Frankenstein: Creating a Human

Timmy Harder Mr. Reynolds English February 20, 2010 Frankenstein vs. Modern Science When Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, was written, it was seen as a novel warning scientists and people of the time of the dangers that could follow from exploring unknown scientific fields. In Frankenstein, the unknown field of study is the creation of a live human being. At the time, this was seen as an unthinkable and impossible task, but Victor completes it, although poorly. He began the experiment with little preparation and most of the procedures were done without care.His experiment was way before its time and most people were confused or scared by his creation. Even today creation of a human being is unheard of. However, today, one of the major issues that is being discussed is that of stem cell research. The scientists of Stem Cell Research and Victor Frankenstein share many aspects that could greatly inhibit their overall findings. Victor had many problems that could scare off modern scientifi c research but the two major fears are the side-effects that the creation may cause and scientist’ unpreparedness of their actions.The first problem with exploring a new scientific field is that not much is known about it including the procedure and just the knowledge of the subject. Victor began his initial research when he returned from England after visiting fellow scientists. He wanted to make his name famous, but he totally disregarded the necessities of the experiment. When he completed his creation, it was so hideous that he had to leave because he could not handle the ugliness. He planned to make a human like himself; instead he created a monster with yellowish skin and a height of eight feet.Needless to say, this creature was about as far away from a human as he could have gotten; it was more of a giant. When Victor first sees the monster he says, â€Å"The beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. † (pg. 38) Victor could not even force himself to look at the monster because it was too hideous. When Victor first began the experiment, he believed that he had the complete set of tools to perform the experiment but, in the end, he was not prepared enough.Today, Stem Cell research is in the same sort of mold that Victor’s experiment was in. Stem Cells were discovered in the late 1960s and real live experiments did not begin until the 1980s. At first, the experiments were performed on animals and many resulted in extra limbs and mutated body parts. The experiments were then tested on a set of twins, who were in dire need of a bone marrow transplant. The initial experiment went perfect, but afterwards their legs did not function properly, and they went in for another surgery.However, stem cells were researched for about 10 years until the first experiment was conducted, while Victor conducted his first experiment just four years after he completed medical school. The only problem was that both expe riments were conducted with total disregard of what could happen after the experiment, and in the case of the twins improperly functioning legs for life. Once the experiment or surgery was completed there are multiple side-effects that could follow each procedure. Side-effects are the things that may occur after the experiment that could damage the person for whom the experiment was completed, or the population.For example, Victor created the creature, and with the creature followed many problems that affected the creature itself, and many people in the city were bothered by the monster. The creature killed many people on accident, and the creature was affected by his ugliness and his lack of communication skills. He was unable to communicate with other people and he eventually became lonely. Although many of the creature’s side-effects were emotional and could have been avoided by the creature itself, the side-effects in total could have been prevented if Victor never create d the monster in the first place.However, many of the side-effects that follow stem cell transplant are only harmful to the person for whom they were transplanted. Several side-effects include no-stop bleeding, Anemia, and Infertility. None of these directly affect the population, although Infertility would prevent children from being born. However, the most devastating side-effect is a mutation of several body parts. One example was a kid growing an extra bladder because the environment prevented him from growing an extra kidney. Unfortunately, the man perished from cancer.Mary Shelley did as best as she could to warn the future scientists of the danger of engaging in an unknown field of science. Today, with stem cell research it is a relatively new topic that scientists are still researching. Many initial experiments have been performed, and when done correctly, can create scientific medicals. But stem cell research is still young, and with its relative newness, many experiments h ave gone wrong and have resulted in deaths and terrible side-effects. Citation: http://www. quackwatch. org/06ResearchProjects/stemcell. html

Night Stalker

Ricardo â€Å"Richard† Munoz Ramirez born February 28, 1960 is a convicted serial killer and is awaiting execution on California's death row. Before his capture, Ramirez was dubbed the â€Å"Night Stalker† by the mass media. Munoz’s crimes stem from murder to rape and home invasion, his first victim was on April 10, 1984, 9-year-old Mei Leung was found dead in a hotel basement where Ramirez was living at the time. Ramirez's DNA was matched to DNA obtained at the 1984 crime scene in 2009. On June 28, 1984, 79-year-old Jennie Vincow was found dead in her apartment.She had been stabbed repeatedly, and her throat was slashed so severely she was almost decapitated. On February 21, 1985, Sisters Christina and Mary Caldwell, aged 58 and 71, were found dead in their home. They each were stabbed dozens of times. On March 17, 1985, Ramirez attacked 22-year-old Angela Barrios outside her home. He shot her before entering her house. Inside was Dayle Okazaki, age 34, who Rami rez immediately shot and killed. Within an hour of killing Okazaki, Ramirez again attacked 30-year-old Tsai-Lian Yu, he pulled her out of her car onto the road. He shot her several times and fled.The two attacks occurring on the same day sparked media attention, and caused panic and fear among the public. On March 27, Ramirez shot Vincent Zazzara, age 64, and his wife Maxine, age 44. Mrs. Zazzara's body was mutilated with several stab wounds. Bullets found at the scene were matched to those found at previous attacks, and the police realized a serial killer was on the loose. Two months after killing the Zazarra couple, Ramirez attacked a Chinese couple: Harold Wu, age 66, who was shot in the head, and his wife, Jean Wu, age 63, who was punched, bound, and then violently raped.On May 29, 1985, Ramirez attacked Malvial Keller, 83, and her disabled sister, Blanche Wolfe, 80, beating each with a hammer. Ramirez attempted to rape Keller, but failed. The next day, Ruth Wilson, 41, was boun d, raped, and sodomized by Ramirez, while her 12-year-old son was locked in a closet. Ramirez slashed Wilson once, and then bound her and her son together, and left. On June 2, 1985 Edward Wildgans, 29, was shot and killed by Ramirez. His girlfriend was raped several times by Ramirez but survived.On July 5, sixteen-year-old Whitney Bennett survived after being beaten with a tire iron by Ramirez. On July 7, Linda Fortuna, 63, was attacked and Ramirez tried to rape her, but failed. On July 20, he again struck twice he shot and killed a 32-year-old man, Chitat Assawahem, and his wife Sakima, 29, was beaten and forced to perform oral intercourse. Later in the same day a Glendale couple, Maxson Kneiding, 66, and his wife Lela, also 66, were shot and killed. On August 6, Ramirez shot both Christopher Petersen, 38, and his wife, Virginia, 27, in the head.Amazingly, they both survived. On August 8, Ramirez attacked a couple, fatally shooting Ahmed Zia, 35, before raping Zia's wife, Suu Kyi, 28. Ramirez then left Los Angeles area, and on August 17, he shot to death a 66-year-old man in San Francisco, also shooting and beating his wife. The wife survived her wounds and was able to identify her attacker from police sketches as the attacker from other similar previous attacks. August 24, 1985, Ramirez traveled broke apartment of Bill Carns, 29, and his fiancee, Inez Erickson, 27.Ramirez shot Carns in the head and raped Erickson. Munoz had stolen the couple’s car and was found on August 28, and police were able to obtain one fingerprint that was on the mirror of the vehicle. The prints belonged to Richard Munoz Ramirez, who was described as a 25-year-old drifter from Texas with a long rap sheet that included many arrests for traffic and illegal drug violations. Two days later, his mugshots were broadcast on national television and printed on the cover of every major newspaper in California.The next day Ramirez was identified, chased, surrounded, and severely beaten by an angry mob in East Los Angeles as he was trying to steal a car. Police had to break up the mob to prevent them from killing Ramirez. On September 20, 1989, he was found guilty of 13 counts of murder, 5 attempted murders, 11 sexual assaults and 14 burglaries. During the penalty phase of the trial on November 7, 1989, he was sentenced to die in California's gas chamber. The trial of Richard Ramirez was one of the most difficult and longest criminal trials in American history, taking over four years to finalize.Almost 1,600 prospective jurors were interviewed. More than one hundred witnesses testified, and while a number of witnesses had a difficult time recalling certain facts four years after the crimes, others were quite certain of the identity of Richard Ramirez. References The Night Stalker by Philip Carlo pg. 191 ch. 20 â€Å"I'M YOUR NIGHT PROWLER: Interview with Richard Ramirez† (Interview). FEAST OF HATE AND FEAR. Issue 6: FEAST OF HATE AND FEAR. 1996. http://listo graphy. com/showder/serial_killers. /the_victims_of_richard_ram%C3%

P3 Unit 3

P3 Describe how Tesco uses market research to contribute to the development of its marketing plans. Market research: Is a big part of marketing, market research is when the company asks their customers or new customers to find out more about in the market in which they currently operate in or a market they wish to operate in. Companies may do this so they can reduce risk when bringing out new products. There are two types of research and two types of data. The first type is primary research.Primary Research is when the business or the worker conducts the research their self, therefore it is fresh data and it is current and applicable to their current market. Market research is conducted to gain a better knowledge of the market in which they operate in and to find out the wants and needs of the customers. Examples of this could be surveys, observations and interviews. Advantages of primary research are that it is brand new data in this current market and with current customers therefo re it is applicable to your business.The disadvantages of primary research is that it may take a long time Internal research could be when Tesco use past sales figures from with in the company and project them to find out cash forecasts or to analyse buying habits. This is internal as it about the business they work for not any other business. External primary can be used to this can be when Tesco can people who do not currently shop in Tesco or work in Tesco questions, they could also use Mystery shoppers as external primary as someone who isn't a stake holder in the business evaluates the business, this counts as research as they will find out about the branch they work in.Another of research type is Secondary research this is also known as desk research this is when the company uses published data which already exists, they do not need to go out and ask customers wants and needs, they can just use internet or books to find whatever they need to find out. This is the cheaper optio n. This will give the company a better view of the market however will not be exactly applicable to the business, secondary research can also be used when viewing a competitor, they can see their profits if they're a PLC company.External research can be sued in Tesco such as when they look at competitors (Sainsbury’s/ asda) sales figures or buying trends or growth figures. They may do this to see how their competitors are doing and see how much they're growing. Internal could be looking at past annual reports, this is internal secondary research as its has already been published and it is from Tesco’s. There are two types of Data type. Qualitative data is one type this is when the company uses questions which are open therefore they will gain true views and opinions of the customer. Examples of this could be interviews or observations.Qualitative data isn't easy to analyse or to put into graphs as it is someone’s opinion they may not be similar. Tesco can use th is by holding observations or interviews for customers, Tesco can use primary or secondary types as they can conduct the research by their self or they can use the internet to find out the answers which they require. In terms of Tesco they could have pressure groups, or observations to collect qualitative data. The other type of data is Quantitative data, these are figures and statistics which can be easily analyse and also be interpreted easily.If a large sample of people takes the questionnaire or survey then the more effective as there will be a better perception of the wants and needs of the customer. This can be easily put into graphs and be analysed. In terms of Tesco they can use this when their customers log into their club card account online, Tesco can track sales of a certain item, buying habits and they can target the customer directly by doing this. From this Tesco can do a sales forecast and help Tesco making decisions when buying stock.Reducing risk: Market research h elps company to reduce the risk when creating new products or buying more quantity’s of another product. Such as if they use the quantitative data e. g. buying habits. If Tesco see that one product is very popular they might choose to invest in a larger quantity. Limitations: When using market research there are some limitations such as money, time and validity. Money can play a big part when using market research as it could prove costly depending on the amount of research the business conducts.So if Tesco has 4-5 focus groups a long with interviews, then it would take a long time to do and it may prove expensive as one site has quoted ? 90 per person when using focus groups, if Tesco are going to do this mulitple times then it could prove costly. Marketing research: qualitative; x quantitative; x primary internal x/external research; x secondary internal x/ external research;uses x (reduce risk in decision making, measure progress over time); limitations (cost effectiveness , validity of data collected)

Experiment to determine the presence of a single nucleotide Lab Report

Experiment to determine the presence of a single nucleotide polymorphism in a gene - Lab Report Example Factors such as the recombination of genetics and the rate or mutation play a big role in determining the density of SNP (Kwak, J. 2007). The density of SNP could be predicted by the microsatellites presence. The microsatellites AT nucleotides are the potent SNP predictors of density with the repeated long tracts that can be found in areas of reduced SNP density and low content of GC nucleotides. SNP in a population is assigned the frequency of a minor allele (Shastry, B. 2002). This involves the less frequency of allele for SNP. In order to understand the occurrence of a single nucleotide polymorphism, an experiment was set to determine the presence of a single nucleotide polymorphism in a gene. The materials that were used in the experiment include: Sample 1, which was the Lambda DNA(ÃŽ »DNA) that was digested with Hindlll, Sample 2, which was a subjected DNA*PCR amplified for undigested WMIN gene, and sample 3, which was a subjected DNA * PCR amplified for the gene WMIN that was digested using Hindlll. The loading buffer was added to the provided samples. The contents of the loading buffer are a tracking dye, bromophenol blue, and glycerol that made possible for the samples to sink into the well of loading on the gel. During the experiment, the disposable gloves were worn to reduce the contamination of DNAase from the fingers. About 50 mL 0.8% w/v agarose gel was prepared. Gelred was added to agarose gel (Su MC, Y. 2008). The agarose gel was placed into the apparatus of electrophoresis, having the wells on the black end of the cathode. TBE running buffer was added to cover the gel to a level of 1-2 mm over the surface. About 4 µl quantity of samples having 100ng DNA was loaded from sample one to three inside the wells using P20 Gilson. The lid was put on, the power turned on and adjusted to about 100 v. The power was run for approximately 30 minutes up to when the blue tracker dye was about  ¾ of the gel. The power supply was turned off and the

Human Resource Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resource Technology - Essay Example To become a multinational company the management has to expand its units across the country. As company and its other units are slowly expanding so does the problems are increasing day by day. If HR division is not up to its task then it may be possible that XYZ Inc. may consistent drop in its financial structure that result in heavy losses in the business. The important factors were found to be the hiccups facing by the staff in delivering the goods on time, baggage handling and in customer care. On the manufacturing side XYZ Inc. was unable to meet the supply demand. They have been successful in manufacturing and supplying of small privately owned airplanes. Since the public interest shifted towards the branded name and the feel of first class look the company has to meet the requirements. But XYZ Inc. was slow in its production rate. To meet the market demand on the manufacturing side and to improve customer care service the management introduced some strategies. One of the important factors that should be concentrated is on customer care service. The staff should be trained and should be at best when dealing with customers. The quality of the service should be of high degree. With the help of modern technology the staff could be easily trained.

A CRITIQUE OF A RESEARCH ARTICLE FROM A PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL Essay

A CRITIQUE OF A RESEARCH ARTICLE FROM A PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL - Essay Example In this assignment, this reviewer will critically review a research article from a professional journal (Baldwin, K. M., & Nail, L. M., 2000). The purpose of any critical review is better understanding and learning so new knowledge is build. Moreover, critical thinking is an important acumen for the present day healthcare professionals where professional standards need to be updated in order to provide clients with the best possible care based on evidence (Fink, A., 1998). Healthcare research has advanced keeping pace with the advancement of modern technology guided healthcare practice, and the best evidence can be obtained from the professional medical journals. The most interesting fact is that evidence from professional journals from research articles needs to be gleaned with critical examination of the facts, findings, and reasoning presented there (Bailey, D. , 1997). In other words, the facts presented in a scientific research must be questioned in order to establish the logic of the findings presented there. This can be only done by a systematic review of the article in light of the theoretical paradigms of research methodology that establishes the strength and power of the findings that can serve as evidence (White S & Stracombe J., 2003). Therefore, this author has chosen an article from a journal that is related to her practice and expects that critically reviewing this article would serve to provide evidence that can be utilized in practice in order to upgrade it. The process of evidence-based practice is dependent on the theoretical framework that clinical decisions are as far as possible informed by current research evidence (Sterling,Y. M., 2001). Critical review converts the process of seeking information from research into a series of clear questions that need to be answered clearly, so the truthfulness and usefulness of the research in practice can

Contract between criminological theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Contract between criminological theories - Essay Example Some of the most common approaches that explain crime include the classicism and the positivism approaches. Under the classicism approach, there are control theories, which explain the causes of crime. With regard to the positivism approach, there is biological positivism, which can be regarded as instrumental in explaining the causes of crime. This paper will explore the usefulness of biological positivism and control theory in explaining assault as offense. The usefulness of control theory in explaining assault as a crime Unlike other theories of crime, which aim at exploring why people commit crime, control theories aim at examining the reasons why many people do not commit a crime. According to control theorists, the reasons why people commit crime should not be explained because people tend to suffer from some weaknesses that make them commit crime. Control theories focus on controlling factors, which can be considered as absent in people’s personality. While explaining c rime, the control theory focuses on the interplay between sociological, psychological, and psychiatric factors. The most notable theorist who expounded the control theory is Travis Hirschi who developed the theory in 1969 (Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990). Control theory can be termed as instrumental in explaining assault as an offence. ... As such, those who choose to carry out assault are motivated to do so by the choices they make. This shows that the social control theory can be said to be connected more with the classical school that the positivist school (Gottfredson & Hirschi 2001, p.70). The social control theory holds that there tends to be shared beliefs, norms, as well as values in the society. Criminals who engage in assault share the belief that there is a need to follow the rules in society. Moreover, based on the social control theory, offense such as assault can be regarded as behaviour that can be predicted, but the society cannot control it. The social control theory contends that although every person is taught to conform to the norms of society, offenders find it hard to cope to these norms. Rather, they break down the rules even if they know the sanctions and consequences that result from breaking the rules. Based on the social control theory, crime can be seen to result from the lack of relationshi ps with other people in society. Therefore, delinquency such as assault results from the failure to engage in these relationships, which leads to the freeing of individuals from social constraints (Siegel 2012, p.45). The social control theory is useful in understanding crime with its explanation of the role of parenting in the acquisition of delinquent behaviour. Based on the theory, family bonds and social bonds play a crucial role in determining whether people will become offenders. At a young age, children’s social control emanates from interactions with their parents. Poor parental attachment can be regarded as a cause of delinquent behaviour. In this regard, children who are overly attached to their parents have the possibility of not

Construction Projects Funding Sources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Construction Projects Funding Sources - Essay Example The researcher states that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has outlined special requirements which are to be adhered to in construction projects. All public construction contracts must contain these requirements so as to enable the funding of these construction projects. The applicable state construction contract rules should be adhered to in acquiring contracts for the projects funded under the ARRA. The following are some of the ARRA requirements; all the workers employed by contractors should be paid at rates that are not less than those that other workers doing similar projects in the same locality. The Buy American Act; all the construction materials being used in the construction projects of public property should be manufactured in the country. The construction contract will be terminated if these rules will not be adhered to. ARRA is always strict that these funds should be committed to the projects fully. In contract funding, there is a wide variety of fund ing methods. One of the funding sources is through the use of Cash reserves. This is money that is deposited in the bank accounts of clients. A client can fund a construction project through the use of short-term bank deposits in form of savings or fixed deposits, cash deposited in bank accounts in the form of savings or money that was invested in the money markets and treasury bills. Money market instruments are financial instruments that are given by banks and other financial institutions or from the government. These instruments can vary from treasury bills and certificates of deposit that are thought to be of very low risk. Most of these instruments have low returns, but, at the same time, they are very safe since they are supported by the state and reputable institutions. A client might have invested in the money markets, hence, if the client wants to fund a construction project, then the client will have to sell the treasury bills or certificate of deposits and use the cash ac quired to develop his/ her construction projects.

Medical marijuana and its impact on the mind, body and society Term Paper

Medical marijuana and its impact on the mind, body and society - Term Paper Example Batalla et al. (2013) and Greenwell (2012), however, asserted the negative effects of cannabis on both adolescent and adult brains. This paper is not concerned of marijuana legalization, as it assumes that the main context is that it is used in states where medical marijuana consumption is allowed. The emphasis is on cannabis’ potential effects on users and society. Medical marijuana can help some people deal with chronic pain, but it should not be widely used because it can have negative effects on the brain, which can lead to mental, academic, and social problems. Technical Overview Marijuana, also called cannabis, pertains to preparing plants that are members of the family Cannabaceae, the genus Cannabis, and the species Cannabis sativa that produce psychoactive effects (Greenwell, 2012, p.68). Marijuana has around 70 psychoactive compounds or â€Å"cannabinoids,† which include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that creates many of marijuana’s psychological and physi cal effects, and its content is usually connected to the potency of marijuana (Batalla et al., 2013, p.2). The part of the plants used are the flowering tops, leaves, and stalks of mature female plans, although the resinous extracts (hash) of marijuana are also used as medicine (Greenwell, 2012, p.68). ... At present, medical marijuana is used to treat chronic pain for patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, and nerve pain, as well as depression, nausea, and vomiting (Greenwell, 2012, p.68; Martin-Sanchez, Furukawa, Taylor, & Martin, 2009, p.1353). Impacts of Medical Marijuana on Mind, Body, and Society Though some patients attested the importance of marijuana to treating symptoms or their illnesses, most studies agreed that the impact of marijuana on the human brain is under-researched enough for doctors and patients to be cautious of its widespread applications (Batalla et al., 2013; Blakemore, 2013; Block, 1996). Batalla et al. (2013) and Blakemore (2013) are highly concerned of how marijuana affects adolescent brains, especially when they are in their development stages, while Batalla et al. (2013), Block (1996), and Rapp (2013) are alarmed of the effects of long-term cannabis use on adult brains and behaviors. Batalla et al. (2013) conducted a systematic review on 43 structural and functional imaging studies on adolescent and adult chronic cannabis users, wherein these studies have matched control groups included. They defined chronic marijuana users as those who use cannabis a number of times a week and have done so for at a minimum of two years (p.2). Their findings showed that for the few studies that focused on adolescents, imaging showed structural and functional changes in their brains, where gender may have a role in these changes (Batalla et al., 2013, p.13). They stressed that adolescent female cannabis users may be at higher risk for cannabis-stimulated morphological impacts (Batalla et al., 2013, p.13). Blakemore (2013) also reviewed a study on cannabis use for adolescent brains

Soft Commodity Research Paper (News Letter Form)

Soft Commodity (News Letter Form) - Research Paper Example 4). Additionally, production shifted from Gulf Coast regions to more efficient growing areas. However, due to the decrease in demand in rice during 2008, the price of rice has significantly increased. But with the aid of the structural changes, the US rice industry has managed to cope and since then the trend of the demand has normalized. Currently, rice is valued in the market at $578.36 per metric ton. According to World Bank’s bi-annual Global Economic Prospects (26) report, a decline on the prices of global prices of farm commodities should be expected in 2012 by up to 11% mainly due because of the slowdown in demand and improved supply prospects. Although returns to rice production are highly variable and fluctuating, the trend is being controlled with the substantial structural changes that are being implemented in order to balance these factors. In the years to come, as the World Bank has predicted, rice prices will continually drop. And unlike other agricultural products, the rice industry has enjoyed a decline in its

Lab Report about primula Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

About primula - Lab Report Example The practical aimed at documenting the observations accurately and developing meaningful observational skills. To achieve the practical objectives, a dissecting microscope and a compound microscope were used to compare the pin and thrum parts of the flower in a morphological manner. Again, collection of measurements was done to evidence the dimorphism. In the practical, it was established that the two flower forms are significantly different in their morphological structures. Their differences are readily visible through the size and structure of their styles, anthers, petals, and other aspects as seen in this lab report. Primula vulgaris is one of the largest and commonest genera of the Primulaceae and is mainly centred in temperate regions especially the mountainous areas within the northern hemisphere. The pollination of the flower is usually aided by human activities that promote insect pollination. In this case, insect pollinators visiting the flowers to look for nectar help in the pollination process. The species flowers are known by dustily that is mainly characterized through the development of pin flowers that are long and styled. These flowers also have anthers that head midway down flower’s corolla tube as well as some short-styled thrum flowers that have anthers positioned at the corolla-tube’s mouth (Webb & Lloyd, 1986). Typically, heterostyly is a common feature for the Primula genus whereby most of the species are distylous according to Richards (1993). The pollen morphology of all species has been previously investigated, but there are no surveys related to the Primula vulgaris species have ever been found. This argument provides that only a close investigation of the Primula vulgaris would provide a better understanding of the reproductive biology of the species reproduction biology. With regard to this species, most of its flowering plants have been found to be hermaphrodite

Women and Religion Essay Example for Free

Women and Religion Essay Recognizing in religion one of the most powerful institutions for perpetuating sexism and patriarchal authority, feminists have responded in different ways. Some reject all forms of religion, believing that it is an oppressive and negative force, a trap which hinders women in the struggle for material change in their lives. Others believe that there is a spiritual as well as a material aspect to life, and seek alternatives to male-defined religions in goddess worship and other forms of woman centered theology. Still others, while recognizing the patriarchal bias of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, believe that there are spiritual truths in these religions which cannot be denied, and feel that it is therefore necessary to work for reform from within, rather than breaking away (Allen 272). Some religious feminists work for equality, while others believe that female superiority should be recognized in spiritual matters; some reject what they consider oppressive traditions, while others believe that there is strength to be found in reclaiming and redefining womens traditional roles. Like all patriarchal religions, Christianity has been instrumental in creating, perpetuating, and justifying womens oppression. Yet although the Christian church has been for many centuries the most oppressive institution, forcing women to submit to the rule of their fathers and husbands as stand ins for God, this oppression is not necessarily inherent in the religion, and many women have found in it spiritual liberation and truth. Christian teachings may be emphasized and interpreted in varied and quite contradictory ways, as proven by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her co-authors in The Womans Bible, and modern scholars have re-examined the New Testament to argue that despite later interpretations, Jesus was free from sexual prejudice (Allen 273). During the puritan revolution of the mid-seventeenth century the entrenched sexism of the church was challenged as the concept that all human souls are equal in the sight of God gathered force. The more radical puritan sects took the idea of spiritual equality to its logical conclusion, accepting the authority of the spirit over that of church or state, even if that spirit happened to be manifested in a woman or a child. Although not widespread,  and soon subdued, the very existence of this idea allowed feminist theory to develop within women who still defined themselves as Christian (Maitland 217). The discrepancy between Christian ideals and the actual treatment of women within the church began to attract more attention in the 1960s and 1970s as more and more women were influenced by feminist ideas. Individual instances of injustice began to be seen as part of a pattern of sexism. But as women began making demands of their churches they encountered a deep, often hostile, resistance to change, and were forced to ask historical and theological questions of Christianity in a search for the roots of its sexism. In A Map of the New Country: Women and Christianity Sara Maitland argues that the root of the problem lies in the ancient heresy of dualism: the idea that the wholeness of Gods creation can be divided into two and labelled good (spirit) or bad (flesh). According to Maitland: Dualism is a fundamental ground of oppression-the ability to assert that me and mine are better than that which is Other, and justifying this by making God, the ultimate Other, over in ones own imageFeminist theology perceives that dualistic splits are the cause not just of sexism, but of racism, classism, and ecological destruction. How far feminist theology may depart from accepted doctrine and still be considered Christian is a problem faced by feminists struggling to reconcile their spiritual with their political feelings. Some Christian feminist groups are church-linked, others are interdenominational, and others have moved, like philosopher Mary Daly, once a respected Catholic theologian, now declaring herself unconfined by the teachings of church or man, into the new realm of spiritual feminism. In Britain, the Christian Feminist Movement began in 1978 as an active group concerned with examining feminist issues from a Christian viewpoint, and challenging sexism both within and outside the church. They are separate from, but closely involved with, the Christian Womens Information and  Resource Service, a network linking people working to change the position of women in the church, which hopefully will be done soon (Allen 72).

The Development Of Multisensory Integration In Humans Psychology Essay

The Development Of Multisensory Integration In Humans Psychology Essay Understanding how multisensory integration develops in children and how it assists them to understand the ambiguous information in the environment is now a question at the forefront of Science. This study set out to examine and compare three different age groups of children 4-5 years old attending Reception, 6-7 years old attending Year 2 and 8-9 years old attending Year 4 in a local Primary School, to see if they benefit from multisensory information (e.g. integration of sound and vision) to disambiguate ambiguous figures that has more than one representation provided in an experiment. The results revealed that children in Year 4, 8-9 years old, showed an advantage in reaction time in congruent trials (where sound is assisting the participants to see the ambiguous figures facing the direction of the target, incongruent trials (where ambiguous figures were presented with a simultaneous acoustic cue and the auditory cue is incongruent to the subsequent target presented), and finally n eutral trials (where sensory auditory cue was not related to ambiguous figures at all). The results of this study showed that childrens increasing age is having an important and positive impact in processing multisensory information by enabling and enhancing childrens ability to understand and to recognise ambiguous figures more effectively. Key words: Multisensory integration, Ambiguous figures, Visual attention. Introduction: The development of multisensory integration in human beings: Humans and animals are hardwired with a sophisticated and unique multisensory system which enhances their understanding of the environment that they live in (Stein et al., 1996; Gillmeister Eimer, 2007) and allows the integration of information between various senses. These different senses are touch, sound, vision, smell, taste and self motion. These extraordinary senses not only exclusively provide us information about our surroundings (e.g. assists us in hearing, seeing etc), but also complex understanding that cannot always be understood through just a single modality but requires multimodal integration. Multisensory or multimodal integration refers to the idea that multiple senses interact with each other to help provide us a coherent representation of various objects, events or situations to promote better understanding of our perceptual environment. We tend to recognise an object or an event better when it is represented through more than one modality (Gondal et al; 2005; Mol holm, Ritter, Murray, Javitt, Schroeder Foxe 2002). Scientists and Psychologists have been studying how multiple senses integrate to support us to make sense of complexity of our environment for centuries. In the early years these senses were studied independently (e.g. Berkeley 1709; Locke 1690). In 1980s scientists began to study the in depth processes involved within and how these senses interact together at the level of the single neuron. The recent research has been improved immensely which has contributed productively in order for us to understand the processes involved in multisensory integration (e.g. Campbell 1987; Stein Meredith 1994; Naumer Kaisar 2010). New and improved methods like functional imaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation etc has enabled us to better grasp the under lying processes involved in multisensory integration in the human brain. Psychologists and Researchers are at a stage where newly developed methodologies are being applied to different questi ons in development of multisensory integration at a neural level (Wallace, Meredith Stein 1998). There have been empirical studies in the past showing how multisensory stimuli benefit adults, but there is a gap in research with regards to when and how it develops in children. To date there has not been any research, which has explored the role of multisensory information in recognizing ambiguous figures in children. As human adults our multisensory system integrates various signals from our senses to unify functional representations. Electrophysiological, behavioural and neuroimaging studies has made it evident that different senses through our nervous system that are related to a same situation or event and are congruent in time and space increase the possibility of accurate and effective encoding a lot more than individual senses. Ernst and Banks (2002) Alias and Burr (2004) have suggested that human adults integrate excessive information in a statistically optimal manner. A fundamental question that stands is whether the optimal multimodal integration is present in children at the time of birth or does it develop during their childhood and when do children start to use multimodal integration to understand their ambiguous environment? It is fundamental to learn if early multisensory development could benefit the developing brain. The human sensory system is immature at birth, but refines as it develops essentially. Paus (2005) pointed out that brain mapping between sensory and motor conformity is updated frequently and that it is a continuous process where neural reorganisation and cognitive changes occur up until early adolescence. (Neil et. al; 2006; Barutchu, Danaher et. al 2009) pointed out that if adults benefit from the multisensory inputs; naturally children are expected to have an advantage of multisensory inputs via their nervous system as well. Numerous behavioural studies reported that human infants can identify relationships between various multisensory inputs (Bahrick and Lickliter 2000, 2004; Bahrick et al. 2002; Lewkowicz 1988a, 1996; Neil et al. 2006). Research has shown that in very early development multisensory binding is formed (Kohl and Meltzoff 1982). During the phase of gestation between 6-7 months, touching its lips results in foetal Humphrey (1964). Streri Gentaz, (2004) suggested th at even though infants are able to transfer the multisensory information across the senses at birth the advantage of multisensory integration is not observed generally until after birth (Gogate and Bahrick, 1998, Hollich et al., 2005, Bahrick et al., 2002, Walker Andrews, 1997). At the age of 8 months an infant shows multisensory facilitation of reflexive head and eye movements during spatial localization and this theory is consistent with the co-activation models Lewkowicz Shimojo, (2006). Patterson and Werker (2003) performed a preferential looking paradigm study on 2 month old infants and observed that infants were able to match voices with faces showing that infants are integrating some multisensory information. Lewkowicz (1992) studied development of multisensory information in infants 4, 6, 8 and 10 months of age, he presented the participants audio visual stimulus, (e.g. a bouncing object on the monitor) the results revealed that infants were sensitive to the temporal associ ations amongst the visual and auditory stimuli. Processes that involve multisensory facilitation tend to develop with postnatal experiences in humans and other species (Jamie Lickliter, 2006; Lickliter et al., 2006, Wallace Stein, 1997, Wallace Stein, 2001). On the contrary studies using the McGurk effect has shown that speech perception is not influenced by our vision as much in infants or young primary school age children as in adults (Massaro, 1984, McGurk MacDonald, 1976). The leading question is when do children start combining multisensory information to understand their complex environment? Two classical theories shed light in this area, The developmental integration view, which states that in newborns the ability to perceive multisensory coherence develops gradually through childs exploration experiences of the world (Piaget 1952). The second theory is the Developmental differentiation view which states that at the time of birth some of the multisensory perceptual abilities are present in infants but the other more com plex abilities emerge later in life through perceptual learning Gibson (1969, 1984). Recent research has showed us evidence that neural and behavioural limitations and the relative experience play a central role in the typical development of multisensory processing (Walker 1997). Another complexity in humans is that different senses are developed at different rates. For example, senses like touch, vestibular chemical and auditory senses begin to function before birth and finally vision develops (Gottlieb 1971). The differential rates in developmental period could worsen the challenges for adjustment and cross modal integration for example eye length, intraocular distances, growing limbs etc in humans. In contrast, some perceptual skills do not develop early in life (e.g. auditory frequency discrimination), Olsho (1984); Olsho et al; (1988). Brown et al (1987) suggested that projective size and shape are not understood until children are about 7 years of age, and research has shown that contrast sensitivity and visual acuity carries on developing until the age of 5-6 years of age. (Rentschler, et al 2004) suggested that the understanding of object manipulation also carries on developing until the age of 8-14 years. (Morrongiello et al 1994) suggested that tact ile object recognition in sighted and blind children does not develop until the age 5-6 years. Various other complicated capacities that are dependent on experiences e.g. (Elliot 1979; Johnson 2000) facilitation of speech perception in noise is immature throughout their childhood. The developmental time frame when audio visual integration is developed in children is still unclear. Hearing and vision are two of the most important multisensory modalities that humans constitute. Audio visual integration plays a vital role in many tasks e.g. understanding of speech in noisy environments or orientation towards a novel stimulus. Development of auditory system begins before vision but is not certain when these two senses begin to integrate in humans. When presented with auditory and visual stimuli, it can be perceived as a same unitary event or as two separate unimodel events. Radeau Bertelson (1977). The binding and segregation of unimodal stimuli is dependent on low level structural factors (e.g. the temporal and spatial co-occurrence of the stimulus), as well as more cognitive factors (e.g. If the stimuli are semantically congruent or not and whether the person observing is assuming that the two stimuli should go together). Numerous recent studies have shown evid ence that auditory stimuli can be mislocalized towards visual stimuli when they are presented at the same time Welch Warren 1980, P. Bertelson Gelder (2004). It has been argued in the past that when two or more sensory inputs are presented and that they are highly consistent the observers tend to treat them as a single audio visual event (Welch Warren, 1980, Jackson, 1953) therefore it is more likely to assume that they share a common spatiotemporal origin and consequently there are more chances of them to bind them in to a single multisensory event. The binding of a specific pair of visual and auditory stimuli is dependent on various different factors. Spatiotemporal coincidence plays a vital role in different forms of audio visual integration (Slutsky Recanzone 2001, Zampini, Guest, and Shore Spence 2005) but research has also shown that there are exceptions Vroomen Keetels (2006). Neil et al, (2006) examined reflexive orienting in infants, 8-10 months old. The infants showed reaction time advantage for single visual auditory cues over combined cues. On the contrary, Barutchu et al, (2009) performed a study with young children by testing them in a manual button pressing task, and revealed that most children are unable to show the same multisensory advantages until the age of 7 years old. It was proposed that the differences showed in development of audio visual integration reveals the possibility of differential development of reflexive orienting, which depends on the superior colliculus and sensory decision making, is dependent on cortical integration of sensory evidence. Barutchu et al (2009) performed a similar study in order to examine the development of multisensory orienting and button pressing for the same audio visual stimuli where eye movements were recorded of children aged 4-13 years old, N = 19 in response to auditory beeps, visual flashes showed at 20Â ° eccentricity. It was observed from the results that the total mean AV saccadic latencies were significantly shorter than either Audio or Video and the results revealed a trend towards shorter Audio visual latencies than those hypothesised by statistical support or facilitation Miller (1982). Results of this experiment showed that children aged 4 years old when examined in a saccadic orienting task are capable of showing reaction time advantage consistent with cue integration and that this ability is dependent on the early development of sub cortical multisensory processing Wallace Stein (1997). Research on children in their later childhood around 6 years and older showed the influence of multisensory information on speech precepts, balance and size judgements Gori et. al (2008). In the brain multisensory integration occurs across various different levels which involves sub cortical areas like the superior colliculus, early cortical areas like the primary auditory and visual cortices and higher cortical areas like the superior temporal sulcus and intraparietal areas. For example freezing effect Vroomen de Gelder (2000) or pip and pop effect Van der Burg et al (2008) in which auditory temporal information is needed to form illusory visual onsets tend to occur in the primary visual areas while illusions for example Mc Gurk effect, McGurk Mac Donald (1976) takes place at a higher cortical areas due to the complexity of information. The areas involved in brain that facilitates audio visual integration in humans can be seen in figure no 1. C:UsersLocstaPictures1-s2_0-S0001691810000715-gr2.jpg Figure number 1: Showing brain areas involved in audiovisual attention Studying the sensory system and multimodal integration development matters to humans as it plays a very important role in cognitive processes. Numerous anecdotal reports from clinicians and parents have stated that significant percentage of sensory impairment, atypical ties are found in children and adults suffering from autism spectrum disorder (Cesaroni Graber, 1991; Grandin 1992; ONeill Jones 1997). In 1970s scientists dedicated a large amount of research in sensory processing whilst exploring the field of ASD, and researchers found evidence of impaired sensory modulation (Stroh Buick, 1964), this study provided initial evidence for anecdotal and clinical reports of problems in multisensory integration among individuals with ASD. Multisensory processes facilitate children in numerous cognitive processes that are important in learning. Fifer et. al (2011) tested the link between auditory noise in the background, multisensory integration and childrens general cognitive abilities in children. Eighty eight children participated in this study with the mean age of 9 years and 7 months. A simple audiovisual paradigm was used for detection. The results showed that children who have enhanced ability for multisensory integration in both quite and noisy conditions are more likely to score above average on the Full Scale IQ of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). 45%. Children with low verbal and non verbal ability showed reduced multisensory integration in either quite or noisy condition. About 20% showed better multisensory integration when there was background noise present. The findings of the experiment showed evidence that consistent multisensory integration in quiet and noisy conditions is some ways related to the development of general cognitive abilities. Ambiguous figure recognition: Ambiguous figures are figures that represent themselves in more than one way. In the past decades idea of ambiguous figure reversal has been meticulously studied by psychologists. The earliest designs of picture ambiguity may be as old as prehistoric cave art Melcher Wade, (2006). Another famous example of ambiguous figures is the Necker cube, the founder of Necker cube was a Swiss naturalist Necker (1832) and after that era other ambiguous figures were seen e.g. duck/ rabbit (Jastrow 1900) and the vase faces (Rubin 1958). Psychologists have been very interested in ambiguous figures as it provides insights to cognitive and sensory processing by means of visual processing. (Toppino 2004) performed a thorough review of ambiguous figures research, and stated that ambiguous figures opens a wide window in the fundamental mechanisms involved in the processing of the visual system which includes sensory, cognitive, motor and physiological processes. Perceptually ambiguity is the norm with regards to its special features. Particular features of an object for example distance or size cannot be seen only by our retinal input, our experiences drive our perception and information about our environment that we live in so in other words our knowledge of past experiences derived helps us in disambiguation of precepts. These experiences could be visual or involve other senses for example taste, smell, hearing, temperature or pain (Gregory, 1966). The history has showed two main theories of reversing representations of bi stable figures satiation theory and cognitive theory. Toppino et al (2005). Satiation theory states that reversing two different representations of ambiguous figure happens through a process analogous that leads to neuronal exhaustion due to tiredness when images of colours are perceived (Kohler, 1940; Long Toppino, 1981). When participants stared at a green patch and then shift their view to a white patch they eventually see red colour. What actually happens is that staring at a green colour patch fatigues the green neurons being fired in the brain and when the attention is shifted to white colour patch then the red neurons that are not fatigued dominate. Keeping this theory in mind when participants perceive a duck as an ambiguous figure, will weaken the neurons that represents the duck, and then representation of rabbit is perceived. Cognitive theory states that reversal of ambiguous figure can only happe n if the person observing the figure is aware consciously that the figure is ambiguous. (Girgus, Rock, Egatz, 1977; Rock Mitchener, 1992; Rock, Gopnik, Hall, 1994; Rock, Hall, Davis, 1994). Satiation theory and Cognitive theory map on to top down vs. bottom up processing debate. In a study performed by Girgus et al, (1977), high school students were shown ambiguous figures and they were made aware beforehand that the figures are reversible but they were not told the possible alternatives. Results showed that one half of the students made spontaneous reversal. In another study performed by Rock Mitchener, (1992), about one third of participants were able to reverse spontaneously. Cognitive development in children is a very complex developmental process and certainly is not as simple as it seems. Martin J. Doherty and Marina C. Wimmer looked at which cognitive processes and developments are important for children to experience reversal to understand ambiguous figures in children. 138, 3-5 year old children participated in these two studies to test the idea that a complicated understanding of ambiguity is needed to learn bistable stimuli (Gopnik et al 2001) Duck or rabbit? In the first experiment a novel Production task measured the ability to recognise ambiguity of the figures. The children found this task easier than the Droodle task and the level was similar to the False Belief task and was significantly correlated to the False Belief Task. The same findings were tested again in second study and the results showed that it was much more difficult to perceive the reversal of ambiguous figures than the Production or the False Belief task. The results revealed v ery interesting findings that children only try to reverse the figures when they understand the representational relationship amongst the figure and its ambiguity. The process that helps in reversal of figures is difficult, and most probably need developments in areas such as executive functioning and imagery abilities. Ambiguous figure reversal studies are also been found to be useful in showing indications of the presence of autistic traits in a big number of population. In a study performed by (Best, Owens, Moffat, Power and Johnstone 2008) showed evidence that the performance of adolescents in reversing ambiguous figures has showed in advance, the probability of participants to have characteristics of autism, poor mental abilities and superior visio- spatial attributes. (Best et al) has emphasized that there is clear evidence that ambiguous figures studies is a very important modality to be studied in understanding autism on the contrary there is also evidence that even though autistic children who are unable to reverse ambiguous figures appropriately later in life they develop the ability to reverse Ropar, et al (2003). Capps, Lisa, Gopnik Alison, Soble David (2005), performed a study on young children to examine ambiguous figure perception and theory of mind. They observed that about one third of 5-9 year old children were successfully spontaneously able to reverse the ambiguous figures where as autistic childrens did not perform well in reversing ambiguous figures as normal children. It is surprising though that ambiguous figure studies and multisensory integration being such an important modality in understanding cognition and visual processing etc there has not been extensive research done on childrens understanding and perceiving of ambiguous figures. Gopnik, Rock and Hall (1994) studied the perception of ambiguous figure task in children and suggested that figure reversal is much more complex than just low level perceptual process, they also found that even though children were informed of the ambiguity of the figures, 3 year old children still failed to reverse and only 50 percent of the 4 year old children were successfully able to reverse the main result is that young children aged under 5 are unable to reverse ambiguous figures Gopnik and Rosati (2001), Rock Gop nik and Hall (1994). Centuries of long term research with adult participants suggests that bottom up (lower level) processing in our brain and higher level cognitive processes (top down) processes play a fundamental role in assisting us to disambiguate ambiguous figures. Top down processing theory suggests that there is a voluntary control over the ability to reverse; knowing that we are dealing with ambiguous figures which have more than 1 interpretation to them is an important element and the willingness to reverse the ambiguous figure. On the contrary bottom up processes in our brain assists us in disambiguating ambiguous figures are related with neural weakness/ satiation as predicted by Gestalt Psychologists. Marina et al (2005) performed four studies with 63 children, 3, 4 and 5 year olds, results showed evidence that in young children the concept of more than 1 interpretation develops around the age of 4 but the perception of ambiguity develops around the age of 5. The role of visual attention in processing multisensory information in humans: Visual attention plays an important role in processing multisensory information which helps humans to select information across the visual field. It is considered that genes are somewhat or partly responsible for the development of our attentional networks in the brain but there are other important factors (e.g. particular experiences provided by caregivers and also the culture that we live in play a vital role). We attend to the visual information in our surroundings by simply looking at various locations. The centre portion of our eyes is called fovea, as fovea tend to have better vision it provides us a benefit when viewing different locations. There are two types of attention covert attention and overt attention. Simply looking at different locations e.g. finding your motorcycle in the parking lot or your friend in a restaurant this type of attention is called overt attention when its easier to observe their eye movement, another type of attention which enables us to attend to va rious locations without the movement of our eyes is called covert attention. According to John Colombo (2001) Rudimentary forms of various attention functions are present at birth, but each of the functions exhibits different and apparently dissociable periods of postnatal change during the first years of life. Susan E. Bryson (2010) suggested that humans ability to move attention in space effectively plays a vital role in our ever changing world. From very early in life, our ability to selectively orient or redirect attention allows us to connect with key others, to learn about and make sense of the world, and to regulate our emotional reactions. The functional anatomy reveals that orienting system is connected to areas of the parietal and frontal lobes in our brain. Posner (1980) suggested that orienting can be implied by showing a cue where you want the participants attention at a specific space which provides a platform for the participant to pay attention towards the cued position by moving or not moving their eyes. FMRI studies have showed evidence that superior parietal lobe is connected with orienting after the presentation of cue Corbetta et al (2000). The alerting mechanism tends to be associated with parietal and frontal regions of the brain. It has been seen that ongoing vigilance and performance tasks activates specific levels of alertness and these tasks has the ability to activate parietal and frontal areas of the right hemisphere in the brain Coull et al (1996); Marrocco et al (1994). Neuropsychological experiments have shown evidence in animals that an unexpected sound can enhance perceptual processing of suc ceeding visual stimuli. Recent studies Nadia et al (2002) have shown that perceptual processing enhancement also exists in humans. This phenomenon can be explained by means of cross modal interaction effects. Nadia et al (2002) showed in a study that auditory stimuli can enhance visual system in a detection task in humans as well. Michael Posner (1994) has performed very interesting research in order to study attention in humans and the three attention networks using the ANT (Attention network test) flanker task, which is an effective tool and allows us to test voluntary and involuntary attention. It helps us to study how brain pays attention to emotional events Fan et al. (2002), Posner and Peterson (1990). In this study subjects were asked to keep their eyes fixated at a point when flanking stimuli are presented on the right or left side of the fixated points. Posner stated that flanking stimuli can be detected easily even when their eyes are fixated on the cross hairs Posner (199 4). In conclusion Multisensory facilitation starts at a very early age and continues to develop throughout the childhood. Nardini et al (2006) suggested that children automatically combine auditory and visual information and this multimodal integration is matured around the age of 9-10 years. One possible domain is when children use auditory and visual information to disambiguate ambiguous figures in order to understand how multisensory integration assists young children to disambiguate ambiguous figures. Therefore this study employed an experimental design similar to Posner Michael (1994), flanker task. The role of multisensory integration in understanding ambiguous figures can be very useful for young children and atypically growing children suffering from (e.g. autistic spectrum disorder or dyslexia). Thus I proposed a study to examine what role does multisensory integration specifically audio and visual integration play in disambiguating ambiguous figures in young children. Hence it was decided to investigate the possibility that participants performance will be faster in congruent trials (where an ambiguous figure is shown with a simultaneous sound, and the auditory cue was congruent with reference to subsequent target). For example an ambiguous figure showing a duck and a rabbit, the sound accompanying it was quack representing, the duck which is facing towards the left side and the target (star) appears on the left side as well. Whereas for Incongruent trials (auditory cue is not congruent with reference to the subsequent target). Finally neutral trials where ambiguous figures are presented with non related simultaneous sound (e.g. sound of a motorcycle racing) presented with an ambiguous figure showing a duck and a rabbit and then a target appears on the left or right of the screen. Method: Participants: After seeking ethical approval from the Department of Psychological Sciences Birkbeck University of London and authorisation from all parents of young children, 45 young male and female healthy children from a local primary school were randomly employed to participate in this experiment. Three participants (1 female from reception class, 1 male from year 2 and 1 female from year 4) did not complete the study so their incomplete data were extracted from the study. Six children with learning disabilities also participated in this study but their data was discarded due to ethical purposes, as performing this experiment with disable children was not one of the aims of this study, I aimed to perform this study with healthy children, and so the results could be generalized to a healthy population of children. The experiment was performed on three different age groups of children. The first group consisted of 4-5 year old children who attended reception class, the second group had 6-7 year old children who attended grade 2 and third group 8-9 year old children who attended Year 4 in a local Primary School. The study was completed in three different early morning sessions. Stimuli: The stimuli (ambiguous figures) were displayed on the laptop screen using an e-prime programme developed by Dr Denis Mareschal. The ambiguous figures were black in colour the background was white as shown in figure no 2. The target was presented on either the right or left side of the screen. The participants were to respond to the target according to which side it appears on by pressing the corresponding right or left key on the mouse. On the Incongruent trials the target appeared in the opposite direction and congruent trials the flanking target appeared in the same direction and in neutral trials the ambiguous figure was shown with a non-related sound. Participants viewed the screen from about approximately 64 cm. The target used in this study flanker (star) can be seen in figure no 3. Figure number 2: Showing ambiguous figures used in this study representing more than one interpretation in one figures. Figure no 3: Showing the flanker (Star) presented on either right or left side of the ambiguous figure to alert the children in this experiment. Design: This non-routine experiment is based upon Michael Posner (1994) and Eriksen and Eriksen (1974) flanker task experiment. The computer based programme called E-prime Ambiguous Figures (a commercial experiment programme application) that runs on Windows XP presented on a 12 inch monitor to study the role of multisensory information in disambiguating ambiguous or bi stable figures in children. Trials are divided in to 6 blocks and each block consisted of 45 trials, 15 congruent, 15 Incongruent and 15 neutral trials. At the initial stage of the programme it asks for session number, gender of the participant and finally for his or her date of birth, upon completion of all this information press OK. Instructions appears on the screen Look for the star click the right mouse button if it is displayed on the right side of the screen and click the left button if it is displayed on the left side of the but

Organizational Change Of Procter And Gamble Marketing Essay

Organizational Change Of Procter And Gamble Marketing Essay In these ever changing and highly competitive markets, there has been a considerable amount of research carried out into new product development and introduction. A successful new product launch is believed by many to be the recipe to business or firm growth and profitability depending on their ability to identify the needs of customers and to quickly create products that meet these needs and can be produced at a low cost. The next step is to analyse and develop the market plan. This is done by reviewing the 4Ps product matrix as a way to finding a unique position from which to create a competitive advantage for the product. Also, review the SWOT with Clients and utilize SMART technique to develop the written, working plan Executing the plan and launching the product. This includes developing collateral materials, begin placement discussion with the first stage in the ideal channel, have enough discussion with as many different entities with a view to uncovering any previously undiscovered real objections. Review and improve plan as necessary with the new information, repeat until sold, and explore link extensions with new partners. It should be noted that new product development and introduction plan is the first stage in the Product Life Cycle. It is created in stages, giving logical break points to force the decision to proceed or not based on what occurs at each stage. Aim and Objective The goal of this research paper is to present in a clear and detail way how the development and launch of household care products by Procter and Gamble (PG) Company is aimed at bringing together the marketing, design, strategy and manufacturing functions of the company and also to identify the overall profitability of the product. Companys Overview and History With its headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Procter and Gamble (PG) Limited is one of the worlds leading giants when it comes to making household products. The company is engaged in producing beauty, health, fabric, home, baby, family, and personal care products. With commitments to remain as the leader in its market, PG is one of the most aggressive marketers and is the largest advertiser in the world. Many innovations that are now common practices in corporate America including extensive market research, the brand-management system, and employee profit-sharing schemes were first introduced at Procter and Gamble. Procter and Gamble Limited has an employee base of 138,000 or more and operates in nearly 80 countries around the world and markets more than 300 brands in over 180 countries; more than half of the companys revenues are generated overseas. The company recorded revenues of $83,503 million during FY2008, an increase of 9.2% over FY2007. The operating profit of the company was $17.083 million during FY2008, an increase of 10.6% over FY2007. The net profit was $12.075 million in FY2008, an increase of 16.8% over FY2007. History Procter and Gamble Company (PG) was established as a joint partnership business by William Procter and James Gamble, two immigrants from United Kingdom in 1837 with head-office in Cincinnati, Ohio. By 1890, PG was selling more than 30 different types of soap, including Ivory. In 1915, the company built a manufacturing plant in Canada, its first outside the U.S. During 1917-1918, PG established the chemicals division which function was to formalize research procedures and develop new products. Then in the 1920s the company discontinued the manufacturing of candles. KEY DATES AND ACQUISITIONS: c. 1851: The Companys famous moon-and-star symbol is created. 1878: PG introduces White Soap, soon renamed Ivory. 1885: Introducing Innovative Employee Benefits. 1890: The company was incorporated as Procter and Gamble Company. 1911: The debut of Crisco, the first all-vegetable shortening. 1931: Brand management system is formally introduced. 1946: PG introduces Tide laundry detergent. 1955: Crest toothpaste makes its debut. 1957: Charmin Paper Company is acquired. 1961: Test marketing of Pampers disposal diapers begins 1963: Company acquires the Folgers coffee brand. 1982: Norwich-Eaton Pharmaceuticals is acquired 1985: PG purchases Richardson-Vicks Company, owner of the Vicks, NyQuil, and Oil of Olay brand 1988: Noxell Corporation, maker of Noxema products and Cover Girl cosmetics, is acquired 1990: PG expands its presence in the male personal care market by acquiring Shultons Old Spice Product line. 1991: Max Factor and Betrix cosmetics and fragrance lines are bought from Revlon, Inc. 1992: Pantene Pro-V shampoo is introduced. 1993: Major restructuring is launched, involving 13,000 job cuts and 30 plant closures. 1994: Company enters the European tissue and towel market with the acquisition of the Germany-based company, Schickedanz. 1997: Company acquires Tambrands, Inc., maker of Tampax line of tampons 1998: Organization 2005 restructuring is launched. 1999: Premium pet food maker Iams Company is purchased. 2001: PG acquires the Clairol hair-care business from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. 2002: Jif peanut butter and Crisco shortening brands are divested. 2003: Company acquires a controlling interest in German hair-care firm Wella AG. By 2004, the company announced its agreement to acquire the commercial business of Grupo Vita in Spain. In the same year, PG finalized the sale of its juice drink brands, Sunny Delight and Punica, to JW Childs Associates LP, a private-equity firm in Boston. This further paring of the food business left PG with just two main food brands, Pringles and Folgers. The snacks and beverages unit accounted for only 7% of the companys total revenues in fiscal 2004. At the beginning of fiscal 2005 PG realigned its business units, shifting it five previous units into three: global beauty care; global health, baby, and family care; and global household care. Pringles and Folgers were placed within the latter unit. During the fiscal 2004, sales surged 19%, surpassing the $50 billion mark for the first time. Net earning also jumped 25%, hitting $6.48 billion mark. The newly invigorated company continued its streak of paying dividends without interruption since its 1890 incorporation, and it also increased its dividends for the 48th straight year. And in July 2005, a proposed merger with the Gillette Company, a leader in male grooming product was completed and cleared by the European Commission. Literature Review Product planning should be considered as a key driver for the eventual manufacturing and development of a successful new product. It can mean both organizational entity and the process of planning the product which can involve many more departments in a company (Allen, 1993). The consistent investment in consumer and market research, innovation, brand-building and go-to-market policies has considerably helped Procter and Gamble Company achieve success in its new product development strategy and also achieve considerable market shares. This case continues with an insight into PGs product innovations that have been a success among the diverse segments of the global market. The company is organized into three Global Business Units (GBUs) and a Global Operations group for producing commercially viable products. The three GBUs are beauty, health and well-being, and household care. The Global Operations group consists of the Market Development Organization (MDO) and Global Business Service (GBS). Research Methodology The research methodology will be based on the qualitative analysis, i.e. on the presentation and the analysis of a series of findings retrieved by researchers in the literature (Internet sites, online newspapers, periodicals, books and other academic publications, journals). The presentation of appropriate primary sources (statistical indexes, graphs, and financial data) will be also used in order to support the views of the literature. In other words, the research will be mainly secondary mostly because of the objectivity of data involved. More specifically, the use of primary research would not be used for the purpose of this research. Chapter 1 Organizational Culture and Structure 1.0 Corporate Structure Procter and Gamble organization structure is an important part of their capability to grow. It combines the global scale benefits of a $79 billion global company with a local focus to win with consumers and retail customers in each country where PG products are sold. PG organizational structure comprise three Global Business Units (GBUs), Global Operations, Global Business Services (GBS) and Corporate Functions (CF) Fig 1: Four Pillars of Corporate Structure of PG Global Business Units (GBUs) focus solely on consumers, brands and competitors around the world. They are responsible for the innovation pipeline, profitability and shareholder returns from their businesses. Market Development Organizations (MDOs) are charged with knowing consumers and retailers in each market where PG competes and integrating the innovations flowing from the GBUs into business plans that work in each country. Global Business Services (GBS) utilizes PG talent and expert partners to provide best-in-class business support services at the lowest possible costs to leverage PGs scale for a winning advantage. Corporate Functions ensure ongoing functional innovation and capability improvement. Procter and Gamble has adopted an organizational structure of innovation that allows them to launch innovation faster. The company has taken seven key steps in order to structure their innovation management and organization for faster innovation. Delegating decisions to innovative teams: Decisions are delegated to the innovative teams in order to avoid delays and enable fast innovation independent of top managements. Integrating the Research and Development Department into the Business Unit: Integrating majority of the RD into the business unit makes innovation management more effective and fosters the collaboration with the other departments of the business units and the orientation towards the customers in lieu of an exclusive focus on the technology. Co-Location of Teams Department: By locating all innovative team members and relevant departments of a division in the same place, the company can make sure that information flows without distortion. Central Innovation Team: Procter and Gamble has an organization of central innovation team at the corporate level which goes by the name Future Works. At the business unit level its central innovation teams belong to the New Business Development Organization. Central Innovation Fund: PG has established the PG Corporate Innovation Fund (CIF) for the purpose of financing the development of disruptive innovation and of new business. Crest Whitestrips were, for instance, funded by the CIF. External Interface for Open Innovation: In order to execute Open Innovation and to channel external solutions and ideas into the company, PG innovation management needs an effective external interface. The company has established its External Business Development Organization and its Connect Develop Organization. The mission of these departments is to realize the innovation potential, which slumbers in the outside world, via the development of external networks. Merger Acquisition Department: The mission of this department is to acquire innovative companies with a view of strengthening it innovation management and be in the market-place with innovations much faster. 1.1 Corporate Culture Procter and Gamble organizational culture is based on the guiding foundation of Purpose, Values and Principles (PVP) Purpose To provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that would touch and improve the lives of their consumers and in return, the consumers would reward PG with leadership sales, profit and value creation, and allowing their people, shareholder and the communities in which they live and work to prosper. Values Integrity Leadership Ownership Passion for winning Trust Principles Show respect for all individual The interest of the company and the individual are inseparable Strategically focused in their work Innovation being the cornerstone of their success Value Personal Mastery Seek to be the best Externally focused Mutual interdependency is a way of life. Organizational Change of Procter and Gamble A common aspect of any company whether small, medium or large scale is the structural and organizational changes. An organization undergoes change in order to ensure the products and services that would be given to customers are excellent, as well as, the performance of the employee within the company. Procter and Gamble is one the company that utilises change in organization in order to become one of the most well-known product producers in the whole world. Organization 2005 is aimed at changing PGs culture from a conservative, slow-moving, bureaucratic behemoth to that of a modern, fast-moving Internet-savvy organization. PG wants to make faster and better decisions, cut red tape, save cost out of systems and procedures, fuel innovation, set more aggressive sales goals and nearly double its revenue. The catalyst for all this change is Information Technology. Finally, PG wants to abandon its legacy of secrecy. Its new spirit of openness is most evident on the Internet. SWOT Analysis One strategic management tool that PG uses to stay ahead of its competition is the effective and efficient utilization of SWOT analysis. This involves specifying the goals and objectives of the business as well as identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable in achieving the goals and objectives Strengths Weaknesses * Strong focus on Research and Development. * Leading market position * Diversified product portfolio * Strong brand portfolio. * Increasing instances of product recalls * Dependent on Wal-Mart Stores for majority of its revenue Opportunities Threats

Athletes and Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

   Abstract:   Since the beginning of sports competition, athletes have always looked for some kind of an edge over their competitors.   They will do whatever it takes to be one of the elite and that includes injecting supplements into their bodies to make them bigger, stronger, and faster.   Steroid use is probably one of the most common drug misuses in sports competition.   Athletes found that with anabolic steroids one could become a better athlete twice as fast.   Not until 1975 was the drug first banned from Olympic competition because of the health risks it produced.   Shortly thereafter, the rest of the sports world did not allow anabolic steroids as well.   With the use of steroids no longer permitted athletes began to look for other alternatives.   On the rise is two substances called creatine and androstenedione, both of which are sold over the counter. These two performance enhancers have only had minimal testing done on them, excluding the l ong-term effects, simply because they haven't been around long enough.   Creatine and androstenedione have been said to produce results like steroids without the side effects.   The truth is they do produce side effects and irregular muscle growth. By banning the use of performance enhancing drugs, just like steroids, sports competition will have a much healthier and fairer environment to participate in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports The use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs is a common trend that is currently fascinating athletes all over the world.   Athletes who are using these drugs are damaging the sport and harming their bodies at the same time.   Seeking a greater athletic physique and ability, athletes turned to the use of steroids.   Once the dangers and possible health risks arose, athletes then turned to performance enhancers.   Two specific supplements have taken the sports world by storm and now are being used by athletes of all ages.   They are androstenedione and creatine.   It took years until people began to understand how dangerous steroids really were. These performance enhancers, like androstenedione and creatine are going to produce the same results.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The use of performance enhancing supplements has long played a role in athletics, especially after the utilization of drug testing was introduced during the 1972 Olympics.

TV or No TV :: essays papers

TV or No TV This is a question millions of parents are pondering across America. Violence, along with sexual content, on television is at an all time high. So are the ratings, however. Sex and violence seems to draw a larger audience. A larger audience brings networks more money. This all looks simple enough except for the fact that all of the viewers aren’t old enough determine fact from fiction or right from wrong. With violence in schools on the rise, the question arises: Does violent television programming influence our children and their actions? According to some psychological research, violence on television affects children negatively. The three major effects of seeing violence on television are: ï‚ · Children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others. ï‚ · Children may be more fearful of the world around them. ï‚ · Children may be more likely to behave in aggressive ways toward others. Sometimes kids act differently after they've been watching violent programs on television.In one study done at Pennsylvania State University, about 100 preschool children were observed both before and after watching television. Some kids watched cartoons that had many aggressive and violent acts while the others watched shows that didn't have any sort of violence at all. The researchers picked up on a lot of real differences in behavior between the kids who watched the violent shows and those who watched nonviolent ones. The kids who watched the violent shows were more likely to strike out at playmates, argue, disobey authority and were less willing to wait for things than those children who watched nonviolent programs. Some studies found that kids who watched many hours of television violence when they were in elementary school had a greater tendency to show a higher level of aggressive behavior as they grew older. One of these studies observed these same youngsters until they were 30 years old. The results show that the ones who had watched a lot of television when they were eight years old had significantly greater chances to be arrested and prosecuted for criminal acts as adults. Some steps have been taken in the right direction, however. The television industry took steps toward implementing a rating system for its programming at a meeting with President Clinton in late February.

Crash Essay

Crash Racism has been a big issue since the beginning of time. We have dealt with racism for as long as I can remember. In the movie crash, they deal with racism conflicts. In the beginning of the movie, two white cops pulls over a couple and once the cop saw they were an African American couple, he tells them to step out of the car even though they did nothing wrong. The cop in the movie took his anger out on the couple because earlier he was having issues with the insurance company and the guy who helped him was black. He felt that he was mistreated by the guy at the insurance company and decided to take his anger out on the African American couple. He should have not taken his anger out on this couple because he felt he was mistreated by a black male. He could have pulled them over and ask to see the driver license and insurance, instead of telling them to step out of the car immediately like they had done something wrong. Racism is the biggest issue our society faces today. Racism is not about just one race, all different cultures and Individuals deals with racism. He had no right to tell them to step out of the car because they were black. He could have a done the proper procedure by asking them to let him see some Identification and ran it through the system to check for warrants or to see if the driver was wanted. He also sexually assaulted the woman and blackmailed them. He thought for sure these two Individuals were criminals, because of their skin color. No one should ever judge someone because of their skin color is different from theirs. These two Individuals were treated very unfair because they were black. This particular scene happens to a lot of individuals in the world. Not everyone is black that this happens too, because this could happen to any race in America. This movie was based on eight different characters that live in the city of Los Angles. Their stories are all intertwined with one another. They all come from different backgrounds and deal with issues dealing with racism. This movie definitely deals with stereotyping and how each of them deals with certain situations. In the movie a couple hires a locksmith to work on the locks but as soon as the woman sees him she automatically thinks he is a gangbanger because he has tattoos and because his clothes were baggy. Her first impression is obviously stereotyping because she thinks he is a gangbanger just from his tattoos and baggy clothes. Not everyone who wears baggy clothes and has tattoos. She thinks the worse of this man, when really he is just a hard worker who wants his daughter to grow up in a nice environment. What could have been done differently in this situation is that she could have gotten to know him by communicating, instead of judging because of his tattoos and baggy clothes. Sometimes when people come to our homes we communicate with them and get to know them, only if it was for a short period of time. We should not judge someone from what they are wearing or what tattoos are on their body. We do however, judge people without getting to know them first. If we take the time out and talk to someone we may get to know something about that person and get an impression from that. Judging is not always fair to that individual because they may be mistaken for something they are not. Racism is everywhere we go and every corner we turn. I do feel that racism has gotten better then when it was going on during segregation. No matter where we live we will always face racism, no matter the skin color. Whether it is Chinese, black, white, Latino, or Persian we will always face racist situations. Racism is the biggest issue we face today and should be dealt with in a manner we all can overcome. No one should be judged because of their skin color, we can’t help the color we were born.

Seoul Urbanization

The population of the metropolis increases because people from rural areas and overseas migrate to the urban areas in large numbers, averaging 7. 6 per cent per year (United Nations Population Division, 2001). Increasing of population in many big cities may causes serious problems even in advanced countries. Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, which more than 11 millions of population, has grown rapidly into a metropolis since the end of Korean War (Kim, 2005). Over population in Seoul creates many problems such as traffic congestion and lack of housing.This essay will discuss about two issues caused by increasing number of population in the city. The first is traffic congestion in Seoul and policies to decline this problem and the second is lack of housing and solution by the government. Traffic congestion is one of the most serious problems in Seoul because of a large number of vehicles in the city (Asianinfo. org, 2000). The increasing number of population in an urban area pro duces a plentiful number of passenger cars on the road. Approximately amount of cars is 2. 8 million (Mok, 2007).In Seoul, the statistic shows that one out of three citizens has a car (Zhang, 2010). This situation brings a big pressure to the traffic in the city. The congestion issue causes a distress of travel to metropolitans. Due to this serious problem, the Seoul metropolitan government has created the key measures to solve the traffic congestion. The first measure is to reform the metropolitan transportation system. There are many kinds of transportation in Seoul such as bus, subway and taxi. Under the revolution and reform of transport system, the government has developed bus services according to route demands.In addition, the extension of subways and establishment of exclusive median bus lane make easier and cheaper for passengers to transfer between buses and subways (Jin, 2005). The other measures are policies and encouraging drivers to reduce traffic volume. For example, the government’s measure which encouraging drivers to avoid using of private vehicles for one day of the five-day working week and Seoul Car Free Day campaign which the parking lots of public organization are compulsory closed and drive people to use public transport (Mok, 2007).The government is also searching for a new measure to address the issue of traffic congestion and benefit the megacity’s residents (Cohen, 2009). Apart from traffic congestion, lack of housing is also an important issue caused by population growth in Seoul. Since the end of the Korean War, the nation has focused on increasing only the output within industry (Seoulsouthkorea. jimdo. com, n. d. ) This is the reason for encouraging many people to move into urban centers. A lack of housing for the majority of the new residents has been resulted by rapid urbanization.This is one product of rapid urban development. The influx of population increases need for housing infrastructure. For example, durin g the last few years there have been approximately twice as many households as houses. Those who can find no houses must become squatters and construct shanties and this cause emergence of slum areas in Seoul. The government has an urban development activity with the purpose to clear and relocate squatters from parks and green zones to the outskirts of the city.The measure of Seoul’s government is to allocate houses for the residents which named as Citizen Apartment Building Program (Lee, 2000). Under this program, the government constructs low-rise apartment buildings for squatters and low-income groups. The apartments are intended to be cheap to build and buy. In addition, the government produces low-interest loans that make buyers purchase more easily. In conclusion, urbanization in Seoul began at the end of war. With a rapid growth of the city, Seoul is one of the largest cities in the world with a large amount of population.It can be seen from above examples that increas ing number of population in Seoul causes serious problems such as traffic congestion and lack of housing. However, the government has attempted to address the problems with logical plans and policies.

Most Important Life Changing Event Essay

There is one thing that happened in my life that changed it forever. This is the day my stepdad, Taylor, died. It started as a normal school day my freshman year. No one came to school because we were about to get off for a holiday, so everyone that showed up went to the auditorium to watch movies. A teacher came looking for me and said that I had to go to the office. I thought I was in trouble or something. When I walked in and saw my grandma and my aunt, I knew something was wrong. They made me sit down and they told me that Taylor had died. My mind automatically went to my mom and little sister and how badly they would freak out. I knew that I had to put my feelings aside and help them as much as possible. When we got back to my house and got out of the car I could already hear my mom screaming and crying hysterically. I went inside and hugged her and I cried but I didn’t let her see because I knew that it would make her cry even more. They hadn’t picked my little sister, Mackenzie, up from school yet, and my mom was going crazy trying to figure out how to tell her that her dad died. I pulled my mom’s best friend into my room and asked her what I needed to do about how we were gonna get money and that she could help me get a second job. I told her how I knew I would have to take care of my mom and sis, but that I was going to need her help. When it got overwhelming, I went outside with her daughter, Linzy, who was one of my best friends and I finally allowed myself to cry until my sister got home. When my mom told her that her daddy was in heaven and that he could never come back she started crying and said, â€Å"does that mean he can’t take us fishing anymore? † Taylor had bought a boat and promised he would take us fishing. It broke my heart to see her like that. Linzy and I couldn’t take it, so we went outside and both cried. When it came time for the funeral, I couldn’t even stay in the room. I knew how badly I’d lose it, so my friends came sit with me outside almost the whole time. I wanted to get away, as far away as possible, but I knew I had to stay for my mom and sister. The entire time the funeral went one was hell. Seeing Taylor lay in the casket motionless, seeing everyone I care about cry their eyes out, and knowing I’d never get the chance to tell him how much I loved him was all too much. I literally wanted to kill myself. After the funeral was over, I pushed all of my hurt aside to take care of my mom and sister. I watched them lose their minds, and there was nothing I could do but be there for them and take care of them. I was like a parent for both of them for almost a year. Over time, they got better little by little, as I continued to get worse. They’re better now, and I can finally grieve. But I still don’t grieve in front of them, because if I do, it makes their pain come back.

Organisational Learning

If there are images in this attachment, they will not be displayed. Download the original attachment 1. Introduction In order to survive in the rapid changing business environment the organisations need to acquire knowledge and innovate fast enough. This dynamic, complex and globally competitive nature of the business requires learning organisations. CEO of British Petroleum Company John Browne (1995) says â€Å"Learning is at the heart of a company’s ability to adapt to rapidly changing environment. †(p. 148)   Many approaches are being articulated to build learning organisations. In this work, three articles which portray suggestions to build a learning organisation are being reviewed, critically analysed, and compared and contract. 2. The Literature Search Key words: Organisational learning, organisational developments, management learning, continuous learning. Sources: Harvard Business School Review, Emerald journals 3. Review of the articles Article 1: â€Å"Building A Learning Organisation† by David A Garvin In the article Garvin has mentioned about the three dilemmas which are essential for flourishing the execution of the transforming the organisations into learning organisation: Meaning, Management and Measuring. A new approach to learning organisation is being bought into the study. †A learning organisation is an organisation skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behaviour to reflect new knowledge and insights† (p. 3) To build an organisation into a learning organisation Garvin recommends five building blocks: Solving problems systematically, Experimenting with new approaches to work, and Learning from past experience,  Learning from other companies and from customers, Transferring knowledge throughout organisation. Implementing these activities assists the organisations guarantee continues improvements. In the later part of the article the steps for    measuring the learning are described. The article advice   Half life curves, questionnaires and surveys on behavioural changes comprehensive learning audit to measure the learning instead of using traditional methods like learning and experience curves which focus only on , cost or price. The article put forward a slight shift in focus, away from continuous improvement and toward a commitment to learning. Article 2: â€Å"The Fifth Discipline† By Peter M Senge This article demonstrates how to create a background, where the employees are supported to learn collectively and individually. Senge says in order to withstand the competitors and to excel in the field or market, the organisations have to ensure two conditions: The capability to design the organisation to match with the desired result or outcome, ability to recognise any deviation from the desired outcome and to bring it back to the right track by undertaking the necessary initiatives and steps. He describes five disciplines which creates learning organisations The System thinking, Personal mastery, Mental models, Shared vision and Team learning. The System thinking is considered as the fifth discipline, Senge describes it as the ‘cornerstone’ which underlies other disciplines. The five disciplines have to be learned by the individuals in the organisation and put into the business activities. According to Senge organisations that are capable of learning from their experiences do better than those organisations that simply adopt to their environments. They take advantage of rapidly changing conditions. Their strategies are sufficiently open ended to allow for the unexpected so that their capabilities of organisational learning can deal with external rapidly changing situations Article3: â€Å"Building and sustaining a learning organisation† By Richard Teare and Richard Dealtry   This editorial document discuses how to build a learning background and the implication for Learning organisations. It depicts on the experience and observations of members the organisations which run learning programmes at their work places. It debates on four themes: Modelling the learning process in organisations, organisational readiness, Team working and learning and networked learning . These themes are related to the plan for organisational learning and organisational learning renewal. It claims that effective learning is depends on the environment for learning and the efforts of organisational leaders and managers in creating, nourishing and encouraging the suitable circumstances for learning to occur. 4. Critical Appraisal Article 1: The flow of text is easy to read and it is free from technical terminology. The examples quoted in this article come from both larger and smaller organisations. The examples are, interesting, and generously interspersed throughout the article. The article includes examples of both successful and failed attempts, gives an idea about how corrections can be made when an initial attempt does not work. Garvin has take on a structural approach. His hypothesis gives the guidelines for real time applications and it is loaded with operational advice rather than high objectives. However, structural improvements are only as good as the enthusiasm for learning, so there are limitations to this theory as well. Article2: It is very important that an ensemble could be developed from the five disciplines proposed by Senge . However it is a challenge because it is much difficult to incorporate new tools than simply apply them separately. However the payoffs are gigantic. Senge fails to claim any theoretical or empirical evidence to support his claims. This article is better at perceptions than at the provision of realistic steps for managers. The organisations which consider profit as the bottom line, an essential concern with the culture and development of employees and associates is too unrealistic. There is a question of about the applications of the systems theory. Though he establishes variety of broader appreciations and focus to his hypothesis, it is not fully set in a political or moral framework. Article3: It illustrates a systematic approach to learning organisations, starting from the organisational objectives, diagnosing the need and opportunities, learning organisations support and progress review. It takes the advantage views and experiences of the two real time organisations to portray the real time situations in building the organisation. It gives a brief review on the different concept and the realities about building a learning environment. It is well known that the concept of building learning organisation is been articulated by different scholars and has a disagreement. This article seeks support from various sources and scholars which is likely to have some contradicting arguments in the article. 5. Comparison of articles Article1 is the theoretical approach to build learning organisations and in article2 Garvin renovate this into reality. In article1 Garvin looks at managing behaviour and performance which is an external view while in article2 Senge looks at the mental models that determine behaviour which is an internal view. Article 1, 2 &3 disagree about what conditions promote the creation of learning organisations. Each list different factors that represent or promote learning. However, they approach the learning organisations with a normative or prescriptive orientation. Providing an enhanced understanding is a key issue in learning organisations. Article1 claims mental model and system thinking will facilitate this enhanced understanding. In the case of article2, it is systematic problem solving, experimentation and learning from past experiences. Mental models, Team learning and system thinking disciplines are suggested by Senge(article2) in order to acquire knowledge . In view of Garvin(article1)   knowledge acquisition is   done through learning   from the others and learning from   the past experiences. In order to filter the acquired knowledge Garvin implements systematic problem solving and experiments, and Senge recommends inquiry and dialogue which are discussed in the discipline team learning. Neither article1 nor article2 explicitly mentioned the need to unfreeze organisation before substantial improvements can be achieved. Whereas article3 discuss unfreezing organisational way of thinking and avoiding decision making that is skewed to either extreme. Under some circumstance the Organisational standards have become as a predicament for the organisations which prefer innovation. Article3 uses the same concept to overcome this problem. Article2 says the leaders of a learning organisation â€Å"are designers, stewards, and teachers. They are responsible for building organisations where people continually expand their abilities to understand complexity, clarify vision, and improve shared mental models – that is, they are responsible for learning. † Article3 has the similar approach to leadership. It seen that article3 has followed some influences of Senge’s (article2) recommendations in the process of building a learning organisation. 6. Conclusion Learning organisations create a culture which sustain and encourage continuous learning by its employees. Vital thinking and acceptable risk taking new ideas. The concept of the learning organization has gained increasing attention in the management literature. For a quite long time the organisational theorists have studied about the subject under the discussion and their diversity views imply there is a considerable disagreement. In this work, such of three articles which portray suggestions to build a learning organisation are being reviewed, critically analysed, and compared and contract. To conclude, even though there are disagreement regarding the subject basic foundations such as knowledge acquisition, deeper understanding and improved performance are widely accepted by most of the scholars. . REFERENCE (1) Dealtry,R and Teare,R(1998) Building and sustaining a learning organisation, The Learning organisation 5(1) p 47-60 (2) Garvin,D. (1993). Building a learning organisation. Harvard Business Review (3) Senge,P. (1990) The Fifth Discipline :The art and practice of learning organisation United states,Currency. (4) Steven P. (1995) Unl eashing the power of learning: An interview with British Petroleum’s John Browne. Harvard Business Review, 75(5) p. 148