A Gllance At Information And Communication Technology Essay

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become an important tool in all aspects of life. With the development of technology, the introduction of ICT as a tool has essentially brought tremendous revolution to the practices and procedures of nearly all forms of endeavor within business and governance during the past decades. Consequently, the importance of ICT project management cannot be overemphasized since it is the catalyst for successfully carrying out the ICT project. A critical research on the factors influencing the performance of ICT has been conducted as well as the introduction of different evaluation models or frameworks, which are used determine if an ICT project is successfully implemented. The last but not the least, a conclusion and a recommendation are given to prove that the potential values and benefits will be brought by elaborately analyzing those related factors before implementation and regularly evaluation on the ICT project. Table of content Introduction Recently, the role of Information and communication technology (ICT) has become more and more important in any forms of organizations and businesses. According to Daniels (2002) ICT has evolved to be one of the basic tool but pervasive among the public within such a short time. Besides, understanding the operational mechanism of ICT and mastering the fundamental skills and concepts of ICT are regarded as the basic knowledge that people now should equip with. However, it seems that many people have the wrong perceptions of what ICTs are; it’s commonly that ICTs generally be referred to ‘computers and computing related activities’ before the definition of ICT officially clarified by a United Nations report (1999). Also, according to UNESCO ICT could be understood in the way that which is the combination of ‘Informatics technology’ with other related technology, such as communication technology in particular. In other words, ICT is a more extended than information technology (IT), ICT not only emphasizes the technology itself, but also highlights the unified communications and the integration of telecommunications, computers; furthermore, by using these products such as the enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual systems, users will be able to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information. Now, we can find the radio broadcasts, audio conferencing, teleconferencing, email, interactive voice response system, audiocassettes and CD ROMs etc., are vari ous kinds of ICT products available, and those ICT products have been used for different purposes in our daily life, work environment, or common business practices. There are more and more people become aware of the benefits and efficiency brought by the ICT. With that in mind, people are starting paying more attentions on the ICT management issues, such as how to better manage ICT projects, what are those key factors determining the performance of ICT project, or how to adequately evaluate the performance of ICT project. Discussion Just as the other project management is, there are various success/failure factors related to the ICT project management. Here we discuss the roles of attitudes and the alignment between ICT and business, which are regarded as two of the most important key factors in ICT project management. A corresponding literature review is also preformed in order to better understand the background. The Roles of Attitudes Based on recent researches on the acceptance and use of ICT project, and related ICT design and development, ICT only brings values to the organization if it is accepted, applied and widely applied by those targeted users. From one of the research (Zhang, P. 2007), the author mentioned two different theories, which the inconformity between these two theories lays in the concepts behind and effects behavioral intention. The theories mentioned are Attitude toward ICT as an object (ATO) and Attitude toward using ICT as a behavior (ATB). By definition, ATO is â€Å"a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor† (Eagly et al. 1998) or, as a combination of evaluative judgments about an object (Crites et al. 1994), while ATB is defined as â€Å"an individual’s positive or negative feelings (evaluative affect) about performing the target behavior.† (Fishbein et al. 1975) And the conceptual confusions whether attitudes play important role in the context of ICT project acceptance and use has been clarified, and there is an interesting evidence showing that the roles of attitudes can change as the users’ use of the ICT increases. The Alignment between business and ICT The literature related to the information and communication technology (ICT) demonstrated that alignment between ICT and business will influence the business performance and effectiveness of the organization in a positive way. (Cumps, B., Viaene, S., Dedene, G., & Vandenbulcke, J 2006) Furthermore, the alignment of business and ICT of an organization is one of the fundamental sustainable factors, which can also be an advantage for an organization. In that case, the organizations should consider establishing specific ICT management routines in order to obtain better alignment performance scores. Since the role of ICT cannot be underestimated, more and more people want to know whether the ICT really brings values, whether the ICT substantially improved the efficiency, or whether the ICT works as expected. Based on the research, there are several more comprehensive ICT management capability maturity framework developed, such as the ICT management capability maturity framework and ICT Pe rformance Reference Model. The differences between these two frameworks or models are the focus and the content. ICT management capability maturity framework The framework is a ‘spider diagram’, which includes seven indicators: ICT Applications, Business-ICT relationship, ICT strategy alignment, ICT user profile, ICT managerial paradigm, ICT governance and ICT organization. Before applying the ICT management capability maturity framework, the users should firstly define the critical processes of their ICT management for each indicator. For each indicator, there are specific process-orientated evaluation standards, and the users should make judgments for each standard to see whether it fits to the organization’s characters, needs, and specific industry. For each applied standard, there are different dimensionalities to assess the maturity of capability. The key function of this framework is to be used as an evaluating tool and a improvement roadmaps that can point out directions for the senior management on ICT and business management in strategies planning in order to sustainably improve, develop, and manage the ICT capability in support of optimized business value delivery. From this capability maturity framework, we can clearly see the ICT management capability maturity of an organization as well as its improvement footprint. At the same time, with the use of such framework, the organization can be evaluated on its overall ICT management capability, the comparison analysis between different organizations can be conducted, and even the industrial benchmark can als o be made to see the ranking of the organization in the certain industry. ICT Performance Reference Model ICT Performance Reference Model is a model using the reference model principles in the area of ICT management. For better understanding of the meaning of reference model, here the definition of the reference model that â€Å"Reference model contains relevant structures and relationships among the model elements (process structures, levels, document structures) and also the predefined knowledge (best practice examples) already included in these structures.† is used. ICT Performance Reference Model combines the strengths of mathematical and data modeling techniques for its structure and knowledge management principles for its content; namely, it represents the best practices and knowledge in the formalized model structure, and therefore allows easier knowledge replication. The framework of ICT Performance Reference Model includes ICT Management Process, ICT Performance management Methodologies, ICT Performance Measurement Processes, ICT Performance Measures and ICT Performance m anagement Tools and Applications. The performance of ICT project is then be evaluated through these dimensions. With the implication of ICT Performance Reference Model, it would be easier to address ICT management related issues including application functionality overlap, technology and knowledge heterogeneity, and constantly changing business pressures. Conclusion From the discussion part, we can see that there are different success/failure factors relate to the Information and Communication Technology project management. Each factor cannot be left out from consideration whenever applying an ICT project, namely, the importance of each factor cannot be overestimated, or there would possibly result in an unpleasant outcome. On the other hand, it is also necessary to have the ICT project to be reviewed, or assessed the related management capability maturity periodically. With the regular evaluation, the organization will have better understanding about the current state of the implementation of ICT project, the acceptance level of related personnel, the operation results compared to expected results, and the continuing alignment with organization’s strategies. Recommendations As we all know that the management of ICT in the enterprise has been increasing in importance and nowadays it is one of the critical success factors of any type of business. In order to ensure sustainable growing of an organization, the use of ICT cannot be avoidable. After the careful research, I recommend the organization should look into every success/failure factors corresponding with the ICT project before implementation, which will largely reduce the risk of carrying out a project and ending in nothing. At the same time, with careful elaboration on each success/failure factors, the organization will have better understanding of its status quo, its strengths and weakness, which can be a great headstone for the design and implementation of the ICT project. In addition to the prior-art research, the ongoing assessment is also important for an ICT project management. In that case, the organization should choose adequate evaluation model or framework with some customized changes in order to fit into the needs of the organization. By doing the regular inspection, the organization can notice the wrong behavior in time and make certain modifications accordingly. Without such safeguard monitor mechanism, it may be too late when the organization realizes the mistakes happening. References Becker, J., Knackstedt, R., & Pà ¶ppelbuß, D. W. I. J. (2009). Developing maturity models for IT management. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 1(3), 213-222. Cumps, B., Viaene, S., Dedene, G., & Vandenbulcke, J. (2006, January). An empirical study on business/ICT alignment in European organisations. InSystem Sciences, 2006. HICSS’06. Proceedings of the 39th Annual Hawaii International Conference on (Vol. 8, pp. 195a-195a). IEEE. Donnellan, B., Sheridan, C., & Curry, E. (2011). A capability maturity framework for sustainable information and communication technology. IT professional, 13(1), 33-40. Novotnà ½, O. (2009). ICT performance reference model in the context of corporate performance management systems. IDIMT-2009 System and Humans–A complex Relationship. Linz: Trauner Verlag Universitat, 13-16. Silvius, A. G. (2009, April). Business and IT Alignment: What We Know and What We Don’t Know. In Information Management and Engineering, 2009. ICIME’09. International Conference on (pp. 558-563). IEEE. Zhang, P., & Aikman, S. (2007). Attitudes in ICT acceptance and use. In Human-Computer Interaction. Interaction Design and Usability (pp. 1021-1030). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Obesity and Pregnancy Essay

Have you ever leisurely walked down an isle at Target and noticed a pregnant women waddling from side to side and thought to yourself man she is fat? Well she really is. Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and increased health problems. Maternal obesity is a major risk factor in short term for both maternal and fetal complications, including maternal and fetal mortality, miscarriages, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders, marcrosomia and caesarean sections. A baby could be affected by these tragic events up until the age of 18. This rise of the obesity rate has a devastating impact on implications for the nation’s health care system and the population’s future quality of life. The normal weight for women is (BMI 19. 8– 25. 9), (BMI 26– 29) for overweight women and a BMI over 30 is considered obese. BMI is known as Body Mass Index, which is a number calculated based on weight and height. Pregnant women gain excess weight due to the lack of exercise. The majority of women do not know that they can continue exercising at least three times per week during pregnancy. Women should be more informed about everything they should and should not do during their pregnancy. The most common type of exercise for pregnant women is walking. Gardening, aerobics, and usage of exercise machines are also means of exercising. Exercise also has many other beneficial health effects such as reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers as well as improved quality of life and emotional status1. If you conceived the child then why not exercise instead of a chance at miscarrying it? A pregnant woman’s diet is an essential part of her pregnancy. times out of 10, a pregnant woman constantly hears from her peers that she needs to eat more since she is eating for two. We forget the fact that she could potentially become obese. From a doctor’s standpoint, he should take the initiative to urge the mother not to go overboard with eating. Both mother and baby need a balanced diet full of varied fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, unsaturated plant-based fats, fiber and calcium. Refined grains, most processed foods and foods high in sugar and saturated fats should be avoided. The development of the baby’s organs and bones depend on obtaining sufficient nutrients from the mother. Despite the fact that pregnant women do not need to become obese they also do not need to diet during pregnancy. Maternal obesity is associated with an overall higher rate of labor induction, which requires higher oxytocin and prostaglandin doses than for women of normal BMI. Oxytocin is responsible for stimulation of milk ejection (milk letdown) and for stimulation of uterine smooth muscle contraction at birth. Prostaglandins are important mediators of uterine activity. It is very common for an obese woman to have a cesarean section instead of a natural pregnancy. Obese women are two to three times more likely to have an emergency cesarean due to factors such as a large baby or failure to progress. Why would you want to go through the agony of getting cut open like a dissected pig when it isn’t necessary? Maternal overweight and diabetes (gestational and type 2) has repeatedly been associated with a number of delivery complications, which includes prolonged birth, birth asphyxia, shoulder dystocia, injuries to the baby and the mother, increased use of instrumental vaginal deliveries and cesarean sections, and postpartum hemorrhaging2. Some long-term effects are also associated with obesity in pregnancy such as an increased risk of having diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life. During pregnancy, serum markers of inflammation are raised in overweight and obese women when compared with their normal BMI counterparts2. Other problems during pregnancy also link with chronic inflammation. Cord blood from babies born to obese mothers also has lower mean vitamin D concentrations when compared to those born of women with normal BMI. A fetus depends on maternal skin exposure for activation of vitamin D, but if the mother is obese then it is likely that she is vitamin D deficient. There is consequently significant scientific evidence to support the requirement for maternal vitamin D sufficiency in pregnancy for normal development of the fetal brain and skeleton. Folate deficiency is also common in obese pregnant women. Folate deficiency in the general pregnant population is associated with an increased risk for fetal neural tube defect, and this risk is reduced by the use of pre-conceptual folate2. Data from the National Maternal and Infant Health Survey showed that among the women who gained more than the recommended weight during pregnancy, greater than 30% retained an average of 2. 5 kgs at 10 to 18 months postpartum as opposed to retention of 1 kg among women who gained at the recommended level1. If women are encouraged to keep weight off during their pregnancy then they won’t have to face obesity postpartum. Researchers are still in the process of finding other ways to prevent obesity during pregnancy such as efficient ways to diet. Provision of weight management services to advise and educate regarding obesity-associated obstetric risk and weight optimization prior to conception is strongly recommended2. One thing that women would not normally categorize as such a big issue is regularly monitoring their blood pressure, which would be a start of becoming a healthy mother. Screening for gestational diabetes, using a 75 g OGTT, should be undertaken in all women with BMI 30 kg/m 2 between 24 and 28 weeks gestation2. No women should want to look and feel as fat as an elephant. Therefore, it is beneficial to continue physical activity after having a baby. The measurement of psychosocial attributes in the postpartum period has largely focused on postpartum depression and social support, with little attention to the role these and other psychosocial factors may play in health behaviors associated with weight retention and activity3. During pregnancy, some women are distressed about their weight and think they have a negative body image. Some say that they feel as if they are as big as a house. Postpartum depression has received much attention among clinicians because 10-16% of women meet diagnostic criteria for major depression. Women with excessive pregnancy weight gain (>20? kg) gain up to 10. Â ±2. 1? kg of adipose tissue4. If a woman plans on having another child after being obese during the first pregnancy then she will most likely be obese during her second pregnancy. One would not believe something so detrimental to your health, such as a smoker continuing to smoke during pregnancy would produce no weight gain. It is astounding that those who don’t smoke could gain more than those who do. The Stockholm Pregnancy and Weight Development Study on 1423 women concluded that, apart from pregnancy weight gain, only smoking cessation can be considered as a predictor for persistent weight gain after 1 year postpartum4. Lactation is known as something to facilitate weight loss after pregnancy. Production of milk is an energy-requiring process and has been calculated to increase energy requirements by ~ 500? kcal per day4. This is due to the fact that the net efficiency of milk synthesis in women is high. Weight changes after delivery are dependent on factors other than lactation status. Sarah Leigh, a 30-year-old obese pregnant mother, found out she had gestational diabetes. Sarah was very self-conscious about this situation and does not wish to report anything other than her name and age. She describes the daunting changes she had to make in her day-to-day lifestyle. Sarah Leigh had to check her blood sugar levels up to six times a day. The sugary sweets that Sarah Leigh usually enjoyed would now have to be cut out altogether. There would be no chocolate and fruit even had to be eaten in moderation. Even though Sarah Leigh made the changes to her diet, her blood levels were still high and she had to be put on medication to control the diabetes. Sarah Leigh explained how even though she felt deprived of all her favorite foods she feels healthier. Sarah enjoys her new lifestyle of eating a wide variety of foods. As long as she eats in moderation then her blood sugars remain balanced. Sarah talked about how there were times when she just wanted to taste a chocolate bar, but she knew that she and the baby were better off without it. Sarah would like to express to everyone that if they feel they have a slight chance of having gestational diabetes to go to your doctor immediately. The sooner it is treated then mother and the child are in better shape. Behavioral interventions, such as advising women of the recommended weight gain ranges, and promoting healthy dietary intake and regular exercise during the prenatal and postpartum periods may prove important in preventing obesity and the related health problems later in life. People should keep in mind that body weight tends to increase with age, irrespective of whether women have children or not. A pregnancy should be carefully planned. Two lives are at stake instead of one.

Celta assignment

The receptive skill chosen for this assignment is reading, and the authentic material used for the purpose of developing this skill is an article entitled, Greenwich is packed full of Londons most popular attractions [1], which will be related to the productive skill of writing. The learners reside in London and come from EU countries (mostly Italy), and motives for learning the English language vary. The age factor of the students may suggest different needs and cognitive skills, however all the students are competent to a pre-intermediate level of the English language. The authentic text chosen is an article from the Metro newspaper online website, (metro. co. uk). The text is about attractions in Greenwich and I believe that this text will interest learners because it gives information on how to explore London in new ways they may have not been aware of, as well as further demographic exposure of their surroundings. This text will also provide students the opportunity to get together and practise their English as most of the text has proper names of places, which will help students identify the capitalization of Proper Nouns for a writing task for example. Receptive Skills The aims of this lesson are: Detailed reading or intensive reading, as Jim Scrivener (Learning Teaching, p. 264) states, reading texts closely and carefully with the intention of gaining understanding of as much detail as possible. 1 Gist reading skimming the written text to get a general idea of what it is about 2, as Jeremy Harmer states (How to Teach English, p. 101). Task Summary Setting the context: The topic for the lesson is London attractions in Greenwich. As a lead in, to get the students interested in the material, I would ask them to look at the title of the text, Greenwich is packed full of Londons most popular attractions, and in groups write down what these popular attractions may be. The resulting group discussions would have the students forming ideas on attractions in London, which correlates to the content of the text. This will act as a good transition into the following reading tasks. Although there are plenty of new vocabulary items in the article, I think students would not have any significant difficulties in grasping the overall meaning of the text. Detailed reading task For the detailed reading task, the students would read through the article and give short true or false answers to comprehension about the attractions there are to explore in the Greenwich area of London. This task focuses on the sub-skill of reading for detail, as the students will need to find the attractions listed in the article and why the statements are true or false. Rationale: The purpose of this activity is to inform students of the attractions London has to offer within Greenwich. To encourage the reading I would give the students an ample amount of time for this activity. Students would peer-check and receive class feedback. The language and phrases derived from this activity may be useful for a following writing activity. Gist reading task This task will require the students to gist read the title of the article and describe what they think the article is about. Rationale: This task focuses on the reading sub-skill of skimming for gist. The reason for this activity is to ensure that the students understand the general topic of the text and this may also generate more interest to read the text further. To complete this task effectively, students would need to skim the title to get a general understanding of the article. The students would have 3 minutes for this activity and discuss in pairs or groups. An enforced time limit ensures that just conclude a general summary of what the article may be about. Productive Skills Writing task 1: The students will write a short/brief description of popular attractions in their own country or town, using the article as an example. Rationale: The writing task should allow students to be able to write about something that they can relate to, modeling texts similar to the article read. Writing task 2: Students will write a short informal e-mail to a friend, giving information about an attraction they have visited in London. Learners will inform their friends of a place where they ate and drank and places they shopped and an attraction such as architecture for example. Rationale: This task is a real-life scenario of communicating, and provides a good opportunity for students to practice and develop their skills. BIBLIOGRAPHY Books 1 Jim Scrivener, Learning Teaching: The Essential Guide to English Language Teaching, MacMillan, 2010 2 Jeremy Harmer, How to teach English: New Edition, Pearson Education Limited, 2007 Online [1]. http://metro. co. uk/2012/09/07/greenwich-is-packed-full-of-londons-most-popular-attractions-567671/, November 30, 2013 [online] Available at: Greenwich is packed full of London’s most popular attractions Friday 7 Sep 2012 2:23 pm The insider’s guide to the capital’s hidden gems visits Greenwich – an area where there’s plenty of time to explore. The National Maritime Museum is one of London’s leading lights (Pic: File) Chances are, if you’re in Greenwich, you came to see the Cutty Sark, the Royal Naval Museum or to stand with your legs either side of the Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory. These are some of London’s most popular attractions – and for good reason – but they are by no means all Greenwich has to offer. Venture off the tourist trail and you’ll find a winding, historic neighbourhood with some great places to eat, drink and shop. The main strip, around Cutty Sark DLR station, has a seaside vibe. It’s popular with visitors and the famous covered Greenwich Market (Tue to Sun, 10am-5. 30pm, shopgreenwich. co. uk/greenwich-market ) is likely to be one of your first stops. One half sells fairly standard market fair, including graffiti prints, jewellery and clothing from far flung corners of the world. The other half comprises food stalls (on Wednesdays and weekends) which are a great alternative to the clutch of tourist-orientated eateries and lacklustre chains on Greenwich Church Street. Exotic, cheap and extremely tasty, the queues are worth it for Ethiopian stews, pad Thai or sushi. Unfortunately, there isn’t really anywhere to sit, so either head around the corner for a bench view of the Cutty Sark or, better still, lose the crowds altogether by heading to the picturesque park behind St Alfege Church, just a stone’s throw from the market. In terms of shopping, Greenwich has a surprising amount of gems. In the main melee, you’ll find the reliable second-hand charity bookshop Oxfam Books (2 College Approach, Tel: 020 8305 1656), as well as Music Video Exchange (23 Greenwich Church Street, Tel: 020 8858 8898), both good for a rummage. Further treasure can be found around the corner and down the road at Greenwich High Road’s Clocktower Market (Sat and Sun, 10am-5pm, clocktowermarket. co. uk ). You’ll come across hard-to-find CDs, tatty old beer signs and even some decent vintage clothing. However, if you’ve already bought enough treats, next to the market, you’ll find films of a largely artistic nature being screened at the Greenwich Picturehouse (180 Greenwich High Road, Tel: 0871 902 5732, picturehouses. co. uk ). In need of sustenance? If the weather is good, a few places further south on Royal Hill are good for a sit-down away from the visitor furore. The Greenwich Union (56 Royal Hill, Tel: 020 8692 6258, greenwichunion. com ) and Richard I (52-54 Royal Hill, Tel: 020 8692 2996, richardthefirst. co. uk ) are popular with locals and both have tables out where you can nurse a pint while watching the world go by – very slowly. Or, continuing in the same direction, you’ll find the Guildford Arms (55 Guildford Grove, Tel: 020 8691 6293, theguildfordarms. co. uk ), another pub, this time with a beautiful, hidden garden. For tea and cake, Royal Teas (76 Royal Hill, Tel: 020 8691 7240, royalteascafe. co. uk ) takes some beating. Or pull up a tables at Buenos Aires Cafe (86 Royal Hill, Tel: 020 8488 6764, buenosairesltd. com ), which is the perfect place for a couple of empanadas and a coffee. If those clouds are looking a bit ominous, back towards the action you’ll find La Fleur (18 Royal Hill, Tel; 020 8305 1772). Part plant shop, part cafe, it’s essentially a cafe in a greenhouse. Back in the thick of it, by Cutty Sark station you’ll find plenty of folk heading to riverside pubs. Try The Trafalgar Tavern (6 Park Row, Tel: 020 8858 2909, trafalgartavern. co. uk ) and The Cutty Sark Tavern (4-6 Ballast Quay, Tel: 020 8858 3146, cuttysarktavern. co. uk ), both of which have views of the river. Truth be told, the vista isn’t that pretty, so you’re better off venturing across Greenwich Park to the Royal Observatory on One Tree Hill. The hill is no relation to the US TV show. In fact, you couldn’t get more British. Trek to the top for a panorama of Greenwich and the skyscrapers of Docklands behind it. APPENDIX A: Receptive skills Detailed reading task Instructions: Read the statements below and decide if they are true or false. Write T for true and F for false in the space provided. a) Cutty Sark is not in Greenwich. __ b) You can buy food from the food stalls on Wednesday and weekends. __ c) There are no pubs in Greenwich. __ d) There are no places to shop in Greenwich. __ e) You can eat and drink water and crackers at the Royal Teas__ f) The Royal Observatory is near a park__ Answer sheet detailed reading a) F False b) T- True c) F False d) F False e) F False f) T True Gist reading task Instructions Read the title of article and describe what you think the article is about. Answer sheet gist reading The article is about Londons most popular attractions in Greenwich. APPENDIX B: Productive skills Writing task 1: Write a short/brief description of a popular attraction in your own country or town. In your description include: A famous place tourists can visit, a place to eat and describe the food (Remember that the place of the name must be in capital letter) - Writing Task 2 Your friend Antonio has e-mailed you and asked you to write him about a tourist attraction in the city of London. Write an e-mail to Antonio telling him: ? (Where to go for a meal and drinks) (Where to shop and what they sell) (What attraction to see and why they should see this)

Ethics in Criminal Justice and Criminal Procedure Assignment

Ethics in Criminal Justice and Criminal Procedure - Assignment Example As the report declares implementation of the ethical criminal procedures helps in identifying the degree of punishment for different criminal acts. Moreover, it distinguishes formerly legal acts as immoral and unethical, for instance, historically minorities and women were not allowed to vote or to help slaves as per the law. However, in the last few decades it was recognized as a highly immoral act therefore women and minorities are now given equal rights when it comes to vote or protest against oppressive governments. On the other hand torturing prisoners so as to take personal revenge may be legal in some countries but it is an unethical act. This discussion stresses that practicing ethics in our routine life is somewhat different to the implementation of ethics in law. For instance, if in real life we see someone depriving people of their freedom or stopping them to carry out their daily activities then on general basis it would be considered as unethical. But in law police is usually ordered to treat prisoners in the same way and then it is also justified with theories of criminology. Furthermore, in real life people are called as immoral if they try to keep an eye on others’ activities while on the other side law enforcement agencies spend huge monetary resources and time in spying and undercover intelligence. This substantiates that ethical approach greatly varies when it comes to real life and criminal justice.

Mentoring vs. Induction Programs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mentoring vs. Induction Programs - Essay Example An induction program facilitates complete and persistent improvement to school customs and the new teachers. It generally adds on the quality of training, support and retention of newly hired or employed teachers. The new recruits become qualified as a result of the induction thereby making them more competent, able and more helpful. Mentoring on the other hand involves a more specific and personal and long term support for new teachers. The newly hired teachers are assigned to experienced fellow teachers who are able to guide and support them. Mentoring programs are limited to resources while in induction there is massive investment that is used to make the program successful. Mentoring is therefore part of the induction process. It however does not have much clear cut goals to be accomplished and it fails to provide substantiation of relationship between professionals, communities and students. Nevertheless, it is important to note that both programs help to reduce first time grind ing down. According to Department of Education (2006), wear and tear among the teachers has reduced by a huge percentage because of mentoring and induction programs that help in supporting sustainability. Induction is more effective and critical because it consists of internships, workshops and clarification that help new students to understand and face new challenges. Induction also seeks to meet the long term teachers’ needs for as long as it is possible. In order to ensure success of both programs there must be a multi-faceted framework that views critical components and it is also quite important to assess the challenges so as to put in place adjustments that meet the challenges wholly and for an extensive period of time. Different adjustments have been put in place to support the new teachers who participate in these programs. Supporting the new teachers is a critical strategy that integrates new teachers into the qualified way of life. Proper implementation attracts sup port and retains effective educators. This program ensures that there is excellence in teaching because it enhances student achievement and builds supportive environment within schools. The support available to new teachers would ensure there is increased scope in regards to their welfare and promotion of personal well being. This supports the new teacher all the way by providing orientation to ascertain that they become self reliant. The Grand Wood AEA Mentoring and Induction program is intended to train mentors so as to ensure service delivery to new teachers. The training provides mentors with improved knowledge and skills that are interactive and full of opportunities for learning and practice; these support the new teachers in their growth and development. This ensures that the mentor and the new teachers finish mentoring assignments in between the sessions thereby ensuring the goals of mentoring are achieved. These support the new teachers and ensure that there is reduced teac her turnover since mentoring ensures new teacher retention. Wong (2004) explores the fact that high quality mentoring and ind

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 22

Business Ethics - Essay Example During lunch hour between 1 pm and 2 pm, I interacted with Stephanie my best friend. She asked me whether she looked fat in her dress. In response I lied to her that she doesn’t look fat in her dress because I didn’t want to tell her she is gaining a lot of weight and definitely looks heavy. During the weekend around 10am to 11am we visited the mall with my best friends Stephanie, Richard and Alex. I attempted to steal an item in the supermarket. Unfortunately, I was caught stealing the item. I refused to admit the shoplifting offense and instead said that I saw somebody else commit the offense. I did this to avoid the long arm of the law which would end me up to the jail. After the Christmas holiday my brother Mike, brought a gift to me that I did not like. I lied to him that the Christmas gift he gave to me was great because I know he put a lot of thought into picking up the gift for me. After classes around 4pm and 6pm, I visited my brother’s friend in Michigan who had just concluded constructing a house. The house was really small and cramped. For this reason I did not like the house. I lied to him that I liked the house because I did not want to dampen her excitement. During the evening classes my friend Stanley came to class with a new haircut. Many students noticed the haircut and admired it. To me the haircut was unpleasant and not appealing to the eyes. I did not want to hurt his feelings by telling him that I hated the haircut but instead told him that the cut was really good. During my interaction with the students and one of the members of the society within the 3 days, I realized that women told most of the lies more than men. According to the journal article ‘lying in everyday life’, research was made in colleges and the community and it was recorded that women told many lies compared to men. College students conveyed lying in roughly one out of every

The science of Addiction - psychology Assignment

The science of Addiction - psychology - Assignment Example It provides an insight of chemical interaction that takes place at the synaptic level that causes the drug user to feel â€Å"high†. The most interactive and yet knowledgeable was â€Å"Mouse Party†. It is self-explanatory and provides an in depth understanding about the 7 most dreaded drugs of abuse causing addiction encompassing: LSD, Cocaine, Alcohol, Methamphetamine, Marijuana, Ectasy, Heroin. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter located in our Central Nervous System making it one of our most important neurotransmitters. Another neurotransmitter of CNS called Norephinephrine is manufactured from dopamine. Dopamine, along with Norephinephrine, plays an imperative role in attention and focus. Drugs affecting attention and focus affects the signaling pathway of dopamine and therefore many of the aspects of the website focus on the neurotransmitter Dopamine which is also called as â€Å"happy neurotransmitter† responsible for the feeling of pleasure, attachment, sense of altruism and integration of thoughts and feelings. Moreover deficiencies of Dopamine cause anhedonia, lack of ability to feel love, sense attachment to another, lack of remorse about actions, distractibility. Thus dopamine play imperative role in the control of movement and therefore the website emphasized a lot on dopamine. The action of various drugs is well explained on this site under the section â€Å"How Drugs Can Kill†. This states that drugs are toxic substances and long-term drug abuse can badly affect the health of an individual, on the other hand even a single dose can be detrimental. E.g. Heroin is the cause for maximum deaths due to overdose of the drug. Under normal conditions the respiratory balance is maintained by excitatory and inhibitory signals by glutamate and GABA respectively, but a toxic dose of heroin enhances the inhibitory effect of GABA which reduces the breathing and

Poverty and Pollution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Poverty and Pollution - Assignment Example Keywords: pollution, poverty, businesses, third world country, operations, control, regulation, morality, environment, standards, global, enforcement Poverty and Pollution There are many different moral and ethical considerations that must be addressed when looking at the issue of the pollution of third world countries by businesses who have setup shop in those countries, including but not limited to the implications of the companies who are participating in these actions, the reasons for doing what they are doing, the moral right of human beings to a livable environment, as well as who should be responsible for these actions, and what must be done to improve the quality of life of those who are affected by these practices. There are many different reasons a business may conduct operations in a third world country, including political instability, a need for investment capital, low wages are acceptable, as are low benefits, education levels are low, and environmental regulations are few and not seriously enforced (Encyclopedia of Business 2nd Ed, 2013). Political instability in a developing country ensures that both the powers running the country and those who are attempting to run for the company are both concerned with public image; they want to ensure that the people see that they are attempting to better the country, even if the decisions made do not actually benefit the country, and one key aspect of this is good PR. If the ruling power or the power attempting to be the ruling power shows any indication that they are driving away big businesses, businesses who will bring new jobs to the country, which will in turn strengthen the economy, even if that businesses practices ultimately hurt the country itself, they will be seen as working against the country itself, and not for the country, even if baring that particular business from the country will ensure a higher quality of drinking water in the country, for example. The key is to show a form of immediate gratification for the people in terms of a better economy, even if the environmental concerns are far more severe. The need of the country for investment capital also factors into the decision of the third world country to open its doors to big business. Many big businesses will, for example, work to better the country that they choose to setup shop in, as a means of being able to more efficiently conduct their business. In Mongolia, for example, as a result of the search for rare earth mineral deposits, many big companies are working to build access roads, supporting local businesses and patronizing shipping systems setup in place in the country; Germany signed an agreement with Kazakhstan to be able to gain access to their rare earth minerals in exchange for technical assistance in modernizing railroads, building chemical plants, and other forms of development (Caramenico, 2012). It is because of the desire for technological advancements that the big businesses are able to provide that countries are more likely to overlook the negative aspects of big business in favor of the investment capital that they will provide. Businesses like the arrangement because they are able to get cheap employment, both in terms of the wages that they pay out and

Reflection On Crime Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reflection On Crime - Research Paper Example Various crime theories have emerged assuming diverse perspectives ranging from psychological, biological, sociological and even patterns of interconnected scientific explanations. Criminologists have remained vigilant in discovering innovative points of views that could link outcomes of criminal behavior to their root causes. In this regard, the current reflective paper aims to proffer issues related to three specific topics, to wit: (1) the study of crime; (2) biological and psychological explanations of crime; and finally, (3) deterrence, incapacitation, retribution and rehabilitation. Significant applications related to the issues would be discussed. Likewise, the discourse would address how one can apply what is learned from the topics towards becoming a more valuable member of society. The study ultimately aims to determine how theoretical concepts learned from the modules would contribute to improving the peace and order by deterring crimes in society through an individual†™s proactive view. The Study of Crime A crime is a conduct forbidden by law for which punishment is prescribed. Thus, the ideas of crime and punishment are intimately connected. To commit a crime is to run the risk that punishment will be imposed. Diverse theories have tried to explain the origin of criminal behavior. In the article entitled Criminology: the study of crime and behavior, Aristotle identified poverty as â€Å"the parent of revolution and crime† (Criminology, n.d, par. 1) tracing the explanation to elements in the environment as contributory to the criminal behavior. The same discourse provided different criminology theories that were discussed in the modules, initially detailing the classical theory where â€Å"people choose to behave wrongly when they believe the benefits outweigh the costs† (Criminology, n.d, par. 5). Culen & Agnew (2002) have clearly illustrated variables and assumptions for theories of crime ranging from strain, routine, strain, co ntrol theories where factors as diverse as the facets of personalities and external influences attempt to provide meaning to their occurrences. Where poverty was identified by Aristotle providing the impetus for sociologists to examine both social and cultural forces that impinge on individuals to commit errant behavior, other distinct findings prove genetics and biological factors increase susceptibility to crimes. Theorists like Lombroso and Hoorten seek to find some patterns from individuals’ personal traits as evidence for stronger links to the occurrence of crime (Criminology, n.d, pars. 22 & 23). Aside from variables, assumptions, factors and the dominant groups of criminologists, psychologists and sociologists supporting these criminology theories, the study of crime also encompasses new professionals in the capacity of economists as interested in this field of endeavor. The study conducted by Bushway and Reuter (n.d.) emphasized a â€Å"focus on rational self-seeking behavior and analysis of the consequences of interactions among groups of actors that create equilibria in a system† (1). This just proves that the study of crimes is indeed a multidisciplinary approach that intrigues professionals from other fields to explain the rationale for their occurrence and existence despite sanctions and punishments prescribed by the legal

Accounting and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Accounting and Society - Essay Example However, no such conclusion was provided within the video as to which perspective is better of the two. This creates a knowledge gap and thus provides the researchers with the opportunity to bridge the gap by setting forth an in depth research regarding the best perspective that should be implemented in accounting practices. Previous literatures have suggested that the arguments in favour of implementing the pro regulation perspective of accounting and arguments against the utilization of free market perspective have been influenced by political, social, economic and research consequences. Thus the primary objective of this research is to do a critical evaluation providing evidence regarding the implementation of the above mentioned approaches. The paper will also highlight the political, social, economic and research influences that have historically impacted on the level of accounting regulation in a developed economy with established security markets. Following the in-depth analys is of the factors, remarks will be put forward as to which accounting standard should be implemented. In order to carry on the research efficiently and effectively specific set of tasks will be divided between the two members. One member of the group will be primarily responsible for doing a critical evaluation of the pro-regulation perspective whereas the other member will be assigned with the responsibility of analyzing the free market perspective.... Extensive literature review will be done in order to justify every comment that will be made. The literatures that will form the groundwork of this research are peer reviewed journals that cover different aspects of these accounting regulation perspectives. Three peer reviewed articles will be used in order to explain the implementation of the literature in order to explain the topic of issue. In addition to that, the video that has been used as the basis for initiating the research process will also serve as a useful resource. The overall time frame required for this research is 2 months. The tasks that will be performed over the course of these 2 months have been explained in the following table. Timeline (Source: Author’s creation) PART B Previous literatures in the field of accounting regulation acknowledged the social, economic, and political factors that are associated with the advancements made in the accounting rules and explained the events that led to the formulation of different regulatory frameworks that are internationally accepted. Those literatures have also highlighted the aims and purposes of accounting regulation and also identified the necessity for imposing these rules from many different perspectives, particularly, the social, economic and professional perspectives.  The present study endeavours to gather and to contrast in one place the different perspectives regarding the pro-regulations and free market approach to accounting practices. This study will only include reference papers and articles which have explained and established the theory of accounting regulation. Thus issues that have been discussed within this essay are not exhaustive they do not necessarily represent the last research dealing with these issues.   The relevance of

Why Do We Travel Essay Example for Free

Why Do We Travel Essay I think the reason why we travel is to see experience other countries, new cultures, modern and old cities and historic towns. It’s always exciting to discover and explore new things such as, different ways of life, to meet different people, to try different food, to listen to different musicals. I also think that we travel because we want to escape from our daily routine and to find something more peaceful such as going to a beach, diving or taking a trip into the jungle. One of the best things about traveling is that you’re able to experience a feeling that’s not familiar with any other feelings. It is when you discover something new and you feel that you could stay here for the rest of your life. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn and experience more about the world. Many people are interested in photography and they visit other countries to take photos of landscapes such as the ocean, mountains, the sun rising, waterfalls and corals and much more. I think the reason why we take photos is that, photos help us remembering our lost memories or if we’re having a stressful day, the photos can help us find quietness in ourselves. The reason that makes traveling such a special thing is that you learn new things all the time. We get fascinated by the native language and culture. I think we want to experience the same feeling we get as when we watch a movie from an exotic place. We want that unforgettable journey that we will never forget. Just like in the movie â€Å"The Beach†. A group of young people goes to a special beach where everything is beautiful and peaceful. And you won’t get stressed and you won’t get disturbed by loud music like you do in overcrowded tourists. In the movie it has great consequences for the last newcomers that there can only be a certain number of people on the Island. I think it is sad when nature is destroyed by tourists but I would find another way to limit the numbers of tourists. Last summer, I was on a vacation to Italy with my family. It was definitely an exciting and an experiencing vacation but I also got inspired by their culture and their way of living. It wasn’t the unforgettable trip but it was a special trip because it was an important moment of my life and I could share it with my family.

Attachment - Psychology Essay Example for Free

Attachment Psychology Essay Developmental Psychology Early Social Development: Attachment Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ An emotional bond between two people. It is a two-way  process that endures over time. It leads to certain  behaviours such as clinging and proximity-seeking and  serves the function of protecting the infant. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Primary attachment figure ï  ® The person who has formed the closest bond with a child,demonstrated by the intensity of the relationship. Usually  the biological mother, but other people can fulfil the role. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Learning theory ï  ® A group of explanations which explain behaviour in terms  of learning rather than any innate or higher order  tendencies. Mainly used by behaviourists who rather focus  their explanations purely on what behaviour they observe. Learning Theory ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) Unconditioned Stimulus (US) food ↓ Unconditioned Response (UR) pleasure ↓ Neutral Stimulus (NS) – the feeder ↓ Conditioned Stimulus (CS) – food from a feeder ↓ Conditioned Response (CR) – pleasure/attachment Learning Theory ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Operant Conditioning ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Reinforcement ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ When doing something results in a pleasant  consequence, the behaviour is more likely to be produced. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Punishment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ When doing something results in an unpleasant  consequence, the behaviour is unlikely to be produced. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Dollard and Miller (1950) explain attachment using operant conditioning: ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ When an infant is fed it reduces discomfort and increases pleasure, this serves as a reward and is the primary reinforcer. The person supplying the food is associated  with avoiding discomfort and is the source of reward which  becomes the secondary reinforcer. Attachment occurs  because the child seeks the person who supplies the  reward. Evaluating the Learning Theory ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Strengths It can provide adequate explanations of how attachments form. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Behaviourists argue that since we are made up of the same building blocks of stimulus/response environments experiments done on animals are safe to generalize to human behaviour. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Weakness ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ It may be attention and responsiveness from the caregiver that is the primary reinforcer, not food. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Learning theory is largely based on studies with non-human animals. Human behaviour may be similar in many ways but learning theory does not consider higher order thinking and emotions that can influence behaviour. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Harlow (1959) demonstrated that it is not food but the level of contact and comfort the infant receives that increases attachment levels. The use of young rhesus monkeys were used to demonstrate this. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ 60 babies were studied in Glasgow and found that attachment was higher to the person who was most responsive and who interacted with them more (Schaffer and Emerson,1964). ï  ® ï  ® Cant explain the importance of sensitivity in attachment. Bowlby’s Attachment Theory (1969) ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ ELEMENTS OF BOWLBY’S ATTACHMENT THEORY: ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Attachment is adaptive and innate ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Bowlby’s theory is an evolutionary theory because it sees attachment as a behaviour that adds to its survival and  ultimately its reproductive value. Having attachment  capabilities is an innate drive, similar to imprinting, that has long term benefits ensuring it stays close to its caregiver. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Background on the Theory of Evolution ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Adaptive behaviours are behaviours that increase the  likelihood of survival and reproduction. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Natural selection is the continuation of these adaptive traits within the animal to increase chances of survival. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Sexual selection is the ability to reproduce, not just survive. Adaptive genes that lead to possessing traits to assist in  reproduction increases sexual selection. Bowlby’s Attachment Theory ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Sensitive Period ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ A biologically determined period of time during the second quarter of the first year is the most crucial period in which attachments can be made. Once missed then it is more difficult for a child to make attachments and demonstrate social difficulties. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Caregiving is adaptive ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Not only attachment but also caregiving is adaptively innate. Social releasers from the infant give signals to the caregiver (smiling, crying, etc) to take care of it. Attachment is the innate system in babies and caregiving is the innate system in adults. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Secure base ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Having a secure attachment provides a child with a secure base in which to explore the world from. It fosters independence, not dependence. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Monotropy and hierarchy ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Infants form a number of different attachments but has one particular bias towards a very special one called the primary attachment, this is called monotropy. Even with secondary attachments, this hierarchy of attachments recognizes the importance of a primary attachment figure (PAF). The PAF is one that responds most sensitively to the childs social releasers. Secondary attachments are important, without them, children tend to lack social skills. Bowlby’s Attachment Theory ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Internal working model ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ A mental model of the world that enables individuals to predict and control their environment. The internal  working model based on attachment has several  consequences: ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ In the short-term it gives the child insight into the caregivers behaviour and enables the child to influence  the caregivers behaviour so that a true partnership can be formed. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ In the long-term it acts as a template for all future relationships because it generates expectations about  how people behave. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ The continuity hypothesis ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ The idea that emotionally secure infants go on to be  emotionally secure, trusting and socially confident adults. Evaluating Attachment Theory ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Strengths ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® Lorenz (1952) supports that imprinting is innate as the goslings imprinted on the first thing they saw moving, which was Lorenz. Research shows that once the sensitive period has passed and no attachments are formed, children display social difficulties with peers. If attachment and caregiving are an important biological function as Bowlby suggests then they would be found universally. Tronick et al (1992) studied an African tribe in Zaire and found despite tribal responsibility for raising kids a PAF is present. This is also evidence of monotropy. Schaffer and Emerson found that the more quickly a caregiver responded to a childs needs and the more interaction they had led to a stronger level of attachment. This interaction is important as it is not enough to have something to cuddle but to actually be cuddled back builds a stronger attachment. The Minnesota longitudinal study (2005) found that continuity between early attachment and later emotional/social behaviour. Infants classified as secure were later rated highest for social competence, less isolated, more empathetic and more popular. Evaluating Attachment Theory ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Weaknesses ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Multiple attachments, according to psychologists, are as equally important. There are no primary or secondary  attachments, all attachments are integrated into one single  working model. However, a review the research points to the  hierarchical model as being predominant (Prior and Glaser, ï  ® 2006). An alternative explanation to the continuity hypothesis exists, known as the temperament hypothesis. This is the belief that children form secure attachments simply because they have a more ‘easy’ temperament from birth, whereas more innately difficult children a more likely to form insecure attachments. The infants temperamental characteristics shapes a mothers level of responsiveness. Thomas and Chess (1977) identified infant personality types as easy, difficult and slow-to-warm-up. Belsky and Rovine (1987) found a link between physiological behaviours and later attachments types. The more calm and less anxious (aspects of temperament) an infant was the more likely they were to develop secure attachments. Types of Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ The Strange Situation (Ainsworth and Wittig, 1969) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsewNrHUHU Aim: to see how infants behave under situations of stress  with the introduction of a stranger and the separation of  the parent. This tests stranger anxiety and separation  anxiety and also the infants willingness to explore with its secure base. Procedure: a 99 research room marked off into 16 squares  was used. The procedure consists of 8 episodes†¦ MEMORISE THEM!!! Data is collected by a group of observers that recorded  what the infant was doing every 15 seconds. Observer  noted the type of behaviour and level of intensity on a  scale of 1-7. Types of Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ The Strange Situation Findings: ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Ainsworth  combined data from several studies to  make 106 middle-class infants observed. Similarities and differences were found in the way  the infants behaved. In terms of similarities, it was  noted that episode 2 onwards exploratory  behaviour decreased while crying increased. Proximity-seeking and contact-maintaining  increased during separation and when stranger  appeared. Finally, contact-resisting and proximityavoiding behaviours rarely occurred towards the caregiver prior to separation. Types of Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ The Strange Situation Findings: ï  ® Ainsworth found differences in three main types of children. ï  ® ï  ® Insecure-avoidant: this is a style of attachment characterising those children that tend to avoid social interaction and intimacy with others. ï  ® ï  ® Secure attachment: this is a strong and contented attachment of an infant to his or her caregiver which develops as a result of sensitive responding by the caregiver to the infants needs. Insecure-resistant: this is a style of ambivalent attachment characterising  children who both seek and reject intimacy and social interaction. Main and Solomon (1986) re-analysed the strange situation video tapes and created a fourth attachment type: ï  ® Insecure-disorganised: these infants lack a coherent and consistent strategy for dealing with the stress of separation. Secure % of infants (Ainsworth, 1978) % of infants (Van Ijzendoorn et , 1999) Insecure avoidant Insecure resistant Insecure disorganised 66% 22% 12% XXX 62% 15% 9% 15% Evaluating Types of Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Strengths ï  ® Ainsworth’s Strange Situation technique has given psychologists a means to understand and study attachment which can lead to new future findings. ï  ® Intervention strategies have been developed to strengthen caregiving behaviour and attachments types. The Circle of Security Project (Cooper et al, 2005) which teaches caregivers to recognise signs of distress showed a decrease in disordered caregiving and an increase in secure attachment types. It has proven to be experimentally valid as its construct validity has been demonstrated by other studies supporting the four types of attachments and its predictive validity has been demonstrated in correlations between early attachment types and later behaviours. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Its findings are also consistent which makes them reliable. Using interobserver reliablity methods, Ainsworth found almost perfect agreement at . 94 between the raters (1.0 is perfect). ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Weakness ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Or does it lack validity, because it is intended to measure the attachment type of an infant, BUT does it really simply measure the quality of a particular relationship? Main and Weston (1981) claim it is measuring one relationship instead of something innate within an individual. ï  ® Evaluating Types of Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Effects of attachment types ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Bowlby’s continuity hypothesis would predict that a child’s behaviour later in life would be effected by specific attachment types they develop. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Prior and Glaser (2006) found that in later childhood, if as infants they developed a secure attachment type, they would  be less emotionally dependent and possess more  interpersonal harmony. Infants with the other three types  would be more aggressive, negative withdrawn in later  childhood. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ It would also effect you in your adult romantic lives as well. Hazen and Shaver (1987) conducted the ‘Love Quiz’ which  asked questions about early experiences and current love  experiences and found that there were characteristic  patterns of later romantic behaviour associated with each  early attachment type. Evaluating Types of Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Factors that influence attachment type ï  ® Sensitivity ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Ainsworth developed the Maternal Sensitivity Scale to rate mothers’ behaviour such as sensitivity and insensitivity to infants signals. The scale found: Securely  attached infant Observed  Mothers bx ï  ® ï  ® Insecurely attached infant Avoidant infant Resistant infant  more sensitive,  cooperating Unresponsive to  crying less  affectionate More rejecting and  less attention  giving Preoccupied with  routine activities when  holding infant Maternal reflective functioning ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Some studies have shown low correlations between measures of sensitivity and strength of attachment. Slade et al (2005) found the ability to understand what someone else is thinking or feeling may be more important. Temperament ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ May play a role as previous research indicates, but it is unclear. Cultural Variations in Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ KNOW the definitions of culture, cultural variations and the difference between individualistic and collectivistic cultures (pg.45) ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Cross-cultural Similarities ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Ainsworth’s Uganda study (1967) ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Tronick et al (1992) study on the African tribe in Zaire ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Fox (1977) infants in Isreali kibbutz raised by  nurses when tested in the Strange Situation  appeared equally attached to both caregivers,  except in the reunion behaviour where they  showed greater attachment to their mothers. Cultural Variations in Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Cross-cultural Differences ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Grossman and Grossman (1991) found that German infants appear more insecurely attached rather than secure. This may be due to the different childrearing practices as German culture involves keeping some interpersonal distance from the parent and infant. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Takahashi (1990) used the Strange Situation on a group of 60 middle-class infants in Japan and found similar rates of secure attachment. However, the infants showed no evidence of insecure-avoidant and high rates of insecureresistance (32%). Different childrearing practices can explain the difference for in Japan the infants are rarely ever separated from their parents which is why they would be more distressed than their American counterparts. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Conclusions ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ These studies suggest that the strongest attachments are still formed with their mothers and that there are differences in attachment that can be related to differences in cultural attitudes. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Meta-analysis study by Van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) examined over 2000 Strange Situation classification studies in 8 countries. They found the variation between countries and culture were small with secure attachment being the most common in all countries followed by insecure-avoidant except in Japan and Israel. Variations within cultures however were greater. In conclusion the findings appear to be similar to that found in the US and this supports the view that attachment is an innate and biological process. Also data collected on different subcultures should not be generalised to be representative of a particular culture. Criticisms of Research on Cultural Variations ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Culture bias ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® Rothbaum et al (2000) argued that attachment theory and  research is not relevant to other countries because it is rooted in American culture. For example, the sensitivity hypothesis reflects western ideas of autonomy whereas in Japan sensitivity is about promoting dependence. The continuity hypothesis states that  secure infant attachments create more competent adults, however, this ‘competence’ is defined in terms of individuation. The secure base hypothesis in the west explains secure attached infants as independent and confident exploring whereas in Japan they  promote dependence and the concept of amae and so this can  explain why insecure-resistant behaviours are more typical. Rothbaum concludes that psychologists should produce a set of indigenous theories that are explanations of attachment that are rooted in individual cultures with a small group of universal principles (infant need for protection) but mostly with childcare practices relating to cultural values. Rothbaum was challenged by Posada and Jacobs (2001) which shows that attachment theory does apply to most cultures. Criticisms of Research on Cultural Variations ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Criticisms of cross-cultural research ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Tests  of procedures used may not be equally valid  in the country and may make the culture appear  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœinferior’ or ‘abnormal’. This is an example of  imposed etic. This is when a research method is  used in one culture even thought it was designed to  be used in another (intelligence tests or observations). ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ The group that was tested may not be  representative of the culture and yet researchers  might make generalisations about the whole culture  or even the whole country. Disruption of Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Effects of Separation ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® Spitz and Wolf (1946) observed 100 children in an institution became severely depressed after a few months. Skeels and Dye (1939) found similar children scored lower on intelligence tests. Bifulo et al (1992) found that negative effects of deprivation may occur later in life. When 249 women who had lost their mothers before they were 17 were studied, it was found that they were twice as likely to develop depressive/anxiety disorders later in life. Robertsons (1967-73) made films observing the effects of separation in children: ï  ® ï  ® When given a high level of emotional care and similar structures to that of their home life, the children exhibited some signs of distress, however, slept well and did not reject their PAF when they were reunited. Some were even reluctant to part with the foster mother which is a sign of a good emotional bond. John, however, was in a nursery and not given such attention. He became withdrawn and gave up on proximity seeking bx. When he was reunited with his mother he rejected her for months and demonstrated outbursts of anger towards her. Disruption of Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Physical and Emotional Disruption ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ As the research evidence shows differences in the way physical and emotional attention is given can produce  negative effects in children. However, there are studies  that show these ill effects can be reversed. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Sigvardsson (1979) studied over 600 adopted children in Sweden and at the age of eleven, 26% of them were  classified as ‘problem children’. However in a follow up study, ten years later they were no worse off than the  average population. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ So when alternative emotional care is provided, ill effects of separation can be reversed. However, for some  children disruption of attachment leads to permanent  difficulties. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ To criticise the validity of the research consider that they are based on case studies. Weakness of case studies are  that they are based on generalisations and they depend on  objectivity of the observers and are prone to observer bias. Failure to Form Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Isolated children ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Privation is the lack of having any attachments due to the failure to develop such attachments early in life. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Genie ï  ® ï  ® The Czech twins ï  ® ï  ® Locked in a room by her father until she was 13. When discovered she could not stand erect or speak. She was disinterested in people and never recovered socially. Locked away by their step-mother until the age of 7. Were looked after by their sisters and by 14 had normal social and intellectual capabilities. By 20 they had above average intelligence and excellent social skills. Evaluation ï  ® Was unclear whether or not Genie was retarded at birth or if she ever formed an attachment with her mother. The Czech twins may have formed attachments to each other to compensate for complete lack of care. It is difficult to reach firm conclusions based on only these cases. Failure to Form Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Institutional Care ï  ® ï  ® Multiple studies show that the effects of institutionalisation within children is acute distress. Longitudinal studies have been conducted to see what long term effects are caused by institutionalisation. ï  ® ï  ® Hodges and Tizard (1989) followed a group of 65 British children from early life to adolescence. Children have been place in an institution from before they were 4 months old. Children have not yet formed attachments at this age. An early study found that 70% of the children were not able to care deeply for anyone. The children were assessed regularly up to the age of 16. Some children remained while most were adopted or restored with their original families. The restored children were less likely to develop an attachment with their mothers but the adopted ones were as closely attached to their adopted parents as the control group. However, both groups had problems with peers and showed signs of disinhibited attachment. These findings suggest that early privation had negative effects on the ability to form relationships even when given good subsequent emotional care. If failure to develop attachments after the sensitive period occur it can have an irreversible effect on emotional development. Failure to Form Attachment ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Effects of Privation and Institutionalisation ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Attachment disorder ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ This has been recognised as a psychiatric condition and has been included in the DSMIV. There are two kinds of attachment disorder, inhibited and disinhibited. Children with an attachment disorder have no PAF, cant interact or relate to others before the age of 5 and have experienced severe neglect or frequent changes in caregivers. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Poor parenting skills ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Harlow’s monkeys that were raised with surrogate mothers went on to become poor parents. Also, Quinton et al (1984) found similar findings when he compared 50 women who had been raised in institutions. When the women were in their 20’s the ex-institutionalised mothers were experiencing extreme difficulties acting as parents. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Deprivation dwarfism ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Physical evidence by Gardner (1972) that institutionalised children are physically underdeveloped, potentially caused by stress hormones. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Evaluation ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ In the study of Romanian children, one-third recovered well despite not establishing a PAF prior to the sensitive period. Therefore, privation alone cannot explain negative outcomes. This suggests that damage occurs when there are multiple risk factors (Turner and Lloyd, 1995). ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Not sure if the children failed to form attachments early in life. Maybe they did and the problems they experienced later were more related to rejection. Impact of Day Care ï  ® ï  ® Day Care – the form of temporary care not given by the family or someone well known to the child and usually outside of the home. Social development – the aspect of a child’s growth concerned with the development of sociability, where the child learns to relate to others and with the process of socialisation, the child learns social skills appropriate to the society. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Negative effects on social development ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Meta-analysis from findings of 88 studies supports Bowlby’s research that prolonged separation from the PAF leads to maladjustment. Violata and Russell (1994) concluded that regular day care for more than 20 hrs a week had an unmistakable negative effect on socio-emotional development, behaviour and attachment of young children. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ NICHD in USA conducted a longitudinal study of over 1000 children. Parents were interviewed regarding the effects of regular day care. The study showed  that the more time a child spent in day care, regardless of quality, the adults rated them as more disobedient and aggressive (NICHD, 2003). The children in day care were 3 times more likely to demonstrate behavioural problems than children that were cared by their mothers. Melhuish (2004) found evidence that children with high levels of day care in the first two years of development had elevated risks of developing anti-social behaviours. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ The Minnesota longitudinal study demonstrated the more securely attached infants are the more popular with peers they become. So therefore, the more insecure an infant, more peer related problems could be expected. Belsky and Rovine (1988) assessed attachment in children in day care and found that were more likely to be insecurely attached compared to children at home. Impact of Day Care ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Positive effects on social development ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® Good day care provides plenty of social stimulation, whereas, children living at home may lack social interactions. Brown and Harris (1978) found depressed mothers contributed  their low moods to being isolated at home with children. Depressed mothers are likely to form insecure attachments with their children which would have a negative effect on their children. Therefore, the independence gained with having a child in day care is a way to prevent this. Clarke-Stewart et al (1994) studied 150 children and found they were consistently more compliant and independent. The EPPE followed 3000 children in pre-schools and found increased sociability (Sylvia et al, 2003). Day care exposes children to their peers thus enabling them to develop social strategies (negotiate and make friends). Field (1991) found a positive correlation between the amount of time in day care and the number of friends children have once they enter school. Also, those that started day care before 6 months were more sociable than those that started later. Evaluating Research on Day Care ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Weaknesses of research on day care ï  ® When evaluating the research, one must consider the circumstances under which one can find positive or negative outcomes. ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® ï  ® Prodromidis (1995) found no correlation between Swedish children in day care and aggression. Freidman from NICHD explains the aggression study actually shows that day care children may be more aggressive than non-day care, but still 83% of children in day care between 10 -30 hours a week show no signs of aggression. Second important finding from the NICHD research is that the mothers sensitivity to the child, higher maternal education and income all play a more important role in decreased behavioural problems than the amount of time in day care. Finally, the findings are not causal. The data cannot show that day care caused aggression only that there is a link between the two. Therefore, the data suggests that childrens development is more strongly affected by factors at home than those in day care (Belsky et al, 2007). Evaluating Research on Day Care ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Weaknesses of Research on Day Care ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Cannot apply a cause relating to peer relations as  well, only a link. For example, shy and unsociable children have mothers that are shy and  unsociable, therefore, its possible that more  outgoing parents/children that go to day care. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ A lot of research supports the idea that day care  alone has no direct effect on development and  that there are other factors involved. Gregg et al  (2005) analysed findings from the Children of the  90’s study and concluded that for the majority of  children, maternal employment in their first 3  years of life had no adverse effects on behaviour. Evaluating Research on Day Care ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Mediating Factors ï  ® Quality of Care ï  ® ï  ® Individual Differences ï  ® ï  ® As the quality of care decreases it is expected that the attachment type will become poorer. NICHD study (1997) found that low-quality care was associated with poor social development. As parents have different interests in their child, day care staff are less invested and therefore provide a different kind of attention. This is reflected in Howes and Hamilton (1992) findings  that secure attachments  occurred in only 50% of day care staff but 70% in mothers. The NICHD study found the more secure a child’s attachment level is the better they cope with time spent in day care. However, another study showed that insecure children coped better than secure children (showed more aggressive bx) in day care. Child’s age and number of hours ï  ® ï  ® Gregg et al (2005) found that negative effects were more likely to be found in children starting day care before 18 months of age. However, the magnitude of these effects was small. Clarke-Stewart et al (1994) found no difference in attachment between spending a lot of time in day care (more than 30 hours) with those that spend a little time (less than 10 hours). Implications of Research into Attachment and Day care ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Attachment Research ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Attachment research has shown that when separation occurs, negative effects of this separation can be avoided if substitute emotional care can be provided and links to the PAF are made available. This research has changed the way hospitals handle visiting arrangements and the way institutional care is provided. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ A second implication is the way the adoptions process is managed allowing babies to be adopted earlier strengthening child/parent attachments (Singer, 1985). ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Another implication is the improvement of parenting skills, ie, Circle of Security, which improves infant/mother relationships. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Finally, attachment research has been used to improve day care quality focusing on the importance of secondary attachment figures. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Day Care Research ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ As research shows, high quality care leads to positive outcomes. What is highquality care? ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Low child-staff ratios – 3:1 is ideal for sensitive care to be given ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Minimal staff turnover – allows for consistent care and decreases anxiety ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Sensitive emotional care – only 23% of carers demonstrated highly sensitive care, 50% was moderate care and 20% were emotionally detached. ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ Qualified staff – qualified managers lead to better social development ï  ®Ã¢â‚¬ ¯ To ensure high-quality care, legal standards are implemented relating to staff ratio to age of the child, minimum qualifications of staff, Ofsted inspections and finally the sure Start programme.

Biomechanical Differences: Male and Female Marathon Runner

Biomechanical Differences: Male and Female Marathon Runner More than by brain size or tool-making ability, the human species was set apart from its ancestors by the ability to jog mile after lung-stabbing mile with greater endurance than any other primate. The introductory quotation (Hotz, 2004) simply, yet vividly, expresses the results of a recent study completed by two American scientists, Dennis Bramble and Daniel Lieberman, and released in the journal Nature(2004). Bramble and Lieberman contend that the ability to run long distances was the driving force shaping the modern human anatomy.Hotz’s characterization of early humans as marathon men and women from the tips of their distinctively short toes and long Achilles tendons to the tops of their biomechanically balanced heads (emphasis added) sets the backdrop for this essay—an exploration of the biomechanical differences between male and female marathon runners. After a few additional historical comments, this essay opens with a presentation of anatomical differences between men and women with specific reference to running then continues with definitions and descriptions of the term marathon, as a form of organized running sport, and definitions for the term biomechanics in preparation for a discussion of how the field of biomechanics is applied to running. With this information as a foundation, the objective and scope will be articulated followed by presentation of previous methods and findings revealed from a search of the literature on the topic of biomechanical differences between male and female marathon runners and closely-related topics. These findings will be discussed and conclusions drawn. Finally, recommendations for further research will be presented. To return briefly to the research findings of Bramble, a paleontologist and biomechanics expert, and Lieberman, a physical anthropologist, to continue setting the backdrop for the essay, Bramble states: Running made us human, at least in an anatomical sense. We think running is one of the most transforming events in human history (Chui, 2004). Endurance running is an activity that is reserved for humans in the primate world and not common in other mammals with the exception of dogs, horses and a few others. Bramble and Lieberman contend that running permitted humans to scavenge and hunt for food over significant distances and that the high protein food they secured was instrumental in developing larger brains (Wilford, 2004). To facilitate running, humans developed several traits including large buttocks with strong muscles which connect the femur to the trunk of the body preventing the body from over-balancing with each step. In addition, humans have a lengthy arm-swinging stride and [l]ong ligaments and tendons—including the Achilles tendon—[which] serve as springs that store and release mechanical energy during running.(Hotz, 2004). Bramble’s reference to today’s running in the evolutionary context he and Lieberman established provides an appropriate introduction to the exploration of the biomechanical differences between male and female marathon runners (Wilford, 2004): Today, endurance running is primarily a form of exercise and recreation, but its roots may be as ancient as the origin of the human genus. The description of anatomical differences between men and women,which is focused on anatomical features that are involved in running,begins with a gender-neutral discussion to establish a foundation for the more gender-specific information. Rossi (2003) emphasizes the complexity of walking, a precursor torunning. He writes that half of the 650 muscles and tendons in thehuman body are involved in what most people consider to be the simpleact of walking. He suggests that, in the evolution of the human body,there were hundreds of adaptations that had to take place,adaptations that required repositioning of everything in the bodyover several million years. Rossi writes: The arms, no longer needed for branch swinging, became shorter, thelegs longer, the pelvis wider, the shoulders narrower, the neck longerand more slender, the spine changed from C-shape to S-shape. Majorchanges were required in the hip, knee and ankle joints. Hundreds ofmuscles, tendons, ligaments and joints gradually shifted in position,size and function. And of course, the new posture and gait requiredimportant changes in the size and position of all the organs of thechest and abdomen. Rossi suggests that some of these changes were extremely significantfrom a biomechanical perspective. For instance, he calls attention tothe blood pumping requirement of the upright human form: Daily in eachindividual, approximately 74,000 quarts of blood must travel through100,000 miles of blood vessels from the brain to the feet and legs in acircular pattern. Rossi emphasizes the human engineering challengethat was required to design a system that would counteract the effectsof gravity in moving blood vertically in this manner. Rossi’s commentsare particularly important in the context of the current discoursebecause they provide some insight into the current state of relevantanatomical features of today’s runners and how those features werederived. The anatomy of humans, unlike that of other living creatures,provides for speed and endurance. The unique characteristics related torunning include (Science in Africa, 2005, citing University of Utah Public Relations, 2004): †¢ Skull features. These features, which include sweating from the scalp and face, cool the blood. †¢ A balanced head. This shape of head with a relatively flat face,small teeth, and short snout moves the center of the mass backwardwhich helps to counter the effects of moving upward and downward duringrunning. †¢ A ligament running from the rear of the skill and neck downward tothe thoracic vertebrae. This feature serves as a shock absorber thataids the arms and shoulders in counterbalancing the head during runningactivity. †¢ Shoulders decoupled from the head and neck. This feature allowsrotation of the body while the head faces forward during running. †¢ A tall body. This feature, which includes a narrow trunk, waistand pelvis, provides for increased skin surface allowing for enhancedbody cooling and permits the upper and lower body segments to moveindependently. †¢ Short forearms. This feature permits the upper body to act as acounterbalance to the lower body during running activity while reducingthe muscle power required for maintaining flexed arms. †¢ Large vertebrae and disks. This feature permits the human back to accepted heavier loads when runners impact the ground. †¢ Large, strong connection between the pelvis and the spine. Thisfeature supports more stability and shock absorbing capacity duringrunning activity. †¢ Large buttocks. This feature, and the muscles that form it,stabilize the body during running activity. The connection of thesemuscles to the femur prevents the body from pitching forward. †¢ Long legs. This feature allows humans to take large strides duringrunning activity. The tendons and ligaments permit the legs to belighter and less muscular thereby requiring a smaller amount of energyto propel them while running. †¢ Large hip, knee, and ankle joint surface areas. These featuresprovide enhanced shock absorption by reducing the impact in any onespecific area. †¢ Arrangement of bones in the foot. This feature provides for a morerigid foot by creating a stable arch, allowing runners to push off in amore efficient manner and to use ligaments located on the bottom of thefeet as springs. †¢ Large heel bone, short toes, and a big toe. These features providefor enhanced shock absorption and increased capacity to push off duringrunning activity. With the running-related anatomical features applicable to allhumans as a foundation, the focus now turns to the differences inanatomical features between men and women, specifically those featuresthat are involved in running activity. Holschen (2004) writes that,until puberty, males and females are equal in terms of strength,aerobic power, heart size, and weight; they also have similar amountsof body fat. Starting at puberty, according to Holschen (2004), male and female sexhormones begin affecting bone and lean body mass, circulation, andmetabolism in different ways. A female typically has a wider pelvis,femoral anteversion (inward twisting of the femur), genu valgum (kneestouch but ankles are separated), and external tibial torsion (feet donot line up in a straight manner because of out-toeing from outwardrotation of the large calf bone). Center of gravity differences betweenmen and women are minimal, correlating more by body type and heightthan with gender. (Atwater, 1985, cited in Holschen, 2004). Whencompared with males, females typically have smaller bones accompaniedby smaller articular surfaces. They also have proportionately shorterlegs with resulting decreased potential force in certain maneuvers.(Holschen, 2004). At puberty, girls gain both fat and lean muscle mass due to theinfluence of female hormones; boys lose body fat and add muscle massdue to the influence of male hormones (Holschen, 2004). Women inadulthood have about ten percent more body fat than do their malecounterparts (Greydanus, D. and Patel, D., 2002, cited in Holschen,2004). The basal metabolic rate is approximately ten percent lower inwomen than in men. The presence of female hormones mandates that womenrely more on fat metabolism at any given exercise level when comparedto men. In addition, glycogen uptake, storage, and use are increased.(Holschen, 2004, citing Bonekat, H. W. et al., 1987; Dombovy, M. L. etal., 1987; Frankovich, R. J. and Lebrun, C. M., 2000; Nicklas, B. J. etal., 1989; Tarnopolsky, L. J., 1990) Cureton and associates (1988,cited in Holschen, 2004) attribute the differences in muscle strengthbetween men and woman to skeletal and cardiac muscular hypertrophy andmuscle mass percentage; they contend that muscle mass in men is fortypercent compared to twenty-three percent in women. Changes in body composition and circulatory capacity beginning atpuberty result in approximately twenty percent highercardio-respiratory capacity in men. Men also have comparatively higheroxygen-carrying capacity, larger heart and lung mass, a higher strokevolume, and higher maximal cardiac output which result in greatereffectiveness in aerobic and anaerobic activities, although trainingcan overcome the inherent differences (Williford, H. N. et al., 1993,cited in Holschen, 2004). The results of the current research point to fundamental anatomicaldifferences between men and woman, differences that largely begin toappear during puberty and which have some bearing on runningcapability. The term running can be defined as [moving] swiftly on foot sothat both feet leave the ground during each stride (American HeritageDictionary of the English Language, 2000). The research by Bramble andLieberman (2004, cited in Nature, 2004), which was presented earlier,seems to indicate that running has been part of human existence sinceits beginnings and, in fact, contributed significantly to developmentof human life today. Humans no longer require running for survival, atleast in their normal affairs; that is, typically, humans do not haveto run from danger or run in pursuit of animals to kill for food. Inmodern times, running has taken on a new form—competition foot racing.This competition racing can be against oneself to achieve one’s ownpersonal best or with others. Racing against others can take manyforms ranging from informal competitions between two young friendsracing against one another on a playground to very formal competitionssuch as those in the quadrennia l Olympics. The more formal runningcompetitions are typically classified by the length of the run: 100,200, 400, 800, 1500, 5000, and 10000 meters as well as marathons(Dollman, 2003). There are many terms that refer to specific forms of foot racing: run,dash, sprint, relay, meet, competitive trial of speed, footrace, andmarathon (Webster’s New World Thesaurus, 1997). Of these, the termsdash and sprint are typically used interchangeably to describe ashort, fast run or race (Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1988) or ashort, swift movement (Webster’s New World Thesaurus, 1997). Organizeddashes and sprints are commonly of 50 meters, 100 meters, 200 meters,50 yards, 100 yards, and 200 yards in length (Webster’s New WorldThesaurus, 1997). Marathons are a form of long-distance running, whichare on- and off-the-track competitions of more than 3000 meters (Hlus,1997). Specifically, a marathon is a footrace of 42 kilometers, 195meters (26 miles, 385 yards) run over an open course, or anylong-distance or endurance contest People who compete in marathons arecalled marathoners (Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1998).Physiologically, there is a fundamental difference between a sprint ordash and a marathon. According to Pritchard (1994), A sprinter canexert maximum force throughout the run, but this is not possible forlonger runs, where propulsive force must be reduced to match energyavailability. Historically, marathons are not new events. According to legend, thename marathon is derived from the Greek city, Marathon, to commemoratePheidippides’s run from that city to Athens to announce Greek victoryover the Persians. The marathon was introduced to the Olympics in 1896and today’s official distance was established in 1908. (Hlus, 1997; TheColumbia Encyclopedia, 2005) Today, in addition to marathon races inthe Olympics, many cities throughout the world serve as sites forannual or other periodic marathons (The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2005). A new form of marathon race has recently taken form—the ultramarathon,which is any organized footrace extending beyond the standard marathonrunning distance of 42 kilometers, 195 meters†¦[they] typically begin at 50 kilometers and extend to enormous distances (Blaikie, n. d.).Standard distances for ultramarathons are 50 and 100 kilometers and 50and 100 miles (Meyers, 2002) with the longest certified race being theSri Chinmoy, a 2092 kilometer race held annually in New York (Blaikie,n. d.). The research produced numerous and varied definitions for the termbiomechanics. The following are representative of the findings: †¢ The study of the mechanics of a living body, especially of theforces exerted by muscles and gravity on the skeletal structure. (TheAmerican Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 2000). †¢ [The] application of mechanical engineering principles andtechniques in the field of medicine and surgery, studying naturalstructures to improve those produced by humans (The HutchinsonEncyclopedia, 2003). †¢ [A] science examining the forces acting upon and within a biologicalstructure, and the effects produced by those forces (The University ofCalgary, n. d.). †¢ [T]he science that deals with forces and their effects, applied to biological systems (Freivalds, 2004). †¢ [T]he application of the principles and techniques of mechanics to the human body in motion (Snowden, 2001). †¢ Biomechanics is a specific field which evaluates the motion of aliving organism†¦and the actions of forces on that organism†¦acombination of several different areas of study [including] anatomy andphysiology, kinematics (the study of motion without regard to itscauses), kinesiology (the study of human movement) and kinetics (thestudy of forces acting on a system) (National Endurance SportsTrainers Association, 2005). In furnishing a definition for biomechanics, the Quintic ConsultancyLtd. (2005) provides some additional insight into the origin anddetails of the term, stating that the name is derived from the Greekbios meaning life and mekhaniki meaning mechanics, adding that theseindividual terms are combined to mean the mechanics of life forms.The biomechanics discipline includes research into various life formsincluding plants, insects, reptiles, birds, fish, humans, and others.Within the human specialty, topics include mechanics of bone, tooth,muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage, skin, prostheses, blood flow, airflow, eye movement, joint movement [and] whole body movement (TheQuintic Consultancy Ltd., 2005). Historically, according to Knudson (2003), the study of humanbiomechanics has alternated between emphasizing each of its twocomponents—the biological and the mechanical. Atwater (1980, cited inKnudson, 2003) claims that, during the first half of the twentiethcentury, scholars emphasized medicine and anatomy under the termkinesiology. The distinct field of biomechanics was born from the workof biomechanists in the 1960s and 1970s. From that point the fieldbegan to emphasize mechanics over biology. Today, the competing forcesto move the discipline either toward a biological emphasis or toward amechanical emphasis continue (Knudson, 2003). The field of biomechanics, already narrowed in a previous sectionfrom consideration of all life forms to only humans for the purpose ofthis essay, can be focused even further to a sub-field called sportsbiomechanics (The Quintic Consultancy Ltd., 2005): Sports biomechanics uses the scientific methods of mechanics tostudy the effects of various forces on the sports performer. It isconcerned, in particular, with the forces that act on the humanneuromusculoskeletal system, velocities, accelerations, torque,momentum, and inertia. It also considers aspects of the behavior ofsports implements, footwear and surfaces where these affect athleticperformance or injury prevention. Sports biomechanics can be divided upinto two sections: performance improvement [and] injury prevention. The Australian Sports Commission (n. d.) furnishes additionaldescriptive information on the application of biomechanics to sports,using a term the Commission calls applied sports biomechanics whichincorporates techniques from physics, human anatomy, mathematics,computing and engineering to analyse technique to prevent injury andimprove performance. The Commission’s division of sports biomechanicsinto two categories—performance improvement and injuryprevention—echoes the classifications offered by The QuinticConsultancy Ltd. Williams (2003) describes how biomechanics can help runnerperformance, specifically that of the marathoner. Leading into hisrecommendations, he describes how marathon runners use a simplebiomechanical strategy known as drafting off another runner whenrunning into the wind to reduce the adverse effects of air resistanceand reduce oxygen consumption for the latter part of the race. Hewrites: The goal of the sport biomechanist is to improve movement efficiency,mainly by maximizing propulsive forces and minimizing resistive forces,and thus provide the athlete with a mechanical edge. Using high-speedcinematography, the biomechanist can analyze a runner’s form and detectproblems in running form that may be inefficient, such as overstriding,and that may waste energy. Although most elite and experiencedmarathoners have developed efficient running styles, even a smallimprovement in running efficiency may make a significant differenceover the duration of a marathon. In addition to the strategy of drafting off another runner,Williams offers several other biomechanical strategies includingselecting the proper sportswear (i.e. uniform and shoes) and optimizingbody weight and composition. Thus far the topics of anatomical differences between men and womenwith specific reference to running; definitions and descriptions of theterms marathon (as an organized, competitive form of running) andbiomechanics; and the application of biomechanics to running have beenpresented and discussed. With this as a foundation, the focus of thediscourse now turns to the topic of biomechanical differences betweenmale and female marathon runners and closely-related topics. The objective of this portion of the essay will be to explore thebiomechanical differences between male and female marathon runnersthrough a review and analysis of selected literature on the topic andrelated issues. The scope of the literature review will include marathon running withspecific reference to available information on the differences betweenmales and females. Although running of shorter distances (e.g. sprintsand dashes) and longer distances (e.g. ultramarathons) as well as othersports activities are excluded from the specific scope of this essay,references will be made to these activities when they related tomarathon running. Performance improvement and injury prevention werementioned as the two primary areas addressed by applied sportsbiomechanics. Gender-specific issues in each of these areas will beexplored briefly as well. REVIEW OF EXISTING RESEARCH ON METHODS AND FINDINGS One researcher who has studied gender differences in enduranceperformance, including marathon running, is Stephen Seiler (1996) ofThe Institute for Sport, Agder College in Kristianstad, Norway. Hewrites: Some years ago it was proposed by some that women wouldactually perform better [than men] at ultra-endurance type activities.This theory has been disproved in the laboratory and in practice. Aslong as women are women, I don’t think they will surpass men, statesNorways perennial marathon winner Grete Waitz (quoted in Holden,2004). The anatomical differences between females and their malecounterparts, specifically those that affect running, were presented inthe introduction. Now an attempt will be made to show that the generalanatomical differences between men and women extend to biomechanicaldifferences that affect marathon running performance and injury. Holschen (2004) writes that [T]he female athlete remains less wellunderstood and less well studied compared with male athletes,especially in the areas of performance factors, repetitive stress, andacute injuries. She continues: Logical reasons for this include: (a)a limited two-generation span of the high-profile elite female; (b)fewer females involved in coaching, research, and sports medicine; and(c) limited areas of female youth sports historically (gymnastics,swimming, dance). The reality of Holschen’s findings proved to be truein the current research activity. There were remarkably few availablesources on the biomechanics involved in women’s marathon running. Mostof the research either applied to males or did not identify the gender.Results from a review of selected research literature will be presentedin this section beginning with gender-differentiated research resultson running performance. Following this, results of research into thetwo applied sports biomechan ics specialties will be presented with afocus on studies concerning footwear and injuries. Holden (2004) writes about performance in running with specialattention to female runners. She quotes physiologist Henrik Larsen ofthe Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre in explaining women’s marathonperformance vis-à  -vis men: Women had not developed long distance;that’s why the improvement is much greater on the marathon. Larsen,who seems to attribute the performance improvements of femalemarathoners to focused training instead of anatomic factors, claimsthat [w]e don’t see any higher oxidative capacity in women. Holdenalso offers comments by exercise physiologist Timothy Noakes of theUniversity of Cape Town, South Africa who agrees with Larsen’sassessment: A smaller body frame gives women an edge on endurance†¦butmen can run 10% faster even when the difference in body size iscontrolled for. Stephen Seiler (1996), who was quoted at the start of this sectionstating that the proposal that women could perform better inultra-endurance activities has been disproved, confirms that there aresome physiological differences between the sexes that impactperformance in females independent of age. He notes that there is aten percent difference in marathon times between men and women, addingthat this difference is the same across the distance runningperformance spectrum. He attributes this difference, not to adifference in training, but to physiological differences. He studiedmaximal oxygen consumption, the lactate threshold, and efficiency toanalyze the differences between men and women as these factors mightaffect long-distance running performance: †¢ Maximal Oxygen Consumption. There is a 43 percent differencebetween men and women with men possessing a VO2 max (oxygen-deliveringcapacity measure) of 3.5 liters per minute and women with a capacity of2.0 liters per minute. Seiler attributes this in part to male size; menare larger. But, even when size is factored in, male oxygen consumptioncapacity is still fifteen to twenty percent higher. Males have agreater capacity to deliver oxygen to their muscles and organs. †¢ The Lactate Threshold. This is the point at which lactic acidbegins to accumulate at higher than normal levels in the blood streamindicating an exercise intensity boundary at which the level ofintensity can be maintained over a long period and that which willresult in quick fatigue. Seiler does not believe that lactatethresholds are different for men and women as a percentage of their VO2max. †¢ Efficiency. After finding conflicting information comparing theefficiency of males and females—revealing that females are lessefficient, more efficient, or the same as males in terms ofefficiency—Seiler believes that differences in efficiency do notaccount for the differences in endurance performance. Seiler concludes with his determination that the ten percentperformance difference between men and women in endurance running canbe attributed to the first of the three physiological factors hestudied—maximal oxygen consumption. Another researcher who explored gender differences in athletics,and especially in endurance events, is Dollman (2003). Citing Shepard(2000), Dollman writes that there is consistent evidence, based onobservations, that males possess larger measures of the following(quoted): †¢ Heart volume, even when corrected for stature. †¢ Haematocrit, which gives males a 13 percent greater oxygen-carrying capacity than females. †¢ Plasma volume. †¢ Total muscle mass, which means that females perform the sameabsolute task at a higher percentage of maximum voluntary contraction,with concomitant vascular impedance limiting cardiac ejection and peakcardiac output. In addition, male skeletal muscles may have a higher succinatedehydrogenase (an integral membrane protein) concentration (Dollman,2003, citing Costill, et al., 1987). Males may produce bettermechanical efficiency during running (Dollman, 2003, citing Miura,1997) although this is arguable as it may be rooted in cultural origins(Dollman, 2003, citing Shepard, 2000). Now attention will turn briefly to a review of selected researchinto the two primary application areas addressed by applied sportsbiomechanics: running performance and injuries. Regarding performance,footwear will be discussed followed by a presentation of selectedfindings on research into injuries. Gender issues will be introduced. Lipsky (2001, citing Hennig, 2001) presented research findings ongender-specific requirements for athletic footwear designed forrunning. The research experiment involved fifteen women and seventeenmen of the same body weights, heights, and ages. Each subject wore thesame shoe size and each tested five types of shoes which included threestyles of men’s shoes and two styles for women. Using Kistler forceplatforms at a set velocity, ground force reactions, tibialacceleration, angular foot motion, and plantar pressures at eightstrategic locations on the foot were measured. According to Lipsky, theexperiment revealed that none of the variables demonstrated asignificant interaction among gender and footwear type meaning, Lipskycontends, that women had the same biomechanical dilemmas in men’sshoes as they did in their own footwear. Despite similarity in thetest subjects’ weight and other factors, men exhibited higher pressurerates in all regions of the foot. Men had sig nificantly higher heelloads, but less midfoot loads, indicating that the arches of women donot support the middle of their feet. According to Lipsky, theseresults support the conclusions that women have a stronger collapse ofthe longitudinal arch†¦during weight bearing and have an increasedtendency of pronation and the smaller amount of pressure to theground. The recommendation from this study is that women should selectrunning shoes that protect against overpronation. This, according toLipsky, will help prevent knee injuries. Bartold (2004) adds to the literature on the differences inrequirements for athletic shoes for men and women. He claims thatrunning footwear is largely designed and manufactured for malerunners, making little recognition that women have significant injuryissues compared to men. Although Bartold acknowledges that reasons forinjuries are not scientifically established, he indicates thatproposals have been made that known differences in structure maypredispose female athletes to differences in running mechanics, andthese differences may lead to specific injuries, continuing by statingthat [a]necdotally, we have excellent evidence [that] the particularbiomechanics of female athletes and the way they run predisposes themto specific injury patterns. With regard to injuries, Parfit (1994) compared running injuries ofmiddle distance runners and marathon runners, concluding that thelatter incur more injuries when compared to the former (approximatelyeighty-two percent for middle distance runners compared to ninety-sevenpercent for marathoners). Acknowledging validity questions due to smallrunner populations studied and lack of injury definitions, Parfit foundthat whilst marathon runners suffered from back problems and hipailments, middle distance runners were more susceptible to kneeproblems, stress fractures, and shin splints. Certain types of knee, shoulder and back injuries are more commonin females and can in part be attributed to differences in body shapeand biomechanics, reports Glasgow, Scotland’s Daily Record (2004).Taunton et al. (2002) found that there were significant differencesbetween running injuries incurred by men and women. According to thisstudy, knee injuries seemed to be the most common injury in both sexeswith men experiencing higher incidences of the following injuries (thefirst percentage shown in parenthesis is for men; the second forwomen): †¢ plantar fasciitis, an injury to the fascia connective tissue on the bottom of the foot (54%/46%); †¢ meniscal injury, a condition in the knee cartilage that acts ascushion between the thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia) (69%/31%); †¢ patellar tendinopathy, a rupture in the tendon that connects the kneecap to the tibia (57%/43%); †¢ Achilles tendinopathy, tendon pain or dysfunction in the muscle that connects the calf to the heel of the foot (58%/42%); †¢ gastrocnemius injury, a condition in the largest, most prominentmuscle in the calf which allows for extending the foot and bending theknee (70%/30%); †¢ adductor injury, a condition, such as a tear, in the muscle in the inner thigh (68%/32%); and †¢ osteoarthritis of the knee, a degenerative joint diseasecharacterized by breakdown of the articular cartilage in the joint(71%/29%). The study by Taunton et al. (2002) revealed that women experiencedhigher incidences of the following running injuries (the firstpercentage shown in parenthesis is for women; the second for men): †¢ PFPS, or patellofemoral pain syndrome, a pain behind the kneesometimes known as runner’s knee (62%/32%, does not add to 100%); †¢ ITBFS, or iliotibial band friction syndrome, a conditioncharacterized by injury to the thick band of fibrous tissue that runsdown the outside of the leg beginning at the hip and extending to theouter side of the shin bone just below the knee joint (62%/32%, doesnot ad