Psychology and Positive Reinforcement Essay Example for Free

Psychology and Positive Reinforcement Essay For this project if I had to design a study investigating the relationship between alcohol and violence, I would use the experimental method. The experimental method involves manipulating one variable to determine if changes in one variable cause changes in another variable. This method relies on controlled methods, random assignment and manipulation of variables to test a hypothesis (Cherry, n. d. ). The reason for this method is so I can put the test subjects in a controlled environment and monitor the affects of the alcohol and see if the alcohol consumed by the test subject allows them to display forms of violence. By using another method with the experimental method to get more results out of this study, I would also use survey research. Survey research is one of the most important areas of measurement in applied social research. The broad area of survey research encompasses any measurement procedures that involve asking questions of respondents. A survey can be anything that forms a short paper-and-pencil feedback form to an intensive one-on-one in-depth interview (Trochim, 2006). I would combine these methods to determine the outcome of the study and support my investigation of the relationship between alcohol and violence. For example, I would get four test subjects that would consist of two groups, two men and two women. I would have all subjects fill out a form that displays likes and dislikes and what makes them happy/ unhappy. I would then have one subject from each group would consume alcohol but all the drinks would be the color red each subject will be by themselves for the first hour in different rooms. After that hour they would be placed in room together and exam how the gamma-aminobutyric acid displays the affects of using their dislikes on their behavior after the consumption of alcohol. The strengths of this study would be finding the chemical in alcohol and what chemical inside of the human body that triggers the violent display. Also strengths for this method would be compilation of verifiable data and ethical compliance. But with all strengths you do have weaknesses; those weaknesses for these methods would be not having accurate reports for these methods and distortion of unreliable case studies. Also you may have test subjects that do not reflect the general population and him or her in fact have their own social issues that may reflect violence from the outcome of alcohol. The ethical consideration for this research would be no children, women that are pregnant, separation of a person with a criminal background and non-criminal background, test subjects are only to consume a certain amount of alcohol by their size and weight, and the test subjects are only to be tested in a controlled environment. The difference between negative and positive reinforcement is that negative reinforcement; is when a certain stimulus/item is removed after a particular behavior is exhibited. The likelihood of the particular behavior occurring again in the future is increased because of removing/avoiding the negative stimuli (Stangor, Chapter 7, 2010). For example: My son has choirs to do every day after school and does not like to do them. He does his choirs because if he does not he would not be able to play his video game. Positive reinforcement: is a very powerful and effective tool to help shape and change behavior. Positive reinforcement works by presenting a motivating item to the person after the desired behavior is exhibited, making the behavior more likely to happen in the future (Stangor, Chapter 7, 2010). For example: My daughter studied very hard on her spelling test and receive an A for passing it, for receiving that A on her test I gave her ten dollars for studying and doing a great job on her test. Using negative reinforcement on my son not doing his choirs helps him understand that you will not get anything in return for not doing your job after school. Using positive reinforcement for maintaining a positive path you will be rewarded for your accomplishments. The ethical standards are displaying a positive for doing something positive and a negative result for a negative behavior. For example, you cannot throw a rock at a car window and expect to get ice cream in return. That would be rewarding a person for doing a negative action. Also you cannot reward a person for cheating on a test by copying off of someone, excepting credit for someone else’s work instead of your own. When displaying these reinforcement methods it helps to create modifications of the behavior that’s displayed by the children from my example. When using these methods it creates a pattern for learning responsibility. Learning responsibilities helps form other positives paths to encourage a person to be more motivated nd become successful. The theory that best fits my psychological thought would be the behavior theory and also the developmental theory. The behavior theory also known as behaviorism is a theory of learning based upon the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning. The developmental theory: Theories of development provide a framework for thinking about human growth, development, and learning (Trochim, 2006). The way I see psychology I believe that it starts with these theories first. Understanding human behavior and the development of behavior helps me better understand the mentality of people. Psychology is a very broad field that deals with all aspects of life, from a social stand point, economical stand point and environmental stand point. Psychology helps us understand why we do the things that we do, for example culture of honor. A term that is defined by responding to insults with aggression or catharsis observing or engaging in less harmful aggressive actions that will reduce the tendency to aggress later in a more harmful way (Stangor, Chapter 14, 2010). These psychological theories of behaviorism cannot be studied without developmental theories to help understand these patterns and create determination to why we do things. Give us a better understanding, in other words casual attribution; determining the causes of people behavior (Stangor, Chapter 13, 2010). Our social cognition is set to predict behaviors, but how can we predict behaviors if we do not develop ways to understand it. Basically prejudging or stereotyping these behaviors. It is nothing in psychology that would have me to believe that the research that is provided is not true. Everything that I have studied, I either have done or seen done; our attitude another behavior that we exhibit and in my opinion would be the core to behaviorism. It displays any feelings that we have towards people, work ethic, environment, and our social representation. First I would have to define the disorder by observing the dysfunctional pattern of thought, emotion, and behavior. Next I would exercise the bio-psycho-social model of the illness; to help me understand the disorder. Using the DSM-IV-TR, I would look for any psychological history and use of the Axis IV check for social or environmental problems, such as homelessness, divorce, school problems, or other stressors present. Also I would use Axis I and V to determine if this person is suffering from mood, anxiety, or learning disorders; is this person at risk of hurting him or herself and others (Stangor, Chapter 13, 2010). The disorder I have discovered that my client has is anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder is a psychological disturbance marked by irrational fears, often of everyday objects and situations. The treatment I would use to help my client would be antianxiety medications; drugs that help relive the fear of anxiety. Also I would use biomedical therapies; treatments that are designed to reduce psychological disorder by influencing the action of the central nerves system. This method would involved the use of medication but also include direct brain intervention with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT0, psychosurgery, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (Stangor, Chapter 13, 2010). These methods of therapy would help my client be more at ease with their disorder. The ethical obligations of the psychological professionals would be that. Psychiatrists are physicians with specialized knowledge of mental illness and its treatment. Psychiatrists share the same ethical ideals as all physicians and are committed to compassion, fidelity, beneficence, trustworthiness, fairness, integrity, scientific and clinical excellence, social responsibility, and respect for persons. Psychiatrists endeavor to embody these principles in their diverse roles as diagnosticians, treating physicians, therapists, teachers, scientists, consultants, and colleagues (Principles of Ethics and Professionalism in Psychiatry, n. d. ).

Antigone :: essays research papers

"Antigone" the play written by Sophocles deals with moral law vs civil law. King Creon has condemned Princess Antgione. Antgione went against the king’s decree and buried her brother Ploynices. Antgione now will be punished by starvation under King Creon’s decree. Antigone is a passionate, strong willed, and determined women. Antigone is a passionate character in the play we see this as we learn of her as we see her put moral law above civil law. An important ideal in Ancient Greece was the belief that the government was to have no control in matters concerning religious beliefs. In Antigone's eyes, Creon betrayed that ideal by not allowing her to properly bury her brother, Polynices. She believed that the burial was a religious ceremony, and Creon did not have the power to deny Polynices that right. Antigone is ready to defy Creons decree and do what she feels in her heart is right we see this when she says "Will you life up his body with these bare hand s and lower it with me? ". Threw out the play Antigone is strong willed. She doesn’t want Ismene to explain the law to her. When she asks Ismene to help her with the burial of Ploynice, Ismene says no. When Ismene tries to convince Antigone to not defy Creons decree Antigone tells her "I won’t insist no, even if you should have a change in heart, I’d never welcome you in the labor, not with me. So, do as you like, whatever suits you best- I’ll bury him myself.". Antigone is not willing to give up with out a fight and she isnt going to let anyone get in her way. Antigone is one of the strong willed characters in this play. When she is done burring her brother, after all the torment she has endured she says "My reverence only brands me for irreverence!". Antigone isn’t sorry even though by doing the right thing she will be put to death by starvation in a tomb. She is obeying the law of the gods rather then the law of Creon. W hen Antigone takes matters in to her own hands and does what is right ,that shows strong soul . Having a strong sense of moral law in Greek mythology will lead to a good after life.

Class Project on San Diego Police Department

Police Departments of different cities are undergoing a transition. Police department and their operations, hierarchy design, and strategies are becoming increasingly similar to that of other commercial organizations. Police Departments today operate with a sense of direction, a mission that is broken down into objectives and achievable goals that must be met in order to rank the mission of the department as a success. Therefore, it will not be incorrect to compare police departments to business organizations functioning within the society About San Diego Police Department The police department of San Diego is one of the most efficient police departments from across the country. The department is also amongst the pioneers in implementing strategies that have won the country the edge in the fight against crime. These strategies include implementation of an Information Technology infrastructure and programs such as ‘Community Oriented Policing’. The San Diego Police Department has a strength of over two-thousand-six-hundred personnel. This strength consists of officers that are sworn, as well as other that are civilians. These personnel function conjointly towards accomplishing the mission of the police department. These personnel are further divided into eight divisions: Field Operations, Special Operations, Neighborhood Policing, Training and Development, Office of Administration, Personnel Services, Professional Responsibility, and Support Services. All these departments function under the assistant chief, except for the Personnel Services which functions under a civilian personnel director. (Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999) The department has been a leader in trying new strategies for implementing effective criminal justice routines. The department works closely with the community and encourages the society to participate and coordinate with the fight to make the city free of crime. The ‘Community Oriented Policing’ and ‘Problem Oriented Policing’ are two such programs that bring the community and the department together in the fight against crime. Further, the department has also implemented Information Technology as a strategy for efficient crime reporting and monitoring The aforementioned strategies have yield promising results for the San Diego Police Department. The crime rate has considerably declined in the city and is continues to drop. The crime statistics of the year 1997 show that fewer homicides, murders, violent crimes, property crimes and burglaries have taken place that year as compared to 1978 (Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999). However, this existing crime rates are still quite high for the United States. The San Diego Police Department has therefore the responsibility to sustain the comparative low crime rates and try to reduce these statistics even further. This cannot be achieved without efficient strategy planning of department’s resources. Following is a study and analysis of the San Diego Police Department. The various aspects of the operations of the department are studied, analyzed, and based on these a strategy plan is devised for sustainability in operation of the department. San Diego Police Department’s Mission The department envisions cohesion of efforts of various entities in the society, aimed at improving the lives of the inhabitants of San Diego. The collaborative work is one of the most stresses attributes of the police department’s mission. This collaboration includes entities such as â€Å"communities, government agencies, private groups and individuals† (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2002) that share the same vision as the San Diego Police Department, i. e. fighting crime and improving the quality of life in San Diego. The attributes of the mission statement are the values that the San Diego Police Department tends to use to accomplish its mission. These values are representative of the spirit, and are the basis of the policies of the police department’s mission. San Diego’s Web Site (2002) lists some of the core values of their police department, rating protection of human beings as one of the highest priority values. This is significant for any police department as the primary reason for establishment of peace, law and order systems is protection of human life. The value deserves to be at top priority as a lack of value suggests taking for granted the objective of the department’s motif for existence. The implementation of ethical policing follows in the list of values. The reason for giving ethics a high importance is crucial for the acceptance of the police department by the people it is established for. There are many issues surrounding execution of duties of the police force and officers, ethics being one of them. It is not fiction but a fact that a police subculture has established itself within the officers which sometimes provides for officers to carry out unethical practices or misuse of authority. The public shows its concern for such unethical practices implemented by law enforcers themselves. Therefore, the implementation of ethics in particular and mention of it that high in the mission statement of the police department is strategically intended to ward off bad attention. Units in the San Diego Police Department The police department has been organized into several different units based on nature of function or crime. This helps organization of resources as well as represents the image of a well-organized/equipped police department. The different units operating in SDPD are: Air Support Unit, Armory – SWAT, Background Investigations, Canine Unit, Child Abuse, Communications, Crime Analysis, Criminal Intelligence, Crisis Intervention, Data Systems, Domestic Violence Unit, Elder Abuse, Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO), Field Training Officer Administration (FTO), Financial Crimes, Gang Detail, Harbor Patrol, Homicide, Internal Affairs, Juvenile Administration, Laboratory, Legal Advisors, Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST), Media Relations, Mounted Enforcement Unit, Narcotics, Neighborhood Policing, Permits & Licensing (Vice Administration), Personnel, Psychological Services, Records, Recruitment, Robbery, School Task Force, Sex Crimes, Special Investigations, SWAT/SRT (Special Response Team) and Vice Operations. The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003) Critical Success Factors of San Diego’s Department of Police The success of the Police Department in accomplishing and maintaining the mission objective in the community can be contributes to various factors. Some of these factors can be outline to be critical for the success of department, without which the SDPD could not have realized their mission objectives. These factors are summed up and briefly outlined here as the critical success factors for SDPD. Well-defined Strategy The reason why San Diego Police Department has been recognized as one of the leading police departments in controlling crime is that the department has well-defined strategic objectives. The objectives are responsible for focusing the resources of the organization in an organized manner, towards attaining the mission objectives of the department. Setting up a well-defined strategy for a criminal justice unit is rather a new concept in criminal justice administration as usually these departments just focus resources in an unpremeditated manner towards the customary objective of reducing crime. However, the strategy of the SDPD is different. The police department has laid down a definition of more than one goal and further strategically channelled their resources towards realizing these goals. An instance of such a strategy is the department’s awareness about different approaches towards criminal justice, such as the ‘problem-oriented policing’ strategy or integrating the community in the fight against crime in the neighborhood. Training of Human Resource  The shift away from the conventional means of operations brings forth the need to train the human resource of any organization to accustom it to the new strategy. Not only would a new strategy introduce new processes for conducting conventional operations, but it may also introduce new tools (such as Information Technology tools, including software and hardware) that are intended to enhance the efficiency of the human resource. San Diego Police Department faced the same circumstances where the introduction of a strategy enticed the need for human resource training. Eventually, the proper and trained use of strategies and tools led to efficient operations and increased productivity of the police department which was unprecedented. Besides the consideration of training with a changing information technology infrastructure, officers at the police department have to undergo extensive training from the police academy before they can start performing their duties in SDPD. A focus of ethical grooming is also maintained during this course of training. This helps realize and implement the value of the San Diego police department to use ethical policing when serving the community. The officers undergo comprehensive training in the police academy which prepares them not only to ‘serve and protect’ but to efficiently implement policing according to the strategy that is implemented at SDPD. Use of Information Technology The introduction of Information technology tools is one important development for crediting the success of the mission at SDPD. Conventional policing shows less use of high tech tool for attaining criminal justice objectives, but with the advancement in technology the role information technology tools play has become a crucial success factor of policing. San Diego Police Department has been one police departments that accredits it success to the use of Information technology tools, including software, hardware and processes. The department has segregated the use of Information technology in various units and systems. The New Technology Unit (NTU) is one such unit which is headed by a sergeant and staffed by patrol officers. Each individual involved in the integration of technology in policing is thoroughly trained, committed and knowledgeable about the use of this technology. The information technology infrastructure is used for a range of operations. This includes activities from installation of software of laptop machines to the use of Automated Field Reporting (AFR) devices. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003; Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999) Information Technology helps improve the efficiency of operations of the San Diego Police Department in various ways. For instance, the patrol officers can electronically transfer information from their remote locations to the central information system regarding criminal activity or general reports. Financial Situation Finances are the backbone of the any organization as refining the state of the community comes at a cost which must be met. Finances help any organization buy and employ resources towards a definite objective. Similarly San Diego Police Department has the primary objective of making the city a secure place by protecting them and further improving their quality of life. In order to realize these (and many other) objectives for the mission of the police department, the department needs finances. Once finances have been obtained, which is further required is the proper and efficient management of these finances in order to get the maximum out a limited finances. Budgeting is used by SDPD to plan its finances most effectively. The major part of the budget is used to cover personnel expenses. This shows the worth and its expected reliance on the human resource for the success of the mission of the department. Like any other organization, monetary benefits are used to keep the human resource motivated. When the major portion of the budgeted amount is spent on salaries, the remaining amount is still a hefty lot for the police department to plan investment in information technology and other nfrastructure – efforts aimed at improving the efficiency of SDPD. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003; Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999) The primary sources for the finances made available to the San Diego Police Department are five, namely: Property Tax, Sales Tax, Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), Motor Vehicle License Fee (MVLF) and Franchise Fee. As the financial resource of SDPD depends on the City’s General Fund, they are generally sensitive to political and economic stimuli coming from either local, state or national levels. Organizational Design Strategy The organizational hierarchy is clearly listed at the San Diego Police Department Web Site (2003). The organizational hierarchy shows the structure of the police department and the chain of command can be conveniently analyzed. An analysis of the organizational chart reveals that the department is arranged in a way of a business organization with the Chief of Police as the CEO, and the managers take places lower in the hierarchy. So much so that the organizational chart is also labeled as â€Å"San Diego Police Business Center†. The organizational hierarchy is top down, however possesses horizontal attributes, which make communication between individuals working at the same level (horizontal communication) and also across departments. Vertical communication however is not favorable in the top-down hierarchy. Further analysis of the organizational chart of the San Diego Police Department reveals that the department intends to implement a central control over other departments / entities working lower in the hierarchy. This organizational design will be helpful in enforcing strict monitoring and accountability of entities lower in the hierarchy. Such an organizational design, therefore, is used to implement effective programs and reduce the relaxation/room for errors for entities as activities are reported to entities higher up in the hierarchy design. This is one strategy that is used to accomplish the mission of ethical policing at all levels within the department. It is safe to suggest that the organizational design of the San Diego Police Department compliments its ethical policing objective. Strategic Plan for San Diego Police Department The aforementioned analysis has laid the foundation to devise a strategic plan for the San Diego police department for the coming years. The analysis of the department’s mission, critical success factors, financial situation and organizational design strategy are the groundwork for a smart strategic plan for the department, which would otherwise not be feasible without these analyses. The following is a suggested strategic plan for the San Diego Police Department including justification for each strategy suggested. Strategic Design for SDPD The analysis of the organizational design reveals a hierarchy with strict and inflexible structure. This organizational design might be appropriate for implementation of ethical policing and complimenting strict measures of control within the department, however the organizational design conflicts with an important aspect within any organization, i. e. communication. The design strategy hinders communications within different departments at different levels of the hierarchy. The design strategy suggests to the community that officers and entities placed lower in the hierarchy will be the interface for dealing with the department, whereas entities higher in the hierarchy depict not much interaction with the public. It is important to mention here the expectancy of the public to have transparent execution of services as it is the public’s money which is the source for funding the police department. Therefore, what the San Diego Police Department needs is an organizational design that fosters communication with all the entities involved in policing, however one that also implements a strict control for implementing ethical policing without hindrance. This can be implemented with a new, lean organizational design. Contingent Strategy for SDPD As analyzed earlier, the financial strategy of the San Diego Police Department is susceptible to economic and political fluctuations on the local, state or national level. This susceptibility poses a threat to the sustainability of operations of the police department by exhibiting dependence on these factors. The department needs to device a financial management strategy to provide when in difficult times such as those that may not cause disruption of work. This means that an alternative source for generation of funds must be established or sought out by the San Diego Police Department that can cater to the financial needs of the department when other currently implemented sources are not available. Conclusion The San Diego Police Department has implemented quite a few strategies to minimize crime in the city. Nevertheless SDPD must implement further strategic measures for sustainability of its mission of fighting crime.

Eliminating The Irs s Requisition For Summary Judgment

In eliminating the IRS s requisition for summary judgment in the case, the Tax Reckoning stated that it would no longer follow its opinion in McCord, in which it had held that in advance of the death of a person, no recognized method exists for approximating the burden of the estate tax with a sufficient degree of certitude to be effective for Federal gift tax purposes (McCord, 120 T.C. at 402). Therefore, under McCord, no discount would be allowed on a gift tax return for a potential estate tax liability. The Tax Court, however, now found that its holding in McCord was wrongly decided. It observed that determining the amount of an estate tax that may be in effect when the taxpayer dies is no more speculative than determining the amount of capital gains tax that should be applied to reduce the value of stock in an estate and that the Tax Court and many other courts had held that the value of stock for gift or estate tax purposes should be reduced by capital gains tax. Thus, as a matter of law, the assumption of the Sec. 2035(b) estate tax liability could be consideration in money or money s worth that could reduce the gift s value. However, the Tax Court denied Steinberg s motion for summary judgment because while as a matter of law the daughters assumption of the potential Sec. 2035(b) estate tax liability could be consideration in money or money s worth, there was still a material question of fact whether the assumption of the liability was consideration thatShow MoreRelatedCPA Exam Test with Answers26097 Words   |  105 PagesManagement s attitude toward aggressive financial reporting and its emphasis on meeting projected profit goals most likely would significantly influence an entity s control environment when      A.  The audit committee is active in overseeing the entity’s financial reporting policies. Answer A is incorrect.   An active audit committee tends to temper management s aggressive stance.   B.  External policies established by parties outside the entity affect its accounting practices. Answer B is incorrectRead MoreAccounting Information System Chapter 1137115 Words   |  549 Pagesexpect will produce benefits in excess of its costs, only to be disappointed after the fact. b. Production of the information may be mandated by either a government agency or a private organization. Examples include the tax reports required by the IRS and disclosure requirements for financial reporting. 1.2 Can the characteristics of useful information listed in Table 1-1 be met simultaneously? Or does achieving one mean sacrificing another? Several of the criteria in Table 1.1 can be metRead MoreAudit: Auditing and Substantive Tests36648 Words   |  147 PagesQuestion  #1  (AICPA.900546AUD-AU) |    | | The first general standard requires that an audit of financial statements is to be performed by a person or persons having | A.   Seasoned judgment in varying degrees of supervision and review. | | B.   Adequate technical training and proficiency. | | The first general standard requires that the audit be performed by individuals with adequate technical training and proficiency as an auditor. The auditor must have obtained a proper education in accountingRead MoreProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 PagesCanada 118 Riverview Children s Hospital 124 The Evolution of Project Management at Quixtar 145 3 PROJECT MANAGEMENT CULTURES 151 Como Tool and Die (A) 153 Como Tool and Die (B) 157 Apache Metals, Inc. 160 Haller Specialty Manufacturing 162 The NF3 Project: Managing Cultural Differences 163 An International Project Manager s Day (A) 172 An International Project Manager s Day (B) (see handout provided by instructor) An International Project Manager s Day (C) (see handout provided byRead MoreManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 Pagesand permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. Many of the designations by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish theirRead MoreMonsanto: Better Living Through Genetic Engineering96204 Words   |  385 Pages441 441 CASE STUDIES A summary of the case analysis I N T R O D U C T I O N Preparing an effective case analysis: The full story Hearing with the aid of implanted technology: The case of Cochlearâ„ ¢ – an Australian C A S E O N E high-technology leader Delta Faucet: Global entrepreneurship in an emerging market C A S E T W O DaimlerChrysler: Corporate governance dynamics in a global company C A S E T H R E E Gunns and the greens: Governance issues in Tasmania C A S E F O U R Succeeding in the SydneyRead MoreHuman Resources Management150900 Words   |  604 Pagesindices, and then compiled into one figure to measure overall bank performance. Executives believe that their emphasis on HR activities has contributed significantly to the Bank of Montreal’s achieving period profits for seven years in a row. In summary, it is evident that the transition of HR management at GE Fanuc and at Bank of Montreal has enhanced organizational competitiveness and success.1 4 Section 1 HR Management—Strategies and Environment â€Å" HR should be defined not by whatRead MoreCost Accounting134556 Words   |  539 PagesAngioplasty Corporation. a. The controller has a responsibility to perform his duties in a competent manner, one that is in accordance with relevant laws, regulations, technical standards, and generally accepted accounting principles. The controller s lack of action regarding the overstatement of inventory is a violation of professional responsibilities. b. Linda should first follow Angioplasty’s established policy on the resolution of ethical conflict. (Assuming there is one!) If there isn’t an established