Critically evaluate how psychological theories Essay Example

Critically evaluate how psychological theories Essay Example Critically evaluate how psychological theories Essay Critically evaluate how psychological theories Essay Psychology has been applied in many different areas of everyday life to try and explain why we behave in the ways that we do. However it is important to note that although psychology does give a broader insight into understanding most human behaviour, it is not possible to have one single conclusive theory. It is more often the case that many different theories can be combined in order to produce a more comprehensive explanation of behaviour. This is true when psychology is used to explain addictive behaviours; there is not one conclusive theory that explains substance addiction and dependence. An addiction is a syndrome involving behaviour and feelings of impaired control (West 2006). Addictive drugs are those whose reinforcing effects are so potent that some people who are exposed to the drugs are unable to go for very long without taking them, and whose lives become organised around taking the drug. Drug dependence is said to occur when the individual continues use of the substance despite significant substance related problems (Davies 1997). This essay will draw together and discuss the various psychological theories, concepts and explanations in order to evaluate how effective these have been in explaining drug addiction and dependence. As with many areas of psychology, problems arise when behaviour needs to be defined. This is particularly true with addiction. How do we know when someone is addicted? Where are the boundaries? Addiction is yet another socially constructed term that is difficult to define because what constitutes an addiction to one person is not addiction to another. In order to understand why it is that addictive behaviours occur, we must first acknowledge that there are two types of dependence. Eddy et al (1965) defined psychological dependence as A feeling of satisfaction and a psychic drive that requires periodic or continuous administration of the drug to produce pleasure or avoid discomfort (cited in Ghodse 1995). This kind of dependence demonstrates an overriding compulsion to take the drug, even when the individual is certain in the knowledge that it is harmful, or when aware of the consequences of possession of the substance (Ghodse 1995). The other type of dependence is physical dependence, also defined by Eddy et al as An adaptive state manifested by intense physical disturbances when the drug is withdrawn. The body becomes so accustomed to the drug and withdrawal symptoms are much more apparent. The unpleasant nature of the withdrawal syndrome can lead to an individual actually increasing the intensity of their drug taking, in order to avoid or relieve this withdrawal discomfort (Ghodse 1990). Psychoactive substances all have very different chemical properties. Not all drugs are obviously addictive. For example, long term, regular use of cannabis leads to tolerance and increasing difficulty stopping despite wishing or attempting to do so. Although the risk of dependence is substantially less than for nicotine or opiates, it is similar to that of alcohol (DiClemente 2003). Heroin addicts often take daily doses that would kill a normal person and experience very unpleasant symptoms if they go cold turkey and try to stop. In these terms, tobacco and cocaine were not obviously addictive, yet it was clear that these were extremely difficult habits to break. (Drugs: dilemmas and choices 2000). This is  where the distinction between physical and psychological dependence emerged. It is possible for a person to be psychologically dependent on a drug, without manifesting any physical dependence on it. However, it is generally accepted that although someone may be physically dependant on a drug, the state of dependence cannot be said to exist without some kind of psychological dependence present (Ghodse 1995). Under the Rational Informed Stable Choice (RISC) model, we do things because we expect them to produce benefits, and we know about and are willing to accept the adverse consequences, whether this is smoking, drinking, or drug taking. For example, a drug user continues to take drugs because it is preferable to the alternative to living without drugs, not necessarily because they cannot stop (West 2006). In other words, the pleasure or escape the addict obtains from a drug is worth whatever the consequences might be. This model is rather simplistic, as its main point is that each individual chooses to keep taking the drug, and does not take into account any biological factors that may or may not be relevant.

Bus 174 Commentary

Bus 174 Commentary Introduction Directed by Jose Padilha, Bus 174 is a fascinating documentary published in 2002 in Brazil. It includes people like Sandro, Williams, Luciana, among others. Sandro is a street boy who hijacks a bus, demanding to kill the passengers, a case that forces their journey to stand still for four hours. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Bus 174 Commentary specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The media collect this information. During the event, the police force fails to turn up in time, a situation that gives the street children a good opportunity to harass and steal from the passengers. This movie gives the findings of Padilha’s research on the situation of media and traffic in Rio de Janeiro basing on how the two responds towards the hijacking. Street children are all over the city, some begging and stealing while others are harassing the innocent people. Neither police nor media is interested in assisting . Bus 174 provides a picture of the level of poverty in the city through the street children who had parents and relatives but now are alone to feed and sustain themselves. This on the other hand sets clear the reason as to why the kids have turned to robbers. The documentary aims at portraying the life of those living in slums in Brazil. It also shows mistreats of the poor by the government. Padilha is interested in knowing Sandro’s motives behind the hijacking where he searches the information from the present as well as previous street kids. He also questions the police, family members, not neglecting sociologists to gather clear reasons. This film finds out the background of Sandro as a representative of all Brazilian street children. It explores the kind of police Brazil has, who participate in crimes rather than nurturing peace, love, and harmony. Many people have set out to comment the movie and among them is Soares. This overview tackles the relationship between his ideas and the current global state of street children as well as what is being done to meet their needs.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Soares’s comments Sociologist Luiz Eduardo Soares after seeing and understanding the documentary, goes further to comment it. Based on what Sandro does to the passengers in the bus, Soares views him as an illustration of the kids neglected by their parents. He says that they end up accumulating pain as a result, which later is poured to other people inform of fighting. In response to this comment, Erving (1963) portrays how neglected people, not necessarily street kids, express their pains and how they use it to communicate to those available to cater for their unattended needs. An example from the movie is seen when Sandro points a gun to a pregnant mother shooting her to death. Soares goes on to comment about the reason for their violence (Padilha, 2002). Any sound mind person expects love; he/she needs to be felt by the society and expects no discrimination based on race, religion, or finance. This is what Soares gives as another reason, generally given by all, who end up lacking the aforementioned requirements. He says that they do this because of the stigma attached to them. According to Heatherton, Kleck, Hebl, and Hull (2000) this category of people experience negligence and are prone to attacks, a situation that presses them forcing them to show it through reactions .Soares comments that these children are usually fighting against invisibility. This simply shows how they a treated as if they do not exist. They view the society as feigning blind when they meet them. They pretend not to understand that these are children like any others and ought to be taken care of. Their fight serves to open the eyes of the society to see their sufferings and their need of attention. For instance, in the movie, the young and poor Sandro watched his mother murdered. There was none to see and respond towards the incidence (Brussat Brussat, 2009). Therefore, in retaliation, Sandro engages in violent acts because just like any other neglected child, he believes that it is only through force that the invisibility aspect can be arrested. They have at the back of their minds that they are valuable and important but none seems to realise this and this is what they want to instil to the concerned people. They are hungry, not only for food but for love and social interaction that the society ought to give. They have been quiet hoping common sense will do it all only for them to realise that it is through raising alarms inform of violence that the ears and eyes of the society will be opened for them.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Bus 174 Commentary specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Current global trend of street children Ranselà ¢â‚¬â„¢s research provides the world news about street children. He has given the estimates of the number of the street children in various countries of the world. For instance, Yemen registers an approximate of 30,000 street children (Ransel, 1998). It goes further to give the factors thought to influence the number, not only in Yemen but also through out the entire world. Poverty, lack of jobs, inadequate socialization, government’s failure to intervene the situation of orphans, among others plays a major role in raising the number of these children. Street children have the right of attention by the government but on the contrary, the government views them as sources of embarrassment and pays no attention to them. As poverty increases day by day, the number of those going to the streets also goes up with the children opting to beg in order to sustain their deteriorating lives. This is in accordance with soare’s idea that they feel neglected by the rest, including the government. The current global economy is in crisis. All countries are running short of finance to run their businesses. As a result, retrenchment cases are being reported everywhere with parents of large families leaving jobs. Any home with no source of income is subject to conflicts. Charles (1855) says that these conflicts end up breaking the families and as a result, the children suffer inadequate parental care and guidance. They enter their nearby towns yearning for socialization, food, and parental attention. To take care of these, they venture into businesses like drug trafficking, prostitution, as well as stealing. This happens because people view them as dirty, cannot allow them in their homes, and not worthy of assistance. Soares got it right when he said that these children are stigmatised and suffer a lot as a result. Death of parents though diseases, accidents, or old age has also been viewed by the globe as a major cause of the increasing number of not only stree t children, but also children at large. It has been shown that places prone to diseases register the largest number of children at risk. Impact of the view of invisibility of street children on programme development Following the efforts made by the children in fighting against invisibility, the world has responded through various ways. It has come up with suitable criteria that, if well managed, can help rid the issue of street children. Statistics show that in all the countries, children at risk are the minority but the number is gradually increasing. Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This has called for a quick action from the government to curb the matter before it worsens. It has seen the importance of recognising them just like theirs. Organizations, not only governmental but also non-governmental have stood out to address the requirements of street children, some of which have proven effective. Media is one of the key means of responding to the battle. Any scenario that abuses the rights of children is aired immediately and stern actions taken against the abuser boosting respect between other people and the children. This is clear in the movie where the hijacking event channels to televisions, which in turn alerts the police force (Hayden, 2009). Other programmes have been established to prevent the children from adopting the street life. These include family care and free education programmes. Other programmes have set out to specifically deal with those children who had gone through sexual, physical, or drug abuses. These offer rehabilitation services to the children helping them recover from the harassments. Some Non-Governmental-Organizations have set up programmes that assemble the children in homes managed by the organizations. In these homes, the children have people, paid by the organization, who attend to them on a day-to-day basis. These people provide them with food, shelter, clothing, and education, among others. Others extend their services by following up and counselling those who have recovered and gone back to their original homes. Medical programmes have also been set in place to check the health of the children. By so doing, they are able to prescribe the necessary feeding habits of the children. Outreach programmes have not been left out. They aim at maintaining close relationship between the organization and the children. Conclusion Bus 174 is a documentary that is heavy laden with lessons, not only for the Brazilian, but also for all in general. Following the hijacking of the bus by a boy from a poor family bac kground, it is open that the incidence is a way of communicating to the world and applies to the oppressed, neglected, and the stigmatised. It is experienced by all countries and is commonly portrayed by street children. It has been proved effective since it has opened the ears and eyes of a variety of agencies devoted to caring the children. This on the other hand, has lowered cases of theft, drug abuse, and sexual harassments. Reference List Brussat, F., Brussat, M. (2009). Bus 174. New York. Charles, D. (1855). Household Words: Vol. 10, Bradbury press: India. Erving, G. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. Prentice-Hall. Hayden, S. (2009). Factual Documentary Covered Hijacked Bus in Rio de Janeiro. Heatherton, et al, (2000). The Social Psychology of Stigma, The Guilford Press. Padilha, L. (2002). Bus 174. Golden Globes. Ransel, L. (1998). Mothers of Misery: Child Abandonment in Russia. Princeton.

Technology and the Communication Process Research Paper

Technology and the Communication Process - Research Paper Example To gather information and review theories regarding communication processes, different academic websites, journals and books have been utilized to support arguments. How Communication Processes are influenced by the Use of Technology World has transformed into a global village, thanks to the arrival of a number of technological developments. These technological developments has enabled person sitting at one corner of the world to communicate with another person sitting at the opposite corner of the world. All of this is possible just because of gadgets, computers, internet and efforts to close the gap between people living on earth. It can be argued that in today’s era, all communication processes are based on technology, with the exception of face to face communication or speech based communication. From the beginning of the human race on earth, human has strived to develop methods and technologies that help them to keep a record of their imagination and thought processes. Fi rst, we used to have stone tablets which were replaced with the advent of the printing press and then with the emergence of computers. Thus, the communication processes adopted by the human race has been changed from time to time (Cuel & Ferrario, 2007). Before going into further detail, it is important to understand the communication process. ... The second step was the message which was named as intended message design which clarified the audience that it actually includes the purpose, language and priorities included as content in the message. The third step in Shannon and Weaver’s communication model was channel which was named as a medium of communication by Berlo. The last and fourth step was receiving of message at the receiver’s end which heavily depends upon the perception of the receiver. Here, the impact of technology on communication processes would be discussed with respect to an individual’s personal and professional life. First of all it need to be understood that communication carried out with the use of technology is referred to as mediated communication. If you are using a cell phone to send a message, it is mediated communication. If you are sending an email to communicate, it is mediated communication. Even if you are delivering your intended message through television to mass audiences , it is also called mediated communication. In our personal lives, we get engaged in communication processes for almost 18 hours of the day. If it was the 18th century, then a person who is engaged for 18 hours in communicating with people would go mad due to lack of facilitating gadgets available (Tomei, 2007). Imagine women of 18th century sitting in Europe wanted to send her beloved husband her picture to ease of his nerves during the tiring war that he is engaged in Caribbean. It would take a month or a couple of months for the picture to reach at desired destination as it will be carried through sea-route. At that time, people used sketches to make such communications and write a number of pages to express their feelings. Then came the

Horace Bushnell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Horace Bushnell - Essay Example He was not exact, but he put God and man and the world into a relation that thought can accept while it goes on to state it more fully with ever growing knowledge. Other thinkers were moving in the same direction; he led the movement in New England, and wrought out a great deliverance. It was a work of superb courage. Hardly a theologian in his denomination stood by him, and nearly all pronounced against him" (as cited in http://www.nndb.com/people/184/000102875). An anti-Calvinist, he preached contrary to the theological notions of his time such ideas relating to the Trinity, the atonement, conversion, and the relations of the natural and the supernatural. He also opposes the notion that theology can be explained logically and absolutely just like any intellectual activity. He believes that individual believers have a case-to-case and unique spiritual experience differing from each other based on their unique individual spiritual make-up (Sklansky, 2002). Bushnell's major ideas and convictions are explained and contained in his four books entitled: Christian Nurture (1847), Nature and the Supernatural (1858), The Vicarious Sacrifice (1866), and God in Christ (1849). In Christian and Nature Bushnell discusses his opposition to revivalism and focuses the Christian thought on the youth. In this, he successfully influenced many minds. It explains the reasons why he does not agree with the emphasis the revivalists place on the conversion experience. In Nature and the Supernatural, he discusses miracles and promotes the possibility of humans to achieve supernatural qualities or the "supernaturalness of man." In addition, the book The Vicarious Sacrifice, contains his so-called "moral view" of the atonement of Christ contrasting it with the "governmental" and the "penal" or "satisfaction" theories. Moreover, in the book God in Christ, which contains an introductory entitled "Dissertation on Language as related to Thought," he is accused of being a heretic for he expresses a different view about the Trinity. He believes that the Godhead is not literally three but it is only human interpretation of the unfathomable greatness of God. Human, in contrast to God, sees God differently because of his/her inferior comprehension of the supreme deity (Sklansky, 2002). It is said to have been published after his "mystical experience that illumined the gospel for him." Although there were times when he irked others so much, he was spared of trial because his church severed its links from the local group that may have power to press charges against him. In other words, his church stood autonomously of any association or the rules of any denominational group. Furthermore, he was able to respond to his critics in his book Christ in Theology (1851). In it he argues that spiritual facts cannot be discussed precisely by human language and logic. They can only be expressed in "approximate and poetical language." He concludes by saying that "an adequate dogmatic theology cannot exist" (Sklansky, 2002). It is in this book where Bushnell expounds and defends his position about language in theology, saying that much of it is metaphorical in nature. However, Horace Bushnell proves that he still adheres to and believes the divinity of Christ as expressed in his writing entitled The Character of Jesus, forbidding his possible (Sklansky, 2002). As a

HYDRAULIC FRACTURING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HYDRAULIC FRACTURING - Essay Example Despite the economic advantages associated with this mining process, there have a wide outcry from environmentalists due to the pollution associated with the process. This dispute has even led to legal issues between mining companies, communities and environmentalists. The pollution situation has even caught the attention of various governments and lawmakers. For instance, the president of the United States issued an executive order with regard to hydraulic fracturing in the year 2012, on April 13. Hydraulic Fracturing Working Definition for Hydraulic Fracturing Hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) is the process of extracting gas and oil from underground rocks by introducing pressure into the fractures within the rocks (â€Å"ProPublica,† n.d.). The pressure in this process is introduced by pumping a mixture of sand, water as well as chemicals into the well. The pressure makes cracks within rocks to propagate and interconnect increasing the flow of either gas or oil. The sand used in this mixture keeps the cracks widened. The chemicals used in the process of fracking differ from one well to another depending on the geographical location. However, one of the main reasons for using chemicals is to improve the flow properties of water and hence increases the transmission of pressure. Some of the chemicals used in this process include Hydrochloric acid, which acts as a solvent for chemicals and introduces cracks within rocks as well (â€Å"Frac Focus,† 2013). Another chemical is Glutaraldehyde, whose importance is to extract bacteria from water. These bacteria usually produce corrosive elements. The list of these chemicals is quite long and the two mentioned chemicals are just examples. Places Where Fracturing Occurs Louisana, east of Texas and Arkansas have a common underground rock formation called Haynesville Shale. This shale enhances gas fracturing within these states (â€Å"geology.com†, n.d.). In the Mississippi State, there is an organic bed rock referred to as Fayetteville Shale (geology.com). In Europe, oil and gas fracturing have not been in use due to the government bans on such processes. However, in December 2012, these bans were lifted in Britain. This announcement was made by Ed Davey who is the Energy Secretary in the country (â€Å"Natural Gas Europe,† 2012). The ban that was lifted had been in existence since the year 2011. Prior to the introduction of the ban, a company called Cuadrilla Resources conducted gas fracturing within Lancashire. However, when earthquakes occurred within this area, the ban was introduced. In other places within South America, hydraulic fracturing has not yet been exploited. However, it is believed that countries such as Brazil could enhance their economy by undertaking in this mining process Economic Impact of Hydraulic Fracturing Hydraulic fracturing enhances economic growth in various ways. One, having Shale gas and oil makes a country to be more energy ind ependent (â€Å"Presidents Economic Report for 2012†, pg 256 2012). Consequently, such a country will reduce the amount of expenditure incurred in importing oil. Similarly, when mining happens in a country, thousands of jobs are created for the local people. Governments also invest in such projects to ensure that they develop technologies used in such processes. For example, The United States had a research and development program during the 1980s and early 1990s. Consequently, the technology of directional drilling was developed

Policy Making Essay Example for Free

Policy Making Essay In the United States, a Constitutional form of government mandates a separation of powers between the respective branches of government. Therefore, the methods and avenues of the policymaking process are complex. Because of this unique separation between its executive and legislative functions (Schroedel 3) the governmental system in America lacks a formal hierarchical or organic link between the executive and the legislative branches of government (Schroedel 3) and this results in two primary progenitors of policymaking. Policy may be forwarded by the legislative or executive branches. The idea behind the division of policymaking powers to establish a government composed of functionally separated branches that are required to share legislative responsibilities (Schroedel 4) with neither of the branches exerting primacy. In addition to the formal branches of government, policymaking is impacted by public activism and public opinion as well as media. Such influence, often referred to as agenda setting, can be a primary motivator in the policymaking chain. Plainly stated, Agenda-setting is the course by which issues are adopted for Governmental consideration and perhaps remedy (Nelson 161), so, technically, one of the branches of government, legislative or executive, must at some point be engaged in the policymaking process set forth by public agenda-setting. A case which illustrates the combination of all aspects of policymaking fro public activism to legislative and executive influence, is the issue of child abuse in America. Rather than having long-standing laws and protections against child abuse, It was not until the 1950s and 1960s [ ] that the problem again came to the fore (Nelson 163); a key point being that the bringing of the problem to the forefront of public and governmental awareness lay largely with the media and with popular interest groups and activists. It was by examining how child abuse achieved these agendas that government came to understand new categorical social service policies (Nelson 163) and subsequent legislation broadened to include a more sensitive governmental response to rape, as well as recognition of such new problems as spouse abuse, child sexual abuse, child pornography, and abuse of the elderly (Nelson 163). The conclusion is that public interest and activism, along with the legislative and executive branches of government plays a pivotal role in policymaking in American government.

My House Essay -- Descriptive Essays

The trees are passing along the street like steadily marching soldiers. The car is moving in monotonous rhythm, and the engine purrs soothingly like a cajoling cat. I’m turning on the radio and searching for my station. There it is, 89.7! Out of the loudspeakers come calm, classical music, which sooths my soul and summons memories from my childhood. I feel the tension leave, and I swim away to the days when I was a happy little girl without any problems or worries. Miraculously, the memories come alive for me. I can feel and see things that I saw when I was younger. As a little girl, I had few favorite places where I felt safe and happy. Although I’m not a child any more, I like to go back in my mind to those places where life was always colorful and joyful and when every single day was so eventful for me. I can see this day again, like a movie playing in my mind. As a child, I usually spent the mornings at the house. The house, where I grew up, was big, and it was surrounded with big trees. It had two massive columns on the both sides with a heavy wooden door between them. Above the front door was a big and spacious balcony with a decorative, metal enclosure around it. There were also two smaller balconies on the both sides of the house. The windows were big, too, and they were covered with snow-white lace curtains from the inside. The house looked a little intimidating from the outside; however, it was very cozy inside. The house was filled with music and books. My father, who passed away 6 years ago, loved to listen to classical music and read books. Therefore, I grew up with that music and those books around me. Rudzki I still remember when we all used to sit down together ... ...the sharp, cold air. The forest looked quiet and calm. In contrast, during the summer, the same little forest resounded with life. The singing birds, colorful flowers, and sun created a beautiful mosaic. The forest was definitely an amazing place for children to play. Therefore, we played there for hours or until we heard our parents voices calling us for dinner. The forest is one of my favorite memories. My days, when I was a child, were so exciting. I always found something a unique about each day. We see things in the different perspective when we are children. Nevertheless, at least our memory can memorize those for us, so we can go back there if we want to. I believe that all of us have those unforgettable places in our mind where we like to escape, and where we feel secure and happy. They are our own little havens when we need a break.