AP Exams vs SAT Subject Tests Whats More Important

AP Exams vs SAT Subject Tests What's More Important SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many high-achieving students end up taking both SAT Subject Tests and AP Tests during their time in high school. SAT Subject Tests are required for admission to mostcompetitive colleges, and AP Tests and coursework are encouraged. Is one more important than the other? In this article, I’ll give details on how these two types of tests compare to each another and whether it's a good idea to take AP Tests and SAT Subject Tests in the same topic areas. What's the Difference Between AP Tests and SAT Subject Tests? SAT Subject Tests are hour-long multiple-choice exams that are scored on a scale of 200 to 800.AP Tests consist of multiple choice and essay sections, last for several hours, and are scored on a scale of 1-5. Many more students take AP tests every year than SAT Subject Tests (2.3 million versus about 500,000). This is becauseAP Tests are tied directly to the corresponding Advanced Placement classes. In recent years, the AP program has spread to more and more high schools across the country. To get college credit for these classes, students must pass the tests. SAT Subject Tests are less popular because students only take them for certain selective colleges that ask for them in the application process. The most selective schools usually require or recommend two or three subject tests. These tests are not directly tied to specific classes, so students typically have more freedom in deciding which ones they want to take. SAT Subject Test scores can showcase your unique interests and talents on your college application. SAT Subject Tests are rarer than AP Tests. This red panda is also rare, but it's much cuter than anything the College Board will ever create. What Is the Purpose of an AP Test Compared to That of an SAT Subject Test? AP Tests measure a student’s mastery of college-level subject matterthrough questions that touch on the main points of a year-long AP curriculum.Your AP Test scores validate the hard work you did in class and confirm that you learned the material. The dean of admissions at Harvard says, "We have found that the best predictors [of grades] at Harvard are Advanced Placement tests and International Baccalaureate Exams, closely followed by the College Board subject tests."Students who do well on AP Tests are likely to be successful in college classes, so selective schools are interested in them for their predictive value. AP Test scores alsohelp admissions officers decide whether your grades are an accurate reflection of your academic ability. If you got a 1 on the test but an A in the class, the class was probably way too easy. If you got a 5 on the test but a B- in the class, the class was probably very challenging. This will affect the judgments that admissions officers make about your potential. Your AP scores also make a difference in whether or not you earn college credit for the work you did in your AP class.At most schools, an AP score of 4 or 5 will either lead to college credit or allow you to place out of introductory college courses. SAT Subject Tests are slightly different because they measure students’ readiness for college-level work. SAT Subject Tests are sometimes used to place students out of courses in college, but you can’t earn college credits for doing well on them. They're also less relevant for predicting college grades, although they still have some value. Since SAT Subject Tests don't correspond with specific classes on your transcript, they can be used to emphasize your abilities in the subjects that are most relevant to what you plan on studying in college. Colleges view subject tests as assessments of how much you learned in high school and where your academic strengths lie. High scores on AP Tests might allow you to ascend the college escalator more quickly. Are AP Tests Harder Than SAT Subject Tests? Most students find the material on AP Tests to be more difficult than the material on SAT Subject Tests because it's intended for students who are working at a college level. AP Tests also require more stamina.As a rule, essays are almost always harder than multiple-choice questions because you have to come up with an answer entirely on your own. Even within the multiple choice sections, AP Tests demand a deeper understanding of the material than SAT Subject Tests.They also require students to possess more in-depth knowledge and analytical abilities when it comes to interpreting primary source materials. Still, it is technically easier to get a 5 on an AP Test than an 800 on an SAT Subject Test. On most AP Tests, you can still earn a 5 if you get a fair amount of questions wrong, whereas there’s almost no room for error on subject tests if you want a perfect score.A student who gets 70% of questions correct and a student who gets 100% of questions correct may both end up with 5s on an AP test depending on how strong the curve is. However, this is deceptive, since the actual content and test format for AP Tests is significantly more difficult.A student who earns a high score like a 700 on a subject test might not get a 5 on an AP Test due to the greater complexity.I'll do a comparison with real questions to show you how the two tests differ. Come with me on this journey down two divergent paths that wind through the strange wasteland of Collegeboardia. Here’s a sample multiple-choice question from the US History SAT Subject Test: "If the Creator had separated Texas from the Union by mountain barriers, the Alps or the Andes, there might be plausible objections; but He has planed down the whole [Mississippi] Valley including Texas, and united every atom of the soil and every drop of the water of the mighty whole. He has linked their rivers with the great Mississippi, and marked and united the whole for the dominion of one government, the residence of one people." This quotation from the 1840's can be viewed as an expression of: A. The New NationalismB. popular sovereigntyC. Manifest DestinyD. the Good Neighbor PolicyE. the frontier thesis (the answer is C) And here’s a sample multiple-choice question from the AP US History Test (multiple choice questions refer to excerpts from primary sources): Excerpt: â€Å"We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.† -Chief Justice Earl Warren, writing the unanimous opinion of the United States Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 1954 Which of the following was the most immediate result of the decision excerpted? A. Radicals critiqued government actions as doing too little to transform the racial status quo. B. Education advocates raised awareness of the effect of poverty on students’ opportunities. C. Civil rights activists became increasingly divided over tactical and philosophical issues. D. Segregationists in southern states temporarily closed many public schools in an effort to resist the decision. (the answer is D) Notice the differences between these two questions.The SAT Subject Test question is much more straightforward.It requires basic knowledge of terminology related to US History.Most students who took any standard class in US History would probably answer it correctly. The AP Test question, on the other hand, is more nuanced.It asks for the â€Å"most immediate† result of the Supreme Court decision.All of the answers are true to some degree, but only D reflects the â€Å"most immediate† initial response.This is tricky, and it requires students to think more carefully about the question.It expects a certain degree of advanced knowledge of larger trends related to racial tension in US History and when and how the responses of different groups to legislative changes played out. You can also see this difference between the two tests magnified in the open response section of the AP Test. Here’s an example of an AP open response question: Using your knowledge of United States history, answer parts a and b. a) Briefly explain why ONE of the following periods best represents the beginning of a democracy in the United States. Provide at least ONE piece of evidence from the period to support your explanation. Rise of political parties in the 1790s Development of voluntary organizations to promote social reforms between the 1820s and the 1840s Emergence of the Democrats and the Whigs as political parties in the 1830s b) Briefly explain why ONE of the other options is not as persuasive as the one you chose. This question requires students to formulate a coherent definition of American democracy, make a decision about which time period best exemplifies its roots (while backing up their point with historical knowledge), and refute a counterargument.This is college-level analytical thinking.You won’t encounter questions like this on an SAT Subject Test. Choose your responses carefully. Uncle Sam is watching. Should You Take SAT Subject Tests and AP Tests in the Same Subjects? Is it OK to take SAT Subject Tests and AP Tests in the same subject? Yes, colleges won't think you're being lazy if you have overlap in the two exam types. The key factor when deciding which SAT Subject Tests to take isn't how similar or different they are to your AP Tests, it's if those SAT Subject Tests fit the subject test requirements of the schools you're applying to. If the colleges where you’re applying simply request that you take two or three unspecified SAT Subject Tests, it makes a lot of sense to take the tests that correspond with your APs. Since SAT Subject Tests are less challenging than AP Tests, you will already be prepared and may not have to do any extra studying.AP Tests are typically held in May, and you can take SAT Subject Tests in June. Certain college programs do require you to take specific subject tests to be eligible for admission.This is often the case at engineering schools that want to ensure students are well-versed in math and the hard sciences.For example, the California Institute of Technology requires prospective students to take the Math 2 subject test and one of the subject tests in Biology, Physics, or Chemistry.Math 2 is the most commonly required SAT Subject Test. If you aren’t taking an AP Test in the same subject area as the SAT Subject Test you want or need to take, you should plan to take the subject test at the end of your most relevant high school class.For Math 2, this will most likely be at the end of your junior year after you’ve taken classes in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and precalculus.In general, it’s always a good idea to take an SAT Subject Test right after you finish a class in the subject.That way, you can just do a quick review and avoid having to refresh your memory on material you learned a while ago. You, radiating confidence during your SAT Subject Tests. Conclusion AP Tests and SAT Subject Tests differ in many ways, although they both can have an impact on your chances of admission at competitive colleges. SAT Subject Tests are only an hour long, and they are comprised entirely of multiple-choice questions. AP Tests, on the other hand, can last for over three hours and always include both multiple-choice and essay questions. AP Tests are associated with specific AP classes, and their content tends to be more challenging than that of SAT Subject Tests. AP Tests ask students to demonstrate college-level analytical skills while SAT Subject Tests require more basic knowledge of high school curriculum. Your scores on AP Tests may also earn you college credit or allow you to place out of introductory college classes if they are high enough. SAT Subject Tests are only occasionally used for placement purposes. Both types of tests may be important for you in the admissions process, so make sure that you prepare accordingly! What's Next? Curious about AP? Learn how you can register for Advanced Placement classes and tests. If you're looking to delve deeper into variations in difficulty on AP tests, read this article on the hardest AP tests that you can take. If you're planning on taking SAT Subject Tests, take a look at this article to get a better sense of your ideal score range. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below:

Todays Negative Media essays

Today's Negative Media essays Since the late 1940s media such as television have been an important factor in our everyday lives. Television keeps people aware and up-to-date with important information giving those people knowledge on what is happening in the world around them. Television is also used as a source of entertainment. In the past television was mainly used to entertain families where they would get together around the TV set and watch for a few hours. However, today television is used for many purposes and is a cause for concern when looking at its affects on the people of todays society. Firstly, younger children tend to watch television instead of going outside and getting exercise; teenagers watch television instead of doing their studies, and grown-ups become pre-occupied with technologic gadgetry instead of doing what they are supposed to. Secondly, children watching television see violence in the form of cartoons or other popular children shows desensitizing the children and making them think vi olence is acceptable in real-life. Lastly, some types of media discriminate against all people regardless of age, gender, or race. In todays society, television can have a negative affect on anyone and everyone in that society. Luxury items like televisions are cause for concern because children and young adults seem to stay transfixed to such a medium. Hours of easy viewing with addictive story-line shows are what causes people of all ages to become glued to the tube. The extended time wasted by sitting and not getting much needed exercise leads to health problems later on in life, such as backaches, obesity, and a leniency toward procrastination. According to studies, e.g. the Huston-Stein project, the average child watches about 27 hours of television per week. In some cases viewing can reach as much as 11 hours a day on non-school days. Televisions have become less expensive, allowing more people to have these products...

The Effective Use and Importance of Hypothesis in Management Assignment

The Effective Use and Importance of Hypothesis in Management - Assignment Example The hypothesis such as presented by Bryant (1998) about the claim that CEOs who play a good game of golf also run high-performing companies is subject for various tests and more researchers for it to be proven correct. Thus, hypotheses are to be tested just prior to proving them in the case of some claims underlying various researchers. There are many ways on how to test a hypothesis. Statistically, a hypothesis can be viewed as the subject for testing the validity or truth of the statement. If the researcher failed to prove the hypothesis, then he or she has also failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove the validity of a null hypothesis (Reeves & Brewer, 1979). Statistics is one of the best tools used to analyze and obtain information from a given data or set of information. Statistics consists of numbers and these are used to define and form concrete information. In the article of Bryant (1998), the importance of statistics was justified when specific average handicap index of golfers was calculated to obtain and deduce specific information from it. The given information when combined can be used effectively especially in inferential statistics. Inferential statistics uses numbers and data or data set to obtain conclusive information. However, it cannot be denied that the information that will be obtained is dependent on the raw data. There are many ways to draw inferences from the raw data but many of them are heading to wrong direction (Knowledge @ Wharton, 2008). In the article of Bryant (1998), the inference is dependent on the given numbers explaining average handicap index of golfers. There can be many things related to these figures but the bottom line is that all of them explained how to classify information to finally come up with a general conclusion.  Ã‚  

Impacts of Keystone Holdings, LLCs Merger with Compagnie de Saint-Gob Assignment

Impacts of Keystone Holdings, LLCs Merger with Compagnie de Saint-Gobain - Assignment Example The Keystone Holdings tried to acquire the Advanced Ceramics Business of Saint- Gobain and thereby eliminate the competitor from the market for alumina wear tile. Government tries to ensure competition in the market and thereby maximum choice and minimum price to the customers. My goal in this essay is to portrait the impact of the acquisition on society and firms. Keystone is the holding company of CoorsTek, Inc. (CoorsTek), which is a leading technical ceramics manufacturer, supplying ceramics based products for use in defense, medical, automotive, semiconductor, and power generation applications, among others. Keystone is headquartered in Golden, Colorado with facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia. Keystone manufactures and sells alumina wear tile for use in high wear applications at its facilities in Golden, Colorado. Saint-Gobain is a highly diversified, multinational company, headquartered in Courbevoie, France. The Advanced Ceramics Business includes ceramic components such as hot surface igniters, electro-ceramic parts for household appliances, ceramic balls for high-performance bearings, automobile water pump seals, special components for the semiconductor industry, agricultural spray nozzles, and other dense alumina components, such as alumina wear tile. Saint-Gobain manufactures and sells alumina wear tile out of its Latrobe, Pennsylvania facility. Oligopoly is a market organization in which there are only a few sellers of a product. So the actions of each seller affect other sellers also. Mergers and acquisitions are mainly a part of the oligopolistic market. The alumina wear tile market in North America can be considered as an oligopolistic market as there are very few firms in the industry. As the alumina wear tile market is an oligopolistic market, any action that the Advanced Ceramics Business takes has an impact on other competitors like Keystone Holdings. If Advanced Ceramics reduces the price of their product, the other players in the market are forced to reduce their prices also.

Leadership power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership power - Essay Example There is a notable correlation between power and leadership. Hersey, Blanchard and Johnson (1996) define power as the ability to control other people or things. In other words, power is the potential to influence. It has been evidenced that leaders have power over people or things that they lead. According to Bass and Bass (2009), leadership is often conceived as an exercise of power. Leadership and power have often been utilized to influence the behavior of people. According to the behavioral theory, a leader is thus analyzed by what one does and how they behave. In the same way, it can be evidenced that power is usually concentrated to a few select persons. Very few organizations take the chance to teach selected few of the manner in which to make effectively use the power that they possess. Leaders have various bases of power unto which they leverage, including the power of position, power of charisma, power of relationships, power of information, power to reward others, and power of expertise, as well as power of punishment. There are five different types of power. First is legitimate power. It is also known as official or position power. This power comes from the rules of the organization. It offers the leaders the power to punish and reward, along with controlling organizational resources. This type of power maintains discipline and order in the society. Second is coercive power, which entails the use of negative influences. The most common coercion tools are threats and punishment. This makes it the least effective form of power since it builds resentment and resistance. The third type of power is referent power. It is the ability to attract others and build loyalty. It is usually based on the interpersonal skills as well as the charisma of the power holder. Fourth is expert power. It is the authority of knowledge that arises from specialized learning. A

The Importance Of Employee Voice

The Importance Of Employee Voice This paper studies the ascertainity of the importance of employee voice within Heritage Hotels, India. It explains why the author is undertaking the research and what the author wants to achieve from this research. It continues with the literature review that highlights the seven different topics that has been explained in detail. It then talks about the Methodology in which it shows the different research methods that have been chosen and why the selective research methods have been chosen for this particular research. The paper then analyses the findings and discusses the result in detail. In the conclusion, recommendations have been presented which look at what employers would want to see in the future regarding employee voice. Acknowledgements I express my gratitude to the University of Westminster for giving me the opportunity to work on the major project during the final year of MA in Human Resource Management. There are many who helped me during this project work and I want to thank them all. I would like to thank Tamarind and Angela Hetherington, my tutors for their invaluable guidance throughout my dissertation work and endeavor period, for providing me with the requisite motivation to complete my dissertation successfully. I specially appreciate the help and guidance of all those teachers who have directly or indirectly helped me making my project a success. I would like to thank my parents who have been by my side throughout the whole process and who have given me the motivation and courage to make my dissertation a success. I would also like to thank all the employees and the manager of Heritage Hotels for taking the time out from their busy schedule to complete my interviews. Thank You. Table of Contents Title Page 1 Abstract 2 Acknowledgements 3 Table of Contents 4 5 List of Figures 6 Introduction 7 Aim Objectives 8 Aim 8 Objectives 8 Literature Review 9 Defining employee voice 9 10 Purpose of employee voice 10 Types of employee voice 11 12 Benefits and success factors 12 Benefits for employees 12 Success Factors 13 Leadership 13 Training 13 Trust openness 13 Employee Involvement 13 Employee Voice and Organizational Performance 14 Figure 1: Employee Voice 14 15 Organizational Background 15 Introduction 15 16 The secret of a great escape 16 Heritage Hotels Mission 17 Methodology 18 Introduction 18 Research Philosophy 18 Positivism 18 Interpretivist 18 19 Methods of Research Used 19 20 Research Design 20 23 Figure 2: The Research Process 21 Respondents of the Study 23 Data Collection 23 24 Interviews 24 25 How was the research attempted and measured 25 26 Analysis and Discussion 27 Introduction 27 Interpretation of Results 27 Analysis 27 28 Question 8 28 Question 9 10 28 Question 11 12 29-30 Question 13 30 Question 14 30-31 Question 16, 17 18 31 Discussion of the Analysis 31-32 Why is voice so important? 32-33 Conclusion and Recommendations Conclusion 34 35 Recommendations 35 36 Reflective Statement 37 38 References 38 42 List of Figures Figure 1: Employee Voice Chart 14 15 Figure 2: The Research Process 21 Figure 3: The Response Table 28 1.0 Introduction This research topic studies to ascertain the importance of employee voice within Heritage Hotels. It specifically focuses on how important the employee voice is today. It investigates peoples perceptions on employee voice within the Hotel. Mahak Parwal, the author, feels that this study should be undertaken because as a current student and a future employee, she believes employee voice is and should be considered as highly important. With this study, the author also wants to find out the importance of employee voice, as well as know the employees perception towards it whether they think it should be there within the organization or not. There has been a sharp increase in the significance in employee voice between academics, practitioners, and policymakers in the recent years. Boxall and Purcell (2008) state that among employers, the breakdown of the mass production era and the resulting quest for high-performance work practices that deliver flexibility and quality has produced prevalent experimentation through schemes for sharing information and consulting with employees, involving employees in workplace decision-making and soliciting feedback. Simultaneously, the global decline within the union membership has willingly opened the doors for different voice mechanisms options, whilst also prompting renewed debates over the need for union voice and supportive public policies. There has been a growing interest in employee voice and interest in this topic has emerged over the last few years. Employee voice has been used to summarize several diverse approaches to employee relations, and numerous other terms have been interchangeably with employee voice. Employee voice is a critical element of organizational success. According to Lynch (2010), in times of uncertainty it is more important than ever that employers pay attention to a concept called employee voice. This is because it can work towards developing the workplace productivity during its impact on employee engagement, creativity, retention and effectiveness. A more recent meaning of voice that has captured researchers attention is a behavior that constructively challenges that status quo with the intention of improving it. Employee voice is a very extensive term among substantial width within the range of definitions that are been given by authors (for instance Poole, 1986; Strauss, 2006; Sashkin, 1976 ; Dietz et al., 2009). The aim of the paper is also to shed greater light on the meanings that organizational members derive from employee voice and what those different purposes may be. 1.1 Aims and Objectives The following aim and objectives will identify how the researcher will achieve the research study objectives and provide background on how the objectives will be met through the academic study. 1.2 Aim The aim of this study is to ascertain the importance of employee voice at the Heritage Hotels in India. 1.3 Objectives The following objectives need to be satisfied in order to reach this aim. These are: Define employee voice and its components. Determine the importance of employee voice. To investigate employees perception on employee voice. To critically recognize how Heritage Hotels promote employee voice in a hypercompetitive environment. 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Defining employee voice As de ¬Ã‚ ned by Boxall and Purcell (2003): Employee voice is the term increasingly used to cover a whole variety of processes and structures which enable, and sometimes empower employees, directly and indirectly, to contribute to decision-making in the  ¬Ã‚ rm. Employee voice can be seen as the ability of employees to in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence the actions of the employer (Millward et al, 1992). Employee voice is a two-way communication between its employer and employee CIPD (2012). According to CIPD (2012), it is the process of the employer communicating to the employee as well as receiving and listening to communication from the employee. To get a basic understanding of what employee voice, one must understand what participative management is. Stueart and Moran (2007) states participative management focuses on increasing lower level employee empowerment during team building along with direct participative methods in order to involve the employee with the decision making of the organ ization. This has become one of the leading styles of management. The important of empowerment may not be obvious, however it is pertinent. According to Stueart and Moran (2007), there is a positive correlation between employee empowerment and better customer service, staff creativity and innovation, and flexibility. Employees are able to participate in the decision making process of an organization through flattening the hierarchical, top-bottom structure by the means of groups or teams and with direct participation. The concept of employee voice looks more into the opportunities in order for the employees to be involved within decisions together, which can either be through trade unions or by other means. It appeals to both those seeking greater business efficiency and to those looking for employee rights (CIPD, 2012). Organizations have increasingly looked on ideas that directly engage employees, moving from representative participation in the last two decades. CIPD research, according to Marchington, Wilkinson and Ackers (2001), suggests organizations that look to promote voice are usually those who believe that employees want to contribute to the business and that for employees to have an effective voice, the significant element of the communication process is not what the employer puts out but what it gets back. Good managers distinguish that the knowledge required for the business to be competitive can only come out of employees heads. Voice is defined most typically in terms of two-way communications, an exchange of information between managers and employees or having a say about what goes on in an organization (CIPD, 2012). Some managers feel that voice is a way for employees to represent their views to managers, and the different views presented by employees can be taken into account which, in turn, can be positive for the company. On the other hand, other managers take the more limited view that voice is not so much of a dialogue o r a two-way exchange of thoughts as a method for the employees to be able to pass on their thoughts to managers in order to develop the companys organizational performance. Employee voice is the most important characteristic of employee participation. If employee participation strongly contributes to a greater customer service, then it straight away shows that employee voice is a significant feature in this equation. According to McCabe Lewin (1992, p. 112), whilst participative management programs can be assorted depending on the company, the general scope and the amount of intended participation, the fundamental hypothesis remains the same, which is that employees possess sufficient ability, skill, knowledge, and interest to participate in business decisions. For Dundon et al (2004:1149), employee voice is best understood as a complex and uneven set of meanings and purposes with a dialectic shaped by external regulation on one hand and internal management choice on the other. The re is a long tradition in employee relations literature of focusing on the level and effectiveness of employee involvement and participation in the workplace (Marchington, 2005). 2.2 Purpose of Employee Voice According to Michael Armstrong (2006), there are four specific purposes for employee voice. The first purpose is basically to articulate dissatisfaction for individuals with the management team or in the organization. The second purpose provides as an expression of collective organization to management. The third purpose lets the management contribute towards decision making in particular concerning quality, productivity and work organization. Last but not the least it expresses the mutuality relationship between the employee and the employer. In addition towards the specific purposes for employee voice, Gorden (1988b) proves a fifth purpose. He had conducted a study with 150 students and the study confirmed higher employee satisfaction with his or her career and employer when the organizational conditions are conductive to creating and receiving opportunities for employee voice. These rationale supports in defining voice and offers a background on which one can base all of the studi es and research. 2.3 Types of Employee Voice Since Employee Voice is vast within Human Resource there are many types of employee voice. According to McCabe and Lewin (1992), there are about four specific types that help engage the process for the grievance resolution. The first type of voice is the ombudsman; it is similar to a confidant that is proposed to considerately take note to the injustice and to offer any help to solve the issue. The ombudsman operates more like a channel of employee voice, relative than actual employee voice. McCabe and Lewin (1992) state for this to work, the ombudsman needs to be thoroughly familiar with the organization and also needs to promote particularly for the employee. The second type of employee voice, again defined by McCabe and Lewin, is the mediation. Yet again, mediation also acts as a channel for employee voice. In this situation, the mediator goes through an argument between the two parties and supports in reconciling and resolving the problem. He or she does not particularly make the resolving decision but persuades solutions for the employees to eventually decide from the provided options. The third type of employee voice is arbitration and it is distinguished by the fact that the arbitrator can make the final, binding decision. The arbitration is usually seen as the preceding step in a grievance process and needs to completely follow the standards, policies and procedures as written in the handbook for the employees. Last but not the least are, again discussed by the aforementioned authors, tribunals and peer reviews. As the same for arbitration which is the third type of employee voice, the ultimate decision is requisite and needs to be in capacity of the employee handbook. The advantage to the internal tribunals is that employees are preferred to be judged by their peers rather than an administrator or manager: The advantage to these internal tribunals is that employees generally prefer to be judged by a jury of their peers rather than an administrator or m anager (McCabe and Lewin, 1992). Other than the grievance procedure as mentioned above, there are two other types of voice: 1. Representative participation, and 2. Upward problem solving (Armstrong, 2006). Representative participation is characterized by collective representation. Representative participation involves a formal mechanism which allows for the employee representation to solve issues of mutual interest and work more like a partnership between employer and employee, tackling issues together in a cooperative manner. Examples of representative participation would include trade unions or other staff associates/association. Employee voice is heard through an organized channel. The second type of employee voice is the upward problem solving. In this type of employee voice it works towards more of a teambuilding perspective. It basically involves two-way communication between the manager and the staff. Thus communication is characterized by suggestion schemes rather than partner schemes where employees indepen dently suggest ideas or changes and then employer generally rewards them (Armstrong, 2006). It includes the application of attitude surveys for employees in order to seek their opinion/speak through questionnaires which can be beneficial for the organization. In this case employee voice is more on the basis of being communicative on a direct level from employee to employer. The main method of expressing voice is through questionnaires and forms instead of formal representation. 2.4 Benefits and success factors Within the high performance workplaces, skills and knowledge are developed and enhanced which leads to high value enterprises and increasingly knowledge based economy. Having a greater voice for employees leads to the following (CIPD, 2012): Employees skills and knowledge can be better used, leading to higher productivity. Employees feel more valued, so they are more likely to stay and to contribute more. The organization gains a positive reputation, making it easier to recruit good employees. Conflict is reduced and co-operation between employer and employee is based on interdependence. 2.4.1 Benefits for employees Employees benefit from the following (CIPD, 2012): Having more influence over their work Higher job satisfaction More opportunity to develop skills More job security at their employee is more successful as a result of voice initiatives. 2.4.2 Success factors The factors that ensure success are the following (CIPD, 2012): Leadership: without having active commitment from the top, initiatives will not succeed. Further down, managers also need to lead by example, while employee representatives should be effective leaders of those who they represent in the organization. Training: middle managers who have brought up a top-down tradition of communication might find it complicated to acclimatize to a more open way to doing things and might need to be trained in communication skills. Likewise, employee representatives may need training. Trust and openness: without being honest, the communication initiatives will not succeed, even when messages may not be palatable. The possible barriers of the success factors are reversed. The reasons for failure are cited as absence of leadership and lack of commitment from the middle managers in the organization. 2.5 Employee Involvement The objective of employee involvement is to engage employees to a greater extent in the administrative activities of the organization. This facilitates employees in empowering, and moreover informs them to understand the corporate activities and policies of the organization in a better way. It facilities the psychological relationship between the employee and employer, which provides, to an extent, an allowance in the decision making process. Employee involvement has two major benefits, which can only take place after empowering the employees and decentralizing the management; employers are relieved by some portion of its administrative responsibilities. Secondly, when employees are given the empowerment, their responsibilities for the organization lead to success and so does their commitment and accountabilities. It moreover helps in elevating overall employee morale and job satisfaction. Thus it enhances in employee performance. 2.6 Employee Voice and Organizational Performance Normally, having lack of proper communication leads to organizational conflicts. Employee voice facilitates in making the relationship between the employer-employee information flow. It has been argued that Employee Involvement and Employee Participation is essential for organizational performance and management employee interrelationship, which plays an equally important role in enhancing job satisfaction and hence in enhancing organizational productivity (Brown Heywood, 2002 p.103). Within the context of Employee Voice, psychological contracts can also be analyzed which may also be involved with employment. The interrelationships of management are largely supported by exchange of compensation and services. This regularly escorts the employees awareness to be obstinate with the growth strategies of the management. Employee participation in every organizational activity increases personal involvement. With an increase in involvement the employees naturally perform optimally thereby proving that employee voice is of immense importance in enhancing organizational performance and productivity (Kirkman, Lowe Young, 1999 p. 42). 2.7 Employee Voice Chart The following figure presents the meanings and purpose of employee voice articulated from journal called The International Journal of Human Resource Management (Dundon et al, 2004). Figure 1: Employee Voice Voice represents Purpose of Voice Possible mechanism or channels of voice Potential positive/negative outcomes Articulation of individual dissatisfaction To remedy a problem and/or prevent deterioration in relations Informal complaint to line manager; formal grievance procedure (Reinforced) loyalty to organization/employee exit, withdrawal of beneficial discretionary behavior or inform expressions of dissatisfaction Expression of collective organization To provide a countervailing source of power to management Recognition of trade union by employer; collective bargaining; industrial action Partnership between management and employees/non-or de-recognition of union; anti union management tactics Employee contribution to management decision-making To seek improvements in work organization, quality and productivity Employee involvement and participation (e.g. upward problem-solving initiatives; suggestion schemes; attitude surveys; self-managed teams) Employee commitment and identification with aims of organization; improved performance/disillusionment and apathy Mutuality and co-operative workplace relations To achieve long-term viability for the organization and greater people added-value Partnership agreements; joint consultative committees; works councils Significant employee influence in decision-making/management communication-service to employee contribution. Source: Dundon et al. (2004) The meanings and purpose of employee voice, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 15 (6): 1149-70. Reprinted by permission of the publisher Taylor Francis Group. 2.8 Organizational Background Heritage Hotels, India 2.8.1 Introduction Heritage Hotel is a joint venture between ITC Ltd. and Jodhana Heritage, signifying some of the best tradition of heritage hospitality and tourism in India. It presents over 37 selected heritage destinations, ranging from grand palaces to traditional bungalows (havelis) and magnificent forts: from adventure-filled jungle loges to tea garden homes and quiet nature resorts in different states of India, for instance Rajasthan, Jammu Kashmir, West Bengal, Karnataka, Punjab, Goa, Punjab and Tamil Nadu. A holiday with the Heritage Hotels is always special: timeless bazaars, elephant and camel safaris, local festivals, desert camps and a selection of various adventure and sport activities. Rich in history, these destinations are enriched by stories of heroic fighters and illustrious queens of royal courts and princes who enjoyed their pomp, pageantry, gracious, and splendid living in these places. On the journey of the relentless passage of time, many legends have been relegated to the pag es of history; others extolled in verse and sung by traditional bards and folk singers. Even today some of the legends live in palaces, forts and royal retreats. Their private homes indicate the visitor with elegant Heritage Hospitality from the hotel and offer a slice of history with one major difference. 2.8.2 The Secret of a Great Escape Heritage Hotel offers the secrets of a great escape. At every Heritage Hotel, customers will get the chance to experience the rich heritage and culture. Such cultures include a fort resort at the rim of a desert, or a county manor in the lap of a green valley. A jungle lodge in a wildlife forest reserve, or a palace or bungalow, resonant with the past. A picture-postcard cottage ensconced in mystic mountains or a splendid mansion on the spur of a hill. A spa in a heritage home, a houseboat on a sparkling lake, a colonial hill residence with tea gardens for a view, a mist-wrapped palace in fragrant plantations. Each hotel has a secret to share, a story to tell and so will you. Moreover, each Heritage hotel has the blueprint of a great holiday, all laid out for tourists. Each hotel provides the opportunity to go where you get away to all that is not ordinary. All that is exclusive, while being affordable and unusual, without being over the top. Heritage Hotels over 40 hotels are sited expediently at stunningly scenic locations and are easy accessible from major cities, making it the perfect holiday option. In particular, customers usually find atmospheric and boutique experience when it comes to selecting a hotel but Heritage Hotels are far removed from standardized sameness. Hospitality comes from the heart provided with a slice of heritage within modern amenities. 2.8.3 Heritage Hotels Mission The Heritage Mission is to assist and support the restoration of Heritage properties. They encourage owners of these properties to convert them into productive assets, and assist them, in providing technical expertise, sales, marketing, reservations and operational support, and services. Through other initiatives, they help in the preserving the environment while at the same time promoting their rich culture, cuisine and handicrafts. They endeavor to: Providing a unique, enriching and affordable experience to customers Generate local employment and well being Set standards in Heritage Hotels Tourism while promoting Heritage tourism They hope to succeed in their mission with customers whole-hearted support. Employee voice is an important issue in studying participative management. From the point of view of an organization, having a participative management program that incorporates several employee voice mechanisms would be in the companys best interest. By promoting employee voice within the workplace through a range of techniques, it will help an organization to fulfill the ethical and political need through revitalizing their bottom line by avoiding resignation rates and high exit. Employee voice takes various forms in terms of both individually and collectively, and verbally and non-verbally. Furthermore, the concept behind employee voice appears to be timeless, as many of the publications throughout the past forty years have agreed with each other (employee voice: theoretical frameworks and organizational methods). Employee voice plays a huge role in participative management because in order for employees to work in an organization being able to communicate, presenting ideas, and b uilding relationships is required and essential according to the author. This is how participative management links to employee voice. 3.0 Methodology 3.1 Introduction The way in which the research is carried out can be considered in terms of the philosophy of the research which it is pledged to, the strategy of the research employed and, moreover, the research instruments utilized (and perhaps developed) in the pursuit of a goal the research objectives with the search for the resolution of the aim which basically links to the research question. The research has been outlined for the research question and the research objectives in the introduction as well as in the literature review. The purpose of this chapter is to: Discuss the research philosophy and relate that to other philosophies; Develop the research strategy, together with the research methodologies adopted; Introduce the research instruments that has been developed and utilized in the search of the goals. 3.2 Research Philosophy A research philosophy is a conviction regarding the way in which the data about a phenomenon should be analyzed, used and gathered. The term epistemology what is known to be true as opposed to doxology includes different philosophies of the research approach. The rationale of science is the process of converting things known from doxology to epistemology. The two major research philosophies have been categorized in the Western tradition of science, explicitly positivist, which is sometimes called scientific and interpretivist which is known as an positivist (Galliers, 1991). 3.3 Positivism Positivists believe that reality is stable and can be observed and described from an objective point of view (Levin, 1988), i.e. without interfering with the phenomena of being studied. It should be argued that the phenomena should be isolated and that the observations should be repeatable. This frequently engages with the manipulation of reality with differences in only a single independent variable so as to recognize regularities in, and to form relationships between, some of the constituent elements of the social world. Predictions could possibly be made on the foundation of the previously explained and observed realities and their inter-relationships. Positivism has a long and rich historical tradition. It is also embedded in our society that knowledge claims not grounded in positivist thought are simply dismissed as scientific and therefore invalid (Hirschheim, 1985, p33). This view is indirectly supported by Alavi and Carlson (1992) who, in a review of the research articles, ha ve found that all of the empirical studies were positivist in its approach. Positivism has been a particularly successful association within natural and physical sciences. There has, however, been a debate on the concern of whether or not the positivist paradigm is entirely suitable for the social sciences (Hirschheim, 1985). Many authors are calling for a more pluralistic attitude towards the research methodologies an example being Bjorn-Andersen, 1985; Kuhn, 1970; Remenyi and Williams, 1996. 3.4 Interpretivist Interpretivists argue that only through the subjective interpretation of an intervention in reality can be fully understood. The study of phenomena in its natural environment is vital to the interpretivists philosophy, together with the acknowledgement that scientists cannot avoid affecting those phenomena that are being studied. There may be many interpretations of reality that can be admitted, but maintaining these interpretations are in themselves a part of the scientific knowledge they are pursuing. There is a tradition which has been followed by the interpretivisms, which is no less glorious than that of positivism and nor is it shorter. 3.5 Methods of Research Used For this study, the descriptive research method was utilized. In this method, it is possible that the study would be cheap and quick. It could also suggest an unanticipated hypotheses. Nonetheless, it would be very hard to rule out alternative explanations and especially infer causations. Thus, this study used the descriptive approach. This descriptive type of research utilizes observations in the study. The purpose of employing this method is to describe the nature of a situation, as it exists at the time of the study and to explore the cause/s of particular phenomena. The researcher opted to use this kind of research considering the desire of the researcher to obtain first hand data from the respondents so as to formulate rational and sound conclusions and recommendations for the stu

What a Christian Believes about Anthropology Essay -- essays research

What a Christian Believes about Anthropology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Anthropology in general refers to any study of the status, habits, customs, relationships and culture of humankind. In a more specific and theological sense, anthropology sets forth the scriptural teachings about humans as God’s creatures. Christian anthropology recognizes that humans are created in God’s image but that sin has in some way negatively affected that image† (Grenz, Guetzki, and Nordling 11). In other words, anthropology is the study of how God created us uniquely in his image, and how sin affected the image.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the sixth day, God made male and female in his image, and he saw that it was very good (Genesis 1:27, 31). The Bible continues to tell the story of how God made us. He made Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed life into him. After that, God took one of Adam’s ribs and made Eve. The Adam and Eve walked with God. The Bible does not go into much detail to explain the creation process or any other part of creation. God wanted us to know how we are unique and wonderful and that we are supposed to have a relationship with Him. â€Å"We are the only earthly creatures whose essence is more that physical; man alone has a soul or spirit and is thus a combination of matter and spirit† (Cottrell 149). The fact that we have a soul is one way we are like God. No other creature has a soul or can tell right from wrong. Starting in Genesis, and throughout the w...

The Truth About Introverts

I have constantly tried to hide my introversion. I would always, and still do, force myself out of my comfort zone to be with friends. Whether it be at large parties or Joining in on various conversations In which I had no Interest. † (Scoffer) Despite the efforts Introverts make to fit In with an extroverted centered world, It frequently does not not work, or may go completely unnoticed. It drains them out of most of their energy and usually leaves them second guessing about who they are and who they wish to be.Introverted people deal with a variety of difficult situations everyday including stereotypes always being made about them while simultaneously trying to live in a ‘noisy' society focused on more outgoing personality types. In a world where talk is cheap and time is money, life of an introvert can be overwhelming and exhausting (The Samba Life). We live in a society that is focused so much on extroversion and who is geared more towards conversation and activity au tomatically stereotypes Introverts as having a lack of social skills. But In all reality, introverts hardly lack social skills in any way.They simply get their energy from being alone. It Is simple as that. They fight battles constantly; they fight for the opportunity to express their quiet and thought out words that are always overpowered by extroverts, and they fight for time alone every day to â€Å"recharge† and recollect from their day. Everyone needs this. Introverts may just simply need and want it more often than others. There are many assumptions to be made about introverted and shy individuals. If common stereotypes have anything to say about the issue, is that introverted people are socially awkward loners' who avoid large crowds and can't stand other people (Scoffer).Introversion might Just be one of the most misunderstood and under appreciated personality traits. The ‘silent revolution' of introverted people has recently been thrown Into mainstream society with various authors writing books that shed light on this Important and sensitive topic (Scoffer). We are In a culture that obviously values extroverted qualities such as outgoing personalities, natural public speakers or the ability to confront others in difficult situations with no hesitation. But not all of us are so lucky to have been blessed with such qualities.Much of the problem that comes along with the misconceptions of introverts originates from the differences between introversion and extroversion. The difference is more complicated than it Just being shy vs†¦ Out going. The introversion and extroversion contrast has its roots in ‘Jungian psychology, which looks upon extroverts as more naturally accustomed towards the outside world and introverts as more focused on their own world (Gooier). The portrayal and description that introverts seem to relate to the most is that they are not withdrawn lonely people who dread the Idea of being around others.Most Introve rts are very kind hearted and compassionate Individuals who as a matter of fact really enjoy being surrounded by others. They don't need tons of constant stimulation to feel delight or entertained. Actually, top much stimulation can be very draining. This outlook on the two introvert is not inadequate in any way shape or form, and definitely shouldn't be labeled as, and it is not something that needs to be â€Å"adjusted â€Å"or â€Å"fixed†. A change needs to take place in everyone's thoughts on introversion.An individual who is sitting by themselves, or not voicing their opinion in conversations does not mean they are anti social, stuck up, or angry. They aren't sad, and they aren't scared of acting socially. This individual is probably your average introvert. Like with most things, for one to change in any way takes time. It has to become a habit that takes time to develop. Becoming outgoing, or more comfortable around others are traits that have to be learned over a lo ng period of time. This universal idea in our society hat outgoing and bubbly is good and silence isn't needs to change.

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.

Free Essays on Da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the greatest and most ingenious men that history has produced. His contributions in the areas of art, science, and humanity are still among the most important that a single man has put forth, definitely making his a life worth knowing. Da Vinci, born on April 15, 1452, is credited with being a master painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist. He was born an illegitimate child to Catherina, a peasant girl. His father was Ser Piero da Vinci, a public notary for the city of Florence, Italy. For the first four years of his life he lived with his mother in the small village of Vinci, directly outside of the great center of the Renaissance, Florence. Catherina was a poor woman, with possible artistic talent, the genetic basis of Leonardo’s talents. Upon the realization of Leonardo’s potential, his father took the boy to live with him and his wife in Florence (Why did). This was the start of the boy’s education and his q uest for knowledge. Leonardo was recognized by many to be a â€Å"Renaissance child† because of his many talents. As a boy, Leonardo was described as being handsome, strong, and agile. He had keen powers of observation, an imagination, and the ability to detach himself from the world around him. At an early age Leonardo became interested in subjects such as botany, geology, animals (specifically birds), the motion of water, and shadows (About Leonardo). At the age of 17, in about 1469, Leonardo was apprenticed as a garzone (studio boy) to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading Florentine painter and sculptor of his day. In Verrocchio’s workshop Leonardo was introduced to many techniques, from the painting of altarpieces and panel pictures to the creation of large sculptural projects in marble and bronze. In 1472 he was accepted in the painter’s guild of Florence, and worked there for about six years. While there, Leonardo often painted portions of Verrocchio’ s paintings f... Free Essays on Da Vinci Free Essays on Da Vinci Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the greatest and most ingenious men that history has produced. His contributions in the areas of art, science, and humanity are still among the most important that a single man has put forth, definitely making his a life worth knowing. Da Vinci, born on April 15, 1452, is credited with being a master painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist. He was born an illegitimate child to Catherina, a peasant girl. His father was Ser Piero da Vinci, a public notary for the city of Florence, Italy. For the first four years of his life he lived with his mother in the small village of Vinci, directly outside of the great center of the Renaissance, Florence. Catherina was a poor woman, with possible artistic talent, the genetic basis of Leonardo’s talents. Upon the realization of Leonardo’s potential, his father took the boy to live with him and his wife in Florence (Why did). This was the start of the boy’s education and his q uest for knowledge. Leonardo was recognized by many to be a â€Å"Renaissance child† because of his many talents. As a boy, Leonardo was described as being handsome, strong, and agile. He had keen powers of observation, an imagination, and the ability to detach himself from the world around him. At an early age Leonardo became interested in subjects such as botany, geology, animals (specifically birds), the motion of water, and shadows (About Leonardo). At the age of 17, in about 1469, Leonardo was apprenticed as a garzone (studio boy) to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading Florentine painter and sculptor of his day. In Verrocchio’s workshop Leonardo was introduced to many techniques, from the painting of altarpieces and panel pictures to the creation of large sculptural projects in marble and bronze. In 1472 he was accepted in the painter’s guild of Florence, and worked there for about six years. While there, Leonardo often painted portions of Verrocchio’ s paintings f... Free Essays on Da Vinci Da Vinci I chose Leonardo Da Vinci as the greatest renissance personality. I chose Da Vinci because he made many contributions to the time period. Da Vinci was an artist, a scientist, and a philosopher. A lot of the famous artists and thinkers of the time weren’t recognized as being great for many years after their death. The kings and other important people of the time recognized Da Vinci as a great artist. This is why I chose Da Vinci as the greatest renissance personality. Leonardo Da Vinci was born in 1452 on his father’s estate in Vinci, Italy. At 15 his father had noticed Leonardo’s potential and had decided to send him to be an apprentice to the artist Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence. This was also when he first developed an interest in anatomy. In 1482, Leonardo was hired by the duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, to be artist and engineer. He stayed in Milan for seventeen years. There he completed five paintings: two portraits of the 'Last Supper', two versions of 'The Virgin of the Rocks', and a decorative ceiling painting in the Castello Sforzesco. In Florence, he was commissioned to do a number of paintings, but other interests and tasks kept him from finishing them. The most well known piece to survive from this time period was the famous "Mona Lisa". During the years 1513 to 1516, Leonardo was in Rome at the invitation of Cardinal Giuliano de' Medici, brother of Pope Leo X. His work in painting and sculpture over the next seven years remained mostly in the planning stage. But his scientific work flourished. He continued his notebooks with observations and drawings of human anatomy, optics, mechanics, and botanical studies. In 1516, at the age of 65, he accepted an invitation from Francis I, king of France, to leave Italy and work for him. Leonardo spent the last three years of his life in the palace of Cloux, near the king's residence at Amboise, near Tours. He was given the title of "first painter, arch...

Umar Cheema and International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Umar Cheema and International Relations - Essay Example He is not only fighting for his country but also trying to encourage other countries to open their minds and try to have a deeper look of what is really happening in their countries and the citizens. He’s work on condemning the September attack that left bruised and battered did not stop him in his goals to make a change and fight for a cause (Maina, 2011). The Tully Center Free Speech Award honors journalists who show courage in the face of threats against free speech. The Martha Gellhorn Award for Bravery was awarded to Cheema having obtained unanimous votes from the judges. International relations is sometimes called as â€Å"foreign relations† which refers to the collective interactions of the international community, individual nations and states, inter-governmental organizations such as the United Nations, non-governmental organizations like Doctors Without Borders, multinational corporations, and so forth (www.wisegeek,com, What is International Relations).

Does relaying on rats testing proofs that the chemical BPA can cause Research Paper

Does relaying on rats testing proofs that the chemical BPA can cause human effect if yes or no how - Research Paper Example s who believe that rats do not share enough similarities with humans to provide proof of the effects that chemicals such as BPA will have on the human body. The following annotated bibliography explores the use of rats in testing with the endocrine disrupter BPA to show that rat testing can be useful in ascertaining the effects of chemicals on the human body. Ashby, J, and H Tinwell. ‘Uterotrophic Activity of Bisphenol A in the Immature Rat.’ Environmental Health Perspectives 106.11 (1998): 719–720. Print. This original research article explores the effects of BPA on the immature rat uterus. This study has been mentioned within a lot of the secondary sources within this bibliography, and therefore should be included. It was featured in a peer-reviewed journal, which means the results are reliable. It provides the evidence that BPA has a toxic effect on rats, although it does not illustrate whether this is useful when considering the human effect. Diel, Patrick et al. ‘Ability of Xeno- and Phytoestrogens to Modulate Expression of Estrogen-sensitive Genes in Rat Uterus: Estrogenicity Profiles and Uterotropic Activity’. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 73.1–2 (2000): 1–10. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. This original research article explores the effect of BPA and other xenoestrogens on the rat uterus. Like many of the other studies, it does not provide data from human studies for direct comparison, but conclusions are drawn, which suggests that the results are reliable enough for this journal. Many of the studies focus on the uterine effects, although there are effects on males as well as other physiological effects. Gupta, Ramesh C. Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology. Academic Press, 2011. Print. One of the most prominent effects that have been suggested by animal and human studies are developmental and reproductive. This book is an exploration of the toxic effects of many compounds on the reproductive and early developmental