dad appear at the front door. My mum was in floods of tears and my dad was stood with another man and signing papers. It never occurred to me what was happening. I ran across the garden and threw my arms around my mum. Although I didn't know what was going on I started to cry. I thought that I should try to be brave as my mum was so upset but it was the only time that I had ever seen her cry. I knew that something must be seriously wrong. I released her gently from my arms and gently asked her what was happening and who the men were. She said that my dad would explain everything when he had signed the papers. It was about five minutes, but seemed like a lifetime, before my dad could come and explain what we were going to do next. As my dad started to talk I became speechless. How could this happen? We hadn't done anything wrong yet we were the ones that were being punished. I couldn't take in what was being explained to me. It was so unfair that because my dad had done the right thing we were going to have to move out of our house and leave our life that my parents had built up for me. What had happened was that my dad had been involved in a robbery at work, the men had been captured but my dad had been asked to give evidence in court in order to get them put in prison. My dad had done this willingly but the thing that he had not realised was that the men who he had helped to send to prison were part of a large gang who were very violent. The other gang members were now out for revenge, with my dad. He had been receiving silent phone calls; evil text messages and he had even been sent death threats through the post. But what had happened the previous day was too much for anyone to cope with. Someone had burst into his office to try to attack him. It could have all gone horribly wrong for my dad if it hadn't been for a meeting being called at the last minute and him leaving his office to join it. I felt awful, it had been the previous day that I had been moaning because I wasn't allowed to go out with my friends. I could now understand that they had done it for my safety and the same men that had wanted to kill my dad could have killed me. I hadn't thought at any point in my life that I would have to be careful where I go and who I go with for the risk of my life. It all seemed so unreal. I had watched TV programmes and horror films about things like this happening but I never thought about what it must be like for people to be put in this situation. I felt disappointed in myself because I remembered when I was at a sleepover and I had joked that this sort of thing would never happen and that if it did the person who was on the run must have done something wrong. Even when I had this explained to me I didn't expect to hear what they told me next. We were being put in the ‘Witness Protection Programme'. I didn't fully understand what this meant. I thought that all it meant was that we had to move away from our home in order to get away from the people that were chasing us. As my parents continued to talk I realised that it meant that we were going to get a new identity and that we were not allowed to tell anyone what we were going to do. That was the hardest thing that I had to cope with. I said bye to my friends when I left school that day but it never entered my head that it was the last thing that I would be saying to them. I had always been popular at school and I couldn't understand why something like this would happen to me. Why couldn't it happen to Laura and her family? No one liked her and she didn't have any friends so there wouldn't be anyone who would miss her. I knew that it was a horrible thing to think but I couldn't help myself. What would my friends think if I didn't say anything before I left? I pleaded with my mum to let me phone them, I even said that one would be enough and that they could pass on the message to the others. This wasn't going to happen no matter how much I pleaded. They explained that it was for my safety. If I had told my best friend and she said something to my other friends, someone could overhear what she was saying and this problem could start over again. I did understand what they were saying but it seemed so undeserved. After we had the conversation I decided that I would have one last look inside the house. I was really surprised. The house still had the wallpaper and the carpets but the rest of the house was so bare. I climbed the stairs to where my bedroom was. It was weird knowing that it was the last time that I would be in my room again. It still looked like my room with the carpets and the poster but everything else was bare. I felt a tear fall down my face. I was trying to be strong but there was nothing that I could do, I just couldn't stop the tears from continually falling. I slowly walked down the stairs and quietly sat in the car. The large wagon started to drive off down the street and I knew then that it was the end of what I knew as my life. As my parents got into the car a policewoman came to sit in the back. It all felt so strange and I couldn't take the chance of looking behind me because I didn't know how I would react. When we turned the corner onto the main road my phone started to bleep to tell me that I had a message so I reached into my bag to get it out. It was no sooner that I had the mobile in my hand that the policewoman snatched it off me. She was sympathetic with me but she said that it would be best if I didn't read what it said because it may upset me to know that I was unable to respond to whatever was said. As we pulled onto the motorway it struck me that I did not know where we were going. I had been so wrapped up in my thoughts that we could have been going abroad and I wouldn't have known. I asked my dad but he said that he would tell me when we had arrived. It seemed to me as if I was being kept in the dark about everything that was going on. Did my parents not realise how much this was affecting me? My whole world was being turned upside down and they wouldn't tell me anything about what was happening. It wasn't as though I wouldn't understand; I was a teenager so why wouldn't they trust me. I didn't have any way that I could contact anyone so I couldn't put us in any danger from these people who were chasing us. We slowed down and I noticed a sign that was in welsh and as soon as I saw it I knew where my parents were taking me. We had been on holiday here the previous year and my parents had expressed how much they loved it her. I was really angry now. They were messing up my whole life and they were making me stay in this place. They knew how much I hated it because of how much there was to do. There were fields all around, no shops and no one who was near my age. I couldn't see how I was going to cope in a place like this. My life would revolve around school because there was nothing else to do. If we had to move why couldn't we move to a large town like London or Birmingham? This was going to be my worst nightmare, nothing to do but walk up hills and go to school. I had never realised how great my life was before. It makes me understand how true the saying ‘you never appreciate what you have until its gone' is. The amount of times my parents had said this I hadn't really understood it, I just assumed that if you lost something you would be able to get used to your life without it. I would never get used to this. We drove into the village and there was nobody about even though it was a Friday night. There were always people about when you wanted to go out. I hadn't even seen one person here. We pulled up in front of this tiny cottage. They couldn't seriously think that this was big enough for three people but when I looked round it seemed to be one of the biggest cottages in the area. I hesitantly walked through the front door to find that it seemed bigger on the inside than it looked from the outside. I knew that there was nothing that I could do now to change their mind so I returned outside and took one of the suitcases out of the boot of the car. As I turned around I noticed that there was a boy and a girl walking towards me. They seemed friendly and they looked about my age. I said hello and introduced myself. It seemed weird when I had to introduce myself by a different name. They didn't seem to notice the uneasy tone in my voice because they both introduced themselves to me. They said that they both lived down the road and that they went to the school that I would be going to. I told them that I had to take my things inside but I would hopefully see them later. They said bye and walked off. Things looked much better than I had originally thought that it could be. I slowly got used to living in a quiet village and by the end of the second week I had lots of new friends and I had told then why I had moved here-The made up version obviously. Everyone seemed nice but because it was so secluded there was only six people in my class. It was strange to begin with and I would go home upset because of how few people there are but after I thought about it I realised that it was much better for my education. It was as though I was having one to one tuition, which meant that I was learning much more than I did at my previous school. I still missed all my friends and in a strange way some of the teachers. After we had been at our new home for a month things started to go wrong for us. Someone had found out my mums new mobile number and she was getting prank phone calls and silent phone calls. We notified the police but they assumed that it was my fault and that I had been in contact with someone from my old school. Nobody believed me when I said that I hadn't done anything that I wasn't supposed to do and I was kept off school to be questioned and to ‘learn a lesson'. I hadn't realised that it was so serious if I had spoke to someone from my old school. I hadn't and that was what upset me, no one believed me. I stormed out of the house my eyes full of tears and a lump in my throat†¦ †¦ My scream rang through the dark lane and my chest hurt even more. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My white T-shirt had turned red with the blood that was pouring out of my chest. I tried to think what had happened to me. I didn't know how long I had been here for. I didn't know how much longer I would be here. I heard a car engine in the distance. I tried to move but I found that no matter how hard I tried my legs would not move. I couldn't believe that I was going to be rescued but my luck changed. The car turned down a small lane. If only I had waited with my parents I wouldn't have been in this situation. Why didn't I wait at home and try to explain further? I didn't know what to do. I had no way of phoning home and I didn't know where I was. In the very far distance I saw a small yellow dot that was becoming larger with every second. I realised that it was someone on a bike. I wanted to scream for help but each time I tried there was only a small noise that escaped. I could only wait and hope that the bike wouldn't turn. It was coming straight towards me. My eyes closed and everything went dark. As I opened my eyes I could hear lots of noise and see lots of people hurrying around me. I was in a total daze. I could hear lots of people saying my name and asking if I could hear them. I could, I just couldn't respond. It was as though I was watching these people with someone else and there was nothing that I could do. I felt someone grab hold of my hand so I squeezed the hand as much as I could. When I had done this I heard the reassuring voice of my mum. It was saying â€Å"Everything will be okay. I wont let anything happen to you ever again. There is no-one that can harm you now. † I believed every word that she was saying to me. I knew that I would be okay from now on.

Nagel's bat argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nagel's bat argument - Essay Example This shortcoming in Nagel’s argument comes as a result of a conceptual error regarding the nature of a mind-independent, or objective, phenomenon. The nature of phenomenal experience can be illustrated with a thought experiment. A scientist can apply artificial impulses to a subject’s cerebrum through electrodes, causing the subject to react in predicable ways: moving his arm, yelling loudly, and so on. These artificial inputs mirror exactly the natural functioning of the brain. Imagine then if the scientist simulates pain, evoking the appropriate physiological responses, but hears no reports of pain from the subject. For pain to exist, we might conclude, there is a necessary condition that there be first ­-hand, phenomenal experience of such. Even though the physiological responses to pain appear, there is still the lack of subjectivity, which proves necessary for the ontic existence of pain. Nagel uses the term â€Å"subjective character of experience† to denote the thought that a point-of-view is essentially a set the sum of a thing’s subjective phenomena. The notion of the subjective character of experience suggests, according to Nagel, that some kinds of facts, namely the means by which mental states arise from physical ones, are outside of the realm of human experience and thus unknowable. A bat, for instance, perceives its environment entirely different from how a human being would and given that there is something that the bat subjectively experiences there seems to be some ontological closure for the human mind to some facts. The bat forms a particularly effective tool for Nagel to illustrate his claim insofar as that species employs a sensory device of sonar, which is a radically different from man’s means of perception. While any conscious animal would do, the bat’s sensory tools are clearly different in every respect of its operation from sight or any of the other human senses. While clearly conscious, the bat has its own very

'Information systems have revolutionised the way we work'. Critically Essay

'Information systems have revolutionised the way we work'. Critically discuss this statement using two concepts from the mod - Essay Example These are a few of the ways in which information systems have provided advantages to the regular activities (Morgan, 2006). Based on this aspect, the report describes how information systems have influenced and revolutionised the way people work. Furthermore, the report also illuminates two key aspects of information systems along with their impact on work. Defining Information Systems Information system is regarded as the technology which is used for storing, controlling, dispensing and generating information. This technology includes any mechanism capable of processing data of information systems. Information systems use certain tools in order to perform calculations, record information, manipulate data and communicate messages to people. On the other hand, the ways in which people work comprise procedures used for individuals and organisations. Individuals and organisations apply certain procedures in order to accomplish subjective task (Yu, 2004). Computer Have Revolutionised the Way We Work A vital example of information system is the development of computer. The work of every individual and organisation has completely changed with the advent of computer. Computer system actually arrived during 1930s and laid the foundation for numerous activities. The present world is completely revolutionised by computer systems. Computer is presently observed in every office of metropolitan areas and it is difficult to think about modern organisations without computers. Regular tasks would be extremely inefficient without using computers. For example, managing customer records in an organisation can be performed effortlessly with the use of computers. Computer systems have replaced manual management of customer records to electronic ways of management (Zammuto & et. al., 2007). In today’s information age, computers are regarded as a machine that can process information and provide the function of communication. The first thematic ritual in the history of computer took form with queries impersonated by experts and pioneers of digital computing. The second thematic tradition in the history of computer is shifting focus to historical roots of the information age and the third thematic tradition is pioneering machines that can be differentiated with the work of historians. The history of computing is a hybrid area that has increasingly drawn on diverse disciplines and methods. Researchers in the area of humanities and social sciences frequently demonstrate a form of hybrid vigour where a core area of discipline is invigorated by the exchange with neighbouring areas or disciplines. Historians of computing have positively looked outward to neighbouring areas and disciplines for conceptual inspiration. Various organisations, corporate cultures and industries have found importance of flow of information in order to carry out regular activities (Misa, 2007). Computer Revolutionised Workplace Activity Computer has changed the paradigm of

How is Entropy and Information Gain Theory used in Coding Theory Research Paper

How is Entropy and Information Gain Theory used in Coding Theory - Research Paper Example In a communication arrangement, two sources of coding are evident, the first one is the source coding, which focuses on efficiency provision of digital presentation from source signal. Secondly, we have the channel coding mainly the error-control coding which is for the provision of reliable communications through noisy channels (Ashikhmin, Barg & Dimacs 47) In coding theory, entropy and information gain theory offers various roles. Firstly, it is concerned with data reduction, which happens mostly studying a given task and coming across extra material called side information. This will result to the need of data reduction. Therefore, appliance of entropy and information will be of pronounced meaning because it will lessen the extra information. This theory can also interpret the extra information to represent context or situation information (Roth 6). Secondly, entropy and information theory concerns the determination of indecision that is allied with the given information. For exam ple, if certain specific information is on conduction and this theory happens to known it before the transmission of that material, it will lead to the failure of that information going through transmission. Entropy focuses on maximization during the equiprobable of meanings thus determining vagueness (Roth 7). Thirdly, this theory promotes intelligence and application of secrecy to information. These concepts mostly apply to cryptography compounded with cryptanalysis (Roth 7). It focuses on the redundancy of plaintext by giving the least quantity of ciphertext ensuring exceptional decipherability. Here information theory makes us be certain that it is hard to keep any secret (Golomb, Peile & Scholtz 202). Fourthly, entropy and information gain theory deals with the gathering of unpolluted disciplines, which have already gone through investigation and transformed to engineering practice. It deals with very broad applications thus the vitality of coding theory. Fifthly, this theory i s important when it comes to â€Å"error-correcting codes† in computers with high-speed memories (Cover & Thomas 13). These codes are of vital use when it comes to enhancing the reliability of computer memories. Here the computers contain unusual features that are rarely in communication applications. These errors are due to encoding, decoding, and uncommon type of errors. When this occurs, the entropy and information gain theory are able to detect double error appearing at the same time, correcting the single errors (Cover & Thomas 13). Source coding theory is about well-organized demonstration of given data that are from a certain information source (Gray 34). For example when it is an image-coding, achieving source coding can be through manipulating terminations of that image. To attain â€Å"noiseless source coding†, the measures of given information and its complexity should be observed. Central to this, the entropy and information theory is of application when it comes to detection of total information. This theory also helps when it comes to arithmetic coding compounded with statistical modeling (Kannappan 174). Arithmetic coding avoids assigning certain bit of given patterns to the original source symbol. In entropy and information theory, a connotation with a code is given and it concludes the order of symbol. These code words have sub intervals showing the disparity

BP's Macondo Blow-out, Gulf of Mexico Research Paper

BP's Macondo Blow-out, Gulf of Mexico - Research Paper Example This explosion caused injuries to 17 people and led to 11 deaths of those who were working on the platform. The gushing wellhead was capped on July 15, 2010 after releasing nearly 4.9 million barrels of crude oil, the equivalent of 780,000m3.it was approximated that per day there was a loss of 53,000 barrels from the well before it was capped (Freudenburg and Robert 23). The daily flow rate had diminished with time beginning with around 62,000 barrels per day and this decreased as the hydrocarbons reservoir feeding the gusher depleted gradually. The relief well process was completed successfully on September 19, 2010. The location was at the Gulf of Mexico near Mississippi River Delta, United States. The spill date was between 20th April and 15th July 2010. It was officially sealed on 19th September 2010. The main cause was a wellhead blowout. The main operator who was working at the well was Transocean under contract for BP. The amount of the spill was approximately 4.9 million barr els in volume covering an area of between 2,500 to 68,000 square miles. The Gulf of Mexico is renowned as a rich hydrocarbon province. The oil and gas in deep water reservoirs in this area is often under extremely high pressure, which was a challenge to the drilling of the well. Prior to the blowout, the exploratory well was at a water depth of nearly 5,000 feet (1,500 m) (Freudenburg and Robert 23). ... In addition, the operations would have used complicated set of anchors, connected with cables that would have needed to be miles long. Initially, BP’s Macondo well was to explore prehistoric leftovers in the form of oil that was seen as a petroleum geologist’s version of literary license (Read 17). Prior to the blowout, the rig was constructed by Hyundai Heavy Industries, which was a South Korean company. Its ownership was by Transocean and was under lease to BP from March 2008 to September 2013. The principle developer and main operator of the Macondo Prospect was BP with a 65% share while Anadarko Petroleum Corporation owned 25% and, Moex Offshore 2007, which is a unit of Mitsui, owned 10% share (Read 25). After the accident, President Obama created the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling to investigate the main cause. The commission summarized that the accident occurred due to oversights, a number of different risk factors, and outright mistakes including overwhelming of the safeguards supposed to avert such an event. According to the White House report on January 2011, the report accused BP and its partners for deliberately making a sequence of cost – cutting decisions. Lack of a system that would ensure well safety was another accusation. The spill caused extensive damage to wildlife and marine habitats and as well as affecting the Gulf’s tourism and fishing industries. Its effects were also felt worldwide (Macondo report 5). The team recognized a number of risk factors that were technical in the design, testing and execution of the Macondo well. A responsible personnel management, risk, and communications by BP and its partners would certainly have averted the

Energy Sources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Energy Sources - Essay Example Surprisingly enough, the number of supporters of this source of energy was still high among the American participants of the McRumours forum that discussed the pros/cons of the nuclear energy use a few days after the Fukushima disaster.Apart from financial benefits, it is often said that nuclear power is environmentally friendly. For example, Steven Kerekesfrom the U.S. Nuclear Energy Institute believes that nuclear power generation plays a prominent role in the reduction of carbon emissions around the world. However, the arguments in favor of the nuclear energy use seem lame if one considers the arguments against it.The financial benefits are evidently outweighed by health risks associated with dealing with nuclear power waste and meltdown. While a generation of power seems relatively clean if compared to fossil fuels, the by-products need to be stored for hundreds of years in secluded facilities, some of which are situated â€Å"deep inside the mountains†. Given the fact tha t high-level radioactive waste has to be kept for hundreds of thousands of years till it is recognized safe to be released into the environment, opponents of nuclear waste rightfully contend that in reality there does not exist a place in the world which is truly safe. Indeed, as Jim Riccio, Nuclear Energy Campaign Director for Greenpeace, says â€Å"nothing you put the waste in will last longer than the waste itself, so burying it basically acquiesces to the fact that it will eventually leak†¦.just like every other radioactive dump site.†... participants of the McRumours forum that discussed the pros/cons of the nuclear energy use a few days after the Fukushima disaster (â€Å"McRumors Forum†, 2011, [online]).Apart from financial benefits, it is often said that nuclear power is environmentally friendly. For example, Steven Kerekesfrom the U.S. Nuclear Energy Institute believes that nuclear power generation plays a prominent role in reduction of carbon emissions around the world. It does not affect the climate, therefore it is quite clean and safe, Kerekes said in his interview to Earth Techling back in 2010 (DeFreitas, 2010, [online]). However, the arguments in favor of the nuclear energy use seem lame if one considers the arguments against it.The financial benefits are evidently outweighed by health risks associated with dealing with nuclear power waste and meltdown. While generation of power seems relatively clean if compared to fossil fuels, the byproducts need to be stored for hundreds of years in secluded fac ilities, some of which are situated â€Å"deep inside the mountains† (â€Å"Nuclear Power: Risks and Rewards†, 2012, [online]). Given the fact that high-level radioactive waste has to be kept for hundreds of thousands of years till it is recognized safe to be released into the environment, opponents of nuclear waste rightfully contend that in reality there does not exist a place in the world which is truly safe. Indeed, as Jim Riccio, Nuclear Energy Campaign Director for Greenpeace, says â€Å"nothing you put the waste in will last longer than the waste itself, so burying it basically acquiesces to the fact that it will eventually leak†¦.just like every other radioactive dump site.† (DeFreitas, 2010, [online]). Apart from this, the aftermaths of nuclear accidents that occasionally happen throughout

Create an Excutive Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Create an Excutive Summary - Essay Example After conducting a feasibility study of the costs savings by the company, it was found out that the company saves more by deciding to outsource than to insource these services. The benefits of outsourcing far outweigh those of insourcing, by up to $ 579, 523 in savings. These savings come from freeing up of municipality assets, savings from training the municipality’s own employees, improving core business functions due to reassignment of personnel and benefits from lease of excess space. There are various reasons as to why the municipality seeks to outsource for these services. Costs for upgrading maintenance of the new equipment and new technology are absorbed by the outsourced company, costs savings in paying the employees and utility and office space expenses, and improved customer services. However, the municipality is faced with a number of risks if it decides to outsource for these services. Confidentiality of the municipality’s customers might be breached, the quality of services offered could reduce, and the company contracted could close suddenly as well as the municipality losing its control over the collection of scheduled payments. The qualifying agency will take over the utility’s responsibility of processing payment data and convert it into billing statements that will be delivered the customers by the agency in a timely manner. The contracted agency will also be responsible for sending the billing statements to the customer by either electronic means by the use of emails, interactive website billing method, or by mailing hard copies of the bill statements to the customers. The agency will also track payments by the customers and reporting the customers who do not pay. Collection of payments from the customers will be done by the same agency, and will provide the municipality’s customer account database, also

Rene Descartes six meditations Distinction of Self from the Body Essay Example for Free

Rene Descartes six meditations Distinction of Self from the Body Essay Rene Descartes was a French Mathematician and a modern Philosopher who developed an original philosophy based on sciences aimed at being stable and likely to last. His method was based upon premises of senses, reason, doubt and belief. Like most philosophers his quest was for Truth and knowledge. However the nature of Truth and knowledge remains debatable among philosophers to this day. It is worth noting that a contemporary modern philosopher said at the beginning of the 21st century, the beginning of ‘ Information Age ‘ , â€Å" Study of philosophy is now reduced to the study of language. We are distinct from our bodies ! Since the advent of human civilization many men have preoccupied themselves with philosophical thoughts of the distinction of self from the body. These metaphysical ideas , sometimes ontological, lie on the borderline of religious theology and philosophy. With discoveries in the field of physical sciences like Einstein’s ‘ Relativity ‘ the human conception of space, matter, time and forces has become clearer. This has further fuelled interest in the field of philosophical investigation of the relationships between mind, matter and the supernatural. This activity is a commonplace past time of the educated and curious. The scientific and methodological study of any branch of knowledge involves the formulation of – Thesis, Hypothesis and Anti – Thesis. Every Thesis has an Anti–Thesis. Is the self distinct from the body ? The senses are deceptive! What we see is spurious. Our memory deceives us. Hence a Truth that can be established is that nothing is certain. Hence it can be assumed for the time being that our senses and bodies are not true. We are probably distinct from our bodies. Rationality is questionable ! Man is known as a ‘ rational animal’. But the idea of rationality and the distinction between a man and an animal are debatable. Man certainly has to face an obvious ‘ identity crisis’ if material knowledge is to be trusted. The idea of a soul distinguishes self from the body ! All phenomena can’t be explained by sense-perception, thinking and physical bodies. They have to be attributed to a super-natural phenomena , ‘ the soul’. If the self is to be distinct from the body it could be in the form of the soul. The power of self-movement, sensation and thought as according to the judgment of Rene Descartes are foreign to the nature of body. These conclusions are based on Descartes philosophical experiments with himself using the faculty of his mind. He uses his mind to probe the co-relation between subjectivity, objectivity and their distinctness from body. This method has been Descartes most powerful tool and which makes him unique in the family of modern philosophers. The awakening during sleep is an experiment. Descartes argues that when asleep he has perceived through senses many things he can’t perceive through senses while awake. These are once again Descartes experiments with himself. Descartes is careful nough to recollect his thoughts and experiences for the object of philosophical study. ‘Thinking’ is separate from ‘being’. Descartes uses his imagination to conclude that he might exist separate from his body as a source of ‘thinking’. In his legendary famous statement he once declared , â€Å" I think therefore I am. â€Å" Human mind and judgment are prone to error . Hence the truth has to be away from the Human mind and body. Descartes reached a conclusion that there does exist a God. God is perfect in his judgment because his mind is infinite. This is obviously not true with human beings. Hence their judgment is subject to errors and faults. There is also a philosophical method of reaching the Truth by elimination of errors. Considering the belief that their does exist a Universal Truth away from the limitations of the human body it is reasonable concluding that we are distinct from our bodies. The existence of God is an irrefutable evidence ! Thesis that there does exist a God strengthens the concept of distinction of self from the body. It would be contradictory associating God to a body; God, Descartes assumed is infinite. Also, the idea of life after death in the form of soul which is the belief of literally every religious heology strengthens the belief that we are distinct from our body. Rene Descartes experimented with the mind ! Descartes claims in ‘ The Fourth Meditation’ that he has trained his mind to separate from his senses and dwell only in the intellect. The result were observations and conclusions that he was totally separate from matter. Descartes uses his ability at philosophical meditations, the popular method of study and research by a philosopher. The Human Will Descartes concludes extends beyond the bodies. With the human will, many philosophers believe it is possible to meditate and separate the consciousness rom the body. Modern Science refutes distinction of body from mind thesis. Descartes himself was once a scientist before he took to philosophical pursuits. A scientist, for example a Doctor would immediately rubbish the claims of the separation of self from the body citing encyclopedias of scientific evidence. Carl Jung’s Experiment nulls the idea of a soul. This famous Psychologist conducted an experiment and concluded that there is no soul ! The distinction between self and body is not recognized by modern psychology books. Philosophical methods might be fallacious. Philosophers employ methods based n speculations and subjectivity. These might be inaccurate and also subject to a difference of opinion even amongst philosophers. Whereas science is based on empirical experiments which no one can challenge once accepted and established. There is a self concept in the science of Psychology. The self concept has an aura of mysticism associated with it. No one can see, feel or touch the self concept. It is reduced to ‘I’ and ‘me ‘ from the common sense point of view by nearly all domains of knowledge. Popularly the psychologists associate the self concept , the I – Self, with the ndividual and his states of mind – Conscious, subconscious and the unconscious. Body- Ego concept can be an evidence of self and body singularity. The genesis of mental structure advocated by Hartmann, Kris and Loewenstein advocate an ego state known as the Body Ego. They suggest with impressive arguments that the ego and the id should be conceived the result of an undifferentiated state. Conclusion : The embodied self concept generates a tension. The stream of consciousness can be believed to be located within the boundaries of a creature. The self ( its memories, eliefs and traits ) might not located within the boundaries of the creature. Our intuition equates ourselves with our consciousness. A point to be noted is that there is a dualism not only between mind and body but also between consciousness and mind ! The ancient scholarly philosophical debate ‘ Self is distinct from the body ’ is a challenging interdisciplinary study. However, the philosophy student is best equipped to handle it. The debate seems to have no end. That is what makes a debate an interesting academic field of study. Philosophers and philosophy students have to be cautious that in their xuberance they do not unwittingly clash with scientific evidence or infringe with cherished religious and theological beliefs. The society punished Galileo because he was ahead in time than the people. The times have changed remarkably. These days society is more tolerant to new ideas. Even blasphemy against Jesus doesn’t shock the West anymore. Recent headlines of a popular newspaper says that the church has forgiven Beatles for claiming they were more popular than Jesus. Philosophers and philosophy students can play a timely role in all ages. The clear message is that they need not ostracize themselves from the society.

Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction Relationship

Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction Relationship The distinction between service quality and satisfaction was initially unclear in literature (Anderson and Fornell, 1994). There was considerable debate whether service quality is a cause of satisfaction (Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Parasuraman et al., 1985) or a consequence of satisfaction (Bitner, 1990; Bolton and Drew, 1991). Anderson and Fornell, (1994) contend that Satisfaction is a post consumption experience which compares perceived quality with expected quality, as contrasted to service quality which Parasuraman et al., (1985) refererred to as a â€Å"global evaluation of a firms service delivery system† . In support of this distiction the works of (Brady and Robertson, 2001; Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Frazer Winsted, 2000; Spreng and Mackoy, 1996) lead us to believe that satisfaction and service quality are distinct constructs and, that service quality is an antecedent of the broader concept of customer satisfaction. An accepted view is that the essential determinant of satisfaction is the confirmation/disconfirmation of pre-consumption product standards (Erevelles and Leavitt 1992; Oliver 1996). Several different comparison standards-each exclusively tied to positively aspects of product features and their implications for consumers-have been used in past research. By far the most common are predictive expectations of attribute performance, as incorporated in the expectations-dis-confirmation (ED) model of satisfaction response (Boulding et al. 1993; Oliver 1996; Tse and Wilton 1988). Desires based on features and benefits that are considered ideal or aspirational in the product domain have also been recommended (Westbrook and Reilly 1983). Other models use equity expectations based on what the consumer believes reasonably should occur given the product/service price (Oliver and Swan 1989) and experience-based norms de-rived from personal experiences or information received (Cadotte, Woodruff, and Jenkins 1987). Although these four types of comparison standards reflect the four principal satisfaction models articulated within the CS paradigm, past researchers probably have overemphasized the significance of predictive expectations and the ED model (Cadotte, Woodruff, and Jenkins 1987). lacobucci, Grayson, and Ostrom (1994) recently called for research into conditions that determine the use of certain standards over others and the possibility of multiple simultaneous standards, and new empirical work has begun to support these ideas (Spreng, MacKenzie, and Olshavsky 1996). A few CS paradigm researchers have gone beyond these cognitively toned model formulations to consider the affective nature of satisfaction (Oliver 1996; Westbrook 1987). Perhaps most intriguing is Olivers (1989) suggestion that there exist five different modes or prototypes of satisfaction: contentment (with its primary affect of acceptance or tolerance), pleasure (a positive reinforcement state that involves the evocation or enhancement of a positive, well-liked experience and a primary affect of happiness), relief (a negative reinforcement state occurring when an aversive state is removed), novelty (expectations of the unexpected that yield a primary affect of interest or excitation), and surprise (a primary affect of either delight or outrage as occurs when the product performs outside the range of expectations). Empirical examination of these modes has just begun, with initial results indicating a more parsimonious structure than originally proposed (Oliver 1996). Although satisfaction has been conceptualized in terms of either a single transaction (i.e., an evaluative judgment following the purchase occasion) or a series of interactions with a product over time, Anderson and Fornell (1994) note that nearly all satisfaction research has adopted the former, transaction-specific view. Indeed, several observers have chastised the marketing field for treating satisfaction as a static evaluation derived from a lone trial event, noting that comparison standards are likely to change with consumer experience (Iacobucci, Grayson, and Ostrom 1994). Among the few satisfaction studies that have adopted longitudinal designs, most remain wedded to the CS paradigm (e.g., Bolton and Drew 1991; LaBarbera and Mazursky 1983; Richins and Bloch 1991). References Cronin, J.J. and Taylor, S.A. (1992), Measuring service quality: a re-examination and extension, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 56, July, pp. 55-68. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A. and Berry, L.L. (1985), A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 49, Fall, pp. 41-50. Bitner, M.J. (1990), Evaluating service encounters: the effects of physical surroundings and employee responses, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 54, April, pp. 69-82. Bolton, R.N. and Drew, J.H. (1991), A multistage model of customers assessments of service quality and value, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 17, March, pp. 275-84. Brady, M.K. and Robertson, C.J. (2001), â€Å"Searching for a consensus on the antecedent role of service quality and satisfaction: an exploratory cross-national study†, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 51, January, pp. 53-9. Frazer Winsted, K. (2000), â€Å"Service behaviors that lead to satisfied customers†, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 34 Nos 4/3, pp. 399-417. Spreng, R.A. and Mackoy, R.D. (1996), â€Å"An empirical examination of a model of perceived service quality and satisfaction†, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 72 No. 2, pp. 201-14. Anderson, E.W., Fornell, C. (1994), A customer satisfaction research prospectus, in ust, R.T., Oliver, R.L. (Eds),Service Quality: New Directions in Theory and Practice, pp.241-68.. Yi (1990) conceptualizes satisfaction as an attitude-like judgment following a purchase act or based on a series of consumer-product interactions.