Preliminary PDHPE Assignment Essay Example for Free

Preliminary PDHPE Assignment Essay 1) Recount the story of the individual in relation to how the adversity they faced as affected their health status. The individual who I decided to research is now well known for her job hosting the Biggest Loser, Hayley Lewis. At 15 years old Hayley Lewis had won 5 Gold medals at the 1990 Commonwealth Games. She weighed 58kg and never thought anything about her weight at the time as she was fit, healthy and muscular. A magazine came out saying that she was â€Å"a fit 15 year old but a bit heavy legged. † From then on she started to get bigger and bigger. A year later her weight had crept up to 65kg and by the 1992 Barcelona Olympics she weighed 73kg. Hayley was told by her coach to lose weight and the more and more she was told, the more she turned to food for comfort. By being told she was â€Å"heavy legged† from the media and being told to lose weight the more this impacted on her physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. By being overweight this cut short Hayley’s swimming career as she was embarrassed, suffered anxiety and hated being publicly scrutinised. Hayley Lewis also hated getting out of bed because she knew she had to put on her â€Å"togs†. She said that she was racing with girls 20kg lighter and you can’t hide anything when you’re in swimmers. She also said that she used to focus on her weight every time she jumped up on to the starting block instead of focusing on her race. By being judged because of her physical appearance made her quit her swimming career because she felt that she didn’t fit in anywhere. This affected both her mental and spiritual health. Because Hayley Lewis had a negative physical health status this impacted on her emotional health as all the dimensions of health are interdependent on one another and when one area of health is going downhill this can impact on all the other aspects of an individuals’ health status. Hayley Lewis had a low self-esteem and didn’t believe in herself. This was because she was bullied about her physical appearance and the media made her feel shameful about her weight. She didn’t enjoy the success of being a swimmer either because of the shame and guilt she felt about herself and her personal body image. Another factor that could have made an impact on Hayley’s health status is the death of her younger sister as this could have made her turn to food for comfort. Hayley Lewis had to face a 20 year weight battle from when she was 15 until she was 35 when she had her second child. During her pregnancy Hayley gained another 25kg. When she got a phone call from Jenny Craig to become an ambassador she finally realised how overweight she was and decided to do something about it. She lost 4kg in the first week and was finally getting back on track and gaining these precious years of her life back. Hayley Lewis is now the current host of the Biggest Loser and says she can relate to the contestants so well as she knows exactly what they have been through and what they are going through. She hopes to inspire them and become as good a role model as she can so they get to love themselves the way she does about herself now. Hayley Lewis has faced major adversity in her life and it has affected her health status physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. She has finally pulled through and is at a great point in her life, has overcome her weight battles and has made herself proud for where her body has gotten her today. a) Evaluate how the dimensions of health have interacted to construct the health status of the individual. Hayley Lewis’ physical, mental, social and spiritual health have interacted to construct Hayley’s current health status as all these dimensions are interdependent upon one another. If one aspect of health is positive then this will most likely have an impact on all the other aspects of an individual’s health. Hayley’s physical health when she was younger was fairly poor. When Jenny Craig came into the picture this made Hayley become aware and realise just how poor her physical health was. Because of this sudden realisation, this has constructed Hayley Lewis’ current health status in many ways because she finally did something about her poor health. She started to lose weight and the motivation of the Jenny Craig program helped her pull through. She was given meal and exercise plans but as a retired swimmer she was used to having the pre-organised eating and training schedule. She had overcome her previous body image demons and she realised that she had a new focus in life because of becoming a parent. She had to step up and become the best role model she could be for her children. She threw out all the old photos she had of herself as an overweight teenager and returned to the pool in 2000 with a renewed confidence. She still has â€Å"good days and bad days, like everyone† but has learnt to love, admire, appreciate and nurture her body with respect as you only get one. Her previous physical health has now constructed Hayley’s current health status as she is now a size 8-10, lost 20kg and has maintained her weight by eating nutritiously, planning her meals and exercising often. Hayley now has a positive physical health status and hopes to inspire others, such as the biggest loser contestants, with her own personal inspiring story. Hayley Lewis’ emotional health has had a major impact on the construction of her current health status. Mentally, Hayley never used to believe in herself and had a very low self-esteem and body image. Now that she has become aware of her poor health status and has lost 20kg she now has a positive headspace and a positive outlook on life. She has a renewed confidence but still has â€Å"bad days† like everyone. By relating to the current biggest loser contestants this has made her feel proud to where her body and mind has gotten her today and wants to help them out so they can feel how she feels about herself now. Hayley’s new and improved positive emotional health has had a major impact on all the other aspects of her health and has created an overall positive health and wellbeing for herself as the dimensions of health are all interdependent upon one another. When Hayley Lewis was younger her social health suffered because she was overweight physically and didn’t look positive on life because of her poor emotional health. She was bullied, compared to others and was always being judged, if not by the media, by her coach and family friends. She now has a very positive social health as she is now married to a very understanding and cooperative husband and has 2 children. Her confidence is now booming compared to when she was fighting her 20 year weight battle. Her confidence has allowed her to improve her relationships with family and friends and now she can also relate to the biggest loser contestants because they have become her friends. She is very inspirational towards these contestants and has also become very close to them and helping them renew their lives and start fresh. Spiritually, Hayley now feels a sense of belonging and worth compared to the adversity she faced because she has fought and finally won her weight battles. She is now fit and healthy, can relate to and feels apart of the biggest loser family and also has a special family of her own. She now has a very positive headspace and this has impacted on and changed her life in many ways. Hayley’s life changing experience of winning her 20 year weight battled has occurred because she finally became aware of how poor her health was. The 4 dimensions of health, physical, mental, social and spiritual, have all worked together with each other and have constructed Hayley Lewis’ current health status in a very positive way. Because she started losing weight she noticed that all her emotional, social and spiritual aspects of health have benefited her overall health. This is because all these dimensions are interdependent upon each other and construct the overall health status of an individual. b) Evaluate how the relative and dynamic nature of health has impacted upon the health status of the individual. Due to her own personal experiences Hayley Lewis would now rate her health as being optimal. She has battled with her weight for 20 years and has finally overcome that. As well as being at her goal weight by eating healthy, exercising and creating meal plans for herself she has to take into account how the relative and dynamic nature of health has impacted upon her own personal health status. Relative and dynamic nature of health refers to how health can vary from time to time and fluctuate all over the place. Illnesses, accidents, personal experiences, environmental factors or an individuals’ socioeconomic status can have an impact on an individual’s level of health at any point during their lives. These continual changes in a person’s health mean that health is dynamic. Judging where a person is along the health continuum at any point of time is highly subjective as people all over the world have different perceptions about what is optimal or â€Å"normal† health. By overcoming her 20 year weight battle, Hayley Lewis now has a better knowledge of what good health is. She perceives herself in a more positive way and the result of this is that the public and people all around her are perceiving her in a more positive way also. By believing in yourself can affect how others see you and believe that you have potential whereas if you don’t believe in yourself then others will think the same. This is one of the reasons that Hayley Lewis’ confidence has risen over time because now that her self-esteem has risen she realised that people were starting to perceive her, and her health, in different and a more positive way. By being the host of the biggest loser and becoming friends with the contestants has affected Hayley Lewis’ health status. She is now socioeconomically advantaged as she has a permanent job with a high income. This will impact her health status because it can affect her choices such as buying more, but nutritious food, and she now has more money to spend on fitness and recreational resources such as gyms and swimming pools. This can impact Hayley’s health physically, mentally, socially and spiritually as she now feels a sense of control and value over her life.

Role of Teacher Essay Example for Free

Role of Teacher Essay Teachers instill a want for learning within the student while formulating a structured path for the student to succeed. The role of a teacher is to stimulate this want to learn, while providing the necessary tools and guidance for the student. The classroom should be a learning environment that students are excited to participate in because the desire to learn is exemplified by the teacher. The best teachers I’ve had have instilled this desire to learn through a number of different skills working cohesively to help guide me through the educational process. These teachers had the greatest impact on me because they took my desire for learning personally, and did all they could to ensure the best possible learning environment. When learning is enjoyable, the likely hood of students continuing to learn independently of the teacher increases. Some of the skills that helped create this environment included patience, organization, awareness, encouragement, and an open mind. The best teacher I’ve ever had utilized all these skills, and I remember her from my freshman year of high school. I had ADHD as a teenager, and had trouble sitting still to say the least. My math teacher had the patience to work with me, while managing and guiding the rest of the students in the class. She developed a unique way to grasp my attention while other teachers could not, and her class ended up being the most exciting class in my high school career. Her awareness of my unique situation and having the patience and open mind to try teaching differently was what inspired my love of math. I received my highest grade that semester in her class because the desire to learn the subject came from within, but was exemplified by the teacher. She would not have been able to manage the entire classroom with this unique approach without organization and encouragement of each individual student. A few of these skills can make a good teacher, but a great teacher uses all of their s kills cohesively to create a positive interactive learning environment. The worst teacher I’ve experienced had a personal goal to be the hardest teacher on campus, rather than the greatest. Being a hard teacher doesn’t ensure a students success, and can deter the student from wanting to learn. A great teacher understands the needs of all their students, while working with their students to learn. When focusing on becoming the hardest teacher, unrealistic goals and expectations are set that can take away from the confidence of the student as well as the approachability of the teacher.  This creates a gap in the teacher – student relationship that can be detrimental to learning. While I learned a lot from a teacher who tried to be the hardest, they didn’t create a desire for me to learn. The class turned into a workbook, rather than a learning experience. While some subjects are naturally harder than others, I believe they an be approached uniquely and can be taught in a way that makes sense to any student given the right patience. This teacher was an exceptionally brilliant math professor, however – his class average was a failing grade which he was proud of. If the class average is failing, then he’s not teaching to the whole of the class or looking at the students individually. It’s possible to teach a hard subject in a way that the core ideas and theories can be grasped by al l the students and individually helped as necessary. It’s not one quality that sets a good teacher apart from another, but a number of qualities working together that create the right experience. When looking at the list in section 1.2, all of these are qualities of a good teacher. However, the number of qualities that make a great teacher is far too long to list. It’s instead, how well the teacher uses each of these qualities cohesively in and outside the classroom environment. These qualities include patience, approachability, confidence, awareness, and an open mind. These qualities are a complete necessity to the success in a teaching role.

Big five personality inventory with academic success

Big five personality inventory with academic success Many validation studies have been performed to test the validity of the Big 5 personality inventory with academic success and performance as well as which personality is predictor of good grades. In particular studies have found that contentiousness and openness especially correlated with academic performance. This essay will examine and evaluate the usefulness of the big 5 personality inventory and will be discussing its validity and implications. Conscientiousness personality traits lead students to be organised, disciplined and motivated to succeed. This in turn has a positive effect on their ability to study and on their effort and commitment they put into their work (Maltby et al 2007 p.387) a trait referring to individuals level of dutifulness, achievement striving and organization. Bratko, Chamorro-Premuzic Saks (2006) also have documented and argued that the Importance of Conscientiousness in educational settings is self-explanatory: Being organized, disciplined and motivate d to succeed has no doubt beneficial effects on students study habits, affecting their level of effort and commitment with the course (Bratko, Chamorro-Premuzic Saks 2006). Research indicates that the Big Five Traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness and Agreeableness) reflect core aspects of humans personality and have strong influences on behaviour (Costa McCrae 1992 in Komarraju Karau 2005). Conscientiousness has consistently and positively predicted examination performance as well as grade point average and academic success. Openness is positively related to final grades with high scorers using learning strategies that emphasize critical thinking. Neuroticism is related to reduced- academic performance. Agreeableness is positively associated with grades. Entwistle and Entwistle (1970 in ibid) found that stable introverts using good study methods achieved higher performance than extroverts or emotionally unstable students, whereas Furnham and Medhurst (19 95 in ibid) showed a significant positive correlation between sociability and performance in a seminar class (Komarraju Karau 2005). Paunonen Nicol (2001 in Durham 2004) found the Big Five traits among the significant predictors of grade point average (GPA) in a population of college students. Similarly, Lounsbury, Loveland, Sundstorm Gibson (2003 in Durham 2004) found that Big Five traits significantly predicted cumulative GPA among adolescents in high school and middle school. Lounsbury et al (2003 in Durham 2004) found that the Big Five constructs of conscientiousness, openness and agreeableness were positively related to course grades and grade point average. Durham (2004) therefore argues that these results suggest that students who are more open to new learning, discovery and exploration, higher on self control. More orderly, higher of achievement striving and lower on anxiety, impulsivity, hostility, and vulnerability will have higher GPA. Durham (2004) furthers his argume nt by saying that students who sit in the front of the class (conscientiousness) prepare their assignments (conscientiousness), follow the directions given (agreeableness) and ask questions (openness) and usually better students; high levels of openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness and low levels of neuroticism are an ideal combination (Durham, 2004) Hypothesis The hypothesis of this literature review is that Big 5 personality traits of Openness, contentiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism are significantly related to academic performance and predicting grades. There have been many studies documented which have investigated the relationship of the five personality traits namely, openness, contentiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism with academic achievement. For example, in studying the relationship between the big five personality traits and academic performance, Komarraju Karau (2005) developed the following specific hypotheses. First, as Neuroticism is characterized by emotional distress and poor impulse control (Komarraju Karau 2005), Komarraju Karau (2005) expected students high in Neuroticism to have difficulty in coping with academic challenges and dealing with setbacks. There, Komarraju Karau (2005) predicted that Neuroticism would be positively related with the academic motivation factors of debilitating anxiety, withdrawing, disliking school, and discouraged about school. Extraverted individuals are warm, socially-oriented, and assertive (Komarraju Karau 2005). Agreeable individuals tend to be trusting and co operative, and may be receptive to collaborative learning (Komarraju Karau 2005). Therefore, Komarraju Karau (2005) predicted that Extraversion and Agreeableness would both be positively related with approval and affiliating motives. Komarraju Karau (2005) argue that because assertiveness is an element of Extraversion they predicted that Extraversion would be related with influencing motives. Individuals high in Openness seek novel experiences, are intellectually curious, and may be more receptive to novel educational experiences Komarraju Karau (2005). The researchers therefore predicted that Openness would be positively related with thinking and desire for self improvement. Finally, conscientious individuals are generally organized, disciplined, and hard working, and have been found to achieve greater academic success (Komarraju Karau 2005). Therefore, the researchers predicted that Conscientiousness would be positively related with persisting, achieving, and desire for self- improvement. Komarraju Karau (2005) found that avoidance was positively related with both Neuroticism and Extraversion, and was negatively related with both Conscientiousness and Openness, with Neuroticism explaining the most variance. Komarraju Karau (2005) argue that these results may suggest that neurotic students tend to avoid many aspects of academic life and view education as a means to an end rather than an intrinsically fulfilling enterprise. Similarly, Komarraju Karau (2005) argue that extraverts may be more concerned with social aspects of college life. In contrast, conscientious and open students are less likely to be avoidant in their motivation. Komarraju Karau (2005) found that students with higher levels of Openness and Extraversion were more engaged in learning, with Openness explaining the most variance. Komarraju Karau (2005) further their argument by saying this suggests that students who are sociable and enjoy exposure to new ideas are likely to be engaged i n the educational experience and may benefit from discussion and interactive learning. Finally, Komarraju Karau (2005) found that students who were more conscientious, neurotic, and open to experience scored higher on achievement with Conscientiousness explaining the most variance. Komarraju Karau (2005) argue that these results suggest that students who are responsible and intellectually curious may be more achievement oriented, hard-working, and competitive. Komarraju Karau (2005) noted that neuroticism was related with achievement, and this relation between Neuroticism and achievement may be because of compulsive preparation Komarraju Karau (2005). Correlation of subjective responses and objective assessment and confirmation of the validity of conscientiousness trait with relation to academic achievement Discussion section There may be narrower personality traits that could add to the incremental validity of the Big 5 inventory with relation to academic success and predicting grades for example. Lounsbury, Sundstorm, Loveland Gibson (2003) investigated and examined the narrow traits in addition to the Big Five in predicting academic success among adolescents. Lounsbury et al (2003) investigated individual grade point average (GPA) and scores from the Adolescent Personal Style Inventory among 220 seventh-graders and 290 tenth-graders, including agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, extraversion, and openness, plus four narrow traits, aggression, optimism, tough-mindedness, and work drive. Lounsbury et al (2003) found that all traits correlated significantly (P The validity and reliability of the NEO PIR in terms applicability: discussing the issue for the professional development of the teacher in schools and also for the positive feedback and educational development of the child, analysing the practicality of the learning style Personality tests that are to predict academic achievement and success are not only for the professional development of the teacher, lecturer but also for the personal and educational development of the student or pupil at school or university. These personality tests therefore they need to be such that the teacher and student can interact with them for the teacher to perhaps to alter his or her teaching style and approach and more so for the student to be aware of his or her subjective and predominate learning style and how these are contributing to many cognitive aspects such as information processing, retention of information, memory or indeed knowledge acquisition. Research has testified that from the NEO PIR the trait that is predominately applicable is conscientiousness as we have seen, although the other four have also contributory effects for academic achievement, however the practicality of using it may still be questionable because if the trait of conscientiousness is the p redictor of academic success then will it be easy for the student to develop these traits within him. How easy will it be for the teachers to aid and support the students in developing a conscientiousness personality is questionable. An easier way for both the student to understand for his or her own academic development and also for the teacher to support the student may be through the education of personal learning styles. Learning styles in particular is a model which pinpoints and highlights the cognitive abilities necessary for learning, which is a cognitive process. The tools of learning style can enable the student to completely understand which styles may aid him or her and according to that style of learning, the teacher will be able to help and support the student developing a interactional system between the teacher and the student in an academic environment and discussing cognitive variables in relation to learning styles rather than broad personality traits which maybe far difficult to generalize towards the students learning process. Therefore learning style approach and assessment may not only be a cognitive and academic achievement predictor most importantly on the basis of individual differences but this will enable both the teacher and student to interact with them for the professional development of the teacher and for the academic and cognitive development of learner. A well known and documented approach to learning is presented by Kolb (1984 in Maltby 2007) in which he discusses the learning processes such as concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation. Other than the Big Five traits of conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness, extraversion and neuroticism, there are other traits or, motivation related traits as argued by Lounsbury (2003 in Durham 2004) which can add incremental and predictive validity to the NEO personality inventory in the domains of education success. For example, Lounsbury (2003) found that traits such as aggression, optimism tough mindedness and work drive can not only significantly correlate with grade point average but moreover add incremental validity to the existing NEO Five. (Durham, 2004) In line with Lounsbury (2003) Durham (2004) is also for the inclusion of the factors of aggression, optimism and tough mindedness. Durham (2004) argues that these traits of optimism, aggression and tough mindedness could be better predictors of academic performance and grade point average. Optimism, Durham (2004) argues is a tendency to maintain positive expectations about the future and Prola and Stern (1984 in Durham 2004) found positive correlations between optimism and grade point average. Optimism is an important assessment because it influences task-orientated behaviours (Durham 2004). With regards to conscientiousness there will a consensus that it is correlated with academic achievement and performance through Meta analysis and self and other assessed approaches, however with regards to openness, although it has been acknowledged that it refers to academic intelligence, agreeableness, neuroticism, extraversion there is far lesser consensus how it refers and relates to academic achievement. For example Bratko, Chamorro-Premuzic Saks (2006) have found that some argue that high neuroticism is detrimental for academic performance on school examinations but others suggests that higher levels of worry and perfectionism that characterize neurotic individuals may lead to better and higher performance. The trait of extraversion is also debated with academic achievement as some have argued of negative correlation and other have argued of positive correlation (Bratko et al 2006). Bratko et al (2006) also argue that alternative explanations indicate in the direction of deve lopmental changes in the ability-extraversion correlation, such that brighter individuals become more introverted over time. Some traits of the BIG 5 such as extraversion, conscientiousness and openness which all relate to motivation, striving and academic self fulfilment have been correlated with certain measures but have not been correlated with other measures such as the IQ tests. Psychologists have argues that the NEO Big 5 personality inventory predominately reflects a persons motivation and in particular motivation to self actualise in academic domains but does not take into consideration specific academic cognitive abilities which is predominately related and correlated with academic success and achievement. For example, Ones Schmidt Viswesvaran 1993 (in Gagner Pere 2001) have established no correlation between motivational factors and IQ ability for academic progress. The psychologists argue that the tests such as the NEO PIR which may measure or take into consideration the motivation factor of conscientiousness and disregard cognitive abilities may not be highly valid in predicting achievement in comparison to higher validity and reliability of cognitive and IQ measures of predicting achievement, and the results obtained from an IQ test maybe useful for the professional development of the teacher with relation developing cognitive constructs of the child such as numeracy but also important for the development of the learner to know which areas in academia need to be concentrated upon. Gagner Pere (2001) assessed the unique contribution of motivation to academic achievement. Over 200 high school students completed two IQ tests and three motivation and conscientiousness related measures twice during a semester. The results revealed that IQ and motivation were not correlated; cognitive abilities were by far the best predictor of school achievement. The psychologists argue that these results question the belief of most educators about the crucial role of motivation as a determinant of scholastic achievement these findings may in invite the educators to not only consider moti vation and conscientiousness as an important factor of achievement but to also concentrate on the cognitive abilities of the learner and ways to enhance them perhaps by working with the learning style of the learner considering the VAK (the visual, auditory or kinaesthetic individual differences) and modifying educational resources to support all types of learners and by working within the unique learning style of the individual with the belief that by working within the cognitive framework of the individual this will improve the cognitive performance and abilities of the learner such as problem solving, information processing, logical and rational thinking which will enhance the IQ and therefore academic achievement. Komarraju Karau (2005) also acknowledge that students who are taught in a way that matches their learning style and ability are likely to achieve at higher levels. In light of the findings that there are less or no correlations of motivational factors such as conscien tiousness with academic progress Bratko et al (2006) argue that empirically, evidence is mixed with some studies indicating personality has incremental validity over ability in the prediction of academic progress but others showing it doesnt (Bratko et al 2006). Bratko et al (2006) also argue that personality inventories such as the NEO PIR use self ratings of traits. Whilst Bratko et al (2006) acknowledge and argue that most investigators have used self report personality inventories and academic progress as they are convenient and because they believe that people have a unique perspective of their own experiences and history of behaviour, however Bratko et al (2006) also maintain that self ratings can be inaccurate because people may present themselves in an unrealistically positive light or their position of an actor can bias their perception of their own consistent personality attributes other-rating data can be less susceptible to distortions caused by defensiveness and self-pr esentational strategies (Bratko et al 2006). As studies have shown that peer-ratings consistently show a substantial correlation with self rating data and their validity widely demonstrated (Bratko et al 2006), Bratko et al (2006) suggest that adding to peer-rating to self-rating can enhance the incremental validity of personality tests such as the NEO PIR further. Although some studies did not find a link between motivation and academic achievement some other studies did. For example Komarraju Karau (2005) investigated the relationship between personality characteristics and academic motivation. Their research examined the link between the Big Five personality traits and individual differences in college students academic motivation. Students were asked to complete the NEO Five Factor Inventory and the Academic Motivations inventory and the facets of both the academic motivations inventory and NEO big Five were correlated together which supports their academic motivation hypothesi s and its importance with success (Komarraju Karau 2005). This study not only indicated the importance of administering tests to examine academic motivations with relation to individual differences but also confirms the validity and reliability of the NEO Big Five. Personality or intelligence tests: independence of personality tests from intelligence: understanding the correlations of ability intelligence tests and personality tests Although studies have testified to the theory that measure of intelligence is valid and reliable for prediction of academic achievement some other studies have discovered the importance of personality tests independently from intelligence which adds to the validity and reliability of personality testing in relation to academic performance and achievement. For example Bratko et al (2006) analysed the relationship of self and other-assessed personality with school grades in 255 pupils. Conscientiousness was the strongest personality correlate of school grades for both self and peer-ratings. That is, the scores of self-rating and peer-rating for conscientiousness significantly correlated. It was interesting to discover that grades were negatively correlated with self assessed extraversion and emotional stability (neuroticism) and positively correlated with peer-ratings of autonomy. When cognitive ability was partialled out correlations between personality and school grades showed little change indicating that the effects of personality on academic performance was independent of intelligence. The investigators not only argue of the independence of personality to academic performance and therefore stressing its validity in domains of education but also argue that self ratings had only marginal incremental validity (3%) over peer-ratings in predicting school grades while incremental validity of peer-over self -rating was larger (9%). Therefore this study supports the notion that testing personality in domains of education and academic performance is indeed valid. In this study the self-rated assessment or rating compared to the peer-rated (observer) assessment and rating is thought provoking because there was a difference in both ratings and their correlations significances. In the study of Bratko et al (2006) noted that the relationship between. In the study Bratko et al (2006) found that the predictive power of conscientiousness increased substantially when assesse d by peer ratings as opposed to self-rating and there Bratko et (2006) argue that this suggests that socially desirable responding may undermine that validity of self rated conscientiousness. Their results also indicated that combining measures of conscientiousness with intelligence are likely to be advantageous when it comes to predicting academic progress (Bratko et al 2006). Bratko et al also argue that students may also want to look conscientious and autonomous in the eyes of personality tests and therefore Bratko et al (2006) recommend that investigators include social desirability alongside both peer and self-ratings of personality to explore determinants of success and failure (Bratko et al 2006). Another way to avoid distortion and therefore validity in applied educational settings is for participants to respond anonymously possibly by mail as argued by Schinka (1997). Schinka (1997) suggests that these techniques of anonymity will minimize conscious motivation to distort pe rsonality profiles. Psychologists studied how the Big Five personality traits may relate to individual differences in academic motivation. Alongside the achievement and academic success, motivation is very important to reach academic success and this area also needs to be considered for students. Komarraju Karau (2005) also reflect upon an interesting meta-analysis in support of the personality tests such as the NEO PIR for academic performance and success as well as for convergent and predictive validity. For example, Komarraju Karau (2005) argue that Ackerman and Heggestad (1997 in Komarraju Karau 2005) found some modest relationships between personality and intellectual ability measures. In their study Openness was positively related to intellectual ability, whereas Neuroticism was negatively related to intellectual ability. Komarraju Karau (2005) argue that these investigators concluded that intellectual abilities, interests and personality are interrelated and that intellectual ability level an d personality traits determine success. The validity of personality tests and their application in academic prediction of ethnic and culturally different students Durham (2004) acknowledges that studies have established differences in the scores between African American Students and White students on personality measures, as well as in the educational domains including. Ethnic students bring their values and in particular ethnic values to the learning environment. Therefore, when assessing personality and correlating with grade point average it is important to consider and acknowledge different cultural and racial differences which may affect an individuals learning style and development (Durham 2004). Therefore, generalising the significances of the results on populations this issue also needs to be considered thoroughly. Durham (2004) argues if there are differences in the personality traits scores of black and white students the applicability of these assessments to ethnic populations in doubt. Using the MMPI may be appropriate for use with ethnic and racial students The validity and reliability of the NEO-PIR or Big Five inventory and its applicability across races and cultures Worrell Cross (2004) investigated the reliability and validity of Big Five Inventory scores in a sample of African American college students as performed on the Big Five Inventory. The investigators discovered that reliable measures could be developed from the Adjective Q -sort and that there are no perceived predictive validity differences between White and Black students using the NEO PIR (Worrell Cross 2004) The use of other measures especially the inclusion and applicability of the Assessment of Academic Self concept and motivation (AASM) Assessment of Academic Self concept and motivation was developed according to the motivational systems theory. The uniqueness of this assessment is that it postulates that motivation is the patterns of gaols, emotions and personal agency beliefs (self -concept) which is consistent with the socio-cognitive theory of personality development proposed by Albert Bandura. Durham (2004) argues that this model and assessment four aspects of self concept- ability, environmental responsiveness, control and value or importance it also assess four dimensions of the education environment: cognitive, social extracurricular and personal (Durham, 2004) validation studies have been performed by Rouse Cashin (2000 in Durham 2004) and have found support for this assessment as well. Durham (2004) argues of the advantages of this measure with ethnic clients because it measures internal locus of control and the motivation aspect can measure academic success. With regards to values and race and cultural d ifferences, John (1989 in Goldberg 1998) examined judges classifications of the 300 terms in the Adjective Check list into the Big Five Categories to examine its validity and argues that traditional values and individuation/ autonomy adjectives closely related to the persons self -concept and cultural determinants may lie outside the Big Five. Goldberg (1998) argues that other personality factors that are not included inside the Big Five are religiousness, sexuality, introspectiveness, maturity, gender roles thrift and suppression and repression (Goldberg 1998). As there lays other aspects beyond the Big Five it would be interesting to see these influences for academic achievement as well. Paunonen Jackson (2000) had also investigated into the NEO PIR and the Big Five traits and after a thorough investigation and analysis they found that a) Religious, devout, reverent b) sly, deceptive manipulative c) honest, ethical moral d) conservative, traditional, down-to-earth e) egotistical, conceited, snobbish and f) thrill seeking behaviours were independent from the Big Five Factors as they did not correlate. This finding is important to establish the internal consistency validity and what differences it would make if these traits are also examined along with cultural values as discussed to evaluate the impact it has on education success and achievement because these traits such as masculinity-femininity, religiosity, are also determinants of human behaviour and also academic motivation. These recommendations will improve the internal consistency of the NEO PIR personality assessment as argued by Paunonen Jackson (2000)

Attractiveness over Intelligence :: American Culture, Beauty

Obsessed with beauty, the American culture seemingly values attractiveness over intelligence. Different media outlets serve to reinforce certain societal feminine ideologies (i.e. thin, tall, young, beautiful, etc.). The overwhelming pressure to conform to cultural standards of beauty and the importance of attaining these ideals of thinness and perfection are commonly displayed in advertising. However, in 2004 Dove launched a campaign that promised to redefine such stereotypes. Researchers agree that a medium that depicts cultural norms and beliefs of â€Å"ideal beauty† have a direct negative impact on the perceptions of young women’s self-image. According to Bissell and Rask (2010), women who are exposed to mediated images, which portray extremely thin models result in negative body image, low self-esteem, eating disorders, and overall dissatisfaction. The overwhelming pressures to be young, thin, and beautiful are the twisted expectations of the American culture. Kilbourne (1999) argues that, â€Å"†¦advertising is one of the most potent messengers in a culture that can be toxic for girls’ self-esteem†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she further argues that advertisements contain â€Å"†¦glossy images of flawlessly beautiful and extremely thin women†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (as cited in Bissell & Rask, 2010). As a result of such advertising, many young women and teens have a manipulated perception of beauty. Research supports this claim by showing th at the average US model portrayed in advertisements is 5’†11† and weighs 117 pounds; when in reality, the average US women is only 5’4† and weighs 140 pounds (Media and eating disorders 2006 as cited in Bissell & Rask 2010). Scholars claim that, â€Å"mass media can reflect basic beliefs, attitudes, and values toward female beauty and can even affect changes in cultures when others are exposed to images of ideal beauty and attractiveness† (Bissell & Chung, 2009). However, the beliefs and attitudes that have been adopted by the American culture are not creating a positive perception of true and healthy beauty, but rather a perception of shame and disappointment (Bissell & Rask, 2010; Bissell & Young, 2009). Both articles agree that constant exposure to these false perceptions of ideal beauty not only misguides young women into believing that this is in fact the cultural norm, but eventually leads them to accept that they must find a way to live up to these unrealistic standards, ultimately leaving them feeling inadequate and unacceptable (Bissell & Young, 2009; Bissell & Rask, 2010). In the last decade, some advertising companies have made an attempt to challenge or change such standards by choosing to use models that don’t normally fit into this â€Å"ideal† construct of beauty (Bissell & Rask, 2010).

The Atom :: essays research papers fc

The Atom In the spring of 1897 J.J. Thomson demonstrated that the beam of glowing matter in a cathode-ray tube was not made of light waves, as "the almost unanimous opinion of German physicists" held. Rather, cathode rays were negatively charged particles boiling off the negative cathode and attracted to the positive anode. These particles could be deflected by an electric field and bent into curved paths by a magnetic field. They were much lighter than hydrogen atoms and were identical "what ever the gas through which the discharge passes" if gas was introduced into the tube. Since they were lighter than the lightest known kind of matter and identical regardless of the kind of matter they were born from, it followed that they must be some basic constituent part of matter, and if they were a part, then there must be a whole. The real, physical electron implied a real, physical atom: the particulate theory of matter was therefore justified for the first time convincingly by physical experiment. They sang success at the annual Cavendish dinner. Armed with the electron, and knowing from other experiment that what was left when electrons were stripped away from an atom was much more massive remainder that was positively charged, Thomson went on in the next decade to develop a model of the atom that came to be called the "plum pudding" model. The Thomson atom, "a number of negatively electrified corpuscles enclosed in a sphere of uniform positive electrification" like raisins in a pudding, was a hybrid: particulate electrons and diffuse remainder. It served the useful purpose of demonstrating mathematically that electrons could be arranged in a stable configurations within an atom and that the mathematically stable arrangements could account for the similarities and regularities among chemical elements that the periodic table of the elements displays. It was becoming clear that the electrons were responsible for chemical affinities between elements, that chemistry was ultimately electrical. Thomson just missed discovering X rays in 1884. He was not so unlucky in legend as the Oxford physicist Frederick Smith, who found that photographic plates kept near a cathode-ray tube were liable to be fogged and merely told his assistant to move them to another place. Thomson noticed that glass tubing held "at a distance of some feet from the discharge-tube" fluoresced just as the wall of the tube itself did when bombarded with cathode rays, but he was too intent on studying the rays themselves to purse the cause. Rontgen isolated the effect by covering his cathode-ray tube with black paper. When a nearby screen of florescent material still glowed he realized that whatever was causing the

Free College Essays - Aesthetic Form of Cantos and The Waste Land :: free essay writer

Cantos and The Waste Land:   Aesthetic Form in Modern Poetry  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Cantos and The Waste Land, it is clear that a radical transformation was taking place in aesthetic structure; but this transformation has been touched on only peripherally by modern critics. R. P. Blackmur comes closest to the central problem while analyzing what he calls Pound's "anecdotal" method. The special form of the Cantos, Blackmur explains, "is that of the anecdote begun in one place, taken up in one or more other places, and finished, if at all, in still another. This deliberate disconnectedness, this art of a thing continually alluding to itself, continually breaking off short, is the method by which the Cantos tie themselves together. So soon as the reader's mind is concerted with the material of the poem, Mr. Pound deliberately disconcerts it, either by introducing fresh and disjunct material or by reverting to old and, apparently, equally disjunct material." Blackmur's remarks apply equally well to The Waste Land, where syntactical sequence is given up for a structure depending on the perception of relationships between disconnected word-groups. To be properly understood, these word-groups must be juxtaposed with one another and perceived simultaneously. Only when this is done can they be adequately grasped; for, while they follow one another in time, their meaning does not depend on this temporal relationship. The one difficulty of these poems, which no amount of textual exegesis can wholly overcome, is the internal conflict between the time-logic of language and the space-logic implicit in the modern conception of the nature of poetry. Aesthetic form in modern poetry, then, is based on a space-logic that demands a complete reorientation in the reader's attitude toward language. Since the primary reference of any word-group is to something inside the poem itself, language in modern poetry is really reflexive. The meaning-relationship is completed only by the simultaneous perception in space of word-groups that have no comprehensible relation to each other when read consecutively in time. Instead of the instinctive and immediate reference of words and word-groups to the objects or events they symbolize and the construction of meaning from the sequence of these references, modern poetry asks its readers to suspend the process of individual reference temporarily until the entire pattern of internal references can be apprehended as a unity. It would not be difficult to trace this conception of poetic form

Role-playing

Mr. Justice Unreasonably, yesterday ordered that a 13 yearned Dutch girl who has lived for eight years with a Malay woman in Java and Malay should be given into the care of the Netherlands Congealers who, It Is understood, will return her to her parents In Holland. After the decision, the girl, Maria Hibernia Herzog, and Amino, the Malay woman, clung to each other for almost an hour outside the Supreme Court. They declined to enter a waiting car, sobbed and vowed they would not be parted.With tears streaming down her face, Maria shouted in Malay (the only language she can speak): â€Å"Amino is my mother. She has loved me, cared for me and brought me up. † Then looking at Mammal, the girl said, â€Å"Do you love me, mother? If you love me don't leave me. I don't want to go with this man (a Dutch consular official). † July 29 THE FULL COURT of Appeal In Singapore yesterday decided that Marl Herzog shall be given back to her fosterers, Chew Amino. The Appeal Court yesterd ay held that the proceedings before the ChiefJustice were, by reason of the in-service of the necessary parties, a nullity. When she heard that Marl would be returned to her, Mammal broke down and wept openly. But they were tears of Joy. Hugging and kissing Marl, she said brokenly: â€Å"l have never been so happy in my life. † Stumbling a little as she came out of the Court of Appeal, she shook hands almost convulsively, with friends and Wilshire who were waiting outside. Http://restore. Salsa . Com. So/luminescence/lifeline/amoral . HTML 1 OFF