Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Information Systems - Essay Example The CDMS is not only required to manage these activities but also required to provide decision support to Chief Executive. Moreover, it will serve as the first impression for the client at web. By building a web interface we mean, building a web enabled application. At application level we have to build various forms and reports in web page format. In our case we will make web pages in dotnet using C# at backend and ASP.net as the front end language. Our database in SQL Server 2000 will be connect be connected to our application through a connection object in application. We will be build web pages for the employees of the company; these pages will only be accessible through authorized login in to the application. SSL will be implemented to ensure the security of the information while accessing the application from web. However, clients of the company can access various informational pages without establish and secure channel and login. The level of user input will be kept to an absolute minimum in order to avoid typo errors from the user. Wherever possible, user input shall be facilitated with components that reduce possibilities of input-errors. CDMS is a mini Web Application on donNet platform. The application is designed for a small Computer Dealer and business requirement for big organizations are not catered for in this document. The database design is kept as simple as possible to avoid complexity. However, it provides all basic functionalities required for the implementation of a mini web application. SQL queries are provided only for example purposes and are not test over SQL Server 2000, which is the proposed database server for the application. Only few important functional requirements of the system are enlisted for the purpose of conciseness, however the design of the system can support many other functionalities which can be implemented while actual development of the system. This design

Philosophy 1 - Term Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Philosophy 1 - Term Paper - Assignment Example That is deductive argument. However, if the process were done backward, then that would be inductive argumentation. There are three perennial issues philosophy has always been concerned and trying to resolve until now. The first issue is the meaning of life, which philosophy tries to find value and reason, or purpose, for one to exist. The next issue is the origin of life, which philosophy searches for understandable answers as to where do all life and existence begin or come from. The last issue is the question of reality. Philosophy seeks to understand whether what we know and experience with our perception actually exists, not merely appears. The cosmological argument for the existence of God states that the world or the cosmos most probably had a creator, a first cause, an unmoved mover who created everything that exist, which is attributed to God. On the other hand, the ontological argument would infer God’s existence through the a priori way of reasoning, wherein the human person can grasp the concept of a God, thus, there must be a God. The four ethical systems are the Aristotelian Golden Mean, Confucian Golden Rule, Natural Law Ethics and Kantian Categorical Imperative. The Aristotelian Golden Mean is all about doing things in balanced measure, never doing any act that is too much or too less but doing what is just enough. The Confucian Golden Rule speaks of doing what is right to others if one were to expect good from others as well. The Natural Law Ethics rules that since nature and the universe moves in an orderly manner, we must act in accordance as such. The Kantian Categorical Imperative asserts that an individual’s morality is absolute and unconditional in any circumstances The Western view of evil is that the existence of Evil is the absence of what is good. That means, an action that is void of any good

Learning Anatomy in the 16th and 17th century Essay

Learning Anatomy in the 16th and 17th century - Essay Example They later documented their work in the form of paintings, handbooks and other works. The art of human anatomy is dated back to the 1600 BC with the first contributor Mr. Edwin Smith. His work included the approach of the human body at different perspectives. According to his work, there is proof that the heart had vessels that helped in the transportation of blood throughout the body. He referred to them as blood vessels and they were believed to have originated from the heart. The treatise of the heart is contained in the Ebers Papyrus. He also noted that there was the presence of other vessels that helped in the transportation of other body fluids such as saliva, sweat, urine, semen and tears. Most of these organs were identified after examination of human corpses. Discoveries on human anatomy had various importances which can be viewed in the modern day society. Some of the artwork by artists foretold what would later be found out using state of the art technology. During the 16 and 17th centuries, there was no technology. However, these artists came up with paintings such as the Leornado Da Vinci’s painting on the human womb. His work foretold how the child looked like while in the wombs (Clayton & Ronald 55). It would later be confirmed using CRT scans which show the position of the child while in the womb. Artists work provided detailed information on the structure of the human body. They carried out researches on behalf of the general population to help doctors in their work. To some extent, the arties were so vigorous in their work such that they continued with their work even after bans had been enforced to reduce dissection on human corpses. For example, Leonardo was able to dissect close to 30 bodies during his research (Clayton & Ronald 45). This helped him provided a detailed report which would help him in his paintings. The paintings were used to create awareness to the members of the society. Most of the people did not know what constitut ed their bodies and how they functioned. As compared to the 21st century, his artwork is perfect. His sketches on the human body provided both internal and external details. He had and expansive study on bones, organs, muscles and the blood circulatory system. Vesalius on the other hand created detailed drawings on allegorical poses. After investing in research, he was able to gather data which he used to publish several books. He published the ‘De humani corporis fabrica’ which was a seven volume book containing his artwork. ‘Abridgement of the Structure of the Human Body’ was also published to provide his findings focusing on illustration rather than actual texts. According to other scholars, it is through Vesalius that they were able to learn the internal functioning of the human body. His findings were presented in a three dimensional place to help them provide detailed information to its viewers. Vesalius was the first scholar to provide a good descrip tion on the sphenoid bone. He was very detailed in his work and led to classification sternum. He also improved the works of Etienne which helped him clarify the type of veins and arteries and also the presence of valves. During the enlightenment era, most anatomist continued operating under the same ideology as Vesalius. He believed that all anatomists had the right to perform surgical operations on human corpses. His work later bore fruit after some of his followers led to the

Shinee Facts Essay Example for Free

Shinee Facts Essay 1. When Onew Taemin were practicing on the rooftop in their trainee days, they didn’t know that they would be in SHINEE together. 2. Minho BoA like playing together at the waiting room (after they both made comeback) and also at pre-recordings. 3. Jonghyun used to LIKE dressing up as girls. But he thinks that it was embarrassing. 4. Taemin’s favorite song from Lucifer album is â€Å"Life†, he likes ballad songs and likes listening to it while travelling. 5. During trainee days, the other members used to don’t understand Onew’s jokes. But now, they understand it immediately. 6. Key’s favorite song in Lucifer album is â€Å"electric heart†. 7. There was once that Taemin, Minho, and Jonghyun went bathing together and there Taemin said â€Å"I’m a man†. 8. Taemin always carries a bag containing a lot of sweets around, all with a SHINEE logo attached on it. He will give out these sweets whenever he sees noonas. 9. â€Å"If I meet an alien, I will definitely be scared at first, but after awhile when I get to know it, I will consider how to send it back home.† -Jonghyun 10. Key has a love-hate relationship with horror movies and horror stories, he yearns for them but he is also scared of them, he likes them but he also dislikes them. He lost his composure/image in the cinema many times because of that, he is only able to rent horror movies/dramas to watch at home to continue scaring himself. 11. Onew feels shy about presenting himself to people, and because of it, he did not dare to participate in auditions. When he was a trainee, everyone else seems to be improving everyday, while he seems to be staying stagnant and not improving, that to him is the saddest period of his life up till now. 12. â€Å"When I first saw Taemin, I thought he was really pretty. At that time there was a trainee noona in front of him, and Taemin was even prettier than her†. -Eunhyuk 13. Jonghyun is a very lively student in high school, able to digest English and Korean songs very well. Formed a band, composed music during that time, believes that if you truly like something, it is not difficult to persevere on. 14. Minho’s ideal type just need to be of an average height, must definitely be kind at heart, have long hair, wears dresses frequently. 15. Key is confident that he can be a gourmet chef, nobody can escape his dumplings trap. Our Comments: Onew is a sweet person put into a group of evil people. He deserves some sort of respect as the leader, so we shall spare him any nastiness. He is undeserving of the hatred bestowed upon him by, not only haters, but Shawols and Shinee as well. He has done nothing to deserve this treatment. This poor man needs to catch a break once in a while, and we shall deliver this break. His constant abuse from fellow members must cause him great distress and pain. Yet Shinee doesn’t appreciate him. Or his talents. So, Onew, we, P B, do issue you an apology, on behalf of the human race. P B Scale Appearance: 9.4 Slightly large nose. Good Complexion. Very pronounced apple of the cheeks. Soft jawline, as opposed to most males. Almond shaped, monolid eyes. Overall soft facial features. Definitely not ugly, contrary to popular opinion. Body is proportional for the most part. Fairly toned. Not the best looking for his age, but better than a majority. Talent: 8 Dancing is proficient. Truthfully, Onew has the best singing voice in Shinee. He is a little rough with control, but taking his age into consideration, he is good. Good at everything, but not fantastic at any one thing. Personality: 7.9 Awkward. But adorkable. He tries. Doesn’t succeed very much, but he tries. Gives a valiant effort. Total: 8.4 Jonghyun Basic Bio: Name: Kim Jonghyun Position: Lead Vocalist Birthdate: April 8, 1990 Bloodtype: AB Height: 173 cm. Our Comments: Jonghyun is the devil. He is the Lucifer. His singing is the Lucifer. We overall just despise this man. He’s short, he’s mean, and therefore has a Napoleon complex. He is like the tiny raptor in Jurassic Park that chases them into the laboratory and tries to eat them. He is not the biggest dinosaur on the island, but definitely the most annoying. His singing is God-awful and f*cking horrible (Cussing is never appropriate, but this is a special exception). It’s just bad. During his performance of â€Å"Lonely Night† on Immortal Song 2, we wanted to shoot ourselves in the face. Of course my friend, you will have many a lonely night, and your only solace will be Key. P B Scale Appearance: 3.5 His nose is disgustingly huge. Not only is his nose large, but his nostrils are excessive. His nose is upturned, and you see all of that excessive nostril. And in stark contrast to Onew, his face isonly angles, which is much too harsh. It makes him always look angry. And when he is attempting a smile, or a cheerful expression, it’s creepy. Let’s not forget how short he is. The Peach is taller than him, and she is a 16 year old, half asian girl. So there is no excuse. In short, Jonghyun is the very definition of a troll: Nasty, short and ugly. He hides under bridges. And terrorizes people, like poor Onew. Talent: 5 His vocal control is commendable, though control of his voice is insignificant due to the fact that he sounds like a cat getting raped. We don’t know how many of you people have heard this happen, maybe outside of your house, or to your own cat, but it is offensive. His dancing is average, nothing special. But his eternally angry face makes any attempt at dancing scary. Technically, his ability to control his voice and range would make him about a 7. But the sound of his voice drastically drops the score. Personality: 0 He’s mean. He’s very mean. You shouldn’t treat people the way he treats people. Especially Onew. Onew is his elder, and the leader. Jonghyun should treat him with respect and dignity. But because of his Napoleon complex, he finds the need to belittle and overall, just piss off, Onew. Total: 3.5 Key Basic Bio: Name: Kim Kibum Stage Name: Key Position: Vocal, Rap Birthdate: September 23, 1991 Bloodtype: B Height: 177 cm. Our Comments: Key is flaming. The second most flaming man in the world of Korean Entertainment. Jo Kwon is unsurpassable. There is no way either of them are the least bit straight. Key is one of the many Kim Kibums. However, congrats Key, to this day, you are the only Kim Kibum that has any real effect in the entertainment world. Not to mention the fact that you’re the only one still active in your group. Key in a nutshell is just fabulous. He sings a very good Kesha. He should just keep doing what†¦ Key does. P B Scale Appearance: 9.4 Key looks like a feminine, younger version of Jo Kwon. Almost as if he were  Kwon’s little sister. However, he does have one flaw. His eyebrows are awful. And as a gay man, he should be ashamed. His best assets however, are definitely his cheekbones. Very well pronounced; good genes. His body is in good proportion. Overall, we admit Key is attractive, but very feminine. Talent: 6.2 He’s a better rapper than Minho. Easily. Without any effort. We’re pretty sure everyone on this planet is a better rapper than Minho. However just because he’s better, doesn’t mean he’s fantastic or even remotely good. His singing is subpar. Dancing is passable. His best talent is swaying his hips to â€Å"Abracadabra†; it’s sickenin’. Personality: 8.6 He’s a nag, but who wouldn’t be trapped in a group with 4 kids. He’s in love with Jonghyun, which is obviously some sort of personality defect. Key’s maternal instinct is sensational. Without him, Taemin would probably be dead. Total: 8.06 Minho Basic Bio: Name: Choi Minho Position: Rap, Sub-Vocal Birthdate: December 9, 1991 Bloodtype: B Height: 184 cm. Our Comments: Minho is just futile. He doesn’t really do anything in Shinee, except rap badly. We don’t really see how he’s â€Å"flaming charisma† either. He’s not stunning, or even remotely good looking. He just looks like Rango. Other than the obvious, there is not much to say about Minho. He doesn’t matter, and we’re pretty sure that if he wasn’t in Shinee, it would make no difference. Except for the fact that Onew might finally be in a pairing. Introducing: TaeNew. P B Scale Appearance: 5.5 Minho is basically ugly. Sorry Shawols, it’s the truth. Everything is so long: His arms, his legs, his fingers. It’s just gross. He’s an alien. Not the sexy kind like T.O.P or Bom, but like Kyuhyun. Weirdly elongated, and kind of awkward. Talent: 3 Unlike the other three aliens, Minho has no talent. What Minho does is not rapping. He is talking (and not even fast, which is an excuse for most), with an autotuned voice. There’s a reason people’s voices are autotuned. And Minho is no exception. Shawols, netizens, everyone: You all really have to stop praising his rapping. For the sake of Minho, if you really care about him. Pretty soon he’s going to start believing your lies. We weep for Minho; we really do. All the pitiful guy has is his â€Å"rapping†, and truth is, it’s awful. Guess this means he has nothing. Personality: 1.9 His personality is nonexistent. There’s nothing really special about him. He’s good with kids, so I guess that’s a plus? We don’t know. He’s just plain vanilla. Total: 3.4 Taemin Basic Bio: Name: Lee Taemin Position: Lead Dancer, Maknae Birthdate: July 18, 1993 Bloodtype: B Height: 175 cm. Our Comments: Taemin is a cute little girl. And if you like him, and are older than him, you have pedophilia. He†¦is kind of a she. But a cute she. Taemin just shoots out estrogen. There’s not one testosterone producing cell in his body. It’s not his fault, and we are not bad mouthing it; it’s a medical condition after all. He’s really innocent and naive. His love for banana milk (which is delicious!), ice cream and â€Å"Lasco*†say it all. If you looked up â€Å"Perfect Maknae† in the dictionary, you’d find Taemin. He’s  cute, young, respectfuland knows how to use his â€Å"aegyo*† effectively. Too bad Shinee doesn’t appreciate his efforts. It seems all they do is bully him, when they’re not harassing Onew. Don’t worry Taemin, we know tons of groups that would want you all to themselves. P B Scale Appearance: 8.7 Taemin is the prettiest little girl in K-Pop. He has a cute nose. His features are very soft and round, and make his face look very feminine. It’s not his fault his face looks this way, but it’s his hairstylist’s fault he looks even more feminine than he should. His only flaw as â€Å"the perfect maknae† is that he’s a bit too tall. But his fans like that, so it’s okay. Talent: SC 9.2 He is a dancer. He’s not one of the absolute greatest, but definitely one of the best for his age. Over the years, Taemin has improved, and we hope he will continue to build his abilities. Personality: 7.9 The perfect maknae personality. He’s adorable, childish and you just want to be maternal towards him. Key cannot be blamed. Total: 8.6 Overall Shinee: 6.4 Shinee to us just seems like a TVXQ replacement. But a bad knock-off. Like a Chinese pikachu doll. Not successful and it’s just wrong. They’re too young. They had it way too easy.  Unlike their predecessors, they did not have to share a 1,000 square foot apartment with 20 other men. They did not starve and were not forced to sleep on the floor because of the lack of beds. They endured nothing, have felt no pain, and this has just created a spoiled group (Which is why they abuse Onew). Their souls and dreams were not broken by the iron fist that is SM Entertainment. They were not made thankful for their presence in the world of K-Pop. Because Shinee did not have to go through half a decade of intense, bone-crushing training, they don’t appreciate how easy their path to stardom has been. Shinee is given catchy songs by the maker of all catchy songs, and this explains their popularity. Without SM’s vast resources, they would be nothing more than the average, unpopular boyband.

Misconceptions of psychology

Misconceptions of psychology Numerous studies have shown undergraduate students and everyday people to have a range of misconceptions about psychology. This study examined misconceptions among one group of first year psychology students, and another group of first year engineering students in order to determine whether psychology students perform significantly better than students of other academic disciplines in regards to their knowledge of psychology. A quasi-experimental independent-groups design was used, with the independent variables in this study having two levels, or whether the participant was either a psychology or engineering student and the dependent variable of the number of correct questions the individual achieved on the questionnaire. Results of this study showed that students from the two disciplines differ in their misconception and knowledge of psychology, with descriptive statistics and analyses of an independent groups t-test and a point biserial correlation showing a significant difference between the two groups. Conclusively, this study suggests that psychology students do have fewer misconceptions compared to engineering students, while further stating an alternative explanation and critically analysing procedures used to determine the produced results. Further research of in this area could focus on testing the misconceptions of a more varied sample, administer a different type of questionnaire, while also extending such research to a range of groups such as psychologists, doctors, teachers, or students of numerous disciplines. Misconceptions of psychology: A comparative study between psychology and engineering students Psychological research, regardless of the specific topic of study, is based upon the same scientific principles as the other hard sciences like physics and chemistry. Nevertheless, psychology has a long history of fighting a commonly held perception that it does not qualify as a scientific discipline and that it generates knowledge that is mere common sense. In many cases, however, common sense leads to an incorrect appreciation of phenomena that have been scientifically investigated by psychologists. Several studies have shown that undergraduate students and lay people alike hold many misconceptions about psychology. These misconceptions have been demonstrated in the United States and England and in several different courses of study. McCutcheon, Furnham, and Davis (1993) asked if there was a significant difference in the prevalence of misconceptions about psychology between American and English university students. They administered a 65 item multiple-choice questionnaire and found that English students generally did better than American students, though neither group answered more than half of the questions correctly. While the authors offered no clear explanation for either the poor performance or the difference between the two groups, they speculated that selective reporting in the mass media may contribute to both the formation of misconceptions and their resolution. Martin, Sadler, and Baluch (1997) tested undergraduate students from psychology, sociology, business, English and engineering from Middlesex University, U.K. on their general knowledge of psychology. Questions on their test invited common sense but incorrect answers. Out of a possible score of 38, psychology students scored highest with an average score of 17.08 while engineering students scored lowest with 11.57. Martin et al. also found that engineering students were least likely to regard psychology as one of the hard sciences or even one of the social sciences. The present study followed up previous reports of students generally poor performance on tests of misconceptions about psychology. Specifically, we repeated a portion of Martin et al.s (1997) study of misconceptions about psychology. We tested two Australian undergraduate classes, one introductory psychology class and one introductory engineering class, on a true/false test of common misconceptions about psychology adapted from Best (1982).This way of replicating a study is known as conceptual replication. While not all details of the Martin et al. study were replicated, this study allowed researchers to answer the overall question of misconceptions in psychology from a different angle. For this to be considered an exact replication of the Martin et al. study, misconception tests should have been given to individuals from a range of both first and last year psychology, sociology, business studies, engineering and English students, compared to just first year psychology and engineerin g students. Additionally, this study did not use a multiple choice test of misconception, but rather assessed misconception using a true or false questionnaire and provided no questionnaire of student attitudes towards psychology. The present study aimed to determine whether psychology students perform significantly better than students of other academic disciplines in regards to their knowledge of psychology. It was hypothesized that psychology students would have the lowest number of misconceptions about psychology, while engineering students would express the most misconceptions. Method Participants The 641 participants in this study consisted of 282 first year, undergraduate psychology students and 359 first year, undergraduate engineering students. Of the two groups in the study, the psychology group consisted of 75 males and 207 females, with ages ranging from 16 to 59 years, and a mean age of 20.3 years and a standard deviation of 5.5 years. The engineering group consisted of 264 males and 95 females, with ages ranging from 16 to 59, and a mean age of 20.0 years and a standard deviation of 5.3 years. The experiments were conducted at a university during Week 2 tutorials in the second half of the university year. Students were recruited by means of whether they were enrolled in either PSYC1040 or ENGG1000, two courses offered at the university. Design and Materials For the present study, a quasi-experimental independent-groups design was used. Similar to a true experiment, this study set up two levels of the I.V. (independent variable) and measured its effect on the D.V. (dependent variable). In this case, formation of the two groups was established by random assignment, but also by criteria established prior to completing the study. The independent variable in this study had two levels, or whether the participant was either a psychology or engineering student, while the dependent variable was the number of correct questions the individual achieved on the questionnaire. The key difference in a quasi-experiment is that participants in this study were tested on their knowledge and misconceptions according to characteristics they already acquired. The experiment used a 36-item true or false questionnaire (see Appendix A) to measure participants misconceptions and knowledge about psychology. The statements were drawn from a previous study conducted by Best (1982), which additionally suggested these statements appeared in a range of contemporary psychology textbooks and other similar questionnaires. Each statement consisted of a short sentence describing a simple scenario or event (e.g. psychiatry is a subdivision of psychology) and for which each participant was instructed to provide a true or false answer. Procedure All 641 participants received one copy of the questionnaire. Individuals were given the questionnaire during tutorials in Week 2 of Semester 2, 2010. Members of each tutorial group were assigned randomly by means of being there at the given time. Participants were instructed to complete each item individually and answer the statement as honestly as possible. The questionnaire was completed individually by the participants, without any interaction with fellow colleagues. Participants were given 10 minutes to fill in their answers, after which they were asked to swap their questionnaires with the person sitting next to them. Each participant then counted how many of the answers were correct and wrote down a score out of 36. For all the questions, the answer was false. Questionnaires and scores for both PSYC1040 (see Appendix B, figure 3) and ENGG1000 (see Appendix B, figure 4) were collected for further analysis and publication of the raw data. Results Data for both groups was explored graphically through frequency tables, frequency polygons, and box-and-whisker plots and were statistically analysed by means of an independent groups t-tests and a squared point-biserial correlation coefficient. Table 1. Mean questionnaire score and standard deviation of PSYC1040 and ENGG1000 Descriptive Statistic Psychology Engineering Mean 20.674 12.262 Standard Deviation 5.246 4.030 Psychology students scores were the higher of the two groups, with a mean of 20.7 and a standard deviation of 5.25 (see Table 1). Engineering students, on average scored lower than psychology students, with a mean of 12.3 and a standard deviation of 4.0 (see Table 1). As further indicated in Appendix C, psychology students performed better, with clear indication scores ranged between 16 and 26, while the engineering students highest scores ranged from 9 to 18 correct answers. Relative frequencies (see Appendix C, tables 4 5) were greater for scores between 15 and 28 for the PSYC1040 group, while scores between 8 and 18 for the engineering students proved to be more relatively frequent. Similarly, Figures 2 and 3 (Appendix D) illustrate PSYC1040 participants to have performed better than ENGG100 students, as psychology students achieved a higher score of 20 (indicated by the peak in the graph) most frequently and compared to engineering students who achieved a high score of only 12 m ost frequently. Additionally, from the distribution illustrated, the highest score from the PSYC1040 group was 36, while the lowest score was 6. Contrastingly, engineering students performed worse, achieving a high score of 30 and a low score of 0. Systematically, psychology students scores (See Appendix E and Appendix G, Figure 5), showed a mode and median of 20 and a range of 30. Descriptive statistics (Appendix E) and the box and whisker display (Appendix G, Figure 6) for the engineering group indicate a mode of 11 and a median of 12, while the range proved to be 30. Descriptive statistics (Appendix E) for the two groups show a significant difference between the two groups. Psychology students in fact performed 8.41 points greater than engineering students. However, in order to obtain a difference which is statistically important, certain assumptions were made to in order to perform further statistical analyses. Three assumptions were made of the independent groups t-test performed. Firstly, it was assumed that scores of PSYC1040 were independent of scores by ENGG1000 students, that data collected is representative of normally distributed populations and that variances of the two groups scores are alike. Test scores of PSYC1040 can be assumed to be independent of test scores of ENGG1000, as individual test scores from PSYC1040 could in no way be related to test scores achieved by ENGG1000 students, as the two groups were different. By means of illustration using the frequency polygons (Appendix D), the second assumption can be proven correct. Whi le the two distributions of the sample look more skewed and peaked than a normal ideal curve, we can make a decision that indeed the two samples of scores are from normally distributed populations as distributions of scores are not too skewed or peaked to violate such an assumption. Variances of the two populations differ slightly, as variance for the psychology group was 27.525 and variance for the engineering group was 16.243. There is no great difference to assume the two differ, so as a result we accept the given data and proceed. An independent groups t-test (see Appendix H) revealed that psychology students (M = 20.67, SD = 5.25) performed significantly better than engineering students (M = 12.26, SD = 4.03), with t (639) = 22.92, p Discussion As predicted, psychology students performed best in the misconceptions of psychology test than engineering students. The independent t-test and point biserial correlation both support the hypothesis proposed. The independent t-test showed significance between the two groups. The difference is very unlikely to occur if the samples were of no difference in the population and as a result the assumption is rejected. In other words, we reject the null hypothesis () and accept the alternative hypothesis, or that we are accepting a difference between the means that is no equal to zero. In this case the mean for psychology test scores is larger than the mean for engineering test scores, so it can be concluded that studying psychology leads to significantly higher tests scores when it comes to misconceptions of psychology. Additionally, the squared point-biserial correlation coefficient also supports the predicted hypothesis. Indicating the proportion of variance in a two sample study, the proportion ranges from 0 (variable has no effect) to 1.0 (variables control scores and therefore 100% of all scored can be predicted accurately). Variables representing between 10% and 30% of variance, indicated a relationship. Therefore, it can be concluded that being an engineering or psychology student accounts for a significant amount of the variance in the test scores. The variable therefore plays an important part in determining the test scores on the misconceptions survey. This means that the study was significantly more accurate at predicting a participants knowledge of psychology by knowing the condition they were in as opposed to just utilising the overall mean score for both conditions. Alternatively, composition of the two classes may have affected the data obtained. In both classes a gender difference exists. The psychology group consisted of more females than males, while the engineering group consisted of more males than females. Uneven numbers of males and females allows the data to be slightly bias. While experimental logic states that if one variable is manipulated, and if everything is kept the same, then all differences we observe are due to the manipulation of that variable. Quasi- experimental studies, which use gender as a variable, cannot be easily manipulated, meaning we cannot change gender throughout the experiment and we cannot be sure everything else stays the same. In order to control for the factor of gender bias, it is important to ensure the samples are representative of both males and females, in both the psychology and engineering groups. Possibly, other types of groups could be tested, all of which should be representative of both genders. McCutcheon (1991) critics the questionnaire used in this study. The Test of Common Beliefs has been constantly criticised on the basis that many items are ambiguously written. It has been argued that making the correct answers to all items false exposed individuals to accept without protest and gives many the opportunity to guess the answer by chance. Furthermore, McCutcheon suggests, items on several misconception tests are not widespread, meaning the test only focuses on a specific set of topics. Several studies such as Vaughan (1977), Lamal (1979), Gardner and Dalsing (1986) and Griggs and Ransdell (1987) all found that only a fraction of their questionnaire items were answered and only by half of their participants. It is possible to come to the conclusion that students which are beginners in psychology do not have many misconceptions about the subject. McCutcheon also proposes a possibility that true-false surveys are perhaps not the best at measuring misconceptions. In order to counter for this, McCutcheon steers away from using the true-false test of misconceptions, including several questions related to participant interest. Overall, results of this study suggest that in fact psychology students do have fewer misconceptions about psychology. It may be that other students of other disciplines are not aware of the knowledge required to overcome such misconceptions and therefore may even dismiss psychology as being a hard science. Further research in the area could include a study of misconceptions based on a larger, varied sample, while also using a questionnaire related to participant interests instead of a true or false questionnaire. Furthermore, future studies could also integrate participants who may be more experienced in the field, such as qualified psychologists in order to further analyse inter-disciplinary comparison of attitudes about psychology.

Mixed Media Culture :: essays research papers

Mixed Media Culture Following the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Ben Franklin was asked what kind of government the country now had; â€Å"a republic, if you can keep it†. Franklin’s concerns at that time was that we might turn to a monarchy on the basis that this was the kind of government familiar to most people in the new world. Now, many years later, we should be concerned about the same issue, but rather than a â€Å"real† monarchy, comprised of an individual or a family ruling the country, we are faced with the prospect of money being the King and those with money controlling government and society. We have seen government fall to the whims of money and special interest groups, more in the last decade than before. There are laws on the books to control the influence peddling in Washington and other communities, but these laws are not being enforced. Pressure and influence by unions, large business groups and other large organizations has been common place for years, but in the recent past, we have seen influence from individuals, many with less than acceptable standards, accepted by the size of their campaign contributions to individuals or to a specific party. The average American has to wonder today whose interest is being served by their representatives. The idea of a government for the people can and should be questioned, until we can put controls on those with money and the manner in which they are allowed to spend money to influence elections and policies. When we see polls indicating that nearly two thirds of the participants question the integrity of the government, we need to look seriously at what changes need to be made. We need to develop a system that is less influenced about the need to raise large sums of money and get the politicians more focused on the needs and values of society. Some of the measures being considered include: better enforcement of laws currently on the books, restrictions on a candidate raising large sums of money, if he elects public funds for his campaign, closing the loopholes associated with soft-money contributions from unions, business groups and others, and encourage voluntary limits on campaign spe nding. Obviously, we did not get in this position overnight and this issue is not something that will be solved without a sweeping change through the government structure. Another issue impacting the political process today is the lack of participation by registered voters and maybe the need to increase the number of registered voters.

The Onion Rhetorical

With the use of criticism, this press release is used to satirize how advertisement is degrading to Americans, and to mock the ordeal methods used by marketers to sell products to consumers as absurd. By using obvious fictional fads, and somewhat surprisingly effective persuasive writing skills, this article is humorous and completely irrelevant. However with the correct use of persuasive writing techniques, mixed with irrelevant, and unrealistic factual information the authors create a humorous satirical scene.The mocking starts right away in the first paragraph of the piece. The first sentence â€Å"stressed and sore-footed Americans everywhere† starts off the first part of hyperbole with the word â€Å"Everywhere† indicating that they are exaggerating how many American’s have sore feet for not EVERY American has a sore foot. It provides the reader a sense of exaggeration in the piece. In attempt to establish the need the authors use â€Å"Americans everywhere are clamoring for the exciting new MagnaSoles..† This provides the audience with the fact Americans are too caught up with having the new latest item.Next the author uses the diction choices â€Å"stimulate† and â€Å"soothe† to describe the action the magnaSoles will have on the wearer’s feet. This gives an irrelevant outcome for the words stimulate and soothe are not related at all and have different definitions. Towards the end of the paragraph the authors use unrealistic diction choices and sarcasm to make their claim. The word â€Å"Pseudoscience† is used to describe the type of â€Å"5 forms† of science used to make the MagnaSoles. The authors use the word â€Å"pseudoscience† for the word â€Å"Pseudo† means fake, allowing the reader to see that they are talking about fake science.They do this in hopes to have the readers think on the advertisements they watch and how much of the information on those advertisements are a ccurate and true. The authors used â€Å"which stimulate an soothe the wearers feet using no fewer than five forms of pseudoscience† as a form of paradox to help support the idea that they are creating for the audience.The purpose changes throughout the piece. The second paragraph changes purpose compared to paragraph one. In the next few sections/paragraphs the writers are mocking the archetypal use of â€Å"Expert† testimony to authority to  convince consumers of the inaccurately fictional product. The first Rhetorical device used is Testimony to authority, starting with the first sentence. They use â€Å"expert† quotes from the made up Dr. Bluni.The doctor tries to explain how different the insoles are by stating â€Å"what makes MagnaSoles different†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then as he continues the author uses sarcasm by stating â€Å"harnesses the power of magnetism to property align the bio magnetic field around your foot.† The author uses these inaccurate and fictional â€Å"smart words† to show the audience the illogical information used on today’s advertisements is believed by such gullible consumers. As the second paragraph goes on the authors are in hopes to convince their audience to realize that they believe in whatever someone says as long as they are using bold words.In order to do this the writes use another diction choice â€Å"isometrically† which is a made up fiction word. As the piece progresses on the authors use sarcasm to convince the readers that consumers’ are believable to marketers as long as they are using â€Å"scientific-sounding literature†.The authors do so by adding â€Å"according to the scientific- sounding literature trumpeting the new insoles†. Another piece of sarcasm and paradox used in this paragraph to again show the guillableness of the consumers and stupidity of the advertisements in today’s era is â€Å"reflexology.. Establishes correspondence betw een every point on the human foot and another between of the body..†The diction â€Å"Reflexology† is another fictional word the author uses to show how gullible the audience is because it sounds scientific so â€Å"it must be true†. â€Å"Correspondence between every point on the human foot and another between of the body..† is incorrect information. Lastly in that sentence to prove the point the author is trying to get across he also adds â€Å"enabling your soles to heal your entire body as you walk† . With this entire paragraph put the way it is so sarcastically it allows the readers to see how foolish they are when they don’t see past the improper evidence the marketers give off.Moving into the fourth paragraph, which still contains the same purpose as the second paragraph, the authors use paradox to get the claim across to the audience. Such as â€Å" MagnaSoles utilize the healing power of crystals to restimulate dead foot cells with vibrational biofeedback..† The author uses this paradox to show the MagnaSoles â€Å"appearance of usefulness†. As the  satire continues the authors continue to use mocking fiction words such as â€Å"pseudoscience†, â€Å"terranometry†, and â€Å"pseudoscientists†.The authors add in sarcasm in lines 35-38 to help the audience visualize the â€Å"top† science that are issued for advertisements are most likely fakes. Such as â€Å"..developed specially for intergraded products by some of the nation’s top pseudoscientists† . starting line 39 another fictional word is added in to help the purpose of mocking the ordeal methods used by marketers to sell products to consumers, and the word is â€Å"Terranometry† which is the mockly said to be discovered by Dr. Frankel who â€Å"Discovered† Terranomtry.This sets up imagery for the audience to see how the Fake scientists â€Å"discovered† the research for the prod uct and â€Å"Developed the research† for the products in real life are just lying their way through the marketing agencies and the consumers.Lines 43-45 gives off more untruthful information that the writers purposely wrote to help the readers gain more of an understanding that the commercials and advertisements they see day to day have non trustworthy information on them in order to sell better because of the desire for greed. The authors write â€Å"if the frequency of one’s foot is out of alignment with the earth, the entire body will suffer† this helps the author’s claim that they are trying to make. Throughout this paragraph unrealistic diction choices such as â€Å"terranometry† and â€Å"kilofrankels† are used to let the reader see the marketer’s desire for money is so strong that they are willing to lie their way into consumers mind to get a sale.Moving into the final section of the piece the authors use Testimony of authorit y and sarcasm to help the reader see the stupidity of the consumers and to finalize the logic that the science to develop most inventions are false, the need is false, and the product is false. The authors add in a sarcastic quote â€Å"I twisted by ankle something awful†¦ but after wearing MagnaSoles for seven weeks, ive noticed a significant decrease in pain..†This allows the audience to indicate the logic of the consumers gets mentally disrupted by the customers thinking the â€Å"product† healed them when in all truth it was nature. It pushes the reader to understand that when they see a smart looking man advertising a product that they are hypnotized into thinking that the product is useful and effective when it could just as well be junk and fake.Another Rhetorical device the writers use is  Testimony to authority, and the authors use is a quote from a back-pain suffer saying â€Å" why should I pay thousands for therapy when I can pay 20$ for insoles cle arly endorsed by an Intelligent looking man in a white lab coat† This once again lets the readers see how consumers think so little as to what the product actually is and will buy anything as long as the man looks smart or is â€Å"an intelligent looking man in a white lab coat†.The authors try getting the audience to see that the appearance of the man on the advertisement doesn’t mean the product is correct. You can dress up the appearance of a teacher, but the info they say will still be the same. The authors are trying to be paradoxical to try to argue with the illogical audience to have them change views of their own logic, and to not be having faith in unbelievable foolishness.