Descartes Meditation Iii Summary Essay - 836 Words

Juliana Tabor Professor Webb Introduction to Philosophy 4/1/13 Descartes: Meditations 3 In Descartes’s Meditations III, the Meditator describes his idea of God as a substance that is infinite, eternal, immutable, independent, supremely intelligent, supremely powerful, and which created both myself and everything else.(70) Thus, due to his opinion in regards to the idea of God, the Meditator views God containing a far more objective reality than a formal one. Due to the idea that of God being unable to have originated in himself, he ultimately decides that God must be the cause of the idea, therefore he exists. The meditator defines God as such, â€Å"by ‘God’ I mean the very being the idea of whom is within me, that is, the possessor†¦show more content†¦The idea cannot be contingent, as well as created by the Meditator. If the objective reality of any of my ideas is found to be so great that I am certain that the same reality was not in me, either formally or eminently, and that therefore I myself cannot be the cause of the idea, then it necessarily follows that I am not alone in the world, but that something else, which is the cause of this idea, also exists. (74) Therefore, the Meditator was created by God with the idea of God naturally in him. Furthermore, God is not a deceiving being, due to the fact that deception derives from flaws, and a faultless higher being contains none. I have no choice but to conclude that the mere fact of my existing and of there being in me an idea of a most perfect being †¦ demonstrates most evidently that God too exists.Show MoreRelatedMetz Film Language a Semiotics of the Cinema PDF100902 Words   |  316 PagesToward a Phenomenology of the Narrative, 16 II Problems of Film Semiotics Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. The Cinema: Language or Language System? 31 Some Points in the Semiotics of the Cinema, 92 Problems of Denotation in the Fiction Film, 108 III Syntagmatic Analysis of the Image Track Chapter 6. Outline of the Autonomous Segments in Jacques Rozier s film Adieu Philippine, 149 Chapter 7. Syntagmatic Study of Jacques Rozier s Film Adieu Philippine, 177 vii viii CONTENTS IV The ModernRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesNetworked Organizations 20 †¢ Helping Employees Balance Work–Life Conflicts 21 †¢ Creating a Positive Work Environment 22 †¢ Improving Ethical Behavior 22 Coming Attractions: Developing an OB Model 23 An Overview 23 †¢ Inputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment Library How Much Do I Know About Organizational Behavior? 4 Myth or Science? â€Å"Most Acts of Workplace Bullying Are Men Attacking Women† 12 An Ethical Choice Can You Learn from Failure

Steroid Use in Baseball a Social Injustice - 1823 Words

Steroid Use in Baseball: A Social Injustice? In the year of 1998 the sport of baseball ruled the landscape of the sports world as people all over the country were watching Mark Mcgwire and Sammy Sosa race towards the single-season home run record. Major League Baseball, the ruling body of professional baseball in the United States, was all too thrilled with their newfound popularity and growing revenues. The game of baseball had long been considered â€Å"the† American pastime, but entering the 98’ season the league was still searching for ways to reopen the enthusiasm, and wallets, of baseball fans that had lost interest in the sport, largely due to the strike-shortened campaign in 1994. The home run race between McGwire and Sosa that took†¦show more content†¦The steroid scandal would ultimately culminate with a Congressional investigation into baseball which produced the most comprehensive document on the subject known as â€Å"The Mitchell Report.† This document is a written report to Commissio ner Bud Selig summarizing the widespread use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs that had run rampant through baseball, with players from every team being found to have had some experience with performance enhancing drugs. The 2007 federal report also accuses Major League Baseball of sacrificing the issue of drug testing during collective bargaining junctions with the player’s union in the interest of economics (Mitchell). Steroid use in baseball must be considered a social injustice for several reasons. As previously stated, until recently baseball was considered â€Å"the† American pastime. Major League Baseball maintains an audience of tens of millions Americans, many children, making it a social issue. Additionally, if justice is defined as the principle of social order that defines everything each person is due, then the violation of a fair and equal workplace is clearly evident here. Other perspectives through which one can examine this issue are the ethics of steroid use in competition, or possibly the seemingly conscienceless lies told by the players and others, in court and out. Furthermore aspects of this issue that one might

Healthcare Delivery Systems Free Essays

Chapter 1 – Health Care Delivery Systems There are many interesting and important points in this chapter. Some of them include: Pennsylvania Hospital founded by Ben Franklin was the 1st US hospital University of PA was the US first medical school The AMA was founded in Philadelphia in 1847. The Flexner Report was published in 1910 and impacted the status of medical school education. We will write a custom essay sample on Healthcare Delivery Systems or any similar topic only for you Order Now Hill-Burton Act of 1948 provided federal monies to update hospitals JCAH which is now JCAHO was created in 1951. JCAHO is an independent accreditation agency for health care facilities (all types). Medicare and Medicaid were enacted by Congress in 1965 Privacy Act of 1974 – protect the privacy of information systems in federal health care facilities HCFA (now called CMS) was created in 1977 TEFRA in 1982 established the first Medicare prospective payment system EMTALA of 1985 protected patients against â€Å"dumping† HIPAA was passed in 1996 with components on standardization, simplication, privacy, and security SCHIP was established in 1997 to provide health insurance to infants and children not covered under Medicaid Notice all of the abbreviations used in chapter 1! The use of abbreviations and acronyms is very prevalent in the health care and HIM field. Important Concepts in Chapter 1 Continuum of Care – primary care, secondary care, and tertiary care. Most of us are familiar with primary care, care sought by a patient with medical professionals for current problem or maintenance of a problem. Secondary care is seeing a specialist, dermatologist, neurologist, etc. for a problem, often referred by your primary care or family doctor. Tertiary care is often provided in specialty hospitals. This can include specialty radiograph (PET scan, MRI), burn treatment, cancer treatment centers, etc. Health care facility ownership, there are three kinds of facility ownership in general; government, for profit, and not-for-profit non government (Faith-based hospitals for example). Hospitals are organized with a governing body at the top, sometimes referred to as a board of trustees. Within the hospital and most larger health care facilities (rehab, clinics) there will be an Health Information Management (HIM) or Medical Records Department. However, Medical Records is an older term. Typical functions of an HIM department include, coding, chart abstraction, record processing, record storage and retrieval, medical transcription, release of information (ROI), cancer registry, and index complying and retrieving. The size of the HIM department staff will vary and is usually based on the bed size of the facility and/or annual visits processed (discharged, ED, Outpatient surgery etc. ). One of the most visible components of a health care facility and an HIM department is the coding function. Coding is also seen in outpatient area for physician office and other types of non-hospital based healthcare. This is based partially on the fact the coding is tied to reimbursement and funding for the facility/provider. In the US there are two main coding systems used; ICD-9-CM and HCPCS. HCPCS contains CPT codes which are often thought of as a separate system but CPT is part of HCPCS. CPT codes are used to report physician services regardless of the place of service (hospital, office, ED, clinic, etc. ). ICD-9-CM classification contains diagnoses codes which are used by all providers for coding. ICD-9-CM volume 3 is only used to report inpatient or acute care hospital procedures. Note: CPT does not have any diagnoses codes in it. If a physician uses CPT to code/bill for procedures, ICD-9-CM must also be used. A complete picture must be captured with the procedure and the diagnosis(ies) of the patient for coding/billing to be correct! Licensure and accreditation – your textbook makes a distinction between these wo. Licensure is often governed by state and can be for an individual or a facility. Licensure is most often required for a health care provider or facility to operate in that specific state. Accreditation is for a facility and is most often voluntary. JCAHO is one accreditation body, others include; AAAHC, AOA, CARF, NCQA, NCCHC. New Developments: When the implementation of more digital technology in the area of health care and specifically in the HIM area. Electronic health records (EHR) are being discussed and used more and more in the US. With this type of record gathering and storage, methods of authentication have been updated for the digital age. These include electronic signature. Security measures have also been updated which include smart cards and biometrics. Your textbook also includes some excellent websites for concepts in this chapter. You may also want to refer to this list when you are looking for journal articles to complete lab assignment 2-5 which will be due next week. How to cite Healthcare Delivery Systems, Essay examples

Defend a clear position on whether or not any constraint ought to be placed on the freedom of a business toExport capital for production free essay sample

Using at least two (2) of the foundational ethical theories studied in Module 2, you should answer the following questions. With each answer, you should discuss the issues and set forth and defend a clear position on whether or not any constraint ought to be placed on the freedom of a business to: Export capital for production The exporting of capital for production would not be supported by a utilitarian and would be found to be unethical. A utilitarian would argue that by allowing our capital to be produced abroad we would be hurting ourselves domestically by giving up potential jobs to workers internationally and by limiting domestic usage. In today’s economy a company can set up production plants in virtually any country they want, and most tend to go where the cost of labor is least expensive. A utilitarian’s goal is to determine how to obtain â€Å"the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone effected by our actions† (Shaw Barry, 2013). American production is a shell of what it once was, and with next to nothing to export, and potential production being lost to overseas cheap labor we will never be able to obtain the level of production that we once had. In addition more times than not the individuals working at the production plants making US products will not make enough money to be able to afford the goods they are helping to produce and because they are paid based on their counties cheap labor rate, although they will have a job they will probably not be paid enough to improve their financial status much if at all. Export commodities which have been banned from sale in the United States Although common sense will tell us that will the straight safety guidelines set forth by the US it would be unethical to export commodities banned in the US to foreign countries an egoist may tell you differently. Egoism tells us that if the action is good for me then it is in fact ethical, and can result in conclusions that most would agree to be unethical (Shaw Barry, 2013). In 2011, according to the United States Geological Survey, the U.S. exported about $27 million worth of asbestos products and Nearly 1.7 billion pounds of pesticides were exported from U.S. ports between 2001 and 2003. Nearly 28 million pounds of those pesticides were products forbidden in the U.S. (Peebles, 2013). One of the guidelines for selling these forbidden products to other countries is that disclosure is made to the foreign country that the product they are being sold is banned for sale in the US. By providing them with this information we are giving them the opportunity to decline the potentially dangerous product while making an unethical decision appear to be ethical for the good of the US by cashing in on unsafe items which carry hefty costs to safely dispose of. Downsize in the face of economic difficulty As we have seen in recent years downsizing in the face of economic difficulty is becoming a larger and larger threat faced by today’s workforce. A libertarian is someone who would determine if something was ethical by asking if a situation upholds or promotes liberty for all who may have rights. In terms how a libertarian would view downsizing we would first have to determine what rights we need to examine. For this example I would say that the employees have a right to know that downsizing is a risk and be informed as to what the company has done to cut costs in other areas to prevent having to reduce their workforce. The more informed staff is the more accepting they may be if downsizing affects them. By keeping them in the loop and allowing them to help cut costs. â€Å"Engage work force in generation of ideasboth cost-cutting and revenue generation. Your employees know a great deal about what it takes to do their work effectively and efficiently. Employees can be a wonderful resource for new ideas. Don’t overlook their ingenuity† (Ethics Resource Center, 2009). A libertarian would support downsizing as long as the employees being affected fell that they have been adequately informed and believe that all other avenues have been exhausted as non-profitability cannot be sustain by a company for any length of time. Break union contracts in the face of economic difficulty A utilitarian may view this as ethical. If breaching the contract can save jobs that could potentially be lost then breaking the union contract may in fact be supported. †Private sector union membership has steadily fallen, mainly because of the decline or failure of the businesses that employ them.  In a competitive, globalized world, there is little room for the rigid work rules, prohibition from rewarding superior employee performance, strikebound production losses, and adversarial atmosphere that renders unionized companies uncompetitive.† (Morgan, 2009) Many employees feel that unions do nothing for them and often feel that they only see their union stewards when it is time to collect dues. If a business is forced into union contracts that require them to reach unattainable contract items in times of economic uncertainty then the business could eventually be forced to downsize, harming themselves and the workers that could be affected.

59 Essays - Creative Works, Literature, Novels, Free Essays

59 Essays - Creative Works, Literature, Novels, Free Essays Huckleberry Finn: Controversy Paper Huckleberry Finn: Controversy Paper Huckleberry Finn sets each reader back in a time when we as humans where inhuman. All the faults of the world was just beginning to show through and some of the right was being shifted to the side. Just as in Huck Finn, we are reminded of the race relations that we all still face. Mark Twain does his best to show the reader the love for one another and the as people and the compassion we all have hidden inside of us. Ralph Ellison said, "The Negro looks at the white man and finds it difficult to believe that the "grays"-a Negro term for white people- can be so absurdly self-deluded over the true interrelatedness of blackness and whiteness". What are we too think of when we hear this? In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain brings out the obvious interrelatedness that we all share with each other. This book is in the hands of many intelligent readers and it should not be underestimated by the power that it may hold. Although, it must hold to its meaning, we can not allow it to steer us to the wrong's of the world today. Shelly Fishkin suggests Mark Twain has "obscured" the African American roots when writing Huck Finn. Jim, as suggested by Fishkin, has been plagued with a dialect that should not be represented by the African American race during that time. The question is raised by Fishkin as to if Huck Finn was black? This in turn would take away from the whole basic outcome of the moral lesson that we are all so desperately wanting to hear about. I found it almost appalling to see how one author could so easily turn the goodness of a young white boy and basically call it a lie in the eyes of Mark Twain. It is up to us as the reader to close our eyes and open our minds to the whole heartedness of a man kind. English

the origins of modern pyscholo essays

the origins of modern pyscholo essays The ten major origins of modern psychology are Wundt and structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt psychology, the behavioral perspective, Sigmund Freud and the psychodynamic perspective, the humanistic perspective, the physiological perspective, the evolutionary perspective, the cognitive perspective and the cultural and diversity perspective. Each one of these perspective searches for answers to different kinds off questions. Due to the different approaches, each perspectives form their own assumptions and explanations. Some perspectives are widely accepted while others struggle for acceptance. The first psychologist to be first known is Wilhelm Wundt. He addresses the theory of structuralism which sought and identifies the components of the conscious mind as well as introspective method. The perspectives of structuralism are to break down the contents of the mind into basic unites like the basic elements of matter in chemistry that could identify the structure of conscious experience and describe its major components. William James is one of the first applied psychologists to study functionalism which consists of people use information to adapt to their environment. Functionalism perspectives were to create optimal conditions for learning or selecting the right workers for various jobs. Wolfgang Kohler, a Gestalt psychologist who was born in 1887 and died In 1967, used chimpanzees in the study of insight learning. Kohler who was born in Revel, Estonia and moved to the United States in 1935, did pioneering studies in the behavior of apes that showed the importance of perceptual organization Behaviors refer to any overt (observable) response or activity by an organism. Watson asserted that psychologists could study anything that people do or say -shopping, playing, chess, eating- but they couldn't study scientifically the thoughts, wishes, and feelings that might accompany these observable behaviors. Wa...

Critique of the Article Evaluating Workplace English Programs Essay

Critique of the Article Evaluating Workplace English Programs - Essay Example The authors set the context for the article by describing a boom in the provision of workplace English classes which occurred between 1988 and 1994 when the US Department of Education committed some 133 million dollars to such programs with a view to â€Å"better the workers’ reading, writing, and communication skills, which would lead to improved worker productivity.† (Ekkens and Winke, 2006, p. 267) The funding ceased, leaving individual companies with the costs of continuing this initiative, and also with the task of ensuring the suitability and the quality of provision for their own specific needs. While larger companies can afford to hire a specialist service provider to deliver and monitor programs, smaller companies are often in some difficulty with this complex task. The article addresses the need to identify practical and efficient ways of judging the progress that workplace learners of English make. One issue which causes difficulty is the proliferation of sta ndardized tests which could be used to evaluate workplace English programs. The authors list five professionally produced and standardized tests, each of which specifies that training in the testing method must be undertaken before the tests are administered. This in turn implies high costs either in training such personnel or in hiring such staff to undertake the work. The focus of these five is national and general, rather than local and specific which raises the issue of whether they are in fact at all suitable for the needs of small and tightly focused companies which may have priorities and conditions quite different from those of the national testing bodies. So far the authors have outlined the context well, and have identified some of the practical difficulties that practitioners in the field encounter. The literature review at the start of the article summarizes the work of Sticht (1999) on the gap between what testing systems test, and what participants in English language courses and their companies actually require in terms of day to day demands of the job. A case is made for more personalized assessment methods such as â€Å"portfolios, journals, observations checklists, ans diaries† (Ekkens & Winke, 2006, p. 269) following research with a pedagogic rather than quality control focus (Huerta-Macias, 1995; Grognet, 1996 and 1997; Shohamy, 2001). Although this research shows that there are clear benefits for individual learners, in terms of becoming more aware of and taking responsibility for their own learning progress, and there are some other advantages such as a rise in learner self-esteem, the authors note that these methods take more time to develop, operate and score, and most significant of all for workplace learning providers, they are often not recognized by funding bodies. Critics of these alternative assessment methods maintain that they are too subjective and therefore unreliable as measures of progress or predictors of workplace s uccess (Brantmeier, 2006). The authors cite an interesting article by Peirce, Swain and Hart (1993) but do not take full account of this article’s insights, albeit in a context of Swedish students learning French, into the serious discrepancy that exists between learners’ own assessment when compared with formal tests. The article formulates the research question very

Language & Levels Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Language & Levels - Assignment Example Additionally, without proper communication, the department will not be motivated to associate themselves in planning the objectives and goals of the organization. The management of communication and human resources are the questioned area when the firm is deficient despite having necessary tools. The second measurement is equipment. If the objectives and goals are well, designed and comprehended by the working team and are well motivated, but the firm is deficient, management need to revise the equipment and tools to see if they are corresponding to the productivity level. Another measurement is teamwork and the values of the organization. If the members of the department do not show a collaborative attitude towards one another, a crucial problem may arise in terms of assessing the interaction between the team members. The measurement used in out department to measure the effectiveness of the company is descriptive data. The goal of descriptive data is to describe. The numerical measures are used in telling the features about a collection of data. Some of the items that belong to descriptive data include average, kurtosis, and skewness. Conversely, in inferential data, there is use of representative subset of the population called the sample. Inferential data researched on the statistical sample (Menzefricke, 2 005). The recommendation for the organization inefficiency posted by one of my classmates is by balancing the internal process value, human relation value, rational goals value, and the open system value. The contextual and structural variables are associated with the above values. Additionally, the concern posted by another classmate on communication measurement, the organization needs to explain the goals of the company to the employs and set the kind of values that are well followed and understood by the employees. I would also suggest the company to

Buddhism in 1500-1700 AD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Buddhism in 1500-1700 AD - Essay Example (The meeting of Altan Khaan and Sonam Gyasto in 1578 spread Buddhism in all parts of greater Mongolia) The Toyotomi family was a group of people who were profoundly devoted towards the Buddhism religion. Therefore, they intended to build a large statue of Buddha in the Hokoji temple in Japan. This was to pay honor to Buddha and help in spreading the religion by fascinating the people through the marvelous statue of Buddha. The statue was being built and when it got completed, unfortunately I destroyed. It could not remain for a very long time as it destroyed due to a devastating earthquake. In 1598 it started to re-build again but, because of the catching of fire, it was again destroyed. The statue was made up of Bronze and was almost completed. (Lipikazuo) One group of the Buddhist religious group was the Oirat Mongols. Oirat Mongols were a group of people who originated from the Altai region of the Western Mongolia. The Oirats, therefore, were the tribes from the western part of Mongolia and were influenced highly by Buddhism. In 1615, the oirat Mongols converted to Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism. The fifth Dalai Lama defeated the rivals Kagyu, Jonang sects and the secular ruler who was the prince of Shang. He easily defeated them due to the help and aid of Gushi Khan. Gushi Khan was the military leader of the Oriat Mongols. He then converted to the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism. Anonymous. (2009). The meeting of Altan Khaan and Sonam Gyasto in 1578 spread Buddhism in all parts of greater Mongolia. Retrieve from

Psychological Skills Training Programme

Psychological Skills Training Programme Psychology is the scientific study of cognitive thoughts, feelings and behaviours. The aim of sports psychology is to understand the contribution that psychological components have on exercise performance, but also the effects that participation in physical exercise has on psychological development. Sports psychologists often talk about the significance of being in the zone and of creating an intimidating presence for your opponent on the field of play, but waiting until you are in competition to apply the principles of sports psychology, without previous training will not allow for an enhanced performance. So, before this you need to apply a winning attitude and the ability to apply it to your training, which is one of the most vital and difficult areas to apply it. Psychological skills training (PST) refers to the systematic and consistent practice of mental or psychological skills for enhanced performance. It helps give an edge the athletes performance, especially between athletes that are closely matched in physical and technical ability; this usually results in the overall winner being the athlete with the better prepared mental skills. PST can often be neglected by athletes or coaches because they have a lack of knowledge in the subject area or misunderstandings of how to use it. It can also be ignored because of a lack of allocated time throughout the training process; this is more often than not a consequence of higher priorities during training. PST must be tailored to each individual athlete and varies for every sport, so must be conducted by the coach or a sports psychologist. It should be practiced over a period of time, similarly to the physical or technical nature of most sports, and should use a combination of different techniques. Sport psychology helps provide coaches with the information they need to help their athletes build mental strength and achieve enhanced performance in sport, as well as in life. As a coach, to gain a complete mental perspective of an athlete, you have to analyse how the athlete acts and feels when competing within a sport. Through the use of psychological training programmes and mental tools, which will be discussed later in more detail, athletes can build and develop their mental strength for competitive situations. For coaches, the application of this type of training programme is beneficial for optimising the complete performance of an athlete. These can be beneficial for building team cohesion, effective communication, teaching sports skills, as well as motivating and preparing athletes for competition. Although, there are a number of reasons why athletes or sports coaches do not include PST in training for their sport. It may stem from lack of sport knowledge, where either coach or athlete has an insufficient grasp on the mental skills needed to perform at the highest level in that sport, or it may simply be that their coaching methods have become outdated and are in need of further qualified education. Other common problems that come in implementing a PST programme are that of time, conviction and follow up. Some athletes simply do not have the time to spend on the required techniques used to improve the psychological skills. This is usually because of their hard working and time consuming physical training programme. Funding also plays a part in most athletes missing out on psychological assistance, as it can be relatively expensive for individual athletes to hire a sport psychologist, especially when compared to that of a professional football player, as many elite clubs now employ their own sports psychologists. Psychological Skills In this training programme the support work which will be described is for use involving a junior golfer named James. It is primarily to help deal with his low confidence and anxieties throughout the game. James is 14 years old, a promising county level golfer with a handicap of 5, and plays for South Ayrshire Junior Golf Club. I have got to know James by playing recreationally at the same club, and he happened to mention certain aspects of his game he was struggling with, so I offered my support. James told me his reason for asking for help was that he felt he was not as confident as he should be on the field and he wanted to start enjoying his game again. Secondly, he explained that he has had trouble with feeling very anxious before each shot in a competition environment, opposed to practice where he felt more comfortable. This study represents my work with James over a six week period in which we covered most of the psychological aspects of the game of golf, concentrating on over coming the main problems James was having. In the game of golf, concentration, anxiety, confidence and motivation are key variables in effective golfing performance (Finn, 2008). According to Arther (2006) Jack Nickulaus once said that The game of golf is 90% mental and 10% swing. This implies that the psychological skills involved in golf are more important to playing the game than the physiological demands. The physical demands of golf comprise of; aerobic endurance, local muscular endurance, power and motor skills. These days almost all of the top professionals in golf use psychological tools to enhance their performance. For example Tiger Woods, one of the worlds elite golfers, started using sport psychology techniques at a very young age and continues to use them to this day. He used a number of psychological techniques for relaxation, visualization and concentration (Sietz, 2000). Self confidence In sport, self-confidence is a well-known factor that may enhance or improve an athletes skills performance. It has been found that a psychological component like self-confidence is one that athletes and coaches consider as relevant for optimum performance. As golfers are constantly measuring their own performance, it becomes very easy for them to lose confidence in their ability to perform specific golf skills such as putting or hitting fairway irons onto the green. An individuals judgement on their ability to successfully perform specific skills is termed self-efficacy (Bandura, 1986). Self efficacy is our trust in our ability to succeed within specific situations. Your sense of self efficacy can play a key role in how you approach challenges, tasks and goals. Motivational mastery self-talk can help with focus and self-confidence. Golf-specific examples of motivational mastery self-talk might be come on concentrate, there are only three holes to play with help for focusing, or you can do this, you have made this shot before for self-confidence. Thoughts precede moods so if you think unhappy thoughts you will feel unhappy. Self talk is the thoughts you have in response to a certain situation. If you tell yourself you can succeed then you have a much improved chance of succeeding. According to psychologist Bandura (1977), an athletes confidence, or self efficacy, is based on four primary sources of information, shown in (Appendix 1). These primary sources include past performance accomplishments, vicarious performance, verbal persuasion and emotional arousal. Past performance accomplishments give the athlete confidence through achievements made in competitions or goals reached during training, they can also create expectation for the athlete in a good or bad way. Vicarious performance allows the athlete to see the actions that they should be performing through a model performer; this is usually taken from an athlete in the same field/competition or of a previou sly successful athlete. Verbal persuasion can be given to the athlete via the coach, parents or supporters; it gives the athlete a sense of encouragement to perform. Emotional arousal is when the athlete is in the right mood to perform, it is also known as when they are up for it and at their peak. If this level is too high or too low then the performance of the athlete can suffer, as shown in (Appendix 2). Developing self confidence will be discussed in more detail further in the programme. Anxiety and arousal Anxiety is a natural reaction within the body that responds to threats in the environment; it is part of the preparation for the fight or flight response. Lazarus (2000a) defines anxiety as facing an uncertain, existential threat. Performance anxiety develops when there is too much perceived stress, specifically this state of mind is created and moulded by your thoughts and feelings. The way you think about an event or competition is the source of the stress, not the actual event itself. One way to begin to tackle performance anxiety is to try to understand what your fears about the competition are, in Jamess case it was the fear of not performing to his expected level. When the demands of competition or training exceed an athletes apparent capability, anxiety is the unavoidable outcome (Valiante and Stachura, 2005). As well as providing incentive and challenge, sport also provides substantial uncertainty. While this kind of stress might motivate some athletes, it can encourage anxie ty in others. There are distinct factors that can amplify athletes anxiety levels. For example, important competitions can give an athlete greater stress, therefore they are likely to be prone to anxiety. Spectators can also play a huge part in how an athlete feels. Participants in individual sports, such as golf, have been known in general to suffer more from anxiety before, during and after games than participants in team sports because they dont receive the same support throughout the game from team mates. Another factor that can cause anxiety is the expectation of success, in Jamess case, his supporters expect him to be winning most tournaments in his category, so he is exposed to a lot more pressure than most players at his young age. Another notion to acknowledge is that the level of mental arousal can influence an athletes performance. When arousal levels are too high it can lead to an increase in muscle tension, also poor decision making, reduced concentration levels and a d isruption in co ordination. Identifying and controlling arousal level is important to maximize athletic accomplishment. Some of the skills useful to control arousal levels up or down are; visualization, centring, progressive muscular relaxation, and positive self talk. In addition to using these skills for regulating arousal, these skills have a number of other benefits for confidence and concentration. Preparing athletes for competition involves more than firing them up, it involves finding the optimum level of arousal for each athlete (Cox, 2002). Motivation Reduced confidence will ultimately impact on a performers motivation levels, their willingness to take risks and their ability to develop. There are two kinds of motivation that allows athletes to achieve a particular goal or task. The first type is extrinsic motivation, which in sport comes from external influences or people. People are extrinsically motivated to earn rewards, social recognition, or benefits. The second kind is intrinsic motivation, and it is someones inner drive to accomplish a goal or objective. Intrinsically motivated people focus on a task for their own sake. They have a sense of self-determination, and look at themselves as being able to meet the demands of a particular task. Research shows in Vallerand and Losier (1999) that athletes who participate in sport for intrinsic reasons experience a more positive and less negative outcome; they have greater determination, and show higher levels of sportsmanship. As golf is mostly an individual sport, motivating yours elf to practice and to keep going when your confidence is low can be difficult. Setting goals in practice and competition is an effective way to enhance motivation. When using goal setting, you should make them specific and measurable. Identify the areas you will need to work on in order to achieve your set goals as well as making them realistic. You should record the progress you are making towards goals and set a time limit on specific goals to evaluate progress. Golfers can set long term and short term goals. Long-term goals generally focus on the ultimate outcome such as winning a tournament or reducing your handicap. Short-term goals act as the stepping stones to achieving your long-term goals. Setting short-term goals also allows reflection on current performance and can help in assessing the viability of long-term goals. This area is also covered later in the programme with reference to self confidence. Concentration Focus is crucial in order to concentrate, by learning to focus on the right things at the right time. Concentration is the ability to hold focus for a required time, and use the appropriate mental effort so not to focus on any distractions. By concentrating your thoughts on the competition, it can help you to plan how you will play the course and allow you to contemplate the possible situations that may arise. In a study by McCaffrey and Orlick (1989), they used a series of open questions to discover psychological and situational factors linked to excellence in golf. They found considerable differences between touring golf professionals and local club professionals. The highly skilled tour players were entirely dedicated to golf, particularly during periods of optimum performance. They set clear goals, and they were more organized in planning practice sessions and tournament strategies, as well as in self evaluation after each game. Both groups developed plans for focusing attention during a round, but the touring professionals were more successful in keeping focus over an extended period of time resulting in greater concentration levels. Both groups acknowledged the effect of distractions on the course, but the touring professionals were better able to cope with these distractions and regain a task focus. On the golf course, distractions come in varying forms and can divert your focus. External focus can be thrown by; the target, your equipment, the wind, an opponents shot or score. Internal focus can be side tracked by things like; how you feel, where you want the ball to go, how hard you want to hit the ball, how the club feels in your hands and your practice swings. These are just some of the distractions involved in the game of golf. McCaffrey and Orlick (1989) concluded that maintaining commitment, focusing, and refocusing were the skills most needed for achieving excellence in golf. As a coach you need to get athletes to think during activity, not just u se their behaviours and actions, as there is constant problem solving within the sport. If you know whats going to happen you can plan and control it. After learning all these psychological skills, the challenge is to implement them into your game. A pre-competition mental routine, developed between the coach and athlete, helps the athletes get their mind in the proper place to perform well. Concentration, anxiety, confidence and motivation are key variables in effective golfing performance (Finn, 2008). Psychological Skills Training The psychological priorities of golf incorporate a lot of self confidence and the need to control anxiety and arousal throughout the whole game. In a feature written by Fields (1995), he talks of a meeting between Dr Rob Rotella and Nick Price; whose form had been lagging after some recent wins and was looking for some answers. Price went to see sports psychologist Rotella to see if he could help him with his game, after two days, Rotella explained to Price how to simplify and direct his thinking toward a specific target, by consciously playing only one shot at a time. With this narrow internal way of thinking; Price was able to concentrate solely on the task in front of him without any distractions. This is how I intend to develop my athletes focus and confidence, as well as decreasing his anxiety during game play. Self Confidence Training Developing self confidence through self talk is an effective technique to control thoughts and to influence feelings. Thoughts and feelings can influence self confidence as well as performance. The coach or athlete must carefully select the actual words or phrase used during self talk so that they provide maximum effectiveness. Self talk can be in the form of words actually spoken out loud, or in the form of thoughts that come into the athletes mind; these thoughts can be either negative or positive. As a psychological method for enhancing and improving self confidence in athletes, self talk must be positive and lead to constructive feelings about an athletes ability. Self talk is a strategy used by athletes at all levels and in almost all sports. According to Rotella (2004), a top psychologist, the true meaning of confidence in sport is achieved by playing with your eyes. Confident athletes can focus completely on the objective allowing the body and brain to react instinctively. In other words, the athlete should turn his focus to what is in front of him and not what he already knows. For example, a golf swing for a professional golfer is already calibrated into his mind, so worrying about his swing on the course only serves to distract him from the ultimate goal of making the shot, the swing should be automatic so he can concentrate solely on the shot. Goal setting is a powerful motivational strategy. Research has shown that goal setting enhances performance across a variety of situations. Goal setting gives the coach a sense of control over what the athlete does in training and allows us to move beyond beliefs or fears that may be preventing us from realizing our peak performance. The process of setting goals helps the athlete and the coach choose what you want to aim for. By knowing exactly what you want to accomplish, you know where to focus your efforts. You will also be able to quickly spot distractions that could otherwise tempt you from your course. On top of this, properly set goals can be extremely motivating, and as you get into a habit of setting and achieving your goals, you find that self confidence builds faster. By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in these goals. You can see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. By setting goals, you will rai se your self confidence, as you recognise your ability and competence in achieving the goals that you have set. There distinct advantages to setting goals, some of these benefits for sport include; clarified expectations, improved performance, enhanced quality of practice, pride, higher intrinsic motivation, satisfaction, decreased anxiety, increased self confidence, improved concentration and time management. It has been established that successful athletes display higher self-confidence than unsuccessful athletes (Treasure et al. 1996). This study noted that athletes who have higher self confidence during competitions are more likely to be successful. With imagery, you replace actual experience with scenes from your within your imagination. The body reacts to these images almost as if they were real, so as to relive the experience. This is a technique used very commonly used by elite athletes, they learn good performance habits by repetitively rehearsing performances in their imagination. You can use mental imagery to; visualise success, motivate yourself, familiarise yourself or perfect skills. Many golfers see themselves achieving their goals their goals on a regular basis, seeing desired performance outcomes and performing skills at a high level. It can remind you objective and increase focus during practice and rounds. Many of the best golfers in the world see and feel themselves performing perfect shots, skills and routines before they actually do so. A good explanation of how imagery works is given by Grezes and Decety (2001) showing that when we make a movement, such as hitting a golf ball, specific areas of our brain are a ctivated. Research evidence suggests that when we imagine making a movement, very similar areas of our brain are also activated as when we actually make a movement. Retired professional golfer, Jack Nicklaus, one of the first sportsman to promote mental imagery once wrote that, I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head. First I see the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes, and I see the ball going there: its path, trajectory, and shape, even its behaviour on landing. Then there is a sort of fade-out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality. (Frontera, 2007). Some studies found that many people and athletes use imagery to increase exercise and physical fitness as the imagery helps the success of their exercise (Hall 2001). An athletes enactment of performance imagery is the normal procedure in training programs. This method is used more heavily by elite athletes with higher self-confidence than non-athletes. Studies suggest that imagery may help athletes to build more self-confidence in relation to performance. Kendall et al (1990) demonstrated that imagery, in combination with relaxation and self talk, increases the utilization of specific defensive skills. Mahoney (1979) reported the effect of mental imagery practice based on high jumper Dick Fosbury and skier Jean-Claude, who have both used mental practice in competition and went on to receive gold medals in those competitions. This study provides evidence that imagery practice can successfully influence athletic performance. Motivational videos help inspire, motivate, and pump you up. Athletes use them to focus their motivation in a particular direction or toward a set goal of achievement. As well as videos, athletes can also use mental pictures for motivation, such as them lift a cup or receiving a medal. Anxiety and Arousal Training Worrying about how you are going to perform leads to anxiety about performance. Anxiety manifests in both physical and mental ways. According to Vanthuyne (1999) we dont worry just in our heads, our entire body worries resulting in a body reaction as well as a mental reaction, this fact is critical regarding athletic performance. Due to its objective nature, golf can often be a frustrating and stressful sport. Golfers may therefore experience increased levels of anxiety, which can ultimately lead to a decline in golfing performance (Hardy, 1996). In order to combat increased anxiety levels, golfers can practice mental skills and strategies to help them relax on and off the field. Using relaxation strategies can help control anxiety and is important in enhancing golfing performance. Centring is a relaxation technique used by rugby player Jonny Wilkinson in his kicking routine (Wilkinson, 2006), he also admits to listening to a mental rehearsal CD before each game he plays to help him relax and focus. Similarly, you can use relaxation techniques in your pre shot routine to help you relax in golf. Centring is a skill which allows the athlete to release unwanted muscular tension, control anxiety and become more body aware. To practice the process of centring, athletes focus on slowing down their breathing, and inhale air in through the nose. Use the diaphragm and not the chest to expand your lungs. As you breathe out through the mouth, let your body relax. Repeat this technique several times until the required state of relaxation is achieved. Imagery and self-talk can also be used to facilitate relaxation on the golf course. By using self-talk such as loose and relax you can imagine tension in the neck and shoulder muscles disappearing. Centring is one example in an abundance of relaxation techniques which can be employed by golfers. When choosing how to deal with increased levels of anxiety, it is important to match anxiety symptoms with an appropriate relaxation technique. Motivational arousal self-talk can be used to control arousal levels. To reduce arousal levels, golfers may use self-talk such as it is ok, just breath nice and easily and relax your shoulders. An example of self-talk to increase arousal levels might be come on, you need to get yourself up for this. Visualization is a technique used where the athlete imagines themselves performing a task. It deals not only with how the athlete sees the task but also how they feel when performing it. For example, a sprinter might experience and imagine an efficient, smooth stride while running round a track. A golfer might rehearse a sequence of steps, in his mind, that are required for a good long drive. The imagery experience should be viewed by the athlete in first person perspective, not what they would see watching from a spectator standpoint. Positive self talk is the practice of eliminating negative thoughts and promoting constructive thoughts. Instead of focusing on the negatives of a bad situation, the athlete focuses on positives. For example, I cant play well against them, is replaced by, I have trained hard and I am prepared. I can do this. Progressive muscular relaxation is a technique that involves alternatively relaxing and contracting various muscle groups. It is best performed ly ing down, and going through the muscles groups in a sequence of agonist and antagonist, quads and hamstrings for example. By doing this, the mind is focused on each specific body part and the athlete comes into a relaxation state with increased feeling of the body. Needs analysis The needs analysis is a crucial part of developing a psychological training programme as it allows the athlete and coach to work together and discover the needs of that particular athlete. The needs analysis should consist of an evaluation of the individual, the sport, and the movements within that sport. The evaluation of the sport is used to determine the physiological components most needed to perform in that sport. An evaluation of the movements within that sport is need to recognise the physiological and psychological processes used during the sport. As individual psychological needs for each sport and athlete differ, the coach must evaluate the athletes strengths and weaknesses to provide a suitable program, as well as allowing the athlete to set short term goals. The individuals needs then dictate which psychological skills are needed and which to prioritize in the training program. In this case for James, a young golfer, we discovered that through the use of a survey of athle tic experiences (Appendix 3), he was severely lacking in self confidence. I also discovered, through the use of an anxiety questionnaire (Appendix 4), that Jamess performance suffered dramatically when under increasing pressure, for example when in a tournament situation. It has been suggested that there are three key phases to implementing an effective mental skills programme (Weinberg and Gould, 2007). First, an education phase in which the athlete should be informed about the nature of mental skills and how these skills can enhance their performance. Second, an acquisition phase should focus on assisting the athlete to learn the appropriate mental techniques. Third, a practice phase with the aim of applying mental skills into competitive situations. I used an athletic experience questionnaire (Appendix 3) to help discover which parts of Jamess game was lacking psychologically, it enabled us to identify and analysis specific psychological skills and also which ones we could work on. It showed that James was low in self confidence because he was playing with so much expectation. It also told me that without the use of short term goals, his aims and targets were not clearly lined out for him. This may be due to a coaching error but could also be a reason for his low self confidence, as meeting short term goals gives the athlete a sense of achievement and shows gradual improvement. I used an anxiety questionnaire (Appendix 4) to determine some of the stresses James was under and when he was experiencing them. This allowed me to see that his anxiety levels were greatest during competition, and that it was mostly down to the weight of expectation on him, although there were other contributing factors. This included; what others thought of his performances and when playing against more experienced players, also when using new equipment and various distractions from the crowds. To combat some of these stresses, I recommended that James learn some relaxation techniques that he could use on the training field but also during stressful competitions. Some of these relaxation techniques have been previously discussed in detail. For James, a wider knowledge of relaxation techniques and specifically set out goals will ultimately aid him in producing his optimum performances on the field, as well as helping him to positively enjoy the game even more. Psychological skills are best developed in an athletes training environment and when incorporated with the technical and physical aspects of the game, this ensures that the athlete sees the program as an essential part of their development. These psychological skills should also be trained, just as you would for any physical aspects, over an extended period of time with sufficient tests to show improvement. Some specific mental skills training can take place almost anywhere, from the playing field to sitting at home, as long as you completely involve yourself within the training. In most sports there is a specific season of play, so this might dictate when the psychological skills training may be applied and what specific skills are trained. As mentioned before mental skills training should be an integral part of the training process. Performance profiling was also used to addresses the gap between current performance levels and the requirements necessary for where the athlete wants to be. It identifies the athletes strengths and weaknesses during play and in training. A performance profile was taken at the start of the program and at the end allowing the coach and athlete to see a steady improvement or decline in performance. Within the performance profiles, you should also obtain a comprehensive history of injury for the golfer. This will include all major previous injuries along with any current injury concerns; it can often be found that the golfer is currently playing with some kind of irritating injury problem which can have an effect on any physiological or psychological training programme. Evaluation Overall, this psychological skills training programme went extremely for James and myself. We both learned a lot of new psychological skills and the techniques needed to dramatically improve our thought processes. I especially enjoyed identifying the specific skills effecting James performances with the use of various psychological tests. Through the use of performance profiles, I was able to see the progression in Jamess play from the start of the programme to the end; this showed the program does work if it is implemented properly with correct knowledge and understanding. My program did make a difference to James game, and this has been shown in his current performances, he is now a lot more confident in his ability to perform on a bigger stage as well as being more capable of controlling his anxieties on the field. You can now see how positive thinking has changed his game; he is making a conscious effort to think in a way that benefits his performance. It is not one hundred perce nt accurate to say that Jamess performances have been better solely because of this program, they may be in fact some other contributing factors, but to the best of my knowledge he has undertaken any severe changes in training or supplementation. I am sure that there are ways in which this programme could have been changed to make it run more efficiently and with more effectiveness, but from the feedback received from James it was sufficient to meet his needs. From this I can take great confidence in my ability to prepare and enforce a good psychological training pro

Marriage in Babbit by Sinclair Lewis :: Lewis Babbitt Essays

Marriage in Babbit by Sinclair Lewis In the novel Babbitt, Sinclair Lewis touches upon various issues that characterize American society. Marriage was one of these various issues that Lewis focused on. In the story, George Babbitt was married and his best friend, Paul Riesling, was married. They both seemed uneasy about their marriages and were not pleased with their situations. George always seemed to care less for Myra, "she was as sexless as an anemic nun... no one, save [except] Tinka, was all interested in her or entirely aware that she was alive" (Lewis 7). Paul also truly disliked his wife Zilla, "why I want to kill her", " (i)f I only could [divorce her]! If she'd just give me the chance!" (Lewis 58-59). This lack of feeling for their wives is what Lewis focused on in the rest of the story. Lewis brings about conflict between these two characters and their wives. He brings about the idea of infidelity between the two married couples. The dissatisfaction for their wives leads George and Paul to lust for other women. Lewis is making the point that when men are dissatisfied with their women, they go and try to find others to satisfy their "hunger". George dreamt of a fairy girl that he could run off with and escape from his friends and most of all, his wife (Lewis 2-3). Babbitt also had two affairs on which Lewis indirectly, with class points out. Babbitt and his buddies in Maine, picked up a prostitute in which some devious behavior took place. This behavior "was never known to his family, nor to anyone in Zenith... (i)t was not officially recognized even by himself". His chief affair was with a widow, Tanis Judique. He had even spent the night with her, but he later dumped her to be free. Paul on the other hand only had one affair. He had an affair with a lady named May Arnold that he had been writing, who lived in Chicago. This affair with May was Paul's infidelity to his nagging wife Zilla. By describing these instances of men cheating, Lewis revealed to his readers what was not commonly portrayed about American culture. Marriage in Babbit by Sinclair Lewis :: Lewis Babbitt Essays Marriage in Babbit by Sinclair Lewis In the novel Babbitt, Sinclair Lewis touches upon various issues that characterize American society. Marriage was one of these various issues that Lewis focused on. In the story, George Babbitt was married and his best friend, Paul Riesling, was married. They both seemed uneasy about their marriages and were not pleased with their situations. George always seemed to care less for Myra, "she was as sexless as an anemic nun... no one, save [except] Tinka, was all interested in her or entirely aware that she was alive" (Lewis 7). Paul also truly disliked his wife Zilla, "why I want to kill her", " (i)f I only could [divorce her]! If she'd just give me the chance!" (Lewis 58-59). This lack of feeling for their wives is what Lewis focused on in the rest of the story. Lewis brings about conflict between these two characters and their wives. He brings about the idea of infidelity between the two married couples. The dissatisfaction for their wives leads George and Paul to lust for other women. Lewis is making the point that when men are dissatisfied with their women, they go and try to find others to satisfy their "hunger". George dreamt of a fairy girl that he could run off with and escape from his friends and most of all, his wife (Lewis 2-3). Babbitt also had two affairs on which Lewis indirectly, with class points out. Babbitt and his buddies in Maine, picked up a prostitute in which some devious behavior took place. This behavior "was never known to his family, nor to anyone in Zenith... (i)t was not officially recognized even by himself". His chief affair was with a widow, Tanis Judique. He had even spent the night with her, but he later dumped her to be free. Paul on the other hand only had one affair. He had an affair with a lady named May Arnold that he had been writing, who lived in Chicago. This affair with May was Paul's infidelity to his nagging wife Zilla. By describing these instances of men cheating, Lewis revealed to his readers what was not commonly portrayed about American culture.