How to Write an Outstanding MBA Essay

The most effective method to Write an Outstanding MBA Essay Most of graduate business programs require each candidate to give at any rate one achieved MBA paper as a vital piece of the application procedure. The agents of the affirmation sheets utilize the articles, along with other application components, so as to decide if a potential understudy is an ideal fit for a specific business college. An expertly investigated and appropriately cultivated MBA expositions are an incredible open door for you to expand your odds of acknowledgment just as to contrast the foundation of different candidates. MBA Essay: What? Why? How? ‘How to compose a MBA essay?’ A commonplace inquiry if you’re a bustling school or college understudy who has neither strong information in a specific field nor magnificent composing abilities. In the event that you’re among the unfortunate folks who are stuck in no place, we have uplifting news for you †composing a MBA paper is certainly not a troublesome errand by any stretch of the imagination! All you need to never really up with a first rate MBA article is to adhere to the directions gave underneath: Exploration. Prior to composing a paper, it is exceptionally imperative to do a careful examination so as to gather all the material expected to finish a decent MBA exposition for any school discipline be it Psychology, Marketing, IT or Engineering. Complete a solid proposition explanation. The second step that you, as the MBA exposition creator, must take is to give an unmistakable and brief theory proclamation that will advise your intended interest group about the motivation behind your MBA paper. Psyche that you need to do that inside a solitary sentence. In addition, the proposal articulation ought to be clear and brief. Your coach shouldn’t experience any sort of difficulty while perusing and fathoming your theory articulation. Separation your paper into parts. Separation your MBA article into the body sections and make a point to give headings where suitable. Specialty a blueprint. At the point when the inquiry is the means by which to compose a decent MBA article, consistently make sure to utilize straightforward and clear language. Before you produce a genuine book, it is imperative to manufacture a solid blueprint. With the assistance of a strong plan, you have a chance to make a preeminent quality MBA article that will show that you’ve accomplished some genuine work to think of the quality bit of composing. In addition, a decent diagram will assist you with showing signs of improvement thought of what focuses you should add to the paper and which ones ought to be deleted. Partition into areas. The presentation, the body, the end are the must-have for the MBA paper venture. Never neglect to give them in your piece since these entries transform your MBA exposition into the one that merits an A+ and educate your coach about the uncommon composing aptitudes that you have. The introduction of the MBA article is utilized to present the theme that you’re going to talk about and give a brisk and point by point outline of the undertaking. Simultaneously, the indisputable piece of the MBA paper demonstrates how you react to a specific issue that you’ve featured in your introductive fragment and the body of the task. Give school particulars. Unquestionably, you’d like to exhibit your insight into a specific school. This implies knowing and referencing explicit classes or an employee that you’re keen on the most. Discussion about certain associations nearby that snare your consideration. Name your objectives and how the school can assist you with drawing nearer to them. The key here is all things considered and explicit, composing an account of how you can add to the decent variety of the class. Act naturally. The agents of the confirmations board are scanning for the approaches to see increasingly about an expected understudy and their one of a kind character. Along these lines, ensure you have something to bring to the college network table! Cause sure to mention to them what sort of effect you to can make. With regards to the altering, guarantee the different corrections don't reduce your remarkable individual voice. This isn't only a MBA exposition, this is your article! Presently you’re formally furnished with everything expected to make an extraordinary MBA article inside the predefined cutoff time. To get more subtleties, don't hesitate to connect with the believed custom paper composing administration that gives proficient composing help day in and day out.

Tree Diagram responses wk 1 dq 1 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tree Diagram reactions wk 1 dq 1 - Coursework Example For this situation, results at every preliminary are totally unrelated and their association is the all inclusive set (Sharma, 2007). While Brenda is directly in distinguishing the tree outline as a guide to picturing results, her definition isn't complete. Direct computation of probabilities is increasingly effective in basic results, for example, single preliminaries. The tree chart is increasingly pertinent in envisioning results of numerous preliminaries. She likewise doesn't unequivocally distinguish the way that tree an outline is reasonable for autonomous preliminaries. A model, like Brenda’s would include autonomous and progressive determination of a ball from a lot of four white balls followed by another choice from a lot of three blue ones. While she shows the main standards of likelihood, for example, assurance of the likelihood space and added substance and multiplicative principles, Brenda needs adequate scientific terms for imparting her rich information (Sharma, 2007). Tami is explorative of the extent of a tree chart and its job in recognizable proof of an example space. Her case of conceivable utilization of a tree graph is additionally sufficient. This is on the grounds that it recognized determination of two things from two fundamentally unrelated sets. A genuine model that compares to Tami’s is a progressive determination of a book from a lot of five books, each with an alternate shading, trailed by choice of a pen from a lot of three diversely hued pens. Her answer likewise exhibits a comprehension in assurance of test space from preliminaries. Despite the fact that her reaction is exemplary, she neglects to explicitly distinguish the freedom property of preliminaries that is a need for utilization of a tree graph (Sharma, 2007). Yvette’s answer that a tree graph is a method of posting prospects of an arrangement isn't precise. This is a direct result of two reasons. Initial, a grouping may have a solitary result at every preliminary and may not fit

Alfred Adler Biography Career and Life

Alfred Adler Biography Career and Life February 22, 2020 Public Domain Library of Famous Psychologists, Sonoma University More in Psychology History and Biographies Psychotherapy Basics Student Resources Theories Phobias Emotions Sleep and Dreaming Alfred Adler was an Austrian physician and psychiatrist who is best-known for forming the school of thought known as individual psychology. He is also remembered for his concepts of the inferiority feeling and inferiority complex, which he believed played a major part in the formation of personality. Alder was initially a colleague of Sigmund Freud, helped establish psychoanalysis, and was a founding member of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. Adlers theory focused on looking at the individual as a whole, which is why he referred to his approach as individual psychology. Adler eventually split from Freuds psychoanalytic circle, but he went on to have a tremendous impact on the development of psychotherapy. He also had an important influence on many other great thinkers including Abraham Maslow and Albert Ellis.?? Best Known For Individual psychologyThe concept of the inferiority complexPresident of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society, 1910 Birth and Death Alfred Adler was born February 7, 1870. He died May 28, 1937. Early Life Alfred Adler was born in Vienna, Austria. He suffered rickets as a young child, which prevented him from walking until after the age of 2, and he got pneumonia at the age of four. Due to his health problems as a child, Adler decided he would become a physician and, after graduating from the University of Vienna in 1895 with a medical degree, began his career as an ophthalmologist and later switched to general practice. Career and Later Life Alder soon turned his interests toward the field of psychiatry. In 1902,  Sigmund Freud invited him to join a psychoanalytic discussion group. This group met each Wednesday in Freuds home and would eventually grow to become the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. After serving as President of the group for a time, Adler left in part because of his  disagreements with some of Freuds theories. While Adler had played a key role in the development of psychoanalysis, he was also one of the first major figures to break away to form his own school of thought. He was quick to point out that while he had been a colleague of Freuds, he was in no way a disciple of the famous Austrian psychoanalyst.?? In 1912, Alfred Adler founded the Society of Individual Psychology. Adlers theory suggested that every person has a sense of inferiority. From childhood, people work toward overcoming this inferiority by striving for superiority, and Adler believed that this drive was the motivating force behind human behaviors, emotions, and thoughts. He explained that some individuals will focus on collaboration and contributions to society while others will try to exert power over others. While Adler had converted to Christianity,?? his Jewish heritage led to the Nazis closing down his clinics during the 1930s. As a result, Adler emigrated to the United States to take a professor position at the Long Island College of Medicine. In 1937, Adler went on a lecture tour and suffered a fatal heart attack in Aberdeen, Scotland. His family lost track of his cremated remains shortly after his death and the ashes were presumed lost before being discovered in 2007 at a crematorium in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2011, 74 years after his death, Adlers ashes were returned to Vienna, Austria. In an interview with The Guardian, his granddaughter explained, Vienna was essentially Adlers home, his birth home and there was the triangle, you know, Adler, Jung and Freud, and all had that sense of coming out of that place, so theres something rather fitting about him going back there.?? Contributions to Psychology Alfred Adlers theories have played an essential role in a number of areas including therapy and child development. Alders ideas also influenced other important psychologists and psychoanalysts including: Abraham MaslowCarl RogersKaren HorneyRollo MayErich FrommAlbert Ellis Today, his ideas and concepts are often referred to as Adlerian psychology. Selected Publications Adler, A. (1925). The Practice and Theory of Individual Psychology. London: Routledge. Adler, A. (1956). The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler. H. L. Ansbacher and R. R. Ansbacher (Eds.). New York: Harper Torchbooks.

Case Study(Whole Foods) - 1481 Words

1.) The Whole Foods strategy seeks to provide products of the best quality to its customers by maintaining high standards that the farmers, organic growers must match. The strategy also involves providing best tasting food and foods that are fresh, wholesome and safe to eat. It also involves promoting organically grown foods to exercise their influence on the people and the industry. Customers are the most important stakeholders responsible for the growth of Whole Foods Market, thus satisfying their needs and meeting their every possible demand is key behind the success of this company. Inviting store environments and retail innovation also enhances this. Their strategy involves working efficiently with its vendors, team members and†¦show more content†¦Return on Shareholder’s Equity= (Profits after taxes/Total Equity) 2004 2005 2006 2007 (3,864,950-2,523,816/3,864,950) (4,701,289-3,052,184/4,701,289) (5,607,376-3,647,734/5,607,376) (6,591,773-4,295,170/6,591,773) = .34699 or .35% = .35 % =. 35 % = .35% 2.NP= .033 % = .050% = .036% = .027% 3. N/A N/A (49+8,606/2,042,996) = .004 (24,781+736,087/3,213,128) = .023 4. N/A N/A (203,828/2,042,996) = .099% (182,740/3,213,128) = .056% After analyzing some of the important financial ratios of the company it seems that the Gross Profit is consistent throughout the years 2003-2007 remaining at 35%, however the net profit margin displays another story it has decreased significantly from 2005-2006(.050-.036 %) and from 2006-2007(.036-.027%). The net profit dropped 2.3 % in two years, which is not alarming but the management should look into the reasons behind the decline. The debt-to-equity ratio is used to evaluate borrowing capability and the amount of debt in the company. Usually ratios above 1.0 indicate excessive debt, in the case of Whole Foods Market the ratio has gone up from 2006-2007 (.004-.023), which indicated an increase in the amount of borrowings. The ratio is nowhere close to one, which indicates credit worthiness of Whole Foods Market and their ability to pay back debt. The return on shareholders equity hasShow MoreRelatedWhole Foods Case Study1568 Words   |  7 PagesNick Zawisa Strategic Management September 23, 2010 Case Study: Whole Foods Market Since 1980, Whole Foods Markets has grown from a small local store in Austin, Texas, to the largest retail chain of natural and organic foods in the United States. Whole Foods has been leading the natural and organic foods movement across the United States, working to gain acceptance among the growing number of consumers interested in eating healthier foods. The company has built a reputation for being selectiveRead MoreCase Study Whole Foods1155 Words   |  5 PagesCase Study assignment 1. What are the chief elements of the strategy that Whole Foods Market is pursuing? Fresh natural and organic foods and products with no preservatives or artificial ingredients. Promote healthier eating/lifestyle and increasing consumer knowledge/education of food safety, environment and how pesticides affect the land as well as the human body. 2. Is the strategy well matched to recent developments and conditions in the natural and organic foods segment of the food retailingRead MoreWhole Foods Case Study2408 Words   |  10 PagesCase Analysis Whole Foods Market in 2010: Vision, Core Values, and Strategy By: Katie Hollar Baker College Online Case Analysis Whole Foods Market in 2010: Vision, Core Values, and Strategy Overview Whole Foods Market was established in Austin, Texas in 1980 as a natural and health food supermarket, and it has since become the world’s largest supermarket chain in organic and natural foods. Whole Foods Market had 289 stores located in Canada, Great Britain, and predominantly in theRead MoreWhole foods case study Essay870 Words   |  4 PagesNovember 27, 2013 HRM 598 Case Study Introduction Whole Foods Market, Inc. is the largest chain of natural foods supermarkets operating in the United States. Whole Foods has six core values that drive its company and they include; selling the highest quality natural and organic products, satisfying and delighting customers, supporting their Team Members (Whole Food Employees) happiness and growth, creating wealth through profits and growth, caring about the communities and our environment, creatingRead MoreEssay on Case Study-Whole Foods1284 Words   |  6 Pages1. Whole Foods creates a narrow market niche by catering to the special needs and tastes of the consumer, thus, creating a differentiation-based advantage over competitors. By taking actions to acquire Wild Oats, Whole Foods has gained the competitive edge in the marketplace. 2. Recent developments and conditions in the natural and organic food industry can put a strain on the vision and strategy that John Mackey first set out to accomplish. However, part of a good business strategy is toRead MoreWhole Foods Inc Case Study1200 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Industry Overview The Whole Foods Inc was founded in 1980 by john Mackey, from a local supermarket store on safe grocery. Since then, it has grown into the world’s largest retail store all kinds of organic and natural foods. As of 2004, the annual sales were recorded as $8 billion. It has approximately 264 stores in the USA, 6 in Canada and 5 in the United Kingdom (Thomson, 2010). The headquarters are located on an 80,000 square feet flagship store in Austin, Texas. Over the yearsRead MoreCase Study : Whole Foods Market1370 Words   |  6 Pages Performance Mangement-4013 Assignment Title: Whole Foods Market Report by: Kiranpal Mann Student #: c0645417 Date: 1st March 2016 Table of contentsRead MoreWhole Foods Case Study Essay1324 Words   |  6 PagesWhole Foods Markets is a retailer of natural and organic foods. The company was founded by current CEO John Mackey who partnered with Craig Weller and Mark Skiles to merge their two natural food stores, Saferway and Clarkville Natural Grocery, resulting in the opening of the original Whole Foods Market on September 20, 1980. They had a 12,500 square foot store manned by 19 staff members. With a passion this industry, Mackey devised great visions, values, and strategies to take Whole Foods MarketsRead MoreWhole Foods Market Inc. Case Study Essay1200 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to the Whole Foods Market Inc. case, study shows that Whole Foods Market is an American supermarket chain exclusively featuring foods without artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats. It is the United States first certified organic grocer, which mean s it ensures, to National Organic Program standards, organic integrity of the heterogeneous products from the time they reach stores until they are placed in a shopping cart. Whole Foods Market Inc. openedRead MoreWhole Foods Operations Management Case Study1794 Words   |  8 PagesWhole Foods Operations Management Case Study Assignment With the launch of the 365 brand, Whole Foods is hoping to target and bring in a younger, more hipster demographic of customers. Their hopes are that these younger, more price sensitive shoppers will grow with the brand, become accustomed to the organic, GMO-free selection, and will transition into customers of the regular, more expensive, Whole Foods stores as they grow in their careers and begin making more money. The most important challenge

Review Of Much Like How Greco Roman Heroes - 1207 Words

Much like how Greco-Roman heroes reflected the cultural values of the societies that produced and sustained them, comic book heroes have also continued to reflect the values of contemporary society. In particular, Marvel’s The Punisher is a vital source of insight in our society’s moral perception of criminals. This is because his acceptance to mainstream pop culture is a reflection of the social values and moral codes that have been discreetly popularized by members of our society. This popularity, which is grounded in our resonation with The Punisher and his belief system, is a product of our unfiltered individual moral desires, as well as the institutional ills that many believe characterizes our justice systems. To understand these†¦show more content†¦The perpetrators, seeking to eliminate witnesses, murdered most of the bystanders, including Castle’s family and almost Castle himself. Although upon recovery Castle was able to identify the perpetrato rs to the police, corruption in the department prevented any action from being taken. For that reason, and wanting justice for his family, Castle became the vigilante known as The Punisher. He has since waged a one-man war against crime and corruption by mercilessly hunting and killing those he consider criminals. This backstory alone provides insight into the Punisher’s moral foundations and motivations. However, further interpretation is necessary to understand the depth of his moral structure and motivation and there resonation with members of our society. In regards to his motivation, it has been made explicitly clear that revenge is the principle source of his crusade against crime. Not only does the author of his comic offer this evidence to us, but a basic psychological inquiry would make this clear as well. Nonetheless, as a result of his moral structure, Punisher is an immensely complex character that strays from the simplistic vengeful paradigm. This structure, which is maintained by his vision of making the world a better place, can be characterized as a consequentialist belief that eradicating criminals in the world is a necessary evil. This moral structure is crucial because within The Punisher’s individual rationality, the ethical frameworkShow MoreRelatedSummer Olymoics23416 Words   |  94 Pagesbehind, having closed most of the gap observed by the initial evaluation in 2004. New York and Madrid also received very positive evaluations.[28] On 1 July 2005, when asked who would win, Jacques Rogge said, I cannot predict it since I don t know how the IOC members will vote. But my gut feeling tells me that it will be very close. Perhaps it will come down to a difference of say ten votes, or maybe less.[29] On 6 July 2005, the final selection was announced at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore

Unit 1, Business Administration Level2 Free Essays

string(79) " who the creator is it can be claimed 50 years after it was first made public\." Unit one: Principles of personal responsibilities and working in a business environment Section 1 – Know the employment rights and responsibilities of the employee and employer 1. Identify four main points that would be included in a contract of employment. If possible, use an example contract to support your answer (feel free to obscure any confidential information). We will write a custom essay sample on Unit 1, Business Administration Level2 or any similar topic only for you Order Now – Employer’s name – Employee’s name – Date of commencement of employment – Main place of work Example: Employer’s name: AbC Ltd. Employee’s name: Date of commencement of employment: 15 Jan 2013 Main place of work: Unit 12, 3 Long Way, New York, AB1 2CD, UK a) List three key points of legislation that affect employers in a business environment. – Health and safety – Employments rights and responsibilities – Data protection 2b) List three key points of legislation that affect employees in a business environment. – Health and safety – Pay Pensions – Employments rights and responsibilities 3. Identify a range of places where a person can find information on employment rights and responsibilities. You should identify at least two internal and two external sources of information. Internal (within organisation): – Line manager – Informed colleagues – Trade union represent atives External (outside of the organisation): – Citizens Advice Bureaux – Government – ACAS 4. Describe how representative bodies can support employees. The representative bodies can help and support employees in work place. The best examples are Trade Unions, large organisations that represent the interest of their members. They can offer assistance through work based representatives. Their members may share an occupation or a common industry. Trade Unions will also have regional and national expertise that they can use. One of the place, where employee can get help and advice when is not a member of Trade Union, is Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). It can advise employee on his rights at work  and in other settings. CAB advisers can often  help write letters to present employees complaint or claim to an employer, service provider or business. Sometimes, the CAB will provide representation if person makes a claim at the employment tribunal. 5. Briefly describe employer and employee responsibilities for equality and diversity in a business environment. You should give at least two employer responsibilities and two employee responsibilities. If possible, provide relevant equality and diversity procedures from your workplace (or place of study) to support your answer. These documents hould be annotated to highlight the relevant sections. Equality can be described as breaking down barriers, eliminating discrimination and ensuring equal opportunity and access for all groups both in employment and to goods and services. In all organisations, it’s important that all employees are treated in an equally fair way and are given equal opportunities. Diversity can be described as celebrating differences and valuing everyone. Each person is an individual with visible and non-visible differences and by respecting this, everyone can feel valued for their contributions, which is beneficial not only for individual but for company too. Examples: Employer responsibilities: – Should provide training to increase   awareness of equality and diversity so that employees at all levels can perform effectively and develop their full potential within their jobs; –   It has responsibility to protect employees in the work place, to remove all barriers to individual development and to maintain and promote an environment that appreciates diversity and is free from discrimination, harassment and bullying. Employee responsibilities: Focus on actual people rather than the â€Å"label† which may be put on them; – Be aware of the judgements make. 6. Briefly explain the benefits of making sure equality and diversity procedures are followed in a business environment. Your answer should include one benefit for the employer, one benefit for the employee and one benefit for the overall organisation. In all organisations, there are social and economic benefits of equal treatment. Examples: Benefit for employ er: – Employer can reduce the risk that will be held legally responsible for he behaviour of the people who work with him, if training them in equality and diversity procedures. Benefit for employee: – Any person doing the same work as someone else has the right to be rewarded in the same way as they are. Benefit for overall organisation: – It brings to an organisation a wide range of experience, ideas and creativity and if managed well it can ensure that each individual utilises their skills effectively and feels valued for their individual qualities. Section 2 – Understand the purpose of health, safety and security procedures in a business environment . Identify employer and employee responsibilities for health, safety and security. If possible, provide relevant health, safety and security policies / documents from your workplace (or place of study) to support your answer. These documents should be annotated to highlight the relevant sections. Health, s afety and security procedures clarify ‘who’ is responsible for ‘what’. This ensures that an organisation has a structure to ensure a secure, safe and healthy business environment for everyone. The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering work-related health and safety in the United Kingdom. It states that everyone has responsibility for health and safety in the workplace. The 1998 Data Protection Act, that is another law, which purpose is to protect people from having information about themselves abused. In other words, in spite of its name it is intended to protect individuals rather than data. It does this by imposing restrictions on what those holding personal information may do with it and to whom they may pass it. One more very important legislation in a business environment is Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This act ensures that things such as literacy, photographs, artists creations, dramatic and musical works cannot be copied. The law is also carried out when it comes to computers as it is illegal to copy software or run pirated software. Everything here mentioned, however, can be claimed as someone else when the original owner has been dead for a certain amount of years. It is usually after 70 years it can be claimed but in some cases where they don’t know who the creator is it can be claimed 50 years after it was first made public. You read "Unit 1, Business Administration Level2" in category "Papers" Examples Employers responsibilities: – Employers have duties under health and safety law to assess risks in the workplace. Risk assessments should be carried out that address all risks that might cause harm in workplace. – Employers must give information about the risks in workplace and how employees are protected, also instruct and train on how to deal with the risks. Employers must consult employees on health and safety issues. – Employers have a legal duty under the  Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations (HSIER)  to display the approved poster in a prominent position in each workplace or to provide each worker with a copy of the approved leaflet  Health and safety law: â€Å"What you need to knowà ‚  that outlines British health and safety law†. Employees responsibilities: – Follow the training has received when using any work items your employer has given. – Take reasonable care of own and other people’s health and safety. Co-operate with employer on health and safety. – Tell someone (employer, supervisor, or health and safety representative) if think the work or inadequate precautions are putting anyone’s health and safety at risk. 2. Explain the purpose of following health, safety and security procedures in a business environment. All people at work need to take reasonable care to avoid harm to themselves or to others by their working practices, and to co-operate with employers and others in meeting statutory requirements. The principal objective in Health and Safety Act is to prevent harm from occurring to employees while they are at work. It is an employer’s duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. The employer has legal responsibilities to staff and any breach of these could result at legal action against employer as an individual, resulting in heavy fines. All companies have procedures for staff to follow. There are some important reasons for following those procedures. Failure of any of them can bring consequences: – Legal reasons – reprimands, fines, closures and even prison sentences – Organisational rules – can be subject to disciplinary procedures – Morale reasons – employers and employees have a moral obligation to follow health and safety procedures to ensure no one comes to any harm – Economic reasons – e fines for breaking the law, compensation payments to customers or staff, loss of customers who are aware that health and safety procedures are not being followed, increased costs and, potentially, even the whole organisation being shut down . Describe three different ways of maintaining a safe and secure business environment. – Personal conduct: One of the most significant influences on risks in the workplace is the behaviour of staff. How people conduct themselves can have a significant impact on their own health and safety and that of others. For example: not wearing clothes / jewellery that may be dangerous, not tired when at work etc. Awareness and observation: Noticing any potential hazard, noticing what is happening in work environment; – Prompt reporting: promptly reporting to the appropriate person when someone is wrong or may have a potential for causing harm but the individual cannot correct it. Section 3 – Understand how to communicate effectively with others 1. Complete the table below with descriptions of different methods of communication. You should include two verbal, two non-verbal and two written methods of communication. |Methods of communication |Description | |Verbal communication |1. One-to-one discussion: allows communicators to exchange ideas | | |back and forth freely; information flowing smoothly and clearly | | |between speaker and the audience | | | | | | | | |2. Presentations: Using effective verbal communication, business | | |professionals give presentations and lectures to convey their | | |expertise on a particular topic. Whether a business professional | | |provides instruction, describes a product to make a sale or | | |communicates a vision or strategy, he needs to keep the message | | |clear by preparing adequately. | | | | | | | |Non-verbal communication |1. Voice ton: quality of person’s voice, characteristic style or | | |manner of expressing yourself orally, that shows what the speaker is| | |feeling | | | | | | | | |2. Eye contact: is strongly influenced by social behaviour, is most | | |often defined as a sign of confidence; can indicate how interested a| | |person is in the communication taking place. It could also suggest | | |trust and truthfulness. | |Written communication |1. E-mail: electronic messaging, virtual communication tool, have | | |taken the place of actual â€Å"pen and paper† memos or written letters | | |due to ease and speed of sending and receiving emails. | | | | | |2. Business letter:   is a  letter  written in formal language, usually| | |used when writing from one business organization to another, or for | | |correspondence between such organizations and their customers, | | |clients and other external parties. The overall style of letter will| | |depend on the relationship between the parties concerned. | | | | | | | 2. Using two specific examples, explain how to choose the most appropriate method of communication to meet your needs and the needs of others. Managers meeting regarding targets for next year – Business manager have to communicate â€Å"plan to win† for next year with all managers. It should be done in out of the public place; it’s kind of the face-to-face meeting in small group. Speaker can use presentations, may discus some issues concerning business with staff. Clearly written, comprehensive and organized notes can be very powerful. They can make the difference between those who attended the mee ting going away and doing nothing, or actually doing what’s needed in order to move a project forwards. – Confirm additional order – when need to add some more items to existing order, need to quick communicate it with service company. The best and the quickest way is to send fax. It’s good method of communication for all external contacts, or other offices some distance way. In addition, we are in possession of copies of the order confirmation in writing. 3. Describe at least two ways of actively listening. The way to become better listener is to practice â€Å"active listening†. This is where the person makes a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent. There are some key elements of active listening. They all help to ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are hearing what they say. Examples: – Pay Attention: Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also â€Å"speaks† loudly. * Look at the speaker directly. * Put aside distracting thoughts. * Don’t mentally prepare a rebuttal! * Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations. * Listen† to the speaker’s body language. – Respond Appropriately: Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. * Be candid, open, and honest in your response. Assert your opinions respectfully. * Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated. Section 4 – Understand how to work with and support colleagues 1. Explain the purpose of agreeing standards for your own work. Give at least two reasons. Organisation provides a f oundation of work standards to ensure everyone knows what is required from them and from people around them. As an employee, we should always make sure that we know exactly the work standards required of you. If an employee doesn’t have a standard of work or unclear then it is difficult for them to know what or how or when they should be doing it. The absence of standards makes it impossible for an employee to effectively monitor their own performance. If work standards don’t exist, then things are open to personal interpretation and this can lead to conflicting viewpoints. If some colleagues work to lower standards, it can affect the work of others. Examples: – Wastage standards – An engineering business producing ‘widgets’ may set a maximum of 0. 25% scrap; a chef in a restaurant aims to keep the cost of unused ingredients down to ? 30 per day. – Behavioural standards – Members of the armed forces will have very precise standards on appearance and dress; a receptionist should smile 100% of the time when greeting customers. 2. Explain the purpose of taking on new challenges and being able to adapt to change at work. It is important to take on new challenges and adapt to changes, because nothing ever stays the same, things are always changing which means unless you can adapt and change too, you will be stuck doing the same things which could then make your life a lot harder than it needs to be. Changes could be due to an advance in technology, new environment or anything that will have an impact on you and your day to day life. Those people who welcome change are likely to get more opportunities for variation in their work. If a person wishes to learn then they will need to face up to new information and new situations. If a person will not change and adapt then there is little scope for learning. Employees who resist or deny changes will find themselves at odds with colleagues and managers. Their skills and attitudes may become redundant. This may result in them no longer fitting in with the business. 3. Explain the purpose of treating others with honesty and consideration. Having integrity and being honest are fundamental requirements if you want to grow spiritually and follow your true destination of personal development. It’s not simply about being honest with people. Whilst that will make you a better person and a more accepted one it’s more importantly about being honest with yourself. If we’re honest in all that we do and say, it means we are genuine, real and true whereas dishonesty symbolises all that is fake, fictitious and unreal. Living your life honestly and with integrity means that you’ve decided to live openly and to show your true self to others and that you can be relied upon to be genuine. One of the key elements in any relationship, be it a personal or professional one, is the ability to trust and be trusted. Without trust, we have no credibility which is at the core of being able to influence people and provide strong leadership. Without honesty, there is no foundation upon which to build a personal relationship with someone you love. Section 5 – Know how to plan own work and be accountable to others 1. Explain the purpose of meeting work standards and deadlines when completing tasks in a business environment. Setting clear standards of work and deadlines enables people to complete work effectively. If there are no standards or they are vague this can lead to confusion and problems. It is important that you produce your work to the best possible standard in order to meet the requirements of the person who set you the task. This shows that you are responsible and trustworthy and that you can be relied upon to get things done. You do not know who else might be waiting for your work; it could have to be passed on to someone else. This could cause problems in a business environment and affect your  team  relationship. Your line manager will expect you to meet all your deadlines, this could have a detrimental effect on your progress is you regularly fail at this. 2. Describe two different methods that you can use to plan your own work in a business environment. – Prioritization – Prioritization is the essential skill you need to make the very best use of your own efforts and those of your team. It’s also a skill that you need to create calmness and space in your life so that you can focus your energy and attention on the things that really matter. It is particularly important when time is limited and demands are seemingly unlimited. It helps you to allocate your time where it is most-needed and most wisely spent, freeing you and your team up from less important tasks that can be attended to later or quietly dropped. With good prioritization (and careful management of reprioritized tasks) you can bring order to chaos, massively reduce stress, and move towards a successful conclusion. Without it, you’ll flounder around, drowning in competing demands. – Goal setting – is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You’ll also quickly spot the istractions that can, so easily, lead you astray. A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic. While there are plenty of variants (some of which we’ve i ncluded in parenthesis), SMART usually stands for: †¢ S  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Specific (or Significant). †¢ M  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Measurable (or Meaningful). †¢ A  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Attainable (or Action-Oriented). †¢ R  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Relevant (or Rewarding). †¢ T  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Time-bound (or Track able). 3. Describe ways of keeping other people informed about progress and compare their effectiveness. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each approach? Very few people work entirely on their own. Even fewer are responsible to no one but themselves for the work they do. Most of us have to make sure that other people know what we are doing and, in many cases, approve it. If you don’t keep them informed you’re going to make both your life and theirs that bit harder. It’s quite easy to let people know about the end of your actions. You send a memo to each member of staff telling him or her of the time of the staff appraisal interview. You hand the boss a file containing all the relevant travel documents. You tick the completed box on your list of â€Å"jobs to do† and that’s that. What is equally important is keeping people informed on an ongoing basis as a particular job progress, particularly if it is long and complicated. The reasons of that: – You might not be completely clear about what you are supposed to do and don’t want to go any further because you might be taking the wrong route; – Something unexpected turns up that might alter what you have to do; – You might urgently require some advice; – The person for whom you are doing the job needs a regular progress report for his or her own boss; – The job is so big that a number of people have to be kept informed on a regular basis of what everyone else is doing so that they feel confident that they can continue carrying out their part of the plan. There are many different methods of communicate progress with other people, but always have to remember to choose correct one. One can be very effective, the others less. For example: Meetings – These can vary from one-time kickoff meetings to daily meetings of small groups of team members, weekly or monthly executive updates, or occasional all-hands meeting s. Although you can’t guarantee that people will pay attention in a meeting, getting people in the same room is ideal for discussions, brainstorming, and decision making. – Status reports – These can contain different types of information depending on the audience. Moreover, whether you produce paper or electronic status reports depends on the audience as well. Sending status reports to people makes it easy for them to read the information, and they can choose to scan the reports for pertinent topics or ignore them if time is at a premium. Newsletters and email distribution lists:  These work well for announcements and other information you want to disseminate to broad audiences. You can distribute information to many people without much effort, but the readers can skip the message if it doesn’t apply to them. Section 6 – Understand the purpose of improving own performance in a business environment and how to do so 1. Explain the purpose of conti nuously improving your performance in a business environment. Knowing that you are getting better at something feels good. Sometimes this happens just because you get more and more experienced at doing it. At other times it needs someone to show you how you can improve on what you’re doing. Your first step is to decide where you are now and where you want to get to. A lot of organisations try to encourage their staff to â€Å"continuously improve† themselves; often referring to it as â€Å"lifetime learning† because they feel that it can help them to improve the organisation’s overall performance. Businesses and employees should focus on doing their tasks as well as possible, and look for what can be improved. By continuing to improve, an employee can increase job interest, wages, long-term careers and a more valued contribution to the organisation and the satisfaction of customers. 2. Describe at least two ways of improving your performance at work. Where relevant, illustrate your answer with specific examples from your own experience. Knowing that you are getting better at something feels good. Sometimes this happens just because you get more experienced at doing it. At other times it needs someone to show you how you can improve on what you’re doing. First step is to decide where you are now and where you want to get to. For an organisation to survive and grow it must continuously improve its performance. When an organisation makes changes, employees will have to make changes in what they do and how they do it. Improvement can take place in different ways. Examples: – Learning from mistakes – very few people like saying sorry. Nor do they like even admitting to themselves that they have made a mistake. It might boost your morale in short term to blame everyone but yourself when a mistake is made. In longer term, never admitting a mistake can cause problems. Acknowledging your mistakes can help both you and the person you’re talking to. He or she will recognise that you have admitted your mistake without trying to lay the blame on anyone else, be immediately in a position to try to correct the mistake because you have not tried to be obstructive about it, will try to ensure that the same mistake won’t occur again by giving your extra training, assistance or support, will appreciate your honesty. Learning from performance reviews -it is a systematic and periodic process that assesses an individual employee’s job performance and productivity in relation to certain pre-established criteria and organizational objectives. These reviews tend to be done every 6-12 months so they create a frame work for continuous performance review and improvement. Most people think of a performance review as an uncomfortable meeting with their boss; a chance to hear how great (or not so great) a job they’ve been doing or what sort of salary increase to expect this year. But a good performance review should be much more than this — it should be an engaged, two-way conversation between employer and employee. While this is your manager’s time to share his or her overall evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses, it is also  your  time to ask insightful questions, receive constructive feedback, and establish a clear plan for improvement or future professional development. Your performance review, whether overwhelmingly positive or somewhat disappointing, is always a great opportunity to learn, grow, and move forward in your career. 3. Briefly describe at least two different types of career pathways that may be available to you. One and the most wanted career pathways for me is kind of administrative job. I would like to work in the office environment. Many of administrative and clerical jobs, like Administrative Assistant, Data Entry Clarke, Secretary and other, all are about following procedures, checking things and keeping records. So, I’m organised person, accurate and pay close attention to detail. I have ability to use my own initiative, but also know when matters need to be referred to a supervisor. Second career pathway for me is the social service sector. All of these services are about helping people. I could work as Social Work Assistant, Family Support Worker or Youth and Community Worker. I’ve got a caring personality and want to help people during trying times in their lives. I want to make a positive difference to children and their families’ lives, and help them have a better future. Unfortunately, I don’t have specific qualifications to work in this environment, but the most of employers giving training before work begin. Section 7 – Understand the types of problems that may occur in a business environment and how to deal with them 1. Identify at least two different types of problems that can occur in a business environment. At work, problems are at the centre of what many people do every day. You’re either solving a problem for a client (internal or external), supporting those who are solving problems, or discovering new problems to solve. The problems you face can be large or small, simple or complex, and easy or difficult to solve. Regardless of the nature of the problems, a fundamental part of every manager’s role is finding ways to solve them. There are two main types of problems that may occur at work environment: – Minor problems – small and usually have obvious, easy-to-implement solutions, where you can use your own knowledge and experience to come up with a workable solution. – Major problems – are likely to have serious consequences and need careful consideration, they must be referred to a senior manager. In this instance, you should inform a senior manager as soon as possible. 2. Complete the table below by describing at least two specific problems that can occur at work and how they can be dealt with. |Problem |Dealing with the problem | |1. Equipment failure |Need to report the problem to store manager, he need to call | | |engineer to fix it up | | | | | | | |2. Customer complaint about hair in food |Ask shift manager to deal with customer. Need to apologise customer,| | |offer replace food, extra dessert. Check that they are kept food | | |safety roles on the kitchen. | 3. Complete the table below by listing at least two problems you are able to deal with yourself and two problems you would need to refer to others to deal with (and how you would refer these problems). |Problems I can deal with: |Problems I would need to refer to others: |How are problems referred to others? | |1. Delivery not arrived – need to contact |1. Computer crashing |Report to computer technician by telephone. | |with head office by telephone, to find out | | | |what happened. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |2. Stock on front counter run out – need to |2. Important equipment failure |Report to store manager. If is present in | |go to stockroom to pick up some stock or | |store – face to face, if not – by phone call | |delegate someone to stock up | |or by email. Should leave note in managers | | | |diary for next shift manager, to let him know| | | |about problem | | | | | | | | | How to cite Unit 1, Business Administration Level2, Papers

Mental Accounting And Its Impact On Consumer Behavior

Questions: 1. Mental accounting and it impact on consumer decision making? 2. How might a company take advantage of consumers mental accounting? Give examples. 3. As a marketer, how might you frame certain decisions to benefit from the disparities that arise in ones cognitive accounting? 4. As a consumer, how would you avoid the pitfalls posed by the inequalities of ones cognitive accounting? Answers: Introduction Richard Thaer gets the credit of coining this term-mental accounting. Mental accounting is a psychological system in which the people or specifically the customer is expected to prepare a mental note about the economic results of the decision they would make once they plan to purchase something. (Berk, 1995) 1. Mental accounting and it impact on consumer decision making Mental Accounting is a concept whereby the approach of the customers towards their buying is calculated and monitored. It is assumed in mental accounting that a customer also takes into account not just the cost but the actual rewards or benefits he or she receives after purchasing that particular product. (Thaler, 2001) As Thaler propagated, there are basically three wings or three important steps involved in the whole concept of mental accounting. These three important legs of mental accounting include: (1) the awareness of the results which the customer will make before making that purchase (2) the act of giving or setting targets for different set of accounts (3) the calculation of the exact time gap or the time lag which is created while calculating or undergoing the system of mental accounting. (Hales, 2002)The process of mental accounting can be demonstrated by taking the example of a person who travelling with his child and the child is feeling extremely thirsty and the perso n wishes to purchase juice for the kid. Now he has two options for him. Either he can purchase juice worth $20 which is available in the departmental store or he can spend $25 for exactly the same bottle of juice from an up market restaurant which is on their way for the simple reason that he has taken the advantage of mental accounting and calculated that the benefit he is getting is much more in the second case and that too with just the difference of $5. This is actually mental accounting which takes into account a number of factors apart from just the cost. (Edwards, 1968) 2. How can a company take advantage of consumers mental accounting? An analysis. Cognitive accounting uses the thought process of an individual which treats money differently in when coming from different sources. For instance a student earns $250 during his summer job and is not willing to spend it on the latest collection of video games while on the other hand his grandfather has sent him $250 as a reward for his interest in summer job which he or she is willing to part away with. The cost of the video game will remain the same, it is just that now he is taking into account the efforts put in procuring that $250. 3. As a marketer, how might one frame certain decisions to benefit from the disparities that arise in ones cognitive accounting? One of the most common marketing strategies which aims at targeting the mental accounting that goes on in themed of the people is freebies. Freebies especially which are aimed at small kids and teenage group. For instance the amount spent on advertisement of MNCs like Gems surprise include the freebie which is Colour changing panda. Now acquiring a colour changing panda will soon develop as an obsession among the children and they will purchase the product not for the sake of chocolate alone, but because of the freebie inside. (French, 1991) 4. As a consumer, how would you avoid the pitfalls posed by the inequalities of ones cognitive accounting? The best manner in which a consumer can avoid the pitfalls laid out by companies is by keeping one golden rule of shopping in mind. That golden rule is whether or not they actually need the product at that point of time or are they buying to stock. Secondly it is very crucial that all the money, whether earned, received as some gift or cracked through a jackpot should be treated the same. (Thaler, 2001)Although in the last two options the person might not have put in lots of efforts to earn it, but the only thing which we need to understand is that a penny saved is actually a penny earned. So even if source of money is different in all the case, their treatment should be equal. (Edwards, 1968) For instance, the Kaun Baega Crorepati, which has been one of the most popular prime time shows in India uses this approach of mental accounting for their advantage. When a contestant who has secured Rs 1 crore is about to take the decision whether or not to continue the game for a further R 10 crore, he or she should remember that however easy it may seem at this moment to earn that 9 crore, the amount which is in hand that is Rs 1 crore is still more safe and secure. And at times when people do not take into account the mental accounting procedure, they take the option of answering the question and reach to nothing but say Rs 30 lakh! (Hales, 2002) Conclusion In any business scenario, the marketing teams come up with newer ways, studies and approaches towards capturing the thought process of the customers so that they can maximize their profits. But the real game is when the customer is also aware that his thinking pattern is being targeted at. So what a customer needs to make sure is that, 1.) The money received from whichever source should be treated equally 2.) Before purchasing any product it should be seen whether or not it is urgent or can it be postponed, in case the buying can be postponed that means that it is not at all required to be purchased at that point of time taking into account the actual utility or benefit of that product for that moment 3.) In situations where people strike jackpots, they should not opt for instant buying. They should let that moment of happiness pass and should take an intelligent decision after a couple of days by that time he will be able to make a clear comparison of the price of what he intends to buy as compared to the actual utility of that thing. (Berk, 1995). References Berk, J. (1995) A critique of size related anomalies. Review of Financial Studies 8:275286. Bell, D. (1982) Regret in decision making under uncertainty. Operations Research 30:961981 Benartzi, S., and R. Thaler (2001) Na ve diversification strategies in defined contribution savings plans. American Economic Review 91:7998. Bloomfield, R. and Hales, J. (2002) Predicting the next step of a random walk: experimental evidence of regime-shifting beliefs. Journal of Financial Economics 65:397414. Camerer, C. (1995) Individual decision making, in: J. Kagel and A. Roth, eds. Handbook of Experimental Economics Daniel, K. and Titman, S. (1997) Evidence on the characteristics of cross-sectional variation in stock returns. Journal of Finance 52:133 Edwards, W. (1968) Conservatism in human information processing: B. Kleinmutz, ed. Formal Representation of Human Judgment pp. 1752 French, K. and J. Poterba (1991) Investor diversification and international equity markets. American Economic Review 81:222226

Identifying Emergency and Planning an Example by

Identifying Emergency and Planning An emergency or a state of emergency, as defined by the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control and Armed Forces (2005), is a governmental declaration due to an extraordinary situation posing a threat to the nation. Upon declaration, citizens must be aware of what is happening to alter their normal behavior, as well as to put into practice emergency preparedness plans to impose limitations into civil liberties and human rights. Diverse criteria maybe considered in declaring such emergency, and in the case of law enforcement, can be an armed action opposing the state by either internal or external elements. For some governments, dictatorial regimes may declare martial law to allow greater authority for the military in order to protect the concerned citizens. Minimization or prevention of threats should therefore be a primary assurance, so planning for an emergency situation is relevant. Emergency planning is a process to ensure that the state and the people comprising it may know what to do when such situation arises (Safe and Responsive Schools, n. d.). Steps needed in emergency planning are: communicating and consulting with everyone concerned; identifying and establishing the committee for planning; conducting an emergency risk study; identifying responsibilities; identifying availability of resources and services needed;developing arrangements and systems; documenting the plan; and lastly monitoring and reviewing what has been done in the implementation (Emergency Manual Australia, 2004, p. 16). Planning for emergency is quite important for the security of the citizens and the nation. Concrete steps must be followed to effectively prevent or minimize damages threats may impose. Being vigilant is important, and cooperation between the law enforcement units and the ones being protected is important to ensure that maximum security and protection is achieved. Need essay sample on "Identifying Emergency and Planning" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed References Emergency Management Australia. (2004). Emergency Planning. Retrieved October 4, 2008. Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces. (2005). States of Emergency. Retrieved October 4, 2008. Safe and Responsive Schools. (n.d.). Effective Responses: Emergency Preparation & Crisis Planning. Retrieved October 4, 2008.

Impact of Technology on Everyday Life

Impact of Technology on Everyday Life Free Online Research Papers Technology today touches everything we do. You never know how much something can play a major role in your life until you sit back, relax, and sit right in front of the computer and access the internet. It can be beneficial in your family, business, and personal life. First of all, The Internet brings friends and family closer together. Before the Internet, it was possible to keep in touch with relatives and friends across the country or around the world and it was also expensive. Today, A person living in Louisiana now has the means to communicate with friends, family, or other people who live halfway across the world. This has allowed many people to stay in touch with each other, that they may not have been able to keep in touch with prior to this invention. Secondly, Large companies can connect with employees, suppliers, and partners around the globe, and small businesses can find their customers anywhere in the world. Businesses can hire knowledgeable workers anywhere regardless of where they are, greatly expanding employment opportunities. The internet provides countless avenues to learn about new jobs, training, volunteer opportunities, and what’s happening in your field. Finally, the Internet offers people an easy way to shop for goods and services in different states and countries. Not only do you do it online, but at your own time and privacy of your own home. What is so amazing you can pay bills without wasting stamps and guaranteeing that it gets their in a timely fashion. In Conclusion, The Internet and other communication tools let us live and work anywhere we like. With the worlds information at our fingertips and clients and colleagues instantly reachable, the internet is very vital to our lifestyle and to go through life without it will be very tough especially since we use it everyday Research Papers on Impact of Technology on Everyday LifeAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPETSTEL analysis of IndiaNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThe Masque of the Red Death Room meanings

Image of Nurse in the Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Image of Nurse in the Media - Essay Example She initiated this profession for the benefit of the health of all individuals in this world. But this profession has faced many problems. In the olden times the lack of resources and support for this career was a major hurdle for nurses. Nowadays stereotyping of the nurses in the media has become an obstacle that hinders the performance and efficiency of the nurses. Nurses have become an integral part of the healthcare system. They take care of the health of the patients and advise them with the best possible options available for their health. Despite of these essential functions of the nurses, their portrayal has been distorted by the media and the society. It has been seen that nurses are highlighted as women with glamour and beauty but they are considered not to possess any further qualities. It is seen that they are stereotyped as being unintelligent and as not being capable of taking care of patients on the same level as the physicians. It is true that the education opportunit ies of nurses have expanded. But owing to such labels stamped for the nurses in the media and the society, many people refrain from opting for this profession. A study conducted in 2008 indicated the fact that the media portrays the nurses as objects of attraction with no competence and potential. Furthermore, famous television serials which include Grey’s Anatomy and House suppress the role of the nurses and promote the role of the physicians.

Patient Presenting with Diarrhea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Patient Presenting with Diarrhea - Essay Example Appearance of blood in the diarrheal stool is the main risk factor in a patient of inflammatory bowel disease as the mucosal membrane is ulcerated. According to the patent there are nocturnal bowel movements which are almost never seen in irritable bowel syndrome. Recent smoking cessation could also be an additional risk factor as cigarette is supposed to protect the mucosal membrane against ulcers. The patient has been using NSAIDs (ibuprofen) recently and the prolong use of these drugs usually causes ulcers. The patient also has a family history of ulcers which makes her genetically predisposed to the disease. On physical examination, the patient appeared slim; signs of weight loss were prominent. The oral mucosa was dry. The heart rate was increased. There was also mild tenderness in the abdomen. All the signs of inflammatory disease, including fever, were present. Patients presenting with chronic diarrhea are usually suggested for flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Endoscopy is performed when these non-invasive procedures fail to give a positive result and the patient still presents with the signs of inflammation. Endoscopy has some advantage over these procedures in a way that it does not only give a complete internal view of the organ but also allows the physician to collect samples for biopsy. Colitis is graded from mild to moderate and severe on the extent of the damage to the mucosal membrane. If on endoscopic examination the loss of mucosal integrity is not so severe the colitis is termed as mild or moderate. In contrast, patients presenting with sudden onset of signs and symptoms with a greater loss of the mucosa, the disease is termed as severe colitis. Flexible sigmoidoscopy although an efficient procedure, still requires colonoscopy to be done to rule out any false positive results. Physical examination showed dehydration which is confirmed by the electrolyte imbalance shown in the reports.

Compare The Grid And Air Gap Techniques Information Technology Essay

Compare The Grid And Air Gap Techniques Information Technology Essay The research design for this study is of a comparative quantitative, quasi-experimental nature. The rationale for this comparative study is to see what effect two different anti-scatter techniques have on image quality. The properties that make this a quasi-experimental study are manipulation of specific variables and control in experimentation and testing (Parahoo, 2006). True experimental research is characterised by three properties: manipulation, control and randomisation (Parahoo, 2006). As the researcher will not randomise any variables, this study is considered as quasi-experimental and not a true experimental study. In this research manipulation was achieved since a standard anti-scatter technique was compared to an air gap technique adapted for the projection of the hip in the lateral position. Exposure factor variables were also manipulated using an automatic exposure control (AEC). Control was maintained by testing the two techniques under the same conditions using the same research tools. Furthermore, the researcher kept control of the study by testing only the anti-scatter techniques on one specific projection. Therefore the results achieved by this study are specific to the lateral hip projection. However, the principle could be applied to other projections in order to discover which technique works better in providing good image quality in that specific projection. 3.3 Research Method 3.3.1 Background of the study The following methodology was adapted from a study carried out in the United Kingdom by Goulding (2006) who looked at the air gap and the grid technique used to image the hip laterally in the University Hospital she trained in. The study was conducted with the help of reporting radiographers in the Accident and Emergency (AE) department where they performed both grid and air gap technique as routine projections on patients. Goulding (2006) looked at image quality by attaining the hip radiographs performed with both anti scatter techniques separately. Goulding (2006) collected her data by asking reporting radiographers to comment on these radiographs. In Gouldings (2006) study the radiographs on which she based her findings and results were conducted on patients of different size and this may have lacked reliability due to different exposure factors used for each examination, different patient dose depending on patient size as well as image quality. Using a similar methodology in this study the researcher assessed image quality using a quality control phantom and an anthropomorphic phantom. In doing so the researcher will made sure that tests done on both anti-scatter techniques to assess for image quality were more precise. The methodology for this research and the tools used to measure image quality in both grid and air gap technique are explained in the following sub-sections. 3.3.2 Research tools In this study the tools discussed in this section were used to gather the data. They were used to test the anti-scatter techniques being compared and investigated in this study which will be explained further on in this chapter. Since this research looks at image quality in two anti-scatter techniques, a lead quality control phantom (PTW Normi 13) was a very important tool used to collect the data. According to Carlton Adler (2006), spatial resolution and contrast resolution are the most important properties upon which devices and techniques can be tested. The lead quality control phantom (Appendix B) is designed to perform constancy and acceptance tests on plain digital x-ray systems and is able to test image receptors for their homogeneity, spatial resolution and contrast resolution (PTW-Freiburg, 2005). However, in this research, spatial resolution and contrast resolution were the two relevant key tests for image quality. Spatial resolution is measured by counting the largest amount of line pairs per millimetre (Lp/mm) while contrast resolution is measured by the low contrast steps seen on the resultant image. The areas on the phantom that are used to measure spatial and contrast resolution are shown in Appendix B. In collecting the data, the researcher made use of an anthropomorphic pixy phantom AR10A (Appendix B) to image the hip laterally using a horizontal beam. This phantom was used so that the exposures of both grid and air gap technique performed on the quality control phantom could be done to image a hip that resembles that of a human. As the anthropomorphic phantom used had the same attenuation coefficient of a human body, it stops the radiation passing through it in the same way that a human body would. Although this study evaluates image quality in two anti-scatter techniques, the radiation given to the subject/object at each exposure using the air gap and grid technique was also recorded and compared.   The amount of radiation exposed by the tube at each exposure was also measured using a dose area product (DAP) metre. This was important in order to see how much radiation was being used at each exposure to produce an image using the grid and air gap technique. All the exposures (in this experimental testing) were made using an automatic exposure control (AEC) which is incorporated in the erect bucky in the digital x-ray system used. This device determined how much mAs was used in each exposure so that the right amount of x-ray photons irradiated the image receptor to produce an image with adequate quality. This device was used since the mAs that is used in an exposure determines how good the image quality is as well as the patient dose. Therefore when the readings using the tools mentioned were gathered from all exposures, the researcher could compare these results and identify the ideal technique and exposure that should be used in imaging the hip laterally. This technique and exposure should ideally produce a good quality image with as low a dose as possible. 3.3.3 Method The following two subsections will explain in detail how the data was collected during the experimentation on the anti scatter techniques. The researcher made sure that the tools used in the testing were kept the same to test both techniques. The same digital x-ray system was also used throughout the entire experimentation. 3.3.3.1 The Grid Technique Testing for this technique was divided in two stages. In the first stage the researcher made use of the quality control phantom (PTW Normi 13). The phantom was placed on a custom made table in contact with the erect imaging receptor. A stationary parallel grid was placed between the phantom and the receptor since this is the type of grid used in a lateral hip shoot through projection. In this technique, the object to image distance (OID) was that of 0cm since the phantom was in contact with the grid and image receptor. The source to image distance (SID) used was that of one metre (100 cm) since this is the standard SID used in such a projection in the radiology department of the local hospital. The kV used was kept constant at 75 kV and the phantom was centred to the central AEC. The light beam diaphragm was set around the contours of the quality control phantom. A further exposure was made using the same grid technique setting. However, this time the grid was removed. This was done in order to find out whether the grid was working effectively in absorbing scatter radiation, which in turn could affect image quality. The DAP metre was recorded so that the researcher could have an approximate idea of the dose given to the phantom. The second stage in testing the grid technique was done by using the anthropomorphic phantom. The researcher set up the pixy phantom AR10A with the hip in contact with the grid and receptor. The hip was centred with the central AEC and exposed. The kV and the SID were the same as the ones used in testing the quality control phantom 75kV and 100cm SID. The set-ups used to test the grid techniques using both phantoms can be found in Appendix B. 3.3.3.2 The Air Gap Technique To test for the air gap technique the researcher also divided the tests into two stages. The same quality control phantom used previously in the grid technique was also utilised in this test/experiment. The PTW Normi 13 was placed on a custom-made table. However, in this technique, an air gap between the phantom and the image receptor was applied. There were a total of six air gaps applied, varying from 10cm to 60cm. This was done in order to see which air gap was more effective in reducing scatter radiation reaching the receptor. To achieve this aim the object to image distance (OID) was increased by 10 cm after each exposure to a maximum of 60 cm. The source to object distance (SOD) was kept at 100 cm to reduce object magnification as much as possible since this may create a loss in image sharpness. The source to image distance (SID) depended on what OID was used. Therefore when an OID of 20cm was applied, the SID was that of 120cm. This was done to ensure that the distance of the source to the object remained at 100cm. In each exposure the phantom was centred to the central AEC and the light beam diaphragm was set around the contours of the quality control phantom. The researcher also made use of the DAP metre to see which air gap produced a good quality image with a reasonably low dose. This was done so that the air gap exposures could be compared with the standard grid technique. In the second stage of testing for the air gap technique the researcher also used the same anthropomorphic phantom. The setting of the technique to image the hip laterally was adapted from Gouldings (2006) study by using the same patient positioning that the author used in her study. This setting involved applying an air gap between the phantoms hip and the receptor, keeping the SOD at 100cm. A total of six exposures were also performed on the pixy phantom AR10A with the same OIDs and SIDs used to image the quality control phantom. The researcher made sure that the phantoms hip was centred with the central AEC of the erect image receptor. Both settings used to perform testing on the air gap technique can be found in Appendix B. 3.4 Data Collection The data was collected during February 2010. The data record sheets used to record the data can be found in Appendix A.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Exposure Factors The exposure factors used to produce the images in the grid and air gap technique were recorded. The kV was a constant factor while the mAs changed according to the technique used and its setting. The mAs was manipulated by means of the AED. This was done so that the amount of x-ray photons needed to produce the image and  the length of the exposure was recorded depending on the technique used.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Object to Image Distance (OID) The OID used in testing the grid and air gap technique was recorded. This was important, particularly in the application of the air gap technique. This is because the OID in the air gap technique determined the magnitude of the air gap that should be used to achieve a good quality image while keeping the radiation dose as low as possible. Therefore the researcher could see and analyse the effect on the image quality each time a specific OID was used in relation to exposure factors. In the air gap technique the SID depended on what OID was used. The researcher kept the SOD at 100cm to reduce as much as possible magnification of the resultant image.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dose Area Product (DAP) The DAP metre was recorded at each exposure for both grid and air gap techniques. Although this metre does not measure the radiation dose given to the phantoms at each exposure, it gives an indication of whether the dose would be low or high. A high DAP reading would mean that more radiation was used in the exposure and therefore the resultant patient dose may be higher. The readings from this metre for both techniques were compared in relation to image quality of the radiographs.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Signal to noise ratio (SNR) The signal to noise ratio (SNR) consists of the un-attenuated photons that have penetrated the subject without interaction (signal) and the Compton scatter and other factors that degrade image quality (noise). The SNR was used to determine how much contrast resolution an image had after each exposure. The higher the SNR the better the contrast resolution of an image (Dendy Heaton, 2006). However a high SNR also means high mAs and consequently a high patient dose. The SNR was calculated by dividing the mean pixel value by the standard deviation of the signal of each exposure. The mean pixel value and standard deviation of the signal were recorded after each exposure provided by the digital x-ray system. Therefore the equation used was: Signal to Noise ratio = mean pixel value/standard deviation (reference)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Spatial Resolution and Contrast Resolution The spatial and contrast resolution readings were recorded by the researcher from the radiographs achieved using the quality control phantom in the grid and air gap technique. The line pairs per millimetre (Lp/mm) were measured to test for spatial resolution, while for contrast resolution the low contrast steps were counted. The data recorded was tabulated in tables 2a and 2b respectively in the data record sheet. This recorded data enabled the researcher to compare the image quality in both techniques. Unlike Goulding (2006) in this study two independent radiologists that were chosen randomly from the researcher were asked to report on image quality on all the radiographs performed on the anthropomorphic pixy phantom AR10A. Radiologists were chosen in this study since in Malta there are no reporting radiographers that report on the appendicular skeleton. The radiologists were asked to report on the images by answering a likert scale (1=very poor and 5=very good) to assess image quality. The results were tabulated in table 3 of the data record sheet. 3.5 Validity and Reliability Validity refers to the degree the research instrument used in the study measures what it is intended to measure. Therefore: Validity reflects the accuracy with which the findings reflect the phenomenon being studied (Parahoo, 2006, p.80) In this study, the researcher consulted with the medical physicist at the local hospital who was asked to assess the content validity of the research tools used to collect the data. The medical physicist considered the research tools valid since the same tools are used in the medical imaging department to test for image quality on the digital x-ray systems. As the research tools were deemed to be totally valid, the data collected to measure image quality in the grid and air gap technique can also be said to be valid. Reliability refers to how consistent an instrument is in measuring what it is intended to measure (Parahoo, 2006). To maintain the equivalence reliability of the lead quality control phantom used for assessment of image quality, two independent observers were asked to measure both spatial and contrast resolution of the two images achieved using the same exposure factors, OID and SID. The researcher tested for the reliability of the automatic exposure device used. This was done by exposing the lead phantom twice without manipulating the setting or exposure factors and the results were recorded. The spatial resolution, contrast resolution and DAP metre readings were the same in both images and so the AEC was considered reliable enough to use in the testing and data collection. 3.6 Ethical Considerations Ethics is defined by Polit Beck (2006) as a system of moral values that are designed to protect the participant from the research procedures as the researcher has professional, legal and social obligations towards the participants involved in the study. However, in this research, no human subjects were involved in the experimentation and collection of data, so there were no ethical issues regarding the exposures done on the PTW NORMI 13 phantom and the anthropomorphic phantom pixy AR10A. Permission was sought for the use of the x-ray equipment from Medical Imaging Department at the local hospital. Experimentation was performed under supervision and precautions were taken to ensure that radiation would not harm any other members of the staff or public where the study was performed. 3.7 Limitations of the study Limitations were encountered by the researcher throughout this study. The study was conducted using a quality control phantom and an anthropomorphic phantom. Although both phantoms are manufactured to mimic and represent a patient as well as to produce equivalent scatter radiation, patient size was a variable that could not be added to the study. The DAP metre was used in this study so that the researcher could have an idea of the dose being attenuated by the phantoms used. Ideally the actual patient dose should be measured but this could not be done since no human subjects were used. Expansion of this study would lead to a better understanding of the dose given to patients while comparing the air gap and grid technique for the lateral hip shoot through. This study was carried out using a digital x-ray system in the radiology department at the local hospital. Tube output and technique setup may be different when using other systems. In the radiology department, computed radiography is used to perform a lateral hip shoot through examination rather than a digital system which is what the researcher used in this study. In data analysis the readings from the quality control phantoms were interpreted by the researcher himself and not by a number of people. If more than one person interpreted the results, the results may have varied. Although these limitations are valid, they had no effect on the data collected and the results achieved. 3.8 Conclusion This chapter described the methodology and the research design of this study. The next chapter consists of presentation, analysis and discussion of the data.

Journal of the Plague Year and Frankenstein

The Plague and Frankenstein The quest for knowledge is eternal and almost never-ending. People devote their lives to studying and advancing their knowledge, but their advancement is always held in check by society and the people who studied before them. Several novels have been written which explore the effect knowledge and its limitations can have on society. This paper will focus on Defoe’s Journal of the Plague Year, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Even though these two novels were written about 100 years apart, they still exemplify many aspects as to why knowledge has limitations. While Defoe’s Journal centers on how to prevent and cure the plague, with a heavy emphasis on religion, Shelley’s Frankenstein has little to no religious affiliation, and focuses on how science and knowledge can potentially lead to evil and misfortune. The plague was a severe and devastating disease which affected Europe multiple times throughout history; each time killing every person who came down with the disease. People are fortunate enough today to have a cure for this disease, but during the 1700s, there was no cure and very little knowledge about proper medical practices. Defoe mentions how signs were posted throughout London, claiming of people who knew of a cure or treatment for the plague, however some of these treatments â€Å"prepared their bodies for the plague, instead of preserving them against it. †1 Thieves and pick-pockets robbed and cheated poor people out of their money with scams, sometimes even poisoning their victims with tonics or â€Å"physicks† that could include such poisons as Mercury in them. These scammers were all throughout the city, appealing to the desires and abundance of the poor. There was no regulation of such business practices and advertisements made ridiculous claims of free help, only to deceive the poor once they got there, forcing them to pay for what may (or may not) help them. These practices were quite cruel and unjust, but people were so scared for their lives that they were willing to do anything which would allow them to live. Not every person in the city fell victim to these scams. Many people once they heard news that the plague had reached London decided to flee and head to some far off town where they might be able to avoid catching the disease. This plight from the city was not only a rational decision, but a religious one as well. Much debate between people in London was sparked about the religious justification for staying in the city, and trusting in God to protect them where they were, or to leave London and â€Å"trust God with [their] safety and health†. 3 For the main character in this novel, H. F. struggles with this decision because he can leave London and live with his relatives, and risk losing all of his possessions, but he ultimately decides to stay, viewing his decision as remaining faithful to God. Upon informing his brother of this decision, he learns that the person, who he was going to entrust with his property during his leave, became ill with the plague, only enforcing H. F. ’s feelings that he made the correct decision to stay in God’s faith. 4 Once the plague hit London with full force, the city was forced to find a new way in which to contain this disease. Instead of looking to the filth with which people lived in, and regarding that it could be carried by animals such as rats, the town determined that each house was to be inspected by doctors, and if the plague should be found within a home, the inhabitants would be locked inside the house, only to come out if they died or the disease had passed. Each home which the plague was found in had a red cross painted on the door, marking it for all to see, and a Watchman was assigned to make sure nobody went in or out of the house, and to run errands for the family if need be. This cruel idea caused many families to parish in their own homes, while others tried to escape by either sneaking out or attacking/threatening the watchmen. In the book Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, by Mary Shelley, the underlying theme is how knowledge and power can lead to misery and destruction. In the book, Victor Frankenstein goes off to college and becomes obsessed with several different types of philoso phy and science. He becomes absorbed in â€Å"the secret of life† and he ultimately tries to recreate it. He is successful and brings life to a monster so hideous that even he cannot bear to be around. Frankenstein tries to desert the monster which he created, but he is never fully able to, as the monster follows and spies on Frankenstein and kills part of his family. Frankenstein is appalled that his creation could have begun to cause such horror and pain to people around him, but is worried that if he tells anyone about the monster which he has created, then he himself will look like a madman. The monster himself is eager for affection from humans, but everywhere he goes, he is shunned and forced away from the town due to people being in fear of him. The monster spends much time watching the actions of a family of peasants, where from his hiding place he is able to learn how to speak French as well as read. After some time he ultimately decides that they are a very compassionate family and that he should reveal himself to them, upon doing this, they are disgusted and chase him away. The monster vows to get revenge on Frankenstein and first begins by killing his little brother whom he stumbles across in the forest in Geneva. He then plants the child’s necklace on a friend of Victor’s, to make her appear as the murderer. She is tried for the crime and hung for it. The monster realizes that his only chance for happiness lies within Frankenstein creating him a female companion. He persuades Frankenstein to create him a female saying that he will leave mankind alone forever and go live in some distant land if he has a companion to go with him. 7 As Frankenstein has begun work on his second monster in Scotland, he is reminded of how crazy he became when creating his first monster, and upon catching a glimpse of his monster watching him through the window, Frankenstein freaks out, and destroys the second body which he is creating. The monster upon seeing this is enraged and promises to kill the rest of Frankenstein’s friends and family. This promise holds true, for Frankenstein loses his best friend that night, his wife on his wedding night, and his father. Rather than heed to the monster’s wishes and create a wife for him, Frankenstein was overcome with the guilt of the deaths of his monsters first two victims. He worries that in creating another, he will be creating a duo of evil that will wreak havoc upon the human race. For it was his fault in the first place which let his imagination get a hold of himself and he wanted to create life for himself. This intense lust for knowledge which Frankenstein has ultimately leads to his demise. He becomes mad in his quest and ends up destroying everyone dear to him as well as himself in the end. Both The Journal of the Plague Year and Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus have heavy themes about knowledge. Defoe’s Journal specifically focuses on how disease was treated and what the methods were to try to cure it. The Journal also has a heavy religious force in it as well. The people in the story as well as the main characters, look towards Bible versus and quotes for guidance in their decision making. This is not the same as in Frankenstein where the main character becomes god-like himself with his creation of life. This major difference is most likely due to the fact that the novels were written about 100 years apart from each other and people’s views how religion affected their daily lives had greatly changed. There is very little mentioned in Frankenstein about religion at all. In each novel, there is excess knowledge than what people have the capacity for; therefore in The Journal, London makes the harsh decision to lock people in their own homes in order to prevent the spread of the plague; while in Frankenstein, his ever persistent quest for knowledge winds up killing him and those dearest to him. The novels are almost a warning as to what effect knowledge can have on society and suggest, that as Socrates said, â€Å"the only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. †

Discuss individual differences in musical functioning with regard to social and biological influences.

Introduction Deutsch (2012) describes music as an art that entails thinking with sounds. Music is played all over the world in churches, homes, funerals and many other places. It is part of humanity introduced at birth with lullabies and continues throughout the course of life up to death with the funeral march (Hallam, Cross & Thaut, 2016). It is a language that resembles speech in many aspects and has no borders. Sense of sound and rhythm are essential elements of musical functioning (Gruszka, Matthews, & Szymura, 2010). Music is significantly influenced by culture in terms of content and style. As such it evokes the same emotions within members of the same culture. It has two main components (rhythm and pitch) that it uses to pass the intended message and one has to be able to understand the two in order to appreciate music (Jones, Fay & Popper, 2010). Human beings are born with ability to understand and appreciate music and that is why young children appreciate lullabies. However the music p otential and preferences vary from one person to the other. People have different musical preferences and this influences the amount of time and resources that they spend listening to music. This study investigates the individual differences in musical functioning with regard to social and biological influences. Individual differences in Musical Functioning Individual differences in musical functioning or musicality refer to the differences in the strength of music preference (Kern & Humpal, 2012). These differences are among the most intricate psychological issues in music. An individual may be fine without music while another one may need music so much so that he or she would use huge resources to attend music concerts. The source of such differences is a major concern to psychologists. According to Deutsch (2012), the strength of music preference is a function of the role that music plays in the life of an individual. People use music for different purposes like regulating their mood and emotions, promoting self-awareness, communicating, fostering social relations, distractions, and physiological arousal. Music plays an important role in the lives of many people across the world, and many people depend on music for different purposes. The availability of music on portable devices has increased the use of music with many people making it an ubiquitous companion (Theorell, 2014). Therefore music has a profound effect on the lives of many individuals as it influences their thinking, feelings, behaviour and perception. These factors influence the lives of individuals depending on the level of dependence on music and the specific type of music (Haas & Brandes, 2009). As such it is important to ascertain the factors that influence music preference. Individual differences in musical functioning belong to an area in psychology that still remains largely unexplored (McPherson, 2016). People like certain artists, tunes, and styles more than the others. The other individuals also have different musical preferences. This is what is termed as style/genre preferences under music preference. In addition to this, individual differences also exist in terms of the extent to which people listen to music. The extent to which people love and enjoy music differs from one individual to the other (Gruszka, Matthews & Szymura, 2010). The knowledge on why people form preferences on certain types of music still remain fragmented partly because music plays different roles in the lives of people (Theorell, 2014). This is what is termed as the strength of preference under musical preference. The major issue of concern to psychologists is the source of these individual differences in strength and genre/style. Strong music preference is an indication th at an individual spends a lot of time listening to music, going to concerts and buying music. The decision to invest time and money to listening to music is a sign that music is useful to the lives of these people. Individual differences in musical functioning are a multifaceted phenomenon that has continuously eluded psychologists, researchers and musicologists (McPherson, 2016). However, some factors that affect musical functioning have been identified and they include exposure, musical characteristics, genre and personality. The factors that affect musical preference can be grouped into two broad categories namely extrinsic and intrinsic factors. The intrinsic factors are inherent and they include melody, structure and timbre. The extrinsic factors on the other hand include social influence, personality and emotions. Social influence on Musical Functioning Social influence is one of the factors that influence the development of individual preferences in music. This starts at the adolescence stage and continues late into adulthood (Zelazo, 2013). Adolescents often have a strong desire to do the same things that their peers are doing in order to belong. They also tend to dislike the things that their peers dislike. As such they will tend to like the same music that their peers like (Theorell, 2014). They listen to music to create an impression, develop self-image and please their friends. According to McPherson (2016), the teenagers often desire to identify themselves with certain groups that they consider as being â€Å"cool† and distance themselves with those that they regard as being â€Å"old-fashioned†. Therefore they tend to develop musical preferences that are similar to members of their group and avoid those of the other groups that they regard as â€Å"not being cool†. This implies that musical preferences are partly created for the purpose of serving a function of group differentiation (Damon & Lerner, 2006). According to Juslin & Sloboda (2010), individuals often tend to like the music that was popular during the years that they reached maturity age. The music preference developed at this point is often a function of the songs that are popular among the friends. However, the events that occur in late adolescence and early adulthood often shape the music preference for the rest of adulthood. When individuals first leave home and start being independent, they are often influenced by their peer groups. They spend a lot of time with their peers and tend to like what their peers like and dislike what their peers dislike (Damon & Lerner, 2006). They will like the same songs as they go to concerts together and spend most of their free time doing the same things. For instance the people who fail to acquire higher education tend to like songs that depict a care free attitude to justify their condition. Therefore social perceptions significantly influence the type of music preferred by people. Acc ording to the social learning theory, people learn through observation (Lehmann, Sloboda, & Woody, 2007). When people are rewarded for certain behaviours like listening to a certain genre of music, others tend to learn from it and are likely to imitate the behaviour in order to reap the same benefits. People tend to use music socially as a way of reinforcing their self-image. For instance conservative people are more inclined to listen to music that is conventional. Furthermore, people use music to communicate to the world by expressing their ideal self-image. The preferences of society may increase or inhibit the spread of certain music genres thereby influencing their potential to be preferred by individuals (Feezell, 2008 and Gruszka, Matthews & Szymura, 2010). For instance when it was discovered that Mozart music positively affected spatial IQ , more people started listening to classical music. This exposure increase the preference for classical music as it was considered esse ntial for children (Hallam, Cross & Thaut, 2016). This indicates the power of society to influence music perception and preference. Therefore the influence of society is one of the most significant factors that influence individual music preferences. The type of music that people are exposed to from childhood is highly dependent on what the society considers popular and appropriate. For instance the mainstream media may prefer playing certain music over the others thereby influencing the preference of individuals. Biological influence on Musical Functioning Music Cognition A series of processes is often activated when listening to music; these processes include melody recognition, memory of the music, recognising the lyrics and emotional response (Lehmann, Sloboda, & Woody, 2007). These basic processes are often integrated by complex mechanisms in the brain where various neural circuits take part simultaneously and some in succession. Identifying the specific tasks involved in processing music and the various interactions requires theoretical models. According to the functional architecture model proposed by Peretz and Coltheart, perception of monophonic tunes is organised by two independent systems working simultaneously (Sloboda, 2004). The melodic system aids in processing melody whereas the temporal system processes tempo. The melodic system processes all information on melody and differentiates the two main components (i.e. note and intervals). All the perception mechanisms are required for processing melodic contour. Melodic processing is done in right superior temporal gyrus (Lehmann, Sloboda, & Woody, 2007). Both the melodic and temporal systems work in coordination with each other and as such a damaged brain may lose its ability to perceive music. Both the melodic and temporal systems relay information to musical lexicon to generate musical repertoire. Musical lexicon includes music repertoire and has a perceptual representation of all the things that an individual has be exposed to (Kern & Humpal, 2012). Furthermore, it also contains a memory that stores new music to aid in the recognition of melodies that are both familiar and non-familiar. As such if damage occurs to the musical lexicon, an individual becomes unable to perceive familiar melodies or even record new ones. Information from the musical lexicon is often relayed extemporaneously or immediately after stimulus reception to different areas depending on the required action (Haas & Brandes, 2009). Phonological lexicon is often activated to aid in the retrieval of lyrics, phonological and articulation prepares an individual for singing, motor functions are responsible for producing music, and the multimodal associative memories are used for retrieving information that is not musical (Jones, Fay & Popper, 2010). The perceptual modules are linked to the memory processes and emotional pathways to aid in music recognition and emotional experience. Non emotional processing and emotional processing are independent and as such damage to one may not damage the other. Any impairment to these connections often leads to difficulties in being able to integrate musical processes. Influence of Biological Factors on Individual Differences According to Sloboda (2004). , music has rarely been studied from the biological perspective as it is mostly perceived as a function of culture. However, biological factors significantly influence musical preferences (Feezell, 2008). The ability of an individual to process and appreciate music is dependent on cognitive functions. Individual differences in self-perception and personality influence musical preference. Therefore people may opt to like music that will allow them to express themselves to the others on how they would like to be perceived. Moreover, individual differences influence the purpose for which people listen to music (Zelazo, 2013). One of the reasons why people listen to music is to regulate their emotions and help them cope with the daily challenges in life. The differences in musical preference and reasons for listening to music are indications that intelligence and personality partly influence how people use music. Personality and intelligence influence the typ e of music people listen to, how often they listen to it and the reasons for listening to music (Sloboda, 2004). For instance the intellectuals like those with high IQs are more inclined to like conventional/ reflective music and as such are likely to use it for their intellectual purposes rather than for emotional consumption (Juslin & Sloboda 2010). This is because of their higher cognitive ability. This is clearly noticeable in their preference for jazz or classical music not because they do not elicit emotions but because the complexity of the genre is more inclined to suit the interests of people seeking experiences that are intellectually stimulating. On the other end are extraverts who may rely on music to stimulate their activity level when carrying out monotonous tasks like doing dishes or jogging. This implies that the role music plays in the life of an individual is partly determined by the level of arousal (Lilienfeld, et al 2011). This is particularly evident for those with high or low level of arousal average. The interference caused by background music on cognitive processes is higher in introverts than extraverts (Rickard & McFerran, 2012). Damon & Lerner (2006), claim that the association between musical use and other traits remain largely unexplored although some relationship may be expected. For instance people who suffer from emotional instability and regularly experience negative emotions are more likely to use music to regulate their emotions. Cognitive research has established that these people listen to music more for the purpose of managing their emotions (Rickard & McFerran, 2012). Furthermore, they are more sensitive to the emotions elicited by music and as such find music essential for regulating their emotions. Conscientious people on the other hand react differently to music. Conscientious people are those that have traits which are inversely correlated to psychoticism and creativity (Lilienfeld, et al 2011). Conscientious people are less likely to use music for regulating their emotions as they are likely to use it for other purposes. Conclusion The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of biological and social factors on individual musical functioning. The findings show that individual musical preferences and use of music is influenced by both social and biological factors. The social factors mostly influence the type of music people prefer to listen to whereas the biological factors influence the reasons for listening to music. The major social factors that influence the choice of music that people listen to are peers and the society as they determine the kind of music that is played regularly. The biological factors on the other hand influence the purpose for which people listen to music. The purpose for which people listen to music is closely associated with the frequency of listening to music than the choice of music (Hallam, Cross & Thaut, 2016). Therefore biological factors are also responsible for the amount of time and resources people spend to listen to music. However, it is important to note that bot h the biological and social factors significantly contribute to the individual differences in musical functioning. References Damon, W. & Lerner, R. M., (2006). Handbook of child psychology. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons. Deutsch, D. (2012). The psychology of music. London : Academic Press. Feezell, J. T. (2008). Stereotype: The influence of music preferences on political attitudes and behaviour. Santa Barbara, Calif.: University of California, Santa Barbara. Gruszka, A., Matthews, G., & Szymura, B. (2010). Handbook of individual differences in cognition: Attention, memory, and executive control. New York: Springer. Hallam, S., Cross, I., & Thaut, M. (2016). The Oxford handbook of music psychology. Oxford : Oxford University Press Haas, R., & Brandes, V. (2009). Music that works: Contributions of biology, neurophysiology, psychology, sociology, medicine and musicology. Wien: Springer. Jones, M. R., Fay, R. R., & Popper, A. N. (2010). Music perception. New York: Springer. Juslin, P. N., & Sloboda, J. A. (2010). Handbook of music and emotion: Theory, research, applications. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kern, P., & Humpal, M. E. (2012). Early childhood music therapy and autism spectrum disorders: Developing potential in young children and their families. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Lehmann, A. C., Sloboda, J. A., & Woody, R. H. (2007). Psychology for musicians: Understanding and acquiring the skills. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Lilienfeld, S. O., Lynn, S. J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B. L. (2011). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions about Human Behavior. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. McPherson, G. (2016). The child as musician: A handbook of musical development. Oxford : Oxford University Press Rickard, N. S., & McFerran, K. (2012). Lifelong engagement with music: Benefits for mental health and well-being. Hauppauge, N.Y: Nova Science. Sloboda, J. (2004). Exploring the musical mind: Cognition, emotion, ability, function. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Theorell, T. (2014). Psychological health effects of musical experiences: Theories, studies and reflections in music health science. London: Springer Zelazo, P. D. (2013). The Oxford handbook of developmental psychology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.