8 Persuasive Writing Techniques to Make the Story Appealing

Whether the story is fictional or not, there are less well-known persuasive writing techniques you can use to make it more appealing. Sometimes all it takes is a little reminding and boom, just like that new ideas come on like cerebral wildfire. In this article we’ll look at eight reliable methods you can use to compel your readers into deeper personal involvement. #1: Almighty Propaganda Not to get dark or anything, but look at how well certain governments and corporate bodies throughout modern history have used propaganda to persuade the masses do any number of oddball things. Are you adequately repeating the theme of the story in different ways? Are you creating characters that deepen the story by reinforcing your point, or pull it apart? If you need the reader to feel or imaginatively see something, then it bears repeating. Listen, the facts are in ladies and gentlemen: if you repeat a theme, a moral or even a marketing slogan to someone through a story about ten times over a short period you’ll imprint it within their minds. Say the same thing, show the same scene, or make the same impression in a series of different ways like creative and subtle propaganda. #2: Provide Reasons – Anything Will Do Give the readers good reason they should continue on with the next paragraph, buy the product, get involved with the character or even take you seriously as a writer. One of the most powerful words in your reason-arsenal is â€Å"because.† Why because? Who because? When because? What because? Everything needs to have because after it in one way or another for readers to buy into whatever story you’re selling. And here’s the key, your reasons don’t technically need to make sense. Of course in non-fiction this is situational, but for sales copy and fiction writing in general the reasons just need to be good enough to persuade, right? Since most human beings are persuaded emotionally, there’s a big grey area in the reasoning department. #3: Consistent Upward Climbs Rollercoasters are awesome, but they’re also mentally exhausting. If you want to drive readers nuts and have them begging for a CTA (call to action), then build your story with steady unchanging upwards momentum. Think about it from a psychological perspective. How much of human society is based on consistency? The power grid, entertainment, the work force etc. We’re mentally programmed not to come across as inconsistent. So, consistency needs to be woven into the fabric of your persuasive writing. #4: Lavish Readers with Social Proof Social proof is about tapping into another engrained trait – need for acceptance. Whether we want to admit it or not, we like to do what everyone else is doing. A simple example is, pretend you have a choice between two items of equal price and quality. One has customer testimonials extolling its virtues while the other does not. Which one do you think roughly 8 out of 10 people go with? Now, those testimonials could be completely false. It doesn’t occur to us to check their validity. Once you learn to recognize social proofing you begin to see it in all of the most powerful writing, regardless of genre. #5: Parables, Allegories, Metaphors Similes You could throw Myths in that list as well. This is the stuff that drives the human mind into frenzy. The trick, and the challenging part, is to make them original. How many creative, funny and ironic comparisons (simile) can you make between a mouse and a man? Metaphors get complex ideas across in a digestible way, through story. They make direct connections in indirect ways. Allegories are tough. Try making one of those up. Think about Plato’s timeless â€Å"Allegory of the Cave†. There is perhaps nothing more powerful than the proper and effective use of these tools. You can dramatically sweep minds right off their feet and into your arms (see what I just did there?). Study them and whenever you can, use them. #6: Appeal to the Human Animal Objectively, human beings are beings just like any others, at least in a physical sense. We’re governed to certain degrees, by instincts. These instincts go back hundreds of thousands of years. Jealousy, envy, acceptance into the tribe etc. When you really want to grab someone, grab them tribally. We all intimately understand the concept of â€Å"tribe.† Modern tribes are everywhere! #7: Unrestrained and yet Structured Insanity Go crazy. Do the unexpected and throw a few proverbial BIC lighters into the fire when no one’s looking. Upset the tribe. The key is to only allow true chaos to reign momentarily. If you sustain it too long the writing will thin out and all connection might be lost. Structure the insanity. #8: Get Psychological Last but not least, when your writing needs to evolve go psychological. It’s all psychological regardless really. Become the captain of that ship rather than the guy up in the crow’s nest. As the writer, you’re in control of the rudder of your story, not the audience. Use their minds as your persuasive sails. Have you created your own story? Do you have any tips for writing with persuasion?

Making the Case to Get a Business Degree

Making the Case to Get a Business Degree Business is a popular academic path for many students. These are just some of the reasons to major in business at the undergraduate or graduate level. Business is a Practical Major Business is sometimes known as the play it safe major because it is a practical choice for almost anyone. Every organization, regardless of industry, relies on business principles to prosper. Individuals who have a solid business education are not only poised to start their own business, they also have the practical skills needed to excel in a variety of positions in the industry of their choice. Demand for Business Majors is High The demand for business majors will always be high because there is an endless number of career opportunities available to individuals with a good business education. Employers in every industry need people who have been trained to organize, plan, and manage within an organization. In fact, there are many companies in the business industry who rely on business school recruiting alone to acquire new employees. You Could Earn a High Starting Salary There are some individuals who spend more than $100,000 on a graduate-level business education. These individuals know that they will make all of that money back within a year or two after graduation if they can find the right position. Starting salaries for business majors can be high, even at the undergraduate level. According to Census Bureau data, business is one of the highest paying majors. In fact, the only majors that pay more are architecture and engineering; computers, mathematics and statistics; and health. Students who earn an advanced degree, like an MBA, can earn even more. An advanced degree can make you eligible for management positions with very lucrative salaries, such as Chief Executive Officer or Chief Finance Officer. There are Plenty of Opportunities for Specialization Majoring in business isnt as straightforward as most people believe it is. There are more opportunities for specialization in business than most other fields. Business majors can choose to specialize in accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, nonprofits, management, real estate, or any path that relates to business and industry. If you arent sure what you want to do for the rest of your life, but you need to pick a major, business is a good option. You can always choose a specialization that fits your personality and career goals later on. You Could Start Your Own Business Most business programs⠁  - at the undergraduate and graduate level⠁  - contain core business courses in accounting, finance, marketing, management, and other essential business topics. The knowledge and skills that you obtain in these core classes are easily transferable to entrepreneurial pursuits, which means that you could easily start your own business after your earn your business degree. If you already know that you want to start your own company, you could major in business and minor or specialize in entrepreneurship to give yourself an extra edge.

Management issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Management issue - Essay Example ation can be achieved through proper communication by the management team to their employees, which raises the morale of the working team thereby achieving the targeted results. This paper looks at the role of effective communication in the motivation of the employees. It also highlights the implications of communication and motivation with the employees on the management while looking at how this could be a problem if not addressed properly. The paper further looks at the skills the managers need in order to be good motivators of their team and communicate effectively. Motivation is mainly associated with increase in pay or other better payment packages, career opportunities and also good relationships with co-workers at the workplace. However, communication acts as a pivotal aspect in employee motivation, and the management needs to understand the role of communication in motivation (Morreale et al., 2008). Effective communication entails proper information distribution in the company as all the information involving the company decisions should disseminated to the company employees (Bates, 2009). The company should ensure that they give the employees proper information involving the company such as the sale of shares, changes in the workforce and management, which eliminates incorrect rumours that the employees may form while at the same time making the employees feel respected by the company. Proper relationships are built by the employees, the management, and all departmental heads throughout the company. Communication strengthens the relation ships between the workers and the management making the employees more productive as they relate well with their supervisors and managers (Eunson, 2007). This can be achieved by holding departmental meetings weekly where the members of the department discuss the issues of the company or even employee assistance programs by the management to help the employees improve their skill set in a given aspect. In the decision

Walmart joint venture with Big C Thailand Essay

Walmart joint venture with Big C Thailand - Essay Example These evidences are gathered with the help of strategic tools such as PESTLE analysis of Thailand which would be helpful in providing an inside into the fundamental human resources requirement and the potential candidates from within Thailand to fill the new job places. The human resource practices of Wal-Mart will also be evaluated with respect to the impact of the business environment on the global horizon. To support the evidences presented in the report, the author will provide theoretical background pertaining to international human resource management and see if Wal-Mart’s human resource function are in accordance with the international standards or are there any changes required in the strategic human resource management of the retail giant. The author would conclude this report by demonstrating the skill set and personality traits. These traits are required to achieve organizational goals and objectives successfully. It is possible with the help of strengthening the re lationship with the colleagues. International Human Resource Strategy Overview of Thai Retail Sector The net worth of Thai retail sector stands at Baht 1.4 trillion as of 2011 and is considered an important pillar of country’s economy. The sector reported a sector growth of 5% by the end of 2011 with the Retail Sale Index of 186.5 for the same period. Due to the economic reforms introduced by the government in post-political crisis scenario has helped the sector gain strength, the major contributor being the export sector within the retail industry (Thailand Retail, Food & Hospitality Services, 2011). PESTEL Analysis of Thailand Political Environment After the political crisis stretching from 2008 to 2011, Thailand is on the road to recovery and brings stability in its infrastructure to invite tourists to the country, which has always remained the focal industry of Thailand, and open new doors for business. The positive political outlook and the development of infrastructure along with the security provided to the individuals (Henry, 2008), Thailand is considered as shoppers’ heaven and both nationals and foreigners spend enormous amounts on the purchase of items available at retail stores. Economic Environment Majority of Thailand’s economy depends upon the gross domestic product of the manufacturing sector which accounts for about two third of Thailand’s exports. Whereas, exports are the area which generates most of revenue for Thailand’s government and the country is considered as one of the biggest exporters of manufactured goods in the world. The reforms introduced by the New Government in Thailand have helped the economy to stabilize. Since coming out of the recent political disturbance, Thailand has invested $ 57 billion on the development of infrastructure for local and international businesses (Naranlala School of Industrial Management and Computer Science, 2013; Trueba, Esteban, 2011). Society/Culture of Thailand Ye ars of political and economic crisis within the country had produced the urge to achieve national goals and objectives amongst the Thai society. For this reason, Thai businessmen and working class is considered as hard workers so that they can achieve what they want. Merit regarded as being essential for qualifying for fields in the life. Huge number of foreigners, some of them residing within the country and the majority of them coming into Thailand as tourists, has

Is deindustrialisation a cause for concern Coursework

Is deindustrialisation a cause for concern - Coursework Example The first and foremost negative impact of deindustrialization involves transition and reduction in employment trends. With the reduction in industrial capacity of developed economies, the employment levels in these sectors are bound to decrease. The people employed in these sectors will be gradually reduced or eliminated which pose the inevitable problem of unemployment or altering the skill set to adjust themselves to other emerging markets, which particularly involves the service sector. Another major setback of deindustrialization is the growing divide on economic terms that is growing gap between rich and poor in particular. The people who are most reliant upon manufacturing sectors are the ones who will suffer most when there is a transition of manufacturing economy to a service sector-based economy. While this group of people will suffer most economically, who will find themselves either out of employment or willing to work on very low wages just to keep the ball rolling, on th e other hand will be people who are already working in the service sector and face better prospects in future as the sector grows. This is what happened in Detroit where deindustrialization has resulted in an increase in unemployment and growing divide between rich and poor. Detroit was famous for its automotive industry and with a high proportion of people employed in this industry; the residents enjoyed a high standard of living. This was not for long as Detroit faced deindustrialization and automotive companies soon began to migrate to the southern US states or other countries to take advantage of lower wages. As a result, the people who were employed in this automotive industry faced huge employment crisis and the income per capita in this particular area has been alarmingly low in the recent past. In addition to this, people have started to leave for pastures new to bring an improvement to their deteriorating living standards. As a result of deindustrialization, manufacturing s ector consists of the smallest share of US workforce in more than a hundred years (Boundless, n.d.). The same concept applies with other nations where the inequality has been on a rise with the developed economies such as United States, Unite Kingdom, Japan, France and Germany focusing on value added products, particularly services. On the other hand have been the developing and industrializing nations such as China, India and Indonesia who focus on manufacturing. The trends indicate that the economic disparity between developed and developing nations have been on a rise due to manufacturing. (International Monetary Fund, 1997) The most significant factor of deindustrialization has however not been discussed much by the analysts, maybe because they have underestimated the potential problem at hand. Although we live in a world of globalization, it must be noted that a fully globalized world on the basis of competitive advantage is just a theory and not practical. This cannot be put i nto practice because a country should be sustainable to meet the demand of at least the important and essential products, for example eatables. It is true that the current economic circumstances require developed nations to turn to value added products such as services. But in order to be a sustainable economy,

Importance Of Explicit Knowledge Information Technology Essay

Importance Of Explicit Knowledge Information Technology Essay This document deals about the importance of Explicit Knowledge in the organizations. Most of the knowledge occurs in the organizations in the form of tacit knowledge. Here we deal with how to transform the tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge. The accumulation, storage and reuse of the explicit knowledge. Here we are talking about the barriers in the acquiring of explicit knowledge. The use of technology for the purpose of accumulation, storing and reuse of knowledge is also discussed. Todays business environment knowledge is emerged as a driving force in the organization. The knowledge workers and their ability are very important (LI , BRAKE,CHAMPION ,FULLER,GABEL AND HATCHER-BUSCH 2009 : 347). Recent studies show that organizations success depends on its ability to learn and adapt to particular situation. The unique performance in the organization is the key to outperform their competitor.(LI , BRAKE,CHAMPION ,FULLER,GABEL AND HATCHER-BUSCH 2009 : 348). In organization there are mainly two types of knowledge exist tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge .Scholars noticed that most part of human knowledge is present in the form of tacit knowledge (UNGAN (2006):403) . Its in the minds of the people. Explicit Knowledge is the knowledge that is expressed and documented. The documented and codified knowledge will have a structure and is easily accessed by others. (STOVER 2004 : 164).To create true knowledge it is necessary to see tacit and explicit knowledge as complem entary and both are needed to knowledge creation. IMPORTANCE OF EXPLICIT KNOWLEDGE: Tacit knowledge is something that is acquired by individuals experience in particular area. It help him to find solution for problems faster than his colleagues It is acquired through once experience and experiment in particular field (STOVER 2004 : 165). Articulating the tacit knowledge, making tacit knowledge explicit is very important in the perspective of the organization (STOVER 2004 : 165).Explicit knowledge is described in structured language. It is mainly more technical data this knowledge is gained mostly through formal education or by structured study .This will help organizations to preserve their huge knowledge capital from losing. When employees leave organization they take with them the huge amount of knowledge. (STOVER 2004 : 165). Valuable Knowledge will be wasted if organizations fails to collect , standardize and store and share the knowledge. The KM scholars believes that the articulation of knowledge helps the organization and individuals to access the knowledge in a cost effective way. Explicit knowledge is carefully organized and stored in data bases in priority basis .It should be accessible with high quality , fast and easily. The explicit knowledge can be reused for sole problems of similar kind (SMITH 2001 : 315).For instance Anderson consulting created methods to codify store and reuse explicit knowledge. They used a people to document approach. It took information from person who developed it and made independent to its developer. All the sensitive information is removed and it can be used in the same similar context (SMITH 2001 : 315).When knowledge is shared among the members of the organization , it can be viewed as organizational history and experience (BONTIS 1998 : 64). In small companies they manage their knowledge is by training the new employees. Its a costly process. Thats where the importance of comput er based learning comes. Transformation of tacit to explicit knowledge is important here (WICKERT AND HARSCHEL 2001:330). If a expert employee got sick or left the organization the expertise of that employee is not available for a fixed amount of time or permanently (WICKERT AND HARSCHEL 2001:331). In job market skilled and experienced workers are getting retired. New young workers are replacing them . So there is a high demand for sharing of experience . This can be possible by the articulation of tacit knowledge they have gained from their experience (JACKSON 2010:915). EXPLICIT KNOWLEDGE CREATION EXPLAINED IN S.E.C.I AND BA MODEL In S.E.C.I model externalization phase deals with the transformation of tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge. For knowledge transformation they use different methods. Some of the methods are storytelling , narrative and using some IT medias like emails, chat rooms etc. The knowledge should be structured so as it should provide accessible and reusable. Externalization should be structured then the knowledge can be made sensible and available for potential users(JACKSON 2010:911).Top management can influence the externalization of knowledge. They can encourage the teams to develop their own metaphor for what they should do (RICHTNER AND AHLSTROM 2010:1020).The creation of concept of a new product is the example of externalization. In combination phase the extracted knowledge is standardized and systematic procedures to combine the knowledge using computer database or an expert system. The internalization deals with the transformation of explicit knowledge again to tacit knowledge by t he use of stored explicit knowledge.(STOVER 2004 : 165). The meaning of Ba is place . Ba does not mean only the physical space . It is the concept of interaction . For the creation of knowledge a space is necessary. This space may be a physical one or a virtual like online one. There are four types of Ba . Among that dialoguing ba deals with the face to face interaction . It is the space where individuals share knowledge. The process of tacit to explicit knowledge conversion happens here. Dialoguing ba is more structured than the previous ba . In systematic ba the collected knowledge is combined to a more structured form. The use of information technology like online networks , group ware etc contribute to systemizing ba .The excersiing ba where the stored knowledge is shared through virtual media or print etc. The healthy interaction between all these ba can amblify the knowledge creation ( Nonaka,I.Toyama,R and Konno,N.(2000) :16-17). BARRIERS IN KNOWLEDGE ARTICULATION: Converting tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge is a tedious job. As we said tacit knowledge is embedded in the minds of the individuals. This make it difficult to formalize and express. There are some personal issues in articulating the knowledge. Individuals believe that articulating the knowledge one may lose his competitive advantage. Some people believe their knowledge is not worth expressing . Some KM scholars believe that language barriers also hinder the transformation of tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge. (STOVER 2004: 166) The culture of the organization also may be a factor that hinders knowledge generation and sharing in the organization. There may be political issues between the departments that prevent the transfer of knowledge. Sharing culture is very important before implementing any strategies in any organization (Syed-Ikhsan and Rowland 2004 : 100). Knowledge transfer requires groups or individuals to work together and share their expertise and knowledge. The knowledge transfer does not occur unless group or individuals shows a co-operate behavior(SYED-IKHSAN AND ROWLAND 2004 : 96). Individualism is one of the major factors that hinder the creation and transfer of knowledge in any organization ( Syed-Ikhsan and Rowland 2004 : 100). For the sharing of knowledge there should be trust among the employees. In project team leadership style also effect the process of knowledge sharing(MA,QI AND WANG 2008:101).The authoritarian style leaders give no chance for the team members to participate and share knowledge. While the democratic style leaders encourages team members to interact and share knowledge (MA,QI AND WANG 2008:101).Another factor that hinders the knowledge sharing in the public organization is limited access to the resources (Syed-Ikhsan and Rowland 2004 : 100).Time is one of the major factors that inhibits the process of a rticulating the tacit knowledge. Most of the employees have a little time for articulating their knowledge. Patrick and Lee done research and they contradicted the views of Richard and Kabjian who says the fear of losing superiority and reward system are inhibitors of knowledge sharing. They also argues that the size of the company is not a problem in knowledge transferring (FONG LEE 2009:304) Some KM scholars like Swartz and Marwick argues technology is unable to provide a complete solution for knowledge capture . At many instance the experts find it is very difficult to trigger a knowledge person by query unless they are put into problem situation (JACKSON 2010 :911). Researchers found that the fear of not being adequately rewarded is the one of the barrier for the knowledge sharing. CAPTURING KNOWLEDGE: As we said conversion of tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge is difficult. There are several ways in which tacit knowledge can be made explicit. The formal ways of interviewing is a useful method. In interviews participants are asked structured questions. This format of interview should be made such that they shouldnt feel that the articulation is happening (STOVER 2004 : 166-167).The level of details available in documentation depends on the purpose of documentation (UNGAN 2006 : 404).For conversion of tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge the interviewer should accompany the knowledge worker in his process. In between the knowledge can be articulated. For this formal language is used (UNGAN 2006:407) . Individuals poses high level of tacit knowledge . If organizations fail to track it then it cannot be made explicit and will not reach its fullest potential (BONTIS 1998:66). The role of knowledge managers is very important. He can encourage the employees to share their knowledge and make them explicit (STOVER 2004 : 166-167). The knowledge management is riskier unless the organizations take initiatives and reward system for sharing of knowledge (SMITH 2001 : 312). For instance Buckman Laboratories recognizes their knowledge in their annual conference. Lotus one of the divisions of IBM evaluates the customer support workers on the basis of their knowledge sharing activities (BARTOL AND SRIVASTTAVA 2002 : 64). Xerox developed a system called Eureka which is meant for the maintenance engineers to share their ideas and experience .Once these ideas are posted they are verified and made available for service engineers all over the world. This help the Xerox in saving $100 million . Companies like Cap Gemini Ernst Young makes merit decision based on the knowledge sharing activity of its employees .In these companies the people who are posting ideas are evaluat ed and then posted into the knowledge contribution database(BARTOL AND SRIVASTTAVA 2002:67). Technology is important in collecting and codifying knowledge. There should be a strong framework for the systematic storing of knowledge. IT itself cannot helps something to get out of someones head. It is the role of managers to find out what is important for the organization . Some KM theorist like Pawar doubts the centralization of knowledge. He states that centralization of knowledge will reduce the cost of sharing the knowledge . He agrees the role of role of technology plays in the acquiring, storing and structured distribution of knowledge . Combining the intellectual property with IS will help the individual intellectual property to the group property (BONTIS 1998:66).KM combined with It will support the data mining and sharing of explicit knowledge (WICKERT AND HARSCHEL 2001 :333).Internet is one of the major repository of explicit knowledge(WICKERT AND HARSCHEL 2001 : 335). Knowledge exchange protocols can be used in transferring tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge. SOAP protocol which is used by physicians is one of the examples. This protocol helps to structure clinician patient conversation and helps to share issues by understanding the physicians thinking. This also helps in documentation of patient medical record (HERSCHEL,NEMATI AND STEIGER 2001:107).New generation tools such as wikis , blogs ,social networking etc. helps a greater collaboration in work place. This will solve some of the problems associated with knowledge capturing. These forms even can accommodate videos , images etc. It can be used to capture informal indicates of tacit knowledge (BARTOL AND SRIVASTTAVA 2002:64).This videos and images can then be summarized based on the content . They can be linked to topics of relevance and stored. These can be accessed through portals later (COAKES 2006:583). Mobile technology can be used for the capture of knowledge .In organizations there will be mobile workers will be advantaged by these technology. The challenge is how to incorporate the this knowledge to main memory. Information technology can be used as a powerful tool. It can be transformed from the role of storing and retrieving data to improve access to knowledge by removing the spatial obstacles of knowledge transfer. IT has got a ability to spread knowledge across different departments of the organizations (TOHIDINIA AND MOSAKHANI 2010 : 615). CONCLUSION: For any organization the Knowledge is very important. The conversion of Tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge is very risky process. There are the barriers like individualism, politics inside the organizational departments. The factor of trust plays a major role in conversion of knowledge . For some small companies the cost of knowledge sharing is not affordable. Technology can play a major role in the tacit to explicit knowledge transfer. There are new generation technologies that can be used for the this purpose. The reward system is one factor that will encourage knowledge transfer. The role of the management in promoting the knowledge conversion is very important . The uniqueness of knowledge the organization owns will brig the organization the competitive advantage.

Finding Enlightenment (and we wernt really looking for it) :: Essays Papers

Finding Enlightenment (and we wern't really looking for it) I knew it was coming. I just didn’t know what it would look like, how close we would be, or if it would trap us like the siege of St. Petersburg. It is hard to explain why I didn’t ask these kinds of questions before the twenty-three miles we’d gone that day, but it is easy to see why I couldn’t picture such things. Being in new places and seeing new things everyday and you just end up succumbing and rolling with the punches. The magnitude of what we were in for could not be documented on a chart or a map, which was the extent of our resources. For whatever incredible inventions humans have created, numerically speaking, the earth in all its vastness and beauty easily outnumbers human technology. There are trillions of enormous and miniscule creatures, spectacular mountain ranges that reach so high they touch the limit of mortal tolerance. There are evolved and intricately worked canyons and caves, wide fields and forests that never seem like they change but in all actuality have never stopped moving or changing since the beginning of time. We as humans look mighty ignorant to believe that we are the most special things ever to enter this world, especially when we are more destructive to our symbiosis with the natural world than preservers of our relationship with it. But on this particular day when I was confronted with something I’d never seen before, not even on television or in a text book , there it was so enormous that from 2 miles away I felt like I could reach out and touch it. Realistically, had I been close enough to scrape my frail human skin across its front side there is no doubt in my mind that I would not be around to tell the story today. That morning started so early, I felt as though the night before never came. During the summer in Alaska, the sun never sets and thus the day never ends, and if the day never ends then the next day never actually begins. I constantly tangled with this very confusing theory and lasted long into the night writing in my journal, fishing while my two-week permit lasted, or basking in the beauty that was and is Alaska. It was Day 20 of my 30-day excursion to Prince William Sound in Southern Alaska.

Behavioral therapy

Behavioral therapy is also known as behavioral modification. It is a psychological method based on the principle that one can change the badly adjusted, maladaptive, observable, specific and self destructive behavior, through learning new and more suitable behaviors (Skinner, p 194). The origin of this theory can be traced back to the school of behaviorism which indicates that one can scientifically study psychological matters through observation of overt behavior without necessarily involving interior psychological states.Skinners theory of behaviorism accepted and supported that internal state could be part of a certain kind of behavior without necessarily being the main cause; however, he declared that through environmental manipulation, one could improve on them. The behavioral theorists include Hans Eysenck, Joseph Wolpe, Harry Solomon, Ogden Lindsley and B. F Skinner and they all had different ways of looking at behavioral problems. Eysenck’s perspective saw behavioral p roblem as connection between one’s behavior, the environment and personality characteristics. For the sake of this study, I will focus on B.F skinner’s behavioral theory (Skinner, p 198). Origin of behavioral therapy Edward Thorndike did experiments to discover the ability of dogs and cats to solve problems. He constructed wooden crates and he would cage the animals each in their own crate. The animals would escape from the crates. Though initially he just wanted to show that dogs and cats’ achievement could be controlled, he realized that he could measure the intelligence of these animals using his tools (Lindsley, p 34). He would set the animals for the same kind of task and observe how long it took to complete the given task.He learnt that there was no difference in performance between the animals that started an assignment and the ones that first observed the others performing (Skinner, p 89). He also learnt that when an animal did something that made it to successfully get out of the box; the animal was likely to repeat that action when faced by the same kind of problem. He concluded that reward reinforces the relationship between stimulus and action. He later formalized it to be called the law of effect (Skinner, p 199). Classical conditioning theory then came to explain that there is an association between reflex and the neutral stimulus.Watson used rats in his experiments to improve on the law of effect and apply it in behaviorism. He made a maze which the rats were supposed to follow. Once they had mastered the routes, he started putting blocks at different points of the maze (Skinner, p 94). If a route was blocked, the rats would then follow another route indicating that they had memory. Once the second route was blocked they would follow the other available route. He observed that when the reward for an action done was less, then the rats performed the task more slowly (Lindsley, p76). B.F Skinner came to improve on Thorndike an d Watson’s work by studying objectively behavior sequences over a prolonged period of time. He came up with the concept of operant conditioning which related the operant response and the reinforcement. This theory is based on the proposal that learning could help in change of overt behavior. People change their behavior as a result response to the occurrences in their surroundings. A given response leads to a certain outcome. When one reinforces a certain pattern of Stimulus-Response, a person’s response becomes conditioned (Skinner, p 97).The key element in this theory is reinforcement; this is anything that supports the response that is desired. Reinforcement could be positive or negative. Positive reinforcement makes one be encouraged to do more of the action that led to positive results. It includes attaining satisfaction after doing something, being recognized, being praised for work well done among others. Negative reinforcement on the other hand involves the act ions that make one increase the frequency of responses once a certain stimulus is withdrawn. Aversive stimulus results to the reduction of responses (Skinner, p 200). Behavioral Therapy This is a report about Paula a client who was referred to therapy by the general practitioner of the hospital. Following a thorough physical checkup performed on Paula the GP feels that Paula’s heart is sound enough and her condition is psychological. (Getzfeld, 2004). Paula’s case is not an isolated case of psychological dysfunction and in fact a sizeable number of people suffer these attacks in silence. (Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979). This is perhaps due to the feelings of embarrassment and stupidity that they feel they might be accused of.Additionally, panic attacks are not well known to many and hence the stigma. Nonetheless, panic attacks are not insignificant and can have a crippling effect in someone’s life. They are a symptom of underlying stressing and traumatic events in the patient’s life. (Feather & Ronan, 2006). This report gives a diagnosis of Paula’s case. It gives a comprehensive analysis of what is the onset of Paula’s con dition, the triggers and the effects of her attack. At the end of the report it will give the findings and recommendations on the way forward for Paula in getting treatment for her condition.Diagnosis Paula has been experiencing an array of symptoms that occur frequently at the workplace and outside home. These symptoms include dizzy spells, shortness of breath, dizziness and lightheadedness as well as chest pains and fast heartbeats. Paula feels that there is cause for alarm because these symptoms may be an indication of a heart attack. For this reason she has sought medical help from her general practitioners, and she has even visited a cardiologist for a sonogram and echocardiogram. Both these tests showed no defects or indication of heart attack.Nothing is wrong with Paula’s heart and apparently the symptoms may be a psychological related. The doctors at the company clinic where Paula works suggested that she try to relax more and steer away from caffeine, nonetheless the attacks still persevere despite Paula’s attempts to relax. She sought a second opinion from another physician who also gave similar diagnosis i. e. her attacks are a psychological problem hence she needs to sign up for therapy. With that Paula came to the clinic. Brief history of PaulaIn order to clearly diagnose Paula’s condition information from her life experiences both in the present and from the past had to be sought. Paula is 27 years old, single and lives at home with her parents. She has a good job at a securities and bond trading company which she has worked for loyally since she graduated from university with a BA in economics seemingly her life was be smooth and no developmental milestones have been experienced on her part. Prior to her recently persistent attacks she was ready to enroll for MBA.Her father died soon after she graduated from University after a brave fight with cancer, emphysema and the killer heart attack. Her mother has some health problems although nothing too serious. Her grandparents died of cancer; her grandma of breast cancer and her grandpa of colon cancer, she feels that cancer runs in the family and is afraid of it too. This is the reason why she stopped smoking and does not drink alcohol. She says matter of factly â€Å"I have enough bad seeds in me†. Paula is the only child not by plan but out of natural misfortune.She had a little brother who died at the age of three out of heart defects that developed with age. He also had other birth defects that Paula was unwilling to disclose. This memory made her teary. Obviously, the death of the little boy had deep-seated effects in all the family members. (Feather & Ronan, 2006). According to Paula, her parents did not try to get pregnant again and the option of adoption was too devastating to consider. Paula’s mother and friend at work feel greatly concerned over her condition and Paula feels that as well. Paula feels that it is time she had greater c ontrol over her problem.The medication she has been taking i. e. Xanax and Contac zonk her out and she refers to herself as a ‘walking dead’ when she is on this medications. The persistent attacks seem to be triggered by anything major to Paula and given the nature of her job she reports frequent dizzy spells, faints and attacks at work. She remembers a case whereby a client fell through and all the blame was pinned on her. At the same time a coworker at the workplace had shown particular interest on Paula as a woman. All these major events occurring concurrently in her somewhat laid back lifestyle triggered an attack.In the moment of it all, the other workers got wind of her weak point and she is afraid that they might think of her as ‘chicken’ or incompetent of handling such a demanding job. Frequency of attacks Paula’s attacks have been with her for a long while. She points out that ever since she entered university she started experiencing them. The stress levels were high what with the huge load of work, pressure from men in campus and the need to fit in since the university was small and everyone knew everyone else. In her high school it was easy to be an invisible wall paper and stay unnoticed when necessary.Unfortunately in university this was not the case and she lacked the necessary support systems or good outlets to channel the stress she was feeling. She also recalls her father’s death which affected her greatly. It was overwhelming for her although she had suspected it would happen soon. This reminded her of her brother’s death. For this reason Paula feels ‘life is very unfair’. The death of loved ones caused her to withdraw from life completely. At school she would get sweaty and the dizzy spells prior to presentation and even before she lost her virginity she had a panic attack.Paula’s case now involves her mothers, her co-workers the doctors and now psychiatrist. Before, it was her personal problem and she felt she could deal with it. Now her life is significantly affected and people around her are worried. Doctors feel that it is time she saw a therapist to uncover the real cause of the problem. Her mother feels strongly about the same as also the people at work. Assessment and investigation plan It seems that Paula is suffering from severe depression which manifests itself in panic attacks.(Alpert & Fava, 2004) She has not developed the expression skills and seems to bottle up feelings of anxiety, frustration, hurt and stress. She has managed to deactivate her social life and is highly dependant on her mother for comfort although she does not disclose her inner feelings to her mother as well. Notably, at 27 and with a good job she is still unattached to anyone and does not go out with friends. Throughout the sessions she makes no mention of significant persons other than her mother. Even at university she frequently went home to be babied.Her family back ground is a troubled one with a history of heart diseases and cancers. Her loved ones seem to be consumed by these diseases and she feels afraid of being the next. Panic attacks manifest either as ‘a way of getting through tough situations’ as she puts it or as a reaction to overpowering feelings of loss, excitement or expectations. After reviewing Paula’s case in detail it is recommended she have behavioral therapy as a start treatment program since it is the best therapy linked to activating the client from depression, a condition that is the underlying cause of Paula’s panic attacks.BATD (Behavioral Activation treatment for Depression) overview, foundation and Assumptions. This treatment option bases its foundations from cognitive therapy. It basically involves activating the client from depression by encouraging them to make connection between powerful experiences both in the present and in the past with the symptoms that they may be having. In Paulaâ €™s case it is panic attacks. The basic assumption of this therapy is that depression and subsequent symptoms of depression arise from life expenses of the patient and not the genetic predisposition. (Cooper, Smith & Upton, 1994).Vulnerability is severed by traumatic life events. This therapy encompasses assessment and treatment of cognitive, emotional and behavioral aspects of the clients. This means that its efforts are channeled toward sharpening social skills of the client through training and reinforcements, imparting relaxation techniques as well as therapy to help relax the client, increasing pleasurable activities in the clients life say situations with more laughter and easiness, training clients on assertness and emotional expressions and restructurings the clients patterns of thoughts and cognitive perceptions.(Gortner & Jacobson, 2000, Martell, Addis & Jacobson, 2001) These areas are greatly emphasized because they alter the client’s beliefs of the world aroun d them and eventually how they choose to resolve their inner problems or conflicts which are evident in behaviour. According to Beck, Rush, Shaw and Emery (1979 p. 118) mentioned in Jacobson, Mortell and Dimidjian 2007, p. 257 ‘the aim of this therapy to bring about change in the clients negative outlook in life’. The beliefs and expectations of a person indecent in his cognitive make up ultimately affect behaviour.The behavioral activation therapy recognizes that some depressions and subsequently panic attack may be or a result of genetic predisposition, it greatly emphases environmental factors as a great a preventative measure for depression maintenance. Course of treatment Paula’s treatment will commence with the establishment of therapeutic rapport with the therapist while they discuss the objectives and goals for the therapy and the sessions. This will be achieved by encouraging Paula to ask questions and be as comfortable as possible during the sessions.Pa ula and the therapist will explore the implications that her depression has had on Paula’s life for instance she lacks a social life, she cannot do her daily tasks any more, she will lose her job and so on. Under this treatment the therapist will be performing some functional analysis on Paula to gauge how well Paula is responding to treatment. For example, she should be able to start driving her car to work and performing her duties at work. The use of home works will be helpful to both Paula and the therapist in finding areas that the therapy should concentrate on.The therapy sessions will also explore the strategies that Paula should use to avoid a relapse. Paula intervention plan The first step in her treatment plan is to get her to talk more about her unpleasant life experiences. So far she has registered commendable progress into talking about her father and her young brother. When she first came in she was fidgety and kept checking her pulse over her neck. She had a pa nic stricken look but now she has relaxed a little.It is impossible to accurately state the duration that Paula might take to show full recovery since depression can be hard to overcome with the lack of proper support systems and the troubling environment at her workplace. Nonetheless, Paula sounds really determined to get over this problem and regain full control of her life. A two hour session with the psychiatrist thrice a week for a month and once a week for the following two months is recommended. This will be flexible enough for Paula to manage work and treatment. The significant people in Paula life i. e.family and coworkers need to give Paula all the support she needs to overcome this milestone. This is because her depression is not just an inner problem but the environment also triggers her attacks. The boss could encourage Paula to take some early days off and maybe some days be allowed to work from home until she is ready to work full time. The mother needs to continue be ing there for her daughter but on the other hand encourage her to be more independent. This will ensure that she is strong enough to handle life situations on her own and avoid a relapse in case she dies.The coworkers may be a bit more supportive when she experiences panic attacks and let her know it is nothing to be ashamed of. Again, Paula should expand her social networks and support system and this will a particular area where she will be trained during therapy sessions. Paula seems to over think her situations and the events in her life. A case in point is where she is quick to say that her coworkers will recommend she be transferred to the mail room because of the panic attacks. She feels that she should ‘never’ have an attack at the office again.She says ‘everyone will laugh and say look at the retard at it again. ’ She also seems to have planned out her suicide and thought of the consequences i. e. she would go to hell, it would be painless if she o verdosed on Aspirin, she would play some sad music, the suicide letter and other details fully planned. This seems to be Paula’s pattern of thinking and it is detrimental. In therapy, I will be interested in activating Paula’s spontaneity and her ability to accept her vulnerabilities and limitations towards having a fuller life. Measuring progressIn order to gauge progress on Paula’s treatment the therapist should be able to find improvements in Paula’s frequency of panic attacks. Ideally, they should reduce in the first month of treatment significantly. Additionally, her patterns of avoidance will be evaluated to see how well she is able to confront her fears. (Carr, 2001). For example, she avoids getting close to any man who might show interest in her hence stays away from social scenes like movies theatres and social gatherings. She also marks all the exit points to a place just incase she suffers another panic attack.Driving is also a problem to her a nd she has to be driven by her mother. She also avoids going out doors and stays in mostly where treatment will be effective, Paula should be able to take on her daily activities and develop healthy relationships with new people. The therapist will also make use of homework whereby Paula can try to engage in a task she feels prohibitive or unable to handle and see how well or not she manages the situation. This homework will allow her to self monitor her own progress and in therapy session discuss the feelings of accomplishment and pleasure derived from engaging in that activity.Results of the actions So far Paula has impressively shed light on her life. She has made the first big step towards treatment and that is the resolution to seek professional help. The diagnosis is that Paula is suffering from panic disorder which overlaps severe depression. She has had traumatic life experiences and suppressed them sufficiently. However she has reached a point where the emotions and negativ e psychological beliefs can no longer be bottled up hence the frequent panic attacks.The panic attacks have greatly eroded her self-esteem to a point that she planned a suicide although did not execute it. After evaluating her case I recommend psychiatric assessment just to ascertain this diagnosis so that the next level of therapy i. e. relaxation therapy and psychoanalysis can commerce. Although Paula is not actively keen on attempting another suicide, the risk is inherent and she needs close monitoring by her family and friends before and during therapy until she is strong enough to stand on her own.Paula should enroll in an activity that will enable her to think outside herself and her problems as well as boost her self-esteem. Yoga and social gatherings will particularly do her a lot of good. (Gortner & Jacobson, 2000). Lastly but importantly, Paula’s GP and cardiologist input would also be necessary in affirming this diagnosis so that Paula is well convinced that her pa nic attacks are purely psychological and not heart attack related. This will encourage her to continue the treatment. ConclusionPanic attacks are surmountable behavior activation therapy is a good way of assisting clients who suffer these attacks. The collaborative relationship between the client and the therapist should be useful in uncovering the depression in clients who suffer depression. The patterns of avoidance that Paula has developed such as avoiding relationships and friendships with others, avoiding social places staying away from work among others are crippling to Paula’s life and need to be confronted. Paula has to find a way of dealing with her problems in healthy ways. Behavioral therapy Behavioral therapy is also known as behavioral modification. It is a psychological method based on the principle that one can change the badly adjusted, maladaptive, observable, specific and self destructive behavior, through learning new and more suitable behaviors (Skinner, p 194). The origin of this theory can be traced back to the school of behaviorism which indicates that one can scientifically study psychological matters through observation of overt behavior without necessarily involving interior psychological states.Skinners theory of behaviorism accepted and supported that internal state could be part of a certain kind of behavior without necessarily being the main cause; however, he declared that through environmental manipulation, one could improve on them. The behavioral theorists include Hans Eysenck, Joseph Wolpe, Harry Solomon, Ogden Lindsley and B. F Skinner and they all had different ways of looking at behavioral problems. Eysenck’s perspective saw behavioral p roblem as connection between one’s behavior, the environment and personality characteristics. For the sake of this study, I will focus on B.F skinner’s behavioral theory (Skinner, p 198). Origin of behavioral therapy Edward Thorndike did experiments to discover the ability of dogs and cats to solve problems. He constructed wooden crates and he would cage the animals each in their own crate. The animals would escape from the crates. Though initially he just wanted to show that dogs and cats’ achievement could be controlled, he realized that he could measure the intelligence of these animals using his tools (Lindsley, p 34). He would set the animals for the same kind of task and observe how long it took to complete the given task.He learnt that there was no difference in performance between the animals that started an assignment and the ones that first observed the others performing (Skinner, p 89). He also learnt that when an animal did something that made it to successfully get out of the box; the animal was likely to repeat that action when faced by the same kind of problem. He concluded that reward reinforces the relationship between stimulus and action. He later formalized it to be called the law of effect (Skinner, p 199). Classical conditioning theory then came to explain that there is an association between reflex and the neutral stimulus.Watson used rats in his experiments to improve on the law of effect and apply it in behaviorism. He made a maze which the rats were supposed to follow. Once they had mastered the routes, he started putting blocks at different points of the maze (Skinner, p 94). If a route was blocked, the rats would then follow another route indicating that they had memory. Once the second route was blocked they would follow the other available route. He observed that when the reward for an action done was less, then the rats performed the task more slowly (Lindsley, p76). B.F Skinner came to improve on Thorndike an d Watson’s work by studying objectively behavior sequences over a prolonged period of time. He came up with the concept of operant conditioning which related the operant response and the reinforcement. This theory is based on the proposal that learning could help in change of overt behavior. People change their behavior as a result response to the occurrences in their surroundings. A given response leads to a certain outcome. When one reinforces a certain pattern of Stimulus-Response, a person’s response becomes conditioned (Skinner, p 97).The key element in this theory is reinforcement; this is anything that supports the response that is desired. Reinforcement could be positive or negative. Positive reinforcement makes one be encouraged to do more of the action that led to positive results. It includes attaining satisfaction after doing something, being recognized, being praised for work well done among others. Negative reinforcement on the other hand involves the act ions that make one increase the frequency of responses once a certain stimulus is withdrawn. Aversive stimulus results to the reduction of responses (Skinner, p 200).When considering this theory, schedules of reinforcement are considered to be very important. Principles under this theory are that positively reinforced behavior is very likely to reoccur. Shaping is also a principle that states that in order to reinforce behavior, information should be provided in small amounts. Stimulus generalization principles talks of reinforcement being generalized across stimuli that are similar to the original one (Lindsley, p 56). Behavior modification using B. F Skinner’s theory Behavior modification refers to a straight forward therapy technique that bases its arguments on skinner’s theory.It indicates that one can extinguish the unwanted behavior through the removal of the reiforcer and at the same time, behavior that is desired can be obtained and maintained via reinforcement . This argument has been used in solving many psychological problems. It is the preferred method when dealing with children. Other disorders which can be corrected using this therapy are anxiety disorders, phobias, eating disorders, anger management, aggressive behavior and substance use. All these are eliminated through changing the activities and behavior that may have contributed to such disorders (Skinner, p 96).Token economy is a derivative of behavior modification and it is used in institutions like prisons, juveniles, and psychiatric hospitals. This involves giving tokens to these people whenever they behave in a certain required way. When they revert to poor habits, the tokens are withdrawn. This is one way of behavior modifications that these institutions have used in order to keep order within the institutions. At times, Behavioral therapy methods are brought together with additional psychological involvements like medication (Skinner, p 197).This technique uses the follow ing approaches when using behavioral therapy to change a negative behavior to a positive one; systematic desensitization, flooding, behavior modification, prevention of exposure and response, operant conditioning, observational learning, contingency management, matching law, habit reversal training and covert conditioning (Lindsley, p72). Best fit patients for behavior therapy Behavioral therapy can be used as a tool to treat various problems like mental illnesses and their symptoms especially those that have maladaptive behavior.These conditions include phobias, eating disorders, anger management, aggressive behavior and substance use. Organic disorders like insomnia and incontinence could also be handled using the behavioral techniques (Skinner, p 205). This technique works very well in the treatment process of obesity. This process starts with the analysis of the activity and eating patterns in addition to other habits like dieting methods. After all this information is collected , the therapist uses it to come up with positive methods that can be used to promote weight loss, a positive self image and get healthier eating practices.The therapist does an analysis to the behavioral cause of stress in a patient. An appropriate method of treatment is then established. Cognitive therapy This therapy focuses in altering the bad behavior through changing the patterns of thinking behind them. It involves the emotions and the thoughts of the individual and the way they can be changed so that this person starts behaving more appropriately. This therapy can be used to correct many disorders like schizophrenia, autism, shyness, neurosis, stress disorders, attention deficit disorders, social phobias, mental disorders and addictions (McCullough, Para 24).It involves helping patients to triumph over difficult situations and modifying dysfunctional emotional, behavior and thinking responses. Treatment is all about bringing together the beliefs of the client and those of the therapist and testing them. It may also include testing the kind of assumptions an individual makes in life and also identifying the extent of distortion of thoughts that renders them unhelpful and unrealistic (Kohlenberg, p 234). Once the therapist challenges the way an individual thinks about something, that person is likely to change the way of thinking.Initially, this therapy was used to treat people suffering from depression. Beck came up with a list which contained ‘errors’ in thinking. He suggested that the errors maintained depression. They included selective abstraction, minimizing positives and magnifying negatives, over generalization and arbitrary inference (Kohlenberg, p 234). Historical development of cognitive therapy The theory of cognitive therapy came to be more than 50 years ago and it suggested that thoughts act as a go-between to stimuli like emotions and external events.A stimulus brings out a thought which can be a weighed up judgement of a kind and this further leads to a certain emotion. People’s evaluation of thought about a certain stimulus is what results to an emotional response and not necessarily the stimulus itself. Beck also came up with the etiological theory of depression under cognitive therapy. The theory indicated that people think negatively because their thinking is inclined to negative interpretations. People suffering from depression acquire negative schemas which are important ways through which information about the future; the world and the self are processed.These schemas are adopted early in life maybe during childhood or puberty as a result of going through stressful events in life. When such people come across situations that are similar to the ones in which the negative schemata was established, it becomes activated in the current situation (Kohlenberg, p 235). Beck also explained about the negative cognitive triad which constitutes negative biases and negative schemata. He proposed that pe ople who are depressed are very likely to make unconstructive evaluations of their future, world and selves.Depressed people are impossibility thinkers according to Beck. The cognitive triad indicates that a negative schema results to cognitive bias which fuels negative schema (Kohlenberg, p 237). Researchers suggested that depression could occur as a result of responding to perceived or imaginary loss. It could also be caused by self critical characteristics of the ego. Many psychologists wrote about cognitive features of depression trying to identify the cognitive components that caused depression. They also tried to develop many cognitive intercessions that could be used to treat depression.Since then, there have been many successful cases of patients suffering from depression getting well through cognitive therapy. His theory was opposed by behaviorists who claimed that mental causes of problem was unmeaningful and non scientific. With time, it was merged with the behavioral the rapy so as to deal with the problems that it could not have dealt with on its own (Kohlenberg, p 240). Strategies under cognitive therapy Cognitive therapy uses two strategies i. e. emotional focused and problem focused strategies.The problem focused strategy aim at directing the client in the process of identifying the problem. The therapist then helps the client to identify the responses that are utilized in the process of reducing distress in a situation. They are also evaluated to check how effective they are. The therapist and the client then develop and examine alternative responses to see how beneficial they can be to a client. When faced with a stressful situation, the client feels empowered to make mindful alternatives and chose among them the best way in which to respond.This gives the patient a kind of control over situations as they try different methods of getting out of distressful situations (McCullough, Para 32). Emotional focused strategies also aim to get the same outcomes as the other strategy. This perspective aims to alter the perception of the client on the distressing event. It therefore helps in changing the level of perceived suffering. The client is helped to redefine the problem which aids in the transformation of a disaster into a challenge or even an opportunity.The process of restructuring the event can be achieved through various ways like selective attention, distancing, minimization, and looking for constructive value from any given bad situation. When all these happen, the patients get the feeling that he is in control of the situation and this contributes to reduce the levels of stress (Kohlenberg, p 245). Best fit patients for cognitive therapy Since this technique was discovered, the most common condition that it has treated is depression.Patients who have depression are allowed to undergo self evaluation to check whether they act, say and do things the way they are supposed to do and how the patient views all these. Skills deficits are also established so that the therapist can know the source of the problem. Life experiences in terms of how satisfied the patient has been by the kind of life that he has lived (McCullough, p 24). The expectations of the patient are also evaluated in order to know how realistic they are. The therapist checks on the kind of self talk that the patient usually has.If it is negative, then it could be a source of depression since the patient seems not to believe in his capabilities and this could lead to negative repercussions like being fired (Kohlenberg, p 254). The process goes on to evaluate the kind of automatic thought that the patient has. In most cases, there is consistency in that a person who usually has positive automatic thought is likely to have them, in most situations and the same case applies to negative automatic thoughts. Irrationality or rationality of ideas is evaluated because irrational ideas could cause depression.Depressed patients tend to generalize in most cases. The therapist works to find out the extent of generalization in his depressed patients. Cognitive distortion is also checked so that the therapist can be in a position to tell the extent of depression. Optimism versus pessimism is evaluated given different situations. All these are ways through which therapists can know the causes of depression and get ways of tackling it (McCullough, p 25). Comparison and contrast between behavioral and cognitive therapyBehavioral therapy focuses on how one can change from bad behavior through strategies like reinforcement. On the other hand, cognitive therapy focuses on how there can be a change of behavior due to a change in how a person thinks about a certain situation. While cognitive therapies deal with emotions and thoughts that direct a person towards behaving in a particular way, behavioral therapy on the pother hand focuses on how to change and eliminate the bad behavior (Kohlenberg, p 263). While behavioral therapy deals w ith observation of behavior, cognitive therapy deals with the cognitive elements.

Threats of globalization on culture of individual countries

Threats of globalization on culture of individual countries Globalization is the process through which the world community integrates into a common social and economic system (Steger, 2009). It is the tendency of technologies and business to spread all over the world. It involves interaction among countries in the world, to enhance global economic growth. Through globalization, there is a technological, economical, political and cultural exchange, which is made possible by advances in communication, transportation and infrastructure. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Threats of globalization on culture of individual countries specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It refers to the process through which people in the world are incorporated into a single world society. The world has become a â€Å"global village† this is due to the expansion of communication networks, the rapid information exchange and the lifting of barriers of visas and passports (Nederveen, 2003). Globalizat ion leads to both negative and positive impacts on different countries. This question requires the discussion of negative impact of globalization on the culture of individual countries. The process of globalization aims at bringing people from diverse cultural background together in the future. This future does not belong to any culture, but it must be a shared project, which allows the inclusion of all. Culture, is the way of life of a group of people including, traditions, customs, beliefs, language, behavior, rituals as well as music (Cowen, 2004). Cultural heritage represents the major wealth of developing countries. Globalization has largely affected the culture of several countries particularly the developing countries. Cultural diversity is a source of innovation and creativity. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), states that nature’s secrets in songs, stories, art and handicrafts of indigenous people may become extinct because of growing globalization (Grisw old, 2008). The threat of extinction to cultural heritage is usually noticed in Asia, Africa, and in the Middle East. Globalization causes rapid flow of people, products and information, which menaces the minority society, particularly their cultural heritage. Study shows that many indigenous languages and cultures are on the verge of becoming extinct due to globalization. It is estimated that there are about 7000 spoken languages in the world with 5000 of these estimated to be indigenous. About 2500 indigenous languages are in danger of becoming extinct, and many more are losing their link in the natural world. Papua New Guinea constitutes the most spoken languages about 847 different languages are spoken. The main languages under threat of extinction are those spoken by 1000 people or less (Held Anthony, 2004). In addition, in those regions that the mother tongue is only spoken by old people, and shunned by young people. According to researchers, over 1000 languages are spoken b y between 101 and 1000 individuals. Only up to 100 people speak around 500 languages. About two hundred and thirty languages have already been faced out because of globalization. Researchers estimate that 90 per cent of the languages in the world will have become extinct in the next 100 years (Moghadam, 2008).Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Several indigenous people have an interest in having a wide variety of plants and animals to have diverse source of food. Because, of the impact of western style- civilization and its farming methods. These varieties of plants and animals encouraged by the native people are rapidly fading out along with their generic diversity. Globalization is highly increasing the threat of crop failure around the world because of generic uniformity in the world’s main cash crops. For instance, research indicates that there were 287 varieties of carrots in 1903, but this has dropped to just 21 today, a fall of 92.7 per cent. About 460 different types of radish were there in 1903, but this has reduced to 27 indicating a 94.2 per cent decline. Around 500 varieties of lettuce were known in 1905, but this has dropped to only 36 (Griswold, 2008). The decline of languages, culture and traditions caused by globalization has affected the sources of medicine. Many native people have local knowledge of plants and, parts of animals, such as herbs and flowers, which they use as medicine. These traditional medicines could give a clue on how to develop new drugs for the west. These people have knowledge about the right part of plants and animals, which can be used to make natural medicines. They also know the best season in which to harvest so they contain the maximum amount of health compounds (Smith, 2001). This knowledge is usually indicated in rituals and ceremonies showing how culture, language, religion and spiritual beliefs cannot be separated from their understanding of the natural world. For instance, the Aka pygmies of the Central African Republican use magic and rituals together with herbal medicines to cure the sick (Taylor, 2003). They use plant species to cure a majority of the most common diseases. These species grow in different types of forest, and this helps pygmies to cure themselves when travelling. Globalization has also affected cultures of developed countries. In Japan the rapid progress in industrialization and modernization from Meiji era onward, has led to the decline in traditional performing arts, social practices and artisanship. The benefits of globalization such as democracy and poverty reduction are highly recognized in Japan (Rodrik, 2011). In Greenland and many other indigenous societies, many words in the language are related to the way people lived traditionally. This makes the language to be in danger of diminishing in the society. Also in Greenland there are sev eral names for snow and ice because it is necessary for hunters to differentiate them, but many children today know only a few of these names. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Threats of globalization on culture of individual countries specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Globalization has also affected religion particularly in the developing countries, which has led to the loss of local identity in the cultural sphere. Globalization is now threatening the oldest cultures in the world. For instance, â€Å"siriani† the language spoken by Jesus is vanishing in the few villages of Lebanon, Syria and Iraq (Smith, 2001). In Iran, a country, which was particularly rich in regional languages that traditionally remained spoken at all, levels of the society, many rare languages are vanishing. Written languages are also affected by globalization. This is evident in borrowed words that lead to, word for word translation of phrases that do not fit grammatically (Griswold, 2008). Media globalization also affects culture of societies. For example, the lilting tones of street English spoken by black Americans in New York, spread through television and were adopted in some parts of London. In large areas of Western Europe, vernacular instrumental music was faced out by internal globalization long time ago. Vernacular singing is also fading away particularly in Southern Europe, Wales in Britain and Ireland. In the Middle East and Far East, sound pollution is common, sophisticated music is more affected than vernacular music. In Iran a few years ago, Russian tunes were corrupting Iranian music as relayed by Tehran radio programmes. In Afghanistan North Indian, singing was blared on Kabul radio (Taylor, 2003). Globalization has also influenced the mode of dressing. In Western world itself, globalization has spread similar costumes. In China, there is adoption of dress forms and customs, which started some t ime ago. In Malaysia, many people have adopted English as their primary language. They speak English all the time and prefer English language media (Griswold, 2008). Summary and conclusion Globalization may have a positive or negative impact on individual countries. The negative impact of globalization to the cultural heritage is a threat. Most of countries in Africa and Middle East are facing a crisis of globalization on their rich culture. Globalization is advancing, and people should reconsider the importance of their cultural heritage. Many cultures across the globe are slowly diminishing due to the overwhelming effects of globalization (Moghadam, 2008). The most dominant way that globalization is seen to be a threat to culture is through languages. Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Most of developing countries are trying to adopt English as their primary language. Vernacular languages are on the decline and are on the verge of becoming extinct (Stiglitz, 2003). Another way is through religion, where tradition beliefs among the native people are diminishing. Dressing is also influenced by globalization; where many countries are adopting western fashion. Finally, threat of globalization to the culture of individual countries is manifested in the declining of traditional plants and animals. Most of the indigenous crops and animals are diminishing in the native countries (Griswold, 2008). Reference List Cowen, T. (2004). Creative Destruction:How globalization is changing the worlds culture. New York: Princeton University Press. Griswold, W. (2008). Cultures and societies in a changing world. London: Pine Forge Press. Held, D., Anthony, M. (2004). Global Transformations:Politics,economics and culture. Chicago: Stanford University Press. Moghadam, V. (2008). Globa lization and social movements. Chicago: Rowman Littlefield. Nederveen, J. (2003). Globalization and culture. Chicago: Rowman Littlefield. Rodrik, D. (2011). The globalization paradox. Chicago: W.W.Norton Company. Smith, P. (2001). Cultural theory. New York: Wiley-Blackwell. Steger, M. (2009). globalizatin:A very short introduction. Chicago: Oxford University Press. Stiglitz, J. (2003). Globalisation and its discontents. Chicago: W.W.Norton Company. Taylor, M. (2003). The moment of complexity:Emerging network culture. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press.

The History of Miniature Golf

The History of Miniature Golf According to the American Heritage Dictionary, miniature golf is a novelty version of golf played with a putter and golf ball on a miniature course and featuring obstacles such as alleys, bridges, and tunnels. Garnet Carter was the first person to patent a game of miniature golf which he called Tom Thumb Golf in 1927. However, there were a few earlier unpatented versions of miniature golf type games. For example, in 1916, James Barber of Pinehurst, North Carolina had a miniature golf course on his estate called the Thistle Du. There were also patented processes that related to the game. Garnet Carter built his miniature golf course on Lookout Mountain in Tennessee to draw traffic to the hotel he owned. His wife, Frieda Carter did most of the designing of the courses obstacles which had a fairyland theme. Patented Cottonseed Hull Surface In 1922, Englishmen, Thomas McCulloch Fairborn who was living in Tlahualilo, Mexico built a miniature golf course with a surface made from crushed cottonseed hulls mixed with oil, dyed green, and rolled on top of a sand foundation. Fairborn also founded a company called the Miniature Golf Courses of America Inc. Fairborn patented his method of making a playing surface, which was an inexpensive method. In 1926, Drake Delanoy and John Ledbetter built New York City’s first outdoor miniature golf course on top of a skyscraper. Delanoy and Ledbetter copied Thomas Fairborns process of using crushed cottonseed hulls and infringed upon Fairborns patent. Eventually, a financial arrangement was arrived at between Delanoy and Ledbetter and Fairborn that let the cottonseed hull process be used over 150 roof top miniature courses in New York City. Garnet Carter also had to pay a royalty to Fairborn since he used the cottonseed hull surface on his miniature golf course. Carter founded the Fairyland Manufacturing Corporation, which by 1930 manufactured and sold over 3000 of his Tom Thumb miniature golf course franchises. Â   Continue The History of Golf or Photo Gallery

Introduction of Democracy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Introduction of Democracy - Research Paper Example The constitution will  give power to the Congress to grant statehood to the district of Columbia according to this law. The residents of Washington D.C will then have full voting rights in both the houses of Congress (DC statehood). Citizens of Washington D.C should be granted equal voting rights by raising the status of the city to a state. The citizens should be allowed to vote representatives in the house of Congress in the same manner as it is allowed for the citizens of other states of America. This will ensure full voting rights to the residents accordingly as a democratic government is suppose to allow fair and equal voting rights to all its citizens. As the citizens of the city of Washington D.C pay federal taxes, there seem to be no reason of them being deprived of the very basic rule of democracy, that is, the right to vote. Paying federal taxes without being given the right to choose the representative for America is deemed unsatisfactory. Not giving voting rights is sim ilar to their treatment as international residents residing outside of the United States of America. Wade Henderson states, â€Å"The right to vote is fundamental in our democracy† (Leadership Conference on Civil Rights  2002). The Americans have long been striving for their voting rights. Their struggle to acquire voting rights has been a central policy in almost all their civil discussions. Many important laws have been enforced by the Congress regarding this matter over the past years. One such law includes the â€Å"Voting Rights Act of 1965†. Without giving the right to vote, the citizens of Washington D.C are just like spectators in an election. This is indeed unfair as it proves to be biased among the citizens of Washington and other cities; it produces a clear distinction among the citizens. There is no other country in the world which does not give voting rights to its citizens regardless of which ever state or district they belong to. Following the terroris t attacks of 9/11 on the twin towers in the U.S, the importance of the city of Washington was pointed out clearly. The terrorists destroyed the financial centre of the city of New York together with the central government in Washington D.C. Their attacks clearly reflected on all Americans, of every race, religion and color. Americans from around the nation condemned the attacks with utmost generosity for the victims and sadly, Washington D.C also had a share of the victims in the attacks of 9/11. Even after that, the citizens of the city of Washington were granted with no voting representations in the government which they were actually fighting for. To add to it, they were the first ones’ to respond to the Pentagon attack. The occupants of the city duly fulfill all their responsibilities like paying of taxes and services in the armed forces, yet they are deprived of such a basic right and cannot enjoy those privileges of equal voting which residents of other states enjoy. It is time that they should be declared the right to vote and choose their representative. The residents of the District of Columbia pay taxes at the rate of second highest per capita in the United States. Therefore, they should be fully represented in the Congress of America (Henderson. 2002). D.C was not a part of any state by the year 1801. This was in accordance to the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"District of Columbia Organic Act† passed by the Congress that very year. Thus, the District's residents lost the right to give votes and select their representatives. The residents of Washington City were eventually deprived to vote in the president election (American bar Association. 2006). In 1973, the Home Rule Act gave certain powers to the district

Countrterrorism Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Countrterrorism - Article Example the country who enjoys the same provisions of the Law. 2. An American citizen captured in the United States of America while in the act of terrorist violence is guaranteed by the United States Constitution the right to habeas corpus, Article 1, section 9, clause 2. Additionally, the suspect is provided protection by certain provisions of the Bill of Rights. Like, the 4th amendment which states "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall be issued, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized; 5th amendment, No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger, nor shall any person be subject for the same offence t o be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb, nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation; 6th amendment, In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining Witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of counsel for his defense; and 8th amendment, Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted" (Emerson & Haber, 1952). 3. Just war may be grounded along the concept that the history of the Americans in the achievement of freedom has been long and tremendous, that even the powers of the government have been frameworked in a purposeful endeavor intended to safeguard individual rights. So, the war on terror can be properly characterized as just war if it is conducted within the realms of the United States constitution. This is because the United States constitution contains the series of laws that will guide law enforcement, and provides protection for the rights of everyone (Emerson & Haber, 1952). 4. Apparently, anti-Americanism is not really a problem in the homeland. Political expressions of individuals or groups, and nations will however continue (Celmer, 1987) which may sometimes be misconstrued as inciting to violence. Nonetheless, perpetrators of hostilities which go beyond the limits of individual and national rights