Sunday, December 29, 2019

Active Theory of Television Viewing - 2269 Words

NAME: Simba Elijah Kiage ADM NO: 643419 ASSIGNMENT: A Report on Active Theory of Television Viewing Course: Jnr2223 INSTRUCTOR:Kioko Ireri, Ph.D. SUMMARY PURPOSE Delivered for the fulfillment of a Bachelors Degree in Mass media SCOPE: The Report covers the Active Viewing Theory, its contribution to understanding media effects on audiences documented challenges from research scholars. Presented To: Kioko Ireri, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Journalism amp; Mass Communication Patron, Journalism Club, Journalism Department United States International University-Africa. Introduction This theory finds its roots in Bandura’s 1977’s social learning theory which states that some prim aspects of television programming†¦show more content†¦Julian Rotter (Phares,1972),doesn’t fundamentally agree with Bandura on the instantaneous learning curve but he seems to suggest that learners will only act in accordance with the knowledge they have on what the consequences of their actions will be at any given moment and their beliefs are what govern their specific actions on any subject.(Julian Rotter,p.g.130) Baltes and Reese(1984)support this theory by stating that it is indeed true that individuals learn from their environment and that child psychologists will agree that age coupled highly by environmental factors act as the major influence on development and learning process of a child (Baltes and Reese p.g.514) In this retrospective view, this theory also does find its roots in the Ulric Nasser’s 1967 journal on human psychology where he defines the learning process as a complex integration of observation, long exposure to information, storage and using and reusing (Cognitive Psychology, Ulric Nasser pg.256) which perfectly marries with the Banduras explanation that observation was key to the individuals learning process. Jean Piaget (1936) who was among the first psychologists to make a contribution to cognitive learning and especially in children seemed to also subscribe to the point that children learn from the environment and the eventually gauge what they already know with what the environment offers them (Jean Piaget p.g.125).Although his study wasn’tShow MoreRelatedThe Creation of Digital Media for Adolescents Essay655 Words   |  3 Pagesdevelopment of digital media for children. One could consider that the foundation of children’s digital media content must account for the four stages of child development as stated by, social constructivist, Jean Piaget. By employing active mediation and co-viewing a child’s parents and peers can participate in a child’s experiences; using digital media in the context of learning can facilitate the understanding and processing of content in programming and advertisements. When establishing the formationRead MoreExploring Why the Mass Media May Exert Only a Limited Influence Over the Audience1307 Words   |  6 PagesExploring Why the Mass Media May Exert Only a Limited Influence Over the Audience Media is the way in which large companies are able to diffuse their choice of information to the public via sources such as television, newspapers and radio stations. It is evident that the media in general has become a major function in most people’s lives and consequently has been blamed fir crime, abortion and the corruption of morals in society. I will attempt to evaluate to what extentRead MoreIntroduction. Obesity Has Been A Growing Problem In The951 Words   |  4 Pagesindicated a direct association between television viewing and obesity, using various approaches and theories. Literary review Boulos,  Vikre, Oppenheimer, Chang, Kanarek, (2012) performed a literature review on television’s influence on weight gain and found both direct and indirect causes on the nations obesity epidemic. Direct causes include a decrease in physical activity, television food marketing and advertising, and â€Å"mindless eating† while watching television. If watching TV â€Å"is repeatedly pairedRead MoreEssay on Child Development1286 Words   |  6 Pagesunfold through my son’s eyes as he holds batman and robin figures. Today’s culture views the media as a necessity. One class of media entertainment is television. Television is often exchanged for play among children. Marie Winn wrote â€Å"The End of Play† commenting on how children have replaced â€Å"fantasy and make-believe games† for television. (Winn 76) A research study in USA Today showed results of a survey indicating â€Å"14% of parents said TV is always on.†(Par 4) Their findings point out â€Å"TVRead MoreEffects of Obesity on the Motor Development of Children Essay1367 Words   |  6 Pages There are also several theories that surround motor development. For example, the maturational theory suggests the maturation of different body systems, most importantly the central nervous system, is the main force that drives motor development (Payne Isaacs, 2008). This theory proposes that genetic inheritance is the most important factor that determines motor development and the environment plays a small rol e. On the other hand, the information processing theory maintains that humans respondRead MoreAudience Is A Term That Used To Describe A Large Group1602 Words   |  7 Pagesthe audience. Media has huge influential power towards audience thinking and behaviour. There are many approaches on how to deconstruct the relationship between the text and the audience. Questions arises on how do humans receive text from the television, or the internet, how do they analyse it and how does it affects them. McQuail, Blumler, and Brown proposed a model of â€Å"media-person interactions† which was to classify different gratifications. The four gratifications they classify were personalRead MoreThe Journal Reality Bites : An Investigation Of The Genre Of Reality Television1433 Words   |  6 PagesWhile reading the journal Reality Bites: An Investigation of the Genre of Reality Television and Its Relationship to Viewers’ Body Image researchers utilized a unique methodological approach, this study investigated subtypes of reality television (RTV) to study the influence of exposure to RTV on body image (body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness) as compared a more traditional weekly report of RTV viewing. Young adults (N  ¼ 472) completed online surveys measuring their exposure to Reality TVRead More Television and Media Violence - Is Aggressive Behavior Linked to TV Violence?3420 Words   |  14 PagesIs Aggressive Behavior Linked to Television Violence?      Ã‚   According the Centerwall (1992), the average child aged 2-5 in 1990 watched 27 hours of television per day, or almost 4 hours per day. When much of what is on television, including cartoons and television shows targeted at children, contains violence, it becomes important to know whether watching televised violence can lead to or increase aggressive behavior. Social learning theory tells us that children model theirRead MoreThe Persuasive Power of Television in the 1960’s Essay1376 Words   |  6 Pagessixties provided for a definitive coming of age era for the United States. While much of this revolution can be attributed to the events themselves, the medium used for disseminating these ideas bears some of the responsibility. Throughout the decade television replaced radio and newspaper as the primary source of news and entertainment. Unlike other forms of media, combining the components of auditory and visual stimulation allowed TV to become a powerful mass media distribution outlet, which uniquelyRead MoreUGT in the 21st Century14999 Words   |  60 PagesMASS COMMUNICATION SOCIETY, 2000, 3(1), 3–37 Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century Thomas E. Ruggiero Communications Department University of Texas at El Paso Some mass communications scholars have contended that uses and gratifications is not a rigorous social science theory. In this article, I argue just the opposite, and any attempt to speculate on the future direction of mass communication theory must seriously include the uses and gratifications approach. In this article

Friday, December 20, 2019

Education And The Global Studies Foundation - 998 Words

Education is power. It has the power to influence our goals and motivate ourselves to attain those goals. Each decision we make in life is primarily influenced by the knowledge we have gathered through education. It develops the sense of who we are as a knowledgeable and diverse human being. Education has to do with our identity, with how we characterize ourselves mentally and in the way we communicate with others. Education gave me the competence to independently seek out information and pass my knowledge to others. Most importantly, it allows me to help others to continue to pursue an education. I will extend my education by attending Central Connecticut State University. In college, I will pursue a bachelor’s degree in Political Science/Public Administration with a double minor in Journalism and Criminal Justice. I will use what I learned in college to become involved in the Global Studies Foundation. Their mission is to promote education by connecting with young individual s of different cultures. The communication skills I obtain through my degree in Public Administration, will definitely allow me to connect with millions and show them what the worth of an education is. I will help the foundation promote education on a national level. This foundation is imperative in our society and will allow me to obtain skills in education administration. I will also utilize my skills and experience to achieve my ultimate career goal to become the Superintendent of Schools in theShow MoreRelatedInternational Partnership : Education And Cultural Exchange Foundation1428 Words   |  6 Pagesfostered, education has changed forever for educators and for students around the world. The People s Republic of China has entered a historical conversion, as well, that has revolutionized the lives and futures of Chinese children. Through of the transformative power and the interconnectedness of today s worldwide system, globalization has brought huge challenges and opportunit ies to high school students in China. The purpose of this paper is to explore one international partnership in global educationRead MoreHow New Zealand Is Perceived As A Destination For Overseas Studies? Essay1036 Words   |  5 PagesMethodology Cohort 1 Teacher: Dr. Julian Wu Framework of the Project Exploration Question- â€Å"How New Zealand is perceived as a destination for overseas studies?† ? As such the inquiry can be clarified as what are the variables and reasons that pull in International understudies to incline toward New Zealand as an issue for Education? And to answer this inquiry, we have to comprehend the motivation behind why understudies favor New Zealand over different nations and the components that drawRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibilities Essay1603 Words   |  7 Pagesactivities that impacts the company; from shareholders and investors to consumers to the distribution of the products, as well as everything in between. This can affect the company growth as a whole. When groups of people come together to form a small study group or a company, they are all able to accomplish something. They can achieve something small such as passing a test to something larger like, contributing to society. Investors use corporate performance evaluation to assess how well the companyRead MoreRelationship With Intern Abroad And The Academic And Future Professional Goals1651 Words   |  7 Pages1. Why do you wish to study or intern abroad and what factors led you to this decision? What do you hope to gain from and what do you anticipate will be the impact of your experience abroad?   2. Describe your study or intern abroad program. What factors led you to select this program and length of study?   3. Why have you chosen your country of study? What factors led you to select this country?   4. How will this study or intern abroad program and the coursework you take abroad impact your academicRead MoreVenezuel A Country Of The Northern End Of South America1514 Words   |  7 Pagesmore than 90 percent of the people are Catholics. Education The Venezuela education system is well developed right from the primary schools to university. The nine years of education are compulsory and the schools years mostly extend from September through to June. 95% of the citizens here are literate, and more than 92 percent of the children attend primary schools, the pre-schooling system is also implemented in Venezuela. However the education system in Venezuela id not standardized apart fromRead MoreThe Impact Of Megacities On The World1731 Words   |  7 Pagesadvantages and disadvantages for those who chose to live in urbanized regions (BBC, 2005). For instance, the diverse economic opportunities found in megacities have and always will contribute to an influx of immigrants seeking better education and job prospects (Annenberg Foundation, 2015). However, challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, and easily-transmitted diseases will continue to impact dense megacities more than anywhere else in the world (Kotkin, 2011). All of these factors have theRead MoreBill Gates: A Global Leader917 Words   |  4 PagesPage Introduction 2 My Inspiring Global Leader 3-5 Conclusion 5 References 6 Appendixes A Microsoft 8 B Philanthropic Work10 Introduction A leader is someone that you can look up to, someone who has a conglomerate of attributes that motivate people to follow them. There are many reasons why you can find someone amusing, intriguing or interesting but the conglomerate of actions performed by them is what makes them stand over others. A global leader is someone who has transcendsRead MoreOrganizational Learning Is Not Built On Firm Foundations1412 Words   |  6 Pagesclear presence in today’s workplaces; I am analyzing various case studies to better understand the intentions and impact of such organizational changes. Who benefits from organizational learning? What impact does it have on the economy? Studies suggest the outcome of organizational learning is not guaranteed to result in a win-win situation for all parties and the outcomes differ from one organization to the next. Furthermore education is still designed to instill compliance. There is a danger societyRead MoreUniversity of Phoenix-Birmingham721 Word s   |  3 Pages(AACSB) and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). Students at the Birmingham location have the option to earn Associates, Bachelors, and post-graduate degrees by taking business courses in several specialty areas focusing on business skills for the 21st Century workplace. Associate of Arts with a concentration in Foundations of Business This program emphasizes fundamental business principles through the study of marketing, accounting, finance, and globalization techniquesRead MoreThe Academy Of Business And Entrepreneurship Charter School1408 Words   |  6 Pagesin the global workforce. We believe that study of careers engages students in academic knowledge as wells as 1 ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHARTER SCHOOL connecting them with life outside the school to enable a search for personal meaning, socioeconomic advancement and critical understanding of work and society. B. Our Overarching Vision of the School We envision a school that will address the need to prepare students to be college and career ready in the competitive, global economy

Thursday, December 12, 2019

European Corporate Responsibility Reporting

Question: Discuss about the European Corporate Responsibility Reporting. Answer: Introduction: This memorandum is constructed in order to evaluate the sustainability report of LOreal so all the issues related to the organization can be discovered. The sustainability report is a form of an organizational report that provides basic information about the environmental, economic social and performance of the governance. This sort of a report is not generated from any data but is instead a process to improve and adopt the firms commitment towards sustainable enhancement in such a way that they can be validated to the stakeholders, both external and internal. It is important to establish a sustainability report for LOreal so that all the policies and the plans that have been established by the organization can be understood and a clear idea can be framed as to whether the polices and the sustainable implementations undertaken by the firm are actually real. It is seen that the sustainability report of the firm comprises of the producing, innovating, developing and living that enhances the current position of the organization. The following is the Balance Score Card that provides the sustainability report of LOreal. The balance score card is given below: Innovating Sustainability The innovative sustainability that is undertaken by the organization involves decreasing the footprints that are related to the environment within the formulas that are used in order to manufacture their products. It is seen that LOreal wants to assure their customers that they are undertaking various experiments with respect to their products so that the products they produce are environment friendly but there are no hints of the process used to manufacture the product in front of the market and the consumers. LOreal has the aim of respecting the biodiversity of the global environment so that all their products are eco-friendly and they do not have an impact on the diversified ecosystem. The company has the aim of optimizing their level of packaging by making use of biodegradable items as their packaging items so that they do not harm the environment. The bottles and the boxes they use for packaging are recyclable so that they can be used again again for the packaging the same product. The aim concern for the global environment is the issue of deforestation that is leading to rise in pollution and global warming. LOreal has focused on manufacturing their product with the help of items that do not lead to deforestation. They try to make use of the sap that are available from the trees and with the help of innovative scientific process undertake various researches to create healthy cosmetic items that will be beneficial for the consumers. LOreal is against deforestation and they have undertaken various promotional activities and CSR activities in order to aware the consumers about the effect of deforestation. Producing Sustainability LOreal is under the impression that the only way to reduce the negative impact on the environment is by taking positive initiatives by all the organizations who are functioning in the world. LOreal tries to manufacture their products with the help of new and improved techniques so that the level of CO2 emission reduces thereby taking care of the environmental issues. There has been an increase in population with the advent of time and it is seen that the level of water consumption has increased (Maon Lindgreen 2015). Therefore, the company tries to decrease the level of water consumption so that optimal use of the resources can be achieved. The firm tries to reduce their level of waste by making use of various waste reduction techniques that can reduce the level of waste and thereby developing the environment where the organization operates. LOreal has always been trying to generate their living sustainability as it uplifts the image of the firm in front of the consumers. The firm tries to evaluate the footprints that are undertaken by the product thereby finding out what steps can be taken in order to improve the initiatives the products undertake in order to make a sustainable environment that will develop the economy and the environment. LOreal is under the impression that sustainability can be accomplished by increasing the consumer awareness with the help of training programs and awareness activities through advertisements that will promote the need for environment to be preserved properly. LOreal are focused on enhancing the sustainability in the environment and within the organizational culture. LOreal looks to motivate and promote the admission of the employees in developing sustainability program so that new ideas can be generated that can be implemented so improve the sustainability policies of the organization (Epstein Buhovac 2014). The firm even tries to include the society within the sustainability program so that their issues can be recovered and new ideas can be introduced in order to rectify the problems and develop a better developmental plan. The company is under the impression that if they join hands with the suppliers with respect to their commitments then the suppliers can understand what the organization requires and accordingly the suppliers can bring about changes in their manufacturing style that will even improve sustainability of the organization. The firm tries to globalize their social model by spreading its wings in various corners of the world and thereby distributing their idea about an eco-friendly environment can be accomplished. Ideologies of LOreal The process of environmental accounting has an influential impact on the company report. It is because of the fact that this method is influential for examining their effect on environmental performance and the value of the organization (Gatti Seele 2014). This process is even ideal for the reducing the cost of the organization that can lead to better performance of the firm. Environmental accounting can even lead to rise in profit and will thereby lead to increase in market share. LOreal has the aim of increasing the promotional activity with respect to awareness among the consumers with respect to decrease in the level of pollution from the environment and optimal use of the scarce resources. The organization tries to manufacture products that are eco-friendly and has ingredients that are obtained from the nature so that these products become useful for the consumers. The earlier section describes about the operations and the objectives that are performed by LOreal with respect to their sustainable and environmental policies. There are various issues that are related organizational policies of LOreal that creates a wrong impression to the consumers. The most important issue that has been identified with respect to LOreal is their promotional policies of their subsidiary The Body Shop. The products that are sold by Body Shop smells nice and they are felt nice when they are applied on skin. The firm claims that all their products are made from natural ingredients by undertaking various publicities through their icons, websites and their promotional activities like protection of the world through community trading support, protection of the planet, self-esteem activation and initiatives against animal testing (Lam Quinn 2014). The firm promotes their product as 100% biodegradable and they maintain the eco-conscious standards. Body Shop has stated th at their products are even non-toxic and does not have an impact on aquatic species. They are even able to minimize the level of packaging waste and thereby creating an image in front of the world that their products are safeguarding the environment. However, there rose a controversy right after Body Shop was acquired by LOreal. The media disclosed that LOreal were undertaking tests on animals to find out the effectiveness of the product and to discover whether they have any side-effects. The products were sold to the public after the animal tests were successful. This issue was against the value that was highlighted by Body Shop. The firm tried to undermine these allegations by awaking the consumers regarding wrong information but these approaches were not sufficient to change the mindset of the consumers. The issue that generated after this incident was that even though the firm highlighted green products on their website, consumers wanted to know the level to which the products were actually green. This showed that the company undertook the policy of green washing by which the company promoted their products to be eco-friendly. The labels on the product claiming to have an Eco-conscious standard were able to create an impression that the products were made of natural products but without the labels, this promotion sounded meaningless as there were no elaboration about the products that were used. The symbol on the product showed that eco-conscious standards are met but the actual truth is that the product is not even meeting the international standards. Therefore, the process of green washing is a significant issue that requires to be amended by LOreal in order to preserve their customer base in the market. Another issue that is seen with respect to LOreal is their faulty advertisement. The organization undertakes advertisements that looks to highlight their products having natural ingredients and are very effective of personal healthcare. The company ascertains that they look to provide eco-friendly products but during advertisements, their focus is on how the products provide smooth skins and beautiful hair. The advertisements do not seek attention to the focus on eco-friendly and non-toxic products. Therefore, these are the main issues that are pertinent with LOreal and require to be resolved in order to create a better reputation in the market. The following table depicts the SWOT Analysis of LOreal. SWOT Analysis Strength Largest Cosmetic and Beauty Company Has a continuous Research and Development Activity Good brand and product portfolio High Quality Products Integrated market communications Widespread Distribution Natural and Organic in nature Weakness Too many subdivisions Lower profit margin Degrading hair care treatment Opportunities Market Potential High demand for organic cosmetics Expansion of product mix Revival of the Body Shop Threats Cash Crunch Dynamic feature of cosmetics industry Recommendations The analysis of the issues that have been explained earlier in the memorandum shows that there requires a drastic change in the organizational policies of LOreal because even though the organization shows that they are focusing on manufacturing eco-friendly and natural products the problem that was discovered during the acquisition of The Body Shop has changed the mindset of the consumers. It is important for the firm to transform their advertisement and promotional strategies where the focus will be on protecting the environment and the planet. It is essential for LOreal to undertake a market research and analyze the strategies that are undertaken by their competitor especially Unilever that will help them understand their position in the market. LOreal should even look at the strategies implemented by Unilever so that they can undertake necessary changes so that they can stay one step ahead of them and brand their product efficiently better. The organization should even publish their sustainability report in front of their stakeholders and in the official website so that anyone can access them and have an idea that what the firm is really undertaking for the environment. The firm should even venture into markets where they have not accessed yet and thereby increase their revenue. LOreal should even make undertake brand extensions with the introduction of new and improved eco-friendly and natural products that will add value and will even generate revenue. The use of extensive and proper advertisements will enhance the sale s in the market and increase their market share. The changes in the management policies and additional supervision on the progress of the market and the production process can be influential. The use of all these activities can be useful in enhancing the firm in the economy. Reference List Epstein, M. J., Buhovac, A. R. (2014). A new day for sustainability: is your company ready to take on increased responsibility for its activities throughout the globe?. Strategic Finance, 96(1), 25-34. Gatti, L., Seele, P. (2014). Evidence for the prevalence of the sustainability concept in European corporate responsibility reporting. Sustainability science, 9(1), 89-102. Lam, J., Quinn, F. (2014). The role of sustainability in enterprise risk management. Workiva White Paper. Maon, F., Lindgreen, A. (2015). Reclaiming the child left behind: The case for corporate cultural responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 130(4), 755-766.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Digital Marketing of Splash Fashion

Question: Discuss about theDigital Marketing of Splash Fashion. Answer: Introduction Digital Marketing is the most technologically ameliorate method to reach out to the consumers. It is seen as the most efficient way to conduct and expand a business. The concept of digital marketing has evolved into a new dimension since its first implementation in 1990s (Fulgoni Lipsman, 2014). Consumers can be targeted by optimizing strategies like search engine optimization, e-commerce, display advertising, marketing in social media and even through mobile phones (Thoring, 2011). Splash, the well established fashion company of UAE has been using this approach to expand their business. Through this essay an evaluation of this fashion industrys performance after digitalizing their product portfolio has been portrayed. The chosen organization Splash has been into commerce since 1993. It is a division of Landmark Group, the popular retail conglomerates in Africa, India and Middle East. The company at present has branches in 14 countries and are trying to reach out the global customers (Fashion, 2016). Before implementation of digital marketing only the people who resided in that location could get access to the products. The first and most important benefit received from bringing the company on digital platform is that now it can reach out to customers worldwide. In a report it has been found that social media and digital marketing has played a major role in empowering the companies to enhance their business. (Powers, 2012). Before plunging into digital marketing, the company must follow few simple strategies like: Setting Goals: It implies finding out the target that the company wants to achieve, like target more customers, target to move ahead of competitor and target to get more recognitions. Our chosen apparel industry targets to expand its customer portfolio by offering wide range of collections for their customer. But in recent times Splash fashion has been facing a cut off in their share of profit. Market Funnel Creation: A company who expertise in creating a good market funnel is expected to face lesser risk. It involves tracking the expected moves of the consumers and implementing strategies likewise. Call-to-Action: It is a way to channelize customers into the companys page to collect information. Call-to-Action is conducted by sending text or picture messages to customers and influencing them to visit certain website through given links. Traffic optimization: By ensuring keyword strategy, use of social media, quality contents and website optimization a digital marketing strategy can aim their targeted customers towards themselves. Splash fashion used the social media like Facebook, Twitter, etc to reach out to their customers while they are busy socializing (Thoring, 2011). It can be concluded that the company has achieved success by spreading out to global customers via an easy to use, well organized online portal. It has also conducted fashion shows and uploaded it on internet for the customers to spread product information to them. It has bagged the award titled Most Admired Marketing Campaign in 2011 and the Dubai Lynx Award in 2014. Earning the Powerbrand Award consecutively for 4 times in 2013 in it-self proves the success of this company in digital marketing (Fashion, 2016). References: Fashion, S. (2016). Splash - In love with Fashion. Www2.splashfashions.com. Retrieved 2 December 2016, from https://www2.splashfashions.com/in/en/about-us Fulgoni, G., Lipsman, A. (2014). Numbers, please: Digital game changers: How social media will help usher in the era of mobile and multi-platform campaign-effectiveness measurement.Journal of Advertising Research,54(1), 11-16. Powers, T., Advincula, D., Austin, M. S., Graiko, S., Snyder, J. (2012). Digital and social media in the purchase decision process.Journal of advertising research,52(4), 479-489. Thoring, A. (2011). Corporate tweeting: analysing the use of Twitter as a marketing tool by UK trade publishers.Publishing research quarterly,27(2), 141-158.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Sport Psychology Essays - Behavioural Sciences, Applied Psychology

Sport Psychology In our society today it seems like sports rule the land. Everywhere we look, there is some kind of sporting event going on or being televised. Almost everyone could be considered a fan of at least one sport. Some people follow sports like a religion. With such an increased focus on sports, the athlete's performances are put under a microscope. This puts more pressure on athletes to give a winning performance. No longer do athletes play for fun, they play to win. This isn't happening just on the professional level; it is happening on all levels of sport. From little league to backyard football, the goal is to win at all cost. With this increase pressure, athletes are looking for more and more ways to better their performance. One such way, which is now gaining popularity, is Sports Psychology. Though this isn't a new field, its popularity is just beginning to take off. There is still a lot of skepticism about the validity or worth while of the practices used. The following is a review of a number of articles that outline different studies done that show how athletes can improve their performances. The articles were found using a database search of PsychInfo. Keywords such as increased performance, psychological practices, and sports were used to narrow the search. What is Sport Psychology? Over the years there have been many different definitions offered as to what Sport Psychology is. One of the best ways to look at it is to ask what does a psychologist do? A psychologist does a variety of things. They provide psychological assessment, crisis intervention, and psychological service. Just to name a few broad areas. All of these are areas that can also be useful to an athlete. A lot of the tools used by a sport psychologist are adapted directly from clinical psychology. Concepts such as Freud's Psychodynamics, Caltel's Personality Test, and The Piagetial Cognitive Theory are widely used. (Sloubanov, 1999) All of these are critical tools used by a sport psychologist to assist an athlete with his or her problem. Sport psychology involves preparing the mind of an athlete, just as one prepares the body. Sport psychology is an emerging field in the worlds of psychology and athletics. What Methods are Used? The problem that an athlete is facing will dictate what type of approach a sport psychologist takes. Issues such as motivation, self-efficacy, and depression are common in the athletic arena. (Miserandino, 1998, p. 287) Athletes can also suffer greatly from anxiety and stress. (Holm, Beckwith, Ehde, Tinius, 1995, p. 463) Any of these conditions can be detrimental to ones competitive ability. Techniques such as mental imagery training and relaxation techniques can be used to attack problems in these areas. (McKenzie, Howe, 1997, p. 196) Marianne Miserandino's research was focused on failure, and why athletes believe that they don't accomplish their goals. She learned that starting at young age, athletes are told that failure comes from their lack of ability. This is called learned helplessness. (Miserandino, 1998, p. 287) In her study she approached this problem by splitting her subject into two groups. One group received feedback about their shooting techniques and were told that lack of effort was the reason for missed shots, not lack of ability. The other group received only feedback on their techniques. After her 4-week study was done, the group that received the positive reinforcement showed more mastery of the skills and greater improvement than their counterparts. (Miserandino, 1998 p. 286) Another study also used basketball free throws as the basis for its study. Craig Wrisberg and Mark Anshel did this study. It looks at the effectiveness of applying cognitive techniques to improve performance of shooting free throws. (Wrisberg, Anshel, 1989, p. 95) Participants in the study were asked to shoot a number of free throws to provide a baseline for the study. Over the next three days, the athletes were giving instruction in between shooting sessions. They were introduced to mental imagery as a way to help with their shooting. The results showed a significant improvement in shot percentages of the players. (Wrisberg, Anshel, 1989, p. 99) The Holm, Beckwith, Ehde, and Tinius study also looked at the use of cognitive approaches to athletic performance. They we interested in the role of stress and anxiety. College athletes were split into two groups. One group participated in daily two-hour group sessions that introduced them to a variety of cognitive-behavioral interventions. These methods were discussed and practiced. The subjects were also asked to do a homework assignment outside of

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Pituitary Gland - Function and Hormone Production

Pituitary Gland - Function and Hormone Production The pituitary gland is a small endocrine organ that controls a multitude of important functions in the body. It is divided into an anterior lobe, intermediate zone, and posterior lobe, all of which are involved in either  hormone production or hormone secretion.  The pituitary gland is termed the Master Gland because it directs other  organs  and endocrine glands to either suppress or induce hormone production. Key Takeaways: Pituitary Gland The pituitary gland is called the Master Gland because it directs a multitude of endocrine functions in the body. It regulates hormone activity in other endocrine glands and organs.Pituitary activity is regulated by hormones of the hypothalamus, a brain region connected to the pituitary by the pituitary stalk.The pituitary is composed of an anterior and posterior lobe with an intermediate region between the two.Hormones of the anterior pituitary include adrenocorticotropin hormones (ACTH), growth hormone (GH), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (PRL), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).Hormones stored by the posterior pituitary include antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and oxytocin.Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) is an intermediate pituitary hormone. Hypothalamus-Pituitary Complex The pituitary gland and hypothalamus are closely connected both structurally and functionally. The hypothalamus is an important brain structure that has both nervous system and endocrine system function. It serves as a link between the two systems translating nervous system messages into endocrine hormones. The posterior pituitary is composed of axons that extend from the neurons of the hypothalamus. The posterior pituitary also stores hypothalmic hormones.  Blood vessel connections between the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary allow hypothalamic hormones to control anterior pituitary hormone production and secretion. The hypothalamus-pituitary complex serves to maintain homeostasis by monitoring and adjusting physiological processes through hormone secretion. Pituitary Function The pituitary gland is involved in several functions of the body including: Growth hormone productionProduction of hormones that act on other endocrine glandsProduction of hormones that act on the muscles and the kidneysEndocrine function regulationStorage of hormones produced by the hypothalamus Location Directionally, the pituitary gland is located in the middle of the base of the brain, inferior to the hypothalamus. It is nestled  within  a depression in the sphenoid bone of the skull called the sella turcica. The  pituitary gland extends from and is connected to the hypothalamus by a stalk-like structure called the infundibulum, or pituitary stalk. Pituitary Hormones The posterior pituitary lobe does not produce hormones but stores hormones produced by the hypothalamus. Posterior pituitary hormones include antidiuretic hormone and oxytocin. The anterior pituitary lobe produces six hormones that are either stimulated or inhibited by hypothalamic hormone secretion. The intermediate pituitary zone produces and secretes melanocyte-stimulating hormone. This image shows hormones of the pituitary and their affected organs. ttsz /iStock / Getty Images Plus Anterior Pituitary Hormones Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH):  stimulates the adrenal glands to produce the stress hormone cortisol.Growth Hormone:  stimulates growth of tissues and bone, as well as the breakdown of fat.Luteinizing Hormone (LH):  stimulates male and female gonads to release sex hormones, testosterone in men and estrogens and progesterone in women.Follicle-stimulating Hormone (FSH):  promotes the production of male and female gametes (sperm and ova).Prolactin (PRL):  stimulates breast development and milk production in women.Thyroid-stimulating Hormone (TSH):  stimulates the thyroid to produce thyroid hormones. Posterior Pituitary Hormones Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH): helps maintain water balance by decreasing water loss in urine.Oxytocin - promotes lactation, maternal behavior, social bonding, and sexual arousal. Intermediate Pituitary Hormones Melanocyte-stimulating Hormone (MSH): promotes melanin production in skin cells called melanocytes.  This induces skin darkening. Pituitary Disorders Pituitary disorders result in the disruption of normal pituitary function and the proper functioning of target organs of pituitary hormones. These disorders are most commonly the result of tumors, which cause the pituitary to produce either not enough or too much of a hormone. In hypopituitarism, the pituitary produces low levels of hormones. The insufficiency of pituitary hormone production causes a deficiency in the production of hormones in other glands. For example, a deficiency in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) production can result in an under-active thyroid gland. Lack of thyroid hormone production slows down normal body functions. Symptoms that may arise include weight gain, weakness, constipation, and depression. Insufficient levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) production by the pituitary results in under-active adrenal glands. Adrenal gland hormones are important for maintaining vital body functions such as blood pressure control and water balance. This conditio n is also known as Addisons disease and can be fatal if not treated. In hyperpituitarism, the pituitary is overactive producing hormones in excess. An overproduction of growth hormone may result in acromegaly in adults. This condition results in excessive growth of bones and tissues in the hands, feet, and face. In children, overproduction of growth hormone may result in gigantism. Overproduction of ACTH causes the adrenal glands to produce too much cortisol, which results in problems related to metabolism regulation. Overproduction of the pituitary hormone TSH may result in  hyperthyroidism, or the overproduction of thyroid hormones. An overactive thyroid produces symptoms such as nervousness, weight loss, irregular heartbeat, and fatigue. Sources Acromegaly. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1 Apr. 2012, www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/acromegaly.Pituitary Gland. Hormone Health Network, Endocrine Society, www.hormone.org/your-health-and-hormones/glands-and-hormones-a-to-z/glands/pituitary-gland.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Article Summary Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Summary - Article Example If clinicians know more about these aspects of emotional intelligence of their AN patients, they can help the latter improve their emotional functioning skills as part of their core treatment approaches. Clinicians would then be more sensitive to identifying emotional functioning skills deficits and help their patients with eating disorders manage their emotions more effectively. 3. How the author’s literature review supports the authors’ choice of hypotheses The author’s literature review showed support to the authors’ choice of hypotheses, by describing studies that showed that people with eating disorders tend to have emotion recognition deficits. For instance, Harrison et al. (2009 cited in p.349) illustrated the study by Zonnevijlle-Bender and colleagues, where they used three separate studies and discovered deficits in emotion recognition in people with an ED. Furthermore, Harrison et al. (2009) used literature on bingeing and restriction to explore the difficulties of people with eating disorders in managing their emotions. ... Second, there would be a relationship between emotion recognition and emotion regulation (Harrison et al., 2009, p.350). 5. Independent/predictor and dependent/criterion variables The independent variable is the ailment of AD. The dependent variables are emotion regulation and emotion recognition. 6. Operational definitions of the variables Anorexia Nervosa (AD) is diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV. The authors no longer defined AD itself, aside from connecting it with the dependent variables of emotional recognition and emotional regulation. The authors did mention, however, that â€Å"disordered eating is used to regulate affect† and that according to Mayer, Waller and Walters (1998) â€Å"eating pathology† aims to â€Å"block emotions† and ED behaviors commonly consist of â€Å"bingeing, vomiting and restriction may be used in order to regulate and manage painful emotional states experienced by the individual† (Corstorphine, 2006 cited in Harrison et al., 2009, p.350). Emotion recognition pertains to the ability to accurately perceive emotions in â€Å"faces, music and designs† (Mayer, Caruso, & Salovey, 1999 cited in Harrison et al., 2009, p.349). Emotion regulation refers to the ability to â€Å"manage emotions in the self and others† (Harrison et al., 2009, p.350). Emotion recognition was measured using Emotion Recognition: The RME Task (revised) (Baron-Cohen et al., 2001). Emotion regulation was measured using The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004). 7. The research subjects The research subjects consisted of twenty female participants with AN and twenty female healthy control (HC) participants. Participants with AN were came from the South London and Maudsley National