A Synopsis of the Movie I, Robot Essay

I generally inquired as to whether those anecdotes about robots conquering mankind will turn out to be genuine. Science fiction books are being my top picks since I was a child and I observed each significant film about this subject. My top choices is â€Å"I, robot† that recounts to the account of a general public later on that depends on robots for all its local exercises, yet some way or another one of those robots got mindful of his own self and began to build up a brain, however generally significant, a spirit. The robot began to build up a feeling of what is good and bad, and not on the grounds that some program introduced in its memory or a calculation convention of requests, it started settling on choices not founded on directions or learning unintentionally process, yet via looking through profound on its â€Å"heart† what was the proper activity. The robot’s name is Calvin and the film, featured by Will Smith, depends on a lot of short stories by Isaac Asimov, productive author thought about an ace in hard sci-fi. On his â€Å"I, robot† short stories, one of them named â€Å"Three Law of Robotic†, and which he thought about his top level input to mankind of things to come (Asimov composed the book on 1950), he concocted three laws that he figured a future society must contribution on robots so as to exist together with them as a major aspect of their step by step living. Those laws are: 1. A robot may not harm a person or, through inaction, permit an individual to come to hurt. 2. A robot must comply with the requests given to it by individuals, aside from where such requests would struggle with the First Law. 3. A robot must ensure its own reality as long as such security doesn't struggle with the First or Second Laws. These laws appear to be extremely essential, however their rationale truly doesn’t have any holes, in any event from the start impression. At the point when Calvin (the robot) experiences a contention with those orders, he began to build up its man-made reasoning and getting progressively human. At the point when Calvin is in a circumstance that its deactivation will be destructive for his two human companions, he chose to battle for his reality, and another period of robots was conceived. Like Asimov there are a few creators and researchers that anticipated a future where robots and man-made consciousness are a major piece of society. Furthermore, they have motivations to accept on this. After the Industrial Revolution occurred, we have being looking for increasingly gainful approaches to build make. Industrialization and large scale manufacturing levels request better, quicker and more astute plans to fulfill the more prominent interest of devour based social orders. To accomplish those urgent objectives, innovation and uniquely mechanical technology is utilized increasingly more frequently. A few manufacturing plants are made uniquely on robots that construct gear parts or procedure food in a manner no human can do. Significant organizations know where we are going and put increasingly more in mechanical innovation and man-made consciousness, similar to we read in the accompanying reference of the article of Nicholas Carr â€Å"Is Google Making us Stupid?†: â€Å"Where does it end? Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the skilled youngsters who established Google while seeking after doctoral degrees in software engineering at Stanford, talk as often as possible of t heir craving to transform their web index into a man-made consciousness, a HAL-like machine that may be associated legitimately to our minds. â€Å"The extreme web index is something as brilliant as peopleâ€or smarter,† Page said in a discourse a couple of years back. â€Å"For us, dealing with search is an approach to deal with counterfeit intelligence.† In a 2004 meeting with Newsweek, Brin stated, â€Å"Certainly in the event that you had all the world’s data legitimately appended to your cerebrum, or a fake mind that was more astute than your cerebrum, you’d be better off.† Last year, Page told a show of researchers that Google is â€Å"really attempting to assemble man-made consciousness and to do it on a huge scale.†Ã¢â‚¬  There is no uncertainty for me that there is where robots will be all over: Some robots may be performing exact heart medical procedures, controlling traffic and regulated appropriate travel in the city, cleaning our homes as local help or possibly showing English Composition at the nearby Community College (no offense to Ms. Patrice Fleck), however let’s be prepared if sometime they become mindful of their own reality, giving the following stage on their advancement as metallic creatures. Let’s trust that their aims towards us are connected to the Three Laws of Robotic specified by Asimov, they could be the contrast between our endurance and concurrence, or our absolute destruction.

The scramble for africa free essay sample

The Scramble for Africa In the time somewhere in the range of 1886 and 1914, there were occasions called European scramble for Africa. They were called scramble for Africa in light of the fact that there were a ton of European nations who colonized African nations and attempted to hold onto arrives in Africa. Before long, the European nations totally settled themselves on the place that is known for Africa making it open to Western investigation. Thus European nations colonized all Africa with the exception of Ethiopia and Liberia.Britain, France and Portugal were the fundamental pilgrim controls in Africa, yet Belgium, Germany, Italy and Spain were additionally included. The accompanying guide shows the expansionism in 1914. With the improvement of industrialization all through Europe, rivalry for crude materials expanded. Mechanical creations required HR and naturals. Be that as it may, the vast majority of Europe was asset poor. European nations needed to control handles that had the crude materials they required for their mechanical economies, for example, elastic, cotton, copper, tin and tea.They sanctioned that Africa was modest work, constrained rivalry and have all assets that they required. We will compose a custom paper test on The scramble for africa or on the other hand any comparable theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Since these assets were inaccessible in their nations, they began to storm Africa. They additionally needed to open up business sectors for the merchandise they made in light of the fact that Europe was creating more mechanical products than Europeans could devour. Along these lines, industrialists looked for business sectors for their products around the globe. The industrialists urged their administration to acknowledge colonization of Africa so as to secure markets for their modern goods.With the initial f these business sectors, monetary administrations turned into an inexorably significant segment of the British economy. European nations had the option to force their will on African nations by utilizing tech oenology. Steam motors, railways and broadcasts made them ready to infiltrate profound into Africa and still have contact with the nation of origin. They likewise had automatic rifles most prominent weapons around then. Moreover, the creation of quinine pushed them to against jungle fever, which struck Europeans. They were additionally helped by the absence Of understanding among African People.As an aftereffect of European colonization, there were a great deal of ramifications for African individuals. The African individuals lost their past wonders in light of the exercises of the outsiders who needed to become bosses of all that they overview. The example of exchange among Africans and Europeans didn't urge the Africans to create in light of the fact that the African assets were taken to create ventures in Europe instead of in Africa. In addition, the impact of the slave exchange was that it made the entire African landmass by and large unsafe.However, the most harming impact of European contact with Africa was the incredible misfortune in populace. It was about more than 30 million Africans were diverted as captives to America. This does exclude the few millions who passed on in the exploitative work.

Modern American Government Example

Modern American Government Example Modern American Government â€" Essay Example > Question: What Factors Best Explain Why Americans Vote as They Do? ReplyJust like other democratic societies, election results in the United States often change dramatically. A landslide victory for one party may be followed by a lopsided victory for another party in the following election. Election changes in the United States can be categorized into two classes: short-term and long-term changes. Short-term election changes are related to fluctuations in factors that are related to an election such as the condition of the economy or the qualities of the candidates. Short-term factors can be strongly favorable to the Democrats in one election, moderately favorable to the Republicans in another election and evenly divided in the subsequent election. Long-term shifts in election results are related to shifts in basic loyalties which last beyond a particular election period. The most critical long-term election changes occur when there are realignments in party systems. Realignments of American party systems occur infrequently and are substantial enough to cause fundamental changes in voting patterns. For instance, the New Deal Realignment of the 1930s fundamentally reshaped the country’s political system and today, some of the ideological differences between parties can be traced to the New Deal Realignment. The most interesting issue in the United States elections is not who wins but how the people voted and what the implications of the election results are. Voters in the United States have developed a complex voting trend incorporating a number of social and attitudinal factors. The main attitudinal factors that have over the years influenced voting patterns include evaluation of government performance, personal characteristics of candidates, party identification, orientation of policy issues and ideologies. On the social perspective, religion, race, social class, gender and marital status are among the most important factors that have influenced voting patterns over the years. Ideally, evaluation of candidate characteristics and government policies are short-term forces capable of effecting substantial shifts from one election period to another. On the other hand, ideology and party identification are stable in the short terms. In fact, many American voters have shown the tendency to shift party identifications during elections. While some critical issues in presidential elections change over time, a number of important basic policy issues such as social welfare programs and defense spending remain pertinent and stretch over several election periods and have far reaching ramifications on voting patterns. The issue of race is an important social factor that has traditionally shaped voting patterns in the United States. The Democratic Party has historically been associated with efforts to advance the civil rights cause, especially under the leadership of Lyndon Johnson. Naturally, the Democrats have had a wide following among Afric an Americans and other minority groups in the United States. The presidency of Johnson is credited with successfully sponsoring three civil rights acts in the Congress. The bills granted various rights to the minority groups especially the Blacks which were hitherto prohibited. In 2008, Barrack Obama became the first Black American to win presidency in the history of the United States. Obama received a huge support from the Blacks partly because racial background. Although the number of Blacks who vote is small compared to the numerically larger white population, a large proportion of the Blacks live in regions that are election targets for both Republicans and Democrats such as California and Florida. Historical results show that majority of blacks vote for the Democrats regardless of the party’s success or candidate’s qualities. In contrast, the White voters in Southern states are historically more inclined to vote for the Republican Party because the party is not associated with the civil rights movement.

Handling Stress Essay - 2056 Words

Handling Stress This essay is about handling the stress of University studies. We will be looking into many ideas and different people ¹s views on how to handle stress. I will also be giving my own opinions on how I think stress can be controlled or relieved. The first thing we must do is ask ourselves one very important question,  ³what is stress ²? WHAT IS STRESS? According to an Australian born physician, Hans Selye (1979), stress is the nonspecific response of the body to any demand made upon it. The body responds in many ways. One is to the loss of blood and the other is to the lack of sleep. Both of these are nonspecific responses, however all demands made on the body evoke generalised, nonspecific responses. For example, they all†¦show more content†¦This group of students were placed in stress management sessions. These sessions included overall stress assessment, assertiveness training, time management, exploration of stressful thoughts or belief systems, and life-style and stress reducers. The main focus of these sessions were: a) how to manage stress by using things other than food and b) how to apply stress management principles to the amount of food you take in. The majority of these students found better ways to manage or control their stress by using more healthful outlets, such as walking or taking up a sport. During the last twenty years disease prevention and health promotion have been found to be related to the development of healthy life-style behaviour and the management of stress. The course entitled  ³ Psychology and the Management of Stress: Theory and Application ² (Personnel and Guidance Journal), has been set up to: a) acquaint students with theory and research related to stress management techniques b) to provide guidance and information about diet, physical exercise, and other matters of a healthy life-style and c) to provide an opportunity for students to learn and practice how to apply stress management to their present lives. Each Handling Stress # course is developed around four dimensions. Two of these are,  ³the influences of diet, physical exercise, and alcohol, drug, and cigarette use on stress and physical health ², andShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Low Back Pain1591 Words   |  7 Pagesexperts look to solve the nursing shortage problem. Project Back to Back is one initiative aimed at addressing this issue. It seeks to reduce the prevalence of low back pain experienced by nurses by introducing continual training in proper patient handling and Dru yoga classes to nurses working in the hospital facilities that are a part of the Mount Sinai Hospital System. In the United States, low back pain is singled out as the most common reason for time lost at work after the common cold, theRead MoreStress And Stress Related Stress1224 Words   |  5 PagesStress is a common problem in modern day life today. It is a basic thing of everyday life and there is no way to completely escape it. Most people associate stress with a negative situations; however, whether the stress related problem is negative or positive, the important key is how you respond to it. People experience stress in many different ways. Because stress has negative effects, it will usually manifest itself it one way or another. Stress is not avoidable but it can be managed withRead MoreCoping With Stress Essay1454 Words   |  6 Pagespeople have stress and they find ways to cope. Stress is a person’s feeling that is created by our body when there is certain event that can cause tension to strain upon our physical, mental, and emotional state. Stress can be caused by being in college, the tests, homework, clinicals and state boards can have an overwhelming amount of pressure. Stress can be physical and mental strain on our body, this can be very harmful. The tragic loss of a loved one can cause tremendous amount of stress. LearningRead MorePositive or Negative Impact of Stress on Students775 Words   |  3 PagesFirth- Cozens, 2001) Stress can have a negative or positive impact on a student but it all depends on how they perceive it. An individual’s response to stress is determined by whether they see it as a challenge or a threat. This determines whether a person will take an active or avoidant or active strategies to cope with a situation. The way in which a student perceives academic stress will determine how they cope with it. It has been proven that some level of stress can be adaptive even consideredRead MoreThe Effects Of Stress On Our Mental And Physical Health926 Words   |  4 Pageswe learned in class, stress is any force that changes the body’s natural state, known as homeostasis. Stress does not always have to be viewed as a bad thing. For example, stress can motivate someone to study for an exam or plan ahead in his or her agenda to stay organized. Its only when stress manifest out of control and is not addressed properly that it can have very negative effects on both our mental and physical health. Reflecting on the document we watched in class, Stress: Portrait of a KillerRead MoreThe Effects Of Stress On College Students And Cognitive Processing906 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Stress is a nonspecific response of the human organism to any demand make upon it. It can influence the way we perform on tests and homework and how we act at home or work. There are different types of stress that can occur in the body. Acute stress is the body’s response to imminent danger. This short-term stress usually occurs when we are told we will have a quiz or have to give a speech in class. Chronic stress is a prolonged physical or emotional stress. This can cause damage toRead MoreHow Work Related Stress Is A Growing Problem Around The World Essay1215 Words   |  5 PagesPART A Understanding Workplace Stress Work-related stress is a growing problem around the world that affects not only the health and well-being of employees, but also the productivity of organizations. Work-related stress arises where work demands of various types and combinations exceed the person’s capacity and capability to cope. Work-related stress is the second most common compensated illness after musculoskeletal disorders. Emotions are physiological, behavioral, and psychological episodesRead MoreEssay on The Breakdown of Mental Health and Stability1611 Words   |  7 Pagessociety and the stress level of the average individual. Another question to ask is what exactly is the role stress plays in an individuals overall health, both physically and mentally? Could it be a key factor in this sudden uprising of mental ailments and the loss of many peoples emotional and mental balance and stability? There are numerous studies linking stress with a multitude of health problems, many with a neurobiological connection. One of the biggest things stress takes its tollRead MoreThe Effects Of Stress On Our Lives Essay1467 Words   |  6 PagesStress is not what happens to us. It s our response TO what happens. And RESPONSE is something we can choose. - Maureen Killoran We live in a world of uncertainty and there s no escaping this fact. Trying to balance the excess stress in our lives at times might seem like an impossible task, but it is achievable. We all suffer from excess stress at some stage in our lives. And I say suffer, because the symptoms of excess stress can provoke very unpleasant feelings and emotions. Most of us haveRead MoreThe Effects Of Stress On The World1718 Words   |  7 Pages On the topic of stress, research has widened eyes on the issues of stress because stress is related to how many hours one is spending away from family or friends. In America, it was customary that people work long hours. â€Å"In the U.S., 85.8 percent of males and 66.5 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week†(G.E. Miller). But for many Americans, more work leads to more stress and a lower quality of life. This amount of stress is not only known to the United States of America, it is actually

How Drinking Bleach Can Kill You

Household bleach has many uses. Its good for removing stains and disinfecting surfaces. Adding bleach to water is an effective way to make it safe to use as drinking water. However, theres a reason there is a poison symbol on bleach containers and a warning to keep them away from children and pets. Drinking undiluted bleach can kill you. What Is in Bleach? Ordinary household bleach sold in gallon jugs (e.g., Clorox)  is 5.25% sodium hypochlorite in water. Additional chemicals may be added, especially if the bleach is scented. Some formulations of bleach are sold containing a lower concentration of sodium hypochlorite. Additionally, there are other types of bleaching agents. Bleach has a shelf life, so the exact amount of sodium hypochlorite depends largely on how old the product is and whether it has been opened and sealed properly. Because bleach is so reactive, it undergoes a chemical reaction with air, so the concentration of sodium hypochlorite goes down over time. What Happens If You Drink Bleach Sodium hypochlorite removes stains and disinfects because it is an oxidizing agent. If you inhale the vapors or ingest bleach, it oxidizes your tissues. Mild exposure from inhalation can result in stinging eyes,  a burning throat, and coughing. Because it is corrosive, touching bleach can cause chemical burns on your hands unless you wash it off immediately. If you drink bleach, it oxidizes or burns tissues in your mouth, esophagus, and stomach. According to the National Institutes of Health, it can cause nausea, chest pain, lowered blood pressure, delirium, coma, and potentially death. What Should You Do If Someone Drinks Bleach? If you suspect someone has ingested bleach, contact Poison Control immediately. One possible effect from drinking bleach is vomiting, but it is not advisable to induce vomiting because this can cause additional irritation and damage to tissue and may put the person at risk of aspirating bleach into the lungs. First aid typically includes giving the affected person water or milk to dilute the chemical. Note that highly diluted bleach can be another matter entirely. It is common practice to add a small amount of bleach to water to make it potable. The concentration is enough that the water has a slight chlorine (swimming pool) smell and taste and it may lead to a slightly upset stomach, but it should not cause burning or difficulty swallowing. If it does, the concentration of bleach very likely is too high. Avoid adding bleach to water that contains acids, such as vinegar. The reaction between bleach and vinegar, even in a diluted solution, releases irritating and potentially dangerous chlorine and chloramine vapors. If immediate first aid is administered, most people recover from drinking bleach (sodium hypochlorite poisoning). However, the risk of chemical burns, permanent damage, and even death are present. How Much Bleach Is Okay to Drink? According to the U.S. EPA, drinking water should contain no more than 4 ppm (parts per million) chlorine. Municipal water supplies commonly deliver between 0.2 and 0.5 ppm chlorine. When bleach is added to water for emergency disinfection, it is highly diluted. Suggested dilution ranges from the Centers for Disease Control are 8 drops of bleach per gallon of clear water up to 16 drops per gallon of cloudy water. Can You Drink Bleach to Pass a Drug Test? There are all kinds of rumors about ways you can beat a drug test. Obviously, the easiest way to pass the test is to avoid taking drugs in the first place, but thats not going to be much help if youve already taken something and are facing a test. Clorox  says their bleach contains water, sodium hypochlorite,  sodium chloride,  sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, and sodium polyacrylate. They also make scented products that include fragrances. Bleach also contains small amounts of impurities, which arent a big deal when youre using the product for disinfection or cleaning  but could prove  toxic if ingested.  None of these ingredients binds to drugs or their metabolites or inactivates them such that you would test negative on a drug test. Bottom Line: Drinking bleach wont help you pass a drug test and may make you sick or dead.

Torstar Case Report Free Essays

Group-based case report Torstar Corporation BUSN81 Theory of Corporate Finance 2011 Autumn 1. Introduction The case of Torstar Corporation suggests the plan and result of repurchasing its Class B shares in December of 1997. Besides this, the situation of its business structure, capital structure and expenditures, future plan are also described in the case. We will write a custom essay sample on Torstar Case Report or any similar topic only for you Order Now Therefore, the purpose of our case study is to state, analyze and drew to some important conclusions about Torstar Corporation, and try to estimate its power to compete with a new national newspaper. . Background Torstar Corporation was incorporated on February 6, 1958 and published Canada’s largest newspaper Toronto Star. It had two main rivals which are Sun Media Corp. and the Globe and Mail. One launching second national newspaper by Southam Inc. would also be one competitor of The Star. Since 1975, by acquisition of domestic and international book publishing and supplementary educational products, Torstar found its three major business, newspapers, book publishing and supplementary education. After the acquisition of Troll in fiscal 1997, it also has one 3-year-time plan to acquire more companies which fit with its core business at the reasonable price. As of March 31, 1998, Torstar share structure included 5 million Class A voting shares and 34 million Class B non-voting shares. Since they believed prevailing Class B stocks were undervalued, they began to repurchase it back from December 17, 1997. In 1997 the debt-to-total-asset ratio was 18%, and management believed that 30% was more appropriate. Actually they also suppose that they could carry a 50% debt-to-total-asset ratio if they had a suitable strategic acquisition. Therefore, based on this background, we will analysis the effects of repurchasing stocks of Torstar, the advantages and disadvantages of its leverage ratio and its ways to investment. Then by adding some assumptions, one prediction of Torstar’s power to compete with new launching rival is possible. 3. Analysis 4. 1 Overview of Cash Flow, debt, Operating Situation and Income The company was doing well so far, until 1997. The cash flow, operating situation and the income were all healthy. We can conclude that from the Balance-Sheet the company had adequate cash  flow, exhibit 3 shows that the operating cash flow kept increasing from 1995 to 1997 with the free cash flow, this was enough cash for Torstar facing with some possible risky. The only problem is that how to stop the continued increasing free cash flow since too much cash means increasing costs of keeping cash and decreasing market value of cash. The amount about $50,000 would be a good expectation. The three main business of newspaper, book and supplementary education were operated well, they had sustainable increasing revenue and stable expenditure, so the profit was increasing positively after 1993 acquiring the business of supplementary education, especially in 1997, it got a rapid increasing of net income. See the return of equity below, it shows a well increasing on return of investors. (Base on Net Income over Total Equity) The debt ratio was a little bit low as our analysis, it had space to increase. But how? Increasing dividend payment or repurchase in the open market? We analyzed these two possible ways below. 3. 2 Dividend policy Torstar Corporation has a stable dividend policy recent years which was to pay out 30 to 35 percent of the previous year’s operating cash flows. Cash dividend was paid regular quarterly which was keeping $0. 26 per share in 1997. Dividend empirically decreased in the propensity of firms due to its benefits are not attractive than repurchase, but it is still important for management. Advantage of payout dividends * Dividends may appeal to investors who desire stable cash flow but do not want to incur transactions cost from periodically selling share of stocks * On behalf of stockholders, paying dividends can keep cash from investors * Dividends can be used to reduce agency cost of managerial discretion * Managers may increase dividends to signal optimism concerning future cash flow * Disadvantage of payout dividends * Dividends are double taxed * Dividends can reduce internal sources of financing. Dividends may force the firm to forgo positive NPV projects or to reply on costly external equity financing * Firms often view dividends as a commitment to their stockholders and quite hesitant to reduce an existing dividends. Once established, dividend cuts would adversely affect the firm’s stock price as a negative signal As illustrated by Torstar, a stable cash flow in paying dividends implied a well operating status. The sale of Hebdo provided additional financial flexibility in 1997, free cash flow increased rapidly as can be seen in Appendix. An extra or special cash dividend and share repurchase are two choices to payout adequate cash. Special dividend is expressly not intended to be a recurring event, but as mentioned above, paying dividends with the tax drawback and may produce a negative signal when fluctuating. So keeping the stable payout ratio was a better choice for Torstar. 3. 3 Repurchase Compared with dividend payout, shares repurchase have the listed effects on Torstar Corp, * Send a costly signal to investors that stock of Torstar is a good investment. Recent investments seem to cause side-effect on investor’s confidence about the company. As mentioned in the article, institutional investors treat Torstar as a ‘pure play’ investment into the area of newspaper and book publisher. But from year 1995 to 1997, acquisitions into children’s supplementary education products are viewed as not favorable. They hope Torstar Corporation can continue the historical expansion of the newspaper and book division. In order to mitigate the side-effect caused by recent investment. Repurchase would result in fewer shares outstanding and thus higher equity value per share which leads to a better performance of the stock. It also sends a signal to the market that the management believes the stock is undervalued. The price of the stock would go up. As a result of the repurchase sends a strong signal to the investors. The signal is costly as a repurchase would use up corporate cash and hard to mimic. * Increase the EPS which shows great confidence of future performance Repurchase would decrease the number of shares outstanding which leads to directly change of EPS of the Torstar Corporation. In the interim financial statements, the EPS shows great improvements after the repurchase. (Show in Figure 1) Figure 1 EPS change in 1997 * Availability of excess cash from operations By checking the interim financial statements, cash provided by operating activities of Torstar Corporation face an increase in the year 1997, from 25. 6 million to 130 million dollars. The retained cash from operation activities is too much as the normal on-going capital expenditures was expected to be 25 million to 30 million dollars. Additionally, Capital cycle in the publishing industry is approximately six years and Torstar Corporation has recently modernized its plant. There’s no major capital expenditures were forecast for the near future. Thus, excess cash should be paid out. By checking the retained cash in the Quarter 1, 2008, the operating cash is 27. 97 million dollar. It is sufficient for on-going capital expenditure. (shown in figure 2) Reduction in excess cash would reduce the agency cost of managerial discretion as the manager has fewer resources to pursuing consuming perks. Figure 2 Cash provided by operating activities Compared with the dividends payout, repurchase is tax efficient as dividends is taxable. Compared with dividends payout, repurchase avoid price drop results from dividend issuance. Institutional investors are happy when the performance of the stock is good. High price shows the strong performance of the stock. * Optimize capital structure. Torstar’s long-term debt outstanding was reduced from 321 million in 1996 to 197 million in 1997 result in a debt-to-total assets ratio of percent. While the management believed that a 30 percent target debt-to-assets ratio was more appropriate. Too less debt may cause the loss of tax shield and influence the value of the firm. While at this level of debt-to-assets ratio, the risk is still acceptable. Torstar Corporation still has excess debt capacity for future capital expansion. Thus repurchase can decrease the shares outstanding, and also decrease the value of assets. It would push up the debt-to-assets ratio to the appropriate level. By using the interim financial statements, we get the trend of debt-to-assets ratio. In December 31 1997, the decrease of debt-to-assets ratio is mainly a result of the long-term debt decreasing from 510. 007 million to 197. 322 million dollars. And in March 31 1998, the increase in debt-to-assets ratio is a result of repurchasing shares (decreasing in value of total assets). 4. Conclusion After analyzing, we all agree with the activity the Torstar hold, stock repurchasing transfer a strong and credible signaling to the market that the company is in a good situation and will do better in the future, the debt ratio increases and the market value will also goes up. We estimate that Torstar will keep increasing in the next financial year. 5. Appendix Cash Flow Analysis (CDN$000) | 1995| 1996| 1997| operating cash flow| 78. 3| 102. 9| 130. 0| dividends| 30. 9| 35. 1| 40. 3| Capital expenses| 20. 3| 29. 8| 26. 6| free cash flow| 27. 2| 38. 0| 63. 1| Dividends | 1st Q 1997| 2nd Q 1997| 3rd Q 1997| 4th Q 1997| Dividends($000)| 10120| 9965| 10080| 10095| Average shares| 39151| 39107| 39060| 39044| Dividends per share| $0. 26| $0. 26| $0. 26| $0. 26| How to cite Torstar Case Report, Papers

Investment Policy

Questions: Investment policy:Firstly give a general outline of the investment style of your team, including your attitude to risk, the ways you will manage risk as well as any financial targets you have. Secondly explain the theories that you will use to select individual stocks to buy or sell. This is may include fundamental analysis, technical analysis as well as portfolio and risk management theory. It is expected that you will refer to books and a range of other sources for this information, please ensure you use Harvard referencing for this.Asset selection: This will include how you analysed and selected particular stocks or other assets to trade. Relevant financial and other details about these companies should be included to justify your trading, (randomly selecting shares will not gain marks). It is also important that you are consistent with the general principles set out in your investment policy, for example if you state that your investment policy is low risk but you select only high risk shares this would not make sense.This section should also refer to and link to the record you keep of your trading meetings that are included in the appendices.Performance review: Discus s whether the trading went according to what you expected or hoped for and any possible reasons why it did not happen as you expected. (Note that trading rarely goes to plan so do not be disappointed if this happens but try to identify why it went wrong). Answers: Executive summary: There are some of the investment policies that entail a shorter term of profits while then there are some that entail profits that extend to a longer term. The first step in investing is to assess the individual requirements for cash, competence to undertake the risks that are involved and assess the returns that an investor is expecting. The following are some of the investment options that an investor can undertake: (Maps of India, 2015) For the purposes of the short term investments, the following are the investment options that could be undertaken: Online savings accounts Certificate of deposits and money market accounts For the purposes of the long term investments, the following are few of the options: Managed mutual funds Index funds Exchange traded funds (US news, 2015) The following is the investment policy framework: (Invest climate, 2015) The team would like to undertake the investments with the return of up to 20% and risk of 10%. The investment policy: The team wants to invest $10, 00,000 and would invest in the following: Mutual funds Shares of Mc Donalds The funds have been selected due to the following reasons: One can earn money from the following: Payments from the dividends and interest on the securities in the portfolio Amount received from the selling of the shares and earning capital gains on the same. The prices of the securities can increase and when any fund sells its security in price, the fund earns a capital gain on it. In the end of the year, the capital gains arise to the investors. The net assets value is increased and the expenses and the liabilities are deducted from the same. The higher net asset value gives a higher value to the investment, when it comes to payment of dividend and the distributions of the capital gains, one could have the dividends and the distributions are re-invested in the fund in order to buy more number of shares. (SEC, 2015) The following are the reasons to invest in the shares: 1. The UK market is currently yielding the return of 4.5pc and the shares are considered to be the attractive source of an investment when compared with the other income producing assets. This is especially given the inherent potential for the capital appreciation. 2. There is a growing income especially in the sectors like the utilities that could offer the investors the robust and the reliable stream of income. There are many small and medium sized companies that have a fair and a healthy dividend to invest and there is a potentiality of growth. 3. Overseas potential: the dividends is a predominantly a phenomenon whereby the cash is returned to the shareholders. Cash is given to the investors in return to their investment. 4. Once the shares are purchased, it becomes easier to invest in the world. An investor has the potential to gain an exposure in the fast growing areas, sectors, companies irrespective of the locations. 5. The ownership from the shares allows one to take the stakes in the companies in the new and the exciting industries and the areas from those that experience the rapid amount of changes. The property and the investment in the bonds allows one to participate in the growth of the usage of the mobile phones and the development of the market economies or the magnetic growth of an investment. 6. Real growth: the shares never expire or never mature, they are very different from the fixed income investments. The shares offers an access to the real growth of an asset and allows to participate in the company as it develops and grows. 7. The portfolio has to be reviewed on the regular basis so as to know that whether the shares need the maintenance or not. This is in contrary to the investment in the property, wherein the ongoing effort is necessary in order to maintain the value of the existing capital and the future returns. 8. The slower economic growth entails slower growth in the dividends since the profits grow at a slower rate. The good new here is that the bad news is always reflected in the price with the banks cutting back on its dividends. (Telegraph, 2015) The performance: Investment in Mc Donalds: The following is the formula for the calculation of return and the price of the share. When we calculate the return of the investors, we get 3.67%. This shows that the company is giving a good return to the shareholders. The following table shows the risk and return on the shares along with the Sharpe ratio: Date Close Dividends Holding period return 02-01-2015 92.44 -1.73 -1.84% 02-01-2014 94.17 0.81 -0.31 -0.33% 02-01-2013 95.29 0.77 -2.99 -3.02% 03-01-2012 99.05 0.7 26.08 35.40% 03-01-2011 73.67 0.61 11.85 18.98% 04-01-2010 62.43 0.55 4.96 8.55% 02-01-2009 58.02 0.5 4.41 8.15% 04-02-2008 54.11 0.375 54.485 std deviation 17.463467 return 3.68% 3.68 Risk free return 2.50% 2.5 Sharp index Expected return-risk free rate of return/standard deviation 0.0675696 Date Dividends 26-11-2014 0.85 0.146123128 Point to point 28-08-2014 0.81 29-05-2014 0.81 1.000315506 27-02-2014 0.81 0% compound using regression 27-11-2013 0.81 29-08-2013 0.77 D1 = 3.4 30-05-2013 0.77 P0 = 92.44 27-02-2013 0.77 r = 3.6780614452617900% 29-11-2012 0.77 dividend yield = 0.036780614 30-08-2012 0.7 31-05-2012 0.7 28-02-2012 0.7 29-11-2011 0.7 30-08-2011 0.61 27-05-2011 0.61 25-02-2011 0.61 29-11-2010 0.61 30-08-2010 0.55 27-05-2010 0.55 25-02-2010 0.55 27-11-2009 0.55 28-08-2009 0.5 04-06-2009 0.5 26-02-2009 0.5 26-11-2008 0.5 28-08-2008 0.375 05-06-2008 0.375 28-02-2008 0.375 (Yahoo finance, 2015) Investment in T. Rowe Price Diversified Small Cap Growth Fund: Volatility Measurements The volatility measures the uncertainty or the risk of change in the value of the security. Standard Deviation 12.55 Mean 1.67 Sharpe Ratio 1.59 Bear Market Decile Rank 37 (Money, US news, 2015) The following shows the calculations in respect of the excess returns of the fund and the benchmarks in the returns. The same are based on the returns of the month. Standard Index SP 500 TR USD Best Fit Index Morningstar Small Growth TR USD R-Squared 72.43 94.91 Beta 1.17 0.93 Alpha -2.41 3.34 Hypothetical Growth of $10,000 The following are the trailing returns: Total Return% + / - SP 500 TR USD + / - Russell 2000 Growth TR USD %Rank Year-to-date 6.38 -7.31 0.77 17 1-Month 1.12 1.37 -1.85 77 3-Month 6.76 1.83 -3.30 72 6-Month 3.64 -2.48 0.33 23 1-Year 6.38 -7.31 0.77 17 3-Year (Annualized) 21.07 0.65 0.93 16 5-Year (Annualized) 19.19 3.74 2.39 5 10-Year (Annualized) 10.20 2.52 1.66 5 (US News, 2015) Reasons for not getting the expected results: The following are the reasons for not getting the expected returns: Volatility risk: The prices of the shares fluctuate over time. Any stock that is trading at $40 may drop at $2 after a few months. And could end up at $100 by the end of the year. But the investor panics the moment the share price drops. It is very difficult to predict the price movement of the share and to know with surety whether the price will increase or decrease over the time. The risk of volatility will reduce if the investor keeps on investing with the long term perspective. Then there are some factors that have the following types of issues: Competition Changes in the technologies Difficulty in obtaining loans Changes in the regulations Increase in the cost of the materials and the labour Fraud or illegal business procedures Negative changes in the economy Rumours about the company etc. These are some of the factors that affect the price of the stocks of the company. (Mass resources, 2015) Conclusion: In the nutshell, the following is the risk and the returns form the investment: Shares Mutual funds Monthly Return 3.68% 6.38 3.2084 0.267367 Risk 17.46347 12.55 15.00673 1.250561 It would be right to say that the return was very less when compared with the return but with the initial amount of an investment, this was safe to play. References Business.mapsofindia.com, (2015). Top 10 Investment Options in India. [online] Available at: https://business.mapsofindia.com/investment-industry/top-10-investment-options.html [Accessed 1 Feb. 2015]. In.finance.yahoo.com, (2015). MCD Historical Prices | McDonald's Corporation Common S Stock - Yahoo! India Finance. [online] Available at: https://in.finance.yahoo.com/q/hp?s=MCDa=01b=2c=2008d=01e=1f=2015g=v [Accessed 1 Feb. 2015]. Massresources.org, (2015). Investing Money: Risks of Investing in Stocks. [online] Available at: https://www.massresources.org/investing-stocks-risks.html [Accessed 1 Feb. 2015]. Money.usnews.com, (2015). T. Rowe Price Diversified Small Cap Growth Fund (PRDSX) Performance | US News Best Mutual Funds. [online] Available at: https://money.usnews.com/funds/mutual-funds/small-growth/t.-rowe-price-diversified-small-cap-growth-fund/prdsx/performance [Accessed 1 Feb. 2015]. Money.usnews.com, (2015). T. Rowe Price Diversified Small Cap Growth Fund (PRDSX) Risk | US News Best Mutual Funds. [online] Available at: https://money.usnews.com/funds/mutual-funds/small-growth/t.-rowe-price-diversified-small-cap-growth-fund/prdsx/risk [Accessed 1 Feb. 2015]. Steinberg, S. (2014). The Best Ways to Invest $5,000 - US News. [online] US News World Report. Available at: https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/investing/articles/2014/04/10/the-best-ways-to-invest-5-000?page=2 [Accessed 1 Feb. 2015]. Telegraph.co.uk, (2009). 10 reasons to buy shares - Telegraph. [online] Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/5787455/10-reasons-to-buy-shares.html [Accessed 1 Feb. 2015]. Wbginvestmentclimate.org, (2015). Investment Policy. [online] Available at: https://www.wbginvestmentclimate.org/advisory-services/international-trade/investment-policy/ [Accessed 1 Feb. 2015]. www.sec.gov, (2015). Mutual Funds A Guide for Investors. [online] Available at: https://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/sec-guide-to-mutual-funds.pdf [Accessed 1 Feb. 2015].

Sex Offenders Essay Example Essay Example

Sex Offenders Essay Example Paper Sex Offenders Essay Introduction Fear is the natural human emotion, the one that gives men the opportunity to retrieve when they feel they are in danger and that keeps people from the unreasonable actions. But it’s well known that when fear becomes constant it ruins the human’s personality, and deprives him/her of the chance for happy living. Fear for the physical safety of the person himself or herself, or of her relatives and friends is one of the worst kinds of fear, as most of the contemporary people feel themselves helpless and unprotected from the person who wants to hurt them physically.For lots of people sexual offence is the worst kind of physical offence, as it is still considered to be somehow â€Å"shameful† in our society. Sexual offence is a topic most people are afraid and ashamed to talk about with their friends and family, not even mentioning the officials or the specialists able of helping them. This is maybe the reason for which sexual offenders are despised in all of the comm unities worldwide.The scientists, psychologists, social workers and medical workers express various opinions on the punishment, which should be laid on sex offenders. They offer the variety of alternatives, beginning from psychological treatment and ending with paroling and chemical castration. But the recent experience shows that all of those methods are insufficient, as they do not influence the rate of repeated crimes after the molesters are let out. The thing is that sadism, masochism and pedophilia, from which the sex offenders almost always suffer, are sexual disorders which are very hard to treat, and Zigmund Freud emphasized they was incurable. The only way to indemnify our relatives, friends and ourselves from those people, is to lock them somewhere, for not to let them see the objects of their lust.Katy Butler says in her article Beyond the Bogeyman in Psychotherapy Networker, that: â€Å"The Social Organization of Sexuality–the landmark 1994 study of American sexu al practices spearheaded by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) and University of Chicago professor Edward Laumann–found that 17 percent of its adult female informants and 12 percent of its male informants said they’d been touched sexually (90 percent genitally) by at least one adult before they turned 14.† It means that at least 23.8 million adult American women and 16.7 million men were sexually abused as children. Karen Crummy in her article in Boston Herald says that the study conducted in May 2000 proved that over half of the sexual assault crimes are against children, and the majority of the wrongdoers are the members of the kid’s family or people close to the familyLets compare this number to that of the registered child molesters. For example, in Idaho there were 2,562 registered sex offenders in 2005. (Worst Molesters Unsupervised. After prison, Idaho’s violent sex, Spokesman Review, The (Spokane), 2005). Even if we presume that one molester is capable of hurting dozens of children throughout his lifetime, the difference in number still shows us that only a small part of child molesters are caught and registered.The same thing is with the sex offenders whose sexual objects are grown-ups. For example, the rape victimization rate was 3,0 per one thousand, and for man this rate was 0,4. Moreover, 68,9% of rapists were at least acquainted with their victim (Rape Figures, 2000). Thus, as you see, no one may feel himself or herself safe in our times, as the number of sex offenders is great, and so is the risk to become the offender’s victim. Unfortunately, this is the current U.S ineffective policies concerning sex offenders, which let the sex offences rate stay so high.Registering the sex offenders is one of the ways that exist nowadays for to let people protect themselves and their kids from the sex offenders. Unfortunately lots of sex offenders manage to stay out of the lists. The thing is that in most sta tes a person is not required to register unless he or she was convicted in sex offence. In the same time the jurists say that molesting, especially in case children are the victims, is one of the hardest crimes to prove. The prosecutors often fail to prove molestation due to the lack of physical evidence. The only things the court usually has to lean upon are the evidence of the victim, which are often bizarre and muddled, as the psychic of the child supersedes the memories about the traumatizing experience. One more significant factor is that the atmosphere of the court is also traumatizing for the child, and in most cases the parent is not allowed to sit near the child who’s witnessing. Thus the child molesters often manage to get off light and are let out to our streets where they can search for new victims.Tim Bynum, the author of the Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM) wrote: â€Å"For a variety of reasons, sexual assault is a vastly underreported crime. The Natio nal Crime Victimization Surveys (Bureau of Justice Statistics) conducted in 1994, 1995, and 1998 indicate that only 32 percent (one out of three) of sexual assaults against persons 12 or older are reported to law enforcement. A three-year longitudinal study (Kilpatrick, Edmunds, and Seymour, 1992) of 4,008 adult women found that 84 percent of respondents who identified themselves as rape victims did not report the crime to authorities.†The statistics says that most sexual crimes against children are committed inside the family. The other members often choose not to let anyone know about the molestation and sexual abuse which’s happening inside the family, as they are afraid of public attention and disgrace. It often happens in such families that the child is blamed for the things that happened with him or her, like in the case that was investigated in Milwaukee in 1999. The 13-year old girl was assaulted by her step-father, but when he was let out on bail it was she who was sent out of home to live with another relative, as the molester was forbidden to see his victim. A man returned home, to where his wife, the girl’s mother together with their mutual child awaited him. † The child has been further victimized by her family, who have told her she is to blame,† Assistant District Attorney Holly Bunch said. â€Å"She’s the one who is out of the house, not the defendant. The victim’s mother has chosen him over her daughter.†The most recent news about sex offenders’ registration is that â€Å"Authorities have no idea where most of the 4,500 registered sex offenders who fled Louisiana and Mississippi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina ended up.† (Lost sex offenders land here, 2005). Only a small part of them was found, thus for now we have to watch closely, as any person who fled from Katrina could be a potential sex offender.Sex offenders are a specific group of criminals for whom the normal expectat ions and principles cannot be applied. The thing is that most of the sex offenders, especially those who prefer children, are unhealthy individuals who are unable to control their sexual urges and desires. Over the decades the psychologists tried to find out what make some people choose children as the sexual objects. The author of the article Settling the Child Molesters in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (2003) claims that â€Å"some sexual predilections — and pedophilia is one of them — are everpresent.† This viewpoint seems to be the sound one, as it’s known that in spite of all of the treatment the offenders get, the rate of the re-offence doesn’t lower. The attraction to kids is a sexual disorder, the one that is still incurable in our times, at least the serious cases of it. Child molesters are simply the deranged individuals who cannot control their sexual emotions towards children. They have the normal sexual urge, but it is the object of t his urge which is not normal. Despite of all the measures taken for to help them change this object, or to limit their access to children, the pedophiles will make everything they can for to get the contact with children.Dennis M. Doren in his book Evaluating Sex Offenders writes that at the first sight those are people who do not differ from the ordinary citizens; it is often unbelievable that they could commit crimes. But, in the same time, those people are often very intelligent and highly manipulative; they try to apply the techniques they used on their victim on the counselors and the prison staff.Prentky, Lee, Knight, and Cerce (1997) found that the rate of repeated offence during 25 years was 39% for rapists and 52% for child molesters. Thus, we can see that the offenders repeated their crimes very frequently, so that the citizens should be given an opportunity to receive information about them for to protect themselves and their loved ones from the sexual offence. For to rea ch this goal tougher legislation is needed which will make the offenders to provide their address to the local legislation establishments as soon, as they move. Also all the offenders should be photographed once in five or seven years and their photos should be updated in the databases, accessible by the public.Some social activists say that exposing the data about sex offenders to the public is violating their privacy. It is true that when the neighbors get to know that the person who lives nearby is a sex offender they may hurt him physically or emotionally, but it is obvious that the safety of the potential offenders’ and molesters’ victims is of greater importance than the supposed psychological problems of the sex offenders whose dislocation and records are exposed to the public.One of the problems that exist with the sex offenders’ databases today is that they can mostly be accessed through the Web. The thing is that there are lots of people who are unable to use the Internet, whether because they don’t have the access or because it is too complicated for them. The information about the child molesters and other sex offenders should be provided in other ways, such as by phone or in some booklets.As you see, the situation that exists in our society regarding the sex offenders is complicated. Lots of things should be done for to make them less dangerous for the citizens, like making their personal records accessible to the public and warning people of the sex offenders living nearby. Our streets should be safe to walk by, and every person regardless of the sex, are or gender should feel himself/herself protected. Sex Offenders Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

Derecho and Derecha, Two Confusing Spanish Words

Derecho and Derecha, Two Confusing Spanish Words Two easily confused Spanish words are derecho and derecha. Both are distant cousins of the English words right and direct, and that is the source of the confusion: Depending on the context and usage, these words can carry meanings such as right (the opposite of left), right (entitlement), straight, upright and directly. ‘Derecho’ and ‘Derecha’ Explained These words are easiest to understand as nouns: El derecho is never a term of direction and is used to refer to something that is due a person according to law, moral principle or custom - in other words, a right. When used in the plural, it typically means rights such as in the phrase derechos humanos, human rights. It can also refer to a type of right that is less abstract. For example, derechos del autor (literally, authors rights) refers to royalties.La derecha refers to something that is on the right (opposite of left) side. It can refer to, for example, the right hand and the political right. The adverbial phrase a la derecha is common and means to the right or on the right. As an adjective, derecho (and derived forms derecha, derechos and derechas) can mean right (the opposite of left, as in el lado derecho, the right side), upright (as in el palo derecho, the upright pole), and straight (as in là ­nea derecha, straight line). Usually the context will make the meaning clear. Except in bad Spanglish, derecho as an adjective does not mean correct. As an adverb, the form is derecho. It typically means straight ahead or in a straight line as in anduvieron derecho, they walked straight ahead. Sample Sentences Here are some examples of these words in use: No tienes el derecho de iniciar la fuerza contra la vida, libertad, o propiedad de otros. (You dont have the right to initiate the use of force against the life, liberty or property of others.)Estos cambios pueden tener un impacto negativo contra los derechos al voto de minorà ­as raciales. (These changes can have a negative effect against the voting rights of racial minorities.)Queremos el derecho a decidir para toda la gente. (We want the right to decide for all the people.)Como consecuencia de este incidente sufrià ³ una herida grave en el ojo derecho. (As a result of this incident he suffered a serious injury in his right eye.)El coche es caro, pero no me funciona la luz de cruce derecha. (The car is expensive, but the right turn signal doesnt work for me.)El espejo derecho no es obligatorio salvo que algo nos obstaculice el uso del espejo interior. (The right-side mirror isnt mandatory unless something blocks our use of the interior mirror.)Siguià ³ derecho por un tiempo ante s de que parara. (She continued straight ahead for some time before she stopped.) Nunca he negado que hay diferente tipos de derechas. (I have never denied there are different types of conservatives.)Espero que la pared de la cocina està © derecha. (I hope the kitchen wall is straight up and down.)Gire a la derecha desde la rampa de salida. (Turn to the right from the exit ramp.)Por tradicià ³n el guila de la bandera mira a la derecha. (Traditionally, the eagle on the flag looks to the right.) If You Need To Say ‘Left’ Whether referring to physical direction or politics, the noun form for left is izquierda. The adjective form is izquierdo and its variations for number and gender. Zurdo is the adjective usually used to refer to someone who is left-handed. Some sample sentences: Sufro de constante inflamacià ³n en el ojo izquierdo. (I constantly suffer from inflammation in my left eye.)Se dice que un partido es de la izquierda cuando tiende a buscar una mayor distribucià ³n de las riquezas. (They say that a party is from the left when it tends to pursue a greater distribution of wealth.)La imagen a la izquierda muestra la rotacià ³n del planeta. (The image on the left shows the planets rotation.)Fue designado como mejor atleta zurdo del paà ­s. (He was named the countrys best left-handed athlete.) Key Takeaways As an adjective, derecho (and its feminine and plural forms) can mean the opposite of left as well as upright or straight, and it can also serve as an adverb to refer to action straight ahead.But as a noun, el derecho never refers to a direction. but to an entitlement.The noun form for something on the right (opposite of left) side is derecha.

Derecho and Derecha, Two Confusing Spanish Words

Derecho and Derecha, Two Confusing Spanish Words Two easily confused Spanish words are derecho and derecha. Both are distant cousins of the English words right and direct, and that is the source of the confusion: Depending on the context and usage, these words can carry meanings such as right (the opposite of left), right (entitlement), straight, upright and directly. ‘Derecho’ and ‘Derecha’ Explained These words are easiest to understand as nouns: El derecho is never a term of direction and is used to refer to something that is due a person according to law, moral principle or custom - in other words, a right. When used in the plural, it typically means rights such as in the phrase derechos humanos, human rights. It can also refer to a type of right that is less abstract. For example, derechos del autor (literally, authors rights) refers to royalties.La derecha refers to something that is on the right (opposite of left) side. It can refer to, for example, the right hand and the political right. The adverbial phrase a la derecha is common and means to the right or on the right. As an adjective, derecho (and derived forms derecha, derechos and derechas) can mean right (the opposite of left, as in el lado derecho, the right side), upright (as in el palo derecho, the upright pole), and straight (as in là ­nea derecha, straight line). Usually the context will make the meaning clear. Except in bad Spanglish, derecho as an adjective does not mean correct. As an adverb, the form is derecho. It typically means straight ahead or in a straight line as in anduvieron derecho, they walked straight ahead. Sample Sentences Here are some examples of these words in use: No tienes el derecho de iniciar la fuerza contra la vida, libertad, o propiedad de otros. (You dont have the right to initiate the use of force against the life, liberty or property of others.)Estos cambios pueden tener un impacto negativo contra los derechos al voto de minorà ­as raciales. (These changes can have a negative effect against the voting rights of racial minorities.)Queremos el derecho a decidir para toda la gente. (We want the right to decide for all the people.)Como consecuencia de este incidente sufrià ³ una herida grave en el ojo derecho. (As a result of this incident he suffered a serious injury in his right eye.)El coche es caro, pero no me funciona la luz de cruce derecha. (The car is expensive, but the right turn signal doesnt work for me.)El espejo derecho no es obligatorio salvo que algo nos obstaculice el uso del espejo interior. (The right-side mirror isnt mandatory unless something blocks our use of the interior mirror.)Siguià ³ derecho por un tiempo ante s de que parara. (She continued straight ahead for some time before she stopped.) Nunca he negado que hay diferente tipos de derechas. (I have never denied there are different types of conservatives.)Espero que la pared de la cocina està © derecha. (I hope the kitchen wall is straight up and down.)Gire a la derecha desde la rampa de salida. (Turn to the right from the exit ramp.)Por tradicià ³n el guila de la bandera mira a la derecha. (Traditionally, the eagle on the flag looks to the right.) If You Need To Say ‘Left’ Whether referring to physical direction or politics, the noun form for left is izquierda. The adjective form is izquierdo and its variations for number and gender. Zurdo is the adjective usually used to refer to someone who is left-handed. Some sample sentences: Sufro de constante inflamacià ³n en el ojo izquierdo. (I constantly suffer from inflammation in my left eye.)Se dice que un partido es de la izquierda cuando tiende a buscar una mayor distribucià ³n de las riquezas. (They say that a party is from the left when it tends to pursue a greater distribution of wealth.)La imagen a la izquierda muestra la rotacià ³n del planeta. (The image on the left shows the planets rotation.)Fue designado como mejor atleta zurdo del paà ­s. (He was named the countrys best left-handed athlete.) Key Takeaways As an adjective, derecho (and its feminine and plural forms) can mean the opposite of left as well as upright or straight, and it can also serve as an adverb to refer to action straight ahead.But as a noun, el derecho never refers to a direction. but to an entitlement.The noun form for something on the right (opposite of left) side is derecha.

Derecho and Derecha, Two Confusing Spanish Words

Derecho and Derecha, Two Confusing Spanish Words Two easily confused Spanish words are derecho and derecha. Both are distant cousins of the English words right and direct, and that is the source of the confusion: Depending on the context and usage, these words can carry meanings such as right (the opposite of left), right (entitlement), straight, upright and directly. ‘Derecho’ and ‘Derecha’ Explained These words are easiest to understand as nouns: El derecho is never a term of direction and is used to refer to something that is due a person according to law, moral principle or custom - in other words, a right. When used in the plural, it typically means rights such as in the phrase derechos humanos, human rights. It can also refer to a type of right that is less abstract. For example, derechos del autor (literally, authors rights) refers to royalties.La derecha refers to something that is on the right (opposite of left) side. It can refer to, for example, the right hand and the political right. The adverbial phrase a la derecha is common and means to the right or on the right. As an adjective, derecho (and derived forms derecha, derechos and derechas) can mean right (the opposite of left, as in el lado derecho, the right side), upright (as in el palo derecho, the upright pole), and straight (as in là ­nea derecha, straight line). Usually the context will make the meaning clear. Except in bad Spanglish, derecho as an adjective does not mean correct. As an adverb, the form is derecho. It typically means straight ahead or in a straight line as in anduvieron derecho, they walked straight ahead. Sample Sentences Here are some examples of these words in use: No tienes el derecho de iniciar la fuerza contra la vida, libertad, o propiedad de otros. (You dont have the right to initiate the use of force against the life, liberty or property of others.)Estos cambios pueden tener un impacto negativo contra los derechos al voto de minorà ­as raciales. (These changes can have a negative effect against the voting rights of racial minorities.)Queremos el derecho a decidir para toda la gente. (We want the right to decide for all the people.)Como consecuencia de este incidente sufrià ³ una herida grave en el ojo derecho. (As a result of this incident he suffered a serious injury in his right eye.)El coche es caro, pero no me funciona la luz de cruce derecha. (The car is expensive, but the right turn signal doesnt work for me.)El espejo derecho no es obligatorio salvo que algo nos obstaculice el uso del espejo interior. (The right-side mirror isnt mandatory unless something blocks our use of the interior mirror.)Siguià ³ derecho por un tiempo ante s de que parara. (She continued straight ahead for some time before she stopped.) Nunca he negado que hay diferente tipos de derechas. (I have never denied there are different types of conservatives.)Espero que la pared de la cocina està © derecha. (I hope the kitchen wall is straight up and down.)Gire a la derecha desde la rampa de salida. (Turn to the right from the exit ramp.)Por tradicià ³n el guila de la bandera mira a la derecha. (Traditionally, the eagle on the flag looks to the right.) If You Need To Say ‘Left’ Whether referring to physical direction or politics, the noun form for left is izquierda. The adjective form is izquierdo and its variations for number and gender. Zurdo is the adjective usually used to refer to someone who is left-handed. Some sample sentences: Sufro de constante inflamacià ³n en el ojo izquierdo. (I constantly suffer from inflammation in my left eye.)Se dice que un partido es de la izquierda cuando tiende a buscar una mayor distribucià ³n de las riquezas. (They say that a party is from the left when it tends to pursue a greater distribution of wealth.)La imagen a la izquierda muestra la rotacià ³n del planeta. (The image on the left shows the planets rotation.)Fue designado como mejor atleta zurdo del paà ­s. (He was named the countrys best left-handed athlete.) Key Takeaways As an adjective, derecho (and its feminine and plural forms) can mean the opposite of left as well as upright or straight, and it can also serve as an adverb to refer to action straight ahead.But as a noun, el derecho never refers to a direction. but to an entitlement.The noun form for something on the right (opposite of left) side is derecha.

Courtroom Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Courtroom Technology - Essay Example The result was a massive media spectacle. Some judges disapprove of cameras in the courtroom, suggesting that judges may end up playing up to the camera. It is generally considered a negative thing to have a great deal of media attention surrounding a trial as it may prejudice those involved. Different jurisdictions have different rules relating to this issue. Indeed, even some Supreme Court Justices have been somewhat schizophrenic on this issue. A few years ago, Justice Antonin Scalia, who has always taken a hard line against technology in the courtroom, expanded the notion of where technology was acceptable during a public speech he gave: During an April 7 speech by Scalia at a high school in Hattiesburg, a deputy federal marshal, Melanie Rube, demanded that AP reporter Denise Grones and Hattiesburg American reporter Antoinette Konz erase recordings of the justice's remarks. The reporters had not been told before the speech that they could not use tape recorders. When Grones resis ted, the marshal took the digital recorder out of her hands. The reporter then showed Rube how to erase the recording (AP). This issue caused a great deal of controversy at the time, and eventually led to an apology. Nevertheless, it has been reported that Justice Scalia is fond of the Ipad and uses it regularly. Clearly, the position of courts have everywhere have been evolving over the years. A timeline would suggest they have moved from conservative restriction to a more permissive, liberal approach. Standards vary from one jurisdiction and one judge to another. Indeed, other supreme court judges have been equally happy about the result of technology in the courtroom. One of the court's recent appointees, Justice Kagan, has the following to say about the huge amount of legal pleadings that justices have to work their way through: â€Å"At times there are as many as 50 friend-of-the-court briefs for one case. That is on top of the motions submitted directly by the named parties. So there is a lot of reading . . . And you know that's a big part of the job and if a Kindle or an iPad can make it easier, that's terrific" (Beahm). We see that people intimately involved in the judicial system have embraced technology in some ways, while rejecting it in others. We need to find ways to effectively implement technology across the board so long as it is helpful. There are a number of other ways that technology can be useful to those involved in the legal profession. For example, electronic discovery has made life very difficult for many lawyers. The sheer quantity of electronic documents involved in some cases makes it impossible to physically go through every document or email by hand. Special software is required to deal with these large quantities. This software can search through keywords to find important phrases or names. It can dramatically shorten the amount of time required to find what a lawyer is looking for. Both courts and lawyers can work together as pa rtners to develop and implement technologies in the courtroom. One system currently being used is called Digital Evidence Presentation System and allows for electronic, integrated presentation in the courtroom. As one expert says: â€Å"Although attorneys have significant control over the systems in the courtroom, the court has instantaneous override capability. With the touch of a button, a judge can turn off every screen in the courtroom, including the screens in the jury box and the large screen displaying

Critical Review of the Film Slumdog Millionaire Essay

Critical Review of the Film Slumdog Millionaire - Essay Example These themes underscore the overlapping narratives in the film Slumdog Millionaire, 2008, a British production with Indian cast and crew, using both English and Hindi, with English subtitles for international viewing. The film is directed by Danny Boyle, produced by Christian Colson, screenplay written by Simon Beaufoy, and based on Vikas Swarup’s book Q & A (IMDb, 2012). It won eight out of ten Academy Awards, 2009, along that of ‘Best Picture’, as well as several other international awards (Paul, 2011). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to critically review the film â€Å"Slumdog Millionaire†. It will be argued that Orientalist discourses circulate in the film, and media representations of cultural images influence how people identify themselves and their place in the world. Thus, globalization and the politics of identity creation, as well as spatial and economic inequality in an increasingly interconnected world will be examined. Globalizat ion and the Politics of Identity Creation in â€Å"Slumdog Millionaire† The world today is distinguished by a new role for the imagination in social life. Thus, focusing on the image, the imagined and the imaginary, Appadurai (2004) indicates that critical changes are emerging in global cultural processes, with the imagination becoming part of social practice, enabling negotiation between action and globally defined fields of possibility. Film-makers attempt to please the audience by imaginatively using the cultural mythology of the era. â€Å"Myths are transformations of fundamental conflicts or contradictions that in reality cannot be resolved† (Paul, 2011, p.451). Similar to dreams functioning as wish fulfillments in several cases, films provide wish-fulfilling solutions to human dilemmas. This forms the main theme of the film Slumdog Millionaire, in which the 18-year-old Jamal Malik, a Muslim youth played by new comer Dev Patel, is about to win a jackpot of 20 mill ion rupees on the Hindi version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. However, during a break before the final round, convinced that this uneducated boy must have cheated, the quiz master gets Jamal taken away to be interrogated by the inspector of police. The film uses the questions on the quiz show that Jamal miraculously answers, to reveal his life story in flash backs. He answers each question correctly due to specific incidents in his past that coincidentally gave him the required information or knowledge (Gilbey, 2009). Media representation of cultural images influences how people identify themselves and their place in the world. According to Peralta (2010), art, storytelling and history are inter-connected with cultural identity. The medium of cinema is a form of art which narrates a story, and it is directly related to cultural influences. Cinema creates identity-formation particularly in the contemporary globalized world. Stories convey cultural memories besides relaying morali ty, judgment, history, and life lessons. Further, â€Å"like art, stories can create a place where we begin to understand or make sense of our world† (Peralta, 2010, p.27). Narratives are used to explain oneself to others, and in turn help in understanding the other. With the increasing interconnectedness of globalization, the media representatio

The Effect Of Semantic Category Psychology Essay

The Effect Of Semantic Category Psychology Essay Tuving, suggested that in order to attain good memory banks, one way of retrieving information is to organize words that have a relationship with one another. For example, clustering words together in one category could help achieve better recall, rather than words that are randomly mixed. Clustering could help re-organize memory, therefore, attaining information more effectively. The aim of this study was to replicate Cofer, Bruce, and Reichers (1966) experiment of presenting semantic category instances in blocked lists. This method was used and it was predicted that memory for words will be superior, when words are visually blocked by semantic category, as opposed to being blocked randomly. This hypothesis was fully supported. Thus, the null hypothesis, there will be no difference when words are blocked by semantic category or blocked randomly across categories, was rejected. An unrelated design was used and opportunist sample of 40 1st year psychology undergraduates at City Univer sity took part in the experiment. The independent variable, blocking by semantic category had two levels. Half of the participants were assigned to the first level of the independent variable, blocked by semantic category. They were presented with six blocks of related category list words, which consisted of six related instances in one category. The second half of the participants was assigned to the second level of the independent variable, blocked randomly. The participants were presented with six blocks of listed words of randomly mixed instances, of several categories. The dependent variable was memory for words that were visually presented. The memory for words was measured under each condition, by the mean score of the written free recall, out of 36 words correctly remembered, after a 90 second period. The results indicated that people in the blocked by semantic category condition recalled more remembered words, with a mean score of 24, than those in the blocked randomly cond ition. The blocked randomly condition mean score were much lower; their mean score was 19. It was therefore concluded that this current research was very consistent with Cofers et al (1966) findings that clustering related words together in one category could help re- organize memory, so information could be attained more efficiently. Introduction: word count: 824 According to Kalat (2009) memory is organized by a complex network of interrelated neurons within the brain; that can hold millions of pieces of independent data. It is this ability of our mind to store detailed, organized memories of past experiences that makes us capable of learning. These experiences stored in the form of memories help us learn from mistakes, protect us from danger, and achieve the goal that we set, by harnessing the power of our memory. We are better able to learn life lessons that help us avoid mistakes in the future, based on our own past, and the malfunction of others. Tulving (1972) recognized that individuals had two types of long-term memory, episodic and semantic memory. According to Tulving (1972) episodic memory is autobiographic, which is a memory system that consists of episodes of individuals past experiences, of particular objects. Normally these objects are stored in our long term memories and can be retrieved, at any given time. For example, remembering loved ones, or a representation of a meaningful event, or even what one might eat for breakfast, are all forms of episodic memories. Semantic memory however, is referred to the memory of meanings, and understandings. Eysenck and Keane (2000) suggested one way of thinking about memory organization is coding. Semantic memory could be held for a few minutes or several years. This model suggests that some information is stored and coded visually. Yet to gain access to our memory banks and retrieve relevant pieces of information, is trying to gain access to our memory banks of the learned inf ormation. One way of achieving this, is with organization and practice. Craik and Tulving (1972) described this as deep semantic processing in their levels of processing approach. They suggested that when a particular stimulus is processed, we need to concentrate on word meanings to help aid our memory banks as opposed to paying too much attention to visual and phonemic features. When people use this approach for a particular task or even revision for exams in real life, empirical evidence has shown that deep semantic processing could even be achieved when one is not trying to remember, as demonstrated by Craik and Tulving (1975), incidental task. In order to attain good memory banks, one way of retrieving information is to organize words that have a relationship with one another. For example clustering words together in one category could help achieve better recall, rather than words that are randomly mixed. Clustering could help re-organize memory, therefore, attaining information more effectively. Gross (2005) suggested that while poor memory can sometimes be the result of a mental handicap or disability, it most often has to do with a lack of attention or inability to concentrate, poor listening skills, and other types of bad habits. Fortunately, you can re-train yourself with proper habits to develop and fine-tune your memory. The basic tool for developing better memory is the clustering technique. There has been many experiments that have demonstrated this particular organization for attaining memory. One study was Bousfeilds (1953) experiment; words that were placed into categories were more accurately remembered than a list of unrelated words. Another particular study conducted by Cofer, Bruce, and Reicher (1966). They identified that presenting semantic category instances in blocks actually increased recall. The remembered words of instances of one category, was much higher than the recall of the blocks of instances of the randomly mixed categories. Subsequently, this current study replicates Cofer, et als (1966) clustering technique experiment. The independent variable was the presentation of blocking by semantic category. There were two levels of the independent variable, blocked by semantic category, and blocked randomly. The manipulation of the independent variables was the way the participants corresponded to the presentation of 36 words, grouped into six blocks of six words. Half of the participants were assigned to the first level of the independent variable, blocked by category. The participants were presented with six blocks of listed words, consisting of six instances of one category. The second half of the participants was assigned to the second level of the independent variable, blocked randomly. The participants were presented with six blocks of listed words of randomly mixed instances, of several categories. The dependent variable was memory for words that were visually presented. The memory for words was measured under each condition, by the mean score, of the written free recall, out of 36 words correctly remembered, after a 90 second period. If the reasoning behind Cofer, et al s (1966) experiment was correct then we can then expect that memory for words will be superior, when words are visually blocked by category, as opposed to when they are blocked randomly. This is the experimental hypothesis and is directional, as it predicts the results. However, if Cofer, et als (1966) experiment cannot be explained, then there will be no difference in recall when words are blocked by semantic category, or blocked randomly across categories. Design: word count 215 The independent variable was the presentation of blocking by semantic category. The first level of the IV was, blocked by category, and the second level, blocked randomly. The manipulation of the independent variables was the way the participants corresponded to the presentation of 36 words grouped into six blocks of six words. An unrelated sample design was used. The advantage of this design was that both samples were seeing the same materials (words). However, the disadvantage of the design was individual differences. To control for this, random assignment to conditions to one of the two levels of the independent, (refer to appendix for allocation). Half the participants were assigned to the first level of the IV, blocked by category. They were presented with six blocks of listed words, consisting of six instances of one category. The second half of the participants was assigned to the second level of the IV, blocked randomly. They were presented with six blocks of listed words of randomly mixed instances, of several categories. The dependent variable was memory for words that were visually presented. The memory for words was measured under each condition, by the mean score of the written free recall, out of 36 words correctly remembered after a 90 second. Participants immediately recalled the words after the presentation. Participants: word count 72 In total there were 40 participants. 34 females and 6 male participants were 1st year psychology undergraduates at City University. Participants ranged in age from 18-40, with a mean age of 21-22. Each participant was currently taking part in a laboratory course in the social sciences building. Therefore the sample used was an opportunist one. However, due to the sample design, random allocation to conditions was very relevant due to individual differences. Apparatus and Materials: word count 215 Each participant was presented with a plan sheet of A4 sized paper. The experimenter, Dr. Stuart Menzies, randomly allocated half the participants material that consisted of either 36 nouns that were presented visually together into six blocks of listed words on one page. Each block consisted of six instances of one category. This condition was the first level of the independent variable and was named the blocked by category group. The other half of participants were randomly given, 36 nouns that were also visually presented together into six blocks of listed words on one page. This time however, each block consisted of randomly mixed instances of several categories. This condition was the second level of the independent variable, and was referred to as the blocked randomly group. (Please refer to the apparatus and material section for the blocked lists categories, in the appendix). The response mode was the written free recall of the remembered words after a 90 second period. The ti me was monitored by a stop watch. Participants immediately recalled the words in any order after the presentation (refer to appendix, instructions and words lists). The results were taken away and recorded by the experimenter, who noted them down on a data sheet. (See results section in the appendix for the raw data sheet,). Procedure: word count 252 The experimenter handed out material in a random fashion to participants. A list of 36 nouns were visually presented in six blocks, consisting of either six instances of one category on one sheet of sheet of paper, or randomly mixed instances of several categories on one sheet of paper. Blocked by semantic category consisted of six instances of one category. This condition became the first level of the IV. Randomly blocked categories consisted of randomly mixed instances of one category. This condition became the second level of the IV. The experimenter verbally translated the instructions of the task ahead, (please refer to apparatus and material section for instructions in the appendix). The dependent variable, memory for words was measured under each condition, by the mean score of the written free recall, out of 36 words correctly remembered. Each participant had 90 seconds to remember as many words from the six blocked lists. A stop watch was used to count down the time, after t he 90 second period expired, the experimenter then informed the participants to stop! Both word lists from the two conditions were taken away. Immediately after the presentation the participants were then asked to note down all of their remembered words in any order that they preferred. The experimenter had given a further 90 seconds to recall the remembered words. The written free recall scores was recorded, and measured by experimenter. The mean score of the two calculated differences were then obtained, (please see the mean scores in the appendix). Results: word count 313 The dependent variable was memory for words that were visually presented. The memory for words was measured under each condition, by the mean score of each condition of the written free recall, out of 36 words correctly remembered, after a 90 second period. Table 1 shows the difference of the mean scores of the two conditions, blocked by category and blocked randomly. The results indicated that more people in the blocked by category had remembered more words in the six blocks of listed words, consisting of six instances of one category, than the randomly blocked category lists condition.. (Refer to the results section in the appendix for the raw data, graph of the mean scores, and the full calculations of the Mann -Whitney U test). Memory for words visually presented. Measured by the written free-recall-score X/36 words Table. 1 Blocked by category condition Blocked Randomly condition Mean Spread Range 24 15-33 18 19 13-27 14 Mean score from the two calculated differences Since the samples were unrelated and can be ranked on an ordinal scale, a Mann Whitney U test was employed. A 1 tailed test was employed because the experimental hypothesises was directional. Using the statistical formula and tables, obtained from QM PS1007. Runyon and Haber (1976) The Mann -Whitney U test indicated N1=20, N2 =20 participants, Uobs = 0, p = 0.05 (1 tailed test). Ucrit = 138 =p= .005. Since the Uobs Discussion: word count 688 The aim of this study was to replicate Cofer et als (1966) experiment of blocked presentation, of presenting category instances in blocked lists. This method was used and the prediction that memory for words will be superior, when words are visually blocked by semantic category, as opposed to whose words are blocked randomly, was fully supported. Thus, the null hypothesis, there will be no difference when words are blocked by category or blocked randomly across categories, was rejected. The results indicated more people in the blocked by category condition recalled more remembered words, with a mean score of 24 than those in the blocked randomly condition. The blocked randomly condition had much lower recall scores; the mean score was 19. Eysenck and Keane (2000) suggested that gaining access to our memory banks is best applied through organization. Tulving, (1972) recognized that there are two memory system for long term memory. One is semantic memory and the other is episodic. Semantic memory, as mentioned in the introduction, is referred to the meanings and understandings of general objects based in the world we live. Semantic memory could be held for a few minutes or several years. This model suggests that some information is stored and coded visually. Yet to gain access to our memory banks and retrieve relevant pieces of information, is actually gaining access to our memory banks, of the learned information. One way of achieving this, is with organization and practice. Summarizing the previously learned literature has helped to illustrate how memory could be obtained and re- trained by applying clustering techniques for memory organization. This could be just some of the possibilities of why the blocked by category condition had produced a much higher recall of remembered words, than the randomly blocked condition. It would seem from the results of Bosfeilds (1953): Cofer, et als (1966) and this current study could be achieved by organization. Semantic memory does liked to be organized, and if this organization is not in sight, then the less likely it is, for us to attain good memory banks for recall. Consequently, Cofer, et als (1966) experiment identified that presenting category instances in blocks, actually increased recall, and the remembered words of instances of one category was much higher than the recall of the blocks of instances of the randomly mixed categories. Therefore, this current study was very consistent with Cofer, et als (1966) findings. The data suggests that there was an overall majority of recalls made in the blocked by category condition. Thus, there were some methodology limitations in this current study. Individual differences was a concern however, randomization to conditions was effective. However, larger randomized controlled trails could provide more definitive evidence, the bigger the population, the better the results would indicate, (Miller, 1984). A number of caveats need to be noted regarding this present study. Firstly, there was the unrepresentative sample, such as more females than males, and the unlimited range of ages. This study could be improved by having an equal amount of males and females and a wider range of ages. Further research may want to look at gender differences in clustering. Females may attain a good memory compared to men and vice versa. Also this study could also be improved by implementing more conditions, for example, blocked by category, followed by blocked randomly. Blocked randomly, followed by blocked by category. This could be achieved by comparing the related samples with both blocked presentations to find out if organization for words in categories is better than mixed word instances in memory recall. Another limitation could be that more time is needed to encode the words more effectively. Practice may help participants encode more information. With more time added several conditions could be c ompared. The blocked by category could have two or three conditions but with new participants each time. Each of the conditions could have varied times to encode the blocked category lists. One condition could have two minutes; the next condition could have three. The same procedure could then be applied to the randomly blocked condition. All of the mean scores could be compared to establish whether time has an impact on clustering words together. A further limitation could be the use of the stopwatch to time the participants. The time may not have been entirely accurate. Participants may have had more or less time to encode the information presented to them, or to recall the words. This could have confounded the findings. To control for this, future research could perhaps use a large digital clock counting down the time left. Many memory experiments find out if clustering is effective for memory recall. According to Tulving (1972), clustering could help re-organize memory, therefore, attaining information more effectively. The findings of this study have a number of important implications for future practice. Psychologists could perhaps look at children of different ages. The experimenters could investigate when memory organization emerges. This could help provide an insight to when our organization for memory begins. Words could perhaps be visually presented to children in the form of animal characters which are either related or not related. The children could then recall the remembered animal characters. If the children recall more of the related animal characters, than the unrelated characters, then this may determine when organization for memory begins. Another reasonable approach is to look at whether organization for memory declines with age. Youths and pensioners could be compared to see which ag e group has a better organization for words. It can be concluded that organization of memory does aid semantic memory. The research literature has shown effective techniques such as clustering words together to help aid our memories. The results of this current study did show that memory is aided well, if our organization of words is structured. References Bousfield, W. A. (1953.) The occurrence of clustering in the recall of randomly arranged associates. Journal of General Psychology, 49, 229-240. Cofer, C.N., D.R. Reicher, G. M. (1966) Clustering in free recall as a function of certain methodological variations. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 71, 858-866. Craik, F.I.M. Tulving, E. (1975) Depth of processing and the retention of words in episodic memory. Journey of Experimental Psychology, 104, 268-294. Eysenck, M, W. Keane, M, T. (2000) Cognitive Psychology- a students handbook. Psychology Press. Gross, R. (2005) Psychology -The Science of mind and Behaviour. Typeset by GreenGate publishing services, Tonbridge Kent. Miller, S. (1984.) Experimental Design and Statistics. London, Typeset LTD. Kalat, J. W. (10Eds,), (2009). Biological Psychology. USA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Tuving, E (1972) Episodic and semantic memory. In E. Tuving W. Donaldson (Eds.), Organization of Memory. London: Academic PressAppendices: Table of context Page Appendix 1: Design section: P12 Allocation to conditions. Appendix 2: Apparatus and Material section: P13 Instructions, word lists. Appendix 3: results section: P15 Raw data graph showing mean scores Appendix 4: Mann- Whitney U test: P17 Full calculations Appendix 5: Stimulus and response: P19 Participant 9, recalled words Appendix 1: The table below is showing the allocation of participants (Ps) to conditions. 15 females and 6 male participants were 1st year psychology undergraduates at City University. Each participant was currently taking part in a laboratory course in D112 of the social sciences building at City University. Therefore, the sample used was an opportunist one. Because there were two unrelated samples, an independent measures design was employed. Blocked by category condition Blocked randomly condition P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 P11 P12 P13 P14 P15 P16 P17 P18 P19 P20 P21 P22 P23 P24 P25 P26 P27 P28 P29 P30 P31 P32 P33 P34 P35 P36 P37 P38 P39 P40 Ps =20 Ps =20 Appendix 2 Your investigation The aim of you experiment is to investigate whether presentation of category instances to participants in a blocked or in a randomly mixed fashion affects recall. You are thus attempting a replication of the study by Cofer, Bruce and Reicher (1966), and the basis of their finding and the other evidence mentioned above it would seem appropriate to state a directional (one tailed) hypothesis. State the null hypothesis as well. Remember that both the aims and the hypothesis need to be formally stated in a very clear and specific manner at the end of the introduction section of you report. Employ an independent groups design, with at least 10 participants in each of the two conditions (the larger you overall sample size the better). The dependent variable (the measure) will be the number of words correctly recalled. The independent variable (the manipulation) will have two levels corresponding to the different ways of presenting words to participants in two conditions. Describe the two conditions and any controls against confounding variables. Remember that, apart from the manipulation of the independent variable, everything should be held constant (standardized) across the two conditions of the experiment. Materials consists of 36 words (6 from each 6 categories) presented visually together as 6 blocks (lists) on one page; each block consisting of either instances of one category or randomly mixed instances of several categories. Condition A Condition B Apple Tulip Chair Apple Buttercup Cabbage Banana Buttercup Bed sofa Bed Giraffe Pineapple Rose Wardrobe Snake Cauliflower Wardrobe Orange Carnation Table Aeroplane Pineapple Lily Lemon Pansy Sofa Pea Elephant Motorbike Pear Lily Desk Carnation Pansy Lemon Dog Potato Car Ship Parsnip Lion lion Pea Bus Table Rose Chair Elephant Cauliflower Train Onion Desk Pea Monkey Cabbage Aeroplane Car Orange Bus Snake Parsnip Motorbike Tulip Monkey Dog Giraffe Onion Ship Banana Train Potato Instructions in a moment you will be asked to turn over the sheet of paper in front of you. On this sheet will be 36 words. You will have one and a half minutes in which to try and memorize all the words. After this period of this time the words will be removed. You must then immediately recall as many of these words as you can. Write them down on the piece of paper in any order you like. Results section should contain: Summary descript statistics comparing the two samples ( ie measures of central tendency nad dispersion, and perhaps graphs/charts) Summary of inferential statistics analysis by an appropriate test for the two independent samples ( e.g. Mann Whitney U Test ). The observed value of the statistic must be compared to a critical table value in order to determine its significance. Statement of the decision to retain or reject the null hypothesis will conclude the results section. Remember that both the raw data (individual scores) and all statistic calculations and formulae must appear in the separate Appendix (at the end of the report). They must not appear in the results section Appendix 3: Raw data Blocked by semantic category Participants Written free recall x/36 Blocked free recall randomly Participants Written Free recall x/36 P1 13 P2 30 P3 27 P4 26 P5 21 P6 22 P7 17 P8 21 P9 24 P10 24 P11 15 P12 25 P13 15 P14 28 P15 18 P16 19 P17 20 P18 15 P19 21 P20 27 P21 22 P22 21 P23 21 P24 26 P25 18 P26 17 P27 18 P28 29 P29 20 P30 23 P31 17 P32 33 P33 22 P34 21 P35 22 P36 23 P37 22 P38 29 P39 13 P40 20 Data of raw scores obtained from written free recall scores. Chart showing the two differences of mean scores between the two levels of the independent variable. The graph above shows the differences in mean scores for the two levels of the independent variable. The blocked by category condition showed that more participants recalled more words than the blocked randomly condition. Appendix 4 Full calculations of the Mann-Whitney U test Free -Recall Mann-Whitney U Test Blocked by Category Rank1 Blocked Randomly Rank2 N=20 N=20 13 1.5 30 19 27 20 26 13.5 21 13 22 8 17 5.5 21 6 24 19 24 11 15 3.5 25 12 15 3.5 28 16 18 8 19 3 20 10.5 15 1 21 13 27 15 22 16.5 21 6 21 13 26 13.5 18 8 17 2 18 8 29 17.5 20 10.5 23 9.5 17 5.5 33 20 22 16.5 21 6 22 16.5 23 9.5 22 16.5 29 17.5 13 1,5 20 4 R 1 = 210 Mann -Whitney U Test calculations U = N1 N2 U = 2020 + 400 + 400+210-210=400 N1N2-U = Uobs = (0) U = 400 = 400 400 = 0 Uobs = 0 = Ucrit = 138 = p =0.05 (1 tailed test) Since Uobs Reference: Runyon and Haber (1976)