Psychology as a science Essay

In this subject, Psychology will help you understand yourself and others. You will gain insight about why people behave the way they do, presented from a biological, behavioral, social and clinical perspective. We will explore the inner workings of the brain. It will help you to learn how to apply what you learn to yourself and your environment. Psychology is a science because it is systematic and empirical, and it is dependent on measurement. Behavior means activities that can be observed objectively, such as the reactions of the muscles and the glands, as well as the organized patterns of responses as a whole. It also includes internal processes such as thinking, feeling and other reactions which cannot be directly observed but can be inferred from external behavior. Behavior may be classified as overt or covert and intrinsic or extrinsic behavior. In this subject, Psychology will help you understand yourself and others. You will gain insight about why people behave the way they do, presented from a biological, behavioral, social and clinical perspective. We will explore the inner workings of the brain. It will help you to learn how to apply what you learn to yourself and your environment. Psychology is a science because it is systematic and empirical, and it is dependent on measurement.  Behavior means activities that can be observed objectively, such as the reactions of the muscles and the glands, as well as the organized patterns of responses as a whole. It also includes internal processes such as thinking, feeling and other reactions which cannot be directly observed but can be inferred from external behavior. Behavior may be classified as overt or covert and intrinsic or extrinsic behavior. In this subject, Psychology will help you understand yourself and others. You will gain insight about why people behave the way they do, presented from a biological, behavioral, social and clinical perspective. We will explore the inner workings of the brain. It will help you to learn how to apply what you learn to yourself and your environment.

Evaluating a Health Promotion Website Essay

Health Information Technology (HIT) has been introduced into the National Health Service (NHS) in order to improve the quality, efficiency, safety and cost effectiveness of the delivery of health care. The application of computerized information technology in health care settings has so far played a vital role in improving the accessibility of information and has replaced more labour intensive and unproductive methods (Shekelle and Goldzweig, 2009). The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2009) maintain that that nurses’ skills, knowledge and practice must be guided by the best available evidence. Often this evidence is found on the internet however many sources of information can be inaccurate so a good standard of critical evaluation is required (Kim, Eng, Deering et al 1998). To evaluate the quality and reliability of a chosen website the use of a framework can be helpful such as Roberts (2012) 5 C’s website tool. This framework evaluates five areas: credibility, currency, content, construction and clarity. The website The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RC Psych, 2012 a) was chosen to be evaluated because as a mental health nursing student this will develop an awareness of how information technology is implemented and applied to practice in health care. Additionally, by using Roberts (2012) 5 C’s framework to critically evaluate this website, knowledge and skills of the quality and reliability of HIT will be acquired. Main Body RC Psych is the professional and educational organisation for psychiatrist in the UK as well as being a registered charity (RC Psych, 2012 b). Their website is aimed at improving the lives of individuals affected by mental illness through educating the public. They claim to be at the head of developing and promoting best practice in mental health services through their education, training and research projects. Additionally they are involved in the publishing of the following world-class journals; British Journal of Psychiatry, The Psychiatrist, Advances in Psychiatric Treatment and International Psychiatry (RC Psych, 2012 c). Credibility Having gained a royal charter this shows us that the organisation has been recognised by the Queen and seconded by the government to call itself a registered organisation of the highest regard. As stated by the Privy Council Office (2012) organisations granted a Royal Charter must have a solid record of achievement. 75% of its members should be qualified to at least first degree level and the work completed by the organisation must be in the interest of the public. Professor Peter Tyrer is named as the Editor, of the website, and is said to be responsible for the editorial and production aspects of its publications in addition to the production of their online continuing professional development (CPD) e-learning resources and its sales and marketing (RC Psych, 2012 d). After researching Peter Tyrer it is evident that he is highly qualified within the field of mental health and is a professor of community psychiatry for the Department of Medicine, within the Imperial College London (Imperial College London, 2012). The website offers a vast amount of information around mental health including conditions, diagnoses, treatments and types of therapies. The advice provided is produced in the form of online leaflets for the use of the public as well as professionals. Within the website there is no evidence to show that the same specific authors are used regularly for their published articles however, at the end of each article the producer, editor and sometimes an author are named in addition to any expert that has been involved in the making of it. All these leaflets are produced by the RC Psych Public Education Editorial Board that is responsible for producing 300 educational leaflets. These leaflets have been accredited by the NHS Information Standard and subsequently gained numerous awards (Byrne, 2011). They have achieved Plain English and BMA patient information awards and have received consistently positive feedback for the web versions. The editor of these leaflets is Dr Phillip Timms who is currently employed as a consultant Psychiatrist for the South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust as well as a senior lecturer in psychiatry at King’s College, London (BMJ Masterclasses, 2012). This site’s web address shows that it is delivered by a UK based academic body as it has an ac.uk URL. This confirms their credibility and reassures the reader that they are qualified experts able to give advice in this field (Roberts, 2010). Combining all this it is apparent that the producers of the website have appropriate qualifications and expertise to offer advice in regards to mental health and supports the credibility of the organisation and the website. Some of these points also link into the other five C’s for example, the awards that the leaflets have received show that the content and clarity of their work has been assessed and found to be of an acceptable standard. Currency When using a website for personal development reasons or to recommend to a patient the information being accessed should be the most current evidence available that has been proven in practice. In regards to the advice provided on the website RC Psych (2012 e) states that they endeavour to update it every two to three years. This is reflected in the articles by showing the date the information was last updated and the date it will be reviewed in the future. Additionally RC Psych (2012 d) state that their information derives from the best evidence available at the time of writing and is updated regularly to reflect any changes in knowledge. Another way to determine the currency of information is to consider the references used to back it up (Roberts, 2010). If the sources are dated then what you are reading may not come from the most current research so there may be more up to date evidence elsewhere. The dates of the references used throughout the website are quite varied however, they do contain many recently published articles and up to date clinical guidelines so this suggests that they are committed to producing up to date information and evidence. This is seen in a leaflet on depression where RC Psyche (2012 f) cites a recently updated guideline by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE, 2009) which looks at the treatment and management of depression in adults. The currency and credibility of the website can also be reflected in its content and therefore this should also be assessed during the evaluation process. Content As well as being credible and current the content must be assessed for its objectivity, accuracy and completeness (Roberts, 2010). The content of a website can be judged by assessing what the website aims to achieve. This could be selling a product, persuading the audience to believe in something or to provide the reader with unbiased and up to date information on a specific topic (Roberts, 2010). RC Psych (2012 a) profess that they aim to improve the lives of individuals with a mental health illness. They aim to do this by educating people through making information and advice available on their website. This would indicate that it falls under the category of providing unbiased and up to date information to the public. The articles on the website are written in the third person so prevents the author from expressing personal opinion. Furthermore the leaflets produced provide links to various other sources of information on the topic being discussed. This encourages further reading which provides a complete and balanced view preventing bias and, where treatment is recommended, allows the reader to make an informed choice (Roberts, 2010). The references used within the website are taken from well known and respected sources that provide current and acknowledged recommendations such as NICE, the Department of Health (DOH) and various field related journals. This indicates that the website seeks to provide and maintain up to date, accurate and unbiased information that concurs with information available in books and journals on the same subjects. Construction The construction of a website, for example, the layout, colours, fonts, sizes and ease of access can determine whether or not a reader believes the website is of good quality or not (Roberts, 2010). A study by Lindgaard, Fernandes and Dudek et al. (2006) found that the first 50 milliseconds that the reader is exposed to a website can cause the reader to form an opinion as to whether a website is worth using or not. On first impression, the website in question looks colourful and professional. The eye is drawn to the bolder writing that states the websites purpose and there are minimal graphics to distract the reader from this. There is a lot of information on the home page of the website and could be considered cluttered, however it is divided into clear sections and appears well organised, giving clear subheadings which guide the reader to their areas of interest easily. The main colour used for the website is grey and presents a professional look. It is subtle but effective in breaking up different sections of the website without being obtrusive. The font size is varied throughout but mainly of a larger size making the website easy to read. There is no option for the reader to change the font sizing or colour which could cause some difficulty as it is not possible to suit everyone with one font size, style and colour (Roberts, 2010). As this is a registered charitable organisation it would be unfair to expect them not to promote money making offers. There are two links to buy books that are published by the royal college of psychiatrists and an option to support them in future development projects. They have presented these links as the last things you would come across on the website. Because of where they are situated it comes across to the reader that they are more interested in providing free and accessible information to educate the pubic over making money. Clarity Clarity is another important area to consider when evaluating a website. Due to our continually growing multi-cultural society it is important that websites cater for all groups in society and not just the English readers. One part of the website caters for professionals working in psychiatry and another to the public wanting to learn more about mental illness. Both sections are presented and written in a way that is understandable to the general public. In the public section they offer their advice in 21 different languages in addition to visual aids using BSL sign language as well as audio pod casts and printable versions. This shows that they have made an effort to cater for diverse cultures and needs. Unfortunately it appears that they have not taken into account the needs of people with dyslexia. Approximately two million people in the UK population are affected by dyslexia of which around 35 to 40 percent experience visual disturbances when reading (Dyslexia Action, 2012). The British Dyslexia Association, (2012) states that the reading ability of an individual with dyslexia can be negatively affected by bright white backgrounds and the use of too much text. By changing the background to an off white colour and spreading out the information over larger areas this would cater for yet another group in society. Conclusion Having the ability to access health information via the internet has given nurses the capacity to constantly improve their knowledge base and skills knowing that they are delivering the best possible care derived from the best available evidence. The RC Psych website not only offers nurses a place to go and build on their knowledge and skills but it also provides them with a safe, reliable and easily accessible knowledge base that they can confidently refer their patients to. The evaluation of this website has shown that the website contains quality, reliable evidence and could be recommended to anyone interested in the field of mental illness. In addition to this the use of the five C’s evaluation tool has provided a great foundation to the development of evaluating skills. It has given an opportunity to discover that the evidence being accessed is suitable for developing personal practice and to help educate patients and is accepted within the NMC code of conduct (Roberts, 2 010).

Bank of Credit and Commerce International

The Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) was the world’s largest Islamic bank which involved in many criminals activities due to which the bank was eventually shut down and was perceived as the worst bank operated ever in the history of world banking sectors.Introduction The Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) was established by a Pakistani banker Agha Hasan Abedi in 1972. BCCI was registered in Luxembourg. It reached at height within a decade. It has more than 400 branches which were operated in 78 countries.It was among the world's largest private bank ranking 7th position due to its excessive assets of US$20 billion (History Commons). BCCI's Involvement in Criminal Activities BCCI became the target in 1980 during which an undercover operation (extending two-years) was held through the Customer Service of United Sates. A fake wedding was concluded through the operation which was attended by the drug dealers and BCCI officers across the world. These v iolators built a working relationship and personal friendship with the Special Agent (undercover) Robert Mazur.The key bank officers were put in trial in Tampa for six months after which, they were seriously charged and imprisoned for lengthy period. Many other crimes were revealed during cooperation between bank officers and law enforcement authorities (American Patriot Friends Network). Major Tips of BCCI's Criminal Activities A Congressman Charles Schumer conducted a Congressional investigation between 1979 and 1991 which revealed around 700 tips regarding criminal activities of BCCI.The following are the major tips which were received by the federal law enforcement commissions and the same visualized the BCCI involvement in criminal activities: 1. Promotion of political unrest in Pakistan. 2. Financial supporting to terrorist groups. 3. Smuggling weapons to numerous countries such as Iran, Libya and Syria. 4. Organized criminal linking in Italy and United States. The above are o nly the major tips but indeed, around 700 tips were revealed through the Congressional investigation (History Commons). CIA's Illegal Involvement in BCCI BankFor the last ten years, CIA had been paying to its 500 British Informants through BCCI Bank. The information of illegal overseas business deals and sales of British arms were reported to the CIA by some informants. The spectrum of CIA informants involved in criminal activities include: 1. 124 people in politics or government 2. 53 in banking, industry and commerce 3. 24 scientists 4. 90 in the media 5. 75 in academia 6. 124 in communications Although, individuals were not specifically named but few of them were in senior positions (American Patriot Friends Network).Closure of BCCI Bank The Bank of England shut down the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) on July 5, 1991 and the regulators shut down BCCI offices in dozens of countries and seize about $2 billion of the bank’s $20 billion in assets. Many milita nts including Bin Laden had operated accounts in BCCI. The President of UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, owned 77% of BCCI shares and approx 1. 4 million accounts were operated by people who had likely lost their monies upon closure of the bank (History Commons).Conclusion Thus, the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) financially supported many militant organizations through the money which was generated through illegal activities including illicit drug trafficking and arms trafficking, therefore, it is right to claim that BCCI worked viciously, violently and criminally in favor of deadly terrorist service across the world due to which the BCCI deserved to be shut down and the criminals operating BCCI will never ‘Rest-In-Peace' (Ambit ERisk).References Ambit ERisk, Case Study: Bank of Credit and Commerce International, Retrieved on May 4, 2010 from http://www. erisk. com/learning/CaseStudies/BankofCreditandCommerceIn. asp American Patriot Friends Network, Bank of Cre dit and Commerce International, Retrieved on May 4, 2010 from http://www. apfn. org/apfn/BCCI. htm History Commons, Bank of Credit & Commerce International, Retrieved on May 4, 2010 from http://www. historycommons. org/entity. jsp? entity=bank_of_credit_and_commerce_international

British Defence Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

British Defence Policy - Essay Example The passengers on the fourth plane rose up and fought their oppressors, but the price was fatal. By the time that military responses could be coordinated, the World Trade Center and the Pentagon had already been hit. Paradigm shifts like this were part of the rationale behind the writing of the Defence White Paper entitled "Delivering Security in a Changing World" in 2003. The British government recognized a number of factors that necessitated changes in the ways that government agencies handled domestic security. According to the introduction to the white paper, it was "evident that the successful management of international security problems [would] require ever more integrated planning of military, diplomatic and economic instruments at both national and international levels" (Ministry of Defence 2003, p. 1). In other words, not only would countries have to be able to cooperate in ways that had not yet been possible in meeting the challenges of a common enemy, agencies within the same government would also have to work in concert swiftly to meet the challenges of terrorism, and there are many countries in which this interagency cooperation would prove more of a challenge than finding common g round with other countries. The improvement in military technologies was also a factor, which led those writing the paper to "look at how.new technologies [can] deliver military effects in different ways[including] flexible forces able to configure to generate the right capability in a less predictable and more complex operational environment" (Ministry of Defence 2003, p. 1). The goal of the white paper was to "move away from simplistic platform-centric planning to a fully 'networked enabled capability' able to exploit effects-based planning and operations, using forces which are truly adaptable, capable of even greater levels of precision, and rapidly deployable" (Ministry of Defence 2003, p. 1). Clearly, some paradigm shifts were underway in the restructuring of British security. Although the British government conducted another SDR in 2002, after the 9/11 attacks in the United States, there were other international events and factors that led to the writing of this white paper. The first one mentioned was the large number of small crises that were occurring all over the globe, including Kosovo, Macedonia, Sierra Leone, East Timor, Afghanistan, Congo, and Iraq - all at once. Constructing a military to face two or three theaters, at most, would be outdated in the current security environment. Also, while theaters in past conflicts, such as the Falkland Islands, or even such conflicts that, at the time, seemed protracted (like the Second World War), ended up taking less time to resolve that some of these foreign crises have in the past decade. Also, the structure of NATO has changed, transitioning from a group of large, static forces to smaller response teams that can go outside the NATO territory. Similarly, the creation of the European Security and Defence P olicy (ESDP) has fragmented the size of response teams even further. Also, a strategic partnership with Russia could present a variety of demands, given the instability that, at times, has plagued Russia's infrastructure, particularly their oil pipelines. The spreading of weapons of mass destruction around the world, and particularly the ease with which individuals and small

Critical Teaching and the tutorial for final year dental students in Dissertation

Critical Teaching and the tutorial for final year dental students in the Acute Dental Care Department at Guy's Hospital - Dissertation Example This teaching experience was however only a part-time position. Nevertheless, I have carried out small-group sessions with students. I have worked my way up to senior clinical teacher and have also given lectures and seminars, some in specialised areas of dentistry. My experience as a clinical teacher has helped me gain experience in making PowerPoint presentations, making lesson plans, and making tests; more importantly, I also found out how different personalities learn and teach differently. Current responsibilities As a clinical teacher, my duties mostly relate to watching, monitoring and aiding the student/patient relationship. In other words, my responsibilities have mostly revolved around teaching and researching. I have been involved in the establishment and development of information for the lessons and lectures, and for the development of courses. During my first few years in teaching, I mostly handled small groups of students, no more than 12 taking part in sharing data ab out emergency dentistry. In the years that followed, I was assigned to assist in giving lectures and tutorials. I have also been involved in evaluating students for their examinations and projects, mostly those in the undergraduate program. In general, my current tasks relate to looking after the student/ patient relationship by ensuring students carry out the correct clinical treatment in the correct order. I am in charge of the students learning and the patient’s safety. An hour tutorial is held at the end of each session on clinic to consolidate the days teaching into formal teaching. Personal values and hopes My desire to consider and engage in the teaching and academic profession has been based on my personal experiences with teachers and academics. These teachers and professionals have exemplified superlative knowledge and skills in the transmission and the gathering of information, sharing such data for the next generation of eager learners. I value my role as a clinic al teacher and believe that this can influence how a student works and feels about the profession. I have a desire to impart knowledge that was passed onto me as a way of thanking the excellent teachers I had. I also seek to assist the students in the establishment of their careers as well as their personal development. I hope to support and guarantee the protection of crucial and significant values, especially those which relate to my responsibilities as a clinical teacher. This also relates to a strong need to secure a sense of respect and responsibility for students, patients, fellow teachers, as well as for the teaching profession. An awareness of the diversity of the academic field is also an important element which I have recognized in the teaching profession. Moreover, I have realised the importance of establishing learning communities and groups where the teaching goals and practices can be adequately implemented and incorporated. Aspects relating to personal development: I have already established that the clinical teaching can help in the improvement of my knowledge and the refining of my academic learning. I also believe that guiding students in their learning is one of the most efficient ways to improve research and to impart knowledg

Underline powerline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Underline powerline - Essay Example It becomes very expensive and a property owner cannot do this if the consumers are not willing to pay more. For instance, burying ordinary overhead power cable costs approximately $ 194,000 per mile. Burying power cables costs approximately $571,000 per mile. In order to retrofit a built house or building with installed underground power cables, it is more expensive because the costs increase up to $724,000 per mile. Those transmission lines that carry high voltage power, the thick power cables that transport power across long distances, installation of new power lines can cost approximately $ 23 million per mile. Therefore, the consumers will be required to cater for these costs because the property owner cannot bear them. The problem of installing power cables underground is that some infrastructure would still lie above land and be susceptible to damages related to storms and hurricanes. For instance, in New York City where power lines are installed underground, force of nature and an explosion from 14th street left many people without power. Underground installation of power cables is not a permanent solution to power outages because there is possibility of destruction from dig-in events and flooding which can leave people without power. Further, in situations where power blackout takes place within underground systems, it very hard for technicians to locate the affected area. Further, it consumes more time and money to carry out repair. The underground power line is not efficient because it is not easy to maintain, upgrade, it has a twenty-year life span and does not adapt easily to the underground environment. The property owners should take the responsibility of installing underground power lines because when storms and heat waves strikes, people go for days without power, and yet they are the ones’ responsible for paying the damages. Some areas places such as Texas and

Human resource strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human resource strategy - Essay Example Based on the new developments in the business world, HRM strategies are also undergoing drastic changes at present. Earlier, HRM functions were labeled as personnel management. Later, it acquired the form of human resource management. Now instead of HRM, Strategic human resource management (SHRM) is gaining grounds in organizations of the modern world. The core of SHRM is to prepare the employees in accordance with the strategies of the organization. The integration of the employees in to the main streams of organizational activities is a modern day business strategy. Along with the expansion of human resource management or strategic human resource management, lots of ethical problems are also arising. When organizations move into foreign markets, they must adapt to communication, culture and human resource issues. Domestic business and international businesses have more differences than similarities. Moreover, ethical dimensions of HRM would be more significant in cross cultural bus inesses than in domestic businesses because of the huge differences in cultures between countries. â€Å"Education, social standing, religion, personality, belief structure, past experience, affection shown in the home, and a myriad of other factors will affect human behaviour and culture† (Encina, 2007). Most of the current organizations have extremely diverse workforce and hence the interests of these diverse workforce may often been clash each other. Strategic HRM policies should be formulated in such a way that all the employees working in an organization get equal opportunities and fair treatments. â€Å"Ethical conventions should be fully addressed by the HRM profession and ethics be integrated into the strategic HRM process† (Carey, 2011) Business ethics was not much interested in the issues relating to the ethical management of employees till recent times. â€Å"Apart from the development of ethical awareness among managers and the ethical dimension of change management processes, there has been little debate around the ethical basis of much HR policy and practice† (Winstanley & Woodall, 2000, p.1). However, current business Gurus are aware of the necessities of managing employees in an ethical way for the sustainment of their business. This paper briefly analyses the ethical dimensions of strategic HRM in future Ethical dimensions of strategic HRM in future The work culture in different countries are different and hence while employing diverse workforce, an organization may face clashes between the interests of diverse employees. For example, Americans like to work under a stress free environment because of the immense freedom they are enjoying in their country because of democracy. However, Chinese may not enjoy such freedom in the work places of their country because of the tight communist administration. An American working in China may face extreme difficult situations in China because of the contrasting business management ph ilosophies he may face in China. Strategic HRM should give more focus in such areas in order to reduce the stress levels of the diverse employees. â€Å"There is a powerful argument that the wider economic system and ultimately the business organisations within it exist to serve human and societal needs rather than the opposite†