The biological and learning perspectives

The biological and learning perspectives Aggression remains a substantial problem today. According to Berkowitz (1975) aggression can be defined as any behaviour which is intended to cause harm to another person whether physically or verbally. This investigation is an evaluation of the biological and learning perspectives of psychology accounting for the development of aggression in children. Aggression from the biological perspective is seen as an innate behaviour which is genetically transferred from the parents to their offspring. Supplementary biological factors which cause aggression are low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, as well as certain brain structures such as the hypothalamus and amygdala, that when manipulated, may result in aggressive behaviour. When considering the learning perspective and environmental determinants of aggression in children there are key factors which play an essential role. The observations of others behaviour as demonstrated by Albert Bandura (1961) as well as the frustration aggression hypothesis suggested by Dollard (1939) have been found to be considerable factors in the development of aggression. Video games have also been identified as a contributing cause of aggression in children. This examination investigates the origins of childhood aggression and evaluates two differing perspectives, these being the biological and learning perspective, and collectively concludes that there are various factors which contribute to a child acting aggressively. However, a collective understanding and strong evaluation of both the biological and learning perspective has led to a stronger foundation of understanding childhood aggression. Therefore, to fully understand the origins of aggressive behaviour, both biological and environmental factors must be considered within their limited scope. This leads to the conclusion that there are multiple forces which lead a child to acting aggressively; hence biological and environmental factors which trigger aggression cannot be isolated. Word Count: 282 Contents Biological perspective v Evaluation of the biological perspective ix Learning perspective xi Evaluation of the learning perspective xv Conclusion xvii References xix Bibliography xxi Introduction There are many ways in which aggression can be defined. According to Berkowitz (1975) aggression is any behaviour which causes intentional harm to another person. There are many different forms of aggression which include verbal, physical and emotional behaviours that are apparent in some children. Studies conducted on children (ranging in age from approximately 3 to 15 years old) suggest that aggression develops in children based on their biological background or their environmental context. This essay is an evaluation of the biological perspective and learning perspective of psychology accounting for the development of aggression in children. This issue is worthy of investigation since aggression has become a substantial social problem amongst upcoming generations. Alarming news articles and reports focus on aggressive acts. Children and youth growing up all around the world are resorting to violence on a daily basis. It has always appealed to me to understand the basis of aggressive behaviour as I have seen this behaviour amongst most children and teenagers, as well as adults. It is my curiosity and eagerness to discover more about the development of aggression from two opposing views, these being the biological and learning, which have motivated me to undertake this research topic for my extended essay. This essay is aimed specifically to evaluate the importance of innate drives and the environmental determinants of aggressive behaviour. Biological perspective The biological perspective of psychology is based on the assumption that behaviour is biologically determined. In Weiten (2007) text, the biological perspective belief that is referred to is that all psychological issues stem from a physiological background. Therefore, aggression in children, according to the biological perspective, is considered to be an innate behaviour. Biological factors which trigger aggressive behaviour in children are inheritance, where aggression may be passed from the parents to their offspring, as well as low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, and the activity of certain structures in the brain, that when manipulated may trigger aggressive behaviour. Many of the theories and case studies that have been put forward to support the hypothesis that aggression in children is biologically determined will be discussed in further detail. The biological perspective suggests that aggression in children is inherited through the traits of parents. Many theories have been driven by findings from research on animals, which highlight that there is some genetic aspect to aggression. Selective breeding has been one of the longest existing methods to find the existence of a phenotypic characteristic. In 1979 a Finnish psychologist, Kristi Lagerspetz, took the most aggressive mice from an assembly and mated them with other aggressive mice, and similarly the same applied for those non-aggressive mice. Lagerspetzs procedure was repeated over 26 generations of mice giving birth to their offspring (cited in Grivas.J, Carter.L 2005). The significant outcome of this experiment was that the mice that had been bred for aggressive tendencies demonstrated immense levels of aggression; where they instantly attacked other mice sharing the same cage. Mice that were not bred with aggressive mice did not act aggressively; when other mice atta cked them, they did not illustrate the tendency to retaliate. Lagerspetzs experiment can be criticised on the grounds that it cannot be conducted with humans because it is clearly unethical. A significant contribution of this selective breeding experiment is its illustration of a genetic basis of aggression and how it can be passed onto the offspring. These mice had a practical advantage over humans because these species have a short gestation period, which is essential as aggressive behaviour can be monitored over successive generations in a short period of time. The mice can have their behaviours observed in a lab, unlike humans. This is also a practical advantage as the mice were all kept in the same environmental conditions; hence their behaviour would not differ from one mouse to another because they shared the same environment. Arising from this experiment is the criticism of extrapolating results from animals to humans. Despite some similarity between humans and animals; there is still a large difference between them, therefore a direct link cannot be made between mice and children. Mice species have differing logic and reasoning capacities as compared to humans, hence mice do not facilitate the opportunity to choose to be aggressive or not, whereas children have the capability of logically choosing to act aggressively. On the other hand, more efficient methods of demonstrating that aggression in children is an inherited behaviour is emphasised by other research methodologies such as twin studies. Twin studies suggest that aggression in children is an inherited trait passed on from parents to their offspring. Twin studies are very useful for the reason that identical twins are monozygotic, and their genetic makeup is identical. Hence, all additional differences in their behaviour are accounted by their environment and experiences as an individual. In one study, conducted by Caspi (1998), data was collected from identical and non-identical twins following a questionnaire asking various personal and non-personal questions. The results indicated that aggressive behaviour was only partly inherited, and that environmental factors played an equally contributing role. However, according to Baron and Richardson (1994), the tendency to be aggressive is not passed on from the parents to the offspring; rather the temperament which is capable of making someone more or less aggressive can be inherited. This twin study is clearly indicative of the inheritance of aggressive behaviour, yet it cannot be claimed that inheritance is the only key factor which causes aggressive behaviour or the tendency to be aggressive in children. Over time research has also consistently indicated that low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin plays a central role in increased levels of aggression in children. In a study conducted at the National Institute of Mental Health (Bethasda MD), a positive correlation was found between low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin and the levels of aggression in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Mitsis.E et al, 2000). In another study conducted by Russian researchers, silver foxes were studied. It was found that those foxes which had been bred for over 30 years for domestic behaviour, showed no defensive reactions to humans because they had high levels of serotonin in various structures of the brain, compared to the foxes which had been bred without freedom (Popova et al, 1991). These studies clearly highlight the role which serotonin plays in causing aggressive behaviour amongst children; the lower the levels of serotonin the higher the level of aggression. Once again, this research could be criticised on the grounds that it is difficult to associate these findings to children as they are different beings. The above experiments are of considerable value as the foxes could be trained and kept over an extended period of time where their behaviour is closely observed, unlike humans who cannot be kept in such environments. Certain parts of the brain have been found to be responsible for the development of aggression in children. The structure of the hypothalamus and the amygdala located within the brain are a leading biological cause of aggressive behaviour. Both structures communicate with each other via electric signals. The hypothalamus and amygdala can be manipulated using electrical currents, and they may be switched on or off disabling their normal operation using an electrode. Bard (1934) investigated the effect of lesions on the levels of aggression in cats. Bard found that when parts of the cortex were removed from the cats, they displayed sham rage where the cats acted aggressively. He also found that when parts of the hypothalamus were removed the sham rage disappeared, clearly demonstrating that the manipulation of the hypothalamus and cortex plays a role in the development of aggression. Evaluation of the biological perspective The biological approach of explaining aggressive behaviour in children is very scientific and is consequently regarded as reliable. It is based on many experimental studies which are conducted in laboratory conditions in order to eliminate any environmental influences on the findings. However, the location of the experiments is not only a strength but also a potential weakness. The biological perspective involves low ecological validity where most studies are conducted within laboratory conditions. Experiments conducted in the laboratory will most certainly produce different results then in real-life situations as participants will not demonstrate the exact same behaviour in real-life situations as they will under examination. Thus, this weakness does not implicate that such laboratory experiments are invaluable; rather they are limited to generalisabilty. However, positive correlations between real life situations can be drawn, highlighting that laboratory studies are considerably u seful. The biological perspective can be criticised on the basis that aggression in children cannot be related to studies that have been conducted on animals. An argument stemming from this point is that it is not possible to apply animal findings to humans regardless of the similarities because they are different beings. Parallels between humans and animals may be oversimplified, and therefore social, as well as learning processes, must also be taken into consideration. The analysis of animal results from the biological perspective requires cautious interpretation. However, using animals to demonstrate the link between childhood aggression and biological factors is also beneficial. Studies such as the breeding of generations as conducted by Lagzerspetz and lesions on certain parts of the brain, conducted by Bard, are contributing factors in the development of aggression which cannot be conducted on humans because it will cause psychological and physical harm to the participants and most li kely result in death. Similarly, there is always some sort of connection that can be drawn between animals and humans, therefore using animals can be a starting point to understanding the biological bases of aggression in children. Another weakness of explaining the development of aggression in children from the biological perspective is the reductionist nature of the biological approach. This is one of the main weaknesses which the biological perspective incorporates. The biological perspective does not regard or take into the account the interaction of the mind and body with the environment, rather it only takes into consideration neurological processes. Environmental factors are also not placed into perspective. This is a downfall as complex human behaviours cannot always be explained on a genetic basis; the surrounding environment also plays a central role in influencing and triggering aggressive behaviours. One certain structure of the brain cannot be the only factor which is responsible for the development of aggression in children, because most structures of the brain are connected and their influence or triggering of behaviour cannot therefore be based in one specific area. Correspondingly, the findings of all studies conducted cannot be generalised to all children. These findings are applicable to a small sample and findings cannot be predicted to be the same for a different sample of children as all children are different. Yet, this can be a starting point to understanding the basis of aggressive behaviour. Learning perspective The learning perspective is established on the basis that although everyone is born with a genetic endowment which is the root of instinctual behaviours, the majority of behaviour is learnt from the environment. The underlying principle of this assumption suggests that aggression in children does not purely develop as a result of biological factors, rather it accounts for a very minor part. According to Bandura (1961) aggression can be learnt from the observation of other people and their aggressive behaviour. Aggression in children can also be learnt through the observation of frustrated people who surround them and frustration also triggers aggressive behaviour (Dollard 1939). Alarming articles and studies have revealed that violent video games are linked to aggressive behaviour amongst children. Firstly, a theory proposed to support the theory of aggression from the learning perspective is the frustration-aggression hypothesis which was proposed by John Dollard (1939). The frustration aggression theory suggests that frustration is the main factor which contributes to aggression. For example, when an individual is frustrated, in a certain situation, they will immediately display aggressive behaviour. According to this hypothesis, aggression will only occur due to frustration and no other particular factor. Also, according to Glassman (2000) the level of aggression demonstrated is purely dependant on how frustrated one may be. For instance when a child is prevented from taking a course of action or possessing something it is most likely believed that the child will become aggressive; occurring as a result of being frustrated. Barker et al (1941) further investigated frustration as a cause of aggression in young children. In their study, children were shown a roomful of attractive toys which were kept out of their reach. The children were kept away from the toys for a while before they were allowed to play with them. The controlled conditioned group of the children were allowed to immediately play with the toys. Similar to Dollards findings (1939), it was observed from this conducted study that the children who were frustrated because they had to wait before being exposed to the toys, played aggressively with the toys by smashing and stomping on them. On the other hand, the children who were allowed to play immediately with the toys handled them carefully and played happily. One social determinant of aggressive behaviour is Albert Banduras social learning theory (1961) which highlights the role of observation and its consequences on the aggressive behaviour in children from the learning perspective. Albert Bandura views most human behaviour as learned by observing a model or simply another person, which affects a childs view of how this new behaviour can be developed and how this new attained behaviour is a guide for their actions. This provides the basis of explaining aggressive behaviour in children from the learning perspective. Banduras (1961) most well known experiment was the Bobo doll experiment; the Bobo doll being a plastic clown doll. In this experiment Bandura examined the consequential actions of children observing an adult behaving aggressively with a Bobo doll. During the experiment he had children watching models acting aggressively towards a Bobo doll. They watched the video of the model constantly acting aggressively by sitting on the do ll, punching it and kicking it repeatedly. Bandura had other children watch a non aggressive model playing calmly with the Bobo doll. Once the children were exposed to such models, they were taken into another room where there were many toys amongst them the Bobo doll. The results from this experiment indicated that children, who were exposed to the aggressive model and observed their acts, imitated aggressive behaviour towards the Bobo doll. In contrast, the children who were exposed to the non-aggressive model showed no or very little aggressive behaviour. Albert Banduras Bobo Doll experiment highlights the role of observation in childrens learning. Children were the subject as they are less socially conditioned unlike adults. However, this experiment raises the possibility that children may have thought that this experiment was a game as a consequence of the Bobo doll having a spring which causes it to spring back immediately after being knocked down. A criticism of this research is that it is not ecological the children may have not acted aggressively towards any human in real life. Another potential weakness is the fact that the children may have not been exposed to the Bobo doll previously, hence they did not know how to play with it. A criticism of the social learning theory is also that it does not take into account the physical and mental changes which a child undergoes as they mature. Children at different ages may respond to laboratory experiments in different ways. Much like observation of others behaviours, violent video games and television shows have also been proven to trigger aggression in children. The learning perspective suggests that children who play violent video games such as Doom, Wolfenstein 3D or Mortal Combat and others often experience aggressive behaviour, either physically or verbally. Violent video games have a supplementary impact on young children and trigger aggressive behaviour more than violent television shows because they are more interactive, engaging the child in aggressive acts and ultimately rewarding them for acting aggressively within the game. Dr. Craig A. Anderson, Ph.D. (2000) states, This medium is potentially more dangerous than exposure to violent television and movies. Dr. Anderson of Iowa State University in Ames and his colleagues found that in the U.S and Japan, Japanese and American children who played violent video games demonstrated more aggressive behaviour months later compared to their peers who didnt. In Andersons study, 181 Japanese students aged between 12 and 15 years old and 364 U.S. children aged between 9 and12 years old were tested. The U.S and Japanese children named their favourite video games and how often they played. The children from both groups were later on asked to rate their level of aggression and reports from their teachers and peers were also taken into consideration. From the results it was found that the children from each group who were exposed to more violent video games were much more aggressive than those who were less exposed. Comparisons were made between their prior levels of aggression and how there was a dramatic rise in this level (Cited in BBC News, Video games Increase Aggression, Health Section, 2000). Violent video games can impact on childrens aggression levels, as children begin to believe that the world is a hostile place, and aggressive acts are an acceptable part of normal daily life. Presumably, constant and excessive exposure to v iolent video games causes children to become desensitized to violence. Once they have been engaged in aggressive acts it impacts on the children emotionally, and as a consequence these children find it much easier and acceptable to engage in violence and aggressive acts. A criticism of this study is that the cultural context of the children was not taken into account. Japan and the U.S are two differing cultures; hence what is deemed as aggressive in Japan may not be aggressive in the U.S and vice versa. Hence, it is difficult to compare the behaviour of these children whilst ignoring cultural factors. Leonard Berkowitz (1989) investigated the effect of pain and discomfort on individuals to demonstrate their likelihood of acting aggressively. He induced pain by placing the participants hands in cold or warm water while they distributed rewards and punishments to a partner. Berkowitz identified that those who had their hands placed in the cold water caused greater harm to their partner than those who had their hands immersed in warm water. This is sufficient to draw the conclusion that pain is a contributing factor to aggression. Evaluation of the learning perspective The learning perspective also incorporates strengths and weaknesses. Similar to the biological perspective of explaining aggressive behaviour in children, it is reductionist. It explains aggressive behaviour in terms of a characteristic which is being learnt although it does not deny the genetic endowment of aggressive behaviour. The learning perspective argues that aggressive behaviour is learnt through observation, and triggered by the surrounding environment and conditions. It simplifies the occurrence of certain behaviours, especially aggression, into a few steps. For instance, the problem of reduction is evident in Albert Banduras study of the Bobo doll whereby aggressive behaviour is reduced to the process of imitation. Thus, it has overlooked other leading causes of the development of aggression including the childrens upbringing and home environment. Children were varied therefore some children may have been brought up in a violent home and exposed to many aggressive situatio ns. This may have affected the way they acted in the laboratory and the ultimate results of the experiment. It was also assumed that all biological influences such as levels of serotonin are identical for each participant. The frustration aggression hypothesis supported by Dollard (1939) is an inefficient method of demonstrating how childhood aggression develops as in some cases, such as learned helplessness, frustration may not lead to aggression; rather it may lead to depression. Therefore, frustration is not the only key factor which contributes to aggressive behaviour: there are other sources which may lead to this same outcome. The learning perspective also denies some very important mental processes which also result in the development of aggression in children. This perspective does not take into account how certain brain structures may trigger aggressive behaviour, in other words it does not take into account neurological processes, and rather it simply accounts for the influences of daily life and the environmental context which a person is brought up in. The learning perspective does not incorporate any biological or cognitive processes which are also responsible for the development of aggression. Nevertheless, the learning perspective focuses on the environment and the condition in which a child is situated to produce an aggressive response. It has many practical applications which have been effective in explaining the development of aggressive behaviour. It clearly highlights how certain behaviours, particularly aggression, can be learned by the observation of others. The learning perspective also has a low ecological validity, whereby the children who were engaging in the experiment may have acted differently in the laboratory than what they would have in a real life situation. To be specific, Albert Banduras Bobo doll experiment can be criticised on the grounds that the childrens aggression was measured away from their natural environment. However, if such experiments are conducted in a more realistic manner, then the results would be more beneficial in terms of understanding how aggressive behaviour in children develops. Conclusion This essay was specifically an evaluation of the biological and learning perspectives of psychology accounting for the development of aggression in children. Having considered the interpretations of the development of aggression in children from both the biological and learning perspective, and the criticisms which arise from the research conducted, it can be concluded that both the biological and learning perspectives contribute to the development of aggression in children. In terms of the biological perspective, aggression is viewed as purely being based on biological basis. It is regarded as highly reliable since it is based on science. However, the learning perspective views aggression as being unrelated to genes, rather aggression is learnt. The learning perspectives social learning theory is a useful explanation for the aggressive behaviour of children. It not only applies to direct experiences such as being disciplined by parents, but rather at all times such as when watching television. The frustration-aggression hypothesis has a weaker stance, because frustration does not always induce aggression, rather it may encourage retaliation. This hypothesis suggests that frustration accounts for all aggressive acts. For this reason it is not completely justified, because there are more determinants of aggressive behaviour. Both the biological perspective and learning perspective are based on evidence and practical studies which have been conducted. However, the learning perspective views aggression in children as having some sort of biological basis, yet through experience and reinforcement aggression becomes learned and evident amongst children. For instance, the role of the parent is paramount in using the biological factors of the child to mould the child and guide them through their development. If a childs genes are inclined to be aggressive, the parent within the environment will attempt to nurture and accommodate for their childs genes by attempting to provide a calm lifestyle. Parents may also choose to put their child in a hobby that is sports oriented to cater for the aggressive levels in order to use their energy in a positive way, where they stimulate thinking and reasoning skills preventing the child from resorting to aggressive acts. From this it is clearly evident that both the biologica l perspective and learning perspective account for and contribute to the development of aggression in children as it is difficult to isolate the contributing factors. It is clear that innate biological factors may be present in a child; however the environment sets the limits on how to behave and deal with social influences that influence a child to act aggressively. Understanding the underlying factors which contribute to aggressive behaviour will form the basis of combating the levels of violence all around the world where children, youth and adolescents often resort to violence. Through further investigation, the effect of cognitive and mental processes may now be evaluated to determine their influence on childhood aggression which will lead to educational programs being implemented in schools and for the general society. References Books Baron. R.A Richardson. D.C (1994). Human Aggression (2nd ed.). Plenum Publishing. Berkowitz, L. (1975). A survey of Social Psychology. Hillsdale, IL: Dryden Press Dollard, J. D. (1939). Frustration and Aggression. New Haven CN: Yale University Press. Glassman, W. (2000). Approaches to Psyhcology (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Open University Press. Grivas.J, Carter. L. (2005). Psychology for the VCE Student (4th ed.). Australia: John Wiley Sons. Weiten, W. (2007). Psychology: Themes and Variations (7th ed.). Thomson Wadsworth. Articles Anne, H. (2009). Violent video games linked to child aggression. Retrieved July 18, 2009, from CNN, Health Section: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/11/03/healthmag.violent.video.kids/index.html Video games Increase Aggression. (23rd April 2000). Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from BBC NEWS, Health Section: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/720707.stm Journals Barker, R. Dembo,T, and Lewin K. (1941). Frustration and aggression: An experiment with young children. University of Iowa Studies in Child Welfare, 18, 1-314. Berkowitz, L. (1989). Frustration-aggression hypothesis: Examination and reformulation. Psychological Bulletin, 106, 59-73. Caspi, A. Plomin, R., Corley, A, Fulker, D.W, DeFries, J.C. (1998). Adoption results for self-reported personality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 211-218 Bandura, A, Ross, D. and Ross, S.A (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575-582 Bard,P. (1934). On emotional expression after decortication, with some remarks on certain theoretical views. Psychological Review 41:309-329 and 424-449. Mitsis, Effie M,  Hampering. J.  M and Newcorn. J.H. (2000). Serotonin and aggression in children. Current Psychiatry Reports Journal, Volume 2, Number 2, (1535-1645). Popova N, Voitenko N, Kulikov A, Avgustinovich D (1991). Evidence for the involvement of central serotonin in mechanism of domestication of silver foxes. Pharmacol Biochem Behav.; 40:751-756

Devising As A Journey Of Exploration And Discovery Theatre Essay

Devising As A Journey Of Exploration And Discovery Theatre Essay Devising is a very fluid form of theatre. Taking inspirations from anywhere and everywhere, a devised performance can be in any form and on any topic. This style is in direct contrast to scripted theatre, where a text is laying out the plot, direction, characters and details of the final performance. Although there is freedom for a personal interpretation of the overall view and form of the piece, the rehearsals and performances are confined by what has already been decided by the playwright. But devising is unlimited, in which a company can produce a performance on any theme or topic, taking ideas from any part of life and producing something new and fresh †¦the precise nature of the end product [of devised theatre] is unknown. In conventional theatre, however, everyone knows the production is, for example, Shakespeares Hamlet from the outset. (Oddey, 7) An example of a devising piece is the recent Fairytale Mash-Up which I was involved in as an actor. For this our original stimulus was a collection of short fairytale stories, some of which were familiar and others were unknown to the group. On reading the stories we found them to be surprisingly gruesome, which was something that is not necessarily picked up when a fairytale is heard as a child, such as the butcher cutting off the girls feet in Red Shoes. This was an unexpected twist and was the main basis of the beginning of our idea, as we decided from the very start that the Fairy Godmother would be dead, and therefore would not make all dreams come true as is usually expected of this character. Already we had a new interpretation of a classic idea, but our own input had discovered a new alternative. As oak trees grow from small acorns (Greet, Why Devise) and all ideas must stem from somewhere, the actors within a devising group are responsible with feeding new ideas into the group to create more diversity within the piece. Through this an actor has the power to get what they individually want from the piece and therefore it becomes more personal for the actors. It becomes their piece in a deeper way than, for example, a Chekhov play would, as it is inspired by their own ideas and experiences. In the Mash-Up I personally wanted something from it, having not attempted a murder mystery before and having not explored the true possibilities within comedic theatre. Devising allows us, as actors, to explore ourselves, our possibilities and our limitations. Sarah Kane believed that if something could be imagined then there was a way of reproducing it on a stage, and with this in mind an actor can explore distant memories and fantastical stories in aid of a devised performance. As every human is unique and no two people have the same experiences, a devised company has a whole variety of stimulus that is previously unseen and unexplored by a public audience. In this, the not knowing is clear, as at the start of development of a piece nobody knows what will be their influences and stimuli, and this creates a feeling of excitement and in return provides energy for the piece. This, as a result, means inevitably every devised piece will always be original due to the fact that a different group of actors will provide different motivations, due to the contrasting relationships within the group. In the 1960s a group was formed called the People Show and their performances relied on the differences and conflict between individual artists within the group, which changed with every new shows situation, conditions and circumstances. Every show was a unique devising performance. (Oddey, 5-6) This company is an ideal representation of a devising company, as they are described as a group of individual artists in collaboration with each other, taking risks, having a sense of unknown at the start of the devising process (Oddey, 6). It is this risk-taking that is important to devising, as people need to lose their inhibitions for true inspiration and new ideas to form. Having worked with members of my group before there were connections for some, but others were new relationships that had to be built during the development process. A benefit of this was that fresh eyes on an actor would see a talent within them that had maybe not been explored before, that their closer friends would have overlooked as being too obvious. In this risks were taken, not all of which were successes but by doing rehearsals we allowed the freedom and non-judgement of an idea so that even if only a tiny aspect of it was used later, we made it so that actors would not fear having ideas rejected within the group. One of the main techniques within devising is improvisation, which in reality is the basis of most devised work. This is a spontaneous activity, and therefore allows freedom, as an actor is not tied down by any limits, there is no final destination laid out in advance and there is limited if any direction made. The actor can be in the moment, without having to concern his thoughts with the next moment: Nothing is fixed and absolute, it is in flux, what will the next moment be? (Bentley, 78) In improvisation the next moment is not important, it is about focusing on the current and feeling free to explore in the present without fear of the future. Not all improvisation goes well, and more than often it takes more than several tries to find something worth anything, which is why continued improvisation is vital for discovering new things, because if a company always goes with the first idea they limit themselves greatly where they should be free to pick and choose from many ideas. Addit ionally a benefit of devised work is that even a concept that has been weeks in processing can be dropped if needed something that is not so possible within scripted work. In our piece we swapped and changed characters as we felt needed one member was set to be the Fairy Godmother before this was changed weeks in, but it was discovered that this actually allowed the original actor to experience more, having been able to try out more than one character until she found one that would fit with what she wanted out of the devising experience. Additionally, original characters like a reclusive genie were dropped as we felt necessary, and in early stages we were regularly swapping characters until we found an option that gave everyone the best opportunities for themselves and for the group. WE toyed with the idea of simply picking out characters from a hat then performing as them or producing still images without discussing it, but this became more complicated as some were drawn more to a certain character and struggled with more obscure options. As time went on and the piece became more complex and structured, one group member produced poems which acted as monologues for all the different characters, so in time we found ourselves structuring scenes around these poems as more were produced. It was quite interesting combining improvisation with scripted work, as we could improvise and develop until we found a place where the poem fit, and once it was done we would improvise the end of the scene as well. This meant that we could feel sure that the scene would have a point but we would still have the freedom to play around the set information. Additionally, as all the scenes were flashbacks for various murder suspects, there was no set order for them to be in, so this also added the opportunity to play with different orders to study the flow of energy from one to another before finding the right arrangement. Oddey says how thinking on your feet allows the individual to respond to new ideas or thoughts spontaneously, to sense and react to others so that the interaction or combined operation often produces unknown or unseen fresh material. This is not to underestimate the value of or importance of group discussion, but to point out the danger of becoming preoccupied with talking (155) and this is definitely a significant point. In our group we found that discussion was best left until after trying out some free improvisation and even then it needed to be brief otherwise it became compressing. We gave ourselves strict time limits and this meant that there wasnt time to talk and added concentrated energy into a moment, which often created new and exciting results. Devising is also about exploring how common ideas and regular day-to-day things can be flipped on their head and transformed into brand new perspectives, thereby challenging our preconceptions. (DV8, Artistic Policy) Theatres priority is to get a message across or to make an audience feel something particular, and more than often this is done through opening their eyes to the obvious but unexpected. This is the use of the known rather than the not known but has just as much if not more of an impact on viewers. The forgotten and the ignored are just as important as the undiscovered and in fact these things make it more personal and an actors own memories or feelings have a real power to shape plot or characters. Additionally, using influences from outside of theatre is very important and often not considered. For Frantic Assembly neither of its artistic directors has a formal background in drama, theatre or dance. In creating work, the company relies on influences that lie, for the mo st part, outside the realm of theatre and its regular forms and practise. (Frantic, †¦uk/p110.html) For our work we were inspired greatly by the 2001 film Shrek and used nursery rhymes for development in one scene. By looking further than common theatre techniques and looking outside the box, we found more options for variety within the piece. The physical company DV8s focus of the creative approach is on reinventing†¦ with meaning, particularly where this has been lost through formalised techniques (Artistic Policy). Another skill in devising is the use of play and re-exploring our childish minds, though not pretending to play as a child, but rediscovering the intensity of focus we experience as children (Greet, Why Devise), as this removes inhibitions and helps to reintroduce the more fantastical creative imaginations we once had. Consequently it makes actors less fearful of bad ideas and therefore less afraid to be more outrageous and experimental. One can then look beyond self-perceived limitations (Frantic, †¦uk/p106.html) and find a more energetic side, which means that physical theatre is achieved much more easily. Even closing ones eyes makes judgement less threatening which provides opportunity for even more exploration. In devising, the aim is to produce brand new theatre that has not been seen before. We found in our company that we often did not know what would happen next; in fact the murderer was not decided until well into the rehearsal process. It made no sense to know the end before the beginning or middle, so we did not rush this decision. Our piece was not a search for knowledge, but for the unknown. (Barba, 5), so knowing the ending would have confined us and limited exploration, constantly distracted by the final message of the piece. Even if two companies did a performance of The Caucasian Chalk Circle for example, completely uninfluenced by each other, they would still be telling the same story. This is why for our piece we used well-known characters but then added a twist, such as Cinderella actually being an obsessive cleaner. By exploring all of our different possibilities we did discover new opportunities and new perspectives on theatre as a whole. The real discovery, however, comes at the end, when we watch it back and see what we have achieved from scratch, and finally acknowledge and notice how our own input has provided a brand new interpretation: Now we have made a journey in our own home. True travellers know this experience very well: the unknown world is discovered when one returns. (Barba, 146)

Female Poets and the Dark Side of Life Essay -- Rossetti Poetry Poems

Female Poets and the Dark Side of Life During the mid-nineteenth century many female poets including Christina Rossetti seemed to lean upon the dark side of life presenting very dark and shadowed emotions within their poetry. Yet this is not to say that they were depressed but in many ways in can be inferred that these dark themes may have been influenced by the era in which they were living. Many historians have suggested that the second half of the nineteenth century was culturally, a rather strange period. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was started in 1848 by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais and William Holman Hunt, as a reaction against what they saw as the stale, formula-driven art produced by the Royal Academy at the time. They aimed to go back to a more genuine art, exemplified as they saw it by the work of the Nazarenes, and rooted in realism and truth to nature. The Pre-Raphaelites, being young, talented, and having many ideas of their own, felt stifled by the rigidity of the Royal Academy's idea of what tasteful, beautiful art should be. ...

Emilia, A Heroine of Shakespeares Othello Essay -- Othello essays

Emilia, A Heroine of Shakespeare's Othello   Ã‚   Shakespeare, in his tragedy Othello, presents a minor character who does great things in the final act. Her character is deserving of analysis. Kenneth Muir, in the Introduction to William Shakespeare: Othello,   explains the motivation of Emilia through most of the play: Emilia’s character, too, is determined by the plot. In the source, the villain’s wife is privy to the nefarious designs. Shakespeare wisely makes her, like the other characters, ignorant of Iago’s character. She knows that she has lost his love, and her unhappy marriage drives her to cynicism about sex; but she tries to win back her husband’s affections by carrying out his wishes, even when this involves betrayal of the mistress she loves. (41) A.C. Bradley, in his book of literary criticism, Shakespearean Tragedy, defines the character of the ancient’s wife: Few of Shakespeare’s minor characters are more distinct than Emilia, and towards few do our feelings change so much within the course of the play. Till close to the end she frequently sets one’s tooth on edge; and at the end one is ready to worship her. She nowhere shows any sign of having a bad heart; but she is common, sometimes vulgar, in minor matters far from scrupulous, blunt in perception and feeling, and quite destitute of imagination. She let Iago take the handkerchief though she knew how much its loss would distress Desdemona; and she said nothing about it though she saw that Othello was jealous. (222) Emilia is not mentioned in the play until the initial furor of the first two scenes subsides. Brabantio’s rage, among other reasons, necessitate that Desdemona live with Iago and Emilia during the Moor’s campaign in Cyprus against... ...g murder: â€Å"And your reports have set the murder on.† Emilia is aware that she is violating social convention here: â€Å"’Tis proper I obey him, but not now.† This violation costs her dearly. Emilia’s stunning interrogation and conviction of her own husband as the evil mastermind behind the murder results in Iago’s killing her. She becomes a martyr for the cause of truth and justice. Quite suddenly she is transformed into a heroine of the play! WORKS CITED Bayley, John. Shakespeare and Tragedy. Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., 1981. Bradley, A. C.. Shakespearean Tragedy. New York: Penguin, 1991. Muir, Kenneth. Introduction. William Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968. Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.

Patient Report :: Medical Report

FINDINGS: Severe right-sided chest pain. The __ reported a friction rub. A PM lateral showed questionable mediastinal adenopathy. The patient had no cough or sputum production of ___. CT scan in ___ showed a possibility of a 1x2 cm right paratrachial lymphnode. Several smaller anteromediastinal lymphnodes which were all less than 1 cm were also evaluated. The patient was treated with Indocen with relief of her chest pain. ___ level was 64.5 with a ___ 50. PPD was negative, controls were positive. The CT of the abdomen showed normal liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, adrenals, uterus, a left ovarian cyst, a large gall stone neck of the gall bladder, no adenopathy and her mammogram was within normal limits. The patient reports band-like ache around her right chest with changes in pain with cough and deep breathing. There is no change in position. The patient reports increased shortness of breath with exertion over the past 5 months. No nausea, vomiting, fevers, chills, night sweats, abdominal pains, urinary complaints, kidney stones, diarrhea, ___ melena, headache, visual complaints or rash. PAST MEDICAL HISTORY: Unremarkable. PAST SURGICAL HISTORY: Remarkable for tubal ligation. SHE HAS NO KNOWN DRUG ALLERGIES. MEDICINES ON ADMISSION: Indocin 25-50 mg p.o. q.8 hours and Anaprax 270 mg p.o. b.i.d. The patient drinks alcohol only rarely and smokes regularly. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION: Weight of 231 pounds, temperature 98.6, heartrate 60, respiratory rate 24, blood pressure 110/70. HEENT examination was unremarkable. The neck was supple without masses, adenopathy or bruits. The lungs showed small diffuse wheezes, but was otherwise without abnormality. Cardiovascular examination revealed a regular rate and rhythm, normal S1 and S2. Questionably slight change in the S1 with the __ maneuver and a questionable 1/6 systolic ejection murmur heard best at the lower sternal border. The abdomen was obese, showed bowel sounds in all quadrants, soft and nontender. It was difficult to tell if there was organomegaly. Extremities showed no clubbing, cyanosis or edema. Neurologically, the patient was normal. LABORATORY DATA: Show a white count of 8, hemoglobin 14.5, hematocrit 42.5, platelets 326,000, sodium 139, potassium 4.9, chloride 104, CO2 26, glucose 105, creatinine 0.8 and BUN of 17. Please see consolidated lab flow sheet for lab data regarding this patient. HOSPITAL COURSE: Patient was admitted in ____ evaluations as well as consultation from pulmonology service. Pulmonology service recommended the patient undergo bronchoscopy which was performed.

Definition of VARK Learning style

A learning style is the way us humans take in information, process, accumulate, and recall it. Students take in and process information in different ways: by seeing and hearing, reflecting and acting, reasoning logically and ostensibly, analyzing and visualizing, steadily and in fits and starts. VARK is commonly used learning style. It stands for visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic learners. Summary of My Learning Style A multimodal study strategy is a method used when you have more than one preference that is discrete. It can also be when someone has no preferences to which study strategy they want to use. About 60% of the peoples study strategy is multimodal. Being multimodal means that you have multiple strong points in areas such as aural, reading, and writing. Those who are multimodal are context reserved which means they can choose a single mode to suit the situation. On the other hand, there are others who are not satisfied until they have had input in all of the preferred styles. They take an extensive period to gather information but often have an immersed and expansive understanding. For example, when trying to figure out something that will be brought about physically later, learners that absorb information better hands on do better when trying out something for themselves. In addition, this visual factor aids students to reproduce information on a test better. Different Learning Styles Visual learners gain information from maps such as diagrams, graphs, and charts. They learn things best through seeing them. Instead of using words, they need the information to be broke down into pieces so it is simply to comprehend. They tend to highlight information in difference colors which makes it easier for them to go back and study. These learners need to see the teacher's body language and facial expression to fully comprehend the composition of a lesson. They favor to prefer sitting at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions. A learner who consumes information from listening is an aural learner. In order for them to absorb information, they attend classes and discussions, discuss the topics with their peers, and can describe visuals to other people. By listening, they are able to obtain information. Aural learners are not able to take good notes and they have to read what they have on paper aloud to someone else. They perform well on a test if they spend time alone recalling ideas and speaking answers out loud or inside their head. Most people can’t understand what people say unless it’s in their own words. Auditory learners explicate the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other distinctions. Written information may have little meaning until it is heard. Learners who learn by reading and writing have a preference for information being delivered as words. After reading information, they have to write it down so they are able to grasp the material. They take in information from places like handouts, textbooks, notes, and glossaries. Powerpoints are a device that helps them summarize the information. They read information in books and the internet and afterwards write the material they read into their own words. This helps them process and retain information longer than just reading or listening. Kinesthetic learners use their senses to obtain material. Kinesthetic persons learn best through a hands-on approach, actively exploring the physical world around them. They find it hard to sit still for long periods and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration. They take field trips, work with hands on activities, and use trial and error. They also need real life examples, applications and examples of principles. In order for them to learn the information, they need to remember the real life examples and pictures that were used. Lecture notes don’t really help them because they didn’t understand the concrete information from the beginning because it wasn’t relevant to them. They do better on tests if they have a role play for the information and practice problems that are similar to the information. Kinesthetic learners need a visual aid so the information can be drawn out for them into smaller pieces. They tend to draw out the message rather than reading it out loud or writing it. The phrase â€Å"picture is worth a thousand words† is true for people who fall in this category. They need to see how everything is put together in order for them to gather the information. Comparison of Learning Styles The difference between all the learning strategies is the way you absorb information. Unlike reading, writing, and aural learners, kinesthetic learners have to visualize what they are being taught. Aural learners attain information by listening to lectures and discussions. Others can gain information by reading and writing the material. People like me are multimodal learners, meaning that we can’t just stick one way of learning. Conclusion Depending on the subject, I learn better reading and writing or an aural learner. Listening to information more than once helps me occupy the material better. I also have to take notes and read it aloud so I am able to grasp the material. This helps me learn the information faster and I perform well on tests. I would like to try gaining knowledge from visual aids and more hands on activities. My goal is to improve on my weaker areas which are visual learning style and practice strategies that will allow me to build up the weaker areas.

Montefiore Medical Center Essay

1- why does Elaine Brennan lack to produce a radical system direct? A great manager furnish be the one who is able to get wind the environment, determine opportunities and threats, plan fitly, implement the plans and assess the results of his formulation on frequent foot to adjoin to a greater extent value to what his/her brass is built to accomplish. Elaine Brennan needs to develop a refreshful strategy now beca commit harmonise to the Systems Look at Healthc ar, a amalgamation has happened between two facilities each of which run a variant level of c be. each of these facilities was 4 miles away from each other, and both of these facilities staff members were operating in silos. Since Montefiore agree to operate Einsteins patient-c ar celerity back in 1963, its scope of reporting increased to about 1.2 one million million million residents, 65% of which are minority populations.Montefiore had 16+ competitors in the Bronx area, a condition that led to unhorse scores at the issue level, in concert with lower compensation levels for employees, unsatisfied patients, amounting to a budget deficit of about $57 million dollars in 1995. Even with the integration of the two health care facilities, so far at that place are certain disadvantages that need to be taken care of. there exit be fewer workforces to provide for the desired level of care after(prenominal) suppression. With that on hand, more responsibilities testament be granted at the expense of enjoying the commonplace assurance level granted to staff. star final ch allenge that forget add to the necessity of formulating a new strategy for Montefiore health check center is related to the supposition of organisational change and the leadership styles require to support that organisational change.Level preciselyt end Parameter Pressing Matters (Needs)D Environment. 1- Competition.2- Regulations.3- Demographics.4- remunerator Policies. 1- 16+ other hospitals in the Bronx area.2- serious reimbursement potential from payers. C Infrastructure. 1- Infrastructure.2- Leadership. 1- Separate administrative teams.2- leadership teams adaptation to change. B Microsystems. 1- Teams.2- Tools.3- Logic. 1- Downsizing.2- more(prenominal) stress and turnover.3- more span of overcome with less authority.4- Decreased quality.5- Cultural consolidation. A Patient. 1- Coverage. 1- Provision of function to 1.2 million residents.2- 65% minorities (Hispanics and Afri ignore Americans).2- Does the GRIP strategy accumulate the needs of this organization? According to the Systems Thinking, Montefiores corporate strategy should be close influenced by the four key environmental incidentors (competition, governmental regulations, demographics, and payer policies), yet the original GRIP business strategy which was hypothesize by Brennan, is supposed to be specifically addressing the Acute direction Division as a business unit, not the replete(p) organization.On the ot her hand, the case doesnt indicate which levels of management get off the groundicipated in the meetings Brennan conducted for planning the new strategy for the Acute Care Division. Moreover, and as we go down the organisational hierarchy, strategic goals should be more laboured by corporate level strategies, more detailed with shorter life spans according to the plans provided, and finally, more action-oriented with more specific goals. Given all of the above, I speak up that what Brennan managed to grow was a GRIP strategy that was tailored for the solely Montefiore organization. As regards whether it met the needs of Montefiore, I return it broadly addressed slightly unmet environmental needs that are provided in the followers tableAlso, the Systems Thinking illustration tells us that no system is ever completely stable. Per se, the GRIP strategy is beneficial but it will not guarantee the stability of the Montefiore medical center. There is no give the sack space for metrics that will consentaneous step success of the operations after implementing often(prenominal) strategies. Also there is expected arrest in the procedure of the organization if metrics were not identified to measure exertion at the national level. If the Balance lineup (BSC) section was included as a way to implement the new strategy, thus I would say that the new strategy will meet the needs of the organization.3- Why was implementing the scorecard construct by the medical staff difficult? a- The scorecard concept requires info collection because these info will later on be report to different levels of managers. Only hence that managers will be able to judge if their goals are being met or not and then act accordingly. The data collection part of performance amelioration is the most airy and snip consuming task in process improvement cunning-ins. b- In outrank to keep the patient flow at bottom the Montefiore medical center, some subspecialties had to be accommodated by all hospital departments in distinguish for revenues to keep coming out for the whole health care facility, except for that receivable to that each unit had its own revenues and expenses, which do it hard to create a new system for monitoring patients between departments and services in order to build revenues according to overall expenses.c- It was hard to involve some physicians into the suggested scorecard process maps. Physicians usually think that what they ordinarily do is best for the patient, particularly when it leads to treatment or cure from disorder or condition. They cant sweep doing something different that is addressing unusual metrics from the ones they are used to use. They also look at learning about improvement as a first step towards undermining their authority and ego. d- From a human resource put of view, Lewins exercise of organizational change, and Kubler-Ross model for overcoming organizational resistance to change, take beat to get results out of them.Kubler-Ross model for overcoming organizational resistanceSource www.movida.net78.net4- What could Brennan have through with(p) die?a- Brennan could have get intoe correct to involve physicians into project teams in a more consistent and solid way. When physicians are involved in the value mapping process, they can provide valuable inputs to data gatherers, which on the long run can save a lot of data gathering time for the regular paygrade process. It also will increase the project teams cohesiveness and collaboration towards attaining their goals. Otherwise, the deployment of the scorecard system into the newly designed health care centers will be much more difficult and time consuming which is not good in the introduce of the great competition lying ahead. b- Brennan also could have done relegate to spend more time on studying how the different staff members of the different care and support centers will oppose to the new responsibilities in shaping improvement tools for Montefiore medical center, and then try to create feedback circuits that will both reward over-achievers and highlighting reluctant or incompetent workers.c- I think that Brennan should have done better to recommend that every department use only national-level strategies and not both national and local-level ones. Individual metrics tend to be too easy to accomplish, and its fulfillment whitethorn lead to a false picture of accomplishment, which is not good in the face of sustaining a competitive advantage. d- I dont think that linking compensation to performance will be an obstacle in front of reducing budget deficits for the new system.I think that due to organizational change, there will be downsize at all organizational levels, and whitethorn be some middle level active managers and medical staff will be promoted to high level or more operational-involved positions at a comparatively lower salary. The bottom line is that there will be deficit decline but at a much slower pace, together with a re-inforcing feedback for performance. e- I also think that Brennan has taken performance of the GRIP strategy a subatomic bit too fast. She might be tempted by the quick $15 million cost savings that she accomplished from downsizing on some managerial positions in 1996, but it is still a fact that if she wanted more solid environmental stability during the implementation of the new strategy, she has to result time for unfreezing, moving, and freezing stages of the Lewins model of change.