Outline and evaluate explanations of conformity Essay

Normative social influence occurs when a person desires to be liked and accepted by a group. They will publicly conform and change their behaviour but they will still privately reject their views. This change in behaviour is often temporary as this type of social influence leads to compliance. Informational social influence is where someone conforms to the views and behaviours of the group because they both publicly and privately agree with them. This type of conformity is called internalisation and stems from the desire to be correct. It occurs when a person is in a new or ambiguous situation and doesn’t know what to do. Therefore, they look to the group for guidance as they assume they have better knowledge. Because of this, the change is often permanent as they believe their behaviours and actions are correct. AO2: One strength of this theory is that it has research to support it from Asch’s 1951 study into conformity. The interviews that were taken after the experiment had finished, stated that there were two main reasons that the participants conformed. The first reason was that they didn’t want to be ridiculed by the rest of the group from differing in opinions. They wanted to fit in so went along with the majority group, typical of normative social influence. The second reason was that they honestly thought that the rest of the group knew better than them and that their own judgements were incorrect, typical of informational social influence. Although some psychologists will argue that the two processes work in sync instead of two separate influences. For example, upon seeing a queue in a shop a person may join the end of it because that is what everyone else is doing but they may also be guessing at the same time that the people in the queue know that this is the queue that is needed to pay for their items.

Behaviorism the beginnings

Behaviorism is one of the most influential schools of psychology, especially American psychology. The development of behaviorism was spurned as a reaction to structuralism and functionalism. Behaviorism was posited as a revolution in the methodology of the science of psychology (Hothersall, 1995), while structuralism and functionalism have argued that the rightful object of study of psychology is the mind and consciousness and have developed methods that congruently were subjective and enabled the psychologists of that time to study the mind and consciousness.Although behaviorism has become established as a major force in psychology, in its earlier days it was not popular and embraced by many psychologists. However as behaviorism evolved and developed into a theoretically based and objective science many have found its assumptions practical and scientific. Western psychology’s history is short and colorful compared to other sciences, it started with structuralism from Germany with Wundt at the helm (Murphy, 1930). When psychology arrived in America it obviously followed structuralism, and since it was too philosophical for the American scholars.James developed his own paradigm and called it functionalism, which in essence focused on the function of consciousness in explaining behavior than in studying the structure of the mind. Functionalism held greater influence in American psychology but together with structuralism it still espoused that psychology is the study of the mind and consciousness. The zeitgeist of that period was that the focus of psychology is the understanding of the human mind and internal experiences (Hothersall, 1995).This inspired psychologists to devise methods of studying perception and consciousness in the attempt to discover the workings of the human mind. Research at that time was centered on identifying and describing physiological experiences and how it affected human behavior. Psychologists were comfortable with the notion tha t psychology is the study of the mind and most of them wrote about the self, attention, consciousness, perception and even mental processes that were believed to be the cause of human behavior.At this point, methods used to study the human mind were subjective and did not lend itself to replication and reliability which in turn questioned the veracity of psychological researches. Although functionalism stressed that the mind and consciousness were responsible for human actions, they viewed behavior as a product of mental processes and ignored its importance in the study of psychology. Functionalism however stressed the application of psychological knowledge to practical issues such as learning, education and organizational development.The pragmaticism of functionalism led it to the discovery that human behavior is as much important to study since it is directly related to the human mind. Functionalism also identified the shortcomings of structuralism and its methods and since it was heavily influenced by Darwin, functionalism also welcomed the idea of studying animals in laboratories to test psychological assumptions. While this new developments were gaining support, a new school of psychology emerged from the work and writings of Ivan Pavlov (Hothersall, 1995).Pavlov was able to demonstrate that a dog can be trained to salivate with just the sound of a bell intrigued some psychologists and became one of the most popular teachings in psychology; Pavlov called this process classical conditioning. In America, John B. Watson was impressed with the experiments of Pavlov that he embraced the idea that behavior is the mot important aspect of man that should be studied by psychology (Watson, 1913). John B. Watson was an influential person and he is conventionally credited to be the father of behaviorism as he strongly and eloquently articulated the new psychology of that time.Central to Watson’s argument was that he accepted that animal behavior is quite simil ar to human behavior and that they are legitimate subjects in the experimental study of behavior. Earlier, it was mentioned that behaviorism was revolutionary in the sense that it developed a methodology of study of psychology and that it held few theoretical explanations to human behavior. Watson (1913) posited that any behavior is a response to a stimuli and the relationship between the stimulus and the response should be the subject matter of psychology.Watson also erased the mental processes that the structuralism and functionalism was focused on, arguing that studying mental processes are futile and subjective and did not uphold the scientific and experimental tradition of the discipline. Watson became the editor of the Psychological Review, one of the earliest scientific journals in psychology and used his position in the paper to put forth his ideas and conceptualizations of psychology as the behaviorist would see it (Watson & Evans, 1990).Watson was a radical behaviorist, he always referred to himself as â€Å"the behaviorist† and it implied that he renounced all mental processes as devoid of any psychological insight. He reasoned that structuralism and functionalism are limited perspectives and it did not offer objective and rational explanations of behavior. He was famous for his experiments with Little Albert, wherein he conditioned fear of white and flurry objects in a small child. He demonstrated that fear can be conditioned and that it is manifested in different objects that fit the original object used as a stimulus (Watson, 1928).Watson believed that every action is a product of conditioning and that genetics or cultural orientations does not have anything to do with it. When asked to explain thinking, he said that thinking was not a mental process per se; instead it is an act of speaking in symbolic form (Watson, 1913). Watson’s intense dedication to behaviorism led him to believe that he can train any child to become what he wan ts them to be by subjecting them to the environment and experiences that would support this personality (Watson, 1928).Watson was a true-blooded behaviorist and this actually was the main criticism leveled against him. Psychologists who were trained in the functionalist and structuralist traditions had difficulty accepting Watson’s theories since it took out the mind and consciousness in psychology. There were a number of supporters but they also believed that mental processes are as much important as behavior. another criticism of Watson was that behaviorism was too deterministic, it seemed that the person had no free will since he/she is controlled by his/her environment.It can be remembered that psychology was the child of philosophy and for those who were trained in philosophical logic stressed free will, choice and freedom. Support for Watson waned in the later part of his career since he became too caught up in his assumptions on behaviorism that his contentions became too radical and lacked scientific credence. Watson’s major contribution to psychology is his emphasis on objective methods of research and the use of rats and animals in the study of psychology.Behaviorism became one of the great schools of thought in psychology because it evolved and developed into what we now know as modern behaviorism (Hothersall, 1995), a theoretical perspective that still focuses on human behavior as the object of study but have come to acknowledge the importance of mental processes, genetics and environmental experiences, as well as using methods that not only seek to elicit behavior but also gives due attention to thinking, attention, emotions and consciousness.References Hothersall, D. (1995). History of Psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill. Murphy, G. (1930). A Historical Introduction to Modern Psychology. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, Inc. Watson, J. (1913). Psychology as the behaviorist views it. Psychological Review, 20, 158-177. Watson, J. (1 928). The Ways of Behaviorism. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishing. Watson, R. & Evans, R. (1990). The great psychologists: An intellectual history 5th ed. New York: HarperCollins.

Book Review The Study Of Human Nature Philosophy Essay

Book Review The Study Of Human Nature Philosophy Essay In The Study of Human Nature by Leslie Stevenson, Stevenson writes about Confucian philosophy, most notably the Confucian philosophers Mencius and Hsun-tzu. In the several extracts from the Book of Mencius, Mencius to oppose the claim that human nature is neither good nor bad, but instead good. While from the Book of Hsun-tzu, Hsun-tzu states the opposite, that humans are naturally evil. Both books include the writings from these philosophers arguing whether human nature is good or evil. In the Book of Mencius, Mencius provides the arguments that show that human nature is indeed good. In the first few selections, Mencius quotes Kao Tzu and then follows to argue against him that human nature is not good or evil. Kao Tzu states that â€Å"human nature is like a chi willow† (23), where changing a human’s morality is like turning willow into cups and bowls. Mencius responds by saying that in order for willow to turn into cups and bowl it must be altered, and then you must also alter a human to make him good. Mencius is stating that the words of Kao Tzu are considering that morality is a mutilation of human nature. In addition, Kao Tzu states that â€Å"human nature is like whirling water†, it will flow whenever there’s an opening with no preference (23). However Mencius retaliates that it may be true that it has no preference but water will always seek low ground. It is water’s nature to flow downward, and thus there must be a nature for man. Hence, there is no man that is evil, because there is no water that does not flow downward (23). This means it is water’s nature to flow downward, and it is also human nature to be good. However you can manipulate water, whereas by splashing it and forcing the change of nature is like saying that humans can be evil, under forced circumstances (24). Mencius view of human nature can be concluded that all humans are naturally good but sometimes under certain conditions would be bad. Menc ius view is further supported on the rest of the sections. In section 6, Mencius again responds to Kao Tzu about the human nature of people. Kao Tzu uses a real-life example dictating the reign of a â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† king. Mencius answers that all men are capable of being good. Mencius brings up the role of the four hearts: Heart of compassion to benevolence, heart of shame to dutifulness, heart of respect to observance of the rites, and the heart of right and wrong to wisdom (24). These four hearts are possessed by all men, however if they do not seek the hearts they will lose it. Mencius is saying that all men differ in development, as there are men who are â€Å"five times or countless times better than another man† (24) and that is because â€Å"Seek and you will find it; let go and you will lose it.† With that said, Mencius is saying it is not the fault of one’s nature to become bad, instead people who don’t make use of their h earts and follow it would untimely lose the hearts pertaining to doing good.

IT Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

IT Systems - Assignment Example n back fire in the manner of damages in from of breach of privacy, leaking of important data, bugs in the system, downtime of software and network and various other factors that have a direct impact on the life of project and organization(Laudon & Laudon, 2011). One prime reason of being so fragile is nature is its characteristic attribute of directly in touch with outside forces and entities. Since it is a established fact that large number of malicious forces and programs exist that are direct threat towards the information systems, therefore they serve as the front line threats towards it safe working and existence . Another down side of information systems is its rapid paced transition and introduction of new trends in the arena. Since innovation and up gradation are bound to occur in information systems, this also serves as the vulnerability. Having identified the vulnerabilities that might arise in the information system atmosphere, there is a need for creating an effective protection and security layer, along with assigning responsibilities to the top management for ensuring the implementation of information system and its principles in its true spirit(Gibson, 2010)

Transition in Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Transition in Care - Essay Example A number of challenges shall also be taken under account regarding the ethical and legal issues in the health care settings (Christian et al., 2006). Pain management techniques and community care setting are illustrated in the paper to develop understanding of the patient’s health, furthermore it shall discuss the obstacles and challenged faced in the application and implementation of health care management for adolescences. It is an integral function of nursing to understand the condition of a patient as an individual to address their health needs (Abu-Saad, 1981). This means that the nursing practitioners will have to assess social experiences and needs of the patients (Begum & Johnson, 2010). The need for doing this is because it presents a case in front of the health care professional that will help them formulate a strategy for their treatment. According to the study Begum and Johnson (2010), Young people have specific and different health need (Begum & Johnson, 2010). In addition, their environment plays a major role in the development and overcoming the process of injury (Dumont et al., 2012). Looking at the case of Kelly, it comes to our understanding that she is a young girl who is spending her days in an acute adult hospital ward. This is serving as a great challenge for Kelly in her process of recovery that may lead to delay healing, trauma, cognitive abilities (academic performance), and res toring herself as an athlete (Dumont et al., 2012). In the case of it shall be noted that Kelly has been accommodated in a general ward, where she has different people belonging from different ages (Begum & Johnson, 2010). Briere and Lanktree (2011) argue that the services offered to adolescence in wards and home does not address their special need (Briere & Lanktree, 2011). They required psychological and special health care services to enhance their recovery. Therefore, Kelly shall be accommodated in the adolescence wards or with the people who are

The Bermuda Triangle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Bermuda Triangle - Essay Example s bizarre theories regarding this Bermuda Triangle, none of the theories confirms that the puzzling disappearances occur more frequently in comparison to other most-traveled areas of the ocean (Baumgardner 2012). Theorists have blamed the Bermuda triangle’s supposed mystery on everything from Atlantis, aliens and sea monsters to reverse gravity fields and time warps. However, most scientifically psyched theorists have pointed the bizarre to waterspouts, magnetic anomalies or huge explosion of methane gas from the floor of the ocean, yet overalls, there is no single theory that solves the mystery. Plate boundaries separate the earths continents and seafloors. The crust that forms the bottom of the earths oceans is being generated constantly along mid-ocean ridges and mountain ranges. According to Baumgardner (2012), "Mid-ocean ridges are the boundaries between tectonic plates and forms the separation points of the plates." The central process of formation of new ocean crust is known, however little is understood about exactly what occurs in the unstable environment of the mid-ocean ridges and how fast the process occurs. Volcanos are found where tectonic plates come together or pull apart. Most of the volcanos are caused by mid-ocean ridges, a perfect example of the area of the Bermuda Triangle, like the mid-Atlantic ridge. Therefore, the location of the alleged Bermuda Triangle exposes it to volcanic eruptions that cause the ships to sink and planes to vanish. The U.S. Navy has no belief of the existence of the does Bermuda Triangle neither does the U.S. Board on Geographic Names recognizes the name as an official, but the truth is, the triangle exists (Baumgardner

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Management - Essay Example TQM is a whole process which cannot be made in vacuum. It requires precise techniques and methods such as bench marking and knowledge management along with the control system. This research paper aims at studying and identifying internal control system within Toyota as well as interpreting the criteria for developing and evaluating the control system and its impact on the total quality management. Thesis statement: Internal control and total quality management should not be limited to minimizing cost, improving quality and increasing return on investment but should also emphasize on improving human capital. An Infrastructure for Quality Assurance Total quality function and internal control work side by side for organizational success. Quality assurance provides the basic infrastructure for measuring and reporting quality. Quality assurance program begins with the policy statement by the board which recognizes the need of total quality while minimizing cost. It includes designing of r igorous quality control procedures and development of quality control standards. Internal control serves as the vector of information on quality. Successful companies not only realize the importance of existence of quality assurance methods but also try to do better than the industry average. The impact of good management is usually gauged in the three dimensional framework which consist of high quality, low cost and steadily improved return on investment. In the wake of globalization and accelerating pace of change many organizations now also include quality human capital as the fourth dimension, quality in selecting, hiring, training and evaluating promotion of human capital. Overall quality cannot be achieved without motivating and developing human capital. Motivated employees are not only willing to undertake challenging tasks but it also improves their perception of self worth. Hence the new concept of quality is not just limited to product quality but total quality in every de partment and process of the company. Every employee should work for the total quality management. It is a virtuous cycle which begins with product quality, cost minimization, fast time to market, business reputation, high performance work environment and eventually leads to improved job performance and personal satisfaction of the employees. Internal control measures job performance and report it to the senior management (Chorafas, 2001). Internal Control System Internal control is the vector of information that provides information to the senior management for decision making. Internal control plays a fundamental role in any business and should be used in integration with strategic control and management control for its maximum benefit. Internal control is based upon gathering information so it has various inputs from different departments and processes of the organizations. It receives information from customers, workers, suppliers and information about other events and condition. This transaction of information is bilateral or two way. Internal control then passes on this information to the higher management who makes plans, authorizations and takes decisions accordingly. Internal controls also provide feedback or follow up of those plans, procedures and decisions. Managements’ ability to fulfill their responsibility and adequate decision

Technology-based Instructional Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Technology-based Instructional Practices - Essay Example Because of the growing dependency and the importance of technology in society, technology has become increasingly important in schools as problem-solving instructional tools. The breadth portion of this Knowledge Area Module (KAM) presents a working theory of constructivism based upon instructional practices adapted to meet the technology requirements of the twenty-first-century learner. There will be special emphasis on the work of Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and Seymour Papert. The Breadth paper emphasized the relationship between social and cognitive constructivism along with influences in education. The constructivists’ theories and concepts addressed learning styles and academic achievement. It concluded with the suggestion that to increase productivity from student achievement and productivity, an increase in feedback communication from all stakeholders in an educational system. Feedback communication increases can be contributions to the use of technology-infused instruction, data management, and intelligent classrooms communication. School districts cultivate reform practices to include the integration of technology in curriculum standards. Student technology standards are aligned with each grade level for students to master. Educational paradigm shifts bring new perspectives, new conceptualizations and new ways of thinking about a topic. The research studies explain the important role of technology Computers developed for the classroom, which were geared toward helping to teach the traditional curriculum and basic skills, were often operated as a means to deliver instruction, sometimes as a supplement to the teachers’ classroom instruction, and sometimes replacing classroom instruction altogether.  

Marketing For Non-profit Organizations Case Study

Marketing For Non-profit Organizations - Case Study Example Coming to the Political factors which can influence the museum, it was identified that the Mayor's commission on the inclusion of Asian and African settlers in London into the Heritage could play an instrumental role in deciding if the museum would get the required support from the Greater London Association (GLA) for its further needs. It could also play a role in making a political impression, which could go a long way in the museum's growth. The 2012 Olympics and its preparations were also taken into consideration while formulating the political factors. At this juncture when the Government of UK was looking forward to make rapid changes to the city of London in a big way and also promote tourism, it is an undisputable fact that the museums would directly be impacted from this move. The 2012 Olympics and the Government's preparations for it and also the modernization agenda of London would really help the museum sector in the long run. Likewise, the social factors were identified to be the literacy rate of the city, country and the constitution of the population. Around 28% of the population consisted of the Asians and Africans and it was clearly identified that there was a need to include and appreciate their services too. Hence, extensive SWOT and PEST analyses on the British museum and the museum sector as a whole and suggestions were made. Since the marketing audit is essentially divided into Internal and External m arket analyses, we classify strengths, weaknesses as the internal analysis of the museum. Likewise, we classify political, economic, social and technological factors as the external environmental condition for any organization. It is obvious that the external environment for the museum too plays a crucial role in the growth of the organization in the long run. Marketing Audit and Recommendations It is a well-known fact that the British museum in London is one of the world's greatest museums of human history and culture. Its collections, which number more than 13 million objects from all continents, illustrate and document the story of human culture from its beginning to the present. is a point of controversy whether museums should be allowed to possess artefacts taken from other countries, and the British Museum is notable target for criticism (Albert Gunther, 2003).The Elgin marbles and the Benin Bonzes are among the most disputed objects in its collections, and organisations have been formed demanding the return of both sets of artefacts to their native countries of Greece and Nigeria respectively. The British Museum has refused to return either set, or any of its other disputed items, stating that the "restitutionist premise, that whatever was made in a country must return to an original geographical site, would empty both the British Museum. The Museum has also argued th at the British Museum Act of 1963 legally prevents it from selling any of its valuable artefacts, even the ones not on display. Internal Environment Analysis The Weaknesses Lack of funds, has clearly paralyzed the prospects of development of the museum in a real big way. Under funding has clearly caused discontent among the employees of the organization. In fact there were instances when the employees had gone off their duties in order to protest the government's attitude towards the museum. At a time when