Suicide :: essays research papers fc

I will never forget what happened in my high school merely five months ago. Chuck was 16 years old, a junior in high school, and a star football player. In December of 2002, he began to have many troubles in his life. His girlfriend of about one year broke off their relationship, and declined his invitation to the school’s annual Christmas Ball. In the days leading up to this dance, Chuck had lost his after-school job, and had several conferences with his guidance counselor about his poor academic performance. On top of all of these factors, Chuck went to a car dealership to put a down payment a car he had his heart set on, and discovered it had already been sold. Chuck went to the Christmas Ball alone, following his ex-girlfriend around for the majority of the night. Midway through the evening, one of Chuck’s classmates screamed at him, â€Å"She doesn’t like you, get away from her and get a life!† Chuck spent the rest of the evening sitting alone. He di d not attend any of the after-parties that evening, and the next day, Chuck’s parents discovered his body hanging in their shower. Have you ever felt like just throwing it all away? No matter how pleasant a person’s life is, there are often times where a person feels overpowered by feelings of doubt, despair, and hopelessness. The majorities of people either push these feelings aside or cope with them, and the feelings diminish and disappear. For others, these emotions never seem to fade away; intense negative feelings continually overwhelm their lives and lead them to believe there is no way to escape or cope with the problems at hand. They turn to suicide, seeing death as the only solution to their problems. Suicide is a problem that affects all people, in every age group, from every background, in every social class, and should not be taken lightly. Due to the graveness of the issue and its detrimental effects, all people are socially obligated to help prevent suicide at all costs. Suicide is defined as â€Å"the act or an instance of intentionally killing oneself.† (www.dictionary.com) In the United States alone, an average of 29,350 people commits suicide each year, equaling approximately 80 people a day, one person every 18 minutes. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. Although the overall rate of suicide has dropped in recent years, teen suicide has increased, becoming the 3rd leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 15 and 24.

Behavioral Program

Much of real-life behavior is like this: responses are learned because they operate on, or effect the environment. Referred to as an operant conditioning, this kind of learning occurs in human’s species, as well as in lower species. Alone in a crib, a baby may kick and twist and coo spontaneously.When left by itself, a dog may pad back and forth, sniff, or perhaps pick up a ball, drop it, and play with it. In the case study presented, Claire apparently learned that her tantrums had given her the leverage to get what she wants and this definitely is also a picture of operant conditioning in application.Neither organism is responding to the onset or offset of a specific external stimulus. Rather, they are operating on their environment. Once the organism performs a certain behavior, however, the likelihood that the action will be repeated depends on its consequences. The baby will coo more often if each such occurrence is followed by parental attention, just as what happens to C laire, and the dog will pick up the ball more often if petting or a food reward follows this action.If one would think of the baby as having a goal of parental attention, and the dog as having a goal of food, then operant conditioning amounts to learning that a particular behavior leads to attaining a particular goal (Atkinson, 1993). Theoretical framework Instrumental conditioning, in the strict sense, is based on the concept and idea of Burrhus Frederick Skinner or B. F. Skinner. Like John Watson, Skinner insists that psychologists concern themselves only with observable behavior; that is, the psychologist should study behavior as it is and nothing more.Hence, Skinner tried to look for lawful processes in behavior with the use of rats and pigeons (Atkinson, 1993). Operant conditioning may then play a role in attitude formation where parents tend to reward their children for expressing attitudes that coincide with their own and to punish or ignore then for expressing attitudes that deviate from them (Atkinson, 1993). Applications of the theory Applications of operant conditioning to a child focus on the temporal relation between a response and its reinforcer.Laboratory experiments have shown that immediate reinforcement is more effective than delayed; the more time between an operant response and a reinforcer the less is the strength of the response. Many developmental psychologists have noted that the delay of reinforcement is an important factor in dealing with young children. If a child acts kindly towards a pet, the act can best be strengthened by praising (rewarding) the child immediately, rather than waiting until later.Similarly, if a child hits someone without provocation, this aggressive behavior will more likely be eliminated if the child is punished immediately rather than waiting until later (Atkinson, 1993). Allen and Harris (1966) report on a research on the successful elimination of a child’s incessant scratching by first teaching the mo ther the idea behind operant conditioning. Another study though not so related with Claire’s case is the application of instrumental conditioning in motivating oneself to lose weight (Collier, 1969).Reinforcement- is anything that increases the probability that a particular response will increase in frequency. The presentation (positive) or removal (negative) of particular consequences may reinforce responses. Thus, reinforcement may be either positive or negative. Positive reinforcer. Increases the probability that an operant will occur when it is applied, or it increases the likelihood that a particular response will occur.When Claire gets praised whenever she responds in a quiet manner if her wishes were not granted immediately, she is likely to consistently follow this rewarded behavior. This is an example of positive reinforcement. Negative reinforcer. Increases the probability that an operant will occur when it is removed. People often learn to plan ahead so that they n eed not fear that things will go wrong. Fear acts as a negative reinforcer, because removal of fear increases the probability that the behaviors preceding it will be repeated (Rathus, 1990).Putting the Behavioral Program in Motion: Since it is predictable that Claire will put on a tantrum anytime of the day for whatever it may fancy her, the parents must know or be knowledgeable about why it happens. The parents must be thoroughly acquainted with the notion of operant conditioning. Claire obviously has learned in a number of events that whenever she puts on a tantrum her parents cannot help but react according to her wishes instead of according to theirs. They must understand that, 1) Claire’s behavior (e. g.tantrums) will not be changed in an instant or overnight, if that’s to be realistic; 2) that they will probably be tempted to succumb for fear of the unknown or fear of what might happen to their daughter; 3) that they should not give in to their fears or to anger or frustration when the child will not learn immediately. When Claire goes into fits (which is usually the behavioral manifestation of a child in tantrums) like when she demands to have something that should not be hers, both parents must agree never to give in and instead, to leave where the event is happening.If it is happening inside the house, they must leave the area out of sight of the child but close enough to know what’s happening with her but never without her knowing. This must be done repeatedly until she learns to adapt; if inside a store or in a public area, either parent must anticipate these scenarios to happen and must come up with a variety of diversions. Both must be skillful enough that their diversion tactic must not be another venue or channel for Claire to use her manipulative abilities.The goal then is to make her know eventually that the child is not in command. The real goal is that parents must be the one in control in a firm manner and the child mus t come to accept her parents’ superior ability and that her good is their ultimate concern. Measuring the Success of the Behavioral Program The strength of an operant response can be measured by its resistance to extinction; that is, by how long it takes for the behavior to return to its original rate once the pleasant consequent consequence following the behavior no longer occurs.It is thus told that it is generally correct that for an operant response to be strengthened, the response should be rewarded. But reward in ordinary language denotes things such as money, candy, or praise. There would be times, however, that a reward will not always strengthen an operant response. Suppose, in this instance with Claire, that one of the parents or both parents would give Claire a candy or chocolate but if the problem is to withhold food such as these from her then it will be another dilemma that the parents are getting into.Hence, psychologists prefer to speak of reinforcement/s rath er than reward. The withdrawal of a negative reinforcer will also increase the likelihood of a particular behavior. It is clear that it is possible to increase the occurrence of the desired response by presenting or withdrawing a positive or a negative reinforcer, respectively. Note that positive and negative reinforcers do not connote â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad. † Psychologists neither call a positive reinforcer â€Å"good† reinforcer, nor a negative reinforcer a â€Å"bad† reinforcer.To eliminate tantrums then, the parents withhold the reinforcer (the attention), the tantrums should extinguish eventually if the parents can hold long enough. Measuring then the success of the program is through the length of time Claire spends in crying from the first time attention was withheld (probably from an hour to 45 minutes the next time it happens); then the second time; the third time and so on and this can be usually noticeable within only one week or seven days. Reference: Allen, K. E. , & Harris, F. R. (1966).Elimination of a child's excessive scratching by training the mother in reinforcement procedures. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 4, 79-84. Atkinson, R. L. , R. C. Atkinson, E. E. Smith, D. J. Bem, and S, Nolen-Hoeksema. 1993. Introduction to psychology. 13th Ed. New York: Harcourt College Publishers. Collier, G. (1969). Body weight loss as a measure of motivation in hunger and thirst. Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 157, 594-609. Rathus, S. A. 1990. Understanding child development. New York; Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

Philosophical Reflection Essay

In the words of Socrates, the Great Greek philosopher, â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living†. One of the major things that distinguish man from other animals is his ability to ruminate. To be is to be conscious and to be conscious means to be fully aware and thoughtful. In a world where different belief systems are flying around, man needs to test all things and hold on to that which is certain. We should pattern our lives in such a way that we separate truth from illusion and make decisions after careful or critical consideration. Philosophical reflection is the careful examination of life situations. This involves the weighing of several alternatives and using specific standards to evaluate one’s actions. A man reflects philosophically when he is able to build on previous actions, events, or decisions. This essential attribute spells the difference between man and other lower animals whose basis of action is their feeling. Making an assessment of my life, i will say that philosophical reflection has been a part of my life. I learnt the importance of making the right choices early in life. My father used to tell me; â€Å"You are what you do†. I guess this made me develop a cautious attitude towards making decisions and evaluating issues before coming to a conclusion. I have grown up to see things from different points of view. I do not accept a view because of who said it, rather, i put all things into scrutiny in order to hold on to that which is true. Before making a decision, i draw up a probable conclusion on the eventualities and weigh up the effect of my actions. I believe the wisest of men can learn from a fool and in view of this, i do not write-off anybody. I carefully and critically examine a pre-existing belief before incorporating it as my belief system. As i have discovered, many of the things people believe are lies and illusions. I do not attach sentiments to whatever i do because this will lead my judgement astray. Reference:

Free Essays on The Impact Of The Cold War On American Foreign Policy

The Cold War emerged out of the post-World War II struggle between the United States (US) and its allies and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its allies. During the Cold War period, which lasted from the mid-1940s until the end of the 1980s, American foreign policy and international politics were heavily shaped by the intense rivalry between these two great blocs of power and the political ideologies they represented: democracy and capitalism in the case of the United States and its allies, and Communism in the case of the Soviet bloc. The principal allies of the United States during the Cold War included Britain, France, West Germany, Japan, and Canada. On the Soviet side were many of the countries of Eastern Europe- including Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, East Germany, and Romania- and, during parts of the Cold War, Cuba and China. American journalist Walter Lippmann first popularized the term cold war in a 1947 book by that name. By using the term, Lippmann meant to suggest that relations between the USSR and its World War II allies (primarily the United States, Britain, and France) had deteriorated to the point of war without the occurrence of actual warfare. Over the next few years, the emerging rivalry between these two camps hardened into a mutual and permanent preoccupation. It dominated the foreign policy agendas of both sides and led to the formation of two vast military alliances: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), created by the Western powers in 1949; and the Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact, established in 1955. Although centered originally in Europe, the Cold War enmity eventually drew the United States and the USSR into local conflicts in almost every quarter of the globe. It also produced the Cold War arms race, which became an intense competition between the two superpowers to accumul ate advanced military weapons. Hostility between the United States and the USSR had i... Free Essays on The Impact Of The Cold War On American Foreign Policy Free Essays on The Impact Of The Cold War On American Foreign Policy The Cold War emerged out of the post-World War II struggle between the United States (US) and its allies and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its allies. During the Cold War period, which lasted from the mid-1940s until the end of the 1980s, American foreign policy and international politics were heavily shaped by the intense rivalry between these two great blocs of power and the political ideologies they represented: democracy and capitalism in the case of the United States and its allies, and Communism in the case of the Soviet bloc. The principal allies of the United States during the Cold War included Britain, France, West Germany, Japan, and Canada. On the Soviet side were many of the countries of Eastern Europe- including Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, East Germany, and Romania- and, during parts of the Cold War, Cuba and China. American journalist Walter Lippmann first popularized the term cold war in a 1947 book by that name. By using the term, Lippmann meant to suggest that relations between the USSR and its World War II allies (primarily the United States, Britain, and France) had deteriorated to the point of war without the occurrence of actual warfare. Over the next few years, the emerging rivalry between these two camps hardened into a mutual and permanent preoccupation. It dominated the foreign policy agendas of both sides and led to the formation of two vast military alliances: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), created by the Western powers in 1949; and the Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact, established in 1955. Although centered originally in Europe, the Cold War enmity eventually drew the United States and the USSR into local conflicts in almost every quarter of the globe. It also produced the Cold War arms race, which became an intense competition between the two superpowers to accumul ate advanced military weapons. Hostility between the United States and the USSR had i...

Laoban - Old Boss in Mandarin Chinese

Laoban - Old Boss in Mandarin Chinese Titles are important in Chinese culture, and they are used more frequently than in most Western countries. One good example of this is that titles can be used to address people, which you might be familiar with from your Mandarin class where you can call the teacher è€ Ã¥ ¸ « (lÇŽoshÄ «). While that can be done in English too, its usually reserved for younger kids and not as common as in Mandarin Chinese. è€ Ã¦  ¿/éâ€"† (lÇŽobÇŽn) - boss; shopkeeper The title for â€Å"shopkeeper† is lÇŽobÇŽn. This is used to refer to the owner or proprietor of a shop. LÇŽobÇŽn can be used when referring to or addressing the shopkeeper. LÇŽobÇŽn has two characters: è€ Ã¦  ¿/éâ€"†: The first one, lÇŽo, means â€Å"old,† and is a term of respect. It is the same character used in lÇŽoshÄ « (teacher). Even though it doesnt mean old in this context, it can be a useful memory aid to think of it like that.The second character éâ€"†, bÇŽn, means â€Å"boss,† so the literal translation of lÇŽobÇŽn â€Å"old boss.† Note that these are different in simplified and traditional Chinese (simplified: æ  ¿, traditional éâ€"†, but the simplified version is used in traditional too). The most common meaning of æ  ¿ is plank. To remember the word, create a vivid picture of a typical shopkeeper in China (whatever comes to mind when you think of the word), but picture the person with a face like an old, gnarled plank. Examples of LÇŽobÇŽn Click on the links to hear the audio. Nà ¨igà ¨ lÇŽobÇŽn yÇ’u mi hÄ›n hÇŽo de dÃ… ngxÄ «.é‚ £Ã¥â‚¬â€¹Ã¨â‚¬ Ã©â€"†æÅ"‰è ³ £Ã¥ ¾Ë†Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã§Å¡â€žÃ¦  ±Ã¨ ¥ ¿Ã©â€š £Ã¤ ¸ ªÃ¨â‚¬ Ã¦  ¿Ã¦Å"‰å â€"Ã¥ ¾Ë†Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã§Å¡â€žÃ¤ ¸Å"è ¥ ¿That shopkeeper has very good things.LÇŽobÇŽn hÇŽo. YÇ’u mà ©iyÇ’u mi pà ­ngguÇ’?è€ Ã©â€"†å ¥ ½. æÅ"‰æ ²â€™Ã¦Å"‰è ³ £Ã¨Ëœâ€¹Ã¦Å¾Å"?è€ Ã¦  ¿Ã¥ ¥ ½. æÅ"‰æ ² ¡Ã¦Å"‰å â€"è‹ ¹Ã¦Å¾Å"?Hello. Do you sell apples? Edit: This article was significantly updated by Olle Linge on April 25th 2016.

Healthy Eating Messages and Children Nutrition (Case Study) Essay

Healthy Eating Messages and Children Nutrition (Case Study) - Essay Example As Gorn et al. (1982, 200) found ‘television advertising for children is developed from direct testing and observation of the child audience; Children are subjected to research techniques developed for the study of child psychology to determine the most effective way of inducing their counterparts in the nationwide audience to demand advertised products’. Under this intensive observation, the advertising addressed to children manages to achieve the target set by the multinational corporations, i.e. the ‘cultivation’ of specific nutritional preferences to children of all ages in accordance with the production line of these firms. In the same context, Smitt et al. (2007, 57) stated that ‘the issues of food advertisements, especially aimed at children, and food labeling are factors behind the obesity epidemic which need to be tackled while commercial communication increases consumer information; however, the promotion of unhealthy foods negatively impacts the health of the population and for this reason actions need to be taken to protect children from commercial activity in this field’. The above assumptions are in accordance with the findings of WHO in 2003 which indicate that ‘dietary adjustments may not only influence present health, but may determine whether or not an individual will develop such diseases as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes much later in life’ (WHO, 2003, 2). In fact it has been found that wrong nutritional ‘habits’ can lead to severe consequences for the health not only in adults but also in children. More specifically, a research made by the World Health Organization in 2003 showed that ‘higher blood pressure in childhood (in combination with other risk factors) causes target organ and anatomical changes that are associated with cardiovascular risk, including reduction in artery elasticity, increased ventricular size and mass, haemodynamic increase in

Applying to an American University of a South Korean Descent Essay

Applying to an American University of a South Korean Descent - Essay Example My life has not been ordinary, to say the least. As soon as I came of age, I had to serve in the Korean army for 2 years, and for most men my age, that was a time of pride and elation. I, however, felt nothing of the sort. Now, let me clarify, I love my country and there is little I would not do to protect it from external influences, but at that age, when I looked around and saw illiteracy and poverty, I felt that the country's true enemies were not Russia or China, I felt it was illiteracy and lack of education that we should have been fighting against. Needless to say, those 2 years, albeit having taught me a lot, in my eyes were 2 years wasted. I come from a religious family, and ever since I was in middle school I volunteered at the local church and helped in organizing mass and proceedings, and so was directly in touch with priests and hence, felt very, very spiritual from a very young age. In addition, naturally, in church, I met all sorts of different people and I noticed something, most of the people that attended regularly were the ones shabbily dressed, the ones that were from lower class homes, and I felt that they were approaching God as a last hope, as a sort of escape from their miserable realities and once more, I was struck by my country's misfortunes. During this time, I grew more and more pensive and made a decision to travel and see anything other than misery and depression. So I traveled with my family to North Korea, Asia, and America. And the more I traveled, the more confused I became.