Critical Review of Reappraising Cognitive Styles

This research is based on empirical user trial data and a sophisticated analysis. It tries to evaluate the validity of applying visual-verbal preferences to an adaptive web-based educational system (AWBES) by examining user trials of a case study. Previous researches are either focused on pragmatic applications or based on inadequate sample sizes.This research goes beyond former ones by employing user trials to collect critical data and directly raising the core question of the effectiveness of the method. However, the flaws in method setting, data analysis, ambiguity in details and the claimed result put in doubt the conclusions suggested by the study. Method/Procedure In this research, students were firstly labeled as visual, verbal and bimodal learners through a computer test, and then put into groups with learning contents either matched, or deliberately mismatched, or neutral to their learning styles.Then tudents' academic performances were compared to see the significance of di fferences between groups. Questions were raised when the researchers excluded the verbal users from the statistical analysis due to the extremely small sample size (n=11). The study is supposed to examine three cognitive styles (visual, verbal, bimodal); therefore without the data of the verbal group, the study is incomplete. The study method is further impaired by two questionable grouping methods. The first questionable method states, â€Å"Neutral students were given a mix of visual and verbal ontent, irrespective of their learning style† (p. 30). If a bimodal user is randomly placed in a neutral group and given mixed content, then he will actually receive content matching his learning style. Therefore, since he will end up in given content matching his learning style, it will be more appropriate tor the student to be placed in the matched group. Furthermore, both the matched group and neutral group have the same bimodal users given neutral contents. This leads to a doubt: the study result which shows insignificant academic differences might be from the similarity of he group members rather than from the invalidity of the utilization.The second questionable method states, â€Å"Mismatched students were given content that was contrary to their learning style† (p. 330). If bimodal users are placed in the mismatched group, what content should be provided to them? Neither visual nor verbal content would be appropriate since they are both partially matched and partially mismatched to a bimodal user; and the neutral content would be inappropriate either, since it matches the bimodal user's cognitive style and ends up eing against the definition of the mismatched group.A table which illustrates the quantities of three cognitive-styled students distributed into matched/ mismatched/ neutral could help clarify the grouping method. The computer test which distributed students into cognitive groups should employ details and examples of the test and the sc oring system to clarify the fairness of the test. As for sampling, the sample size should be adequately enlarged to include an effective verbal sample; the post-secondary students are a biased group which can't meet the variety of people.The learning module should be studied to see whether it is biased to/against any group/learning style. The quantity of excluded seldom-participating student should be mentioned to allow an exact sample size in the study. Experiment Results The insignificant mean differences in Table2 to Table6 reject hypothesises 1, 2 and 3. As for hypothesis 4, in order to reject it, the authors should clarity why one mean difference (67. 5-60. 0=7. 5) is greater than half of the related standard deviation (1 1. 56112=5. 78) in Table 7, which compares visual, neutral and verbal groups.The explanation, â€Å"upon testing these statistically, there is actually no significance between them† (p. 333) is ambiguous. Thus, the mean differences are not unanimously c onsistent with the result claimed by the authors that neither the cognitive styles of students nor contents differentiated by the styles contribute to make significant differences in students' academic performance. The p values from the statistical analysis (p=. 62, p=. 63, p=. 67) are substantially greater than the low p value (less than . 05; or better less than . 01).The high p values raise the question that the sample selection might lack diversity, and may then further affected the result of the study. Discussion The authors' conclusion that matched/ mismatched learning materials don't contribute to students' learning effect, is not consistent with the aforeclaimed conclusion which concerns the effect of visual and bimodal styles of students and contents. The authors' psychological conclusion that cognitive styles per se are not a validate means of personalising the learning experience is not completely consistent ith the result which only concerns visual and bimodal styles.

Irena Sendler Essay

She takes the crying baby into her arms, turns her back on the hysterical mother, and walks off into the night. If she’s caught, she and the baby will die. â€Å"Promise me my child will live!† the mother cries desperately after her. She turns for a moment. â€Å"I can’t promise that. But I can promise that if he stays with you, he will die.† Irena Sendler is a heroic woman to say the least. Sendler was born February 15, 1910, in Otwock, a small town southeast of Warsaw, Poland. She was an only child of Catholic parents who devoted much of their lives to help Jewish workers. Her parents raised her to respect and love people regardless of their ethnicity or social status. She was especially influenced by her father, a doctor who defied anti-Semites by treating sick Jews during outbreaks of typhoid fever. Her father died of the disease when Sendler was 9. The last words her dying father told her â€Å"If someone is drowning in a river, you must jump in and try to save them, even if you cannot swim†. Even before the war, Irena had strong loyalties towards Jews. In the 1930s, at Warsaw University, she stood up for her Jewish friends. Jews were forced to sit separately from â€Å"Aryan† students. One day, Irena went to sit on the Jewish side of the room. When the teacher told her to move, she answered, â€Å"I’m Jewish today.† She was expelled immediately. Decades later, under Communist rule, she was considered a subversive; her son and daughter were refused entry into Warsaw University. During the time of the war, Irena was a senior administrator in the Warsaw Social Welfare Department, which was in charge of soup kitchens, located in every district of the city. They distributed meals and gave financial assistance and other services to the poor, elderly, and orphans. From 1939–1942, she was involved in acquiring forged documents, she registered many Jews under Christian names so they could receive services.

The Case of Revision R v G and Another Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Case of Revision R v G and Another - Essay Example However, the House of Lords overruled, on the grounds that an element of men's rea was a requirement in all cases involving serious offenses. The boys were therefore not found guilty of arson, or the crime of causing damage by fire3. The former was classified as objective recklessness and the latter as subjective recklessness and this had to be assessed by reference to the reasonable man. The case of Cunningham4 established conclusively that subjective recklessness involving offenses committed â€Å"intentionally and recklessly† will make the accused liable. But Caldwell imputed liability for objective recklessness as well, although Lord Edmund Davies noted a dissenting opinion on the objective recklessness of the defendant as follows: â€Å"†¦a jury could not on those words alone, properly convict him of recklessness simply because they considered that the risk ought to have crossed his mind†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 5 The House of Lords decision however overruled on the grounds that foresight or the ability to make an assessment of the consequences was deemed to be an essential part of recklessness as laid out under Section 1 of the Criminal Damage Act. The basis upon which the lower Court’s decision was overruled was that when a judgment was made on the liability for objective recklessness without making any allowance for the youth of the defendants or for whether they had the mental capacity to understand the consequences of their actions, it is bound to be erroneous. The House of Lords held that since the boys did not maliciously and deliberately set out to cause damage to the property, neither did they foresee the risk of the damages that could occur through the spread of the fire, they could not be deemed to be guilty of arson. A conviction for a crime should prove not merely an act of omission leading to a crime but also a culpable state of mind, in accordance with the principle of m en's rea. Therefore a defendant who genuinely did not perceive the risk cannot be exposed to serious punishment.

Visual art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Visual art - Essay Example In this regard, it is evident that most of the bush meat that the hunters normally look for come from animals within the valley at the far end, as the hunters are seen going down the valley in their hunting mission. On the upper part of the village are a few trees and buildings to sustain life, which is contrary to what happens down the valley that depicts few signs of life. Since the piece of work is an example of composition design, it is best described using certain basic principles that mainly take into account the physical aspects of the image. The artist in this case has used these principles of visuals arts to organize the various elements of art in the image. This enables that the artist came up with an aesthetic piece that described the natural environment and certain cultures using harmony, movement, unity, balance, variety, rhythm, contrast, pattern, emphasis, and proportion. To this effect, these principles of art describe the piece by the artist in an explicit, accurate, and visual manner that giving relevance and significance to the piece of art. From the onset, there is an element of movement in the image as depicted by the group of people and their animals. In the piece of art, the group of hunters conspicuously faces the same direction that is downhill together with their dogs. They have their legs apart with one foot forward, an aspect that is repeated in their dogs. Indeed, all these aspects depict that the people in this case are involved in a range of motion making the viewer of the image to look at the direction of their motion, which is down the valley. The artist carefully uses the hunters’ scenario to direct the viewer’s eyes down the snowy valley that seems to have a host of activities by several people. When it comes to proportion, the artist has demonstrated significance difference between the sizes and quantity of the elements in the image in that there is a clear scale between the foreground and middle ground in terms of topography. In this regard, the three hunters on top of the valley appear more enlarged than those people situated down the valley, although the number is not that big. Thus, every aspect of the drawing especially on the left foreground and left middle ground places an emphasis on the culture and living environment. Although the presence of snow in all parts of the drawing creates a sense of uniformity, it is apparent that life is more pronounced on the upper part of the valley as evidenced by people, trees, and buildings that are crucial for human survival. The motion downhill also depicts that people mainly reside on top of the hill together with their domestic animals as enhanced by various proportionalities. The artist also makes appropriate use of variety in the drawing by including various aspects such as humans, animals, trees, buildings, topography, and snow. These elements when used together in the same drawing, as are the case creates a sense of harmony. Additionally, the close collaboration of the hunters carrying spears and heading towards the same direction as their dogs creates the impression of uniformity and harmony. The trees are arranged in the same direction down the valley to create a sense of balance in addition to uniformity due to their almost equal heights. Lastly but more importantly, the artist makes accurate use of patterns and rhythm in the drawing in the sense that the hole drawing is in color while depicting the fact that the art is a snowy region that covers almost entirely down the

The Engineering Field Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Engineering Field - Research Paper Example Civil engineering is one of the oldest fields in engineering that arose out of the many challenges that humanity experienced in the early days. Civil engineers are concerned with overseeing the construction of tunnels, roads, bridges, airports and many other infrastructures. In the course of their job, civil engineers take account of several factors just to ensure that the final product meets the standards expected. This is done taking account of the fact that the products are normally expected to last for several years and withstand many environmental challenges. In that regard, the engineers will normally consider factors such as the best design to use, the environmental conditions, the lifetime expected from the infrastructure and even government regulations. Civil engineering itself incorporates many different specializations that are in one way or another related to one another. These disciplines have gradually evolved over time as new realities forced engineers to seek better w ays to cope. Some of the major components of civil engineering include structural, environmental, geotechnical water, construction and urban planning. Normally in practice these fields relate to each other as engineers do their work. The most conspicuous field that comes to mind whenever someone talks about civil engineering is structural engineering. Here, engineers are faced with the difficult task of designing enduring structures that will resist all the environmental confrontations. They must use the appropriate materials to ensure the work is properly done. On the other hand, the knowledge of environmental engineers become almost indispensable as we try conserve the few resources that continue to diminish as the world’s population continue to surge. Their main concern is to provide a safe environment for humanity despite the pollution, to provide better ways of disposing our hazardous waste and how to manage the world’s water resources for us and for the posterity . Geotechnical engineering is concerned with those infrastructural facilities that are below the ground or dealing with the soil. A geotechnical engineer will therefore analyze such aspects as the type of soil, the stability of the ground, slopes and the quality of the rocks in a given area to determine whether they can support structures like tunnels, sewage systems, dam embankments and other infrastructure. A construction engineer on the other hand is concerned about all forms of transport infrastructure like roads, highways, railroads, airports etc. All these areas will no doubt require the best of minds given that quality should never be compromised in engineering. The most important aspect to note is that engineering is never a solitary venture. It is all about interdependence of different disciplines like architecture, survey and other areas all of which combine to give the knowledge that we seek in advancing humanity forward. List specific core (junior and/or senior) courses which are of the most interest to you and why. Also include three schools which offer the program.

Discuss how psychological research into false memories has improved Essay

Discuss how psychological research into false memories has improved the reliabilty of eyewitness testimony - Essay Example The most important variables in eyewitness identification include perception, memory, communication and candour of the eyewitness. However, it has been a tough job for even trained observers to make accurate identification of the eyewitness. In this background, research in cognitive psychology on the subject of false memories proves to be greatly invaluable and such studies influence the reliability of eyewitness testimony immensely. As Daniel L. Schacter purports, experimental and theoretical studies of memory reveal that errors, distortions, and illusions are fundamental aspects of remembering and recollection. For the last two decades, there has been renewed interest in memory errors and distortions within psychotherapy and neuropsychology. â€Å"It is in the context of this debate that the term ‘false memory’ has come into common usage in psychological research. False memories refer to recollections that are in some way distorted or, in extreme cases, involve rememb ering events that never happened at all.† (Schacter, 1999, p. 193). Therefore, psychological research into false memories can greatly contribute to the reliability of eyewitness testimony and this paper makes a reflective exploration of how such examinations can improve the reliability of eyewitness testimony. ... The findings in the recent studies on the development of false memories prove that benign memories can be distorted in various ways during the process of encoding and retrieval. As Rowland W. Folensbee maintains, â€Å"research into false memories does not call into question the existence of memory processes that could maintain implicit traumatic memories. In fact, recent neuroimaging research offers support for the existence of flashbacks that not connected to explicit memory processes. (Folensbee, 2007, p. 119). Therefore, the recent studies on the process of recovering implicit memories have introduced a new way of understanding the working of false memories and these researches contribute to the comprehension of the fundamental aspects of memory. It is fundamental to realize that the cognitive psychologists have identified the occurrence of false memories and the recent experimental research in the area contributes to a better analysis of false memories. The significant connecti on between the recent psychological research into false memories and the reliability of eyewitness testimony cannot be questioned, because the developments in this area of neuropsychological research have contributed to the reliability of eyewitness testimony. One of the core aspects of the judicial process has been the reliability of eyewitness testimony and every attempt to improve its validity has great implications in legal psychology. According to Tversky and Fisher, it is fundamental for the participants in the judicial process to recognize the fallibility of witness memories. (Tversky and Fisher, 2000). The recent studies in neuropsychology concerning human memory focus on the susceptibility of the

Educational performance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Educational performance - Case Study Example Thus, there is a greater impact of the social class on the education of the children and the parents' attitudes towards the education of the children. In this case there are two main concepts given and these are known as resistance and conformity. These two concepts are the main ones in order to understand the attitudes of the parents towards the education of their children. There is a higher probability that the parents shall be resisting or conforming to the children acquitting the college degree. These parents need to ensure that there is an important role being played by education in the success of the children in future. It has also been seen that there are higher chances of the occupational success of the children who have the higher education. However, in this case Librarians of Institutes of Education (Great Britain), British Library (2000) observed that the acquiring of education is dependent on the social status of parents as the poor people are against the education and degree acquisition from the British universities. In this case a great deal of research has been done on the children as well as the British parents and it has been observed that there are many parents are not developed socially and they resist the education of the children at grade 1 level in the British schools. Because of this resistance there is a change in the concept of self and the desire to get the education. In this case, the main role is also played by the beliefs that are held by the parents. There are many parental differences that make a difference in the attitudes of the children towards the schooling and it is realized that the schooling has been realized that if the schooling is realized as a socializing agency. According to the concepts that have been given in this case, Cox, (2000) says that the education of a pupil is dependent on the educational potential that the pupil has and the pupil is in turn dependent on the social position of the pupil. There are some assessments of the parents that are related to the children and their education and the social status of the parents play important roles. Vermeulen and Perlmann (2000) say that the assessments of the British parents are related to social representations. The carrier systems of the social interpretations are included in the analysis of the social interpretations. There are some studies carried out that make sure that there is an inclusion of the educational experiences of the parents as if the education of the parent is higher than the expectations of the children from the children are higher. It has been seen that the social representation of the parents has been included in the educational opportunities. There are many theories that have been given in relation to these attitudes and Rogers (2005) has observed that if the parents are educated, they are nearer towards the education system and they realize the changes that are taking place in the education system as well as the needs that are needed in the children. In addition to this, they understand the importance of the education in the children

Contract Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Contract Law - Essay Example In the case of Bell,3 the court ascertained that in the event of an occurrence of common mistakes that undermines the subject of the agreement it renders that contract void. The law recognizes three types of common mistakes namely, res extincta, res sua and mistake on the basis of quality and personality of the subject matter of the contract. Res axtincta is a common mistake where the parties enter into a contract to acquire something that does that both parties are unaware of its non-existence.4 res sua is a common mistake where one party forms an agreement with the other to acquire the interest in something already that party has, but without the knowledge of either party. Finally, a common mistake on the basis of quality is where the parties form an agreement to perform something different from what they thought it was.5 A common mistake can limit the parties to the contract from reaching an agreement because the parties are incapable of establishing corresponding offer and acceptance on an essential issue of the agreement.6 Also, even when parties have reached an agreement, there is a shared mistake in relation to the associated circumstance. Under the English Common law, the common mistakes might undermine the contract by rendering it completely void.7 However, unless the issues are serious it might not be necessary for the parties to seek legal intervention, even though, the parties could not have entered into the agreement had they known the true position at the time they were forming the contract.8 Equitable jurisdiction refers to a structure of integrity considered to enhance the common law by taking action in an equitable and rational manner that results in just outcome.9 Under equitable jurisdiction, the parties to the contract are prohibited from enforcing their legal rights in case it was unacceptable for them to do so. The essence of equitable jurisdiction is to ensure no party takes

Early Childhood Education Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Education Essay A Catholic Early Childhood Program endeavours to provide an environment and educational experience that is concerned with the development of each child as a whole person, and which acknowledges his/her innate spirituality. It seeks also to foster a religious awareness through meaningful everyday life experiences. This religious education experience endeavours to complement and support that which is offered through the home environment. Early Childhood Education lays the foundation for further schooling and provides the initial interface between home and school in a child’s life. Recognising parents as the first educators of their children, early childhood education seeks to build upon home learning. In establishing programs for young children it is important to remember that Catholic schooling is intentionally directed to the holistic development of students from within, assisting them to become fully integrated human persons. Our Early Childhood Program will provide an environment and educational experience which acknowledges the innate spirituality of every child, fosters the child’s ability to wonder, experience awe,overcome difficulties, love others and reflect God, their Creator. The Program will: ? Recognise that learning is a gift from God and the role of parents, as the first Educators of their children, is seen as vital. ? Recognise, value and build upon the child’s prior knowledge. ? Understand the: o Importance of developing problem solving and thinking strategies through play. o Structure through which young children experience their world. o Experiences necessary to give form to the child’s world which are expressed symbolically  through language, numbers, representations, movement, models and metaphor. ? Listen to children and their families, respecting their values, cultures, experiences and provide opportunities which support learning. ? Closely observe, describe and record the children’s efforts and achievements by monitoring progress and planning experiences which build on their knowledge, understandings, skills, attitudes and values. ? Facilitate a challenging environment which motivates and enriches learning and gives the child the opportunity to experience: o Independence and guidance o Free choice and direction o Incidental moments and planned activities o Child initiated and teacher navigated o Individual and group work o Free inquiry and explicit teaching The aims of our Early Childhood Education Program are to encourage children to: ? Develop a positive self image. ? Love learning and value their individual learning styles. ? Be responsible for their learning. ? Respect their own knowledge, background and culture. ? Take risks, persist and be self-paced with their learning.? Know, understand and use their personality, talents, personal ways of being creative. ? Learn through problem based play activities by doing and being actively involved. ? Learn through adults and others who scaffold their endeavours. ? Respect, value and accept all people. ? Experience the joy in the mystery and wonder of the universe. ? Feel valued and safe. PRE KINDY PROGRAM Pre Kindy is an educational program for children aged three years. The program is play based and provides children with meaningful experiences that promote the development of spiritual, social,  emotional, language, intellectual, creative and physical skills. These sessions focus on the child’s unique stage of development and the understanding that all children vary in their individual development. The teachers will create a caring, safe and stimulating environment that will nurture the child’s disposition to wonder, explore and construct meaning about the world. KINDERGARTEN Our Kindergarten Program aims to provide a relaxed, secure environment where children can develop at a pace appropriate to their uniqueness. Our Kindergarten Program will focus on all areas of human development – spiritual, emotional, physical, social, creative and intellectual with activities designed to assist your child to experiment and explore in ways that foster learning in an informal and fun way. PRE-PRIMARY CENTRE Infant Jesus School offers five full days of Pre-Primary experience from the beginning of the year. A close working relationship between Pre-Kindy, Kindergarten, Pre-Primary and Primary staff and students facilitates a smooth transition to Year One.

History Of African Music Cultural Studies Essay

History Of African Music Cultural Studies Essay African American Practices and Religion It is important to study traditional African music because it provides tremendous insight into African history. Music also allows us to better understand the diverse cultures of different African regions. Music also played an important historical role when Africans were first brought to the United States as slaves. American slave owners tried to strip away any sense of cultural identity that the slaves had. The only way they could maintained there ideanty is through song. A number of foreign musical traditions has influenced traditional Africa music. For instance, many nations in North Africa can draw their more recent musical lineage back to the Greeks and Romans who once governed over the area.  [1]  There is a substantial Middle Eastern influence on their music. Other parts of the African continent were similarly impacted by foreign music. Parts of East Africa and the offshore islands were influenced by Arabic music and Indian music in more modern times. Although Southern, Central and West Africa have had an influence on the music of North America and Western Europe. Other African music can be attributed to specific dance forms such as the rumba and salsa, which were founded by African slaves who settled in Latin America and the Caribbean.  [2]   The music of North Africa was strongly influenced by the music of ancient Egypt and the early Arabs. Although it is one of the least popular forms of contemporary African music, it is historically important and merits a good look at by all those interested in traditional music. North African music is famous for its monophonic form ,the predominance of melody over rhythm, a tense and nasal vocal style and non-percussive instruments including bowed rather than plucked strings. While the music of North Africa is historically important, no music is more purely African than music that originated in Sub-Saharan regions of the continent. Though many regions were influenced by other nations, Sub-Saharan music remains quintessentially and uniquely African. Sub-Sahara Africa makes up the Sahel and the Horn of Africa in the north, the tropical savannas and the tropical rainforests of Equatorial Africa, and the arid Kalahari Basin and the Mediterranean south coast of Southern Africa. Sub Sahara Africa and is most notable for its Cross rhythm. The main beat scheme cannot be separated from the secondary beat scheme. The cross-rhythm three-over-two (3:2), hemiola, is the most significant rhythm ratio found in sub-Saharan rhythm. Cross-rhythm is the basis for much of the music of the Niger-Congo peoples, the largest linguistic group in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Cross-rhythm pervades southern Ewe music.  [3]  Songs accompany the rites of passage, work and en tertainment. They were also important in the life of the traditional African courts, and are still used for political comment, Due to the fact that writing and reading came late to many parts of Africa, this music was created as a form of communication. Over time, it grew to become an interesting and exciting communal way to celebrate and mark several major milestones in a persons life. For example, there are literally hundreds of African songs and music that celebrate marriage, childbirth or even hunting parties. It was the job of a Griots to perform the orginal tribal teachings oraly. Goriots are and were the orginal keepers of African tribule hisoty as well as royal advisors in African societys. In tradtitional African societys they would be the only way of keeping history this is because everything was through word of mouth. Griots where born into there duties there is no way to become a Griot. Griots used music poety and other artistic ways to express the storys of there ancestry. They specialize in many types of instruments such as   the the molo, hodu, nyanyoru, Kora, balaphone which is passed on fr om generation to generation from father to son. The women griot sing, dance   and also play the calabass and gourd.  [4]   While music is often played in an effort to celebrate lifes milestones and achievements, it is also played in Africa to ward off evil spirits as well as to pay homage to deceased ancestors. African music of this type is almost always accompanied by a specific dance or ceremony. These songs are often performed by professional musicians and dancers who have knowledge and experience with ceremonial music. There are special insterrments played like idiophones ( its like a bell), a piece of bamboo, or wooden claves. In some ensembles, such as iyesa and bata drums, a key pattern may be played on a high-pitched drumhead.  [5]   Because music from Sub-Saharan Africa focused primarily on communal singing, it was one of the earliest music to emphasize the use of harmony and structured song. These singing methods ranged from simple rhythmic structures to incredibly complex and elaborate structures based on improvisation and several variations. Though stringed instruments, bells, flutes and even xylophones were all used in traditional African music, there is nothing more important than the basic African hand drum; In fact, there are literally dozens of drums that are played on different occasions. Some of the most popular drums that are used in a traditional African musical include the bougarabou, tama talking drums, djembe, water drums, as well as many different kinds of ngoma drums that are played throughout parts of Central and Southern Africa, just to name a few. Drums are almost always accompanied by singers or choruses who often keep time with other percussion instruments such as rattles, shakers, woodsticks, bells or by simply clapping their hands or stomping their feet.  [6]   The musical history of any region is important since it has the unique capability to tell societies stories, culture, and religious beliefs long before a language is manifested. One can learn immense amounts of information about the lives of people that lived through studying aspects of their music. Much of this information is difficult to find in other aspects of anthropology, and therefore would probably go undiscovered. During the colonization of Africa, much of the peoples ancient history ancient implying any history the tribes and cultures had prior to European colonization was intentionally erased by the Imperialist society that came to power. Through the study of Africas traditional music, the world learns a great deal about those earlier cultures. By studying Africas music, some of these missing puzzle pieces are put back into place. These colonial powers, stripped Africa of its primary natural resource and put it in their. For instance after colonial powers left they still maintain control of things like the diamond mines. Colonization strips Africa of its culture and heritage, because colonial powers didnt care about African people they cared about expanding the Empires. By doing so, they split up the land and forest tribes to live in boundaries that caused problems between the different tribes thus creating civil war and other problems. most of these changes took place between 1890 and 1910, the twenty-year period that saw the conquest and occupation of virtually the whole continent of Africa by the imperial powers and the establishment of the colonial systemthe following twenty-five years being essentially a period of consolidation and exploitation of the systems. Europeans went to Africa to trade manufactured goods for slaves. Then they would transported the slaves to America known as the Middle Passage and exchanged them for raw materials. They brought the raw materials back to Europe so they could make more manufactured goods. Europeans would higher villages to go in to the parts of Africa that they couldnt and bring them slaves. The villagers thought that they were going to make a lot of money, and the captor would pay the parents of these people. So it looked like there their children were sending money, although that was not the case. In the 1880s in the whole of west Africa, only the island and coastal areas where under European control. In northern African, only Algeria had by then been colonized by the French. Not an inch of eastern Africa had come under European control, while in central Africa only the coastal stretches where under Portuguese rule. In 1880, some 80 per cent of the continent of Africa was still being ruled by her own kings, queens and clans, in empires, and political units of every size and kind.By 1914, the whole of Africa, with the exception of Ethiopia and Liberia, was subject to the rule of European powers. Because of the Berlin conference, Europeans were allowed to take control of Africa. This later leads to the scramble of Africa were all these countries decided to claim different parts of Africa as their own. Europeans wanted to expand their empire, and they figured Africa was the place to do it. The Europeans had things like guns, and the standardized army. They were able to take the continent by any means necessary. After the Berlin conference Germany had forced colonialism into southwest Africa, kicking the Hereros and the Namas tribes off of their land. In 1904, the Hereros were fed up with the new ruling German government and rebelled, killing 123 German settlers. This was an embarrassment for the Germans in Africa; in their eyes it was humiliating to be beat by native people. As a result German settlers sent in Lieutenant Lother Van Trotha. Lother demanded that the Hereros leave the land and if they didnt they would be forced out. Luther said any Hereros found in the German borders with or without guns will be shot,  [7]  he also applied this to woman and children. Out of a total population of eighty thousand, the Germans killed 65,000 Hereros.  [8]  The ones who did survive ended up in German concentration camps for the remainder of their days. This is an example of why the division of Africa created the turmoil that Africa is in today. The Berlin Conference can be seen to be the stem of most of Africas problems today. The colonial powers imposing their rule in Africa prevented it from gaining economic independence. The damage that began after the Berlin conference was so great that it wasnt until the 1950s that Africa regained its independence.  [9]  The current instability in Africa is thus a permanent liability that resulted from the Berlin conference, in which the future of a continent was determined by greed. The slave trade bestowed Africans to the Americas to work in the plantations. In some states in the U.S., early European settlers and slaves shared some of their musical traditions and influenced each others world. The banjo, now central in American folk music, is an instrument brought over to the Americas by African slaves. In other states, the music of African slaves was prohibited unless it accompanied an approved religious activity.  [10]  Drums were outlawed because they were seen as especially dangerous since drum sounds were connected to language and gave slaves a way to communicate that could not be controlled or understood by slave owners. To compensate for a lack of instruments, people who were enslaved depended on other forms of musical expression. Slaves would innovate their own instruments such as Hambone, a style of body percussion, was used as a substitute for drums, as it served a rhythmic function for music. Today this is known as STEPING and is very popular in f raternities. In order for one to play a hambone, a person uses his or her hands to hit their chest and thighs to create different slapping sounds. Using household objects as instruments also became necessary. Just as instruments were made in Africa from natural materials that were made available to people when they were free, enslaved Africans used the resources available to them in their environments. An example of this is the playing of spoons, another type of body percussion.  [11]  Vocal traditions also flourished among African people under slavery. Songs were used to soothe the heart and send messages of possible escape routes. Current music forms such as the Blues, Soul and Gospel grew out of the strong vocal traditions of early African Americans.  [12]   The study African music has taken on an even greater significance due to how the musical instruments and techniques managed to influence and spread to many countries throughout the world. African American music has its roots in tribal cultures throughout the vast continent, and has lent its influence not only to African American popular culture, but religion as well.  [13]   Music expression in Africa varied from one cultural group to the other, but most traditions commonly shared certain characteristics. African songs were intended to accompany religious ceremonies and dancing, to inspire hunters, to coordinate work, and to celebrate events such as the birth of a child. Music was woven into the culture, forming part of ordinary living, almost as commonplace as speech. In the Americas, enslaved Africans used music and dance for Purpose: Diffusion Resulted in: Easing pain of work, through Works songs, Worship Gospel traditions, Communication Drums and songs used to pass secrets messages and Entertainment . By studying african music you can see the infulnces Africa had all over the world. Jazz music connects European, American and African Music traditions. since People in America descended from Africans and Europeans amalgamated their musical traditions, using all instruments and musical approaches available, to create a musical style currently known as Jazz.The slave trade contribute to this cross-cultural exchange. People who were brought to the Americas from Africa as slaves brought with them their musical traditions. With the new experience of slavery and suffering, people applied their knowledge, even when instruments were banned, to maintain traditions that included a heavy reliance on rhythm, dance and songs. Maintaining these traditions helped to build new musical styles that branched out to become Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Rock and Roll once people were freed from slavery. There is evidence that suggests that blues came directly from Africa. Blues emerged from field work songs a nd prison songs just after the Civil War, and these were musical forms descended from African musical styles maintained through the slave period. Contemporary popular African musical styles have been affected by diffusion of American music back to Africa. Here are three examples of this Jazz, Kwaito, Afropop, Manu Dibango, Fela Kuti, Abdullah Ibrahim, Femi Kuti, Arthur. The ancient history of African music is muddled at best. It is undoubtedly conflated with the music of the Old Kingdom Egyptian music, when Egypt dominated and colonized the Nubians.  [14]  Hester comments that surprisingly, the history of Egyptian music presents little evidence of the use of drums prior to 2000 B.C.  [15]   Due to the prevalence of the drum in African music and due to the influence that Egyptian music seemed to have, the early lack of drums is somewhat surprising. Contrary to the belief that African music was only passed on through oral and aural tradition, a musical writing system did exist. One Ethiopian composer from the sixth century was canonized by the Catholic Church due to his creation of a complex musical notation system .  [16]   Hester goes on to note, however, that a temple fragment shows the top of a large drum that is unique to Old Kingdom music, which is assumed to be present due to import from Sumer.  [17]  This is important for a variety of reasons, one of which being the current modes of African musical instruments; a drum style similar to that used during the twelfth dynasty is still being used in todays Congo .  [18]   In later centuries, Nubian musical influence went to Europe through the conquests of the Moors. In the fifteenth century, Europeans began raids of the African coast for slaves and goods. Two centuries later, Europeans began trade with Africans south of the Sahara desert, eventually colonizing the land. Neither group seemed to care about native music .  [19]   Hester tells us that all of African music was of a spiritual nature. He states that, Africans were generally not inclined to separate rhythm, spiritual dimensions, and the order of the universe into compartments. Traditional African societies acknowledged that the drum had a spirit and character that was clearly observable. The give of the voices of the Great Ancestors had been hidden inside the wood of trees so they could be access whenever men and women needed them,.  [20]   Floyd explains that not only was there no separation between physical and spiritual dimensions, but there was also no word for religion in Africa. The reason for this lack of a distinct word was that: the Africans religion permeated and was the basis for all aspects of life [. . .]. Since religion permeated the everyday life of African peoples, the great number of religious beliefs that existed were not systematized into dogmas, but appeared as ideas and practices that governed everyday life in the various communities. All African peoples recognized God as the One, although in a majority of cosmologies other divinities also existed [. . .]  [21]   Another interesting aspect of African music is its accessibility by both genders. As in other parts of the world, although both men and women were allowed access to virtually all forms of musical expression, the men often reserved those perceived as most powerful for themselves.  [22]  However, it was more common for women to take part in music: in the large number of less stratified, more egalitarian African societies. According to Nketia, women in these simpler societies historically formed their own permanent associations specifically to make music.  [23]   Connections to the Past Today, African American worship is a similar experience to that of the worship of the past. It is a collective, uninhibited, and rhythmic kind of worship, reminiscent of the rituals of Africa. In the past, this kind of collective process was intended to transmit culture, educate the people, and boost morale.  [24]  Music, in the African culture, was taught at an early age. It is both part of acculturation and part of daily life. Many African languages are tonal, in which one word may have several meanings based on inflection. The tonal quality of the languages lends itself to the language of the talking drums found in several African nations. The process of manipulating the drum heads produces similar qualities to the inflections of the African languages .  [25]   The physical movements of what Floyd describes as the time following the formal service of Africans engaged in worship after being forcibly brought to this country are specific and ritualized. He describes this celebration as: the shuffling around in a ring, the upper-body dancing of African provenance, the ever-present singing accompanied by the hand clapping and thudding, repetitious drumming (of feet in this case), and the extended length of the activity. And here enters also the spiritual, the primary music of the ring for slaves in the southern United States.  [26]   The performance practices of the slaves were thought to be shocking and idolatrous by those European-Americans who had brought them here. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Rather, these rituals were culturally affirming and justified by African beliefs .  [27]  Regardless, or perhaps for that very reason, these aspects were suppressed in the majority of the United States. Over time, the Christian God became substituted for the African High God and Christ became substituted for the other lesser divinities. The spiritual was developed through this Christianizing process.  [28]  Although primarily Catholic New Orleans was the most supportive of African traditions, it was Protestantism that lent its support to the new musical form. Floyd states that Protestantism, with its more direct access to the High God through song and praise, made possible the emergence of a new song for Africans, a new song in which they could express themselves as freely as they had in their homela nd. This new song was the African-American spiritual.  [29]   Typically, however, the spiritual is studied apart from the ceremonies it was derived from. Like the slaves, who were being forced to adapt to a new style of living while trying to hold onto the past, the spiritual was a form of music that was an attempt to adapt to the new cultural expression for their beliefs, while still maintaining the beliefs of their past. In addition, these songs maintained the traditional forms of African music while still expressing the tribulations of their new lives. More than that, however, these songs were an expression of freedom from slavery.  [30]   There are two kinds of spirituals: sorrow songs and jubilees. Floyd states that:The kinship of these early spirituals to African performance practice is striking. The song Steal Away, for example, has short phrases that repeat, grow, and make larger melodic structures and uses multimeter, pendular thirds, and descending phrase endings.  [31]   These performance practices, though modified, can still be seen and heard in African American churches today. Rauschart (2004) discusses the experience of spiritual singing in a modern context. She describes a kind of singing that goes beyond the notes written on the paper. Rauschart writes that the choirmaster of the choir that she observed pushed his choir to do what many would not-to ignore the music before them and to interpret the words with personal feeling .  [32]  She explains that, whatever the style of spiritual singing, music directors agree on one thing. A stream of lovely notes, no matter how well voiced, is not enough.  [33]  And yet, the spiritual is in danger of being lost in favor for the gospel song.  [34]  There may be a practical reason behind this change from one musical form to another. Society is becoming increasingly urbanized, and gospel is a product of direction of that drift. Spirituals, on the other hand, are products of the largely rural past. Another potential reason behind the shift might be that gospel music is a bit more accessible than spirituals are. According to Rauschart, spirituals are intended to be sung deliberately, in the fullness of time and experience.  [35]  That kind of deliberate pace might seem unfamiliar, and perhaps a bit unwelcome, in our increasingly frenetic world. No matter what the reason that is behind it in any given community, however, the fact remains that spirituals are no longer the music that the majority of the African American community grows up to sing. The form remains, however, in other venues. The modern African American musical experience is rooted in ancient times. These roots go back to ancient Egypt and their conquests of the Nubians. The language of African tribes is tonal. One word might have several meanings in different tones. The talking drums of several countries mimic this quality of language. Despite the reputation of being a simply aural and oral musical tradition, African tribal music actually did have a complex local style of musical notation available to it. In Africa, no distinction is made between the spiritual and the profane worlds. Tribal music was a part of practical life, as well as ritual life. The music that was developed in this country accepted that perspective, while taking on the Christian perspective of the slaves new land. In traditional Africa, music is an inherent part of life and is concurrent with the worldview of the society in which it is produced. It has social, ritual, and ceremonial functions as well as some purely recreational purposes. Traditional art forms, including music, are rooted in mythology, legends, and folklore, and are associated with gods, ancestors and heroes. Musical activities are ritualized and intended to link the visible world with the invisible. Dancing is often an important part of the ritual and spiritual aspect of music.  [36]   Percussion instruments are the most popular instrument in African societies. Rattles, friction sticks, bells, clappers, and cymbals are popular. Many groups also use the sansa and xylophones. Numerous types of drums are also used. Various wind instruments are made out of tusks, horns, conch shells, wood or gourds. Styles of vocal music vary from area to area. This is due partly to the different languages spoken in different areas. Most African languages are tonal languages which are reflected in the singing. Traditional African music does not have a written tradition. This created many difficulties when Western Staff started to write down the music. The pitches and subtle differences in pitch contour do not interpret easily. The Western scale rules that relate most closely to African music are tetratonic, pentatonic, hexatonic or heptatonic arrangements. Melodic patterns are affected by intonation patterns of the language.  [37]   The rhythmic aspect of African music combines the music of various groups and areas. Rhythm is made of patterns; similar patterns are found throughout all of Africa. Harmonization is typically created through singing in thirds, fourths and fifths, parallel to the main melody.  [38]   While drumming is very popular in Africa and is more important than melodic music in some societies, melodic music is important in others. The mbira is one of the most popular melodic instruments in Africa. Different cultures use the mbira in different ways. Also, the mbira exists in different forms in different cultures. Some mbira are used for entertainment and others for religious ceremonies. Often, the people who can own and play the mbira are restricted to chiefs or other important people, especially when it is being played for religious purposes.  [39]   African music has been a major factor in the shaping of what we know today as blues and jazz. These styles have all borrowed from African rhythms and sounds, brought over the Atlantic ocean by slaves. Paul Simon, on his album Graceland has used African bands and music, especially Ladysmith Black Mambazo along with his own lyrics.  [40]   As the rise of rocknroll music is often credited as having begun with 1940s American blues, and with so many genres having branched off from rock the myriad subgenres of heavy metal, punk rock, pop music and many more it can be argued that African music has been at the root of a very significant portion of all recent popular or vernacular music.  [41]   African music has also had a significant impact on such well-known pieces of work as Disneys The Lion King and The Lion King II: Simbas Pride, which blend traditional tribal music with modern culture. Songs such as Circle of Life and He Lives in You blend a combination of Swahili and English lyrics, as well as traditional African styles of music with more modern western styles. Additionally, the Disney classic incorporates numerous words in the native language of Swahili. The ever-popular hakuna matata, for example, is an actual Swahili phrase that does in fact mean n

Effects That Caffeine Consumption

Effects That Caffeine Consumption Caffeine is the most commonly used psychoactive substance in the United States (Roehrs Roth, 2008). Regular coffee drinkers consume an average of 200-500mg of caffeine per day (Julien, 2005). Caffeine is found in a broad variety of sources including coffee, tea, energy drinks, chocolate and some over the counter medications (Roehrs Roth, 2008). Upon consumption, caffeine reaches peak plasma levels in 30-75 minutes and has a half life of 3-7 hours when consumed in a single dose (Roehrs Roth, 2008). When consumed in greater quantities, the half life is extended (Roehrs Roth, 2008). Caffeines high rate of consumption may be due to the desirable effects it produces, such as increase mental alertness, improved flow of thought and of course, feelings of wakefulness (Julien, 2005). Caffeine is not without its undesirable effects; caffeine consumption may have a negative effect on tasks which require fine motor skills, complex arithmetic skills, or precise timing (Julien, 2005). Structurally, caffeine is similar to adenosine. In the brain, adenosine decreases neural firings and inhibits neurotransmitter release (Roehrs Roth, 2008). Caffeine works as an adenosine antagonist; blocking adenosine receptors in the brain. As a consequence, caffeine prevents adenosine from decreasing neural firings, leading to an increase in firings, and the stimulant effects caffeine is well known for (Roehrs Roth, 2008). Caffeines blocking of adenosine receptors leads to dopamine release in the prefrontal cortex, causing caffeines alerting effects (Julien, 2005). While discontinuation of caffeine consumption may produce withdrawal symptoms, caffeine does not influence the dopaminergic structures associated with rewards and addiction (Julien, 2005). Typical withdrawal symptoms include headache, drowsiness, fatigue, and negative mood (Julien, 2005). It is often difficult to estimate the amount of caffeine a person consumes due to great variability in the amount of caffeine per beverage (particularly coffee), exclusion of new caffeinated products on questionnaires, and variation in consumption from day to day. It is also difficult to compare results between studies due to a great amount of variation in methods of measuring caffeine consumption levels (Shohet Landrum, 2001). A study by Shohet Landrum (2001) of undergraduate university students implemented the use of an updated version of the caffeine consumption questionnaire as well as looking at chronotype and age. The caffeine Consumption questionnaire decreases a great deal of inaccuracy of caffeine consumption measurement. Shohet Landrum (2001) found that the average participant in the study consumed 1597.6mg/week. They also found that level of caffeine consumption is positively correlated with age. It was speculated that this increase may be an effort to compensate for de creased metabolism and subsequent decrease in energy (Shohet Landrum, 2001). In the same study, there was no significant difference in caffeine consumption between males and females (Shohet Landrum, 2001). Caffeine consumption in the evening was higher among older people, who tended to be morning-types (Shohet Landrum, 2001). The effects that caffeine consumption has on sleep are vast. Orbeta, Overpeck, Ramcharrin, Kogan Ledski (2006) found in a study of American high school students that those who reported a high rate of caffeine consumption also reported more difficulty falling asleep and felt more tired in the morning. In a number of studies, caffeine administration in varying amounts significantly reduced total sleep time and increased sleep onset latency (Roehrs Roth, 2008). Some studies also found a reduction in percentage of slow wave sleep after caffeine administration (Roehrs Roth, 2008). In a study where caffeine was administered prior to sleep, EEG spectral power density was reduced in the .75 4.5 Hz band. In a parallel study, men were administered 200 mg of caffeine upon waking (07:00 h) still experienced a reduction in EEG spectral power density in the .75 4.5 Hz range in the subsequent night sleep (Landolt, Werth, Borbely, Dijk, 1995). In this same study, total sleep time and sleep eff iciency were reduced following caffeine administration in the morning. Power density was reduced in the .25 .5 Hz range, and enhanced in the 11.25 12.00 Hz and 13.25-14.00 Hz ranges for NREM sleep (Landolt et al., 1995). Though a single 200 mg dose of caffeine in the morning clearly influences sleep propensity and power density of the EEG in the subsequent sleep episode, there was no deterioration in subjective sleep quality, and there is not a severe disruption of sleep continuity (Landolt et al., 1995). In contrast, a study by Sanchez-Ortuno, Moore, Taillard, Valtat, Leger, Damien, Bioulac, and Philip (2005) found that up to eight cups of coffee consumed by regular coffee drinkers was not associated with reduced TST. There was also no relationship found between caffeine consumption and day time sleepiness in participants consuming up to eight cups daily (Sanchez-Ortuno et al., 2005). The chronotype of an individual may be related to caffeine consumption. Chronotypes are a preference for being active during a particular time of day (Giannotti, Cortesi, Sebastiani, Ottaviano, 2002). Some individuals may be categorized as Morning-Types. Morning Types prefer to wake early in the morning, retire earlier in the evening, and are most active in the early hours of the day, where as Evening-Types prefer to rise later, and engage in activities later in the day. Others may fall somewhere between the morning-type and evening-type extreme. Daily physiological rhythms such as core body temperature, blood pressure and hormone secretions vary from one chronotype to another. Morningness and Eveningness also tend to vary with age, with older adults generally demonstrating a preference for morning activity, and younger adults a preference for evening activity (Giannotti et al., 2002). A study by Giannotti et al. (2002) of adolescents found that as they approached young adulthood, t heir circadian preference shifted more towards Eveningness. Giannotti et al. (2002) also found that Evening types tended to consume more caffeine, particularly in the morning. This may be due to forced pressure to adhere to a schedule more appropriate for those with a preference for morning activity (Giannotti et al., 2002). In a study of both men and women with different, but fixed work schedules by Ana Aden (1994) it was found that caffeine consumption increased with preference for evening. Evening types consumed more caffeine than neutral types, and neutral types consumed more caffeine than morning types. Interestingly, a large percentage of evening types were found to be caffeine abusers. 500 mg or more of caffeine per day was considered abuse (Aden, 1994). Adolescent evening types showed a more irregular sleep schedule and poorer subjective sleep quality in a study by Giannotti et al. (2002). Evening types also had higher sleep/wake behaviour scores than morning types, an indication of more sleep problems in evening types (Giannotti et al., 2002). Evening type adolescents reported consuming more sleeping pills than morning types as well as more day time sleepiness (Gianotti et al., 2002). Evening types had a greater tendency to fall asleep at school, and attention problems as well (Giannotti et al., 2002). An increase in the accessability of technology like computers, internet, television, and MP3 players may also impact caffeine consumption as well as sleep. A study by Calamaro, Mason, Radcliffe (2009) found that adolescents with higher scores on the multi-tasking index also reported higher caffeine intake, increase daytime sleepiness, increased incidents of falling asleep at school, and decreased total sleep time. Only 20% of the teenagers in this study received the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep for their age (Calamaro et al., 2009). 33% reported falling asleep at school on a regular basis, and 37% and 42% take naps on school days and weekends respectively (Calamaro et al., 2009). Clearly there is a great deal of interaction between caffeine consumption and chronotype. There is also apparent interaction between caffeine consumption and sleep quality. Chronotype had an influence on sleep quality in adolescents, There is also a relationship between caffeine consumption and sleep quality and multi-tasking/technology use. The present study aimed to examine the interrelationship between these variables in a group of university students. It was hypothesized that students who reported higher caffeine consumption would report lower subjective sleep quality. This relationship would be demonstrated by a significant positive correlation between level of caffeine consumption determined by Caffeine Consumption Questionairre (mg/week) (Modified from Landrum, 1992) and score on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (a higher score indicates poorer sleep quality) (Buysse et al., 1989). It was also predicted that students who were evening-types would consume a greater amount of c affeine than morning-type students. This would be demonstrated by a significant negative correlation between Morningness-Eveningness Questionairre (a lower score indicates a preference for eveningness) (Horne stberg, 1976) and daily caffeine consumption (mg/week) . Next, it was predicted that evening types would experience more subjective sleep problems than morning types. More specifically, there would be a significant negative relationship between scores on the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score. The fourth prediction was that students who scored higher on the Nighttime Activities (Multi-tasking) Index would also consume a greater amount of caffeine. Specifically, there would be a positive relationship between Caffeine Consumption Questionnaire score and Nighttime Activities (Multi-Tasking) Index score. Finally, we predicted that students who were evening-types would use more technology between 21:00 and 06:00. This would be indicated b y a significant negative relationship between Morningness-Eveningness score and Nighttime Activities (Multi-Tasking) Index score. Method Participants Participants in this study were 49 undergraduate students enrolled in a Sleep and Arousal course and Trent University. Student age ranged from 20-31 years. Mean age of participants was 22.12 years (SD 2.26). 9 males and 39 females participated in this study. Materials Materials used were 4 established questionairres. The Morningness-Eveningness Questionairre (Horne stberg, 1976) was used to determine an individuals chronotype (preferred or peak time of day (morning, evening or neutral)). Scores range from 16-86. Questionnaires were scored as follows: (16-30) Definitely Evening, (31-41) Moderately Evening, (42-58) Neutral, (59-69) Moderately Morning, (70-86) Definitely Morning. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to measure students overall sleep quality (Buysse et al. 1989). Scores range from 0-21, with lower scores indicating better sleep quality. A modified version of the Caffeine Consumption Questionairre (Landrum, 1992) was used to estimate weekly caffeine consumption in students. Participants indicate how much caffeine they consume in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night time. Students also indicate the source of caffeine (small coffee, medium tea, soft drink, large coffee). The caffeine content of each type and size of drink was determined by Calamaro et al. (2009) and Roehrs and Roth (2008). Finally, the Night-Time Activities Questionnaire, modified from Calamaro et al. (2009) was used to measure the amount of time students spent doing various technology based activities in the evening (9:00pm 6:00am). Activities such as watching television, and using the computer were included). A multi-tasking index was then created by adding the total hours of time spent on all tasks and dividing this number by 9 (the total hours between 9:00 pm and 6:00 am). A student who engages in 9 hours of activity in that 9 hour period would receive a score of 1.0 (A score greater than 1 is possible, for example, if a student was listening to music and using the computer at the same time). Procedure Participants filled out all four questionnaires during a scheduled lecture period. The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index were scored by students after completion, while the other two questionnaires were scored by the instructor. Results Caffeine Consumption Questionairre The mean level of caffeine consumption in milligrams per week for the morning (06:00 12:00) period was 685.63 (SD = 1032.21). Mean afternoon (12:00 18:00) period caffeine consumption was 394.90 (SD = 554.39). The mean level of evening (18:00 02:00) period caffeine consumption in these university students was 320.49 (SD = 355.48) and mean night time (02:00 06:00) caffeine consumption was 24.84 (SD = 64.49) milligrams per week. Mean caffeine consumption total in milligrams per week was 1425.86 (SD = 1737.82). These results were similar to results found by Shohet et al. in that the greatest amount of caffeine was being consumed in the morning time. There was a slightly lower level of total caffeine consumption in our study compared to the results found by Shohet et al., with a difference of 171.74 mg/week between the two studies. This amount is equivalent to about 1 cup of coffee. (MORE COMPARISON BETWEEN OURS AND SHOHET..SEE TABLE 2 IN PAPER AT BATA) The mean source of the caffeine consumed weekly in milligrams was 974.69 (SD = 1713.09) for coffee, 270.12 (SD = 338.18) for tea, 99.24 (SD = 163.39) for soft drinks, 45.06 (SD = 127.23) for energy drinks, and 36.73 (SD = 74.44) for hot chocolate. The vast majority of caffeine consumed weekly by these university students was via coffee while very little caffeine was consumed in hot chocolate. Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) The mean MEQ score was 43.59 (SD = 12.25). Scores ranged from 24 to 69. 16.33% of participants were Definitely-Evening (n= 8), 34.69% were Moderately-Evening (n=17), 36.73% were Neutral (n=18) and 12.24% were Moderately-Morning. None of the participants were Definitely-Morning types. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Each subscale of the PSQI has a possible score of 0-3. The mean Subjective Sleep Quality score was 1.37 (SD = 0.83). The mean Sleep Onset Latency score was 1.84 (SD = 1.01). The mean Sleep Duration score was 0.78 (SD = 0.82). The mean Habitual Sleep Efficiency score was 0.69 (SD = 0.98). The mean Sleep Disturbances score was 1.55 (SD = 1.14). The mean Use of Sleeping Medication was 0.37 (SD = 0.83), and the mean Daytime Dysfunction score was 1.35 (SD = 0.83). The mean total score on the PSQI was 7.78 (SD = 3.93). According to Buysse et al. (1988), a score greater than 5 indicates that someone is a poor sleeper. The mean score of our participants was within the range of abnormal. The greatest amount of sleep disturbance came from high sleep onset latency, while the least disruptive factor was reliance on the use of sleep medications. Night-Time Activities Questionnaire (NTAQ) The mean data for the activities included on the NTAQ are included in figure 1. The mean multi-tasking index of these night time activities is 0.60 (SD = 0.29). The range of multi-tasking index scores was 0.12 1.39. A score of 0.60 means that the participant was doing some combination of the activities on the NTAQ for 5.40 hours. (0.60 x 9 hours = 5.40) of the 9 hour sleep period. In the case of the score of 1.39, the participant was engaging in an activity on the NTIQ for 12.51 hours. Since the measured period is only 9 hours, this participant was engaging in more than one activity at a time, for example, listening to MP3 player and online computer use. Results of Correlation Analysis There was a significant negative correlation between MEQ and Multi-Tasking Index. Morning types tended to have lower Multi-Tasking Index scores than Evening types, r = -.32, p Table 1 Correlations found between Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Multi-tasking Index, and Caffeine Consumption Questionnaire. . Â ­_ MEQ PSQI Multi-Tasking . MEQ score -.16 -.32* PSQI score .03 Caffeine Consumption Coffee -.06 .31* -.06 Tea .20 -.20 -.08 Hot Chocolate .13 -.18 .08 Soft Drinks -.30* .02 .08 Energy Drinks -.14 .20 .07 . Total Caffeine -.06 .25 .01 . * p Discussion We predicted that participants who consumed a greater level of caffeine would have higher scores, indicating poorer sleep quality, on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Although total caffeine consumption level failed to predict a higher sleep quality score, there was a significant negative correlation between level of coffee consumption and PSQI. Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire Score was predicted to negatively correlate with score on the Caffeine Consumption Questionnaire. Total caffeine consumption did not significantly correlate with MEQ score. Level of caffeinated soft drink consumption did significantly correlate with MEQ with evening types consuming greater amounts of caffeinated soft drinks than morning-types. It was predicted that evening types would report more sleep problems via the PSQI. This correlation failed to reach significance in our analysis. There is no significant difference between Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score in evening-types from morning-types. We predicted that students who scored higher on the Nighttime Activities (Multi-tasking) Index would also consume a greater amount of caffeine. The analysis revealed no significant relationship between these variables. Our final prediction was that evening-types would engage in a greater level of technology use in the evening, as indicated by a significant negative relationship between MEQ score and Multi-Tasking Index. There was a significant relationship between MEQ and Multi-Tasking Index. Evening types did tend to engage in more activities involving technology between the hours of 2100 and 0600 than morning-types, as predicted. Using The Caffeine Consumption Questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index as a measure, consumption of higher levels of caffeine did not did predict poorer sleep quality. Although several studies found that caffeine consumption increased sleep onset latency, decreased total sleep time and increased daytime sleepiness, we did not find that high levels of total caffeine consumption predicted a significantly poorer sleep quality score (Roehrs Roth, 2008). Although total caffeine consumption and PSQI were not correlated, caffeinated coffee consumption did predict a poorer sleep quality score. This contrasts findings by Sanchez-Ortunga et al. (2005) in which up to eight cups of coffee consumed by regular coffee drinkers did not result in a significantly lower TST. Although it should be taken into consideration that TST is only one component of the PSQI. Contrary to our findings, Gianotti et al. (2002) found that Evening-types tended to consume a greater amount of caffeine than morning types. Ana Aden (1994) also found that daily caffeine consumption increased as preference for evening activity increased. Although these results contrast our findings, we did find a slight but significant relationship between consumption of caffeinated soft drinks and preference for evening. Gianotti et al. (2002) also found that evening-type adolescents reported poorer subjective sleep quality than morning types. These evening-type adolescents also showed a more irregular sleep schedule. Evening types showed greater daytime sleepiness, increased frequency of falling asleep during the day, and other indications of poor sleep quality (Gianotti et al., 2002). Contrary to these findings, we found no relationship between PSQI score and chronotype. Although Calamero et al. (2009) found that those reporting an increased multi-tasking index score also consumed greater amounts of caffeine, we found no relationship between the two. We did, however, find a significant relationship between chronotype and multi-tasking index. Evening types tended to engage in more technologically based activities between 2100 and 0600. There was no previous research available examining the relationship between chronotype and Night-time Activities/Multi-tasking Index. This may be a possible area of further investigation. One limitation of this study is the lack of diversity in the sample. The participants were a relatively small group of undergraduate psychology students between the age of 20-31. The small sample size may have made it difficult for trends in the data to reach significant levels. Also, chronotype and caffeine consumption have been shown to change over the lifetime, however, we were able to examine only a small window of young adulthood, leaving little opportunity for drastic variations. Also, being students, many of these participants may have schedules which vary drastically from day to day, as well as an increased frequency of engaging in late night activities with peers. These behaviours may have a confounding influence on many sleep variables. Thus, these findings may not be generalized to the population. Re-examining the same material with a larger and more diverse sample may yield more helpful results. This would be fairly simple to do since the questionnaires may be filled out with little guidance or instruction, and simply be distributed and returned by post or electronically administered. Another limitation is that the entire data collection procedure relied completely on student self-reports. The accuracy of these self-evaluations of sleep quality, sleep latency, and level of caffeine consumption may not have been accurate. Some questionnaires were also self scored, leaving open the opportunity for error in calculations. Although much of our analysis of caffeine consumptions effect on sleep quality failed to reach statistical significance, the trends in the data indicate that caffeine does likely detrimentally influence sleep quality. As previous research has shown, the impact caffeine may have on daytime functioning and sleep may be greater than many people realize. Caffeine consumption may be leading to a poorer nights sleep, and this less recuperative sleep subsequently may lead to more caffeine consumption the following day to compensate for the caffeine disrupted sleep of the night before. One can see how this may result in a caffeine/poor sleep cycle. Another interesting finding was the correlation between chronotype and Multi-tasking index score. It would be interesting to investigate whether this relationship is due to evening-types engaging in more night-time activities in order to simply occupy the time between when they believe they should be sleeping and when they are able to sleep, or if the opportunity to occupy the mind and stave off sleep, and disrupting their natural activity time preference. Although we did not specifically make any predictions regarding Multi-tasking Index and PSQI, it is interesting to note that there was no relationship between Multi-tasking Index and PSQI. Research by Calamaro et al. (2009) found that a high Multi-tasking Index was related to sleep problems like difficulty falling asleep, decreased total sleep time and daytime sleepiness. There was no relationship between chronotype and sleep quality in our study, despite findings of a significant relationship by Gianotti et al. (2002). Although the trend in our data leaned towards a similar relationship, it did not reach significance. The difference in our findings compared to Gianotti et al. (2008) may have to do with factors unique to adolescents. In summary, there is a significant relationship between Multi tasking and chronotype, PSQI and coffee consumption level. All other comparisons failed to reach significance. The trend in the data indicate that caffeine does indeed detrimentally effect sleep quality, but the degree of influence it has remains unclear. References Adan, A. (1994). Chronotype and personality factors in the daily consumption of alcohol and psychostimulants. Addiction, 89(4), 455-462. Buysse, D.J., Reynolds, C.F., Monk, T.H., Berman, S.R., Kupfer,D.J. (1989). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI): A new instrument for psychiatric research and practice. Psychiatry Research, 28(2), 193-213. Calamaro, C.J., Mason, T.B., Ratcliffe, S.J. (2009). Adolescents living the 24/7 lifestyle: effects of caffeine and technology on sleep duration and daytime functioning. Pediatrics, 123(6), 1005-1010. Gianotti, F., Cortesi, F., Sebastiani, T., Ottaviano, S. (2002). Circadian preference, sleep and daytime behaviour in adolescence. Journal of Sleep Research, 11(3), 191- 199. Julien, R.M. (2005). Caffeine and nicotine. In A primer of drug action. (10th ed., pp. 225-251). New York: Worth Publishers. Landolt H.P., Werth, E., Borbely, A.A., Dijk, D.J. (1995). Caffeine intake (200 mg) in the morning affects human sleep and EEG power spectra at night. Brain Research, 675(1-2), 67-74. Landrum, R.E. (1992). College students use of caffeine and its relationship to personality. College Student Journal, 26(2), 151-155. Orbeta, R.L., Overpeck, M.D., Ramcharran, D., Kogan, M.D., Ladsky, R. (2006). High caffeine intake in adolescents: associations with difficulty sleeping and feeling tired in the morning. Journal of Adolescent Health, 38(4), 451-453. Roehrs, T., Roth, T. (2008). Caffeine: Sleep and daytime sleepiness. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 12(2), 153-162. Sanchez-Ortuno, M., Moore, N., Taillard, J., Valtat, C., Legar, D., Bioulac, B., Philip.,P. (2005). Sleep duration and caffeine consumption in a French middle-aged working population. Sleep Medicine, 6(3), 247-251. Shohet, K.L., Landrum, R.E. (2001). Caffeine consumption questionnaire: a standardized measure for caffeine consumption in undergraduate students. Psychology Reports

Nursing: Lifting, Transferring And Positioning Of Patients Essay

Nursing: Lifting, Transferring and Positioning of Patients ABSTRACT Lifting, transferring and positioning of patients is frequently undertaken by nurses on each working day. This is necessary for patient comfort, medical reasons and completion of self care needs. Lifting can be done in numerous ways. As well as the nurse physically lifting or moving patients, a number of devices are also available to assist in the transfer of patients. These range from straps that are attached to or placed under the patients, to mechanical hoists and lifters. Any assistance the nurse has is beneficial for both the patient and the health care worker, as patient's weights are generally heavier than the nurses physical capabilities. This, combined with incorrect lifting techniques, can result in muscle strain, or more seriously, spinal injury for the nurse, and discomfort, muscle strain or further injury for the patient. INTRODUCTION When lifting, transferring or positioning patients, the most important consideration is safety. Any of these procedures need to be undertaken with it in mind. This safety is inclusive of both the patient and the health care worker. Communication is an important part of the lifting process as the nurse should elicit information from the client to find out how and when they prefer to be moved. This allows the patient to be involved in the decision making process and be fully aware of what is occurring. By communicating with the client, the nurse is also aware of whether or not the patient is experiencing any discomfort during or after the lift. The actions of lifting, transferring or positioning need to be completed for numerous reasons, including relief of pressure points. Due to the patient being in one position continuously, they are prone to the development of pressure areas. In terms of patient needs, being in the same position constantly is physically uncomfortable. However, mentally, a change in the immediate surroundings is also beneficial for the patient. It is also necessary for the patient to be moved for completion of their self care needs. This includes their hygiene needs, which include, bathing or showering, elimination, hair, oral and nail care. METHOD When lifting, transferring or positioning patients manually, safety is the most important factor. This safety is for the nurse thems... ... of using the lifters there may not be as much manual lifting necessary. Education about manual handling is also vital to ensure correct lifting techniques are used. Constant re-evaluation of the staff's abilities and methods would ensure safety for both parties involved. This would make staff aware that the least amount of strain placed on the muscles and joints as possible is beneficial to them. The re-evaluation is also important in the fact that it allows the health care worker to be constantly up to date on any new procedures which may be developed. REFERENCES Kozier, B., Erb, G., Blais, K., Wilkinson, J.M. 1995, {italics on} Fundamentals of Nursing {italics off}, 5th Edition, Addison Wesley Publishing Company Inc., United States of America. Love, C. 1995, 'Managing manual handling in clinical situations', {italics on} Nursing Times {italics off}, vol. 91, no. 26, pp. 38-39. Scott, A. 1995, 'Improving patient moving and handling skills', {italics on} Professional Nurse {italics off}, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 105-110. Seymour, J. 1995, 'Handling Aids - Lifting and moving patients', {italics on} Nursing Times {italics off}, vol. 91, no. 27, pp. 48-50.

Accounting Systems Essay -- Business Management

Accounting Systems In accounting systems, certain controls are needed to ensure that employees are doing their jobs properly and ensure that the system runs properly. These checks are in the best interest of the organization. These controls come in the form of internal and external controls for the system. The internal controls are the checks that are placed in the system by the company's own management and directors. Today more and more companies are moving from the manual accounting systems to computerized accounting information systems. The advantages of a computerized system are increases in the speed and accuracy of processing accounting information. However, as systems become computerized, the internal controls for that system has to be adapted accordingly. This is because computerized systems bring with them certain unique problems that can only be removed or minimized by adapting the present controls and adding new controls. In a manual system there is a paper trail for the internal auditor to follow. All records and transactions are kept on paper and so an auditor has clear and documented proof of what has transpired. Computerized systems rarely have a clear paper trail to follow. Since computers do all of the sorting of the information the company rarely sorts the source documents. Also the computer does most of the calculations and processing so there would not be the amount of documentation that there would be in a manual system. Another problem of computer systems is the fact that there can be difficulty in determining who entered the data. In a manual system the identity of the person entering the data can be identified possibly by the person's handwriting. This cannot be done in a computerized system. ... ... disaster. This includes transaction logs of complete system dumps which will make periodic backups of all the transactions that occur within the system. Computerized accounting systems bring with then a set of new and unique problems. The internal controls that have been put into place for a manual system to help the internal auditor cannot fully prevent or minimize the possibility of errors or fraud that come with the computerized systems. Therefore the old controls must be modified for the new system and new controls must be put in. Only then can the internal auditor ensure that the number of errors that occur within the system be minimized or even eliminated. Bibliography Basset P.H. (1993) Computerized accounts, NCC Blackwell. Grudinsku G., Burch J., (1998), Information Systems Theory and Practice, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.