Nature of the Consumer Decision Making Essay

Introduction Now more than ever in such a highly competitive business world were each product and service offered is competing with similar and alternative products, it is crucial from the businesses point of view that their product or service is of the highest standard possible. Correctly marketed a product could be infinitely successful, whilst on the other hand a poorly marketed product could be the death of it. From a marketers perspective it is them making the product what it is, from deciding consumer’s wants and needs, to interpreting these in an end product that satisfies these needs. In order for this to happen marketers must take into account the vast amount of cognitive processes the consumer goes through before, during and after making a purchase. This report provides a view into the consumer’s decision making process, looking more depth into the role motivation plays in these decisions and the various theoretical model frameworks that are used in this process. The repor t will also outline how a marketer can use this knowledge to assist consumers in their purchasing choices and decisions throughout the report when applicable. The consumer decision making process Four views of consumer decision making The consumer decision making process is one that the consumer makes when making a purchase. There are different models that have been produced in time to support this idea, with four generalist views of consumer decision making, each highlighting different variables. These are the ‘Economic view’ which focuses on the idea that the consumer makes decisions based on rational behaviour, i.e. cost verse benefits, will I get a good enough product service for my money?. Another view that marketers hold is the ‘passive view’ in which opposes the economic view by believing consumers to be submissive to all marketers input, stating that consumers are impulsive buyers, easily manipulated with marketing efforts. Thirdly is the ‘Emotional view’ which may be seen as irrational behaviour based on feelings rather than any logical reasoning, i.e. decisions based on love, hope, sexuality etc. Fourth and probably the most prolific one would be the ‘5 stage (cognitive process)’. The 5 stage process outlines the cognitive procedure consumers go through when making decisions. Marketers will often refer to  this model when considering how to effectively influence the consumer’s choices. It shows that more consideration goes into the decision making process than just a purchase decision and even continues post-purchase. Although the consumer does not always necessarily follow each stage, sometimes they may skip stages when making more impulsive decisions or routine purchases. For example when considering this model it would be naà ¯ve to think the consumer will put the same amount of thought into buying a pack of chewing gum at a newsagent to buying a new car. The purchase of chewing gum is generally an impulsive decision that does not require much previous thought, whereas the purchase of a car is less routine and requires a lot of thought into varying factors such as cost verses benefits. (Consumer Decision Making Process, 2008) Schiffman and Kanuk describe the process as being viewed in 3 distinct but interlocking stages, the input stage, process stage and output stage. Below is an extended model of this process, which includes external influences and psychological factors. Figure 1 External Influences Before the consumer even has the thought of making a purchase, they are already influenced by two sources subconsciously, the first being the firms marketing efforts (the four P’s) which creates an awareness for the product via marketers attempts to inform and persuade the consumer through products, promotion, price and channels of distribution . Secondly, sociological influences reveal an underlying fundamental need to fit in to certain social groups, lifestyles, cultures etc. that are not directly commercially related i.e. A neighbour or friend owning a product that an individual likes, therefore perhaps creating a want for it. Consumer decision making model The decision making model as shown in figure 1 could reflect not only the cognitive view to decision making, but also the emotional view as it incorporates various socio-cultural input (as previously mentioned) that could be described as emotional based, and also psychological processes(discussed later)involved when actually making the decision. Looking at figure 1 the first stage of the decision process is the ‘need  recognition’, this is where the consumer realises a need for something. This could come from perhaps running out of something and needing more, or receiving information on a product from an external source that leads them to want it. This would logically then lead the consumer to the second part of the process ‘the pre-purchase search’, this is the point where the consumer begins to process the thought of what product may satisfy their need, they may base their ideas on previous experience and memories (psychological factors), or may opt to s earch for useful information to help in their decision (basic internet search). At this point the consumer is drawing up information from external sources and at the same time has psychological factors influencing their decision. i.e.Consumer’smotivation, perception, learning, personality and attitudes. Solomon (2006) addresses the fact to how much actual searching takes place, stating that younger, better educated people will spend more time searching/fact finding before making a decision in comparison to an older person, who has less available channels to search. He also says that women are more inclined to research products. A generalisation that is worth keeping in mind from a marketer’s perspective as based on this theory it would be logical to focus marketing efforts at these for a more effective result. For example it would not be cost-efficient for a business to waste money trying to advertise a product to a social group that tends to have limited internet access, i.e. older people. The third stage of the process ‘the evaluation of alternatives’ is probably the longest part of the decision making process in terms of time as the consumer has multiple factors to consider. At this point the consumer, given previous knowledge built up in the previous stage, now has to filter from the potentially hundreds of available possibilities. Perhaps using basic cost v benefits and perceived risk of alternatives, or even more complicated cognitive processes requiring more effort. The considered sets of choices are known as the ‘evoked set’ The fourth stage enters the output area of the decision making process, this is where the consumer has made a decision and makes the purchase from the set of possibilities acknowledged in the ‘evoked set’, this would be classed as a ‘trial purchase’ as the consumer has not previously tested the product. The other type of purchase would be the ‘repeat purchase’ in which the consumer skips steps of the process because they already have a want for the product due to already  using it and needing more (brand loyalty). Once purchased the next and final stage of the process would be ‘the post purchase evaluation’, consumers now evaluate their purchase decision, deciding whether they are totally happy with the product, or perhaps would have preferred one of the alternatives. At this point it is vital for the marketers to make sure the consumers feels they made the right decision in choosing their product, as next time they will take their business elsewhere. Psychological factors The psychological factors in the human psyche that influence the input stage of the model are key tools that a marketer can use to utilise their relationship with the consumer. A good understanding of each can help the marketer focus efforts based around the consumer’s way of thinking. Consumer Personality – this is what separates humans and reflects individual differences, personality is always consistent and enduring. Sigmund Freud famously split the complex subject into three interacting parts, ID, Superego and Ego. The ID being your basic needs (hunger, thirst and sex). Superego being the way the people act out their primitive needs in a socially acceptable manner (restraining impulsive ID feelings). Lastly the Ego is the consumer’s conscious ability to control the demands and constraints of the previous two. Freud believed that an individual’s successfulness in tackling each stage will in turn reflect personality. For example a person can be fixated in later life through a dissatisfaction of needs in development stages in early life. i.e. if a child does not feel loved when developing it could leave them striving to feel it in later life, or perhaps opposing this lead them to not seek love due to not experiencing it (a defining characteristic in any personality). From a marketers opinion a person could be easily manipulated in later life due to decisions they have made in earlier stages. Consumer Perception – â€Å"†¦the active psychological process in which stimuli are selected and organised into meaningful patterns†, (Buchanan, 1991). Perception is how humans interpret information they make pick up through sensations like sight, taste, hearing, smell and touch, and then respond to accordingly to create a perception. For example from the marketer’s perspective, it is crucial that the perception of their product or service to the consumer is good i.e. effective stimul i,  as if the consumer gains a bad perception of a good they will not wish to purchase. Marketers can seek to improve brand perception through trials i.e. if consumer enjoys the product they will re-purchase based on previous experience. This would be one example of assisting a consumer in a purchase. Consumer Learning – refers to a human’s capacity to pick up knowledge, through information or experience on a product, directly or indirectly i.e. a consumer does not have to have tried a product to have a perceived familiarity with it, they may know somebody who has a familiarity and has told them about it, given them enough of an understanding to either like or dislike it. The general idea that when a product is completely unknown to the consumer that the quality of it is reflected in price. Consumer Attitudes – An attitude in marketing terms is defined as a general evaluation of a product or service formed over time (Solomon, 2008). An attitude satisfies a personal motive—and at the same time, affects the shopping and buying habits of consumers. Dr. Lars Perner (2010) (Understanding Consumer Attitudes, 2010). For the marketers it is up to them to understand why certain attitudes exist and either work with them or seek to change them. Consumer Motivation – defined by Schiffman and Kanuk (2010) as being ‘the driving force within individuals that impels them to action’. It could be referred to as the processes that cause people to behave as they do, from a psychological need to how they seek to satisfy it. Marketers can use identified motives to develop a better marketing mix giving them a better targeted marketing strategy. The role of motivation Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Dr Abraham Maslow formulated this hierarchy of needs as a theory behind how human motivation works, a theory now widely accepted. Similarly to Freudian beliefs (the ID) that basic physiological needs have to be fulfilled in order to reach higher satisfaction. i.e. food, water, air, shelter and sex. Generally these needs are satisfied by the majority (unless homeless, then these would be entire needs). Once satisfied the next stage would lead to safety needs not only physical safety but also safety in terms of finance, stability, education etc. Once an individual believes the previous needs are  met they then consider social needs. These needs include love, affection and acceptance, all of which are socially desired by everyone as we are motivated to find good relationships. Once these needs are generally met, the ego needs of human nature come into play. The ego needs can be of two types, inward directed i.e. self-esteem, success, personal satisfaction, or outwardly directed ego ne eds such as prestige, status and reputation. The ultimate need is for humans to reach self-fulfilment, to become the best of their potential (according to Maslow this need is rarely satisfied because generally ego needs are not fully satisfied) Alderfer (1972) describes there being two types of needs, a basic need (innate), innate needs being the basic level of needs relating to survival i.e. hunger, thirst and sex, and also Acquired needs which are picked up in life as a response to the environment and cultures. A theory echoed by Freud and also Maslow. Although Alderfer revised the latter stages of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs by realising some of the middle stages overlap, confusion of these needs could lead a marketer to appeal to the wrong type of consumer. So Alderfer changed Maslow’s five stage process into a more simple three stage one, which is similar in the fact it represents levels of needs (pyramid). Although Alderfer’s model states that humans may be motivated by more than one need and non-reliant of satisfaction of each need for progression i.e. an artist who may place growth needs above existence. An article by Mark Rodgers called ‘Challenging Maslow’ refers to the period of time in which Maslow has created this theory on motivation, stating that given the time in which it was created would not depict modern views to human motivation. Rodgers believes that Maslow produced his theory in a time when his home country had just emerged from a world war and out of the greatest depression of the 20th century, needs at this time would be lower as in physiological and safety. Whereas nowadays with more than 50 years of economic growth, the average person enjoys a more stable lifestyle and allows them to have higher focused needs such as egoistic and self-actualization. (Rodgers, 2004) How marketers can apply understanding of these processes and motivation to assist consumers in purchasing decisions Developing on what has been previously touched upon it would be a fair  judgement to say that marketers have the ability to manipulate consumers entirely. Once they have understood consumers’ needs and wants they can use them again when producing a marketing plan to reposition a product or perhaps launch another. Using theories such as Maslow’s, marketers can advertise to specific motivational needs, using powerful marketing tools such as advertising. Advertisements are cues used to arouse needs, marketers therefore creates ads to aid consumer choices. Advertising techniques can attract attention by appealing to needs (innate) or perhaps having such an image to create a new need or desire (acquired). They can advertise a product to directly stimulate levels of motivation i.e. Maslow’s self-fulfilment or Freud’s super ego through making a product seem visually emphasised as a certain amount of perfection which would satisfy top level needs. Physiological arousal can be used to stimulate consumers most basic needs, for example a visually ‘sexy’ advertisement would attract the attention of most adults, or perhaps an advertisement of a new burger at a fast food chain would focus to basic biogenic hunger needs. Cleverly marketed an advert can appeal to multiple needs, making a product seem vital for a consumer to own as it is seen as satisfying many needs, creating a strong chance of consumers purchasing this product. Looking into an emotional arousal view of marketing it can be seen that a lot of charity based organisations use emotional advertising to trigger a sad response from the audience. For example an advert seeking to create an awareness and revenue for starving children of third world countries would seek to discomfort the viewer by highlighting their struggle to find satisfaction of their biological needs and contrast this with our perhaps unnecessary ego and self-fulfilment needs. This in turn triggers an emotional response, and perhaps self-disappointment which would lead the individual to donate sympathetically. Conclusion To conclude, there has been a build-up of various consumer decision based theory and framework in this report that helps give an understanding to how the processes work, leading into motivation and various theory and models behind them. The theory can be applied directly when producing a marketing mix or segmenting the market, as it offers a clear insight into how the  human mind operates when considering purchase decisions. Another key aspect of marketing, by gaining an understanding of the consumers wants and needs before creating a product and marketing campaign that could ultimately fail and cause substantial losses financially. Marketers nowadays have to be at the top of their game due to flooded markets with similar products they have to be able to communicate the benefits of their product to the consumer and how it may differentiate from competitors. Marketers have the ability to create a want for a product that would not previously have been desired and therefore have the ability to manipulate people’s needs throughout their lifetimes through this incredibly strong tool and the added benefit of ease of distribution channels of information through advancements in modern day technology.

A critique of the literature Essay

Nurses are expected to deliver high quality care with the latest techniques and information available. In order to do this nurses are required to actively participate to nursing research and critique them. Nursing research has increased greatly in the past three decades exposing nurses to latest knowledge, to provide quality care to the patients (Polit & Beck, 2004). Further more, to provide evidence based practice, nurses must be able to assess and critique research to evaluate and to judge whether the research is useful, good quality, current and safe to apply in their practice (Fink,2005). This essay critiques a quantitative original research article, which is relevance to nursing. The research article â€Å"Cardiovascular risk of essential hypertension: Influence of class, number, and treatment-time regimen of hypertension medication† by authors Ramon c. Hermida, Diana E. Ayala, Aetemio Mojon and Jose R. Fernandez was published in 2013 by Informa health care USA in Chronobiology international journal volume 30. This essay will critique the above research paper using the systematic frame work provided by Schneider, Whitehead, Lobiondo-Wood & Haber(2013 p 15) including the title, abstract, method, literature review, results, discussion and conclusion of the research paper. Title Title of a research article should describe and focus on the research conducted (Cormack, 2000). The title of the research paper by Hermida et al, 2013, clearly describes the purpose of the research and indicates the relevant area of study and the target population. However, by reading the title alone it is difficult to identify the nature of study and requires the reader to continue reading the abstract. It could be argued that it is better to describe this in the title thus it will help the reader to identify whether the research is useful to their practice (Cormack, 2000). Authors’ qualifications are not provided, however it is indicated that the research was conducted by Bioengineering and chronobiology laboratory in a university in Spain. Therefore, it is unable to decide whether the authors have sufficient research skills and expertise to carry out the study. Abstract According to Schneider et al (2013) abstract of an article is a brief summary of the study at the start of an article. Abstract focuses on the important points of the study. It states the purpose, the method, the results and the conclusion of the study ( Schneider et al, 2013). The abstract by Hermida et al (2013 ) clearly describe the purpose of the study and the method and sample used. It also gives a brief description of the data collected and analyzed to provide a conclusion of the study. It is easy for the reader to identify that the research method is quantitative by reading the abstract. Introduction and Literature review According to LoBiondo-Wood, G., & Laber, J. (2014) a good literature review provide an introduction, which include the keywords and a description of the databases used to conduct the study. In this article introduction and literature review is included as one subheading, and the authors have clearly identified the keywords of the study, which will again allow the reader to assess the relevance of the study. In this article authors have started the literature review from the introduction part and provided the related previous study findings in order to build the hypothesis of the current study. They clearly describe the need and the rational for the conduction of the study, as the lack of study conducted considering the  ingestion time of the blood pressure lowering medication (Hermida et al, 2013). They have used recent research within the last 10 years to support their research study. However, the research does not specify the search strategies used to locate the previous research used, which questions whether the research used are biased or unbiased (Fink, 2005). As the study is accepted in 2012, most of the research articles cited in the review are current. As mentioned in Fink (2005) articles’ cited within the last 10 years from the year the study is accepted are considered as current research. In the article, the authors acknowledge that there are several studies conducted to measure the efficiency of blood pressure (BP) lowering medication, disregarding the time of the blood pressure medication taken during the day (Hermida, 2013) This study is conducted using the Ambulation blood pressure monitoring for prediction of cardiovascular event (ABPM) to monitor the effect on better BP control and cardio vascular risk with the bedtime ingestion of one medication rather than all the medications taken in the morning (Hermida, 2103). Authors support the ABPM design that is used for the study by citing previous research studies that have used the same design, in order to improve the credibility of the research (Cormack, 2000). Aim and Hypothesis Aim and hypothesis have been clearly stated in this article by Hermida et al(2013). Unlike qualitative research, quantitative research has an hypothesis provided by the researchers to compare the relationship between variables (Polit & Beck, 2004). The aim of the research is to examine the administration time effect on the CVD risk and lowering BP of each class of antihypertensive medication and the number of medication used for therapy (Hermida et al, 2013). Authors have conducted the study based on the hypothesis that â€Å"bedtime therapy with one or more BP lowering medications exerts better BP control plus greater CVD risk reduction than the conventional morning only schedule of all therapy† (Hermida et al, 2013 p 324). This hypothesis can be categorized as directional as it predicts the expected outcome of the study conducted (Polit & Beck, 2004). According to Polit & Beck(2008), directional hypothesis may results in biased outcomes due to the intellectual commitment to the desired hypothesis. Method Quantitative research approach provides a better state of evidence and increase ability to replicate the study (Schneider, 2013). This study by Hermida et al (2013) provides clear information about the methodology, sample and the technique of the data analysis used. Sample Authors have chosen samples for this research based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, providing very clear and specific information of the target population group that can be used for the study. The sample group were from a population of Spanish subjects > 18 years of age then carefully screened using the inclusion and exclusion criteria (Hermida etal, 2013). Sample size was clearly stated, which will allow the reader to decide whether the sample size for the study was adequate, however they have failed to mention how the sample size was determined. Sample size was adequate and included both male and female population without gender discrimination. Therefore, the study can be considered as useful and good quality as there are no gender limitations (Fink, 2005). It has been well described how the samples were recruited for the process and the samples have been chosen from different hospitals to reduce sample bias. According to Hermida et al (2013) the study method was approved by the State ethic committee of clinical research as ethical medical research. And all participants have given written informed consent to participate in research (Hermida et al, 2013). Design The design used by the authors for the study was a prospective randomized open label, blinded end point (PROBE) (Hermida et al, 2013). This design can be compared to the double blind design, which commonly used in quantitative research. In contrast to the double-blinded method, the participants/assessors have the ability to know the nature of the treatment. Major advantages of this design are lower cost, higher similarity to clinical practice and the ability to replicate the study easily in order to apply the results into medical care (Polit & Beck, 2004). In addition, even though it is an open labeled design, due to the blinded end point the results will not be subjected to any bias (Cormack, 2000). The randomized study method used, reduces the sample bias (Cormack, 2000) which is done by  a computerized random number generator in this study (Hermida et al, 2013). However, the authors have failed to mention the name of the computerized random number generator program used, which makes it difficult for the reader to replicate and evaluate the credibility of the study (Fink, 2005). Further more, in order to ensure the internal validity of the study the authors have adhered to their exclusion and inclusion criteria and have recruited a large sample group (Polit & Beck, 2008). Data collection and analysis Data was collected at the start and at every scheduled visit during the follow up appointment. BP of each recruit was automatically measured at specific times for 48hrs. Authors have used 48hrs observation periods rather than standard 24hrs observation periods (Hermida et al, 2013) to improve the reproducibility and accuracy of the results (Fink, 2005). An actigraph was given to all participants to wear and measure the physical activity during the 48hrs, which is then synchronized to a computer. During the follow up data was collected and necessary test were performed to gather more data and the yearly appointments were organized (Hermida et al, 2013). More over, data collection procedures are adequately described in the study which will make it easy to replicate (Cormack, 2000) The use of multiple data collection instruments can be identified as a strength of the study and citations of previous research have been provided to support the data collection instruments, hence will improve the validity and quality of the study (Cormack, 2000) There were no ethical issues identified as the participants provided informed consent prior to the study (Fink, 2005). Results The results of the study are given in great detail using one table and 7 graphs within the paper. They have used subheading within the results section to clearly present the results for different variables of the study. Findings are accessible and p values are clearly stated, which is important in a quantitative study (Hermida et al, 2013). The consistency of the results, logical link between the data analysis and findings of the study presented in text and in numbers are similar which outlines the correctness of the findings and the findings can be used in clinical practice (Polit &  Beck, 2008). The table and graphs used to interpret data are very clear and easy to understand by the reader. Discussion and conclusion Discussion and conclusion are presented under the same subheading in this research paper. The discussion appeared well balanced and very well detailed, making it easy for the reader to understand and analyze the paper (Cormack, 2000). Authors have discussed and compared the findings with the previous credited research, which are mentioned in the literature review. Authors argue the accuracy of the research findings in a logical manner summarizing relevant previous research findings. They challenge the past research stating how this study method of BP lowering is more effective than the traditional way of treatment using their findings. Even though, the authors have not used a separate section for the conclusion, they have strongly supported the hypothesis in the last paragraph of the paper by using the results obtained (Hermida et al, 2013). In addition, the authors do not mention strength and limitations of the study. Limitations and strengths of a study is useful when assessing the validity of the study or to improve the research method ( Cormack, 2000). Reference Reference list is complete and accurate and include all the cited literature, which includes 72 references, most within the last 10 years of the year the study was accepted (Hermida, 2013). In conclusion this study was conducted very well with a strong hypothesis, relevant literature review, appropriate samples, well-organized research design and statistical analysis. This essay has critically analyzed each component of the study by Hermida et al(2013) adhering to a systemic framework in order to assess the quality, credibility and validity of the research study. Reference Cormack, D. F. S. (2000). The Research Process in Nursing (3rd ed.): Blackwell Science Ltd. Fink, A. (2005). Conducting Resaerch Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper (2nd ed.): SAGE Publications. Hermida, R., Ayala, D., Mojà ³n, A., & Fernà ¡ndez, J. (2013). Cardiovascular risk of essential hypertension: influence of class, number, and treatment-time regimen of hypertension medications. Chronobiology International, 30(1-2), 315-327. doi:10.3109/07420528.2012.701534 LoBiondo-Wood, G., & Laber, J. (2014). Nursing Resarch: Methods and Critical Appraisal for Evidence-Based Practice Retrieved from http://books.google.com.au/books?id=3tTsAwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2008). Nursing Research: Generating and Assessing Evidence for Nursing Practice Retrieved from http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Ej3wstotgkQC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2004). Nursing Research: Principles and Methods Retrieved from http://books.google.com.au/books?id=5g6VttYWnjUC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false Schneider, Z., Whithead, D., Lobiondo-Wood, G., & Haber, J. (2013). Nursing and Midwifery Research: Methods and appraisal for evidence based practice (4th ed.).

Rite of Passage

â€Å"Every human being on this earth is born with a tragedy, and it isn't original sin. He's born with the tragedy that he has to grow up. That he has to leave the nest, the security, and go out to do battle. He has to lose everything that is lovely and fight for a new loveliness of his own making, and it's a tragedy. A lot of people don't have the capacity to do it. † A coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. In most modern societies this transition takes place on an adolescence’s 18th birthday.The celebrations of these transitions vary from culture to culture as well as religious beliefs and hence affect our opinions, views, beliefs and attitudes towards rites of passage and the foreign processes incorporated into rituals and initiations. My name is Kali Collado and I welcome you to â€Å"All the World’s a Stage Festival† where I will share with you why 18th birthdays mean different things to different people. In modern -day Australia most 18th birthday celebrations consist of large-scale consumption of booze, clubbing, strippers and drug-induced parties.When an adolescent turns 18 society recognises them as adults and are therefore given more responsibilities, choice-flexibility, benefits and independence from their parents. Turning 18 here in Australia doesn’t require us to undergo physically and mentally perilous initiations or rituals. In fact these benefits, freedom and responsibilities are handed to us on a silver platter. Unlike Vanuatuan culture, villages build wooden towers reaching heights of 100 feet or more, where boys as young as five are to jump off a certain platform with vine ropes tied to each ankle.Summoning all the courage they have, they dive from the platform headfirst. The goal of the jump is to land close enough to the ground that contact between the divers shoulders and the ground is made. These dives are two-fold; in that it’s performed as sacrifice for their gods to ensure bountiful yam crop or to initiate the tribe boys into manhood preceded by circumcision. The higher a man goes along the platform, the manlier he’s considered amongst the tribe. Vanuatuans believe this ritual necessary because it ensures bountiful crops whereas in Australia food is readily accessible in supermarket isles.This rite of passage isn’t just about initiating tribesmen anymore but for what they believe is the survival of the tribe. As the quote goes â€Å"Initiations aren’t just for mental wellbeing but for the survival of the tribe† Another example of a religious initiation is from South East Asia. There, adolescence’s are initiated into adulthood to become a novice monk or nun by dressing as Princes or Princesses after their Prince Gautama. They take three Jewels and have their heads shaved and then change into saffron robes.They stay with the monks from a night to a few years to practice meditation and prayer, marking a t ime of purity and innocence as well as awareness of the sins in the world. Although this ritual is far from the perilous Vanuatuan initiation it still differs from the rituals of 18thbirthday celebrations in Australia; in that religion implements preservation of innocence, chastity and prayer. 18th birthdays does not signify booze, drugs or partying in these cultures but rather maturity and acceptance of their new roles into their society or tribe.It’s not about leaving the nest and its security to go out and explore the world by themselves. It’s not about swimming into the world of uncalled maturity for the benefit of their culture. It is difficult to judge whether these cultures are right in the way initiations should be incorporated because it’s specific to their beliefs, their culture and their religion. Their culture â€Å"Every human being on this earth is born with a tragedy, and it isn't original sin. He's born with the tragedy that he has to grow up.Th at he has to leave the nest, the security, and go out to do battle. He has to lose everything that is lovely and fight for a new loveliness of his own making, and it's a tragedy. A lot of people don't have the courage to do it. † â€Å"Critics who treat ‘adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence.And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, includin g the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up. † ? C. S. Lewis

Illegal Immigration can be curbed by enforcing existing immigration Essay

Illegal Immigration can be curbed by enforcing existing immigration laws, repealing birthright citizenship, and requiring proof - Essay Example In the decades that followed, the number of immigrants entered USA presented a trend of continuous increase; in 1977, 1 million immigrants from Mexico entered USA (Reed 25). It is clear that appropriate measures need to be developed towards the elimination of illegal immigration across the country. These measures should not be considered as an opposition to human rights but rather as an effort to secure the quality of life of citizens. Moreover, appropriate criteria should be used for judging the provision to immigrants of American citizenship. The measures taken for the control of illegal immigration across USA would include the introduction of mechanisms for enforcing existing immigration laws (especially ‘the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996’ (Koven & Gotzke 142)), the repealing of birthright citizenship and the provision of right to apply for social services only to th ose who can prove their citizenship. The above issues are discussed in this paper referring to the literature that has been published in this field. It is assumed that the plans promoted in USA for the control of illegal immigration are important but they are not appropriately monitored; as a result, these plans often fail to address effectively the specific problem. It is assumed that it is not a problem related to the lack of legislation but rather to the lack of effective cooperation among the authorities involved in the relevant processes. In accordance with Anderson (2010) the control of illegal immigration in USA has been proved to be quite difficult; in the context of the above finding, authorities in USA have tried to focus on those forms of immigration that would be easier controlled – reference is made to the legal immigration (Anderson 215). For this reason, the measures developed for the control of illegal immigration in USA may affect legal immigrants also, a pro blem, which needs to be appropriately addressed; however, the above problem should not prohibit the authorities from enforcing the current immigration laws, as such practice would benefit the illegal immigrants across the country. At this point, the following issue needs to be highlighted: under certain terms, immigration laws are not enforced in US because of the existence of a series of interests depended on illegal immigration; the most indicative example of such case is the entrance of illegal immigrants in the workplace. Illegal immigrants cannot ask for normal wage – in terms of its level; in fact, their wage is lower compared to the average wage of employees in a similar job position. As a result, employers prefer illegal immigrants, a fact that makes the entrance in the workplace for citizens and legal immigrants even more difficult (Weissinger 203). The above phenomenon is so extended that the enforcement of immigration laws across the country has become quite proble matic. However, no signs seem to exist regarding the limitation of the above problem. In fact, in a relevant research it has been revealed that the immigration agents across USA are about 2,000 – while the illegal immigrants in USA have been estimated to 11.5 million (Gaines & Miller 124). In accordance with Wepman (2007) the lack of effective enforcement of immigration laws in USA leads to the following assumption: existing illegal immigrants across the country ‘face little or no risk of removal once they entry the country’

Business1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business1 - Assignment Example In any of the two instances, you shall contact our customer care at the outlet in which you experience the inconvenience and a voucher shall be offered instantly. There shall be no need to proof the inconvenience, as the customer care agent will be able to verify the details. The service guarantee ensures that customers get time value for their money and that the company meets customer’s needs. These add value to the quality of products that we offer in differentiated packages. Tax and Brown authored the article, ‘Recovering and learning from service failure,’ which Sloan Management Review published in the year 1998. The authors, based on empirical study, explain the role of effective customer relationship management on profitability of organizations through establishing customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, and increasing revenues. The authors argue for significance of customer relationship management and recommend a shift from offensive marketing strategies for attracting new customers to defensive customer retention strategies. The article is important because of its informative content that is vital to organizations in perfect competition markets. High-level competition that technology facilitates has led to exploration and exhaustion of offensive marketing strategies that are common among competing organizations. Consequently, focus on offensive marketing strategy may be ineffective and therefore a waste of resources. The article howev er offers a solution to this problem through customer relationship management and is therefore important to organizations’ managements. The ideas of inevitability of customer dissatisfaction and the service recovery process are the most useful information from the article. Acknowledging that customers may be dissatisfied, at some points, forms a basis for willingness to resolve customers’ concerns while the process enlightens and empowers towards

Motivation and success in learning Research Paper - 1

Motivation and success in learning - Research Paper Example For a teacher to create an environment of learning in the classroom that is more student-centered, it is imperative that the out-of-school practices of students are capitalized upon. An essential and common component of the practices out of school is the use of computers in some form. Not all schools provide students with equal access to computers or the Internet. In addition to that, many schools have taken long to capitalize on the computers’ use in order to engage the identities carried by the students outside the school and to improve the experiences of students’ learning. Some of the ways in which teachers can capitalize on the out of school activities of the students is to encourage them to prepare lessons from e-books that they can study on Kindle and Tablet. Students should be encouraged to use interactive media like Skype while doing the classroom tasks as a group when they have to be in different locations. Involving the use of computers in the educational set up is imperative in the present age because it makes the students feel empowered. Students tend to think that they are studying in an advanced system and hence do not underestimate the tendency of their educational institution to empower them to the extent where they can compete with others both academically and professionally on the global scale. Implications of the use of computers as a strategy to improve students’ motivation are increased need to monitor and supervise the students so that it can be ensured that students are making right use of the technological resources rather than using them for leisure or personal activities. Although the strategy of using computers to inculcate intrinsic motivation in the students is quite effective, yet it is important to consider the novelty of such activities of learning while planning for and

American foundation for the blind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American foundation for the blind - Essay Example ed in raising the organization’s profile and changed how people perceived the blind and facilitated the expansion of AFB with many achievements like standardizing the English braille code. The mission statement of the American Foundation for the Blind is â€Å"to remove barriers, create solutions, and expand possibilities so people with vision loss can achieve their full potential† (â€Å"American Foundation for the Blind†, n.p, 2013). This clearly states the main aim of AFB. Migel formulated the mission of AFB and he wished to create a forum for blindness professionals, research and respect the blind. There are many people in the society who are affected by vision loss and AFB makes their lives easy by providing necessary services required. The American foundation for the blind offer variety of services some of which include continuing education credit via Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP), provides eLearning services for professional development. AFB as well advocates for the right of the blind to ensure that they equally participate in societal activities. The current happenings of the organization include, AFB offering eleven scholarships for higher education for blind students, nomination for 2014 Migel medals, and AFB eLearning center offers new Webnar on using the iPad in the classroom among others (â€Å"American Foundation for the Blind†,

Porters diamond model was developed to explain the competitive Essay

Porters diamond model was developed to explain the competitive advantage of globally leading industries in different countries. To what extent do you believe that the model is effective in achieving this - Essay Example Intensity of global competition is very high today mainly due to the fast growth of emerging economies like China, India, and Brazil. Alliances of emerging economies like BRICS play a significant role in influencing the competitiveness of national economies. This paper will analyse to what extent the Porter’s diamond model is effective in achieving its stated objectives giving particular focus to concepts of industry clusters, diamond model, and emerging nations. According to traditional economic theories, the major factors affecting the competitive advantage of regions or nations were land, location, natural resources, labour, and the population size. As none of these factors can be influenced by external forces, people had believed that national prosperity was passive or inherited and hence nothing could be done to improve the situation. However, Porter argued that sustained industrial growth is not depended on these basic inherited factors. In order to replace this traditional misconception, Porter introduced a concept called industry cluster, which represents a group of interconnected firms, suppliers, and related industries in a particular location. He stated that competitive advantage of nations is determined by four interlinked economic factors existing in such industry clusters. The theorist also suggested that these economic factors can be significantly influenced by strong technological and knowledge base, government support, skill ed workforce, and culture. According to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (2011), â€Å"there are few economic development policies as popular as clusters†. Recognising the importance of clusters, today countries, regions, and even cities strive to develop a network of complementary and competitive firms. The recent global financial crisis substantially increased the significance of clusters. The report also says that locating firms in the same place does not constitute clusters unless there

Corporate Finance Case (MBA) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Corporate Finance Case (MBA) - Essay Example Thus, this value net of taxes is added on the eight year cash flow. Lastly, the cash flows are discounted using 16% cost of capital and are added up to come up with the NPV. b. Since the decision criterion of the company is to accept projects whose payback periods are within six years, this project is viewed to have a good profit potential. Investment decision is to accept the project. c. Different from the simple payback period, the discounted payback requires the cash flows to be discounted. Thus, it is expected that the discounted payback period is longer than the simple one. In this case, the discounted payback is 5.43 years. 3. Two of the conceptual weaknesses of the payback period are the following: inability to recognize the time-value of money by treating each dollar inflow as the same whether they are generated earlier or later in the projects life and its lack of recognition for the cash inflows after the initial investment is recouped. These flaws of the payback period make it inferior to other capital budgeting techniques. For example, because it does not discount cash flow, it is not realistic to use since we know that the value of money depreciates over time. Also, it becomes misleading when assessing projects which have lower cash flows in the early project life and large ones in its later years. The payback period almost always favor projects where the investment can

Religion freedom Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Religion freedom - Term Paper Example Different nations of the world starting with the Western democracies have further enacted powerful laws protecting the general public against any form of religion discrimination (Johnson, 2012). The Western democracies have a great influence on political, social and even economic well being of most other nations of the world. Expansion of religious freedom in US and other European nations has led to expansion of the same in other states of the world. This has a vital implication on the development of universal rights and development of a global code of ethics. The history of religion can be traced way back to the Neolithic period. This is approximately 11,000 years ago. Some scholars of the world believe that religion evolved from a certain region- Near East and later spread to the rest of the world something that has brought about strong debates and arguments in the field of religion. Some scholars tend to believe that the religion did not evolve from a single region but rather evolved independently in different regions of the world (Barbara, 2007). According to this theory, the invention of religion was brought about by the consequences of the Neolithic revolution that had resulted into increase of the population of the world as well as the growth, development and advancement of the world’s technology (Barbara, 2007). During this era, the different communities of the world faced a transition from the foraging bands to empires and then into the states existing today. As the different communities transformed from foraging bands and tribe that comprised of fewer individuals into empires, more developed and specialized forms of regions emerged. These are the same religions reflected in today’s social and political environment. However, different religions have different beliefs, norms and codes of ethics which are partially applicable to the entire world (Barbara, 2007). According to Mark (2009), religion is a very organized system of

The Adult -Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Research Paper

The Adult -Gerontology Nurse Practitioner - Research Paper Example It is therefore the duty of an adult-gerontology nurse practitioner to provide the required care for these patients. Reason for choosing adult-gerontology I chose the adult nurse practitioner with the emphasis on gerontology because I have previously worked in a geriatric population in the nursing homes and with hospice. My interaction with the geriatrics in these homes was an inspiration to a new challenge in advanced nursing practice. In addition, through the interaction, I gained a lot of knowledge and experience in this advanced nursing field. Also, the elderly people suffer from many ailments that result from their low immunity hence provide room for more research and experience in the nursing field thus influenced me to choose to choose this topic. Roles of an adult-gerontology nurse An adult gerontology nurse provides a special care to the old people in the nursing homes. He or she is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the nutrition levels of the patients are as required, the patients receive medication at the correct time, the patients undergo the required daily exercises and in some instances, they are charged with the responsibility of providing psychological support to the patients. ... Apart from going to the nursing colleges, nurses they require further training in seminars and workshops organized by their institutions or even their affiliate associations (Paige and Loney, 1977). Some states are also strict on the issuance of certifications before a nurse can fully practice. Scope of practice The American Nurses Association has a set of the scope and revised guidelines for nursing practices to be followed by all nurses operating in the United States. Adult nurse practitioners are allowed to asses and diagnose patients with injuries and other common diseases. He or she is able to order for lab examination of the patient and also analyze the lab reports so as to suggest the best nursing intervention. In addition, it is within the scope of the adult nursing practitioner to have a personal relationship with the patient that would be beneficial for the treatment of the patient. However, the adult nurse practitioners are limited to make some decisions on their own. This is because certain decisions require the consent of the family members who may be absent at that time. Comparison between adult nursing practitioner and family nursing practitioner A family nursing practitioner has the skills of prevention and containing of diseases. He or she is charged with the responsibility of assessing, diagnosis and treatment of patients with acute symptoms. Due to their expertise in general medical knowledge, they can be able to handle both the young and the older patients. In addition, family nurse practitioners require only a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a license from the state government in order to operate legally. However, an adult nurse practitioner is an advanced nurse with a specialization in the care of the

A Bio-Sketch of Marie Curie Essay Example for Free

A Bio-Sketch of Marie Curie Essay Marie Sklodowski was born on November 7, 1867 in Warsaw the capital of Poland. Both of her parents were school teachers, and they had high expectations for their five children (Zosia, Bronia, Jozef, Helena and Marie). Marie, her sisters, and brother all graduated with the highest grades in their class. The Sklodowski family was very learned and cultured, but they struggled financially. Poland was occupied by Russia and Germany. Many jobs were taken by these unwelcome foreigners. Maries father, Wladyslaw, was a school principal. He lost his job to a Russian because he was loyal to Poland and a patriot. To help meet living expenses, Maries family took in student boarders. The household was crowded with so many people in one apartment. Those crowded living conditions helped to spread tuberculosis, a major infectious disease in the late nineteenth century. Maries mother got the disease from Wladyslaws brother who came to live with them. After several expensive rest cures in the south of France, she died in 1878 from TB when Marie was only nine years old. . Why She Chose Physics Marie was encouraged to study physical science by her cousin, Jozef Boguski. He was the director of the Warsaw Museum of Industry. He allowed her to do experiments in physics and chemistry on the weekends at the museum. When Marie got to the Sorbonne in Paris, a revolution was about to take place. It was not a revolution with soldiers, but a revolution in science. This was a very exciting time to study physics. Physics is a branch of science that investigates the four forces at work in the universe both on a large scale, as in the solar system, or on a small scale, as in atoms. The structure of the atom and the forces which hold it together were still unknown when Marie enrolled as a student at the Sorbonne. Marie Curies Research With Pierre acting as her advisor, Marie spent several years purifying uranium ore. It was a grueling task to isolate the radioactive substances from tons of ordinary rock. Toiling over a giant vat, she worked out of doors or in a drafty shed. This was a blessing in disguise because the vat gave off poisonous radon gas. The Curies were not aware of this. Marie proposed that the radiation came from inside the atoms. Other scientists followed her lead and started to investigate the structure of atoms. She discovered two new elements which the Curies named Radium (after radiation) and Polonium (after Poland). In 1903, the Curies and Henri Becquerel received the Nobel Prize in physics for their combined research and discoveries on radioactivity. The Dangerous Beauty of Radium The Curies had two daughters: Irene was born in 1897 and Eve in 1904. Pierres father took over the childcare duties as Marie and Pierre became more and more involved in their work. Marie became pregnant again, but she suffered a miscarriage probably due to high levels of radiation in her lab. One rainy afternoon in April of 1906, Pierre was run over by a horse-drawn wagon and died. Pierre had been experiencing severe pains in his legs, and this may have caused the accident. Marie was devastated, and she turned to a close friend of Pierres, Paul Langevin, for companionship. Their love affair was exposed by a tabloid newspaper, and a scandal resulted. Maries reputation and career were nearly destroyed. Then the Swedish Nobel committee announced she had won the prize for chemistry! Director of an Institute This probably saved her career in physics. In the following years she was very bitter about the way she was treated. She made a point of hiring people at her lab who also had suffered discrimination by the male science establishment. She also hired several women at her lab and gave them their start in physics. One was Marguerite Perey who began as a test tube washer and, a few years later, discovered the radioactive element Francium. Ellen Gleditsch came to the lab from Norway. At home, Marie was training Irene to become a physicist. Irene reminded her of Pierre; she had the same temperment and the same dislike of school. Because of her service to soldiers during the war, the French public began to think of Marie less as a foreigner and more as a patriotic French woman. She also toured America twice after the war and raised money for her Radium Institute. During these years, she controlled the largest supply of radioactive substances used in scientific research. She shared these with other physics labs engaged in studying the structure of the atom. Marie had the constitution of a horse, but even she eventually succumbed to the lethal effects of radiation exposure. In the last decade of her life, she suffered from severe pains and aches like Pierre had. She also had cataracts in her eyes and constant ringing in her ears. In 1934, Maries bold adventure into the atomic universe came to an end. She died in Paris of leukemia, a cancer of the blood. The Curie Tradition Lives On In 1997, Maries remains were moved to the Pantheon, Frances monument to its heros. She is the first woman to be so honored. Marie Curie was a great Polish patriot, but she had won a place in the heart of the French people.

Conversational Valence and Binge Drinking Relationship

Conversational Valence and Binge Drinking Relationship Results Manipulation check First, a manipulation check was conducted in order to check if the different conditions (valence and activeness) led to the intended positive/negative and active/passive responses, respectively. For this purpose, univariate analyses of variance (ANOVAS) were conducted with valence conditions as independent and valence as dependent variables. The results revealed a statistically significant effect of valence condition on the participants’ valence F(1,129): 80.94, p=.000, (M=3.80, SD=1.41) and on the partner’s valence F(1,129): 61.09, p=.000, (M=3.93, SD=1.50). Furthermore, the results revealed a statistically significant effect of the participants’ activeness condition on the level of activeness F(1,129): 41.73, p=.000, (M=4.47, SD=1.53) and a marginally significant effect of the partners’ activeness F(1,129): 3.76, p=.055, (M=5.09, SD=1.25). Additionally, we examined the extent to which participants followed the instructions and responded to the assigned role. For this reason, we conducted a crosstabulation check, which indicated that the 63.6% of the individuals assigned to the negative condition, perceived the conversation as negative whereas 33.3% as neither negative nor positive and 3.0% as positive. Also, 53.8% of the individuals in the positive condition perceived the conversation as positive, whereas 30.8% and 15.4% of the participants perceived the conversation as neither negative nor positive, and negative, respectively. Moreover, 52.9% of the individuals in the passive condition perceived that they have spoken passively. However, the majority (84.1%) of the individuals assigned to the active condition perceived that they have spoken as instructed.[1] The effect of conversational valence on binge drinking determinants To investigate H1 (i.e. whether conversational valence influenced attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention towards binge drinking) four univariate Analyses of Variance (ANOVAs) were conducted with conversational valence condition as the independent variable and attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention as the dependent variables. The results indicated a significant main effect of valence on attitude F(1,129): 8.53, p=.004, which means that participants with positive conversational valence about alcohol received higher binge drinking attitude (M=3.85, SD=1.32) than those with negative (M=3.20, SD=1.23). Similarly, a significant main effect of valence on perceived behavioral control F(1,129): 4.82, p=.030 was indicated, revealing that those in who were engaged in positively valence conversation had higher perceived behavioral control (M=4.48, SD=1.90) than those in negatively valence conversation (M=3.75, SD=1.93). Furthermore, a marginally significant main effect on subjective norm F(1,129): 3.25, p=.074, was revealed. This means that participants with positive conversational valence had higher subjective norm (M=3.61, SD =1.62) than those with negative (M=3.09, SD=1.70). However, a non-significant main effect on intention F(1,129): 0.08, p=.782. was found, and the binge drinking intention did not differ significantly across the two valence conditions (M=2.48, SD=1.51 and M=2.40, SD=1.70 respectively). As it is revealed, positive conversational valence about alcohol elicits more positive binge drinking attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control compared to negative conversational valence. Moreover, more positive binge drinking intention is indicated in positively valenced conversations, although the difference is not statistically significant. Therefore, according to these results, H1 was largely supported. Furthermore, according to previous research, four linear regression analyses with conversational valence as the predictor and attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and intention as the dependent variables were conducted in order to explore if the conversational valence predicts the binge drinking determinants. The results are presented in Table 1. A more negative conversational valence about alcohol significantly predicts more negative attitude (ÃŽ ²=.25, p=.004) and perceived behavioral control (ÃŽ ²=.02, p=.030) toward binge drinking. Also, a more negative conversational valence about alcohol marginally significantly predicts more negative subjective norm towards binge drinking (ÃŽ ²=.16, p=.074). However, binge drinking intention is not significantly predicted by the conversational valence (ÃŽ ²=.02, p=.782). Table 1: Relationships between conversational valence and attitude, subjective norm perceived behavioral control, and intention The effect of activeness and conversational valence on alcohol determinants In order to explore the effect of activeness on attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and intentions as well as the interaction between activeness and conversational valence, four univariate ANOVAs were conducted with conversational valence and activeness as the independent variables, and attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention as the dependent variables. The results revealed a non significant effect (p F(1,127): .69, p=.409, perceived behavioral control F(1,127): .69, p=.409, subjective norm F(1,127):1.08, p=.301, and intentions F(1,127): 1.28, p=.260. Additionally, the results revealed a non-significant interaction effect between valence and activeness (attitude F(1,127): 1.44, p=.233, perceived behavioral control F(1,127): 1.38, p=.537, subjective norm F(1,127):1.00, p=.319 and intention F(1,127): .40, p=.527). The result scores of the key variables of the study can be found in Figure 1. Figure 1: Mean scores of binge drinking determinants across valence and activeness conditions Concluding, our results indicate that whereas conversational valence significantly influences binge drinking determinants (attitude, perceived control, subjective norm), the level of active participation in a conversation had no significant effect on these factors. Discussion The main objective of the study was to provide a profound understanding of the influence of interpersonal communication on alcohol determinants, by manipulating two different facets: conversational valence and level of active participation in the conversation. We first hypothesized that a more positive (negative) conversational valence about alcohol elicits more positive (negative) binge drinking attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control and increases (decreases) binge drinking intention (Hypothesis 1). An additional hypothesis was that the influence of conversational valence depends on the level of active participation in the conversation about alcohol (Hypothesis 2). The results of the study partly supported H1, but not H2. Two important conclusions can be drawn based on our results. First, when participants speak positively (negatively) about alcohol, their attitude, behavioral control, subjective norm towards binge drinking are more positive (negative). However, the intention to (refrain from) binge drinking is not significantly influenced by the conversational valence. Second, there is neither significant effect of the level of activeness in the conversation on alcohol determinants, nor a significant interaction effect of the activeness with the conversational valence. The first main conclusion conceptually replicates previous results, which proposed that the conversational valence in alcohol-related discussions influences the binge drinking determinants (e.g. Hendriks et al. 2012). Nevertheless, the results of the current study do not indicate a significant influence of the conversational valence on the intention to binge drink. Although, the concept of conversational valence has also been addressed in previous research (e.g. Hendriks, De Bruijn, Van den Putte, 2012; Hendriks et al., 2012), this study was the first to examine this factor by manipulating it. Thus, the discrepancy between the current study and previous research may be due to differences in research designs. As the conversational valence was experimentally manipulated in this study, it is assumed that conversational valence causally provokes changes in binge drinking predictors. However, the fact that participants are instructed to speak in either a positive or a negative way about alcohol, may be opposed to their actual views (negative/positive) and role (passive/active) in a conversation resulting in a non significant effect of the conversation in their binge drinking intention. Therefore, although an instructed conversation may be effective in influencing attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control, it is not sufficient and may take a longer time to change the participants’ intention to binge-drink. Additionally, according to previous studies (Jamison and Myers, 2008) the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was relatively weak in explaining intention to binge-drink. Also, it was found (Armitage Conner, 2001) that the TPB accounted for only 39% of variance in the intention to binge drink. Thus, as Gibbond, Houlihan Gerrard, 2009) supported, the TPB cannot thoroughly define the irrational nature of health risk behaviours. An additional finding is that participants reported a high level of perceived behavioural control (PBC) in all the four conditions and showed the largest differences between the valence and between the activeness conditions. Notably, as Norman, Bennettand Lewis (1998) supported, the control factor is the most important determinant in binge drinking. Moreover, as previous research suggested, perceived behavioural control and subjective norm may affect intention indirectly through attitude formation (Susanto Goodwin, 2013; Chung et al., 2012; Tarkiainen Sundqvist, 2005). †¦.As in other studies in the domain of binge-drinking (Johnston et al., 2003), in our research we employed single construct measures of general perceived behavioral control (we do not distinguish between self-efficacy and perceived controllability), which tap the extent to which behavioral performance is believed to be easy or difficult (Armitage Corner, 2001). Admittedly, research revealed that only self-efficacy predicts binge-drinking intention (Norman, 2011; Normal et al., 2007). Further research distinguishing these two components of perceived behavioral control is therefore required. We suggest one reason for the non-significant influence of perceived behavioural control on intention to binge drink In addition, the second goal of this study was to introduce a new factor that may influence the effect of interpersonal communication about alcohol on binge drinking determinants. For this purpose, we investigated how the level of activeness in a conversation (active vs. passive) influences binge drinking predictors and how this interacts with the effect of conversational valence in conversations about alcohol. In order to investigate this we instructed participants to speak either actively or passively in positively or negatively valenced alcohol conversations. This factor has not been explicitly explored in the past, thus this research provides preliminary evidence on this topic. Although no significant main effect of activeness on alcohol determinants was found in the analyses, positive valence and high activeness in the conversation result in the most unhealthy alcohol determinants (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, intention), as predicted. Respectively, negative valence and high activeness result in the most healthy alcohol attitude. Overall, despite encouraging results from the manipulation checks, the hypotheses were partly (H1) or not supported (H2). In fact, further exploration of the manipulation outcome revealed significant deviations from the instructed valence and activeness conditions, thus a great percentage of participants demonstrated either that they have not complied with the manipulation or that they unconsciously deviated from the instructions. On the one hand, it may be possible that some participants were affected by their existed views when discussing about alcohol and resisted to the counter-attitudinal message such that they did not talk in line with the condition that they were assigned to. One the other hand, people may have perceived the valence that they have talked differently comparatively to how they did actually talk. As recent research suggested, ( Hendriks, Van de Putte de Bruijn, 2015) perceived valence significantly influences attitudes and intention to binge drink. Similarly, personal characteristics (talkative/ concise) of people may intervene in the way that they finally act during the discussion. In particular, as the analyses demonstrated, only 52,9 of the participants who were instructed to talk passively, perceived their role in the conversation as passive. Generally, extroverts who want to talk more, perhaps they didn’t support the instructed passive role hence the difference between the two conditions hasn’t influenced significantly the alcohol determinants itself, nor interacted with the valence condition to †¦ Markedly, there wasn’t an effective way to take into consideration the partners’ evaluations during the main analyses, rendering some items partly ineffective to objectively evaluate the content of conversations about alcohol. Nonetheless, according to the shared reality theory (Hardin Higgins, 1996), there is an interdependence between dyad partners’ responses on the outcomes of interest that may also influence the attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and intention toward binge drinking. As this theory suggests, through the process of interpersonal communication, discoursers come to a shared understanding of the world, mutually reinforcing one another’s experience. Nevertheless, in real –life settings, these determinants may influence how negatively or positively people talk about alcohol-related topics, thus conversational valence and activeness can influence the determinants of binge drinking behavior, and these binge drinking determinants may inversely influence whether and how positively/negatively or actively/passively people discuss this issue. Implications The present findings have important implications for understanding binge-drinking and developing health interventions. we found support for the effect of conversational valence on attitudes, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control. Therefore, in future health campaigns, targeted in creating more negative attitudes, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control (but not intention) to binge drink, an effective strategy to use would be to stimulate people to discuss negatively about alcohol. To change attitudes towards binge drinking, interventions should highlight the negative consequences associated with binge drinking and challenge the perceived positive consequences of binge drinking. Alternatively But if it was the change of intention/behavior= another campaign planning would be needed Limitations This study adds to a growing body of research examining factors predicting binge drinking among student populations, however, there is a number of methodological issues that should be considered when interpreting the results. First, binge drinking attitudes, subjective norm and PBC were measured using self-reports, which are vulnerable to cognitive (e.g., Luchins, 1957), affective (e.g., Bower, 1992) and self-presentational (e.g., Paulhus, 2002) biases. Armitage and Conner (2001) reported that the TPB provides stronger predictions of self-report behaviors than observed behaviors. Therefore employing alternative observational techniques (e.g. nominated peers) may be useful in revealing the qualities of the drinking environment that directly influence binge drinking (Van de Goor et al.,1990) although these also have their own limitations (Gill, 2002) Another limitation is as other studies using the TPB to understand student binge drinking behavior, they have not examined beliefs about drinking alcohol. Given that according to Ajzen (1991), beliefs are the ultimate psychological determinants of behavior one needs to alter those beliefs (Ajzen, 2007) in order to bring about change in behaviour, or at least intentions to perform a behaviour, Thus, to design interventions to alter intentions to binge drink in students, one needs to know not only what are the salient beliefs regarding this behaviour in this population, but also which beliefs are associated with intentions and behaviour (Sutton, 2002; Sutton, 2010). -Manipulation of activeness Our sample included English-speaking students with different cultures, thus different perception of (binge) drinking. Interestingly, research has shown that the society’s culture of alcohol determines how much people drink in that community (Heath, 1982).Communities with a culture of drinking have much higher rates of binge drinking, while communities where drinking is disapproved have lower binge drinking rates Conclusion Considering the prevalence of binge drinking as well as the damaging consequences especially in young people we conducted this research in the context of alcohol in student populations. This research highlights the need to broaden the context in which conversations about alcohol are examined. More effective measurement tools in research about alcohol, coupled with improvements in alcohol prevention, will hopefully lead to a downward trend of alcohol use among students and the negative consequences of binge drinking . Therefore, when participants were instructed to discuss about alcohol in either positive or negative aspect, their attitude, subjective norm and behavioral control were influenced by the conversational content whereas intention to refrain from binge drinking was not significantly affected by the conversation [1] A univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to check whether the active condition influenced feelings of power. The results indicated a marginally significant effect of activeness on mean power F(1,129): 3.22, p=.07. Thus, participants who were assigned in the active condition have experienced feelings of power M=5.29, SD=0.69 more in comparison to those who had been assigned to the passive condition (M=5.04, SD=.92). However, no statistically significant effect of valence on mean power was revealed F(1,129): .001, p=.971.

Optimal Reactive Power Planning By Using Evolutionary Engineering Essay

Optimal Reactive Power Planning By Using Evolutionary Engineering Essay This paper presents a methodology for solving Optimal Reactive Power Planning (ORPP) problem by using Evolutionary Programming (EP) Optimization Technique in order to improve the voltage stability and minimize the losses in the power system. This study has developed the Evolutionary Programming (EP) Optimization Technique using MATLAB software. The study tested two fitness functions namely total loss minimization and the voltage stability improvement in power system with two different mutation technique. Comparison in the results obtained was made in order to determine the best fitness function and the best mutation technique to be used for solving ORPP and hence the voltage stability is improved. The proposed technique was tested on the IEEE 26 bus reliability test system. Keywords: Optimal Reactive Power Planning (ORPP), Voltage Stability Improvement, Evolutionary Programming (EP) I. INTRODUCTION In general, the problem of optimal reactive power planning (ORPP) can be defined as to determine the amount and location of shunt reactive power compensation devices needed for minimum cost while keeping an adequate voltage profile. The ORPP is one of the most challenging problems since objective functions, the operation cost and the investment cost of new reactive power sources, should be minimized simultaneously [1]. Transmission loss can be minimised by performing reactive power planning which involves optimisation process. The ORPP is a large-scale nonlinear optimization problem with a large number of variables and uncertain parameters. Various mathematical optimization algorithms have been developed for the ORPP, which in most cases; use nonlinear [2], linear [3], or mixed integer programming [4], and decomposition methods [5-8]. However, these conventional techniques are known to converge to a local optimal solution rather than the global one for problems such as ORPP which have many local minima. Recently, evolutionary algorithms (EAs) have been used for optimization; in particular both the genetic algorithm and evo1ution programming have been used in the ORPP problem. The EA is a powerful optimization technique analogous to the natural selection process in genetics. It is useful especially when other optimization methods fail in finding the optimal solution [1]. Evolutionary Programming (EP) optimization technique is recently applied in solving electric power system optimization problems. It is part of the Evolutionary Algorithm (EA) optimization techniques under the artificial intelligence hierarchy. Optimization is an important issue in power system operation and planning particularly in the area of voltage stability studies [9]. In this study, EP engine was initially developed to implement the optimisation process considering two mutation techniques, each with two different objective functions. Comparative studies performed in this study aimed to identify the most suitabl e mutation technique with the best objective function for minimising transmission loss in power system and also improving the voltage stability. The parameters for this problem are: generated reactive power (Qg), injected reactive power (Qinj) and transformer tap (T). Validation on the effectiveness of the proposed technique was conducted on the IEEE-26 reliability test system. Figure 1: The IEEE 26 bus test system II. OBJECTIVES The two objective functions of this study are: To obtain the total loss minimization To improve the voltage stability Where: Total_Loss is total loss minimization LQNmax is voltage stability improvement III. BACKGROUND STUDIES A. Optimal Reactive Power Planning (ORPP) Optimal Reactive Power Planning (ORPP) is a sub-problem of Optimal Power Flow solution which has been widely used in power system operation and planning to determine the optimal control parameter settings, in order to minimize or maximize the desired objective function while satisfying a set of systems constraint. Reactive Power Planning (RPP) involves in optimizing the transformer tap setting, injection of reactive power at generator and load bus so as to fulfill the objective function. Since the OPF approach is commonly concerned with the security and economic operation of the power system, Economic Dispatch (ED) technique is also adopted in RPP scheme. The value of active power generated by the generator is also adjusted in the approach. [11] ORPP is a nonlinear programming problem which has the following mathematical formulation: Maximize or minimize f(x, u) (3) subject to g(x, u) =0 (4) hmin à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ h(x, u) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ hmax (5) where u is the vector of control variables and x is the vector of dependent variables. f(x, u) is the objective function, while g(x, u) is the nodal power constraints with hmin à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ h(x, u) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ hmax are the inequality constraints of the dependent and independent variables. B. Evolutionary Programming (EP) EP is one of the popular techniques which fall under the Evolutionary Computation in Artificial Intelligence (AI) hierarchy and increasingly applied for solving power system optimization problem in recent years. A new population is formed from an existing population through the use of a mutation operator. This operator produces a new solution by perturbing each component of an existing solution by a random amount. The degree of optimality is measured by the fitness, which can be defined as the objective function of the problem [12]. Through the use of a ranking scheme, the candidate solutions in each population were sorted in ascending order according to the number of the best population. The best population form a resultant population is referred as the next generation. The ranking scheme must have more optimal solutions which has a greater chance of survival than the poorer solutions. It is a stochastic optimization strategy, which based on the mechanics of natural selections-mutation, competition and evolution. This technique stressed on the behavioural linkage between parents and their offspring. In general, EP consists of 3 major steps which briefly discussed as follow [12], [13]: i. Initialization The initial population of ÃŽÂ ¼ individuals consists of (xi, ÆÅ ¾i), ˆ¦i à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ {1, 2,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼} are generated randomly based on its limit, whereby xi denotes the control variable and ÆÅ ¾i is the strategic parameter with respect to xi. The fitness is calculated for each individual based on its objective function, f(xi). ii. Mutation a) First Mutation Technique Each parent (xi, ÆÅ ¾i), i=1,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, ÃŽÂ ¼, creates a single offspring (xi, ÆÅ ¾i), where xi and ÆÅ ¾i are given by: xi (j) = xi (j) + ÆÅ ¾i (j) Nj (0, 1) (6) ÆÅ ¾i (j) = ÆÅ ¾i (j) exp (à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ N (0, 1) + à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ Nj (0, 1)) (7) and à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ = ((2(n)  ½)  ½)-1 (8) à Ã¢â‚¬Å¾= ((2n)  ½)-1 (9) xi (j), xi'(j), ÆÅ ¾i(j) and ÆÅ ¾i'(j) are the j-th component of the vectors xi, xi, ÆÅ ¾i and ÆÅ ¾i respectively. N(0,1) represents a normally distributed one-dimensional random number with mean zero and standard deviation 1. Nj(0,1) denotes that the random number is generated anew for each value of j. Subsequently, the fitness is calculated for each offspring. b) Proposed Mutation Technique The proposed mutation rule was inspired by neural network back propagation learning. The following three equations are employed for perturbing the parents to generate their offspring: In these equations, xij [k] [k] is the jth variable of an ith individual at the kth generation. The learning rate, ÆÅ ¾, and the momentum rate, ÃŽÂ ±, are real-valued constants that are determined empirically. |.| denotes an absolute value and N represents the normal distribution. Άxij [k] is the amount of change in an individual, which is proportional to the temporal error, and it drives the individual to evolve close to the best individual at the next generation. It may be viewed as a tendency of the other individuals to take after or emulate the best individual in the current generation. sxij [k] is the evolution tendency or momentum of previous evolution. It accumulates evolution information and tends to accelerate convergence when the evolution trajectory is moving in a consistent direction [14]. The best individual is mutated only by the momentum. This expands the exploitation range and increases the possibility for escaping from local minima. acci[k] in (10) is defined as follows. acci[k] = 1; if the current update has improved cost, 0; otherwise. (10) iii. Combination and Selection In combination stage, the union of parents and offspring are ranked in ascending or descending order according to its fitness and purpose of the optimisation. Hence, the top ÃŽÂ ¼ individuals are selected to be parents for the next generation. The process of mutation, combination and selection are repeated until the stopping criterion is met. In this paper, the stopping criterion is taken to be the convergence of fitness value. IV. METHODOLOGY Figure 3 explained the overall methodology for the evolutionary programming optimization technique to solve ORPP. The produced offspring vector must satisfy and consider the constraints as at the initialization. The main concept of EP is the mutation process. Then continues with learning about the MATLAB software and tested the IEEE 26-Bus Test System to observe initial values which are total power loss, initial minimum and maximum voltages and the initial line stability index (LQP LQN). These initial values have been taken by considering the unstable transmission lines in the test system (IEEE 26-BUS). The unstable line means the line stability index value is close to 1.00. The unstable voltage is when the value is not within the range of (0.90à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤Và ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤1.10). Figure 3: The flow chart for the EP optimization technique The EP program was developed and the analysis of the result is tested based on objective function of the project such as minimize total loss and the voltage stability improvement. Then, the program has been run for five times for each type of objective function. Finally, this project has been concluded and the report has been written. A. Development of EP for Optimal Reactive Power Planning The optimal reactive power planning problems has been tested on the IEEE 26 bus test system. The two objective functions tested are: Fitness1 = Total_Loss; Fitness2 = LQNmax; To find the solution of the problem, the parameters d were decided. The parameters were: Reactive Power of Generator Bus Table 1 shows the parameters and size of reactive power of generation bus. There are five generator buses in IEEE 26-bus test system: Bus 2, 3, 4, 5 and 26. The size of each bus is as below. Table 1: Parameters and size of reactive power of generator bus Parameter Bus Size (MVar) Qg2 2 0 to 50 Qg3 3 0 to 40 Qg4 4 0 to 35 Qg5 5 0 to 30 Qg26 26 0 to 20 2. Injected Reactive Power to the Bus Table 2 shows the parameters and size of injected reactive power to the bus. It shows that there is nine buses have been injected by reactive power. The buses are as below. The unit of the injected reactive power is in MVar. Table 2: Parameters and size of injected reactive power to the bus Parameter Bus Size (MVar) C1 1 0 to 9 C4 4 0 to 9 C5 5 0 to 9 C6 6 0 to 9 C9 9 0 to 9 C11 11 0 to 9 C12 12 0 to 9 C15 15 0 to 9 C19 19 0 to 9 3. Transformer Tap at the Transmission Line Table 3 shows the parameters and size of transformer tap at transmission line. It shows that there is seven transformer tap change at transmission line in IEEE 26-bus test system. The size of each transformer tap is (0.9 to 1.2). Table 3: Parameters and size of transformer tap at the transmission line Parameter Line Size (p.u) T1 2-3 0.9 to 1.2 T2 2-13 0.9 to 1.2 T3 3-13 0.9 to 1.2 T4 4-8 0.9 to 1.2 T5 4-12 0.9 to 1.2 T6 6-19 0.9 to 1.2 T7 7-9 0.9 to 1.2 The EP process is initialization, mutation, rank and selection and convergence test. 4.1.1 Initialization Initial population of size 20 is formed by a set of randomly generated actual value. Each member is tested using equation (12) (17) as below. Equations (12) (16) are the generation constraints. The bus voltage limits in equation (17) are stated in order to avoid any violation to the system operation. The total loss limit in equation (18) is stated in order to avoid the losses greater than the initial values. 0MVar à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ Qg2 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 50MVar (12) 0MVar à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ Qg3 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 40MVar (13) 0MVar à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ Qg4 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 35MVar (14) 0MVar à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ Qg5 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 30MVar (15) 0MVar à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ Qg26 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 20MVar (16) 0.90V à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Và ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 1.10V (17) Total Losses à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 16 (18) The generated random numbers must be smaller than the initial solution set in order to make sure that fitness will be improved. Only the member that satisfy the constraints are included in the initial population set. 4.1.2 Mutation Mutation is a method to execute the random number to produce offspring. An offspring vector Li is created from each parent vector by adding Gaussian random with zero mean and standard deviation. 4.1.3 Rank and Selection The offspring populations generated form mutation process is merged with the parent populations. The selection process is to generate a new 20 populations based on the objective function of total losses minimization and the voltage stability improvement. All of members were sorted in ascending order to produce the best twenty or the strongest twenty populations for next generation. 4.1.4 Convergence test The stopping criteria in order to obtain the optimal solution are by looking at the difference in maximum fitness and minimum fitness which must less then certain values. If not achieved, the process will be repeated until it converged. Where: Total_Lossmax- Total_Lossmin LQNmax LQNmin V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION An EP optimization technique has been developed in this study and tested on IEEE 26-bus test system. The objective function is to minimize the total power loss and to improve the voltage stability in power system. The program has been developed to find the optimal value of control variables based on each objective functions. However, before this program was run, load flow solution for the IEEE 26-bus test system was obtained to determine the initial values. The initial total power loss and stability index is 18.986 MW and 0.754 respectively. For each objective function the program was run five times and the results were tabulated in tables according to the objective function. Then the best result for each objective function was selected and tabulated in Table 1 in the Appendix A in order to make a comparison between the two objective functions. According to the result which tabulated in Table 1 in the Appendix A, it was found that EP optimization technique with voltage stability improvement as the objective function give the best result which is total power loss of 14.462 MW and stability index of 0.717. The EP optimization technique with total power loss minimization as the objective function give results 14.987 MW. The EP optimization technique using proposed mutation rule with voltage stability improvement as objective function, the result MW and for the total power loss and stability index respectively. According Table 4, the total power loss and stability index is 15.534 MW and 0.734 respectively. The result after solve the Optimal Reactive Power Planning (ORPP) is 13.019 MW and 0.699. The percentage reduction for total power loss and stability index after solves the ORPP is 16.19 % and 4.77 %. Table 4: Comparison results before and after solves the Optimal Reactive Power Planning Terms Before Solve ORPP After Solve ORPP Total Power Loss (MW) 15.534 13.019 Stability Index, LQNmax 0.734 0.699 VI. CONCLUSION An evolutionary programming optimization technique has been developed to optimize the real power of generator bus, the reactive power and transformer tap control variables for minimal total cost of generation, total power loss and voltage stability improvement. In this paper, the total cost minimization is the best objective function for minimization of total cost, total power loss and stability index is reduced. The percentage reduction for the total cost and total power loss is acceptable. The percentage reduction of stability index is the highest. The percentage reduces for the total cost, total power loss and stability index is 7.77 %, 16.19 % and 4.77 % respectively. This is the acceptable and reasonable percentage reduction as compared to other objective functions. Therefore voltage stability improvement may not have to be the objective function in order to improve the voltage stability condition of a power system in solving the OPF. VII. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT For future development, the other optimization techniques are proposed to be implemented in solving the ORPP in order to minimize the total power system losses and especially to improve the voltage stability in larger power system. Further modification should be included to get more accurate results for example using different mutation rules and selection strategies. VIII. REFERENCES [1] Kwang. Y. Lee and Frank F. Yang Department of Electrical Engineering The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802, Optimal Reactive Power Planning Using Evolutionalry Algorithms: A Comparative Study for Evolutionary Programming, Evolutionary Strategy, Genetic Algorithm, and Linear Programming; IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, Vol. 13, No. 1, February 1998 [2] R. Billington and S. S. 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Appendix A Table 1: Results of EP Optimization Technique Objective Function Control Variables/ Parameters of OPF Total Cost ($/h) Total Power Loss (MW) Stability Index, LQNmax Time Taken (s) Real Power of Generator Bus (MW) Injected Reactive Power (Mvar) Transformer Tap (p.u) Pg2 Pg3 Pg4 Pg5 Pg26 C1 C4 C5 C6 C9 C11 C12 C15 C19 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 Total Power Loss Minimization 163.12 281.14 146.07 147.94 92.11 5.95 4.79 0.39 5.39 5.23 1.40 4.23 5.43 3.83 0.96 0.99 1.04 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.91 15449.1 12.132 0.767 11843 Voltage Stability Improvement 110.35 287.28 128.95 163.42 97.14 1.24 1.28 2.36 1.05 2.58 0.76 4.50 2.19 2.39 0.94 1.00 0.96 1.11 1.05 0.90 0.98 15523.1 14.461 0.713 6358