Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Essay on Ulysses in Hell - 1081 Words

Baer Goolsby Honors World Lit 4 April 2013 Ulysses In Hell In Dante’s Inferno, Ulysses, a man known for his skillful word weaving, is sent into eternal damnation in Hell by Dante. In the Odyssey, after the Trojan War ends, Ulysses sails back to Ithaca. In the Inferno, Ulysses recounts the story about how he convinced his men to sail with him past the Pillars of Hercules. It was previously believed that nothing lay behind these pillars, until Ulysses and his men discover the Mountain of Purgatory. As they approach the mountain, a huge storm intercepts the ship and kills the whole crew, including Ulysses. Dante decides to place Ulysses in Hell because he tricked people for his own personal gain and committed many acts of fraud. In the†¦show more content†¦As long as the Statue of Athena could remain in the city, Troy could not be taken (Raffa 103). Ulysses is aware of this, and uses this knowledge for his own gain so he is able help ensure Greece wins the Trojan War by taking Troy. Once Ulysses ensures that Troy is capable of falling, he begins devising the most cunning and corrupt scheme of his life. Ulysses sends a large wooden horse (later called the Trojan Horse) to Troy under the guise that it was a gift. His trickery allows Sinon to convince the Trojans to allow the horse into their gates. This fatal mistake by the Trojans allows enemy soldiers hiding inside the giant horse to infiltrate the city and open the gates for the rest of the enormous army (Raffa 103). The sacking of Troy results in legendary accounts of carnage and suffering. Since the success of the besieging forces can be solely attributed to Ulysses’ deceit of the honorable leaders of Troy, Dante condemns Ulysses to be enc ased in an eternal flame with others notable figures of malicious intent and fraud. Dante perceives selflessness and altruism as righteous characteristics, so Ulysses’ selfish actions and intentions earn him a place in Hell. Not only is Ulysses is an evil counselor that commits several acts of fraud and trickery, but he is also a very selfish man. Ulysses sacrifices his entire family for a chance to attain glory and fame, shown by him saying to Dante inShow MoreRelatedDantes Inferno Ulysses777 Words   |  4 PagesUlysses in Dante’s The Inferno Dante places many figures of Greek mythology, Roman antiquity, and some political enemies in Hell. For some of these people his reasoning suits their punishment, for others it doesn’t, and for some we don’t know enough about them to verify their placement. Ulysses is placed in the eighth circle of Hell and in the eighth bolgia with the evil counselors for his acts in the Trojan War. Dante’s reasoning behind his placement was unjust and Ulysses does not deserve theRead MoreDifferences and Similarities in The Odyssey and Inferno When going through the stories The Odyssey600 Words   |  3 Pageshow diverse, yet similar the two stories are. When reading The Odyssey, you find Ulysses trying to get home to his love, Penelope. He has been gone for twenty years, and through those years, he has struggled with good and evil, just like Dante in Inferno. Ulysses finds himself time after time fighting off gods and their children. Dante, struggling with good and evil, works his way through the nine levels of hell. He is struggling to find where his faithfulness lies. He also is trying to findRead MoreThe Power Of Everyman s Journey Through Hell1249 Words   |  5 PagesThe Power of Everyman’s Journey Through Hell In religious contexts, sin is the act of violating God s will. Sin can also be viewed as â€Å"anything that violates the ideal relationship between an individual and God, leading to a period of estrangement between the two†. This is not necessarily a permanent separation, but if one dies without correcting such problem, then the separation does become permanent. In order to atone for one’s transgressions, salvation –deliverance by redemption from the powerRead MoreThe Divine Comedy And Dantes Inferno1079 Words   |  5 Pagesdeep into the circles of hell and throughout the journey, they encounter many Greek heroes that Dante had disdain for. There are a total of nine circles of hell and the deeper they journeyed, the worse the punishment the people staying in hell received. When Dante and Virgil reach the eighth ring that is reserved for frauds, false prophets, and thieves; they find Ulysses and Diomedes. The fact that they have to travel to nearly the last ri ng of hell in order to find Ulysses gives a clear picture ofRead MoreEssay on Ulysses Alighieri1215 Words   |  5 PagesUlysses Alighieri In Dante’s â€Å"Inferno†, among many other sins, in Canto XXVI the â€Å"counselors of fraud† are being punished. These people are being constantly consumed by flames, and more importantly, as Dante points out, are forced to speak through the â€Å"tongues† or fire, which pains them greatly. This follows Dante’s idea of punishment that is the same as the sin -- just as they spoke falsely at ease, they should have great difficulty speaking now. The most prominent man in this bowge is a legendaryRead MoreFacing The Past : Dantes Encounter With Ulysses995 Words   |  4 PagesKyle Elliott ITAL411 12/6/2014 Facing the past: Dante’s encounter with Ulysses Throughout the Inferno, Dante has often presented characters in a way that reflects his own personality: there is the overly amorous and suicidal Dido for whom he shows sympathy and gives a lesser punishment, while there is the tragically suicidal Pier delle Vigne for whom he gives a much harsher punishment. This difference in placement should reflect a strict moral code that agrees with a pre-established divine orderRead MoreThe Irony Of The Sinner1656 Words   |  7 Pages While traveling through Hell, Dante the pilgrim encountered numerous sinners on each level, all prepared to tell their tales of misfortune and transgression. However, though some ask Dante to remember them or tell their stories on Earth, most of them speak for their own gain, not simply to educate Dante on the penalties of their sins. Each sinner appears to wallow in the past, isolating themselves in their sin and occasionally ignoring Dante as a person entirely. Even when these sinners find themselvesRead MoreDante s Inferno, By Dante The Pilgrim1345 Words   |  6 Pagesof Hell told by Dante the Poet. The story examines what a righteous life is by showing us examples of sinful lives. Dante is accompanied by his guide Virgil, who takes him on a journey to examine sin and the effects it has in has in the afterlife to different sinners. Through the stories of Francesca and Paolo, Brunetto Latini, Ulysses and Guido da Montefeltro, we are able to understand that people are self-interes ted in the way they act and present themselves to others and that those in Hell areRead MoreEssay on Dantes Inferno669 Words   |  3 Pagescommitted. Like Dante, one feels great pity for many of the sinners that exist in all of the levels of Hell. Many of their retributions seem much too severe for some of the sins that just don’t seem that dire. Francesca and Paolo di Rimini have no control over the love that develops between the two of them, but are forced to spend eternity in the Second Circle of Hell. The sinners in this area of Hell, the lustful, experience an eternity of torrential rain fall and extremely powerful winds, whichRead MoreThe Odyssey, By Homer, And The Inferno1005 Words   |  5 Pages Ulysses in Hell The two epics The Odyssey, by Homer, and The Inferno, by Dante, both works have two different perspectives of the character Ulysses. The Odyssey is told from the ancient Greek perspective around 700BC, and The Inferno is told from a Christian point of view in 1300AD. Both epics are written nearly 2000 years apart from each other. What set apart the ideals of both epics are the Pagan warrior perspective in Homer’s epic and the Christian Europe perspective in Dante’s epic. The controversial

Monday, December 23, 2019

My Experience With Drugs And Alcohol - 1553 Words

First of all I would like to thank Professor Lamb for creating a safe environment to speak openly about our own experiences about drugs and alcohol. Once upon consulting my field instructor earlier this semester, she had posed the question†¦ â€Å"Are you just sitting in it?† The â€Å"it† referring to my anxieties since my father is an addict. As I reflect on this semester, I believe there were a few times that I was â€Å"just sitting in it,† but as I heard some colleagues open-up it instilled a sense of courage and relief that I was not alone. I appreciate that you, Professor Lamb, created a safe and non-judgmental space to share our thoughts, feelings, comments, questions, etc. Thank you for giving us assignments that were not just â€Å"busy work† and that challenged us to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. I know that you had advised the class to not choose a family member for this final assignment but I took the challenge (risk) and t he results were beneficial. Remember how on the first day of class you had students introduce themselves and wanted to know what they wanted to get out of this course. I remember myself saying†¦ â€Å"Hello, my name is Mary Marrone. I am a first year full-time AHA student. I would like to learn about the stigma placed on drugs and alcohol because my father is an addict (correction: recovering addict?) and my family just never talks about it†¦ it just gets swept under the rug.† I felt that this assignment gave me the courage and platform to startShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Video Iraq War Veteran Wages : A Private War Against PTSD727 Words   |  3 PagesWar Veteran Wages a Private War against PTSD and Alcoholism to be very relatable. I believe I have mentioned before that my brother in law served in the Marines and suffers from PTSD along with several psychical injuries he sustained in Iraq. I sympathized with Tom and his wife because much of what they hav e endured is similar to what my brother in law and sister has endured. My brother in law’s war still continued even after he was discharged from the marines; he was copying with the loss of hisRead MoreAlcohol, Smoking and Drugs1160 Words   |  5 PagesAlcohol, Smoking and Drugs Before anyone ever takes a hit, or a drink, or a smoke, there is a decision made in the mind - a healthy decision or an unhealthy one. Sometimes as ourselves making a healthy choice is hard because we are tired, stressed, angry, pressured, or influenced by another person - e.g why we end up eating chocolate instead of fruit as eating things like chocolate stimulates our minds. As nicotine is legal to take at the age of 16 by law it has become a well known behaviour forRead MoreWhat I Have Thought About Addiction823 Words   |  4 PagesKnowledge of Addiction My present knowledge of addiction comes from lectures, watching documentary of all kind as personally have not developed such negative â€Å"habit† besides drinking coffee regularly, however, I have more knowledge about alcohol consumption. Partially due to of my cultural background and costume, we/I viewed moderate alcohol assumption as a norm behavior. For instance, in most occasions’ alcohol use was part of celebration. Although I know some exceptions do exist that attributesRead MoreA Reflection On Substance Abuse Essay1113 Words   |  5 PagesMy reflection paper is on the subject of substance abuse. As the structure of society changes, the acceptability of one drug or another changes. I have dealt with my own experiences of substance abuse personally and through family and friends throughout my community. I believe there are many underlying problems Native people face today that lead to substance abuse. So, drug use and alcoholism is not the problem in my tow n, those are more like side effects of something deeper. I would have toRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcohol And Tobacco On The Age Of Addiction981 Words   |  4 Pageslifestyles and over work, obsession with sports or video games, alcohol abuse, or drug abuse. A person can end up with a drug addiction or alcohol addiction at any age. Younger people face different social pressures surrounding drugs and alcohol. Substance abuse is often related to negative experiences at some point during life. Researchers have found that abuse at any age can influence an individual s choice to turn to drugs or alcohol. Middle age and elderly deal with life changes such as divorceRead MoreMy Sexual Orientation Is Drugs949 Words   |  4 PagesMy Sexual Orientation is Drugs Kevin Barranco-Perez Composition 1 Deborah Crowe Baker College of Port Huron October 13th, 2014 My Sexual Orientation is Drugs Being an adolescent is a pivotal and experimental phase for most people. During these years, people are prone to innumerable forms of stressors in their lives. It is not uncommon for this group to face victimization by parents, peers, and so-called friends during their daily lives. Dealing with common stressors may influence teenagersRead MoreDrug Abuse And Alcohol Abuse749 Words   |  3 PagesIn my selection for an agency that I would consider to work in, it was narrowed down to working for the State of New Hampshire in particular the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services. This is an agency within an agency. The main reason I chose this area is due to two factors: the first one is that drug and alcohol is such a sever addiction that it is almost impossible for the individual to get out of it on their own. The second factor is first-hand experience. I myself have been down the same roadRead MoreAlcohol And Cannabis : The Second And Third Most Consumed Drugs Behind Tobacco For New Z ealanders Essay1388 Words   |  6 PagesAlcohol and cannabis are the second and third most consumed drugs behind tobacco for New Zealanders (â€Å"National drug policy†, 2007). Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) exhibits the highest rate of cannabis use in the world, with 9.1-14.6% of the population aged 16-64 using cannabis. In conjunction, more than one third (males 38.5%, females 37.9%) of New Zealand youths aged 13-17 have smoked marijuana at least once, with 7.9% of males and 5.7% of females indicating weekly use (Watson, Clark, SporleRead More Alcohol and Alcoholism Essay682 Words   |  3 PagesAlcohol and Alcoholism Alcohol is a drug, but unlike the other drugs, marijuana, cocaine, heroine, and probably all the others for some reason this is socially accepted and is legal. Alcohol is bad for you and does have long term affects associated with it. Such as the long addiction to it, effects on the body, and the social interaction effects. Alcohol, and alcoholism is common in America, but drinking is more common around kids. Social drinking a term kids and drinkers haveRead MoreWhy Kids Turn to Drugs1524 Words   |  7 PagesWhy Kids Turn to Drugs There is no simple answer to why a young person might begin using alcohol or other drugs. Many times, it is a combination of several factors, including society, family and peers. They may turn to drugs to escape stress or loneliness or to overcome shyness in social situations. They may want to be seen as grown up or as a risk taker. Or, they may simply be curious. Teens often want to be like their role models as well. So, if their favorite music group, older sibling, parents

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Behavioral therapy Free Essays

Behavioral therapy is also known as behavioral modification. It is a psychological method based on the principle that one can change the badly adjusted, maladaptive, observable, specific and self destructive behavior, through learning new and more suitable behaviors (Skinner, p 194). The origin of this theory can be traced back to the school of behaviorism which indicates that one can scientifically study psychological matters through observation of overt behavior without necessarily involving interior psychological states. We will write a custom essay sample on Behavioral therapy or any similar topic only for you Order Now Skinners theory of behaviorism accepted and supported that internal state could be part of a certain kind of behavior without necessarily being the main cause; however, he declared that through environmental manipulation, one could improve on them. The behavioral theorists include Hans Eysenck, Joseph Wolpe, Harry Solomon, Ogden Lindsley and B. F Skinner and they all had different ways of looking at behavioral problems. Eysenck’s perspective saw behavioral problem as connection between one’s behavior, the environment and personality characteristics. For the sake of this study, I will focus on B. F skinner’s behavioral theory (Skinner, p 198). Origin of behavioral therapy Edward Thorndike did experiments to discover the ability of dogs and cats to solve problems. He constructed wooden crates and he would cage the animals each in their own crate. The animals would escape from the crates. Though initially he just wanted to show that dogs and cats’ achievement could be controlled, he realized that he could measure the intelligence of these animals using his tools (Lindsley, p 34). He would set the animals for the same kind of task and observe how long it took to complete the given task. He learnt that there was no difference in performance between the animals that started an assignment and the ones that first observed the others performing (Skinner, p 89). He also learnt that when an animal did something that made it to successfully get out of the box; the animal was likely to repeat that action when faced by the same kind of problem. He concluded that reward reinforces the relationship between stimulus and action. He later formalized it to be called the law of effect (Skinner, p 199). Classical conditioning theory then came to explain that there is an association between reflex and the neutral stimulus. Watson used rats in his experiments to improve on the law of effect and apply it in behaviorism. He made a maze which the rats were supposed to follow. Once they had mastered the routes, he started putting blocks at different points of the maze (Skinner, p 94). If a route was blocked, the rats would then follow another route indicating that they had memory. Once the second route was blocked they would follow the other available route. He observed that when the reward for an action done was less, then the rats performed the task more slowly (Lindsley, p76). B. F Skinner came to improve on Thorndike and Watson’s work by studying objectively behavior sequences over a prolonged period of time. He came up with the concept of operant conditioning which related the operant response and the reinforcement. This theory is based on the proposal that learning could help in change of overt behavior. People change their behavior as a result response to the occurrences in their surroundings. A given response leads to a certain outcome. When one reinforces a certain pattern of Stimulus-Response, a person’s response becomes conditioned (Skinner, p 97). The key element in this theory is reinforcement; this is anything that supports the response that is desired. Reinforcement could be positive or negative. Positive reinforcement makes one be encouraged to do more of the action that led to positive results. It includes attaining satisfaction after doing something, being recognized, being praised for work well done among others. Negative reinforcement on the other hand involves the actions that make one increase the frequency of responses once a certain stimulus is withdrawn. Aversive stimulus results to the reduction of responses (Skinner, p 200). When considering this theory, schedules of reinforcement are considered to be very important. Principles under this theory are that positively reinforced behavior is very likely to reoccur. Shaping is also a principle that states that in order to reinforce behavior, information should be provided in small amounts. Stimulus generalization principles talks of reinforcement being generalized across stimuli that are similar to the original one (Lindsley, p 56). Behavior modification using B. F Skinner’s theory Behavior modification refers to a straight forward therapy technique that bases its arguments on skinner’s theory. It indicates that one can extinguish the unwanted behavior through the removal of the reiforcer and at the same time, behavior that is desired can be obtained and maintained via reinforcement. This argument has been used in solving many psychological problems. It is the preferred method when dealing with children. Other disorders which can be corrected using this therapy are anxiety disorders, phobias, eating disorders, anger management, aggressive behavior and substance use. All these are eliminated through changing the activities and behavior that may have contributed to such disorders (Skinner, p 96). Token economy is a derivative of behavior modification and it is used in institutions like prisons, juveniles, and psychiatric hospitals. This involves giving tokens to these people whenever they behave in a certain required way. When they revert to poor habits, the tokens are withdrawn. This is one way of behavior modifications that these institutions have used in order to keep order within the institutions. At times, Behavioral therapy methods are brought together with additional psychological involvements like medication (Skinner, p 197). This technique uses the following approaches when using behavioral therapy to change a negative behavior to a positive one; systematic desensitization, flooding, behavior modification, prevention of exposure and response, operant conditioning, observational learning, contingency management, matching law, habit reversal training and covert conditioning (Lindsley, p72). Best fit patients for behavior therapy Behavioral therapy can be used as a tool to treat various problems like mental illnesses and their symptoms especially those that have maladaptive behavior. These conditions include phobias, eating disorders, anger management, aggressive behavior and substance use. Organic disorders like insomnia and incontinence could also be handled using the behavioral techniques (Skinner, p 205). This technique works very well in the treatment process of obesity. This process starts with the analysis of the activity and eating patterns in addition to other habits like dieting methods. After all this information is collected, the therapist uses it to come up with positive methods that can be used to promote weight loss, a positive self image and get healthier eating practices. The therapist does an analysis to the behavioral cause of stress in a patient. An appropriate method of treatment is then established. Cognitive therapy This therapy focuses in altering the bad behavior through changing the patterns of thinking behind them. It involves the emotions and the thoughts of the individual and the way they can be changed so that this person starts behaving more appropriately. This therapy can be used to correct many disorders like schizophrenia, autism, shyness, neurosis, stress disorders, attention deficit disorders, social phobias, mental disorders and addictions (McCullough, Para 24). It involves helping patients to triumph over difficult situations and modifying dysfunctional emotional, behavior and thinking responses. Treatment is all about bringing together the beliefs of the client and those of the therapist and testing them. It may also include testing the kind of assumptions an individual makes in life and also identifying the extent of distortion of thoughts that renders them unhelpful and unrealistic (Kohlenberg, p 234). Once the therapist challenges the way an individual thinks about something, that person is likely to change the way of thinking. Initially, this therapy was used to treat people suffering from depression. Beck came up with a list which contained ‘errors’ in thinking. He suggested that the errors maintained depression. They included selective abstraction, minimizing positives and magnifying negatives, over generalization and arbitrary inference (Kohlenberg, p 234). Historical development of cognitive therapy The theory of cognitive therapy came to be more than 50 years ago and it suggested that thoughts act as a go-between to stimuli like emotions and external events. A stimulus brings out a thought which can be a weighed up judgement of a kind and this further leads to a certain emotion. People’s evaluation of thought about a certain stimulus is what results to an emotional response and not necessarily the stimulus itself. Beck also came up with the etiological theory of depression under cognitive therapy. The theory indicated that people think negatively because their thinking is inclined to negative interpretations. People suffering from depression acquire negative schemas which are important ways through which information about the future; the world and the self are processed. These schemas are adopted early in life maybe during childhood or puberty as a result of going through stressful events in life. When such people come across situations that are similar to the ones in which the negative schemata was established, it becomes activated in the current situation (Kohlenberg, p 235). Beck also explained about the negative cognitive triad which constitutes negative biases and negative schemata. He proposed that people who are depressed are very likely to make unconstructive evaluations of their future, world and selves. Depressed people are impossibility thinkers according to Beck. The cognitive triad indicates that a negative schema results to cognitive bias which fuels negative schema (Kohlenberg, p 237). Researchers suggested that depression could occur as a result of responding to perceived or imaginary loss. It could also be caused by self critical characteristics of the ego. Many psychologists wrote about cognitive features of depression trying to identify the cognitive components that caused depression. They also tried to develop many cognitive intercessions that could be used to treat depression. Since then, there have been many successful cases of patients suffering from depression getting well through cognitive therapy. His theory was opposed by behaviorists who claimed that mental causes of problem was unmeaningful and non scientific. With time, it was merged with the behavioral therapy so as to deal with the problems that it could not have dealt with on its own (Kohlenberg, p 240). Strategies under cognitive therapy Cognitive therapy uses two strategies i. e. emotional focused and problem focused strategies. The problem focused strategy aim at directing the client in the process of identifying the problem. The therapist then helps the client to identify the responses that are utilized in the process of reducing distress in a situation. They are also evaluated to check how effective they are. The therapist and the client then develop and examine alternative responses to see how beneficial they can be to a client. When faced with a stressful situation, the client feels empowered to make mindful alternatives and chose among them the best way in which to respond. This gives the patient a kind of control over situations as they try different methods of getting out of distressful situations (McCullough, Para 32). Emotional focused strategies also aim to get the same outcomes as the other strategy. This perspective aims to alter the perception of the client on the distressing event. It therefore helps in changing the level of perceived suffering. The client is helped to redefine the problem which aids in the transformation of a disaster into a challenge or even an opportunity. The process of restructuring the event can be achieved through various ways like selective attention, distancing, minimization, and looking for constructive value from any given bad situation. When all these happen, the patients get the feeling that he is in control of the situation and this contributes to reduce the levels of stress (Kohlenberg, p 245). Best fit patients for cognitive therapy Since this technique was discovered, the most common condition that it has treated is depression. Patients who have depression are allowed to undergo self evaluation to check whether they act, say and do things the way they are supposed to do and how the patient views all these. Skills deficits are also established so that the therapist can know the source of the problem. Life experiences in terms of how satisfied the patient has been by the kind of life that he has lived (McCullough, p 24). The expectations of the patient are also evaluated in order to know how realistic they are. The therapist checks on the kind of self talk that the patient usually has. If it is negative, then it could be a source of depression since the patient seems not to believe in his capabilities and this could lead to negative repercussions like being fired (Kohlenberg, p 254). The process goes on to evaluate the kind of automatic thought that the patient has. In most cases, there is consistency in that a person who usually has positive automatic thought is likely to have them, in most situations and the same case applies to negative automatic thoughts. Irrationality or rationality of ideas is evaluated because irrational ideas could cause depression. Depressed patients tend to generalize in most cases. The therapist works to find out the extent of generalization in his depressed patients. Cognitive distortion is also checked so that the therapist can be in a position to tell the extent of depression. Optimism versus pessimism is evaluated given different situations. All these are ways through which therapists can know the causes of depression and get ways of tackling it (McCullough, p 25). Comparison and contrast between behavioral and cognitive therapy Behavioral therapy focuses on how one can change from bad behavior through strategies like reinforcement. On the other hand, cognitive therapy focuses on how there can be a change of behavior due to a change in how a person thinks about a certain situation. While cognitive therapies deal with emotions and thoughts that direct a person towards behaving in a particular way, behavioral therapy on the pother hand focuses on how to change and eliminate the bad behavior (Kohlenberg, p 263). While behavioral therapy deals with observation of behavior, cognitive therapy deals with the cognitive elements. How to cite Behavioral therapy, Papers Behavioral therapy Free Essays Behavioral therapy is also known as behavioral modification. It is a psychological method based on the principle that one can change the badly adjusted, maladaptive, observable, specific and self destructive behavior, through learning new and more suitable behaviors (Skinner, p 194). The origin of this theory can be traced back to the school of behaviorism which indicates that one can scientifically study psychological matters through observation of overt behavior without necessarily involving interior psychological states. We will write a custom essay sample on Behavioral therapy or any similar topic only for you Order Now Skinners theory of behaviorism accepted and supported that internal state could be part of a certain kind of behavior without necessarily being the main cause; however, he declared that through environmental manipulation, one could improve on them. The behavioral theorists include Hans Eysenck, Joseph Wolpe, Harry Solomon, Ogden Lindsley and B. F Skinner and they all had different ways of looking at behavioral problems. Eysenck’s perspective saw behavioral problem as connection between one’s behavior, the environment and personality characteristics. For the sake of this study, I will focus on B. F skinner’s behavioral theory (Skinner, p 198). Origin of behavioral therapy Edward Thorndike did experiments to discover the ability of dogs and cats to solve problems. He constructed wooden crates and he would cage the animals each in their own crate. The animals would escape from the crates. Though initially he just wanted to show that dogs and cats’ achievement could be controlled, he realized that he could measure the intelligence of these animals using his tools (Lindsley, p 34). He would set the animals for the same kind of task and observe how long it took to complete the given task. He learnt that there was no difference in performance between the animals that started an assignment and the ones that first observed the others performing (Skinner, p 89). He also learnt that when an animal did something that made it to successfully get out of the box; the animal was likely to repeat that action when faced by the same kind of problem. He concluded that reward reinforces the relationship between stimulus and action. He later formalized it to be called the law of effect (Skinner, p 199). Classical conditioning theory then came to explain that there is an association between reflex and the neutral stimulus. Watson used rats in his experiments to improve on the law of effect and apply it in behaviorism. He made a maze which the rats were supposed to follow. Once they had mastered the routes, he started putting blocks at different points of the maze (Skinner, p 94). If a route was blocked, the rats would then follow another route indicating that they had memory. Once the second route was blocked they would follow the other available route. He observed that when the reward for an action done was less, then the rats performed the task more slowly (Lindsley, p76). B. F Skinner came to improve on Thorndike and Watson’s work by studying objectively behavior sequences over a prolonged period of time. He came up with the concept of operant conditioning which related the operant response and the reinforcement. This theory is based on the proposal that learning could help in change of overt behavior. People change their behavior as a result response to the occurrences in their surroundings. A given response leads to a certain outcome. When one reinforces a certain pattern of Stimulus-Response, a person’s response becomes conditioned (Skinner, p 97). The key element in this theory is reinforcement; this is anything that supports the response that is desired. Reinforcement could be positive or negative. Positive reinforcement makes one be encouraged to do more of the action that led to positive results. It includes attaining satisfaction after doing something, being recognized, being praised for work well done among others. Negative reinforcement on the other hand involves the actions that make one increase the frequency of responses once a certain stimulus is withdrawn. Aversive stimulus results to the reduction of responses (Skinner, p 200). How to cite Behavioral therapy, Papers Behavioral Therapy Free Essays This is a report about Paula a client who was referred to therapy by the general practitioner of the hospital. Following a thorough physical checkup performed on Paula the GP feels that Paula’s heart is sound enough and her condition is psychological. (Getzfeld, 2004). We will write a custom essay sample on Behavioral Therapy or any similar topic only for you Order Now Paula’s case is not an isolated case of psychological dysfunction and in fact a sizeable number of people suffer these attacks in silence. (Beck, Rush, Shaw, Emery, 1979). This is perhaps due to the feelings of embarrassment and stupidity that they feel they might be accused of. Additionally, panic attacks are not well known to many and hence the stigma. Nonetheless, panic attacks are not insignificant and can have a crippling effect in someone’s life. They are a symptom of underlying stressing and traumatic events in the patient’s life. (Feather Ronan, 2006). This report gives a diagnosis of Paula’s case. It gives a comprehensive analysis of what is the onset of Paula’s condition, the triggers and the effects of her attack. At the end of the report it will give the findings and recommendations on the way forward for Paula in getting treatment for her condition. Diagnosis Paula has been experiencing an array of symptoms that occur frequently at the workplace and outside home. These symptoms include dizzy spells, shortness of breath, dizziness and lightheadedness as well as chest pains and fast heartbeats. Paula feels that there is cause for alarm because these symptoms may be an indication of a heart attack. For this reason she has sought medical help from her general practitioners, and she has even visited a cardiologist for a sonogram and echocardiogram. Both these tests showed no defects or indication of heart attack. Nothing is wrong with Paula’s heart and apparently the symptoms may be a psychological related. The doctors at the company clinic where Paula works suggested that she try to relax more and steer away from caffeine, nonetheless the attacks still persevere despite Paula’s attempts to relax. She sought a second opinion from another physician who also gave similar diagnosis i. e. her attacks are a psychological problem hence she needs to sign up for therapy. With that Paula came to the clinic. Brief history of Paula In order to clearly diagnose Paula’s condition information from her life experiences both in the present and from the past had to be sought. Paula is 27 years old, single and lives at home with her parents. She has a good job at a securities and bond trading company which she has worked for loyally since she graduated from university with a BA in economics seemingly her life was be smooth and no developmental milestones have been experienced on her part. Prior to her recently persistent attacks she was ready to enroll for MBA. Her father died soon after she graduated from University after a brave fight with cancer, emphysema and the killer heart attack. Her mother has some health problems although nothing too serious. Her grandparents died of cancer; her grandma of breast cancer and her grandpa of colon cancer, she feels that cancer runs in the family and is afraid of it too. This is the reason why she stopped smoking and does not drink alcohol. She says matter of factly â€Å"I have enough bad seeds in me†. Paula is the only child not by plan but out of natural misfortune. She had a little brother who died at the age of three out of heart defects that developed with age. He also had other birth defects that Paula was unwilling to disclose. This memory made her teary. Obviously, the death of the little boy had deep-seated effects in all the family members. (Feather Ronan, 2006). According to Paula, her parents did not try to get pregnant again and the option of adoption was too devastating to consider. Paula’s mother and friend at work feel greatly concerned over her condition and Paula feels that as well. Paula feels that it is time she had greater control over her problem. The medication she has been taking i. e. Xanax and Contac zonk her out and she refers to herself as a ‘walking dead’ when she is on this medications. The persistent attacks seem to be triggered by anything major to Paula and given the nature of her job she reports frequent dizzy spells, faints and attacks at work. She remembers a case whereby a client fell through and all the blame was pinned on her. At the same time a coworker at the workplace had shown particular interest on Paula as a woman. All these major events occurring concurrently in her somewhat laid back lifestyle triggered an attack. In the moment of it all, the other workers got wind of her weak point and she is afraid that they might think of her as ‘chicken’ or incompetent of handling such a demanding job. Frequency of attacks Paula’s attacks have been with her for a long while. She points out that ever since she entered university she started experiencing them. The stress levels were high what with the huge load of work, pressure from men in campus and the need to fit in since the university was small and everyone knew everyone else. In her high school it was easy to be an invisible wall paper and stay unnoticed when necessary. Unfortunately in university this was not the case and she lacked the necessary support systems or good outlets to channel the stress she was feeling. She also recalls her father’s death which affected her greatly. It was overwhelming for her although she had suspected it would happen soon. This reminded her of her brother’s death. For this reason Paula feels ‘life is very unfair’. The death of loved ones caused her to withdraw from life completely. At school she would get sweaty and the dizzy spells prior to presentation and even before she lost her virginity she had a panic attack. Paula’s case now involves her mothers, her co-workers the doctors and now psychiatrist. Before, it was her personal problem and she felt she could deal with it. Now her life is significantly affected and people around her are worried. Doctors feel that it is time she saw a therapist to uncover the real cause of the problem. Her mother feels strongly about the same as also the people at work. Assessment and investigation plan It seems that Paula is suffering from severe depression which manifests itself in panic attacks. (Alpert Fava, 2004) She has not developed the expression skills and seems to bottle up feelings of anxiety, frustration, hurt and stress. She has managed to deactivate her social life and is highly dependant on her mother for comfort although she does not disclose her inner feelings to her mother as well. Notably, at 27 and with a good job she is still unattached to anyone and does not go out with friends. Throughout the sessions she makes no mention of significant persons other than her mother. Even at university she frequently went home to be babied. Her family background is a troubled one with a history of heart diseases and cancers. Her loved ones seem to be consumed by these diseases and she feels afraid of being the next. Panic attacks manifest either as ‘a way of getting through tough situations’ as she puts it or as a reaction to overpowering feelings of loss, excitement or expectations. After reviewing Paula’s case in detail it is recommended she have behavioral therapy as a start treatment program since it is the best therapy linked to activating the client from depression, a condition that is the underlying cause of Paula’s panic attacks. BATD (Behavioral Activation treatment for Depression) overview, foundation and Assumptions. This treatment option bases its foundations from cognitive therapy. It basically involves activating the client from depression by encouraging them to make connection between powerful experiences both in the present and in the past with the symptoms that they may be having. In Paula’s case it is panic attacks. The basic assumption of this therapy is that depression and subsequent symptoms of depression arise from life expenses of the patient and not the genetic predisposition. (Cooper, Smith Upton, 1994). Vulnerability is severed by traumatic life events. This therapy encompasses assessment and treatment of cognitive, emotional and behavioral aspects of the clients. This means that its efforts are channeled toward sharpening social skills of the client through training and reinforcements, imparting relaxation techniques as well as therapy to help relax the client, increasing pleasurable activities in the clients life say situations with more laughter and easiness, training clients on assertness and emotional expressions and restructurings the clients patterns of thoughts and cognitive perceptions. (Gortner Jacobson, 2000, Martell, Addis Jacobson, 2001) These areas are greatly emphasized because they alter the client’s beliefs of the world around them and eventually how they choose to resolve their inner problems or conflicts which are evident in behaviour. According to Beck, Rush, Shaw and Emery (1979 p. 118) mentioned in Jacobson, Mortell and Dimidjian 2007, p. 257 ‘the aim of this therapy to bring about change in the clients negative outlook in life’. The beliefs and expectations of a person indecent in his cognitive make up ultimately affect behaviour. The behavioral activation therapy recognizes that some depressions and subsequently panic attack may be or a result of genetic predisposition, it greatly emphases environmental factors as a great a preventative measure for depression maintenance. Course of treatment Paula’s treatment will commence with the establishment of therapeutic rapport with the therapist while they discuss the objectives and goals for the therapy and the sessions. This will be achieved by encouraging Paula to ask questions and be as comfortable as possible during the sessions. Paula and the therapist will explore the implications that her depression has had on Paula’s life for instance she lacks a social life, she cannot do her daily tasks any more, she will lose her job and so on. Under this treatment the therapist will be performing some functional analysis on Paula to gauge how well Paula is responding to treatment. For example, she should be able to start driving her car to work and performing her duties at work. The use of home works will be helpful to both Paula and the therapist in finding areas that the therapy should concentrate on. The therapy sessions will also explore the strategies that Paula should use to avoid a relapse. Paula intervention plan The first step in her treatment plan is to get her to talk more about her unpleasant life experiences. So far she has registered commendable progress into talking about her father and her young brother. When she first came in she was fidgety and kept checking her pulse over her neck. She had a panic stricken look but now she has relaxed a little. It is impossible to accurately state the duration that Paula might take to show full recovery since depression can be hard to overcome with the lack of proper support systems and the troubling environment at her workplace. Nonetheless, Paula sounds really determined to get over this problem and regain full control of her life. A two hour session with the psychiatrist thrice a week for a month and once a week for the following two months is recommended. This will be flexible enough for Paula to manage work and treatment. The significant people in Paula life i. e. family and coworkers need to give Paula all the support she needs to overcome this milestone. This is because her depression is not just an inner problem but the environment also triggers her attacks. The boss could encourage Paula to take some early days off and maybe some days be allowed to work from home until she is ready to work full time. The mother needs to continue being there for her daughter but on the other hand encourage her to be more independent. This will ensure that she is strong enough to handle life situations on her own and avoid a relapse in case she dies. The coworkers may be a bit more supportive when she experiences panic attacks and let her know it is nothing to be ashamed of. Again, Paula should expand her social networks and support system and this will a particular area where she will be trained during therapy sessions. Paula seems to over think her situations and the events in her life. A case in point is where she is quick to say that her coworkers will recommend she be transferred to the mail room because of the panic attacks. She feels that she should ‘never’ have an attack at the office again. She says ‘everyone will laugh and say look at the retard at it again. ’ She also seems to have planned out her suicide and thought of the consequences i. e. she would go to hell, it would be painless if she overdosed on Aspirin, she would play some sad music, the suicide letter and other details fully planned. This seems to be Paula’s pattern of thinking and it is detrimental. In therapy, I will be interested in activating Paula’s spontaneity and her ability to accept her vulnerabilities and limitations towards having a fuller life. Measuring progress In order to gauge progress on Paula’s treatment the therapist should be able to find improvements in Paula’s frequency of panic attacks. Ideally, they should reduce in the first month of treatment significantly. Additionally, her patterns of avoidance will be evaluated to see how well she is able to confront her fears. (Carr, 2001). For example, she avoids getting close to any man who might show interest in her hence stays away from social scenes like movies theatres and social gatherings. She also marks all the exit points to a place just incase she suffers another panic attack. Driving is also a problem to her and she has to be driven by her mother. She also avoids going out doors and stays in mostly where treatment will be effective, Paula should be able to take on her daily activities and develop healthy relationships with new people. The therapist will also make use of homework whereby Paula can try to engage in a task she feels prohibitive or unable to handle and see how well or not she manages the situation. This homework will allow her to self monitor her own progress and in therapy session discuss the feelings of accomplishment and pleasure derived from engaging in that activity. Results of the actions So far Paula has impressively shed light on her life. She has made the first big step towards treatment and that is the resolution to seek professional help. The diagnosis is that Paula is suffering from panic disorder which overlaps severe depression. She has had traumatic life experiences and suppressed them sufficiently. However she has reached a point where the emotions and negative psychological beliefs can no longer be bottled up hence the frequent panic attacks. The panic attacks have greatly eroded her self-esteem to a point that she planned a suicide although did not execute it. After evaluating her case I recommend psychiatric assessment just to ascertain this diagnosis so that the next level of therapy i. e. relaxation therapy and psychoanalysis can commerce. Although Paula is not actively keen on attempting another suicide, the risk is inherent and she needs close monitoring by her family and friends before and during therapy until she is strong enough to stand on her own. Paula should enroll in an activity that will enable her to think outside herself and her problems as well as boost her self-esteem. Yoga and social gatherings will particularly do her a lot of good. (Gortner Jacobson, 2000). Lastly but importantly, Paula’s GP and cardiologist input would also be necessary in affirming this diagnosis so that Paula is well convinced that her panic attacks are purely psychological and not heart attack related. This will encourage her to continue the treatment. Conclusion Panic attacks are surmountable behavior activation therapy is a good way of assisting clients who suffer these attacks. The collaborative relationship between the client and the therapist should be useful in uncovering the depression in clients who suffer depression. The patterns of avoidance that Paula has developed such as avoiding relationships and friendships with others, avoiding social places staying away from work among others are crippling to Paula’s life and need to be confronted. Paula has to find a way of dealing with her problems in healthy ways. How to cite Behavioral Therapy, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Human Resource Management The Domestic Issues

Question: Describe about the Human Resource Management for The Domestic Issues. Answer: 1: Introduction: The human resource management has various issues in the international business that are different from the domestic issues. This is due to the fact that international business is more complicated than the domestic business. So it becomes important to decide the more suitable staffing policy approach in the international business. There are basically three types of staffing policies in the international HRM; the ethnocentric approach, the polycentric approach and the geocentric approach. Ethnocentric approach: Under the ethnocentric approach the home country nationals are kept at the top ranking employees while operating globally. For example in the American company that is located in Indonesia the executive positions there would be given to the Americans. Here the HR practices remain same and the same procedures that the parent company follows are followed in the host country. Polycentric Approach: Under this approach the top positions are assigned to the workers of the home country in the headquarters or the central offices and the local workers are assigned various other positions. This policy provides different opportunities to the local people for improving their careers through promotion and other techniques. Geocentric Approach: Under this approach the position is assigned to a person who is best suited for that position no matter what the background , culture or country origin is there of the employee. It helps in increasing the cultural knowledge of the firm about the various countries and the markets(Whitehead 2015). There are various advantages and disadvantages of all the above mentioned approaches which have been discussed in detail below: Staffing Method Advantages Disadvantages Ethnocentric Approach There might be well trained and well qualified employees of the parent company that might prove a great choice for the job overseas. It helps in transferring the culture of headquarters to foreign operations. It is promotion and career advancement opportunity for the parent company nationals. There are less chances of the host country nationals promotion. The personal planning procedures under this approach are very complicated. It may be possible that the nationals of the parent company take more time to adjust according to the culture of the host country. Polycentric Approach The language barriers and the adjustment problems are eliminated with this approach This approach is supported by the government of the host country. There is a lot of improvement in the morale and self esteem of the local people as they have more career prospects(Mindtools 2015). The career prospects get limited outside the divisions. There might be a problem in todays competitive world due to the shortage of experience of the local people. It becomes difficult to coordinate the activities between the subsidiaries and the headquarters. Geocentric Approach There is effective utilization of the human resources. The tendency of the national identification of the managers gets reduced. There is a great deal of sharing of the resources all over the company. The informal and cultural management gets stronger. There needs to be more training provided to the employees which increases the costs and is very expensive. There is too much of documentation involved in this approach. There is a great need of the personnel that is highly sophisticated that helps in matching the processes all over the world. 2: Marks and Spencer and Coca- Cola are the two companies that follow the ethnocentric, polycentric and geocentric Approaches of staffing. Marks and Spencer is a company that was established in the year 1884 and has grown from a single market stall to an international business. It is one of the leading retail businesses of UK. It takes all its decisions very carefully(Sharan 2008). It uses the polycentric and the geocentric approach to select its low level staff whereas it uses the ethnocentric approach for appointing the high level management people. Ethnocentric Approach: The companies like Marks and Spencer when decide to start their operations in other countries often send their knowledgeable and skilled workers to work in the host country. As it is estimated that they have good experience about the working of the organization and the top positions shall be filled with the experience of these people. The benefit is that there is less cost involved in this approach with more experience(Mindtools 2015). Polycentric approach: This approach cannot be followed at all the levels of hiring because this approach has its disadvantages as well(Aswathapa. 2005). The company prefer to hire its sale staff by following the polycentric approach as this requires the knowledge of the culture of the host country and the host countrys locals are the best for filling the sales position as they are very well aware of the host country culture. The benefit of this approach would be that the communication barriers would be reduced while selling the products. Geocentric approach: The Company cannot always rely on the single approach. The company after being running smoothly decides to hire the professionals by using the geocentric approach. It helps in developing a good pool of international managers. The second company that follows the above approaches for hiring the personnel is a very well known soft drink company named Coca-Cola(Anfuso 2000). The company was established in the year 1892. The company has been carrying on its operations in more than hundred countries presently. The staffing procedure that is followed by Coca-Cola makes it sure that the right individuals are hired to fill in the positions. The company follows the mixture of all the three approaches of staffing. Ethnocentric approach: The Company uses the ethnocentric approach for filling the important senior management positions. Polycentric approach: It is believed by the company that the local environment is better understood by the local people so the sales staff is normally hired by following the polycentric approach. Geocentric approach: it also uses the geocentric approach for hiring the professional staff and sends the experts to the various countries where it decides to carry on its operations. 3: Outsourcing means that when any company decides to give its operations and functions to any other company. There are various reasons for choosing outsourcing as a technique for the company. Etisalat is one of the leading telecommunication operators in UAE. The headquarters of the company is located in Abu Dhabi. The company is currently serving about 11 million customers in UAE. The company has made various improvements in its operations since it started functioning. There are advanced mobile technologies provided by the company to its customers(Mossler 2003). Services offered by the company: Following are the services that are provided by the company to its customers: E-vision Networks Enterprise solutions Customer care The company decided to outsource its customer services operations in Egypt like many other companies do. The step that is initiated by the company to outsource its operations would help in saving the cost of the company for both the in-house and outsource customer service(Datamark. 2015). There are various reasons as to why the well established company like Etisalat chose Egypt for outsourcing its operations. Some of the reasons for selecting the Egypt for the outsourcing are as mentioned below: One of the advantages at the disposal of Etisalat for choosing Egypt is the advantage of low cost. The land in Egypt is very affordable and the labor is also very cheap. The quality will not be affected due to the low cost because the skills of the labor in Egypt are very strong(Etisalat. 2015). There is a great spread of English and Arabic language all over the world. There is a good reputation of Egypt in the ICT companies(Annoynomous 2015). Various benefits of outsourcing the Customer service operations Increase in Expertise: It is seen mostly that the outsourcing is mainly done to the staff that possess expertise so it leads to the completion of the tasks in the effective manner. Reduction in the work load: The work load that is on the full time staff gets reduced due to the outsourcing of the operations. Reduction in the costs involved: One of another advantage is that there is a reduction in the hiring and operational costs as if the local people will be hired than it would definitely increase the expenses on the company. Low cost labor available: There are chances that better individuals are available in the outsourced companies than the local people and that too at a very low cost. Sharing or mitigating of the risks involved: There is a good sharing of the risk mitigation elements by the outsourcing vendor. Concentration on core areas: The Company can further concentrate on various other important elements rather than spending all their time in the support of the various processes which can be handled by the outsourced staff very easily. Availability of more staff in case of urgency: In case there is a requirement of more staff at any time than it is possible that the outsourcing company can manage that by providing extra workers to the company. Access to skilled Labor: The outsourcing vendors can have an access to the skilled resources and the training and recruiting expenses can be reduced due to outsourcing its operations. Time Zone advantage: The advantage is the Time Zone advantage in which the company can get its work done even when it is closed in its country. Faster and better services: There is increase in the pace of services along with good and improved quality by outsourcing the operations of the company. Expert management and support staff: the outsourcers are basically very specialized service providers and they can attract the best managers as compared to the local staff(Tian 2016). Quality monitoring and control: It helps in monitoring the quality of the work and taking the control measures as and when they are required. Access to latest technology: There will be investment in the best technologies by the outsourcers. As there are various software tools available these days that includes: email, web chat, cloud based platforms , social media marketing and SMS text(Bucki 2016). Bibliography Anfuso, D 2000, workforce-cocacola, viewed 10 December 2016, https://www.workforce.com/articles/coca-cola-s-staffing-philosophy-supports-its-global-strategy. Annoynomous 2015, Flatworld, viewed 10 December 2016, https://www.flatworldsolutions.com/articles/benefits-of-outsourcing.php. Aswathapa. 2005, Human Resource And Personnel Management - Page 646, 4th edn, McGraw Hill., New DElhi. Bucki, J 2016, Thebalance.com, viewed 10 December 2016, https://www.thebalance.com/top-outsourcing-advantages-2533765. Datamark. 2015, DATAMARK, viewed 10 December 2016, https://www.datamark.net/call-centers/blog/reasons-to-outsource-your-call-center/. Etisalat. 2015, , viewed 10 December 2016, https://www.etisalat.ae/en/aboutus/etisalatcorporation/corporation/profile/company-profile.jsp. Mindtools 2015, transformational leadership, viewed 10 December 2016, https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/transformational-leadership.htm. Mossler, K 2003, The Pros and Cons of International Staffing Policies. Sharan, V 2008, International Business 2/e , Concepts, Environment And Strategy, 2nd edn, Pearson Education, Sinagapore. Tian, X 2016, Managing International Business in China - Page 271. Whitehead, S 2015, panmore institute., viewed 10 December 2016, https://panmore.com/staffing-policy-hrm-issues-in-international-business.