Continuum of Legal Formality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Continuum of Legal Formality - Research Paper Example The administrative law is aimed at capturing thefts within the community. On a global scale, administrative law is a very low positioned legal system. This system is responsible for the correction of people and upholding of social norms. The administrative law governance, however, keeps changing depending on the type of case. In many occasions, administrative law uses informal ways to settle disputes or any other r case based on its importance. However, as much there are informal ways of dealing with cases of administrative law, the formal procedures need to follow. There must be protocol. It will also look at the merits and demerits of using both the formal and informal approach. Over the years the debate over informality or formality in the legal system has dominated many forums. Some administrators feel that the law shield their operating power and hence advocate for more informal procedures to be embraced. Contrary to this, some feel without the participation of the law, administ rators may use this avenue to fulfill their personal interest. In an argument by Harrington & Carter (2009) informal procedures can be used by selfish individuals to hurt other people without any concrete reasons. With increasing trends in society, the already outlined laws may fail to access some parts of the community. In regards to these developments, an informal administrative law may be used to solve the issue. With the already outlined formal lawmaking, sometimes it becomes difficult to solve upcoming issues using the formal way (Harrington & Carter, 2009). On this perspective, the informal law application should be advocated for. While dealing with formality the case advancement is usually dictated by the existing law. This hinders the administrators to utilize all options. For example, some issues may not need prosecution to any parties involved. According to formal procedure, any wrong done is punishable law. However, some administrators feel obligated to use informal metho ds of keeping the case out of the formal procedures. In some instances, they choose dialogue where both parties can settle issues outside the corridors of justice. In this way, the legal system is shielded from petty cases while the feeling of mutual respect is instilled in the parties (Harrington & Carter, 2009). Apart from ease, informal procedures doe does not escalate the conflict between two warring parties. It gives both parties chance to save their image and any form of relationship. In using the formal procedures, it is difficult for parties to get both justice and positive attitude towards one another. As much as formal legal procedures are not advocated by a majority of people, they remain the most efficient legal procedures. From the operating stage to the implementing stage, formal procedures have the well-defined code of operation. With this structure, many people still advocate for it since there is the assurance of transparency. With transparency, all individuals feel justice has been done regardless of the outcome. In words by Harrington & Carter (2009), formal procedures usually leave a mark of justice to all parties involved in a legal battle.

Home Depot case study for Strategic management for mba class

Home Depot for Strategic management for mba class - Case Study Example Switching costs were low in this industry and this situation assisted consumers to change their retailers easily. In addition, the industry faced threat of substitutes because many products had close substitutes available. In 2006, buyers’ bargaining power was high as they had different market options and good understanding of various brand choices. In contrast, supplier power was low as majority of the retail players received suppliers from a large number of distinct vendors. Need of high initial capital investment eliminated the threat of new entrants to some extent at that time. The home improvement industry underwent tremendous changes over the next six years. Degree of rivalry got intensified because the price factor became paramount. As compared to 2006, threat of substitutes became higher in 2011 mainly because of the innovation and development of improved substitute products. By 2011, the industry adapted to a competitive pricing strategy and this situation added furth er value to buyer bargaining power. Naturally, suppliers were also forced to provide material to retailers at minimum cost; hence, supplier power further declined in 2011. Similarly, threat of new entrants also reduced to a considerable extent because new entrants found it difficult to confront with huge players like Wal-Mart. 2. While analyzing the market environment of the Home Depot for the year 2006, brand awareness seems to be the most competitive strength of the company. The Home Depot was the world’s largest home improvement retailer during that time, and this dominance boosted its brand awareness. Increased utilization of rapid deployment centers also added to the strength of the company as this strategy contributed to the efficient supply chain operations. In addition, the organization’s simple and distinct business model has entirely changed the way consumers shop home improvement

The Treasury Profile For Marks & Spencer PLC Essay

The Treasury Profile For Marks & Spencer PLC - Essay Example The strategies and policies for administering these risks are being deliberated in this research essay. M& S is offering high grade quality clothing, exotic food and top grade home products. It has also expanded its operations in many foreign nations and is now operating in 43 foreign locations other than UK. M& S offers a wide range of high grade quality clothing, exotic food and top grade home products, which includes categories like kitchen accessories, house accessories, novelty gifts, decorations, various brands TVs, women’s accessories and clothing, men’s underwear accessories and clothing, office supplies, lingerie, men’s shoes, etc. Marks & Spencer Group is having a centralised Group treasury department to administer the funding requirements of the group and to manage the financial risk in tune with its approved Board’s treasury procedures and policies and operate within their delegated powers. M&S is having a record of twenty –one million satisfied customers in UK alone. It has achieved only a marginal increase in sales of 0.44% in the year 2009 as compared to 2008 due to impact of global economic recession. M& S is constantly paying its attention to customers by frequent surveys and research analysis, by monitoring sales and direct feedback from its customer’s service team. M& S is one of the leading retail chain stores in UK and also operates in many other countries. It has record sales of  £ M 9062.10 in the year 2009. Given its scale and size of the company, it is under heavy pressure to finance its both working capital needs and also in the long-term debt needs. To facilitate its funding needs, M&S group is operating a centralised Group treasury department to administer the funding needs of the group and to manage and control the financial risks in line with its Board of Director’s acknowledged treasury policies and with help of their delegated authorities. Treasury

Trauma in Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Trauma in Conflict - Essay Example FitzPatrick and Hartsock observe that throughout history military nurses have stood with physicians and assisted them in carrying out emergency medical interventions. Nurses have served as care providers in many regions of conflict such as Somalia, Croatia, Desert Storm and recently in Iraq and Afghanistan (Flint et al. 2007). The evolution in trauma nursing has opened up new roles for nursing such as injury prevention, data management and the use of new technologies for dealing with trauma injuries. One such medical intervention is the military tourniquet. The military tourniquet is used for supporting poly-trauma patients. The Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) is a common military tourniquet used by military nurses. This essay will discuss the potential dilemmas arising out of the use of tourniquets, particularly CAT. The issues will be considered in the context of trauma conflict situations. Patients in military operations in Afghanistan will be considered too. According to Beac hley, military nurses have contributed significantly towards the effective management and care of severe injuries. Amongst such measures are triage rapid evacuation, stabilization and surgical procedures (Flint et al. 2007). It is necessary for military nurses to master the interventions that are required for dealing with blast and gunshot victims. The frequency of such injuries has increased significantly over the past few decades owing largely to the fact that they are not confined to the military anymore. The proliferation of weaponry and its use out of the military has made the civilian population yet more susceptible to trauma. The role of nurses has become increasingly important in managing trauma ever since the Crimean War. Effective management of penetrating trauma, which has occurred in wars and military operations, requires the nurse to be apt at the working knowledge of the interventions (O'Shea 2005). A critical aspect of emergency care of trauma victims is gaining contr ol of and stopping haemorrhage. It has been reported that taking measures to prevent deaths occurring from blood loss from the limbs are the most vital means of saving lives. Haemorrhage has been cited as the most important reason for death after trauma (Lerner & Soudry 2011). In the protocol used for managing a trauma patient, circulation is now being given increased importance. The treatment procedure has changed from ABC to ABC to highlight the significance of controlling blood loss (Brodie et al. 2007). These changes are also being introduced into training programs for military trauma nurses. A device used in such cases is tourniquet. Tourniquets are devices which can reduce arterial and venous flow by compressing it. In the UK, tourniquets are a part of the personal first aid kits of soldiers going to the field. They are encouraged to make use of tourniquets when faced with excessive amounts of blood loss. Despite the effectiveness of tourniquets on stopping blood loss, their u se in conflict situations is subject to debate. There are strong arguments both favouring and discouraging the use of tourniquets in critical situations in the war zone. The arguments against the use of tourniquets are that they lead to the unnecessary loss and amputation of limbs. This highlights the gravity of the issue and the medicolegal aspects surrounding their use. Tourniquets are used for medical or tactical reasons. They help to deliver care-under-fire,

Science Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Science Research Paper Essay ANALYSIS: What would happen if the experiment was repeated by baking the bread at high temperatures again before starting the experiment? The experiment can be repeated using different types of food like biscuits or cooked rice. It is observed that the 1st bread slice with a few drops of water and kept in the dark space had started to grow mold the fastest. The 5th bread slice that was kept in the refrigerator took the longest for the mold to appear. CONCLUSION: The hypothesis that bread mold will grow faster in warm and damp environment is proven to be true. Mold will grow fast on bread in humid and warm conditions. Bread should be kept in dark, dry and cool places for it to last longer. Bread can also last longer if stored in the fridge or in airtight containers. Mold is an annoyance when it comes to storing food, but it has its usefulness too. Molds help in the decomposing process of decaying animals and plants. Penicillium is used in pharmaceutical work to produce medicine. RESEARCH TEMPERATURE Definition: Temperature is the difference between hot and cold. It is measured on a standard scale. It is a numeric measurement of hotness and coldness. The measurement is based on a flow of heat between two connected objects. One of the most common scales of temperature is Celsius. Low Temperature storage Low Temperature storage (LTS) is what refrigeration and freezing is called. LTS is very effective in slowing the process of spoilage. It also allows longer storage. Refrigeration doesnt cause change to the food but does allow microorganisms to form after a while. Freezing can cause chemical change if the food has not yet been frozen and it goes into the freezer before being treated. After it has been treated it is called quick freezing. Freezing the food before the food has been treated is called slow freezing. Slow freezing causes the substance to leak fluids. Kelvin Kelvin is a fundamental physical quality that is based on the position above or below 273.16K. It is called the triple point of water. Kelvin is the temperature at which water, ice, and water vapor coexist together. Zero degree k is the absolute lowest temperature at which no energy motion of molecules is made. Kelvin is named after William Thompson, Lord Kelvin a British physicist. He introduced this absolute thermodynamic scale in 1848. There are some limits as to how low the temperature can get, but as far as scientists know there isnt a limit as to how high it can get. The lowest temperature that is known is ?273.15 C. MOLD GROWTH Definition Mold is a multi-celled woolly growth made up of microscopic spore colonies, that lives off of dead matter, and form when contact is made with sufficient food. After landing mold attacks its â€Å"prey† with a coating of slime that helps break the food down into small partials. Mold absorbs water and eats carbohydrates such as sugars and fats. There are approximately one hundred thousand known species of mold and scientists think that there are as many  as two hundred thousand. Four main types Penicillium Penicillium is most of the blue and green molds. This particular group of molds contains an antibiotic drug, the same drug that is found in Penicillin. In fact it is what lead to the production of Penicillin. The drug found in it is so strong that inhaling it can cause severe damage to the lung. Rhizopus Rhizopus is a type of bread mold. It is mainly the black molds. They have single tube like hyphea structures instead of many web-like structures. They are widely distributed instead of grouped together like most other molds. Aspergillius Aspergillius are the green colored molds. There are about eighty forms of Aspergillius and over half of them are hazardous and can cause respiratory disorders. Aspergillius is one of the only types of molds that completely smothers its food. Mucon Mucon is the group of white molds. There are over three hundred fifty forms of mold that fit into this group. One of the most commonly seen molds from this group is Mucor mucedo, which is a pin mold. MOLD RELATED PROBLEMS Allergic Disorders Allergic disorders may result from an immune mechanism shut down. Antibiotics can medicate them, immediate types are more life threatening than others and can cause systematic shock. Allergies can result in hives or angioedema, a delayed reaction is a generalized rash. Harmful pathogens Pathogens can harm the human body in many ways. One is through the manufacturing of toxic products (toxins) that are produced by living organisms, either exotoxins or endotoxins. Exotoxins are released onto the surrounding area and contain extremely potential protein compounds that demonstrate selectivity with regards to the site and mode of the attack. Endotoxins are only released when the organism that produced it is broken up and only then is it harmful if eaten. Defense Against In order to defend themselves from this harm, humans and animals have developed a set of complex defense mechanisms, the most common of these systems defend the bodies eternal and external surfaces. Controlling In spite of defense efforts bacterial infections are often harmful or even fatal. Therefore finding other defense methods is critically important to maintaining good health. SUMMARY Mold spores are reproductive structures of filamentous fungi (molds). A single microscopic mold filament, called a hypha, forms a mat that is called a mycelium. Mycelia are visible without a microscope. Molds are very common organisms and can be found where there is moisture, oxygen, and food they need. Molds can be seen on bread, cheese, or fruit. Hot spots of mold growth can be found in basements and bathrooms (especially shower stalls), house plants, and even air conditioners. Molds grow on fallen leaves, rotting logs, certain grasses, and weeds. They also can be found in barns, dairies, bakeries, and greenhouses. The mold mycelium produces reproductive branches above the surface of the mold. These branches carry spores called conidia that function in distribution of mold by air, water, and animals. Among different molds, sporesemployed in asexual reproductionvary in size, shape, and color. Each spore can germinate to start a new mold, which in turn produces million of spores. Spores are very tough structures: they are resistant to drying, freezing, heating, and some chemicals. The majority of the mold spores are disseminated by air. A sample of air may contain up to 2  million spores per cubic meter, but on average, about 10,000 spores inhabit one cubic meter of air. The amount of mold spores in the air in some areas is greater than the amount of pollen. Certain types of mold spores can cause various allergic reactions in humans, such as irritations of the eyes, nose, and throat. About 20 to 30 percent of the population develops allergic responses after exposure to these mold spores. The most common allergenic spores in the United States are Alternaria cladosporium, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Mucor, Rhizopus, and Penicillium. In some people, exposure to mold spores leads to asthma (Madigan, 2009). Some mold spores, if they reach lungs, can cause infections called mycoses. Systemic mycoses are the most serious category of mold infection. The host becomes infected by inhaling spores that germinate in the lungs. In the United States, two of the most common mold infections of that type are coccidioidomycosis, caused by Coccidioides immitis, and histoplasmosis, caused by Histoplasma capsulatum. Mild coccidioidomycosis may go unnoticed or produce symptoms similar to those of pneumonia or tuberculosis (Madigan, 2009). The human immune system normally destroys mold spores and neutralizes mold infections. In a small number of cases, however, more serious coccidioidomycosis develops and lesions of the skin, bones, joints, internal organs, and brain (meningitis) occur. Progressive histoplasmosis symptoms include lung cavities, sputum production, night sweats, and weight loss (Madigan, 2009). The weather and mold-spore distribution are closely related. Spore count is usually higher in temperate and tropical regions than in the polar and northern regions. In colder climates, molds are present in the air during the period between late winter and late fall. In warmer climates, mold spores are found throughout the year. It is likely that warmer temperatures due to global warming will result in an increase and even abundance of mold spores and, therefore, in considerable increase of allergic reactions. Repeated exposure to a massive amount of mold spores (100 million per cubic meter) can cause serious allergy-related health problems, including chills, fever, dry cough, breathlessness, weight loss, and even permanent lung damage. Global warming is believed to be a major factor in the explosion of mold-related asthma and mold infections (Beggs, 2004). For instance, the causative agent of coccidioidomycosis can be found in geographical areas with high summer temperatures and mild winters. In the southwestern regions of the United  States, where this climate prevails, an estimated 80 percent of inhabitants are currently infected. Infectious disease specialists suggest that global warming will cause the further expansion of the geographic ranges of coccidioidomycosis infection. Scientists predict that climate change could also increase the spread of histoplasmosis, which at present afflicts about 500,000 people annually. Another example of mold-spore infection spreading as a result of climate change is the infection caused by Cryptococcus gattii. Though previously it was only seen in Australia and other subtropical regions, this mold is spreading in Canadas Vancouver Island and the Pacific Northwest. It can cause serious human infection of the lungs and brain. In addition, molds are the cause of numerous plant diseases. The increase of plant fungal diseases due to global warming may have a negative impact on plants ability to take up carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, thereby increasing the CO2 concentration of the atmosphere and contributing to further warming. Managing mold plant infections may also require pesticides whose production consumes fossil fuels and generates even more CO2 emissions. There is another indirect relationship between mold spores and climate change. In nature, many molds are capable of decomposing woody plants such as trees. Cellulose and lignin in these trees are the biological molecules most resistant to decomposition. Molds, however, use cellulose and lignin from woody plants as their source of energy and carbon, and they release CO2 in the process. Trees function as carbon sinks, retaining carbon for the duration of their lives and sequestering it from the atmosphere. As global climate change increases the amount of mold spores and, eventually, molds, the CO2 released by decomposition of woody plants by those molds will also increase. Eliminating mold spores is impractical. Therefore, the only solution to keep molds under control is to control global warming.

Effect of Perceived Anonymity of Group Task Social Loafing

Effect of Perceived Anonymity of Group Task Social Loafing Title: The effect of perceived anonymity upon individual effort in a group task. Abstract: Social loafing according to Latanà © et al (1979) is the decrease in personal effort that occurs when an individual works within a group. However, when people feel as though their input is identifiable they are motivated to exert more effort, thereby mitigating social loafing. (Harkins Jackson, 1985) In an attempt to discover if this effect could be replicated, an opportunity sample of 52 participants was recruited to partake in an independent measures experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups, the public group or the private group. Both groups were asked, via email, to provide suggestions on how their town centre could be improved. The â€Å"public† group believed their results would be attributed to them publicly whilst the â€Å"private† group were assured anonymity. It was hypothesized that the public group would provide more suggestions than the private group. The â€Å"private† condition resulted in a lower mean number of respon ses (M 3.8, SD 2.6) than the â€Å"public† condition (M 6.8, SD 2.22) which supported the hypothesis. Introduction: Social loafing is the propensity for group members to come to be less productive as the group size increases (Latanà © et al, 1979). This effect reveals the converse relationship that exists between group size and an individual’s input to the accomplishment of a task. While examining the association between performance effectiveness and group productivity, Ringelmann (1913) discovered that having members of a group work collectively (in this case, pulling a rope) actually resulted in considerably less effort being applied than when the individual carried out the task independently. Ringelmann also revealed that as more individuals join a group, the group frequently grows progressively inefficient; rejecting the premise that group effort reliably leads to increased productivity. He suggested that groups fail to maximise their potential as several interpersonal processes diminish the group’s overall ability. Williams, Harkins and Latanà ©, (1981) attributed two distinct processes as potential sources for the reduced productivity within groups: motivation loss, and coordination issues. However, group members largely believe that they are contributing to their full potential when asked; evidence has indicated that individuals exhibit loafing without realising (Karau Williams, 1993). In order to facilitate a reduction in social loafing, several suggestions forwarded. Kerr Bruun (1983) state that individuals who exhibit social loafing often fail to contribute as they believe other group members will compensate for them. Therefore, each member of a group should be made to feel like they are vital to the completion of the task at hand. By increasing the individual’s perceived importance of their part of the group, members tend to expend more effort towards achieving the required outcomes. Harkins Szymanski (1989) assert that groups that establish explicit goals tend to outperform groups with unclear objectives. Setting clearly defined aims is believed to encourage many production-enhancing processes, such as increased commitment, comprehensive planning and quality monitoring of group tasks, and increased effort (Weldon, Jehn, Pradhan, 1991). Similar results can be achieved by decreasing the group size; as group size reduces, each members role in the group becomes increasingly integral, so the opportunity to loaf is reduced. Finally, and the focus of this study, when people feel as though their individual contribution is identifiable, they become motivated to work harder on a group project (Harkins Jackson, 1985). This is due to the individual experiencing evaluation apprehension, thereby increasing productivity through social facilitation. Social facilitation is an improvement in performance produced by the presence of others, as in the â€Å"audience effect† as demonstrated by Dashiell (1935), However, should a project allow individual members to remain anonymous, they feel less anxiety about being judged by others, resulting in social loafing (Harkins Petty,1982). The research hypothesis for this study is: Participants in the public group will provide more suggestions than participants in the private group. Method: Design: An Independent measures experimental design with two groups was employed. The independent variable, attribution of comments, was manipulated so that one group was informed that their comments would be publicly attributed to them while the other group was informed that they would remain anonymous. The dependent variable was the total number of responses. Participants: 52 Participants from the experimenter’s friends, family and workplace were asked via email to participate. Participants were assigned, on an alternate basis, to either the â€Å"public† or â€Å"private† condition. The number of participants in each condition was equal. Materials: Standard (2013) desktop PC running Windows 8 and Microsoft Office 2010 was used for all email correspondence, data collation. Ethical consent form obtained from a university representative prior to experiment. (See Appendix A). Participant consent form (See Appendix B). â€Å"Public† group instruction form (See Appendix C). â€Å"Private† group instruction form (See Appendix D). Response collation form (See Appendix E). Participant debrief form (See Appendix F). Procedure: Each participant in the first instance was contacted via email to ask if they wished to take part in a research experiment. Participants who agreed were randomly assigned to one of two groups, the â€Å"public† group or the â€Å"private† group, by means of order of response. For example the first participant to agree to take part was allocated to the â€Å"public† group, the second to â€Å"private† and alternated thusly until all participants had been assigned a group. Each was then sent, via email, an instruction form relating to their group and a consent form to complete. Each participant was asked to follow the instructions provided and return both the consent form and their responses by email within 48 hours. Once the responses were received the debrief sheet was sent out to inform the participant of the true nature of the experiment and advise them that they could remove their data and consent should they wish to. As no consent was withdrawn all dat a gathered was utilised. The total number of responses for each participant was counted and recorded under the appropriate group heading on the response collation form for statistical analysis. Results: The results from the two groups were collected and collated into a table of raw data (See Appendix G). Summary statistics are provided in Table 1 and the mean values are displayed in Figure 1. An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare the number of responses in â€Å"public† and â€Å"private† conditions (See Appendix H). There was a significant difference in the scores for the â€Å"public† (M=6.8, SD= 2.2) and the â€Å"private† (M=3.8, SD=2.6) conditions; t (50) =4.52, p= Figure 1. Mean number of responses for â€Å"public† and â€Å"private† conditions. Discussion: The results generated in this study support Harkins and Jackson’s (1985) assertion that identification increases group productivity in that the â€Å"public† group provided a significantly higher â€Å"response† mean. It also suggests Ringelmann’s (1913) observations and Latanà © et al’s (1979) â€Å"social loafing† may occur even when group members are not physically part of a group. A possible issue of using an independent measures design for this type of research is the potential for error arising from individual differences between participants, for example it may have been that those selected for the â€Å"public† group may have been, in general, more civically minded with a greater personal investment in their home town. As a result the â€Å"public† group might return more responses, not as a result of the independent variable being altered but of the individual differences in participants. To mitigate this effect more information would need to be gleaned from participants to ensure equal distributions between groups. Social loafing and social facilitation, in general, are viewed as distinct lines of research in social psychological literature. It appears, however, that these two phenomena may be closely related as the latter appears to mitigate the former. Further research into the extent to which they interact would be useful in uncovering the depth of the relationship. A pertinent question would be; is there a situation where social facilitation fails to affect social loafing? References: Dashiell, J. F. (1935). Experimental studies of the influence of social situations on the behavior of individual human adults. Harkins, S. G., Petty, R. E. (1982). Effects of task difficulty and task uniqueness on social loafing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43(6), 1214. Harkins, S. G., Szymanski, K. (1989). Social loafing and group evaluation.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,56(6), 934. Karau, S. J., Williams, K. D. (1993). Social loafing: A meta-analytic review and theoretical integration.Journal of personality and social psychology,65(4), 681. Kerr, N. L., Bruun, S. E. (1983). Dispensability of member effort and group motivation losses: Free-rider effects. Journal of Personality and social Psychology, 44(1), 78. Latanà ©, B., Williams, K., Harkins, S. (1979). Many hands make light the work: The causes and consequences of social loafing.Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology,37(6), 822-832. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.37.6.822 Ringelmann, M. (1913). Research on animate sources of power: The work of man.Annales de l’Instuit National Agronomique,12, 1-40. Szymanski, K., Harkins, S. G. (1987). Social loafing and self-evaluation with a social standard.Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology,53(5), 891-897. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.53.5.891 Weldon, E., Jehn, K. A., Pradhan, P. (1991). Processes that mediate the relationship between a group goal and improved group performance.Journal of personality and social psychology,61(4), 555. Appendix: Appendix A Completed ethical consent form obtained prior to study. Research Projects UHI Students All Undergraduate, Taught Postgraduate and Research Students registered on any UHI programme undertaking a research project must seek ethical approval via their Project Supervisor prior to undertaking any form of fieldwork or data collection exercise. Please read the UHI Research Ethics Framework before completing this form and submitting it to your Project Supervisor for approval and signature. Please pay close attention to the guidance notes, as it may be necessary for you to complete another form as part of this exercise. Further information on UHI’s Research Ethics Policy and the ethical approval process can be found at http://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/research-enterprise/resource/ethics Research Ethics Checklist Please complete as appropriate If the answer to the above question is â€Å"Yes†, compliance with NHS Guidelines will be required (see www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk/Research/Pages/ResearchEthics.aspx ), and there is no need for you to answer the remaining questions. Please complete and sign the declaration at the end of this form and submit it to your Project Supervisor. If the answer is â€Å"No†, please continue to Question 2. If the answer to the above question is â€Å"Yes†, please answer the remaining questions. If the answer is â€Å"No†, please complete and sign the declaration at the end of this form and submit it to your Project Supervisor. If you have answered â€Å"No† in each case to Questions 3-14, please complete the Declaration and pass this form to your Project Supervisor for approval. If you have answered â€Å"Yes† to any of the questions, please complete Form REC1-D Student and submit it to your Project Supervisor along with this form. DECLARATION *please delete as appropriate PROJECT SUPERVISOR AUTHORISATION I confirm that: Comments ‘Approved’ or ‘Not Approved’: Thank You. Once authorised, please pass this form, along with Form REC1-D Student if relevant, to the UHI Research Ethics Officer Appendix B Participant consent form. Consent Form Name: Age: Top of Form Gender: MaleFemale Would you like a copy of the completed report? Yes No Bottom of Form Appendix C â€Å"Public† group instruction form. Instructions – Public Group Thank you for volunteering to take part in this project. You are in a group of about 40 people from your local community who have been asked to provide suggestions on how your local town centre can be improved (e.g. provision of litter bins, other shops you would like to see/not see, activities etc). All group members will receive a copy of all suggestions and their authors, made by the group. You can provide as many suggestions as you like. Please send your suggestions by return email within 48 hours. You will then receive a debrief sheet. Appendix D â€Å"Private† group instruction form. Instructions – Private Group Thank you for volunteering to take part in this project. You are in a group of about 40 people from your local community who have been asked to provide suggestions on how your local town centre can be improved (e.g. provision of litter bins, other shops you would like to see/not see, activities etc). No-one else in your group will see your suggestions or name and participation will be in the strictest confidence. You can provide as many suggestions as you like. Please send your suggestions by return email within 48 hours. You will then receive a debrief sheet. Appendix E Result collation form. Appendix F Participant debrief form. Debrief sheet Thank you again for taking part in this project. You have in fact been taking part in an experiment into social loafing. You were amongst a group of 40 participants who were randomly assigned to one of two groups, a public group and a private group. The aim of the experiment was to compare the amount of suggestions provided by each group. It was anticipated that the public group would provide more suggestions as they believed they would be identified and as such would not want to appear to be putting the overall performance of the group down, the private group were expected to provide less suggestions as they were not to be identifiable and it would not be known if they provided only one suggestion for the group, and therefore more prone to ‘social loafing’. The data has now been collated and we did indeed find that the public group provided more suggestions than the private group. These findings along with a report will be written and submitted to the University of Highlands and Islands as part of an assessment carried out by 3rd year Psychology Degree students. Your personal details will not appear in the final report other than the amount of suggestions provided and you will be referred to by number only. We apologise for deceiving you and accept that you may wish to withdraw your data from this study, if so please inform us by return email and we will remove your data from the group. In order for us to use your data, please complete the attached form and return by email as soon as possible. Should you wish to receive a copy of the report, please tick the appropriate box on the attached form. Thank you again for your participation in this study. Appendix G Raw data collated from participant responses. Appendix H Independent Samples T Test results. 1

Smut, Erotic Reality/obscene Ideology Essay -- Murray Davis Human Sexu

Smut, Erotic Reality/Obscene Ideology In the book Smut, Erotic Reality/ Obscene Ideology , by Murray Davis (1983), the author expresses the idea that the best source for studying human sexuality objectively is "soft core", rather than â€Å"hard core† pornography. (Davis p. xix). The purpose of this paper is to critique Davis's claim and to study what understanding of human sexuality someone might have if they used some other resource that is available today, in this case the Internet. Davis argues that , "hard core pornography is usually more abstract and less explicit than soft-core pornography". (Davis, p. xix, 1983). Davis doesn't go on to explain how hard-core pornography can be less explicit than soft-core. However he does explain that hard-core pornography is more abstract in that, it depicts the sex act only and not the emotional or personal characteristics of the people involved in the act. (Davis, p. xx) He believes soft-core pornography is describing "a sexual experience", which conveys characteristics of the participants that are not described by hard-core pornography. Hard-core pornography describes "sexual behaviour" which involves more of the act of sex rather than the characteristics and feelings involved with sex. (Davis, p. xix) Although Davis admits that the vocabulary of sex is changing (Davis, p. xxv), he also states that hard-core pornography uses considerably more vulgar terms that are associated with lower-class activity, such as, "prick, fuck, and suck" (Davis, p. xxiii). Davis believes that hard-core pornography, induces imaginative behaviours by using these lower-class, four-letter words. The stories use phrases such as "First we sucked, then we fucked."(Davis p. xix, 1983), to allow the reader the tools to imagine the scene actually taking place. The reader is lead by the author through the story by using words that may be more understood or common in the readers' everyday life. He also accuses hard- core films of being "behavioristic" and "abstract" because they often fail to "fully inform the audience about the characters personality types and social categories."(Davis, p. xx, 1983) Soft-core pornography, on the other hand, often depicts "the subtle phenomenological effects that result when a character's sexual behaviour clashes with his or her personal and social characteristics." (Davis, p. x... ... to the search. For example, love plays a role in our sexuality. If someone did not know this they would enter â€Å"human sexuality† into the search engine and again may be distracted by flashy, hard-core, sex-sites and may not find anything on love. The over-all understanding of human sexuality would be limited according to which sites were looked at. Although I agree somewhat with Advisee's claim that soft-core , rather than hard-core pornography, may be a better resource for studying human sexuality. I feel that using only one resource for information can limit the view and even sometimes distort an individuals ideas of human sexuality. When using a resource such as the Internet, one may be overwhelmed with information and marketing tactics may win the attention of information seekers and take away from the sites that actually offer factual information regarding human sexuality. Therefore, I believe that an individual should use all resources available to them when studying any topic, especially a topic as complex as human sexuality. References Davis, S. Murray. (1983). Smut erotic reality obscene ideology. University of Chicago Press: Chicago.