Define,describe and give examples of classical and operant Essay

Define,describe and give examples of classical and operant conditioning - Essay Example If the neutral and unconditioned stimuli are repeatedly paired together, according to the classical conditioning model, the association will produce a behavioral response, which is the â€Å"conditioned response†. Classical conditioning supports the idea that organisms develop responses to particular stimuli that are not naturally occurring but instead generalized from one stimulus onto a neutral stimulus that is paired with it. For instance, in the case of Pavlov’s dog, the meat powder was good, the experimenter was associated with the meat powder, and therefore, the experimenter was associated with good. This syllogistic relationship is a natural and very powerful concept. When Pavlov began pairing a bell sound with the meat powder, he discovered that even when the meat powder did not come, the dogs still responded with salivation. This finding indicated that the dogs prepared for food, even though there was no actual food being presented to them. Operant conditioning is different because it describes a situation in which an individual modifies the content of its behaviors due to an association of that behavior with a stimulus. The classic example involves placing a cat in a box with only one way out.

Communicable Diseases for District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia Assignment

Communicable Diseases for District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia - Assignment Example Health officials moved with speed to intervene such that by 16th November, the number of deaths significantly dropped to 5,000. The epidemic was one of the worst in the American history. The influenza had a high virulence hence not easy to contain. The influenza is believed to have been transmitted by sailors in Norfolk (Dinh et al., 2006). About 200,000 people were reportedly infected within the first month of the outbreak. The District of Columbia was hit by the dengue fever epidemic in late September, 2010. By October 1st, 160 cases had been reported. The dengue fever spread exponentially such that by October 8th, about 2000 people had been infected with the flu. 450 victims of dengue fever were reported by mid October (Modis et al., 2004). By the third week of October, 750 people had been infected with the virus. The dengue fever was feared to become a pandemic in the rural areas and along the border. It took the intervention of the health and State authorities in Columbia to warn the people about the high prevalence of the fever along the borders since the disease is mostly transmitted through water and humidity (Gubler, 2002). To effectively contain the disease, there was need for the government of Columbia to work hand in hand with the authorities in regions neighboring Columbia. There was an Ebola outbreak in Reston, Virginia in 1989. An outbreak spread relatively fast; however it was nonlethal to humans. Several lab monkeys died, though. Many people tested positive. It was a unique Ebola outbreak in the U.S. history. Although the Ebola virus could only kill monkeys, it was a major health scare (Geisbert et al., 1992). Fortunately, the U.S. authorities were able to move with speed to contain the Reston virus. Patients exposed to the virus never really got sick. Many Americans viewed the Reston crisis as a health horror. Health officials who tried to contain the situation were exposed to the virus, albeit

Self education made Malcolm X one of the most influential leaders of Essay

Self education made Malcolm X one of the most influential leaders of his time - Essay Example He belonged to a Christian family where his father was a Baptist Minister and a strong supporter of Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Movement. He had a tragic childhood that made him a burglar. While Malcolm X was a child, his house was set on fire one day and his family had to face constant harassment. Due to this, they migrated to Michigan where his father was murdered. His mother could not cope up with the needs of the family and the death of his father. She was finally committed to a mental institution. . [Malcolm X El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , 2005]. Malcolm X and his siblings were send to different foster homes. [Malcolm X, 2005]. Although, he was a bright student, Malcolm X did not attain education after eighth grade. He migrated to New York were he worked as a waiter in Harlem. Later he was indulged in selling and using drugs, gambling and finally resorted to burglary. He was arrested at the age of 20 and sentenced to ten years of imprisonment. [Malcolm X, 2005] The art of self-education guided Malcolm X to become a voracious reader and enhanced his language skills. While Malcolm X was in prison, his life took a drastic turn. He transformed himself from a burglar to a great follower of Islam. He learned the existence of Ejjah Mohammed and movements of the black Muslims from his siblings who had converted to Muslims. While he was in the prison, he started writing letters and only then, he realized his poor communication skill in English . Due to his immense dedication to enhance reading and writing skills, he got himself a dictionary. He started writing all the words and their meaning in a book and read them aloud. Through this technique, he improved his vocabulary. After acquiring this skill, he could read all the books with ease. He became a voracious reader and attained vast amount of knowledge through these books about slavery and the history of black civilization throughout the world. He read about Gandhi's struggle to attain freedom in India, Abolitionist Anti Slavery society, genetics, religion and philosophy. [Burke, 2004]. Due to the art of self- education, Malcolm X became one of the most influential leaders of the blacks in the 20th century. Due to the language skills that he had acquired in the prison, Malcolm X became a great spokesperson and propagated Islam. He fought for the dignity of the blacks and rose to the position of a minister at the Nation of Islam. [Malcolm X - Black American History, a history of black people in the United States, n. d]. Later he objected to certain viewpoints of Islam and deviated from it. He went to Mecca and propagated that not all whites were devils. He returned to United States and formed the organization of Afro-American Unity. Malcolm X attained this height of success through self-education. [Carson, n. d]. Through his exemplary communication skills, which he mastered through the art of self-education, helped him become a great spokesperson. If not for this technique of education, Malcolm X would have still lived his life in the streets of New York doing petty crimes. The reading habit that he acquired in the prison was his motivating factor in understanding the various concerns faced by the blacks and propelled him to fight for their justice. Conclusion Malcolm X exemplifies the benefits that an individual attains through self -education. This technique teaches an

Positive Consequences Essay Example for Free

Positive Consequences Essay Ethnocentrism is the practice of judging other cultures in the context of one’s own culture. By using the standards of a certain culture to assess other cultures, ethnocentric people often make hasty and offensive generalizations about people whose cultural backgrounds differ from theirs. Racial stereotypes and the usage of scapegoats are two negative effects of ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism A common mistake that occurs in the study of other cultures is the tendency to critically judge the culture being studied using the standards of one’s own culture. In doing so, the researcher imposes the assumptions and perspectives of his or her own culture on everything that he or she encounters about the culture that he or she is studying. The researcher eventually starts to dismiss facts that may appear different or strange to him or her as â€Å"bad,† â€Å"dumb,† â€Å"pagan,† â€Å"primitive,† etc. The end result is that the researcher unknowingly practices ethnocentrism (NCSU-CHASS, n. d. ). â€Å"Us† against â€Å"Them† Merriam-Webster Online (2008) defined ethnocentrism as a â€Å"(belief that is) characterized or based on the attitude that one’s own group is superior† (Merriam-Webster Online, 2008). Ethnocentrism occurs when people make generalizations about other cultures and customs that are based on their own cultural norms. More often than not, ethnocentric individuals unconsciously use their own culture as a universal yardstick that can accurately judge cultures that are different from theirs. As a result, they come up with erroneous, hurtful and disrespectful assumptions about other people (Culbertson, 2008). Positive Consequences Ethnocentrism satisfies the human psyche’s need for identity and belonging. By claiming that his or her culture is â€Å"superior† over other cultures, a person gains a sense of importance over other people. Ethnocentrism also fosters intarethnic loyalty, which, in turn, leads to the survival of a society. In her article Ethnocentrism and Xenophobia: A Cross-Cultural Study (2001), Elizabeth Cashdan argued that being social animals, humans do not have the capacity to survive on their own. They had to form groups or communities wherein members shared the complex responsibilities needed for survival (Cashdan, 2001). But they also have to compete with other groups or communities, especially for resources. In order to win the competition, a community’s sense of identity must be strong enough to motivate its members to abandon personal interests and work together towards the society’s advancement. As a result, the community survives and even improves (Cashdan, 2001). Negative Consequences Ethnocentrism is the root cause of various misconceptions about people of certain cultures. Ethnocentric individuals often create racist stereotypes about them simply because they regard them as â€Å"inferior† or â€Å"uncivilized. † Below are some examples of racist stereotypes: The Mammy. The mammy is the oldest and the most popular racial stereotype regarding African-American women. She is portrayed as dark-skinned, middle aged, overweight, very religious cheerful and extremely loyal and faithful to the white family she was working for. There is no historical evidence that supports the existence of actual mammies. Further research revealed that this stereotype was created to justify the institution of slavery – the mammy was proof that black women were happy and contented as slaves. In addition, her desexualized nature was intended to conceal sexual relations between white men and black female slaves in pre-Civil War America (Pilgrim, 2000). The Tom. The Tom is the male counterpart of the mammy. He is frequently presented as a hardworking, smiling and dependable black server, usually working as a fieldworker, cook, butler, porter or waiter. Just like the mammy, the Tom’s life revolves around his white masters and their families. Furthermore, the Tom is another racial stereotype that was intended to debunk arguments about the evils of slavery. Nowadays, â€Å"Uncle Tom† has evolved into an expression that is used to criticize a black person who is unreasonably subservient to white people. Lotus Blossom. The Lotus Blossom is one of the most well-known stereotypes attached to Asian women. The term â€Å"Lotus Blossom† refers to a prudish, quiet and submissive Asian woman. But Hollywood took this stereotype to a higher level by featuring Asian women who are prudish, quiet and submissive, but at the same time, eager to please white men. Consequently, movies such as â€Å"Street Fighter† and â€Å"The Joy Luck Club† often pair white actors with Asian actresses (Dugong, n. d. ). Dragon Lady. Akin to the Lotus Blossom, the Dragon Lady is also physically stunning. However, the latter uses her sexuality to get what she wants. Aside from having the ability to seduce men, the Dragon Lady also has superior physical strength and martial arts skills. It is believed that she â€Å"has the power to hypnotize her male rivals, gain trust by seducing them, and when they least expect it, she rids of them through sabotage or backstabbing† (Dugong, n. d. ). As a result, this stereotype projected the misconception that Asian women are avaricious and not trustworthy (Dugong, n. d. ). Scapegoats The usage of scapegoats is another detrimental effect of ethnocentrism. Some people and or organizations unjustly blame other people or groups for the occurrence of certain problems. The targets, in turn, receive rejection and even outright persecution from parties that the perpetrators have managed to influence. The Holocaust is a classic example of using other people as scapegoats. Adolf Hitler got himself into power by constantly blaming the Jews for Germany’s economic, political and social instability after World War I. Conclusion There is a saying that prejudice is the idle man’s substitute for thinking. This byword is very much applicable in ethnocentrism. Instead of taking the time to really know other cultures, some people would rather judge them negatively simply because they are different from their culture. True, attacking other cultures unfairly may be cathartic. But doing so also exposes ethnocentric individuals as insecure people who put other people down to make themselves look and feel good.

Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic, History, and Reconciliation :: Confederates Attic

Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic, History, and Reconciliation Long after the Civil War we are still fascinated by it. In some circles, the "War of Northern Agression" or the "Lost Cause" is thought of, discussed, brought to life daily. While every war has its fanbase, the Civil War has a special distinction for America. It was the war for the preservation of the Union in some classes, a violent and tyrranical putting-down of a justified rebellion in others. I have never been particularly interested in the war, or any war for that matter. I have also never been terribly entertained by professional sports or cowboy movies, either, so I blame my lack of enthusiasm for Civil War lore and history more on my general lack of manliness rather than any fault of the war’s. It was obviously a very moving conflict. When I moved from Illinois to Arkansas and entered the eighth grade, I discovered my new school was approximately a year behind my old school in most subjects. I spent an additional nine months firming up my knowledge of "Earth Science," and relearning American History. For the most part, the entire academic year was simply a refresher – we even used some of the same textbooks I had used in the seventh gade. It was the same, that is, until we got to the Civil War. In Illinois the war was portrayed in fairly objective terms, something like this: "In the Civil War the North and South fought against each other. The South wanted to secede from the union, and the North wanted to keep the US together, oh and free the slaves. Illinois was part of the North." The instruction wasn’t necessarily complete or elevated, but I never felt like I was personally involved in the war. However, in Arkansas, in the South, I received an education much more like this: "During the Civil War, w e fought against the North. They didn’t want to let us secede. We wanted to, and would have, but we lost. They freed the slaves." Even at 13 I understood there was something very different about the way that people in the North and in the South view the war. Many writers, poets, and critics have pronounced that part of what makes the South so southern is the fact that it builds itself on its past. It cannot let go of the past. Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic, History, and Reconciliation :: Confederates Attic Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic, History, and Reconciliation Long after the Civil War we are still fascinated by it. In some circles, the "War of Northern Agression" or the "Lost Cause" is thought of, discussed, brought to life daily. While every war has its fanbase, the Civil War has a special distinction for America. It was the war for the preservation of the Union in some classes, a violent and tyrranical putting-down of a justified rebellion in others. I have never been particularly interested in the war, or any war for that matter. I have also never been terribly entertained by professional sports or cowboy movies, either, so I blame my lack of enthusiasm for Civil War lore and history more on my general lack of manliness rather than any fault of the war’s. It was obviously a very moving conflict. When I moved from Illinois to Arkansas and entered the eighth grade, I discovered my new school was approximately a year behind my old school in most subjects. I spent an additional nine months firming up my knowledge of "Earth Science," and relearning American History. For the most part, the entire academic year was simply a refresher – we even used some of the same textbooks I had used in the seventh gade. It was the same, that is, until we got to the Civil War. In Illinois the war was portrayed in fairly objective terms, something like this: "In the Civil War the North and South fought against each other. The South wanted to secede from the union, and the North wanted to keep the US together, oh and free the slaves. Illinois was part of the North." The instruction wasn’t necessarily complete or elevated, but I never felt like I was personally involved in the war. However, in Arkansas, in the South, I received an education much more like this: "During the Civil War, w e fought against the North. They didn’t want to let us secede. We wanted to, and would have, but we lost. They freed the slaves." Even at 13 I understood there was something very different about the way that people in the North and in the South view the war. Many writers, poets, and critics have pronounced that part of what makes the South so southern is the fact that it builds itself on its past. It cannot let go of the past.

Effects on plastic surgery

Purpose: The audience will know about the effects of the plastic surgery. Thesis: Effects on plastic surgery. Introduction A. Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the â€Å"correction† or restoration of form and function. B. There are many types of plastic surgery such as cosmetic surgery, reconstructive surgery, hand surgery, microsurgery, and the treatment of burns. C. However, plastic surgery can have positive and negative effects. Transition: Let me start explaining about the positive effects on plastic surgery. Body 1. Re-contouring A.This is the process of plastic surgery that includes procedures such a liposuction, which involves the removal of fat from the body. B. Not only does this make you look more attractive, but controlled liposuction can remove safe amounts of fat from your body to aid in overall health. Transition: Another positive effect of plastic surgery is†¦ 2. Confidence A. This is a big benefit that comes along with plastic surgery. B. Confidence makes people psychologically fit and happy, and generally improves their style of life. Transition: Now let me turn to the third effects which are†¦ . Wounds & Accidents A. Many people go to a plastic surgeon because they have been in some kind of accident. B. In order to reduce major scarring, plastic surgery is required Transition: Lastly, the positive effects on plastic surgery are†¦ 4. Age-Deflance A. The affects of aging can be prolonged or reversed with plastic surgery. B. Wrinkles can be removed as well as age spots and sagging skin. C. When kept toa minimum, plastic surgery can take years off your apparent age. Transition: Now, let me proceed to the negative effects on plastic surgery. 1.Cost A. When people decide to undergo cosmetic surgery, they often consult a rofessional who gives them an estimate as to the cost. B. This estimate isn't a binding contract, but a guess as to how much the procedure will cost. C. The actual cost can rise dramatically over this estimate, leading patients to suffer pressure to pay the entire amount even if they cannot afford it. D. When the cost is spread out over a payment plan, it can cause more stress. Transition: Now, let's turn to a second negative effects on plastic surgery†¦ 2. Emotional Effects A.The emotional effects on patients' well-being are one of the negative effects of osmetic surgery. B. While they go under the knife to fix a problem they see on the outside, this sometimes only serves as a bandage on the larger problem. C. After the surgery they continue to sutter trom a body image distortion . D. A small number ot patients continue to go back to the surgeon to fix other problems they see instead of trying to find a real solution to the problem. Conclusion Before I end my speech, I would like to review that†¦ Plastic surgery can have either negative or positive effects. We should know how to evaluate it wisely.

The Cosby Show American the Different Sides

The Cosby Show changed the stereotypical roles that were usually handed to black films and movies. Before the Cosby Show there were shows like Sandford & Son and Good Times that portrayed black in poverty. The Cosby Show however focused on issues that pertained to everyone with a focus on black people. They addressed issues such as pregnancy, educatiion, marriage, and even touched on music. The days of poor black in television and movies are gone. Wtaching an episode of the Cosby Show is an inspiration to everyone who sees it. Being able to watch where there is a black family not struggling to pay the rent is rejuvenatihng t6o me. We have a husband who is a doctor and a wife that is an attorney that shows examples of what living in America is like from a educational point of view versus just what a sterotypical black family life would be. The Cosby Show focuses on what it is like to be pregnant and go through labor and delivery pains in dealing with real life situations. The show also focuses on a happy married life and the problems that can arise within a family. I never knew how smooth jazz could be until I had seen an episode of the Cosby Show. Going to college is a dream that most people try to achieve. Until I had watched the Cobsy Show I was never really informed on what it would be like to go to college. I never knew there were prominent black colleges and universities. I think that being able to have a good television show that shows real life examples of life is what helps make this a graet society to live in, the Cosby Show is that show. Once in a while the show highlighted musical guest usually jazz and blues artists. Three was an episode where BB King guest starred and showed America how he helped his guitar â€Å"Lucile†. The Cosby Show is an example of if you put your mind to it you can do anything, and today America knows that.