Project closing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project closing - Essay Example In Terry’s case, Power Point presentation contained technical information, and it was appropriate for engineering students (Rutledge & Mucciolo, 2001). To make an effective presentation, the speaker must be adequately prepared in advance. Terry could have known the audience well, their purpose of attending the meeting, and what they expect from the presentation. Slides are supposed to be few, short, and to the point. They should contain the key points that the speaker delivers quickly. Students are too busy to be bombarded with long-winded discussions. In Terry’s case, the slides were too many and did not contain all the information he was required to give. To choose an appropriate language of explaining technical concepts, Terry ought to have contemplated about his audience and their purpose of attending the meeting. The slides could be better if accompanied by pictures or graphics of the product (Davis, 2004). Questions always arise during a presentation, and the speaker must anticipate them. Terry ought to have explained to the group earlier that he would have the questions and answers session at the end of the meeting. Instead of being angry and defensive, he had to courteously say that the research had not supplied the answer to the questions. To have the students buy the idea, he had to make handouts of the presentation, distribute them to all to complement the presentation. They needed to have all the information instead of jumping to questions about information that was in the remaining slides. The project manager is responsible for solving problems, coordinating efforts related to lights and time signals, and requesting for questions. In this presentation, the manager could fill the remaining time with questions and discussion in order to stay on schedule. He could then adjourn the meeting by briefly summarizing the presentation and adding few last minute comments (Rafinejad,

Case comment coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case comment coursework - Essay Example Through the privatization, the government was allowed to retain a special share. This entitled the government, according to the company’s constitution, to appoint two of the eight directors but with no voting rights (Patterson, 2001). History Belize privatized its telecomm network in 1989. Under the privatization, the government was to gradually sealed off its shares and, in the process, retained a special share (Redfem, 2004). According to the company’s constitution, 8 directors would be appointed as per the shareholding in the following manner: The special share holder can appoint 2 of the 8 directors. In this case the government had a special share which entitled it to appoint two directors. Class â€Å"B† shareholders comprising private investors could appoint two directors. Class â€Å"C† shareholders could appoint four directors. The government also owned Class â€Å"C† shares. A further provision for the election directors was made, stating t hat if a special shareholder possessed over 37.5% of the share capital in total, it would appoint two of the 4 Class â€Å"C† directors. The government in 2003 completed the privatization process. A law was passed to this effect to enable the completion (Richardson, 2004). In 2004, Belize Telecommunications bought the special share and the Class â€Å"C† shares from the government. To enable Belize Telecommunications to purchase the shares, the government changed its shares into a loan to enable Belize to finance the transaction. Since this was a loan from the government, it needed security from Belize. Belize gave the government a ‘pledge’ on the shares that it had just sold, i.e. the Class â€Å"C† shares, but not on the special share until the debt was repaid (Robertson, 2006). In February 2005, Belize defaulted in the loan repayment and the government’s pledge under the loan agreement was enforced. The government now had more than 37.5% o f the class â€Å"C† shares but without the special share. Belize now had less than 37.5% of shares. The main issue of the case is on whether the directors subject to appointment by the special shareholder with over 37.5% of class â€Å"C† shares could be removed. In this instance, there was no shareholder who held both the special share and over 37.5% of class â€Å"C† shares. Belize Telecommunications argued that the two directors were not removable whereas the Attorney General argued otherwise. The argument was that the articles of association regarding the appointment of directors should be made to provide that vacation of office by a director should happen if the shareholding specification that brought him there ceased existing. The Belize Supreme Court’s Chief Justice agreed with the government. With its 37.5% shareholding, the government should be given power to dismiss the two directors and recruit new ones (Olivelle, 2005). Analysis Court Analysi s. The Chief Justice in the Belize Supreme Court agreed with the Attorney General that the government may be allowed to remove the directors in question and appoint new ones. The Privy Council’s advice through Lord Hoffman came up with the principles of interpreting the company’s articles of association. The interpretation principles apply, whether it is an act of Parliament or company contract. A search for the meaning of the

Explain Nietzsches account, in terms of the Apollonian and Dionysian, Essay

Explain Nietzsches account, in terms of the Apollonian and Dionysian, of the nature of ancient Greek tragedy - Essay Example Similarly, the Dionysian corresponds to Schopenhauer which means the principle of â€Å"will† that is highly opposed to Apollonian. The Dionysian manifests when man gives up individualism to submerge into the general life led by every member of the Greek society. Nietzsche terms artistic creation as dependent on two opposing forces, which are the Apollonian and the Dionysian, where the Apollonian refers to the life giving force that shapes self-sense and is characterised by measured control and disinterest. According to Nietzsche, the Dionysian refers to a situation where the self gives way for uniting with others and general nature. Interestingly, both are intertwined at some point although they oppose each other diametrically (Nietzsche 1999, p.15). They are equally important in the arts because without the Apollonian, the Dionysian cannot have a good enough form and structure to create an art while without the Dionysian, the Apollonian does not have vitality and passion. The two Greek mythological concepts have been highly relied upon in the artistic domain to bring out interesting creativity that possibly attracts the attention of audiences. Greeks were not sensitive to suffering, thus they were highly vulnerable to influence of challenges they faced in their daily routines. They therefore developed the Apollonian aspect to avoid suffering in their daily activities since the principle developed temporary truth, although the matter in question was not real in order to assume life’s setbacks that come along. Despite the Apollonian shield, the Dionysian brought out the real effect of suffering at the heart in all occupations. The two opposing forces of the Apollonian and the Dionysian provide different categories of art in the Greek culture, but at some point, their relationship tends to face struggles (Allison 2001, p.30). It is for this reason that Greeks used

Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases and Drugs Essay Example for Free

Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases and Drugs Essay Determining psychiatric disorders are best identified through their manifesting symptoms. Key to understanding this somehow lie in how one successfully determines the intensity or degree of symptomatic tendencies. In order to address these psychiatric disorders, some thinkers believe that there are good reasons to rely on the â€Å"practical signs† of a person’s behavioral abnormalities. It has to be mentioned that, while symptomatic disorders are not strictly to be regarded as diseases, â€Å"the clinical approach to abnormal behavior† can still be compared to â€Å"the medical approach to disease† (Moskowitz Orgel, 1969, p. 85). That being said, identifying symptoms still belong to one of the most fundamental steps that can help psychiatrists figure a helpful diagnosis for any mental illness. In this paper, five specific examples of psychiatric illnesses shall be concisely described through their symptoms: anxiety disorder, depression, mania, schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome. Some Examples of Psychiatric Disorders First, anxiety is a psychological state marked by purposeless restlessness, occasional experiences of muscle tensions and a feeling of panic or emotional discomfort (Illman, 2004, p. 3). The symptoms are themselves telling signs of abnormalities. Normal experiences of anxiety, if one may compare, may involve a feeling of considerable fear or worry. But a person suffering from an anxiety disorder experiences more than a feeling of emotional stress; as in most cases, this stress translates into psycho-somatic reactions such as prolonged apprehension or bodily discomfort as well (Moskowitz Orgel, 1969, 391). Closely related to anxiety is the psychiatric illness called depression. A person suffering from severe depression may also manifest certain psycho-emotional and somatic reactions, which, if carefully diagnosed, is seriously beyond normal experiences of poignant moments. Clinical depression may be said to occur to persons suffering from a prolonged feeling of â€Å"worthlessness† and an unwarranted guilt; and these feelings in turn are amplified by a need to â€Å"deject† from societal functions (Moskowitz Orgel, 1969, p. 394; Schacter, 2006, 49-65). Mania is a severe psychiatric condition characterized by compulsive behaviors such as anger, irrational actions or irritability. Persons suffering from mania put on an excessive amount of drive or passion to their behaviors on just about everything or anything to which they take interest (Moskowitz Orgel, 1969, p. 393). Instances of manic behaviors, many psychiatrists believe, are also closely associated with depression. Schizophrenia meanwhile is a mental disorder suffered by persons who, even without a given objective stimulus, are subjectively experiencing â€Å"vivid sensory experiences† – i. . , hearing voices, seeing visions, among others (Moskowitz Orgel, 1969, p. 393). Hallucination is almost often the commonplace word to describe such a mental condition. And last but not least, Tourette Syndrome is a mental illness characterized by a random, repetitive – and sudden – motor movement or creation of phonic sounds such as coughing, clearing of throat, among others; it is a peculiar symptom – called tic – already exhibited by patients early on in their childhood (National Institutes of Health). Diagnosis and Treatments To Help Explain and Cure the Disorders The basic diagnosis for these disorders fall into either two determining factors – genetics and environment. Under usual circumstances, psychiatrists are more inclined to consider the development of a person’s unique behavioral traits as explainable through an array of experiential traumas ensuing from factors within a person’s environment (Moskowitz Orgel, 1969, p. 384. Finding an appropriate cure is indeed a cause worth pursuing. Unfortunately for Tourette Syndrome, there are no known cure that is proven to deliver promising results. Except for some clinical trials involving â€Å"neuroleptics† (e. g. haloperidol and pimozide) – drugs used to suppress tic syndromes rather than cure it, and are known for side effects including sedation and weight gain – there are no approved medicine available in the market for now (National Institutes of Health). Anxiety and depression have been addressed through an array of anti-depressant choices, depending on which drugs respond well to the patients. The National Institutes for Health for example used â€Å"citalopram† (Celexa), among others, to conduct research to patients suffering from clinical depression, in the hope that the drug may act as serotonin inhibitors. Side effects, as in the case for most antidepressants, have reportedly been mild but serious, ranging from sedation, sleepiness and some headache (Depression Learning Fact). Other severe mental health maladies, or those that needs to be addressed via â€Å"integration of personality† (such as schizophrenia or severe mania) may need serious clinical psychotherapy, somatherapy or even psychosurgery (Moskowitz Orgel, 1969, 426).

The Social Issues Of The Frankenstein Novel English Literature Essay

The Social Issues Of The Frankenstein Novel English Literature Essay The use of first person in the novel causes the responder to imagine themselves in the situation faced by the protagonist; this powerful technique is used to subconsciously force the responder to dwell on the consequences of Victors actions, drawing them into a debate of morals and ethics in their mind. Blade Runner is a product of the 80s where corporate greed through overindustrialisation has severed humanitys relationship with nature. Ridley Scott extrapolated these negative and dystopian views from the values he witnessed in the 1980s society and constructed Blade Runner as a warning. This warning is reflected through his profound use of film noir. From the opening scene the audience is immediately submersed into a post-modern, post-industrial and post-apocalyptic city resembling hell, this scene is an exaggerated reconstruction of society in the 1980s during which time people were fearful. America and Russia were both on the brink of nuclear war and had enough atomic weapons to utterly decimate the world; this potential global destruction is reflected in the opening scene of Blade Runner. This scene shows a hell that has come to exist on earth, an urban city extends as far as can be seen, a scarred world which has been devastated by us. The rising fire columns are symbolic of the fires of hell which have sprung forth on earth through our exploitation of the worlds resources though our ignorance and greed. Asian advertisements floating above the city on dirigibles serve as a constant reminder of the Asianisation of western civilization as a consequence of corporate greed. Frankenstein was composed during a time of major scientific developments; this is evident as science plays a central role in the story. Shelleys Frankenstein is based on the dogma of the Romantic Movement to create a world in which the protagonists desires for the omnipotent powers of God and creation have bypassed all ideas of conventional authority. Victors reflective words: how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, can be seen as her warning of the dangers of disrespecting authority and the order of things. The Tyrell Corporation is the ruling power in Blade Runner, producing replicants that are more human than human, by enabling them to have an emotional capacity. This is visible when Rachel angrily confronts Deckard: Are these questions testing whether Im a replicant or a lesbian, Mr Deckard? Ironically the replicants have a greater capacity for emotional responses, showing more compassion and love than the humans. Shelleys use of epistolary narrative adds a subliminal layer and speculates at the consequences of what Frankenstein has done; her warning is present throughout the story, forcefully questioning the ideas of scientists and science during the Romantic era, this reinforces the dangers of humanitys desires for playing the role of Creator. Frankensteins core completion imitates the Romantic Movements influence on Shelleys ideas, and her criticisms of the French and Industrial revolutions. The imagery of the patched corpse through the lexical chain of gruesome descriptions: his skin lustrous blackà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ yellow skinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ watery eyesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. shriveled complexion, and repeated use of terminology associated with the horror genre for referring to the monster bring about feelings of disgust for this scientific milestone. This physical unusualness is what makes it initially seem like the monster in society. However, Shelley brings forth a sympathetic response from the audience because the monster quickly portrays itself as misunderstood. The narrative, Frankenstein is one that allows the audience to realise a different side to the story as readers are able to understand the reasons behind the monsters murders, thus allowing further depth in the exploration of the human nature because of the different views presented in the novel. Frankenstein overflows with letters, notes and journals as Waltons letters envelop the entire tale; Victors story fits inside Waltons and the monsters inside Frankensteins. This is an important aspect of the structure of the book as the various writings serve as a concrete manifestation of attitudes and emotions within the characters. Victors warning to Walton: avoid ambitions of science and discoveries is symbolic of Shelleys hatred of the visionaries of the French and Industrial Revolution. Similarly, Scott expresses his heedfulness of the state of the human race. In particular global warming, the development of genetic engineering and nuclear weapons during the Cold War. During this time people were fearful of imminent doom by nuclear war, whilst at the same time fearful of the rapid developments science had made in the field of genetics and the controversy raised by its applications. Scotts warning present in Blade Runner is of the potential outcome if we allow certain actions to be taken without consideration of the consequences. By making the audience realise that by continuing on our current path can only bring about humanitys divorce from the natural world he leads us to ask the question what humanity is and is there a place for nature in an artificial world. Shelleys warnings are enhanced by the juxtaposition of Victor Frankensteins relationship with nature to that of his creation, whereas Victor, due to his unhealthy immersion in science is numb to its charms, and results in his near constant solitude. Frankensteins creation a more intimate connection with the pleasant showers and sunny warmth of spring, and many human qualities that Frankenstein lacks, this characterisation captures Romantics idolisation of nature, cautioning us against the dehumanising effect of removing ourselves from nature and natural order. We can see the reflections of Shelleys beliefs and the beliefs of Romantics in the novel Frankenstein, which looks to the social conventions of the time in order to warn us of the punishment for transgressing into the realm of God. Scott also draws upon the social conventions of his time. The dark scenes represent Scotts interpretation of the darkness within society, which in turn represents the ruthlessness of a material society.

Theories of planned behavior: Smoking

Theories of planned behavior: Smoking To examine if the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) predict smoking behavior, 35 data sets (N= 267,977) have been synthesized, containing 219 effect sizes between the model variables using a meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach (MASEM). Consistent with the TPBs predictions, 1) smoking behavior was related to smoking intentions (weighted mean r =.30), 2) intentions were based on attitudes (weighted mean r =.16) and subjective norms (weighted mean r =.20). Consistent with TPBs hypotheses, perceived behavioral control was related to smoking intentions (weighted mean r = -.24) and behaviors (weighted mean r =-.20) and it contribute significantly to cigarette consumption. The strength of associations, however, was influenced by studies and participants characteristics. Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease in western countries. Despite the constant reduction in smoking prevalence among adults over the last 20 years in developed countries, smoking rates have not decreased among young people, and the highest youth smoking rates can be found in Central and Eastern Europe. In an attempt to understand the psychosocial determinants of smoking initiation and maintenance, a variety of social cognitive models have been applied. One of the most influential theories predicting smoking behavior, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) 1has been used both for conducting a wide range of empirical research on smoking behavior antecedents and for designing many theory-based intervention programs to reduce tobacco consumption. An increasing number of empirical studies have examined this model in relation to smoke and the variability of results suggests that a quantitative integration of this literature would prove valuable. Up to the present, various quantitative reviews of the TPB have been performed but centered in other behavioral outcomes, as exercise, 2 condom use 3 and others. Hence, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the success of TPB as a predictor of smoking behavior through meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM), involving the techniques of synthesizing correlation matrices and fitting SEM as suggested by Viswesvaran and Ones. 4 The TPB, an extension of the Theory of Reasoned Action,5 incorporates both social influences and personal factors as predictors, specifying a limited number of psychological variables that can influence a behavior, namely 1) intention; 2) attitude; 3) subjective norm (SN); and 4) perceived behavioral control (PBC). 1 First, subjective norms are conceptualized as the pressure that people perceive from important others to execute a behavior. Second, peoples positive or negative evaluations of their performing a behavior are conceptualized as other predictor of intention (attitudes). Third, PBC represents ones evaluation about the easy or difficulty of adopting the behavior and it is assumed to reflect the obstacles that one encountered in past behavioral performances. Finally, attitudes, SN and PBC are proposed to influence behavior through their influence on intentions, which summarize persons motivation to act in a particular manner and indicate how hard the person is willing to try and how much time and effort he or she is willing to devote in order to perform a behavior. 6 The TPB has been applied through a relevant amount of primary studies and their predictive utility has been proved meta-analytically both for a wide range of behaviors 7, 6 and for specific health risky or health protective behaviors. 3, 2 These previous meta-analyses, however, have neither examined how useful the TPB is to predict smoking behavior, nor the overall structure of the model applied to tobacco consumption. Hence, some concerns remain relating to TPB and its utility to predict smoking behavior that deserves further examination through MASEM. Firstly, a weakness of the SN-intention relation has been found by previous meta-analysis 7 compared with attitude-intention and PBC-intention associations. It has been suggested that this lack of association indicates that intentions are influenced primarily by personal factors 6. In spite of, some primary studies finding strong beta values, ranging from .44 to .62, for attitude on smoking intention such as Hanson, 8 while others founded values near .18 or .19. 9, 10 At the same time, although researchers have theorized about the importance of PBC in this domain, regarding health-risky behaviors, the correlation between PBC and behavior had sometimes been disappointing. 3 One possible explanation is that PBC may not capture actual control. Other is that risky behaviors performed in social contexts may be more determined by risky-conducive circumstances than by personal factors. 11 Moreover, primary studies on smoking behavior have found contrasting results for PBC -behavior, such as r =.55 12 or r =.06. 13 Based on these discrepant findings, we proposed, as a first purpose of this review, to test the strength of relationships between TPB constructs applied to smoking behavior. Secondly, in order to clarify the influence of moderator variables and to provide further explanation for the variability on the effect sizes (ES) between primary studies, some studies and participants characteristics may be taken into account. Ajzen and Fishbein 5 argued that intention and behavior should be measured as close in time as possible to the behavior. In spite of that, primary studies on smoking behavior 14, 15 have found that beta values for intention- behavior association have been maintained during six months (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢=.38), nine months (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢=.35) and a year (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢=.35). Thus, it is important to quantitatively review the moderator effect of time interval on strength of TPB constructs. It has been recognized that culture provides a social context that affects prevalence of certain behaviors. Moreover, some studies have compared results of TPB applied to smoking behavior by using diverse ethnic groups into the USA, such as Hanson, 8 while a great amount of primary studies have expanded their applicability to different cultural contexts. 16, 15, 10 These studies have revealed contradictory results, such as for Puerto-Ricans and non-Hispanic whites, SN was not found as a significant predictor of intention, 8 while it was significant for African-American teenagers, or beta values for SN-behavior ranging from à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢=.20 for UK samples 17 to à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ =.43 for Netherlanders students. 18 Hence, because of cultural differences with respect to the SN-outcomes association, there is a need to meta-analytically examine the moderator effect of culture. Ajzen and Fishbein 5 and Ajzen 19 also recommended scale correspondence of measures for intention to properly predict behavior. However, meta-analysis on TPB applied to exercise behavior have found that only 50% of examined studies had scale correspondence, 20 and that ES was the strongest for the intention-behavior association when studies had scale correspondence. 2 Based on these previous findings, we contend that a thorough examination of moderator effect of scale correspondence on strength of smoking intention and behavior relationships is needed. Research indicates that teenage years are associated with heightened sensitivity to SN 6 and differences have been found in previous meta-analyses between age groups regarding their intention -exercise behavior association. 2 At the same time, only one study has tested gender differences applying TPB to cigarette smoking, 13 founding that the model fitted better among female students. Despite the fact that no consistent evidence has been found relating to the moderator effect of age and gender on the TPB constructs association, we state that an exploratory analysis would be advisable. Thirdly, while previous studies on TPB on smoking behavior had used stepwise regression analyses, more recent ones apply SEM or path-analyses. When all TPB relationships were tested simultaneously, same patterns would change. For instance, after controlling the influence of intention, the PBC- behavior association would turn to negligible values (à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢=.05), such as Albarracà ­n et al 3 proved for condom use. Moreover, based on the fruitful results of meta-analysis obtained in many research domains, 3, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 it can be beneficial to use meta-analytic structural equation modeling techniques (MASEM) in testing causal models, such as some authors suggested. 4, 26 Based on these methodological and conceptual issues, the main objective of this meta-analysis was threefold. The first objective was to test the strength of the relationships between the TPB constructs with the smoking behavior. Specifically, we hypothesized: (1) large ES for intention-behavior, PBC-intention, PBC-behavior, and attitude -intention; (2) moderate ES for SN- intention; (3) larger ES for intention-behavior than for PBC-behavior and (4) larger ES for PBC-intention and SN-intention than for attitude-intention. The second purpose was to test the influence of moderator variables on the relationships between the TPB constructs. Specifically, we proposed (5) larger ES for attitude- behavior, PBC- behavior, SN-behavior, and intention-behavior when measures have been taken simultaneously; (6) larger ES when the time interval was shorter; (7) the largest ES for SN-intention and SN- behavior when participants belong to a collectivist culture, coded as Others into the category orig in of the sample; (8) larger ES for attitude- intention, SN-intention, PBC-intention and intention -behavior when constructs have been measured with scale correspondence; and (9) mean age of the sample, percentage of males and year of publication would moderate the relationships among TPB constructs. The third purpose was to test the predictive utility of TPB on smoking behavior through MASEM analyses. Specifically, we hypothesized that: (10) intention and PBC will predict smoking behavior; (11) attitude, PBC, and SN will predict intention and (12) intention will be a stronger predictor of behavior than PBC. Method Literature search In order to locate relevant studies, we conducted a computerized bibliographic search of the PsycInfo, MedLine, ERIC, using the terms smoke, smoking behavior, nicotine, tobacco consumption, and TPB as keywords. We also conducted a manual search of journals that regularly published smoking behavior research. Descendent searches have been conducted based on the references section of retrieved studies specifically previous TPB meta-analyses including multiple behavioral outcomes- and some authors have been contacted to obtain unpublished papers. This processes resulted in 52 studies retrieved in full text to further screening. Inclusion and exclusion criteria A study was considered for this meta-analysis if it met the following inclusion criteria: (1) the study had to report quantitative research on TPB applied to smoking behavior; (2) the study had to report a Pearson correlation coefficient between TPB constructs or data that enable us to calculate ES. Upon closer examination of the remaining 52 studies, a total of 27 studies were included which provided an amount of 35 independent samples (N= 267,977) and 219 ES. A total amount of 25 studies were excluded. Reasons for elimination have been that TPB construct measures were not included (8 studies), i.e.: 27, or that the studies were focused on smoking cessation instead of on smoking behavior (17 studies), i.e.: 28, 29. Only one dissertation has been included and no unpublished papers have been obtained. The studies that focused on smoking cessation have been excluded because the outcome variable in the model-smoking behavior versus smoking cessation-differs substantially. These studies will be used to conduct a separate meta-analysis on smoking cessation. All the included studies are marked with an asterisk in the reference section. Coding of studies The study characteristics coded were: year of publication, origin of the sample, scale correspondence, and time interval between TPB measures. The subject characteristics coded were: the number or participants, mean age of the sample, and gender (as percentage of men in the sample). We consider relevant to code how smoking behavior was assessed (i.e., objective vs. self-report.) but we could find only one study which used objective measures, as CO (carbon monoxide) tests. 30 Following the procedures of Symons and Hausenblas, 2 the time interval between intention and behavior was examined by classifying the studies as: (1) short (less than or equal to six months), (2) medium (greater than six months and less than or equal to one year), (3) large (greater that one year). Regarding scale correspondence, we examined the method section of each study in search of the detailed information. Such as Symons and Hausenblas suggested 2, scale correspondence has been fulfilled when the same magni tude, frequencies or response formats are used to assess the constructs. If intention and behavior were measured exactly with the same items, we considered that scale equivalence was present. If intention was measured with a broader redaction (i.e.: How certain are you that you could resist smoking this term?) while behavior was assessed by a more detailed item (i.e.: How many cigarettes did you smoke per day?), or by asking participants to classify themselves as non-smoker/current-smoker, we considered that scale correspondence has not been fulfilled. In order to ensure accuracy, the studies were coded by two authors independently, reaching an intercoder agreement of 90%. The level of agreement reached was highly satisfactory and inconsistencies were solved by consensus. Some decisions about independence of the samples were taken. If the same study design was carried out in multiple but independent samples (i. e, boys and girls, asthmatic and no-asthmatic students, African-American, Puerto Rican and Non-Hispanic white teenagers) results were entered into the meta-analysis as independent samples. 8, 18, 13 In other cases, only one ES per study has been considered. Data analysis We followed Hedges and Oldkins 31 meta-analytic fixed effects procedures to estimate weighted mean correlations. In these procedures, correlations were converted using Fishers r to z transformations and weighted by N 3, the inverse of which is the variance of z, in analyses. Using Cohens criteria, 32 ES values of .10, .30 and .50 were considered small, moderate and large effects, respectively. Graphical procedures were used to explore the skewness of data. When an extreme value was detected, analyses were carried both including and excluding the outlier. Next, we tested the homogeneity of the ES (Q statistics) and we analyzed the influence of moderator variables using categorical model (ANOVA analogous) and weighted regression analyses (fixed-effect model). One problem in the interpretation of meta-analytic results is the potential bias of the mean ES due to sampling error or to systematic omission of studies that are hard to locate. According to Orwin, 33 the tolerance index of nul l results should be calculated and there must be more than 300 unpublished studies (and not recovered by the meta-analyst) for the results to be annulled. However, this statement should be qualified because the index by categories yields small values in some of these categories. Therefore, we can conclude that publication bias is not very likely to threaten the results severely. MASEM analyses Meta-analytic structural equation modeling, which involves the techniques of synthesizing correlation matrices and fitting SEM, is usually done by applying meta-analytic techniques on a series of correlation matrices to create a pooled correlation matrix, which then can be analyzed using SEM, as suggested Viswesvaran and Ones. 4 However, these procedures have received criticism by Becker (1992) and more recently by Cheung and Chan. 26 Despite some problems, the major advantage of these univariate approaches are their ease of application in applied contexts. Based on these recommendations, we used Viswesvaran and Ones procedure to test the strength of the association among the TPB constructs with smoking behavior. The complete weighted correlation matrix was 5 x 5 and it was submitted to SEM analyses. The predicted model was fitted assuming the harmonic mean (N= 239) as sample size, 4 and it was estimated with unweighted least squares procedures. The proposed model, according to TPB l iterature, had three exogenous latent variables and two endogenous ones, such as depicted Figure 1. Besides chi-square, we reported Goodness of Fit Index (GFI), Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI), Normative Fit Index (NFI), and Root Mean Squared Residual (RMR) as fitness indices. It is typically assumed that GFI, AGFI, and NFI >=.90, RMR values

Anne Sullivan: A Woman of Strong Conscience :: Essays Papers

Anne Sullivan: A Woman of Strong Conscience When I think of powerful women from the past, Anne Sullivan is one of the first women to pop into my mind. Anne Sullivan was born on April 14, 1866 in Massachusetts. Her real name is Joanna, but she was called Anne throughout her life. When Anne was still young she suffered from a serious illness that left her nearly blind. Anne’s mother died when Anne was only eight and her father left Anne and her two siblings two years later. The children were then placed into an almshouse to be cared for. After a lonely and miserable couple of years, Anne had a surgery that restored some of her sight. With the regain of some sight, Anne felt revived and decided to move on to Tuscumbia, Alabama where she would become the governess of a six-year old girl named Helen Keller. It was through caring for this six-year old girl, Helen, that shaped Anne Sullivan into a woman of conscience. When Anne first met Helen Keller, she was blind, deaf, and mute since she was 19 months old. Helen was left undisciplined, ill tempered, and neglected with no contact with the outer world. Anne’s difficult job was to tame Helen. Helen screamed, bit, hit, and kicked Anne, but Anne, faithfully, never gave up. Anne Sullivan displayed the virtues of fortitude, compassion, and most importantly patience while caring for Helen. Anne had a respect for life that gave her the belief that all humans were created in the image of God, and WE ALL ARE GOOD. Anne Sullivan treated Helen with equality, just as Jesus cured the lepers when the rest of the community cast them out of society. Helen constantly challenged Anne to find new ways to make her learn. Anne constantly challenged Helen by not allowing her to give up and to be there to support Helen. After communicating by spelling the name of objects into Helen’s hands and then allowing Helen to feel the object and repeated spelling it, Helen finally discovered the connection. Anne Sullivan’s persistence and determination is what made her a perfect role model to us all. Anne Sullivan contributed so much to society. After the miraculous rescue of Helen Keller, Anne continued to go through college with Helen and sign the lectures into Helen’s hands.