Advanced Organizational Behavior Free Essays

Change can not be avoided because of the competition that is there today in the world of business. Businesses cannot survive without changing their strategies, products, policies, etc. according to the time and situation. We will write a custom essay sample on Advanced Organizational Behavior or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, changing anything about an organization requires a lot of planning. This is why it is necessary that a systemized method is followed when a change is being implemented as this decreases the chances of making faulty decisions. This paper aims to present a change model that I believe is ideal for every type of organization and will surely produce the positive outcomes of change. Discussion A change model is a systemized process of implementing change in a business. Change is very crucial for every type of organization because this facilitates the organization into making better decisions. Therefore, we need a step-by-step process which leaves no room for errors or misjudgments in the entire sensitive process of implementing change. There is not a fixed ‘change model’ since the nature of changes that take place also differ. This is the reason why different change models are use by organizations and they handle it differently. The change model developed in this paper consists of nine steps. This model has been selected as my change agent because this model takes into consideration each and every step of the change process from accepting the need for change to document the process and conclusions. It is very detailed and discusses every aspect of the change process which leaves a very low chance of making faulty judgments at any stage. The management and leadership can support the change model discussed by trusting the team selected for the change process with all necessary decision making. It could delegate the team members with maximum work. The input on the part of management could include ensuring that the team does not ignore any values of the organization in the entire change process by monitoring every step. The input on part of the employees and the staff which would support the change model involves them to be ready to accept the changes in operations that would be the result of the change process. It can be supportive during the entire change process by being less resistant to change and innovation. They must be motivated and must trust the process carried out by the change process team. The eight steps change model is as following. Accepting that there is a Need for Change The first step to effectively implement a change is to always accept the fact that there is a need for change. This step involves creating awareness of the need for change among anyone and everyone related to the change that is occurring (Change Management Learning Center, 2008). This step helps build the energy needed to do something. It makes an organization realize the need to take action and motivates it to be strong. This strength and motivation is very necessary as change is a big step and every member of the organization must be able to handle it. Usually various groups within an organization are not willing to accept change because this means switching from the everyday routine. This step also makes all those who are not willing to accept change ready for implementation of change. This step is the fuel needed to ignite the process of implementing change (Koberg and Bagnall, 2003). There is not much action involved in the step of accepting that there is a need for change. The organization must inform everyone related to this about the need to change and that something needs to be done about it. The organization at this point must ask itself what change is needed and why? Creating a Guiding Coalition Once the need for change has been accepted, the organization must move to the next step of creating a team that will guide the entire organization towards achieving this goal (Kotter, 1996). There must a team that is responsible for this as such a team would plan the process of change and ensure that the organization is moving towards its goals and everything is going as it was planned initially. The organization must ensure that the people selected for the team are ideal for the situation. These people must be committed to the change process and must have the right skills necessary for the process. This team will develop the entire change process from planning to evaluation therefore whatever the team members decide will determine the fate of the company. The team members must have the skills to carry out this process in the most efficient and careful manner. Defining the Need Once the need for change has been realized within the organization and a team has been selected which be responsible for implementing the change within the organization, the need for change must be defined. This process is absolutely necessary because in order to effectively deal with a situation, one needs to have full knowledge about what exactly one is dealing with. Without knowing this, the team responsible for implementing the change will never be able to approach the change with the most effective strategy. Consequently, the third step is defining the problem. This step involves identifying what needs to be change and why? It must also recognize what will be accomplished once the change is executed and everyone’s role in the entire process. Generating a Range of Approaches The next step involves coming up with a range of strategies that can be used to work out change. It is not sensible to concentrate on only one approach as this could lead to flawed judgments. The change process team must consider all the possible approaches before it decides on which one is the most effective as this will increase the probability of the team selecting the most effective strategy. In this step, a range of possible solutions must be generated and all of them will be considered. Selecting the Appropriate Approach After all the approaches have been generated, each approach’s pros and cons will be evaluated separately. This evaluation will help the organization prioritize the solutions according to their effectiveness. The organization will consider each one approach and will look into the cost benefit analysis of each one. It will consider how each approach will help them and what will be its drawbacks. Once this is done, whichever approach seems the most effective will be selected by the team. The criteria necessary for an approach to be appropriate largely depends on the situation, but generally, the approach must be practical, manageable, long term and of course relevant to the situation. The selected approach will then be applied to implement the change process. Implementing the Approach This step is the most important step in the entire problem solving process because this is actually where the change is implemented. The fact that implementing change is very sensitive has already been established and this is why this step of implementing the approach is very crucial. As a result, the change process team needs to be patient during this step which is applying the solution. A sensible approach to implementation could be to plan the approach in extensive detail before hand in order to avoid any kind of mess ups. Collecting Data Regarding the Implementation Result The next step is to collect data related to the implementation of the change approach. This data depends on the situation but in a case where the change was made in the marketing strategy, the data would be change in sales as a result of that change. Another example of data collected at this stage would be if the production process was changed, the data would be regarding the change in productivity as a result of the approach of the result used. This data will be used by the organization in the following steps. How to cite Advanced Organizational Behavior, Papers

Essays on Suicide and the Immortality of the Soul

Question: Explain about the Essay How are values established according to Hume? What human characteristics does he privilege in determining a value system and how do they inform our morality? How are they related to Utility and Justice? Are you convinced by his characterization of society? Explain your position? Answer: Introduction: David Hume in his book An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals has made an effort to find out the basic principles relating to ethics and the general rules of values and morals. By doing so, the writer has created a paper based on general moral by keeping the perception of human nature. The researcher now makes an effort to evaluate the points of the author critically and thus prepare recommendations on the views of Hume regarding the values, which are to be established and the features of a value system and their relation to justice and utility (Hume, David and John Valdimir). David Hume is reported to have written on the various subject matter, but his primary idea lies predominantly in the sphere of establishing values and the fundamental principles of morals. Developing values and morals is entirely based on the human actions. It is because man is not only based on thinking, they are also related to sociology and takes an active part in the affairs of the society. Human life is governed by moral values, and this is the primary reason that Hume selected mankind as background in making his findings on the nature and origin of the morals and values. In the book referred above, Hume made an analysis of human understanding. It was Hume's first significant publication. The importance of the book was to interpret the fundamental human morals. In the book, there were many proofs given that exercise the fact that morals of any nation are the essential key to establishing core values. Hume's idea of morals helps us to develop the essential features of morals. One of the significant findings that Hume made is the difference between logic and ethics. Logic clearly depicts human beings as thinking creature, but ethics and morals concern humans as social beings (Hume, David, and Tom L. Beauchamp). Hume primarily established the values that logic is based on thinking and power of reasoning and its basic function is limited to ascertaining certain facts. On the other hand, morals are primarily based on the idea of establishing values, and it extends way above the point of merely depending only on facts. According to Hume, moral ideology is characterized by the confusion and misunderstanding of the concepts of logic and ethics. The process of establishing facts or logic is widely different from the mechanism of establishing values and morals. One of the basic reasons of Hume for considering that establishment of values are based on feelings and not on intellect is that people perform any action due to their willingness and feelings. In the preferr ed book, Hume related his scratching of a finger to the destruction of the world. This is because he wanted to highlight the fact that like moral obligations, preferences also comes from human desires and not from facts only. Throughout his findings, Hume used the empirical methodology. So, Hume found that values are established by mere simple sense impressions and not from the evaluation of facts. In determining the value system, Hume has made several recommendations on human characteristics. According to Mind theory of Hume, determining human, the value system depends on human passion which includes human emotions, feelings and desires. The true passion includes joy, grief, hope and fear that arise from good and bad things or sufferings or pleasure. However, indirect passion involves human pride, shyness, hatred and affection in a complex manner. Hume further proclaims that the factors of indirect passion are not directly responsible for the establishment of an efficient value system. Any value system must recognize the difference between the fact realm and moral realm. The source from which facts are determined is sense experience. On the contrary, values of any kind depend only on feelings. Sense experience can usually be considered as having the meaning in the case of every person. The basic human characteristics in establishing value system are feelings which are personal and private in nature. In addition to it, persons may vary in their feelings in any matter. Opinions regarding any particular circumstances or issues differ from one person to another. The empirical method of study which is adopted by Hume begins with the enquiry of the actions which is approved by a majority of individuals. So, the essential elements of a value system must start from the investigation of the human feelings which is the base of moral and value (Hume, David, and Tom L. Beauchamp). The word "utility" according to Hume describes a person's activities which can be used to bring about happiness and welfare to the entire nation where he belongs. The utility is the factor that matches Hume's only criteria of goodness. The emphasis that Hume has given to the principle of utility makes him a utilitarian. But it must be kept in mind that human beings are not simple creatures and their self-satisfaction is not dependent on a single theory of happiness (Hume, David). Hume was mainly committed to developing the rules of "justice". In doing so, he found that the justice rules are also connected with the moral and ethical sentiments of human beings. Hume further stated that the general rules of justice work best in a systematic plan and action. Hume deviated from the fact that people have clear access to their individual motivations. Hume disregards a rationalistic explanation of justice rule by merely depending upon his theory which is well defended by him in part I of sec tion I of the referred book that the moral differences are not emerged from reason only (Hume, David). After judging all the aspects of Hume's theory, the researcher has chosen to differ from the ideology of Hume. It is because the researcher feels that apart from the mere personal feeling, desire and preferences, facts also play a significant part in determining value system. If the blending of facts is done with the morals, then we can establish an effective and efficient value system. The researcher also chose to differ from the utilitarian principle of Hume (Hume, David). It is because Hume said that utility can be the sole reason for survival. But in the reality, it is not so. Apart from utility and happiness, human beings also require many reasons and things for survival. Utility and happiness are no doubt one of the essential need to survive but it is not an essential necessity to survive. The approach of Hume concerning utility is half-hearted. It is because he has not made the full effort to denote the reason only utility is the sole reason for the happiness of human beings. The greater difficulty of Hume's theory lies in determining what Hume meant to say by the word "Law" to describe "Justice" (Hume, David). It can be concluded that if Hume's theory is regarded as a society based justice, it cannot be made only on the mere principle of utility. According to Hume's theory, if the utility is the sole method of goods distribution in the society then utility means that what is needed for a society to continue its existence. The conclusion to Hume's theory is not a substantive theory because Hume has failed to give a formal idea of social justice. Theory of Hume clearly depicts that the justice rules are explicitly contained in the law. The main reasons for which Hume's theory can be neglected are laws of nature are descriptions or descriptive in nature. They are not common prescriptions what Hume addressed them to be in his theory. Reference List Hume, David, and John Valdimir Price.Essays on Suicide and the Immortality of the Soul. Thoemmes Press, 1992. Hume, David, and Tom L. Beauchamp.An enquiry concerning human understanding: A critical edition. Vol. 3. Oxford University Press, 2000. Hume, David, and Tom L. Beauchamp.An enquiry concerning the principles of morals: a critical edition. Vol. 4. Oxford University Press, 2006. Hume, David.A treatise of human nature. Courier Corporation, 2012. Hume, David.An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals. Start Publishing LLC, 2013. Hume, David.An inquiry concerning human understanding. Ed. Charles William Hendel. Vol. 49. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1955. Hume, David.Moral and political philosophy. Simon and Schuster, 2010.

Recycling Should Be Mandatory free essay sample

Have you ever wonder what can you do about the bottles and cans you find around you? People that don’t care about the world being clean are littering the place. It makes things very difficult to put up for. Recycling cans and bottles can help save the earth form waste and trash build up and can make new things that why recycling should be mandatory and there should be recycling cans in various locations at school and everywhere else. Recycling should be mandatory because recycling can help to keep our planet clean in many ways. First, recycling saves trees. This critical fact, one of the first environmental lessons many children learn, cannot be overstated. Half the Earths forests are gone, and up to 95 percent of the original forest area in the U. S. has been cut down. In addition, recycling protects wildlife habitat and biodiversity. Using recycled materials reduces the need to chop down, extract, process, refine and transport natural resources such as timber, crude petroleum and mineral ores. We will write a custom essay sample on Recycling Should Be Mandatory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As a result, destruction of forests, wetlands, rivers and other places essential to wildlife is also reduced. One more fact, that recycling lowers the use of toxic chemicals. Making products from already refined waste materials reduces and often avoids altogether the need for manufacturers to use toxic chemicals, essential when using virgin materials. Recycling helps curb climate change . Using recycled materials cuts down on the energy used in the manufacturing process, dramatically reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants. Recycling stems the flow of water pollution. Making goods from recycled materials generates far less water pollution than manufacturing from virgin materials. Turning trees into paper uses more water than any other industrial process in the U. S. , dumping billions of gallons of wastewater contaminated with pollutants such as chlorinated dioxin each year into rivers, lakes and streams. Paper recycling mills do not pollute the water nearly as much, and usually use less of it. In addition, some recycling plants use treated wastewater for the manufacturing process. I think that recycling is giving back to the resource pool of the planet. Each item has energy. When you recycle, the energy is reused. If you do not recycle, e. g. a drinks can, that energy that could be had is lost, and so more energy must be expended to make more. I believe that if you wish to continue living on the planet comfortably, recycling is not optional. In time to come we will look back and think it crazy that we did not recycle everything. If something cannot be recycled, it should not even be made!

Human Intelligence Review Essay

Human Intelligence Review Essay Human Intelligence Review Essay Example Human Intelligence Review Essay Example Intelligence is a controversial phenomenon that is widely discussed throughout human history. This concept is extremely debatable because till nowadays the researchers have not succeeded in estimating the origin, methods of measurement, and other characteristics of intelligence. In other words, specialists in different spheres of science disagree whether it is an inborn feature and whether it varies by different ethnicities and races. Moreover, no one really knows if intelligence tests really measure intelligence of human beings. The given paper aims at determining, describing, and assessing the essence and nature of intelligence taking into account various perspectives. Human intelligence is usually connected with intellectual abilities or capacities of humans. This concept is based on perception, self-awareness, as well as consciousness of people. Intelligence influences the ability to learn new information, form various concepts, find solutions to problems, communicate, use language for different purposes, and think. Many researchers believe that human intelligence gives an opportunity for people to achieve various life objectives and expectations easily (Wai, 2014). The researchers differentiate various theories that describe the notion and essence of human intelligence. Besides, many experts that investigate the phenomenon of intelligence disagree if it is inherited feature or intellectual capacity that may be acquired in the course of life. The majority of theories of intelligence promote different opinions and ideas (Wai, 2014). For instance, faculty theory that explains the concept of human intelligence is considered to be the oldest one, as it was developed during the 18th and 19th centuries. According to the main idea of this scientific theory, mind of every human being consists of separate â€Å"faculties,† including imagination, memory, knowledge, and discrimination. Despite close interdependence of these faculties, each of them can be developed with the help of special trainings and techniques. However, critics of this theory claim that human intelligence is not subdivided into separate parts or, in other words, faculties (Wai, 2 014). The proponents of UNI-factor theory of intelligence believe that human intelligence is associated with common sense. Charles Spearman is the founder of two-factor theory that explains the essence and functioning of human intelligence. According to the assumptions of the English psychologist, intellectual abilities of people are usually influenced by two factors that are commonly referred to as G and S. Factor G bears responsibility for general abilities of humans. On the contrary, factor S designates specific abilities of humans. In other words, psychologists associate G-component with inborn or inherited qualities and abilities. C-component depends on environmental impacts on human intelligence. Moreover, this factor may be shaped with the help of numerous activities that stimulate brain functioning and development (Wai, 2014). It is rather important to note the fact that Thorndike’s multifactor theory of intelligence is no less popular than the previous psychological assumptions. Thorndike was deeply convinced that human intelligence should not be compared to general abilities of humans. In addition, he differentiated several attributes or components of human intelligence, including level, range, area, and, finally, speed (Pal, Pal, Tourani, 2004). Thurstone claimed that human intelligence was the combination or unity of psychological and functional factors. According to the main idea of verbal factor that was differentiated by Thurstone, ability to perform numerical calculations at high speed is the basic peculiarity of human intelligence. Besides, verbal comprehension and well-developed memory indicate comparatively high intelligence rates of humans. This professional in the spheres of psychometrics and psychophysics constructed wide range of effective intelligence tests on the basis of his own theory (Pal, Pal, Tourani, 2004). Such a well-known psychologist with worldwide recognition as J. P. Guilford developed his own structure of human intellect. He believed that human intellect consisted of several dimensions that involve content, product, and, finally, process. According to the point of view of this psychologist, every intellectual task should be analyzed on the basis of its content, required amounts of mental activities, and products resulting from these activities. Moreover, he classified such a dimension as content into five separate categories that contribute to human intellect. He supported the idea that human intellect is changed by numerous visual, mandatory, semantic, as well as behavioral and cognitive factors (Pal, Pal, Tourani, 2004). The intelligence theory established by P. E. Vernon informs that human intelligence consists of four main levels (Pal, Pal, Tourani, 2004). The British psychologist was sure that environmental and genetic factors contributed to the development of human intelligence. He believed the genes ensured an opportunity for people to inherit intelligence. According to the estimations of this researcher, above 60% of human intelligence rates are influenced by genetic factors. In addition, he claimed that intelligence rates varied among various racial groups and ethnicities. R. Cattell, American psychologists and researcher who worked in the sphere of empirical psychology, founded â€Å"crystallized theory† of human intelligence. Taking into account the nature of this theory, genetic potentiality impacts the intelligence capacity. The researcher emphasized that his â€Å"crystallized theory† provided convincing arguments that past as well as new experiences influenced the intellig ence rates of humans (Pal, Pal, Tourani, 2004). Howard Gardner is the author of multiple intelligence theory (Pal, Pal, Tourani, 2004). Theory represented by this psychologist states that human intelligence is shaped by such factors as language, spatial representation, musical type of thinking, and even bodily language. Furthermore, the researcher claimed that educational system was extremely biased because it oriented on equal intelligence abilities and capacities of humans. On the contrary, the psychologist stated that human intelligence was not a universal measure that is equal among various people. He claimed that visual as well as spatial factors, appropriate use of kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal relations, linguistics, and, finally, logical thinking positively impact the rates of human intelligence. Howard Gardner is a proponent of the theory that there are seven types of intelligence that are typical to various people. According to the main idea of this psychologist, some people possess the characteristics o f visual and special intelligence. According to this intelligence, people are increasingly aware of their surrounding and environment. Verbal as well as physical imagery is typical to individuals that have this type of intelligence. Taking into account the second kind of intelligence, differentiated by H. Gardner, people are extremely good at using their body language (Pal, Pal, Tourani, 2004). They effectively communicate not only with the help of language, but with their body movements as well. This type of intelligence requires for further development real objects, compared to the visual-spatial intelligence â€Å"owners† who rely on diverse graphs, charts, pictures, videos, and other efficient tools. Musical intelligence is a considerably widespread type of intellectual capacity of humans that is based on increased sensitivity to sounds and rhythms. Individuals that have musical intelligence are very sensitive to musical sounds and noises that surround them. The psychologist claimed that the most effective tools that contribute to development of musical intelligence of people are various musical instruments, music channels on TV and radio (Pal, Pal, Tourani, 2004). Interpersonal intelligence focuses on socializing, cooperation, and interactions with other people. Despite well-developed intuition, motivation, and very strong will, the â€Å"owners† of this intellectual capacity are sometimes shy and unconfident in their strengths. In the majority of cases, learners of interpersonal intelligence who are in tune with their emotions and inner feelings rely on independent study and privacy. Such tools as books and writings are beneficial for the development of their intellectual abilities (Pal, Pal, Tourani, 2004). On the contrary, intrapersonal intelligence deals with profound and accurate understanding of someone’s goals and intentions. This type of intelligence, as compared to interpersonal one, rarely involves group activities, dialogues, and other entertainments. It is important to note that such people are the most independent learners that do not like team work and activities. Linguistic intelligence is based on efficient use of vocabulary. Learners of this intelligence are characterized by well-developed auditory skills that give them opportunities to think in words. Finally, logical-mathematical intelligence, according to the classification of Gardner, is connected with calculating and reasoning. The learners who want to develop this unique ability of a human intellect should solve complicated puzzles, experiments, and games that require logical thinking. Thus, according to the main idea of multiple intelligence theory, all people are intelligent in different â€Å"spheres of i ntelligence,† as there are several basic types of human intelligence, including linguistic, logical, special, as well as motor, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and, finally, naturalistic intelligence (Pal, Pal, Tourani, 2004). R. J. Sternberg is the founder of triarchic intelligence theory. According to the estimations of this researcher, human intelligence consists of three main types, including analytical, creative, and practical subcategories. American psychologist claimed that analytical intelligence was connected with academic abilities of people. This type of intellectual capacity provides an opportunity for humans to solve problems, think, and acquire new knowledge. Well-developed problem-solving skills contribute to generation of quick and accurate solutions to complex tasks (Pal, Pal, Tourani, 2004). Taking into account the nature of creative intelligence, it should be stressed that this intellectual capacity is defined by the researcher as the ability to adapt to novel situations and even get profits from new experiences. Finally, practical intelligence of humans may be commonly referred to as â€Å"street smarts.† Practical intelligence ensures an opportunity for people to adapt to the d emands of changing environment. For instance, practical intelligence helps the newcomers to adapt to the expectations of employers and behavior of other employees (Pal, Pal, Tourani, 2004). Human intelligence has become the main target of molecular genetics not long ago. Even nowadays numerous researchers make attempts in order to estimate if genes are responsible for heritability of human intelligence (Plomin Deary, 2014). With the help of high level of IQ, many people succeed in education, occupation, as well as physical and mental health or well-being. Heritability of intelligence is not a myth, but a reality which is supported by numerous convincing arguments. According to the results of statistics provided by the neuroscientists, heritability of intelligence may occur either in the period of infancy or in late adulthood. Such an innovative technique in the sphere of genetics as Genome-Wide Complex Trait Analysis proves that genes transmit not only physical traits, but intelligence that impacts social mobility, education, mortality rates, and functioning of a human brain. The notion of intelligence is incredibly significant from scientific and social perspectives. For instance, taking into account scientific point of view, intelligence deals with brain functioning and structure which impacts the increase or decline of cognitive skills and brain functioning. Socially, human intelligence is one of the most influential predicators of human success or failures in education and career. Besides, psychologists have proven that higher intelligence is a guarantee of strong physical and mental health of humans (Plomin Deary, 2014). Recent genetic studies of intelligence prove that genes influence cognitive abilities and brain functioning of humans. For example, such intelligence components as spatial ability, speed of information processing, vocabulary, memory capabilities, and executive functions are inheritable features. Besides, genes may impact not only spatial relationships and vocabulary, but numerous learning capabilities that are directly associated with education, such as reading and arithmetic. Many proponents of the heritability of genes assure that human intelligence may be compared to so-called â€Å"slave† of the genes (Plomin Deary, 2014). However, despite popularity of the theory that genes transmit intelligence, a lot of professionals in the sphere of psychology and genetics assure that intelligence has nothing in common with genes (Plomin Deary, 2014). In simple words, no one is born with low intelligence rates. Genes have the power to define the scope or the framework of human intelligence. In fact, genes may only define the maximum intelligence rate that every person can achieve. According to numerous scientific investigations conducted by the British researcher Burton, more than 50 % of human intelligence depends of environmental pressure. The highest level of human intelligence is the environment where people grow up, study, work, and spend their free time. Education and teaching outweigh genetic influences. Family and peer groups are considered to be the most influential factors that shape human intelligence. For instance, a number of studies that investigated parental influences on intelligence of their child ren prove that families bears full responsibility for academic achievements of their children. Many psychologists recommend parents to praise their children for their success, because this behavior contributes to high intelligence scores of children in the future (Plomin Deary, 2014). Furthermore, taking into account the essence of incremental theory, human intelligence can be improved with the help of efforts and trainings. Parents who teach their children to develop love for learning have to be sure that this practice contributes to future academic successes of their children. On the contrary, indifferent and apathetic parents that do not make efforts to educate their children since the early age should not expect that their children will get high intelligence scores in the future (Plomin Deary, 2014). According to the assumptions of many psychologists, peer group associations shape intelligence of people no less than parents. Series of experiments with participation of females prove that prejudice, bias, and generalization influence academic success and intelligent scores of women. For instance, women that were told that they performed worse at chess than males really failed the game. In addition, women who were told that males were always good at Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry because of genetic and biological factors performed badly during the tests. These experiments provide convincing data that stereotype threat impacts intelligence of people. The same experiments were conducted among the blacks and whites, and the results were the same (Nisbett et al., 2012). Moreover, the researchers have managed to estimate that adopted children have similar intelligence scores to their adoptive parents. Biologically related children that were brought up and educated within the same fa mily are also characterized by very common intelligence rates. On the contrary, such â€Å"deprived environments† as orphanages, isolation, and extreme poverty contribute to considerable decline of intelligence rates. However, in case children abandon these â€Å"deprived environments† and become the part of â€Å"enriched families and communities,† their intelligence drastically increases. These studies and scientific investigations prove that human intelligence is not a matter of genes, as parents and peer groups form the â€Å"intelligence basis† of every child (Nisbett et al., 2012). Education and trainings also influence the IQ scores of humans. The researchers suppose that education may predict possible educational attainments and successes. Intelligence of humans may predict successes and attainments of children during some stressful situations, especially at examinations and tests. Intelligence is closely intertwined with education, because results of scientific experiments prove that intelligence of people drastically decreases during the period of summer breaks. These arguments that refute heritability of human intelligence prove that education influences intelligence only in a positive way. Intelligence is influenced by numerous biological factors that involve nutrition, maternal age, stress, etc. (Nisbett et al., 2012). Close interconnection among races and intelligence scores has been a controversial subject since the beginning of the 20th century. Taking into consideration the historical perspective, the first intelligence tests that were aimed to manifest the difference of scores between various population groups were conducted after the period of the World War I (Nisbett et al., 2012). For example, within the 20th century, many psychologists claimed that innate biological differences were the key factors that explained inferiority of some nationalities. According to the research results, people with the highest IQ rates live in the developed Western and Asian countries. On the contrary, to the list of the least developed countries with lowest rates of human intelligence are included races and nationalities of Africa and Latin America. Recent scientific study that has compared intelligence scores in more than 20 countries around the globe provides information that IQ rate among Asian Americans is equal to 106. Among African-American people, the average rate of human intelligence constitutes 89. Finally, on the territory of Japan the IQ score is equal to 110. However, the proponents of the theory that race influences intelligence state that similar studies are biased and prejudiced because human intelligence has nothing in common with color of skin or other features that are peculiar to people on different continents (Nisbett et al., 2012). As a result, having determined and analyzed the nature of human intelligence, main IQ theories, and factors that shape intellectual capacities of humans, it is possible to summarize that the notion of human intelligence has remained a debatable and subjective issue that cannot be explained and understood with help of theories that are available in abundance. In general, intelligence is significant because it impacts successes of humans in personal life, education, career, physical health, and mental welfare. Parental care, education, peer group associations, and some biological factors influence the raise and decline of human intelligence. Finally, it is rather important to note that human intelligence has remained an open question till nowadays, as the researchers cannot find convincing arguments that would either prove or refute the connection of intelligence to race, age, and inheritability.

Prehistoric Life During the Pleistocene Epoch

Prehistoric Life During the Pleistocene Epoch The Pleistocene epoch represented the culmination of 200 million years of mammalian evolution, as bears, lions, armadillos, and even wombats grew to bizarrely large sizesand then went extinct due to climate change and human predation. The Pleistocene is the last named epoch of the Cenozoic Era (65 million years ago to the present)Â  and is the first epoch of the Quaternary period, which continues to this day. (Up to the year 2009, when paleontologists agreed on a change, the Pleistocene officially began 1.8 million rather than 2.6 million years ago.) Climate and Geography The end of the Pleistocene epoch (20,000 to 12,000 years ago) was marked by a global ice age, which led to the extinction of many megafauna mammals. What most people dont know is that this capitalized Ice Age was the last of no less than 11 Pleistocene ice ages, interspersed with more temperate intervals called interglacials. During these periods, much of North America and Eurasia was covered by ice, and ocean levels plummeted by hundreds of feet (due to the freezing of available water at and near the poles). Terrestrial Life Mammals: The dozen or so ice ages of the Pleistocene epoch wreaked havoc on megafauna mammals, the largest examples of which were simply unable to find enough food to sustain their populations. Conditions were especially severe in North and South America and Eurasia, where the late Pleistocene witnessed the extinction of Smilodon (the Saber-Toothed Tiger), the Woolly Mammoth, the Giant Short-Faced Bear, Glyptodon (the Giant Armadillo), and Megatherium (the Giant Sloth). Camels disappeared from North America, as did horses, which were only reintroduced to this continent during historical times, by Spanish settlers. From the perspective of modern humans, the most important development of the Pleistocene epoch was the continuing evolution of hominid apes. At the start of the Pleistocene, Paranthropus and Australopithecus were still extant; a population of the latter most likely spawned Homo erectus, which itself competed with Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) in Europe and Asia. By the end of the Pleistocene, Homo sapiens had appeared and spread around the globe, helping to hasten the extinction of the megafauna mammals that these early humans either hunted for food or eliminated for their own safety. Birds: During the Pleistocene epoch, bird species continued to flourish around the globe, inhabiting various ecological niches. Sadly, the giant, flightless birds of Australia and New Zealand, such as Dinornis (the Giant Moa) and Dromornis (the Thunder Bird), quickly succumbed to predation by human settlers. Some Pleistocene birds, like the Dodo and the Passenger Pigeon, managed to survive well into historical times. Reptiles: As with birds, the big reptile story of the Pleistocene epoch was the extinction of oversized species in Australia and New Zealand, most notably the giant monitor lizard Megalania (which weighed up to two tons) and the giant turtle Meiolania (which only weighed half a ton). Like their cousins around the globe, these giant reptiles were doomed by a combination of climate change and predation by early humans. Marine Life The Pleistocene epoch witnessed the final extinction of the giant shark Megalodon, which had been the top predator of the oceans for millions of years; otherwise, though, this was a relatively uneventful time in the evolution of fish, sharks, and marine mammals. One notable pinniped that appeared on the scene during the Pleistocene was Hydrodamalis (aka Stellers Sea Cow), a 10-ton behemoth that only went extinct 200 years ago. Plant Life There were no major plant innovations during the Pleistocene epoch; rather, during these two million years, grasses and trees were at the mercy of intermittently plunging and rising temperatures. As during preceding epochs, tropical jungles and rainforests were confined to the equator, with deciduous forests and barren tundra and grasslands dominating northern and southern regions.

Outline, Thesis, and Introduction Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Outline, Thesis, and Introduction - Coursework Example Review of Literature – evaluates and summarizes relevant information from the identified secondary sources regarding legalization of marijuana in the United States. Findings – stipulates highlights of findings from secondary sources and from interviews Recommendations Conclusion References Introduction The use of marijuana as a medical tool has been subject to controversy with regards to the benefits and costs to the users and to society. Various researches have supported its use for medical purposes and interviews with patients have validated preferences to its use in contrast to the traditional medications. Contemporary statistics have revealed that there are currently 16 states plus Washington, DC that have enacted laws legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes, of which California, has been listed among its roster since 1996 (ProCon, 2011). The current research aims to proffer issues and concerns regarding the legalization of marijuana for medical purpose s.

Effect of Cultural Shock and Cultural Adjustment on International Essay

Effect of Cultural Shock and Cultural Adjustment on International Mobility - Essay Example The movement of people between and within countries has been noted to be on the rise especially with the increased globalisation. In some countries, the number of foreigners could be exceptionally high such as in the Gulf countries where Furnham (2010) notes that foreign workers comprise about 75% of the total semi-permanent population. Business people, students, missionaries, volunteers and asylum seekers among other groups of people would become temporary or permanent sojourning expatriates in foreign countries more often. These people face a myriad of challenges when in a new environment. In the context of this paper, focus would be on the educational sector and how cultural shock affects international mobility. Most universities have more than a third of the students classified as foreign or international, an observation that continues to take prominence even in other lower institutions of learning (Akhtar & Bo 2010). Various push and pull factors inform on the increase in migrations: leisure, to proselytise or to trade, among others. Some move so as to escape the difficult conditions back in their homelands whereas others would be attracted to specific places. They could face persecution due to their political or religious stands and therefore seek asylum or refuge. Others would move due to employment opportunities as well paying jobs attract them or education, attracted by the superior education systems. Furnham (2010) observed that American universities, for instance, have over half a million of the international students. The US is said to offer the greatest opportunity for higher education for international students globally.... Cultural Shock With the world continuously shrinking due to globalisation, researchers have been keen to study the characteristics of expatriates who succeed in foreign countries. Analysing various research studies tackling this issue, Furnham found out that majority of the researchers concur on the importance of social skills and uses the term â€Å"cultural intelligence† to refer to the â€Å"blend of social and emotional intelligence, reflecting sensitivity to and ability to manage people’s beliefs, behaviours and motivation in culturally diverse settings† (2010, p. 28). The social identity theory explains one’s social self which borrows from being a member of a group. Further, the social identity concept argues on a combination of one’s knowledge of being a member of a social group and the associated value or emotional component (Terry et al. 2006). But it has been noted that most expatriates fail in their assignments in foreign countries becaus e of cultural differences (Yue & Le 2012). As such, those who develop the ability to quickly adjust and acquire intercultural competencies would have a competitive advantage. Those who take long in cultural shock could be greatly disadvantaged. Coined by the anthropologist Kalervo Oberg in 1960, the term cultural shock refers to an affective disturbance resulting from an interaction of one’s conceptualisations and realities. According to Miller, Matveeva and Nekrassova (2011), cultural shock results from an individual’s psychological expectations not conforming to the new cultural setting. Individual management in a foreign country could cause one frustration, depression and homesickness. Cultural shock