Stanford Prison Experiment and Ethics Essay Example

Stanford Prison Experiment and Ethics Paper Ethics and the Stanford Prison Experiment by Philipp Zimbardo In 1971 Philipp Zimbardo carried out one of the most ethically controversial psychological experiment the ‘Stanford Prison Experiment’. Originally he aimed to study how much our behavior is structured by the social role we occupy. Describing the study briefly 24 undergraduates with no criminal and psychological record were chosen for the research to play the roles of prisoners and guards in a mock prison situated in the basement of Stanford University Psychology Building, equipped by hidden cameras and microphones. As the lead researcher, Zimbardo was observing the events from a different room, giving instructions to the guards. The research was supposed to last about two weeks. However, aggressive and violent behavior quickly appeared on the behalf of the group playing the role of the guards, while prisoners became depressed and passive. Ultimately some of the prisoners were subject to torture. Since the participants assimilated with their role rapidly and provided surprising psychological outcome, Dr Zimbardo shot down the research after 5 days. The experiment meant to demonstrate the power of authority, support of the situational attribution of behavior rather than the dispositional attribution. For forty years it was criticized as well as argued when it came to the relation of ethics and psychology. If it would be carried out today it would fail to meet the Ethical Principals of the Psychologist and Code of Conduct of the American Psychological Association. This paper will discuss the main unethical elements of the Stanford Prison Experiment, such as the violation of privacy and confidentiality, physical and mental harm during an experiment and the researcher’s involvement of the warden role. ‘Some psychological studies produce very surprising results for the researchers and the participants. Sometimes the results are so striking that they challenge our explanations of human behavior and human motivation. ’- writes Craig Haney two years after the experiment. We will write a custom essay sample on Stanford Prison Experiment and Ethics specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Stanford Prison Experiment and Ethics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Stanford Prison Experiment and Ethics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Even though the ‘Study of Prisoners and Guards in a Simulated Prison’ only gives a detailed overview of the experiment several unethical treatment can already be observed from the beginning. According to their contract the participants were offered a fifteen-dollar daily payment and were guaranteed basic living needs. In return they were given no instructions of what they shall expect. A few days later Zimbargo obtained the police help to demonstrate the whole arrest of the prisoner group. Participants were captured in their homes unexpectedly by a police car, being handcuffed and charged with crimes. Their pictures as well as their fingerprints were taken; afterwards they were brought to the ‘mock-prison’ blindfolded (p 6). The previously mentioned actions strongly violated their right to privacy. Throughout the experiment participants were put under physical and psychological harm, which strongly would violate the APA code of ethics. Prisoners were not referred by names, but only by numbers and unlike the guards they were not allowed to leave the experiment scene. They spent their days in a 6ft x 9ft prison cell. During the first days the prisoners began to behave according to as they were required rather than using their own judgment and morals. Already on the second day the prisoners suffered humiliation, and punishment. ‘The most striking result of was that apparently normal people could act with abuse and cruelty when placed in a compelling situation. After day one all prisoner’s basic rights became a privilege among them the toilet visits and they were often forced to clean the toilet with their bare hands. (Bredy, Longsdon. p705) The same writing points out how psychological harms had a great impact on the prisoners. On the third day some of the prisoners began to experience severe negative emotions, passive behavior, depression and acute anxiety. Two of them had to be released from the study early. Those prisoners who remained in the mock prison began assimilated with their role and accepted humiliation and abusive treatmen t, as if they deserved it (Bredy, Longson. p 706). Not only the prisoners but the guards as well lost their sense of identity. Later Zimbardo in his writing ‘Pathology of Imprisonment’ mentions that the experiment ‘was no longer apparent to most of the subject where reality ended and their role began’. The majority of the subjects became prisoners and guards and was no longer being able to differentiate between their roles and their personality. (Zimbardo. p. 249) All together psychologically the following were observed: the loss of personal identity on both sides; and the arbitrary control exerted by the guards made the prisoners lives increasingly unpredictable, causing depression and anxiety. The guards also developed a dependency on prisoners and were emasculated them to the extent that when the prisoners were debriefed they suggested that they had been assigned to be prisoners because they were smaller than the guards. In fact, there was no difference in average height between the prisoners and the guards, and the perceived difference was a response to the prisoners perceptions of themselves and their power (Haney et al. p 14). The physical harm was never proven on record however many critics do predict that mental effects of the experience should have generated automatic physical reactions. As an example that supports this idea happened on the fourth day when one guard detained prisoner 436 kept the him in a two-by-two feet closet for the night, without informing the observer researchers about the situation. Guards were instructing other prisoners to continually keep punching the door of the closet where prisoner 436 was put in. Eventually they tried to persuade the other prisoners that the only way the closet would open and their peer will be free if they give up their blankets and slept on their mattresses. Only one of the prisoners refused to do that. Bradey, Longsdon. p706) From this sense it shall be quickly concluded that prisoners were also under physical harassments, once guards did adopt the negative attitude towards them, their aggression increased. The other main concern is why the researchers did not end the experiment when they saw what was happening in this stimulated prison? After all these ethical and moral violation the experiment continued for six days . As Zimbardo admitted, he also became immersed with his role of his role of being the instructor, providing orders to the guards. He could no longer objectively fulfill his role of lead researcher, (Harney et al. p. 18) still he carried on with the process, knowing that the participants did not realize that they could leave the mock-prison whenever they wanted. When they were asked whether they wish to be released without receiving the amount on the contract, they said yes, but still returned to their cell when they were ordered following this discussion. By then they lost their real identity and voluntarily continued to be carry on the with the prisoner role. On the other hand, guards did no realize that they could leave their role either. Many of them expressed their interest to continue the experiment without payment; in fact many of them enjoyed their role of authority and were accepting more and more night shifts. Similar to the guards and to the prisoners Zimbardo also failed to recognize the ability to leave the experiment at the early stage. Simply he was not able to remain an observer in his own experiment as him became internalized. (Zimbardo, 256) The experiment was stopped when Christina Machlack a graduate student was invited to observe the event for a short period of time and was asked to express her opinion about it. She walked around a yard and talk to a guard. When she sat down behind the hidden cameras, saw the same guard she just recently had a conversation with, she was frightened. In her memoire she writes: â€Å"This man had been transformed. He was talking in a different accent, a Southern accent, which I hadn’t recalled at all. He moved differently and the way he talked was different, not just in the accent, but in the way he was interacting with the prisoners. It was like (seeing) Jekyll and Hyde†¦It really took my breath away. † (Stanford Prison Experiment, Still Powerful After All These Years) Zimbardo concluded that the situation caused the behavior of the participants rather than anything inherent in their individual personality. Four out of the twelve guards were diagnosed with genuine sadistic tendencies. Still, some guards showed sympathy and even tried to help the prisoners. Zimbardo did follow up with the participants following the experiment. All the 24 person were convinced that they have acted under the role and believed that they fulfilled the roles as they were accepted to. As for today there is no record what the experiment caused in their long-term mental health. ( Shaugnessy,p. 137) It is essential to mention that the US Office Naval Research, Marine Corps, and the US Navy provided the funds for the experiments in order to study the relationship between military guards and prisoners. Zimbardo did not consider his experiment unethical. As he stated ‘it had unethical elements’. According to him the experiment was ethically sound, since various ethic committees approved it. ‘It followed the guidelines of the Stanford human subjects ethics committee that approved it. There was no deception; all subjects were told in advance that if prisoners, many of their usual rights would be suspended and they would have only minimally adequate diet and health care during the study,’- he said. Which was planned to last two weeks. However, he did mention that: ‘it was unethical because people suffered and others were allowed to inflict pain and humiliation on their fellows over an extended period of time’ (Stanford Prison Experiment, Still Powerful After All These Years). Maltreatment of prisoners takes place all over the world. These unethical issues were vividly discussed in 2004 when the Guantanamo Bay prisoner torture pictures were released. Many scholars found the similarities between the Guantanamo and the Stanford Prison case event. The only difference was that in the 21st century, no one justified the behavior of the US guards in Guantamo. The ill treatment of the guards was clearly declared unethical worldwide. As the study of psychology grew over the years, more rules have been created regarding its research and its practice. The APA ethical guidelines were enacted in 1992, with strong ethical rules concerning physical and mental harm during an experiment in addition to respecting basic human rights. Hence, as of today no such an experiment could take place within the Ethical Code of the American Psychologist Association. Harley’s article describes the experiment as the events occurred day, by day. It started as a simple behavioral research in order to study prison behavior. The ethical issues began to be pointed out by Bradey and Longsdon who in their writing guides us through the physiological and physical harm occurred during the prison experiment, including the mental abuses of the prisoners and the guards obsession with sudden authority. Zimbardo in his writing of ‘Pathology of Imprisonment’ briefly mentions his own experience regarding the Stanford research, providing us to be able to look at the situation as subjective participant rather than an experimenter. As the paper shows, not only the prisoners or the guards, but he himself, an experienced psychologist failed to differentiate between his warden role and his personality. Shaugnessy’s work is the most recent one, written in the 21th century, when the medical and psychological moral and ethical code was already given universal guidelines and rules. It is logical that Shaugnessy is describing the failure of several ethical issues and criticizes the experiment as a whole. Last but not least, the Stanford News Service provided the interviews and small memoires of the discussed prison study. As the articles and their topics also shows moral and ethical values were different in the medical sphere decades before. As for today, analyzing the connection of ethics and the Stanford Prison Experiment the participants were treated unethical for the people right from the beginning. Participants were not given the opportunity nor given instructions to decide over the acceptance of all the risks involved in the experiment. They were clearly deprived from their basic rights and were subjected to mental and physical harm without realizing they can end the temporary situation. Work Cited Brady, F. Neil, Logsdon, Jeanne M.. (1988). Zimbardos Standard Prison Experiment And The Relevance O. Journal of Business Ethics, 7(9), 703. Retrieved December 12, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 572750). Zimbardo, P, 1982, ‘Pathology of Imprisonment’. In d Krebs (ed. ), Readings in Social Psychology: Contemporary Perspectives, Second Ed. (Harper Row, New York, NY) p. 249-251 Haney, C. , Banks, W. C. Zimbardo, P. G. (1973). A study of prisoners and guards in a simulated prison. Naval Research Review, 30, 4-17. Shaughnessy, J. J. , Zechmeister, E. B. , Zechmeister, J. S. (2006). ‘Research Methods’ in Psychology Seventh Edition. Boston: McGraw Hill. ‘Stanford Prison Experiment Still Powerful After All These Years’. Stanford University News Service. August 1. 1997. Stanford. California

Sex and the city. Media Analysis

Sex and the city. Media Analysis Sex and the city is one of the most popular cable television and film series in America. The main characters in the show are four independent women on a self exploration mission. Three of these women are in their thirties and one in her mid- forties. These four White American women are the main focus of the show.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sex and the city. Media Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The series has multiple story lines running concurrently and it tackles socially relevant themes like feminism, promiscuity, divorce and sexually transmitted infections (Sohn 32). The show highlights how the lives of professional city women are affected by the increasingly changing society. All the episodes in the show are narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker. Sarah is a stylish party girl popularly known for having a unique sense of fashion and is referred to as Carrie Bradshaw in the show. She is an outgoing girl who likes having fun and anticipating love in the process. Carrie is an independent woman in her mid-thirties and sees marriage as an obstacle to her self exploration mission (Sohn 15). The other character is Kim Cantrall starring as Samantha Jones. She is the oldest among the four and is portrayed as the most confident about her sexual life. She is very loyal to her friends and seems strong and outspoken. Kristin Davis starring as Charlotte Yorke is the most optimistic member of the group who advocates for emotional love rather than lust (Jermyn 48). She is an extremely successful woman despite her traditional outlook which at times surprises her friends. She represents the traditional attitude about relationships and love. Despite having a series of relationship, her actions are somehow controlled compared to the other three. The fourth character is Cynthia Nixon starring as Miranda Hobbes. She is a professional attorney who is always negative about love and relationships. There a re quite a number of family –based themes highlighted in the sex and the city show. The theme of sexual immorality commonly referred to as promiscuity is prevalent in the show. This is mostly revealed through Samantha. She has numerous sexual flings in the show. She has an open sexual lifestyle to an extent where she doesn’t mind having sexual relationship with younger men (Jermyn 28). Carrie has a string of boyfriends and she is also unable to settle in any marriage. The show depicts the theme of feminism where the four women represent a modern independent woman who is not ready to be enslaved by any man.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Infidelity is the order of the day in the show. Having multiple sexual partners is portrayed as normal and fun by these four women. This is exactly the picture in modern relationships. The four women portray marriage as a failed affair except Charlotte who believes that a marriage can actually work. Miranda divorces her husband Steve after he admits having cheated on her (Jermyn 87). The chances of divorce are also high in the other marriages and the main cause being infidelity. Economic empowerment on the side of women is highly emphasized in this show. All the four women are professionals who are economically empowered and do not rely on men to support them. Carrie is an established writer and columnist, Samantha a successful business woman, Charlotte a history and finance graduate and finally Miranda who is a professional lawyer. They actually represent a modern day woman on the first driving lane to success (Sohn 13). Apart from being popular, the show has also faced its fare share of criticism. The characters in the show use the tag of feminism to push for their immoral interests. The show promotes sexual immorality in the way sex is advertised by the characters. The show portrays marriage as a failed thing with divorce being depicted as the only way to end marital problems and strain (Jermyn 92). The show glamorizes sex and does not put into consideration its negative effects like unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. The show portrays infidelity as a normal and fun thing which is not acceptable in the society. The mode of dressing of these characters is questionable with characters like Carrie going to the extreme end. Their mode of dressing portrays women as potential sex objects for men. In conclusion, sex and the city has continued to have a negative influence to the society and increased viewership of the show will continue to erode our good societal morals. The show has influenced teenagers in a very negative way. A recent survey revealed how the show has encouraged sex amongst teenagers leading to early and unplanned pregnancies for girls who watch the show. On the other side, their male counterparts are more likely to engage in teenage sex th an those who are not viewers of the show (Sohn 88). It is believed that some scenes in the show make the viewers to be sexually charged by arousing their sexual emotions (Jermyn 109).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sex and the city. Media Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Jermyn, Deborah. Sex and the City. New York: Wayne State University Press, 2009. Print. Sohn, Amy et al. Sex and the City. New York: HarperCollins, 2008. Print.

A Study Of How Popular TV Shows Bring Out The Themes Of Reality, Drama And Science Fiction

A Study Of How Popular TV Shows Bring Out The Themes Of Reality, Drama And Science Fiction Television shows have different themes for a reason, to appeal to a certain group of people. When a teenager comes home from school, all they want to do is sit down, relax, and watch television. Television shows can be categorized into many different themes. Action and violence appeals to the male crowd while romance appeals to the female crowd. However, comedy appeals to both male and female audiences. The show, Dance Moms, is a reality show made to appeal to reality show lovers. Cartoons like Rugrats are made for childrens’ entertainment. Popular Television shows can be classified according to their different themes; drama, reality, and science fiction. People are drawn to drama. Whether it’s on television, online, or right in front of them, it always attracts us. Pretty Little Liars is all about drama. The show airs on ABC Family every Tuesday night during the season. It is based on a famous book series but the show is a little different from the books. It starts out with showing five girls having a slumber party at one of the girls’ house. They fall asleep and when they wake up, one of the girls, Ally, is missing. The girls go looking for Ally and can’t seem to find her so they call the police. Later on, she is pronounced dead and while this is going on, the four girls are getting threatening texts from someone named â€Å"A.† This person has already killed people who know what really happened to Ally. Two years later, Ally turns out to be alive and comes back to Rosewood, which is the town that she and the others live in. This television show has so much drama that it is a favorite among millions of te enagers and young adults. Another popular television show is The Voice. This show is a reality, contest show with a twist. Opposed to American Idol, the judges are turned away from the contestant. While the person is singing, the judge can decide whether or not they want the contestant on their team. If they like what they hear, they can press their button causing them to spin around and face the singer. The contestant can choose which judge they want to have as their coach. Four people make up the coaches panel this year. Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, and Pharrell Williams are the coaches. Certain people like this show because it brings a twist to television. The contestant isn’t being chosen on their looks or stage presence but on their actual voice. Also, a comedic presence fills the show. The coaches argue and say snide comments to each other in order to get the contestant on their team. Blake and Adam are always saying something funny and are the main reason I watch the show. The sense of competition in a show makes people want to watch it even more. A different type of theme people like in a television show is science fiction. Some shows with this theme are Doctor Who, Once Upon a Time, Revolution, etc. All these shows have one thing in common and that is science fiction. Some people want to see something different in a show, something that is impossible to happen in the real world. One show that is like that is Revolution. This television series is about how the whole world loses power and a militia is formed. The people have to adjust to no longer relying on electricity. A new government is formed and it is called Monroe’s Militia. This government is in no way merciful. They kill anyone who disobeys them and anyone who gets in their way of finding â€Å"the light switch.† Eventually the lights get turned back on and there is electricity for a little while until the government takes advantage of it. The woman responsible for the lights going out is Rachel. Her and her friend, Aaron, try to shut down the program th at gets turned on to avoid bombs hitting a city. They’re seconds too late and thousands of people are killed. This sort of theme in a television show leaves us wanting more. Constant violence and mystery engulfs the show. Miles Matheson used to be in charge of the militia alongside his best friend, Monroe. When Miles leaves the militia, he is constantly on the run from the government with his niece, Charlie, and her mom, Rachel along with their friends. The science fiction part comes into play when a program called â€Å"nano† arises and tries to take over human emotions and their ability to think for themselves. The program saved Aaron, it’s creator, from dying. The program believes that it owes Aaron for creating them. The nano’s are always watching him and listening to Aaron’s thoughts. If he is in distress, they help him. Although this sounds like a good thing, it turns out to be disastrous. Aaron yells at the nano, telling it that he wants the m to go away. The program returns later with a vengeance on humans. It has the ability to give off electricity which, in the wrong hands, can be fatal. Aaron and Rachel try to destroy the program but it is too powerful. Science fiction gives us a look into what the world would be like if we had a worldwide blackout happen to us. Thousands of television shows come on each day , but these three specific themes are my personal favorite. Science fiction, reality, and drama makes an excellent show. Science fiction has that extra spark that I love. It includes out of this world material that is virtually impossible to happen. However, drama is also a great crowd pleaser. If I were to turn on my television and had the choice of Switched at Birth or The Big Bang Theory to watch, I would choose Switched at Birth because it’s a drama show packed with excitement. Television shows with a specific theme can make or break the show. It depends on the person watching the show, whether or not they like it. Does the person like comedy, action, drama, etc? Television shows can have more than one theme, also. It could have comedy, drama, and reality all on one show. Either way, people like certain TV shows for many different reasons. Themes make television shows special.

Without Strategies It Is Not Possible to Provide Direction for the Research Paper

Without Strategies It Is Not Possible to Provide Direction for the Construction Companies - Research Paper Example Corporate strategies have been divided into Five Ps by Mintzberg and they are Plan, Ploy, Position, Pattern and Perspective. While each is a separate type of strategy with its attendant qualifications, yet they are usually present in all strategies to some degree. The real difference lies in the fact that one of them will be dominant and others will play a supportive role. (Mintzberg). Markets are heterogeneous and companies, irrespective of size and area of operation, need to remain competitive in order to survive and make profits for their owners. Companies need strategies following which competitive advantage can be gained. Environments have a great impact on companies. The strategy is the reaction or response to these external and internal situations. Ansoff et al (1976) state that, amongst other things, responsiveness to the problems is what strategy is all about. The aggressive response to competition, the sublime response to the customers, the firm but fair response to the managers and workers are but a few ingredients of strategy. Minzberg et al (1998) offer another concept of strategy which is that it acts as a mediation force between the organization and the environment. The strategy is the internal and inherent capacity of the organization to meet and face challenges posed by the environment. There are different responses that formulate strategies and they can be divided into three different prescriptive or narrowed down schools of thought. They are the Design, the Planning and the Positioning schools of thought.

Which aspects of McDonald's organisational culture are considered to Dissertation - 1

Which aspects of McDonald's organisational culture are considered to be strong compared to competitors - Dissertation Example Organizational culture is a topic that is well-studied, and it basically means that organizations have a certain set of values and beliefs that are unique to that organization. Because culture needs to be spread, and there must be a method for this method to spread, this is a topic of consideration and is the focus of this paper. In particular, a vision is something that permeates organizations and, if this vision is positive and committed to by the employees of the company, the vision can make the organization great. This vision thus guides the organization, and underpins the culture. Another variable is that of leadership, as leadership has a great effect on organizational culture. Toxic leaders may lead to toxic work environments, so the organizational culture would be adversely affected. Conversely, effective leaders may lead to effective teams, and this would positively affect the organizational culture. The different kinds of leaders, and how these leaders operate, is another f ocus of this paper. Lastly, since McDonald’s is a multinational corporation, the concept of cultural distance must be touched upon. This is another focus. The results sections will extrapolate the data that was found on McDonald’s and relate this data to the information presented in the literature review. Hence, it can be shown why McDonald’s is the dominant player in the fast food market around the world. The literature review is divided into four sections – literature regarding organizational culture in general, followed by literature regarding vision, literature regarding leadership, and literature regarding cultural distance. The research section is next, and describes the kind of research undertaken, which is secondary research, and how the particular topic was researched. Next comes the results, which are tied into the literature found in the literature review. A conclusion tying it all together concludes the paper. Literature Review The Meaning of Organizational Culture Organizational culture is â€Å"the coding of values and deeply-held beliefs that mold an organization's decision patterns, guide its actions, and drive individual behavior† (Dauphinais & Price, 1998, p. 190). An organizational culture is made up of patterns of belief that are rooted in the values, norms and informal activities of the organization (Ivancevich et al., 2008, p. 503). Both members and outsiders are cognizant of a particular organization’s culture, as the organization makes its organizational culture visible (Dauphinais & Price, 1998, p. 190). At the same time, because it is comprised of beliefs, values and attitudes, all intangible qualities, it is subtle and invisible. The culture may be either beneficial or destructive. If based upon a positive vision, which is discussed below, the cultural organization is beneficial to the organization. Alternatively, if the belief system upon which the organizational culture is based is flawed, and does not fit the vision, then it can be destructive and will drive the organization on to mediocrity, not greatness. Moreover, the organizational culture is often driven by the bottom up, as opposed to top down, according to Dauphinais & Price, as the ways that the broad masses of the organization behave dictates the culture of the organization. Therefore, the organizational culture may be created by rewards, measures and â€Å"carefully structured people practices† Vision as a Part of Organizational Culture Part of the organizational culture is the vision that permeates throughout the organization, especially if the organization is strong and is able to have a shared vision. According to Senge (1990), a shared vision is vital for a successful company and should be one of the top priorities. The company’s vision is one to which the people of the organization must commit themselves. Yet, the successful company also realizes that there are thousands of individual vis ions for the companies, or, in the case of McDonald’s, millions of different visions, as each employee may have their

Motor Cyclists Essay Example for Free

Motor Cyclists Essay Psychological and social factors influencing motorcycle rider intentions and behaviour Barry Watson Deborah Tunnicliff Katy White Cynthia Schonfeld Darren Wishart Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety (CARRS-Q) Queensland University of Technology August 2007 Psychological and social factors influencing motorcycle rider intentions and behaviour i Published by: Postal address: Office location: Telephone: Facsimile: E-mail: Internet: Australian Transport Safety Bureau PO Box 967, Civic Square ACT 2608 15 Mort Street, Canberra City, Australian Capital Territory 1800 621 372; from overseas + 61 2 6274 6440 02 6274 3117; from overseas + 61 2 6274 3117 [emailprotected] gov. au www. atsb. gov. au  © CARRS-Q, Queensland University of Technology 2006 To encourage the dissemination of this publication, it may be copied, downloaded, displayed, printed, reproduced, and distributed in unaltered form (retaining this notice). Subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968, no other use of the material in this publication may be made without the authorisation of the Queensland University of Technology. ii Psychological and social factors influencing motorcycle rider intentions and behaviour DOCUMENT RETRIEVAL INFORMATION Report No. RSRG 2007-04 Publication date August 2007 No. of pages 152 ISBN 978 0 642 25564 8 ISSN Publication title Psychological and social factors influencing motorcycle rider intentions and behaviour Author(s) Barry Watson, Deborah Tunnicliff, Katy White, Cynthia Schonfeld, Darren Wishart. Organisation that prepared this document Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety Queensland University of Technology GPO Box 2434 Brisbane QLD 4001. Sponsor [Available from] Australian Transport Safety Bureau PO Box 967, Civic Square ACT 2608 Australia www. atsb. gov. au Project Officer John Collis Reference No. Aug2007/DOTARS 50323. Abstract This report documents two studies undertaken to identify and assess the psychological and social factors influencing motorcycle rider behaviour. The primary aim of the research was to develop a Rider Risk Assessment Measure (RRAM), which would act as a tool for identifying high-risk riders by assessing rider intentions and self-reported behaviour. The first study (n = 47) involved a qualitative exploration of rider perceptions utilising a focus-group methodology. This study identified six key aspects of rider behaviour considered to influence safety: motorcycle handling skills; rider awareness; riding while impaired or not; and the tendency to bend road rules, push limits, and ride at extreme speeds or perform stunts. Study two (n = 229) was survey-based and examined the psychological and social factors influencing these behaviours, utilising the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and other relevant psychological constructs, such as sensation seeking and aggression. This study indicated that risky rider intentions were primarily influenced by attitudes and sensation seeking, while safer intentions were influenced by perceived behavioural control. While intentions significantly predicted all six types of behaviour, sensation seeking and a propensity for aggression emerged as significant predictors, particularly for the volitional risk-taking behaviours. The measures of intention and behaviour comprising the RRAM were not found to be significantly correlated with self-reported crash involvement, possibly indicating shortcomings in the measurement of crashes. However, significant correlations were found between the components of the RRAM and self-reported traffic offence involvement. While further work is required to refine and validate the RRAM, it represents a potential tool for informing and evaluating motorcycle rider safety countermeasures. Keywords Motorcycle safety, theory of planned behaviour, sensation seeking, aggression Notes (1) (2) ATSB reports are disseminated in the interest of information exchange. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the Australian Government or the ATSB. Psychological and social factors influencing motorcycle rider intentions and behaviour iii CONTENTS Executive summary EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background Motorcycle riding is rapidly increasing in popularity in Australia, attracting a much wider demographic of people than in decades past. Unfortunately, whilst the overall number of road deaths in Australia has generally been reducing, the proportion of motorcycle-related fatalities has been rising in recent years. Further, the proportion of motorcycle-related fatalities in Australia is unacceptably high compared with other OECD countries. To reduce motorcycle-related fatalities on Australian roads, there is an urgent need to consider motorcyclists as distinct from other road users. This program of research facilitates the understanding of safety issues from a motorcyclist perspective and provides important information on factors influencing safe and unsafe rider intentions and behaviour. The aims of this program of research were to: †¢ develop a better understanding of the psychological and social influences on rider behaviour in an Australian context; †¢ guide the development of future motorcycle safety countermeasures; and †¢ develop a tool (the Rider Risk Assessment Measure – RRAM) to inform the evaluation of motorcycle safety countermeasures, particularly in the area of training and education. To achieve these aims, two particular studies were undertaken: a qualitative study of motorcycle rider perceptions utilising a focus-group methodology and a survey-based quantitative study of selfreported rider intentions and behaviour. Both studies were underpinned by a theoretical framework drawing on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), identity theory, social identity theory, and other relevant psychological concepts such as sensation seeking and aggression. Key findings Study 1 explored motorcyclists’ perceptions relating to ‘safe’ and ‘risky’ riding and the different personal and social factors that influenced their behaviour. A total of 43 people participated in this study, either as part of a focus group or as an interviewee. This exploratory process revealed six types of behaviours which were commonly believed to influence the safety (or riskiness) of motorcycle riding. These six behaviours are discussed below. Two behaviours were identified as being particularly essential to rider safety. The first was the necessity of being able to handle the motorcycle proficiently and skilfully. The second related to the need for riders to maintain a high level of concentration whilst riding and to stay aware of the changing road environment. In contrast, there was some debate about the inherent safety or riskiness of the two next behaviours commonly identified. Firstly, some riders believed that obeying the road rules was essential to their safety, whilst others reported that it was often necessary to break the road rules in order to stay safe. Secondly, the definition of what constituted ‘riding whilst impaired’ differed amongst riders. Most riders agreed that ‘drinking and riding’ was dangerous. However, for some, even one alcoholic drink before riding was considered dangerous, whilst others would ride after drinking provided they did not consider themselves to be over the legal BAC limit. Some riders stated that riding when viii Psychological and social factors influencing motorcycle rider intentions and behaviour they were tired was dangerous; however, fatigue was not considered a serious safety issue for many participants. Two further behaviours identified by participants were often associated with their accounts of crash involvement, yet not seen as intrinsically ‘unsafe’ by most riders. The first of these was the concept of ‘pushing your limits’. Most riders interviewed appeared to enjoy pushing the limits of their ability on a motorcycle. Whilst agreeing that pushing the limits too far was dangerous, pushing them to a point that tested a rider’s abilities was often reported to facilitate safety as this process developed a rider’s skill. The second behaviour that was often mentioned in connection with crashes was extreme riding (e. g. , performing stunts and riding at extreme speeds). The act of perfecting a stunt was often reported to result in the crashing of the motorcycle, although these crashes were usually accepted as a normal part of the learning process. Once perfected, performing stunts did not appear to be considered an intrinsically unsafe behaviour, unless performed in traffic or other unpredictable situations. A sizable minority of both male and female participants reported riding at extreme speeds. These riders often argued that they could ride extremely fast, safely, on public roads provided certain conditions were met (e. g. good visibility, minimal traffic, weather, road, and motorcycle maintenance). Study 2 involved 229 active motorcyclists who completed a questionnaire assessing: their riding intentions and self-reported behaviour; the psychological and social factors influencing these intentions and behaviour; and their self-reported involvement in road crashes and traffic offences over the last two years. The questionnaire was structured around the six types of rider behaviour identified as important in Study 1. Key results of this study are discussed below. In order to obtain an insight into the factors underpinning both ‘safe’ and ‘risky’ behaviour, the six areas of interest were operationalised as three ‘safer’ behavioural intentions (i. e. handle the motorcycle skilfully, maintain 100% awareness, not ride impaired) and three ‘riskier’ intentions which represented more volitional risk-taking (i. e. bend the road rules, push the limits, perform stunts or ride at extreme speeds). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were then performed to assess the influence of different psychological and social factors on these intentions. These analyses indicated that a greater proportion of variance could be explained in the case of the riskier riding intentions [R2 ranging from 57% – 66%] than the safer riding intentions [R2 ranging from 22% – 36%]. The TPB construct of perceived behavioural control (PBC) significantly predicted all three ‘safer’ intentions, while attitude was a significant predictor of the three riskier intentions. In terms of the social influences, the TPB construct of subjective norm (which assesses the influence of others considered important) proved a relatively weak predictor of behaviour. However, the measure of specific subjective norm (i. e. the influence of the people that someone rides with) emerged as a significant predictor of three of the six intentions. Over and above this, a propensity for sensation seeking was found to be significant predictor of the three risky intentions. Overall, a similar pattern of results emerged when the self-reported behaviours of the participants were examined. Firstly, while the various psychological and social variables examined in the study significantly predicted all six behaviours, considerably larger amounts of variance were explained for the three volitional risk-taking behaviours, i. e. bend road rules to get through traffic [R2 = . 67], push my limits [R2 = . 59] and perform stunts and/or ride at extreme speeds [R2 = . 69]. Secondly, the results were largely consistent with the tenets of the TPB, with intentions proving a significant predictor of all six behaviours. Thirdly, sensation seeking, along with rider aggression, emerged as a strong predictor of all six behaviours. Indeed, together, these two variables accounted for between 7 – 20% of additional variance in the six behaviours. Not surprisingly, these two variables accounted for relatively large amounts of additional variance in the ride while impaired [R2 ch = . 20] and the perform stunts and/or ride at extreme speeds [R2 ch = . 15] variables. Unfortunately, no significant correlations were found between the various measures of intention and behaviour operationalised in Study 2 and the self-reported crash involvement of the participants. It Psychological and social factors influencing motorcycle rider intentions and behaviour ix is possible that this indicates that the six behaviours of interest, in reality, do not have a close relationship with crash involvement. However, this conclusion does not seem consistent with either the findings of Study 1 or the research evidence reviewed in Chapter 2. More likely, the findings highlight shortcomings in the size of the sample and/or the way that crash involvement was measured in the study. In particular, given that crashes are relatively rare events, crashes were measured over a two year period in order to ensure that (some) participants would have experienced a sufficient number of crashes to facilitate the analyses. However, this raises the possibility of recall problems that may have reduced the accuracy and reliability of the data, while the two year period may have been too long to accurately reflect the current intentions and behaviour of the participants. In contrast, the majority of the intention and behaviour measures were found to be significantly correlated with self-reported traffic offence involvement. In particular, significant associations were found between self-reported traffic offences and the three ‘riskier’ intentions examined in the study (i. e. those relating to more volitional risk-taking, namely, bend the road rules, push my limits and perform stunts and/or ride at extreme speeds). In addition, significant associations were found between traffic offence involvement and five of the six self-reported behaviours examined (the only exception being for awareness errors). These results don’t necessarily confirm the inherent ‘riskiness’ of the behaviours examined, since engaging in an illegal behaviour may not always result in a crash. However, they do provide prima facia evidence supporting the validity of the intention and behaviour measures developed in this study. Strengths and limitations of the research This program of research featured a number of strengths. Firstly, it was firmly grounded in theory; secondly, it utilised both qualitative and quantitative methods to obtain a broad insight into the factors influencing motorcycle rider behaviour; thirdly, the design of the research was informed by input from active motorcyclists; and finally, it adopted a balanced approach to motorcycle safety by examining both safe and risky riding intentions and behaviour. Nonetheless, the program of research also had a number of limitations. Both Studies 1 and 2 consisted of participants primarily recruited from South East Queensland. In addition, the participants were volunteers who were generally older in age. As a result, the samples used in this research may not be representative of Australian motorcyclists in general, but instead reflect a subset of older, primarily recreational, riders. This should be borne in mind when interpreting the results. Furthermore, a number of other potential limitations in the Study 2 questionnaire design emerged during the analysis of the results. These included the way that fatigue was grouped with alcohol and drugs to assess intentions and behaviour relating to riding while impaired and, as noted above, the manner in which crash involvement was measured. Implications of the research At a theoretical level, this program of research has confirmed that the predictive utility of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) can be substantially improved by the addition of other variables. In particular, this research demonstrated that subjective norm (SN) was a relatively weak predictor of intentions and that the specific subjective norm (SSN) (i.e. assessing the influence of those people that someone rides with) performed relatively better as a measure of social influence. Moreover, both sensation seeking and the propensity to ride aggressively proved significant predictors of all six behaviours examined, over and above the TPB and other social influence variables. The findings relating to sensation seeking are consistent with previous research in the traffic psychology area. x Psychological and social factors influencing motorcycle rider intentions and behaviour. However, the results relating to aggression warrant more attention, since this variable proved a relatively stronger predictor than sensation seeking of the error-based behaviours (i. e. handling errors and awareness errors), the ride while impaired behaviour, and the perform stunts and/or ride at extreme speeds behaviour. This suggests that the propensity to ride aggressively has a broader influence on rider behaviour, which is not limited to the more volitional risk-taking types of behaviours. At a practical level, this program of research has identified a number of ways to enhance current motorcycle safety countermeasures, particularly in the area of rider training and education. Most particularly, it has identified a range of psychological and social influences on rider intentions and behaviour that appear to be beyond the scope of current skills-based approaches to motorcycle training and education. Consequently, further work is required to develop and trial new approaches to rider training and education that more effectively address the attitudinal and motivational influences on riding, both of a personal and social nature. To assist in this process, this research has undertaken the first steps in the development of the Rider Risk Assessment Measure (RRAM). This tool is intended to act as a means of identifying high-risk riders by assessing their intentions and self-reported behaviour (in relation to both ‘safe’ and ‘risky’ riding). While further work is required to refine and validate the RRAM, it represents a tool that can be used in a variety of ways to enhance motorcycle safety countermeasures, including informing the design and content of training programs and evaluating the impact of different  initiatives on rider behaviour. Psychological and social factors influencing motorcycle rider intentions and behaviour xi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to acknowledge the funding support provided by the Australian Government, through the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s (ATSB) Road Safety Research Grants Programme. The development and conduct of this study has involved the contribution of a large number of people. While it is difficult to acknowledge all the individuals that have contributed, the authors would like to thank: †¢ †¢ Mr John Collis from the ATSB for his ongoing advice and support; those people who assisted us organise the focus groups, from organisations such as Queensland Transport, Motorcycle Riders Association Queensland, Ulysses, and Q-Ride providers; personnel from the Queensland Police Service, particularly the Logan and Brisbane West Districts, who assisted in the distribution of the pilot and main questionnaires at various motorcycle events; The ongoing support for motorcycle research from Morgan and Wacker Pty Ltd; and the assistance of Morgan Wacker Motorcycle Training Centre, particularly Mr Fred Davies, in the finalisation and distribution of the Study 2 questionnaire.   xii Psychological and social factors influencing motorcycle rider intentions and behaviour GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ACRONYMS ABS ATSB BAC Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Transport Safety Bureau [formerly Federal Office of Road Safety (FORS)]. Blood Alcohol Concentration. In Australia, the legal amount of alcohol that may be present in the blood is 0. 05% if the driver or rider is on an unrestricted licence. It is usually measured either by a police breathalyser or a by a blood test (see also Over the limit). A person who identifies with, and belongs to, an organised outlaw motorcycle club. Club members ride motorcycles and often wear jackets with ‘patches’ which identify the club they belong to (Veno, 2002). A motorcycle enthusiast. May or may not belong to a motorcycle club (Krige, 1995a). Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety Queensland. A study design which collects data on the perceptions or behaviours of subjects at one point in time, as opposed to a longitudinal.

The Day The World Cried Essay -- history

The Day The World Cried Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward and freedom will be defended. Our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices – secretaries, businessman and women, military and federal workers. Moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings fires burning, huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness and a quiet unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat . But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people have been moved to defend a great nation. Those were the words of President George W. Bush, as he moved his country from disbelief to reality. Good morning / afternoon Ms. Scully and fellow classmates. September 11th was a dark and stormy Tuesday where the lives of people became the cost of revenge. Many innocent people faced their Tuesday morning by ending their lives instantly, as a high jacked plane plummeted from the sky, towards their office building. At 8:45 am a high jacked passenger jet, flight 11 of American Airlines, plunges into the North tower of The World Trade Center. 9:03 am another plane hit this time the South tower. Leaving both buildings ablaze in flames of deat...

Childrens literature

Are children better off now than they were 50 years ago? Comparing childhood today with childhood 50 years ago, there are many dramatic changes. There are new forms of media such as television and the internet. Family structures and emphasis on values today are nothing like they were 50 years ago. It was odd if a family did not sit at the dinner table together. Today there is so much going on it is odd to sit at the dinner table together.Even people's life goals and utlook on life are much different. It is no wonder with all the changes that people believe life for a child is much harder today than it was 50 years ago. Children 50 years ago lived a much more sheltered life than the children of today. A young person's family should be the strongest influence in their life. It is more work to raise a child today and parents seldom take responsibility for their child's actions. We need to monitor their friends, their internet use and their phone conversations to keep them on the right t rack. 0 years ago, mom's stayed home to take care of the ids and dads went out to work to provide for their families. Life was much more simple back then, although they did not have all the resources that we have today. Today we rely on daycare settings and babysitters to take care of our children as more and more moms have to work outside of the home. In children's literature books the fairytale of the moms staying home to care for the children and the dads going out to work is portrayed. Lecture 3 Does children's literature influence a child's perspective on society and their role in it?The books that are read to children and the books that they read themselves can alter who they become when they become adults. Rather than not reading to a child at all it is important to explain to a child that children's literature is fun to read and the books are mostly fairytales. I think children's literature is important because it reflects a time in which it was written and the changes of so cial values such as gender, race and sexual orientation. Generally, past societies viewed woman as the homemakers, cooking, cleaning and caring for the children, while the men went out o work and were the providers for their families.This view was past from generation to generation eventually leading to gender role stereotypes. This portrayed women as inferior, unintelligent, emotional and needy whose only role was to cook, clean and care for the kids. Social views toward woman have changed. Though still not equal, the perception of a woman's roles today appears less stereotyped than in the past. Unfortunately gender stereotypes still exist in children's literature today though maybe not as much. Today, the typical stereotypes are that boys are tough and girls re weak.Children's literature portrays boys being adventurous and playing sports and girls dressing up or playing with dolls. There are plenty of children's books that that girls have to work Just as hard as boys and that ther e education is Just as important because the fairytale of women staying home to care for the kids is almost non existent. Racism has been another issue in children's literature. Children's literature reflects a time of prejudice attitudes and racial content. Children's literature early on depicted certain races in unethical ways, maybe not on purpose.Children's literature has come a long way with teaching children that being different is not always bad. I believe that children should be taught from an early age the importance of acceptance. The world has become so diverse that people need to realize and teach their children that there are all different kinds of people especially due to migration and multi-cultural marriages. Sexual orientation is another big reflection in children's literature books. For the most part, alternative families were greatly forbidden by past societies.I think this is one topic that is probably still a battle over same-sex marriages and homosexuality. I w ould think that some if not most people would think these kinds of books would have a negative effect on a child, but again children need to learn that it is not always bad to be different. They need to be taught how to deal with different situations. Children should never be restrained from reading literature that might contain offensive content because is shows them hardship, differences and ignorance that people have had to overcome throughout their lives.This would Just remind them of how lucky and fortunate that they are today. This would show them Just how far we progressed in changing life in a positive way. Although racism, stereotyping and prejudices are still present today, every child if properly brought up can contribute to the cause of ending this. Giving children literature that shows them what the past was like can teach them why racial diversity and cultural relativity is so important today. Children of all races and ethnicities can benefit from reading literature of the past and present

Irony of Kingship in Edward Ii

Irony of kingship One way to discuss the â€Å"irony of kingship† in Christopher Marlowe’s play Edward II is to focus on the ways in which Edward himself falls short of Renaissance ideals of a good king. Edward, in other words, has inherited the title of monarch, but he often fails to live up to the responsibilities of ruling a monarchy. His personal affection for Gaveston is so great that he often neglects his duties to his other subjects. This kind of neglect is already implied in Gaveston’s opening speech.In that speech, Gaveston begins by reading two sentences from a personal letter he has received from Edward: My father is deceas'd. Come, Gaveston, And share the kingdom with thy dearest friend. No sooner does Edward’s father die, and no sooner does Edward thereby become king, than he is already focusing, ironically, on his own personal desires. The idea that a monarch could â€Å"share† the kingdom with a friend (no matter how â€Å"dear†) would have struck many of Marlowe’s contemporaries as foolish and irresponsible.Gaveston’s reaction – in which he delights in the prospects of being â€Å"the favourite of a king† – already suggests the potentially ironic outcome of Edward’s plan: he hopes to benefit himself by giving too much power to a man who ironically seems primarily interested in his own â€Å"bliss† and â€Å"delight. † Instead of feeling summoned to England as a responsible statesman, Gaveston correctly sees an â€Å"amorous† intention in Edward’s words.Many Elizabethans would have thought that the king now had a responsibility to put his personal affections aside (especially since he was already married) and act in the best interests of the nation. Instead, Edward’s motives seem, ironically, the opposite of those of a king who should be truly devoted to his people. Clearly, Gaveston has no great desire to go to England and encou rage Edward to be a selfless ruler.Instead, Gaveston next mentions his desire to be held in the king’s â€Å"arms. † Speaking of Edward, Gaveston refers to â€Å"The king, upon whose bosom let me lie,† even if doing so means that he will â€Å"be still at enmity† with â€Å"the world† (that is, with others in the kingdom). Gaveston’s desires, like those of Edward, are mainly personal. The crucial difference is that Gaveston is not the king. Edward is, and his subsequent behavior will seem ironic in light of his very important social role.Gaveston assumes that once he has become the personal favorite of the monarch, he will not have to show respect to other important people in the realm: Farewell base stooping to the lordly peers! My knee shall bow to none but to the king. Given the nature of the relationship between Gaveston and Edward, the last line just quoted would have struck many Elizabethans as especially ironic and even shocking. The play’s opening speech already implies that little good can come to the kingdom from the kind of relationship the ambitious â€Å"favourite† desires.Keeping aside the facts of the king’s typical waywardness and unnatural love towards his favourite, we can analyse the issue of kingship from a totally different dimension. He has never been a good king, but if we judge Edward as a human being then definitely we have to say that he is an over emotional, honest, and good hearted person who lacked the political shrudeness and cunning to handle the power-hungry barons who were ready to take the advantage of the immaturity of the young king and desired to snatch his power and money.If Edward would have given a little more time , perhaps he could have prove himself a better king , but Younger Mortimer did not allow such chances and slaughtered the king secretively to suit his purposes. Now the question arises that if a man is not cunning, shrude and tricky is that a vice or virtue? Can we really blame Edward just because he could not conform to the so called notion of being a perfect king? All these questions are very ironical and makes the very issue of kingship all the more complex which keep open multi-dimensional possibilities to interpret the topic as well as the play itself.

The Efficacy And Advantages Of Inserting Foreign Genes Into The Chloroplastic Genome Instead Of The Nuclear Genome

The Efficacy And Advantages Of Inserting Foreign Genes Into The Chloroplastic Genome Instead Of The Nuclear Genome This paper will discuss the efficacy and advantages of inserting foreign genes into the chloroplastic genome instead of the nuclear genome. It will also cover in depth elaboration of relevant issues by using named examples.In DNA, adjacent nucleotides are joined by the phosphate between the 5 carbon atom of the sugar of one nucleotide and the 3 carbon atom of the sugar in the adjoining nucleotide. In DNA, one side of the double helix terminates in a 3 end while the other side, aligned in the opposite direction (antiparallel), terminates in a 5 end. To these projecting 3 ends, a short series of identical nucleotides containing adenine were attached through the activity of another enzyme. Another batch of DNA was treated in a likewise manner, except that nucleotides containing thymine were added instead of adenine.(Avril, 187-94)When these two samples of DNA were mixed, the complementary tails of A- and T-bearing nucleotides became joined by hydrogen bonding. This combined the once sep arate fragments into long, interconnected chains. DNA ligase was then added to form bonds between the sugar and phosphate groups. The two DNA strands were now one. It was certainly intriguing that one could now cut up DNA into unpredictable heterogeneous fragments and randomly stitch them back together. However, for further insights into the organization of DNA and its genes that is, the determination of precise nucleotide  sequences very specific nucleases would have to be found. The prevailing opinion was that such specific DNA-cutting capability did not exist in nature. The only clue to the possibility that more specific nucleases might exist came from observations beginning as early as 1953 that when DNA molecules from E. coli were introduced into another slightly different form of E. coli they seldom functioned genetically. They were quickly broken down into smaller fragments. This apparently was part of a system that had evolved in bacteria to protect them against the entra nce of foreign DNA. In addition to all of the other more obvious forms of competition in nature, there is a constant invisible struggle played out in the microscopic world, in this case between bacteria and bacteriophages. Darwins natural selection is recreated here on a minute scale.(David, 131-44) First, bacteria can be grown under controlled conditions, rapidly and in enormous numbers. Overnight, a few cells will multiply into literally billions. It is very important to understand that a bacterial cell ordinarily reproduces simply by copying itself. Assuming that no mutations occur in the cells, all the descendants of that one cell are identical. Such a population of cells originating from a single cell is termed a clone and the process of producing that clone is referred to as cloning the cell. The DNA in a typical bacterial cell exists in two forms. One is the single bacterial chromosome which, unlike the chromosomes in our cells, is in the form of a circular molecule. The DNA of all other organisms can be likened to a long string. In bacteria, the ends of the string are joined, forming a circle. In addition to the DNA in the bacterial chromosome, DNA also occurs in bacteria in the form of plasmids. These, like the bacterial chromosome, are also circular DNA molecules, but much smaller. When the bacterial cell divides, the bacterial chromosome replicates and one chromosome is passed on to the new cell. Likewise, each of the plasmids replicate and half are delivered to the next generation. The plasmids are unique, independent, self-replicating DNA molecules which can exist only within the living bacterial cell.Plasmids can easily be isolated from bacteria by breaking open the cells with enzymes which break down the cell wall. The resulting mix is centrifuged.The heavier chromosomal DNA, termed genomic DNA, as well as cell fragments will go to the bottom. (James, 44-49) This leaves a relatively clean suspension of plasmids near the top of the centrifuge tub e. These tiny circles of DNA are actually not vital to the survival of the bacterium. The plasmids can be removed from a bacterial cell and the cell will function normally. However, some plasmids do contain genes which confer a marked advantage to the cell under certain conditions. For example, the fatal poison of lockjaw is a product of genes in plasmids of the tetanus bacterium. E. coli has plasmids that cause one form of the infamous travelers diarrhea. Probably the most widely studied plasmid genes are the ones conferring resistance to specific antibiotics. Certain bacteria can produce enzymes coded for by plasmid genes that break down antibiotics such as penicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline, or chloramphenicol. In nature, this gives the bacteria a defense mechanism against naturally occurring antibiotics. In the tissues of an infected patient, bacteria with these plasmids may overcome the administration of therapeutic antibiotics. Such resistant infections have become a major m edical problem. This seemingly esoteric description of bacterial life contains another key element in our story. These bacterial plasmids are used as the DNA molecules into which other DNA fragments cut out by a restriction enzyme can be placed. Going back to our original principle, if we cut up any DNA with a restriction enzyme and cut plasmids with the same enzyme, mix the cut plasmids and the cut DNA in the presence of DNA ligase, plasmid-foreign DNA chimeras will be formed. Gene cloning now solves these problems. To clone a gene means simply to obtain a minute, pure sample of the gene and make lots more of it, as if one had a document and made many identical ones by photocopying it. The photocopying of genes is accomplished by first joining a few of the genes to vectors such as plasmids and inserting the vectors, now carrying the gene, into bacteria or other suitable cells. We have introduced the basic principles of gene cloning already. In that process, so-called foreign DNA, t he DNA we have removed from an organism, is inserted into the vector molecule, such as a plasmid, to create a DNA chimera. The building of such composites or artificial recombinant molecules has also been termed genetic engineering or gene manipulation. This procedure has also been referred to as molecular cloning or gene cloning because a population of genetically identical bacteria, all containing the desired DNA, can be grown in great numbers, thereby copying the DNA as often as the cells divide. (Roger, 34-38) What is very significant is that these chimeras within the bacterial cells may be able to copy not only themselves but actually produce a specific gene product in large amounts. This approach has already been utilized in the commercial production of human insulin, growth hormone, and the antiviral protein interferon. All of these can now be made by bacteria, because the human genes that regulate their synthesis have been isolated and cloned in bacteria. The bacterial cells , grown in vast numbers, obedient to the commands of their genes, now make a human gene product. Human gene products derived from genes isolated and cloned during the Human Genome Project will undoubtedly also be used for the benefit of humanity, particularly in the cure and prevention of disease. Consider the explicit and implicit problems. Our genes are part of the chromosomes which function within the nucleus of each cell. Every defective gene is therefore inside each diploid somatic (nonreproductive) cell and distributed at random in the haploid gametes. The aim of gene therapy is to replace or supplement the defective genetic information with normal, functional genes. How could we possibly get at those undesirable genes, hidden as they are inside the trillions of cells that constitute the human body? The actual physical removal and replacement of genes in the bodys cells is not possible. However, ample precedent exists for the introduction of normal genes into cells where they become part of the functional genome of the cell without necessitating the removal or repair of a resident nonfunctional gene.(Victor, 910-915)For there reside the genes, the chromosomal subunits in which lies the code that determines a lot more than our hair and eye color, our sex, or our height, and right- or left-handedness. They are the direct cause of many diseases such as cystic fibrosis and sickle-cell anemia, regulate our tendency toward cancer, heart attacks, or Alzheimers disease . . . in fact, humans are afflicted by more than 3000 known inherited diseases. Similarly a new frontier in molecular biology is upon us. We are only now approaching through the Human Genome Project and all of the research that it will inspire an intimate understanding of our genes. This will bring with it a power over human life which must be used wisely. There is much more to be said on this theme in later chapters, so let us return to the drama at hand: the revolutionary discovery of the struct ure and essence of the gene.

Is the World Flat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Is the World Flat - Essay Example Friedman further enunciated that flattening of world took place just at the dawn of twenty first century. Globalization is an imperative feature of political and economic discourse as it has paved the way to spread thoughts as wild fire, leaping borders and now information is not confined to industrial world. According to Friedman (2005), globalization has its success and discontents and thus improvise one think that The World Is Flat! However, such views find little support from authors like Ghemawat (2007), Florida (2005, October) and Christopherson et al. (2008). The World Isn’t Flat! According to Ghemawat, one cannot consider the world to be flat, in fact, only 10-25 percent of all economic activities is international or global while remaining are regional, further he affirms the failure of globalization theories in terms of geographical and cultural factors, if there is 1 percent raise in geographic distance the trade between the two locations will diminish by 1 percent. Further, Ghemawat enunciated that countries with a common language share42 percent more trade compared to dissimilar culture while common currency potentially enhances the trade by 114 percent (Shermer, 2011; Ghemawat, 2007). Considering the views of Ghemawat, it is true in real sense if an analysis is carried out the globalization has actually created peaks and valleys in every aspect of life, not only globalization is confined to peaks as depicted by Florida (2005), but the work force, facilities, infrastructure, development, access to fast track of development it is all confined to peaks while the valleys are still deprived of all the latest avenues (Fox, 2014). Migration of mass is towards developed and better prospects which resulted in clustering of resources, progress, amenities and opportunities at particular provinces. Florida (2005) has categorized these peaks in terms of population (the talent or skill), light emission (the economic activity), patents (the innovations) and

Hong Kong Architecture Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Hong Kong Architecture Style - Essay Example Having been born in Hong Kong (HK) and raised there for more than seventeen years, I grew up taking many of the features of my home city for granted. It wasn’t until I opted to study in the United Kingdom that I began to realize the many opportunities I lost. With many years of chances to visit some of the more historical sites and cultural wonders, I did not see any of them. I have surprisingly little awareness to its quality or style of architecture. To me, Hong Kong was just another busy city with the typical rectangular tower blocks and high-rise complexes everywhere. Construction was fast and demolition quick. The only real notice I took of these events was to absently note when a new building brought in a store I wanted or offered some other opportunity directly to my benefit or discomfort or when an older building went down that had been an empty eyesore for any length of time. This pattern I was living in can be characterized as living there only and that is all. Although I lived there, my life could have been characterized as merely existing since I did not notice any of the important things around me that made my living space unique. This theory applies to many who live there. In fact, it applies widely to people living in many places throughout the globe as it is human nature for people to take familiar things for granted. The world moves so fast, events happen so quickly in every sphere of life that success is impossible without keeping in close touch with the latest development. Studying architecture has certainly broadened my vision and changed my perspective regarding these things. My studies opened my eyes, teaching me how to observe and read buildings and the cities in which they stand in totally different ways. Having visited many other countries’ greatest architectural constructions representing many different eras and styles, I began to think about the architecture