Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Terror management theory

Terror management theory The effects of terror management theory on political decisions Summary The terror management theory suggests that feelings of anxiety and fear are caused by thoughts of death (mortality salience) which may affect our thoughts, decisions and actions. The fear/anxiety caused triggers off defence mechanisms which cause individuals to feel closer to their beliefs and what they regard as a good and valued way of living (cultural worldview). The study will be looking at how the manipulation of mortality salience affects the ratings of two world leaders, predicting that they will rate highest the world leader which identifies the most with their cultural worldview. The participants will be British University students and the design of the study is an independent measures design. The participants will be asked to fill in an identification scale on being British, a word search where the experimental condition will contain mortality salience and the control condition will not, they will also be asked to fill in small maths calculations and they will be finally as ked to rate two world leaders (Englands prime minister Gordon Brown and Russias president Dmitry Medvedev) on a scale indicating how strongly they feel about the statements about each world leader. The ethical issues in the experiment are confidentiality, informed consent, anonymity, mortality salience and the use of findings. These issues will be dealt with by gaining presumed consent, the right to withdraw from the experiment at any time and debriefing each participant at the end to make sure they are comfortable and satisfied with the information they provided. Mortality salience will be kept as minimal as possible via using a word search and a distracter task which will be used afterwards to ensure that as little harm or no harm at all is caused to the participants. Introduction Terror management theory was developed by Jeff Greenberg, Sheldon Solomon and Tom Pyszczynski and is based on death. Humans are unique as they are the only living species that are aware of their inevitable death and this causes fear (terror) which would make carrying on with daily tasks impossible. Therefore, it is suggested that when an individual is reminded of death (mortality salience) they instantly use two defence mechanisms to protect themselves and get rid of these thoughts of death. The first defence mechanism is when an individual has their own personal views and standards on how they should live their life and therefore, individuals strive to meet those standards to feel as valued members of society (cultural worldview). Culture also provides individuals with symbolic immortality such as, being part of families and ethnic groups, because even after their mortality these groups will still exist and individuals will still be remembered as parts of them. The second defence me chanism is self-esteem which reduces anxiety when self-esteem is high and this is achieved by individuals believing and maintaining that they live up to the standards that are parts of their cultural worldview. When individuals are successful this causes high self-esteem which reduces the anxiety caused by threats. Furthermore, when others have the same cultural worldview as ours (in groupers) it suggests that our view is right and we need this confirmation from others to keep believing in our cultural worldviews. However, defence mechanisms are triggered off when there are threats against ones world view and beliefs. The thought of death and other individuals with different cultural worldviews (out groupers) could challenge our beliefs leaving us with feelings of anxiety which makes individuals want to live up to their cultural worldviews even more. Many studies have tested the mortality salience hypothesis such as Rosenblatt, Greenberg, Solomon, Pyszczynski and Lyon (1989) who used twenty two judges in a study where half of the judges were reminded of their own death (mortality salience), before setting bail to a prostitute and the other half were not. The judges who were reminded of their death set bail at $450 and judges who were not reminded of their death set bail at $50. This shows that the knowledge of death causes individuals to maintain their cultural worldviews which is reflected onto the amount of bail set as generally prostitution would be seen as wrong in many individuals cultural worldview. The terror management theory also assumes that when people are reminded of death this affects their decisions towards certain important issues such as politics. Studies show that when mortality is salient many individuals support people with the same political views as their selves and act hostile and negatively towards people with different political views. For example, Landau et al. (2004) found that when individuals were reminded of the 9/11 attacks they seemed to be more supportive of President Bush whereas, in control conditions less than half supported his decisions. This shows us that the thought of death can have effects on our political decisions and views and this knowledge of fear seems to be used by politicians to receive more support from the public. Other studies have also showed that death increases nationalism. In one study on American participants, when they were reminded of death they were more positive towards people who thought positively of America and were more negative towards people who thought negatively of America (Greenberg et al.,1990). Different countries also found similar results such as in Germany when Germans were reminded of death they sat closer to other Germans and sat further away from Turks (Ochsman and Mathay, 1994). These studies show us that when individuals are afraid of their mortality they feel closer to their cultural worldviews than ever before as a way of protecting themselves. This causes attitudes and beliefs to strengthen which in turn causes individuals to view any other belief as wrong and negative. This may cause extreme behaviour such as terrorist attacks, hate crimes and violence. As a result of all of these, individuals would feel closer to a president who knows exactly what they are doing, are devoted and sending out a strong message. Rationale (purpose) and aims of study: The aim of the study is to show that thoughts of death affect our lives and the decisions we make, including decisions about politics. The study will be testing to see how British participants will react towards their very own world leader prime minister Gordon Brown and another world leader, Dmitry Medvedev Russias president. Participants should prefer Gordon Brown rather than the other world leader when reminded of death as he is closer to their cultural worldview. Research questions: When mortality threat is salient will individuals have a stronger attitude towards their beliefs and their cultural worldview? Hypotheses: Individuals political orientation will be closer to their cultural worldview when mortality threat is salient. Method: How hypotheses addresses aims of study: The aim of the study is to show that thoughts of death affect our political decisions as well as general decisions and the hypotheses relates to this as it is suggesting that individuals will feel closer to the world leader which identifies with their cultural worldview the most. Operationalised variables: 1) Mortality salience is manipulated by the word searches, ones neutral; one has death related words and 2) asked to rate world leaders on a scale about whether they are good/satisfying world leaders. Design: The participants will be randomly assigned and the design used will be an independent sample design, as different participants will be used for the two different conditions. The independent variables are the manipulation of the mortality salience (control condition and experimental condition) and the two different world leaders. The dependent variable is the results from the rating scales of the two different world leaders. Participants: British university students, male and female. Around 50 participants will be used. Materials: Identification scale, two word searches, small maths calculations and profiles of the two world leaders including the rating scale. Procedure: First of all participants will be seated and the first thing they will fill out is their gender, age and an identification scale on how British and close to their culture they feel. Then they will do a word search, however, there will be two conditions in the experiment one will be the controlled condition where participants will receive a normal word search and will not involve mortality salience, whereas, the experimental condition will involve mortality salience. After the word searches participants will work out small maths calculations, then they will receive profiles of two world leaders one is Gordon Brown Englands prime minister and the other is Dmitry Medvedev Russias president. In order to eliminate the effect of order effects I will have some profiles with Gordon Brown presented first than Dmitry Medvedev and vice versa. Participants will have to rate the statements of the world leaders on a scale indicating how strongly they feel about each one. Ethical issues: The ethical issues in the experiment are confidentiality, informed consent, anonymity, mortality salience and the use of findings. These issues will be dealt with by gaining presumed consent, the right to withdraw from the experiment at any time and debriefing each participant at the end to make sure they are comfortable and satisfied with the information they provided. Mortality salience will be kept as minimal as possible via using a word search and a distracter task will be used afterwards to ensure that as little harm or no harm at all is caused to the participants. Analysis of results: The results will be analysed by a 2 by 2 mixed factor Anova. The IVs are mortality salience (experimental condition and controlled condition) and the world leaders (Gordon Brown and Dmitry Medvedev). Schedule for completion of project: Collect all data by December Analysis of data in the Christmas break Write up of results and report January/Febuary till March

Monday, January 20, 2020

Moving from Alienation to Cooperation :: Personal Narrative Essays

Moving from Alienation to Cooperation As Jewish and Palestinian students, we've learned a lot about reconciliation in our Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue group. We know the process isn't easy. But after many meetings, we've moved from fear to trust, from alienation to cooperation. And if we can do it, others can too. We began with a handful of people who rejected the popular gloom and hopelessness of the seemingly endless violence in the Mideast. We had had success in working with a grassroots movement called Beyond War, which focused on team-building between "enemies" - Israelis and Palestinians. Today we are 30 Americans - Jews and both Muslim and Christian Palestinians. Several "others" moderate and lend support. We saw how face-to-face dialogue changes people. Realizing that American citizens and government are connected to events in the Middle East, it was time to put our global experience to use in our community. "These are the worst of times, so why aren't you hopeless?" people ask us. "Why do you do it, when others want to quit?" When we are separated by our history and suffering, overcome with anger and pride, we find inside ourselves an even stronger belief and knowing. It is the ancient insight of our common ancestor, Abraham, that all is one - we're interdependent and interconnected. We're neighbors. We want to learn to live together that way. We also believe what sociologist Margaret Mead said: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." We've made progress, but now we feel rushed by what Ambassador Edward Djerejian, former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, calls "the worst-case scenario," when violence from both sides is on the rise and the peace process is stalled. So last Saturday night we gathered 420 Jewish and Palestinian Americans, and others, around dinner tables to begin changing the nature of our relationships. The hotel sign on Highway 101 said, "Welcome Jews and Palestinians Building a Common Future." It made it a fact before anyone walked through the doors. The event was a view into the future of what can and must be. It was a missing part of the peace process - face-to-face relationship-building. Ambassador Dennis Ross, US envoy to the Middle East peace process, arrived late from emergency meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

IMC Plan.List of assumptions and Potential competitors Essay

Ranbuild is a company in Newcastle, Australia that is in the business of supplying steel buildings. The company was formed in 1949 by Neil Statham. Ranbuild has been in this business for almost 65 years serving Australian and the world market. Initially, Ranbuild started by producing handling equipment and horizontal grain sheds that were specialized (Ranbuild, 2014). Neil Statham the founder of Ranbuild went to Middle East in 1971 and managed to procure sales of over one hundred thousand sheds. When he returned to Australia, Neil Statham developed back to back C section together with engineer Charles Resersky that would reduce cubic weight for shipping. In the early70s, Ranbuidld became a public company. Later on it was purchased by Acquila Group. Acquila Group later on sold it to Kerry parker. Ranbuild bought a roll forming machine that would produce rock bolts and guard rails. It also gave Neil Statham back a section of building in the business. It was that building section that later on became R & N Steel Building. R & N Steel Buildings became what is today called Ranbuild. Ranbuild is currently producing various products and selling them to equine, domestic, rural and commercial markets. It regards itself as the ultimate leader in fabricated building industry. Authorized dealers of Ranbuild continue sharing the success and the growth of the company. In 2004, Ranbuild was purchased by Lysaght Solutions Pty Ltd. Lysaght Solutions Pty Ltd is a subsidiary fully owned by BlueScope Steel. BlueScope Steel is a building company that is one of the largest building company in Australia and commands respect because of it outstanding record or reliability, service and high quality products (Ranbuild2014). Ranbuild continues to position themselves as the leaders in the market by building a professional image and offering quality brand to their customers. Ranbuild has partnership with a network of dealers that server their client with satisfaction. This leads to increase in profitability as well as market share to Ranbuild and other dealers (Ranbuild2014). Target market             Ranbuild Company targets B2B markets. This makes it necessary for Ranbuild to understand various characteristics of business industries in Singapore. For them to realize their goal they should realize that their target market in Singapore have different characteristics compared to building industries in Australia. It is advisable for the company to analyze carefully the characteristics of their customers in Singapore. After the analysis, Ranbuild cam target construction, real estate development company, contractor and hardware resellers. List of assumptions             In order to create an integrated marketing plan, several assumptions are formed. An assumption is information that is required but cannot be accessed or given out easily. This means that assumptions may be different from the reality of the situation. In some cases it may reflect the situation of year 2014. It is assumed that in 2014, the demand for construction and other products related to construction will be stable and strong in Singapore market. Ranbuild stands to benefit from companies that will be seeking for construction products to expand and upgrade their business. It is assumed that over one year, the economy of Australia and Singapore will be stable. The stability of an economy has a significant impact on expansion of (Mole, 2012). The prices that Ranbuild charges for their product are taken to be the same or at the same level with that of Singapore market. This makes Ranbuild’s product to be competitive. Due to sensitivity of prices businesses are advised not to increase their price above other businesses in the same market. Ranbuild’s products are said to comply with safety requirement in Singapore and other laws and regulations. It is assumed that B2B customer’s preference is receptive; hence customers in Singapore will work or use Ranbuild products. Throughout year 2014, the financial status of Ranbuild, its customers in Singapore and Suppliers is said to remain stable. Prices charged by Ranbuild are expected to remain stable throughout the year 2014. In Singapore, market growth and opportunity is said to be stable or move to a greater level. It is assumed that production cost is not included. Potential competitors Primary competitors             Primary competitors refer to companies that have the ability of providing almost identical products or services. A good example in construction market is Ranbuild. Some of Ranbuild competitors include; 3D Shed-n-patios             3D Shed-n-patios has been in operation for more than 23 years. It is a well recognized shed building brand. Their quoting system gives them a lot of strength since they are able to identify different trends and at the same time satisfy their customers. They are able to satisfy their customers by use of high technology features in their products. 3D Shed-n-patios materials are backed by BlueScope Steel which at the same time is a holding company of Ranbuild (3D Sheds-n-Patios, 2014). This is seen as a defect in the operations of Ranbuild. This company has been able to diversify their sheds and continues to diversify in a better way than Ranbuild which produces fewer types of sheds. Another weakness of Ranbuild is the fact that they have poor marketing strategy which can be seen from the few communications and social networking solutions (Clow, 2013). The Shed Company             It is one of the leading sheds in building business. It derives its strength from its design, facilities and supply. They also have many designs that include shapes and color. However, the shed company is currently trying and working hard to understand and talk to their customers Queens Shed Market             Queens Shed Market has over eleven years of experience in the building industry. The company has accomplished various diversified operations as well as projects. It gives full warranty for all their products to customers. It also has a staunch access to build- in doors and other types of products (Francia, 2014).  Secondary competitors refer to firms that deal with products or services that may be used as substitute to what Ranbuild produces. Some of the companies that may affect Ranbuild include; 1. Parasol Steel pte ltd 2. Professional plastic Inc. Overview of marketing mix Product             Ranbuild sell products of high quality. This is because their suppliers, BlueScope Lysaght is known globally for dealing with premium steel and product (Lysaght, 2014). Quality of Ranbuild’s products is widely known and it is an accepted fact that they are long lasting. Price             Ranbuild website does not contain prices for their products. However, their clients can ask from their consultants in their website the price range. Ranbuild gives a service called â€Å"Ranbuild better pay.† This option is applicable only when one purchases products that are above AU $500. This service enables customers to experience improved convenience and also enable them to match it with their cash flows. Ranbuild better pay gives up to one year interest free repayment period (Ranbuild2014). Place             Ranbuild has dealership in Singapore. This means that their products are sold through authorized dealers and not directly to customers. This is done throughout Australia (Kelley, 2012). Promotion             Ranbuild often introduces new offers and new promotions that enhance customer satisfaction. It also increases brand identity by use of marketing tools like website, social media account, brochures, blogs and e-newsletter (Ranbuild2014). Ranbuild currently launched a Weaco Ice Box 2013 promotion. This is a premium ice box for orders placed between December up to February 2014 (Ranbuild2014) (Refer to Appendix1) Promotion mix Tradeshows             Ranbuild holds tradeshows in expo annually in Singapore. The purpose of tradeshows is to connect with their customers, stakeholders and suppliers that may need hangar, industrial buildings, shelters and gallery. These tradeshows give their client a chance to evaluate the product and its quality. They also get a chance to ask questions and give feedback to the company (Chandra, 2000). Newspaper             Ranbuild should use newspapers that have a lot of adverts in construction. This is a good advertising media to reach local market.  It provides a good sales lead since customers can read catalogs. They can request sales persons to call them back and also make purchase on websites. Personal selling             Personal selling is a good way of creating awareness about the brand and also draws attention of customers to the company’s product. It will also enable Ranbuild get information from their clients directly. Personalized selling will enable Ranbuild create a specialized marketing strategy in future in Singapore. Brochure             This enables a company to increase the attention of their clients towards their products. They also inform clients about the product details, product ranges and other special offers (Chandra, 2000).Appendix 1 References Brown, M. (n.d.). Products. Stainless Steel Plate Supplier, Distributor & Stockholder. Retrieved March 1, 2014, from http://www.brownmac.com/singapore/products/ Chandra, A., & Thompson, E. (2000). Does public infrastructure affect economic activity?: Evidence from the rural interstate highway system. Regional Science and Urban Economics, 30(3), 457-490. Clow, K. E., & Baack, D. (2013). Integrated advertising, promotion & marketing communications (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Francia, A. (n.d.). Francia Virtual Home. Sun shades. Retrieved January 19, 2014, from http://www.mnjss.com/index.php Kelley, L. D., & Jugenheimer, D. W. (2012). Advertising media planning: a brand management approach (3rd ed.). Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe. Lee, M., & Johnson, C. (2012). Principles of advertising a global perspective (2nd ed.). New York: Haworth Press. Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore. (2013, February 19). Economic survey of Singapore 2012. Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore. Retrieved January 19, 2014, from http://www.mti.gov.sg/ResearchRoom/SiteAssets/Pages/Economic-Survey-of-Singapore-2012/FullReport_AES2012.pdf Source document

Saturday, January 4, 2020

The Lost Boyz Analysis - 1047 Words

â€Å"Free will and determinism are like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt is determinism. The way you play your hand is free will.† (Norman Cousins) â€Å"The Lost Boyz† by Justin Rollins, is a remarkable, personal recount of the author’s dejected youth as well as a deep, raw and vivid insight into the ways and consequences of a broken youths’ mind (Rollins, 2011). Throughout his book, Rollins depicts the divergent factors responsible for his descend into the criminal lifestyle, ultimately attributing them to two key criminological theories; classicism and positivism (Newburn, 2017). Classicist criminology, or the classical approach to criminal behaviour is centred around the idea of free will and rational thinking, defining the criminal†¦show more content†¦Philosophical utilitarianism is the view that people’s behaviour is motivated by the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain (Newburn, 2017). In other words, crimes occur when an individual weigh the risks and benefits of an act, and realizes that the criminal act outweighs the consequences, hence the punishment (Law et al, 2009). This is also known as the pain-pleasure principle (Newburn, 2017), which simultaneously aids in explaining the need for a more just penal policy, where the idea of punishment is utilized in order to deter criminal behaviour (Law et al, 2009) as well as the overall existence of crime. Throughout his book, Rollins continuously attributes his â€Å"satisfaction from seeing destruction† (Rollins, 2011:24) to the maximization of pleasure through the â€Å"amazing adrenaline rush† (Rollins, 2011:38) going as far as to refer to himself as an â€Å"adrenaline junkie† (Rollins, 2011:25). Rollins breaks the law throughout the course of the book, some examples including his tendency to â€Å"set fires, smash windows and steal† (Rollins, 2011p:25) in order to gain excitement and stimulate â€Å"the adrenali ne rush and feeling of power† (Rollins, 2011:38), hence ensuring the maximization of pleasure to the extent where the consequences, the pain, were forgotten. Therefore, as the pain-pleasure principle is purely based on self interest (Carrabine, 2014), Rollins arguably made hisShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Lost Boyz1048 Words   |  5 PagesJustin Rollins, raised in the streets of South-London, was deprived of a childhood where he fought for purpose in a world filled with racism and violence. In his book â€Å"The Lost Boyz† he tells us the crucial events which occurred throughout his upbringing which shaped his journey through his teenage years. This essay will critically evaluate the theories and explanations for Rollins’ offending behaviour using a wide range of criminological perspectives. Psychological positivist John Bowlby consideredRead MoreThe Media Of Teen Drug Abuse2396 Words   |  10 PagesAt Alcohol and Drug Use Among African American Children, speaks on the issues of medias portrayal of African American Children living in high-risk environments in overwhelmingly negative terms such as â€Å"children under siege,† â€Å"Endangered Species,† â€Å"lost generation,† and so much more. The article also addresses the stereotype of how African American children living within low-to-moderate income inner-city communities are forced to contend with a hostile environments that is permeated by alcohol andRead MoreAmerican Slang Essay 115481 Words   |  62 Pagesones eye – â€Å"ones favourite† — are metaphorical in origin. The first time they are used they are truly creative. They attract attention and the speaker/inventor might be praised. When these phrases are used over and over again, their freshness is lost and they tur n into rather ordinary lexical items. They are then often called frozen metaphors. This then creates a need for new expressions, new metaphors. In a purely rational language, you might think that a principle like â€Å"one concept - oneRead MoreAnalysis on Conversation Features. Differenfes Between British and American English16034 Words   |  65 PagesIt usually takes place in an informal context. That is why contractions, double negation, and use of extended forms stated as incorrect by the prescriptive grammarians can be found. Also in this group would be included regional dialects. 2 ANALYSIS In this part we are going to analyze the two scripts we have chosen. We have counted and classified the conversational features. In order to support the results, some tables are included. Both texts have similar characteristics, so we have explained