7 main approaches in psychology Essay

*Many psychologists may believe that each perspective has valid explanations depending on the specific situation, and this point of view is called eclectic. This term refers to the claim that no one perspective has all the answers to the variety of human thought and behavior. Psychologists tend to use various perspectives in their work depending on which point of view fits best with the explanation. Humanistic (1950s-Present) Carl Rogers-Person-centered therapy and unconditional positive regard Abraham Maslow-Hierarchy of Needs and Self-Actualization Unique aspects of human experience Belief that we choose most of our behaviors and these choices are guided by physiological, emotional or spiritual needs. Humans are free, rational beings with the potential for personal growth, and they are fundamentally different from animals. Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic (1900-Present) Sigmund Freud-Personality and States of Consciousness Carl Jung-the most important and lifelong task imposed upon any person is fulfillment through the process of individuation, achievement of harmony of conscious and unconscious, which makes a person one and whole Alfred Adler-â€Å"IndividualPPsychology,† a term which is sometimes misunderstood. It refers to the indivisibility of the personality in its psychological structure. Unconscious determinants of behavior Belief that the unconscious mind—a part of our mind that we do not have conscious control over or access to—controls much of our thought and action. Unconscious motives and experiences in early childhood govern personality and mental disorders.  Roger Sperry-showed that if the two hemispheres of the brain are separated by severing the corpus callosum (the large band of fibers that connects them), the transfer of information between the hemispheres ceases, and the coexistence in the same individual of two functionally different brains can be demonstrated. George Miller-The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on our Capacity for Processing Information Physiological bases of behavior in humans and animals An organism’s functioning can be explained in terms of the bodily structures and biochemical processes that underlie behavior. How the body and brain enable emotions, memories, and sensory experiences Evolutionary/Darwinian (Also called sociobiologists) (1980s-Present) David Buss-His primary interests include the evolutionary psychology of human mating strategies; conflict between the sexes; prestige, status, and social reputation; the emotion of jealousy; homicide; anti-homicide defenses; and stalking. Charles Darwin-the Origin of Species in 1850. Evolutionary bases of behavior in humans and animals. Examines human thought and behavior in terms of natural selection. Behavior patterns have evolved to solve adaptive problems; natural selection favors behaviors that enhance reproductive success. B.F. Skinner-Operant Conditioning and invented the Skinner Box Effects of environment on the overt behavior of human and animals. Explain human thought and behavior in terms of conditioning and look strictly at observable behaviors and what reaction organisms get in response to specific behaviors. Belief that only observable events (stimulus response relationships) can be studied scientifically.  Noam Chomsky-Theorized the critical-period for language acquisition Herbert Simon-one of the founding fathers of modern research in artificial intelligence Ulric Neisser-focused on pattern recognition, visual search, brief information processing, and memory. Thoughts; mental process Examine human thought and behavior in terms of how we interpret, process, and remember environmental events. The rules that we use to view the world are important to understanding why we think and behave the way we do. Overall, human behavior cannot be fully understood without examining how people acquire, store, and process information.

British Healthcare System

Heath Care in the United Kingdom The British Health Care system (or National Healthcare Service NHS) is one of the best in the world. The British government, through the National Health Service, provides the majority of health care. The program is funded by taxes, and the entire system is free at the point of service. Each nation has its own part of the health care service, so, National Health Service (England) Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland  (HSENI), NHS Scotland, and NHS Wales. Each system operates independently, but if a citizen needs treatment in another country isn’t a problem.Foreign nationals will receive free treatment if they are in an emergency in the United Kingdom, and if you become a permanent resident of the UK and have been there for 12 months you will also receive free healthcare. About 18% or (4. 9% of their GDP from 2000-10) of the United Kingdom’s budget is used on the NHS, or about ? 119 billion ($190 billion). The Conservatives are ver y fond of their brilliant health care plan of course, saying that: â€Å"The NHS is our country's most precious asset.Over the last two years, because of the dedication of staff across the country, the NHS has maintained or improved quality across the board – reducing waiting times to record lows, reducing hospital infections to their lowest levels ever, increasing access to dentistry, delivering more doctors and fewer administrators, and giving thousands of patients the cancer drugs they need† (Conservatives) Currently, there is plenty of criticism surrounding the NHS among the shadow party, one major issue being that the ‘NHS is on a fast track to fragmentation. –Andy Burnham the shadow health secretary. â€Å"He said politicians needed to challenge the assumption that autonomy always led to improvement. While some organizations had thrived on autonomy, such as inner city teaching hospitals, others had struggled – leading to high profile failures such as the deaths at Mid Staffordshire hospital. We are genuinely at a big fork in the road,† Burnham said. â€Å"We're on a fast track to fragmentation. Partnership is very important in that context.Once it's been smashed to bits we have to try and glue bits back together. He said the key partnership in the sector was between health and local government, adding that he feared placing commissioning in the hands of clinicians would lead to a patient-centred, rather than person-centred, approach to health. † (Guardian) There is still much to be done to make perfect the NHS. The Conservatives have about 6 main goals that needs to get done in the near future: * Cutting the cost of NHS administration * â€Å"We will cut NHS bureaucracy by ? 4. billion over the course of this Parliament and reinvest every penny straight into frontline patient services. † * Giving more power to patients * We will allow patients the choice to register with a GP practice of their choice for the first time. * We will roll out personal health budgets allowing people to have more choice, flexibility and control over the health services and care they receive * Giving doctors and nurses the power to commission services for their patients * We will hand over commissioning power to the 212 Clinical Commissioning Groups in April 2013. Conservatives) Also, another criticism is that there could be a possibility for User Spending as stated by Professor Lord Darzi: â€Å"A review of the NHS  prompted criticism of the government and the department of health for paving the way for user charging,  and so contradicting the NHS Plan 2000 which stated that â€Å"user charges are unfair and inequitable in they increase the proportion of funding from the unhealthy, old and poor compared with the healthy, young and wealthy†.The report also introduces the concept of ‘personal budgets'. † (Wikipedia/ ‘High Quality Care For All’) Sources: http://www. conservatives. com/Policy/Where_we_stand/Health. aspx http://www. guardian. co. uk/healthcare-network/2012/oct/03/andy-burnham-nhs-reforms-fragmentation http://www. economist. com/node/21557793 Professor Lord Darzi KBE (2008-06-30). â€Å"High Quality Health Care For All† http://www. guardian. co. uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/01/nhs. health1

American Medical Association AMA

Amongst the midst of the ancient remains of a mastodon (Mammut amercanum) inside the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, more than two hundred fifty delegates from twenty-eight states met in May 7, 1847 to form a national convention of medical practitioners as response to the resolution of Dr. Nathan S. Davis (1817-1904) in the New York Medical Association. All affirmed Dr. Davies’ vision and agreed to the founding of the American Medical Association with Dr. Nathaniel Chapman as its founding president (â€Å"Founding of the American Medical Association,† 2005).Since then AMA has been the leading organization in promoting the medical science and consolidating the doctors and their patients. Among its goals are to centralize scientific advancement in the field of medical science, to set standards and establish rules for medical practice and education, and to improve public health. The AMA’s Strategies To achieve their goal to consolidate sci entific advancements in the field of medical science, they institutionalized the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 1883. This publication became the largest publication for a weekly medical journal in theâ€Å"33183073 American Medical Association AMA† â€Å"Page # 2† world and became a forum for members of the medical society to communicate easily with each other and learn of the most recent medical discoveries or research in the science of medicine (â€Å"American Medical Association,† 2006). In the advent of computer technology and the internet, they gained new means of relaying new discoveries and data to their members and even to non-members alike. In their official website, the association provides links to electronic editions of JAMA.Also they provide a means for patients to find the right physicians to help them with their health problem, together with their location and availability trough the â€Å"DoctorFinder† feature of th eir website (â€Å"DoctorFinder,† 2006). To attain national recognition and to increase its membership, the AMA in 1901 decided to reorganize the association and create a more effective national body by enabling each state medical society to have equal representation. They then established the AMA House of Delegates (HOD) as the legislative body of the AMA (â€Å"American Medical Association,† 2006).This permitted the organization to increase its number and relevance with respect to the national medical society. The establishment of the HOD increased the organization’s influence in the medical society enabling them to make decisions that are respected by all medical practitioners. According to the US History Encyclopedia (2006), the AMA recommended the implementation of severe standards of medical training in schools and was the one who established the original Code of Medical Ethics in 1847 and provides a lead role in the development of the American Code of Med ical Ethics until today.In regards to their mission to improve the condition of public health in America the Association took part on numerous public health initiatives such as the declaration of â€Å"33183073 American Medical Association AMA† â€Å"Page # 3† alcoholism as an illness in 1956 and the recommendation of a nationwide polio vaccination in the 1960’s. Recent efforts of the organizations to promote the Children’s Medical Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act in congress show the AMA’s intention to help improve public health by making public care affordable to less able patients or citizens.Their support for CHAMP is consistent with their vehement campaign against the reduction of Medicare funds that would greatly increase the cost to beneficiaries of the insurance system and reduce their access to care (â€Å"Tell Congress to pass the Children's Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act,† 2007). These, together with numerous other efforts, not mentioned here, by the AMA are vital to the improvement of the American public health and the medical community as a whole. ConclusionThe AMA is fighting a continues struggle for the improvement of medicine as a science and the development of public care so as to continually give patients the proper attention that is due them. Their success in the elevation of the status of the medical science and public health in the USA is their contribution to the American society as a whole, and this allowed the United States to be one of the worlds leading countries in the field of medical science. References American Medical Association. (n. d. ). Encyclopedia of American History. Retrieved August 02, 2007, from Answers. com Web site: http://www. answers.com/topic/american-medical-association American Medical Association. (n. d. ). Encyclopedia of Public Health. Retrieved August 02, 2007, from Answers. com Web site: http://www. answers. com/topic/american-medical-associatio n DoctorFinder. (2006). Retrieved Aug. 2, 2007, from http://webapps. ama-assn. org/doctorfinder/home. html Founding of the American Medical Association. (2005). Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www. ama-assn. org/ama/pub/category/12982. html Tell Congress to pass the Children's Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act. (2007). Retrieved Aug. 2, 2007, from http://capwiz. com/ama/issues/alert/? alertid=10078856

There is more than one topic(choose what you want from them) Research Paper

There is more than one topic(choose what you want from them) - Research Paper Example Wal-mart is driven by the objective that they should serve their customers to the best way possible keeping the costs as low as possible but still earn a reasonable amount of profit. Wal-mart ends up reducing the wages and encouraging relocation elsewhere to meet the motive of low cost1,2. The first point is that Wal-mart introduced a â€Å"pull† system of retailing. This means that Wal-mart would direct the manufacturers regarding what to produce and how much to produce. While studying macroeconomics, the first three basic questions that are asked are - what to produce, how much to produce and for whom to produce. In this case, also Wal-mart decides what consumer goods the manufacturers must produce. Wal-mart also instructs them regarding the quantity that is to be produced. Wal-mart, as any other company will want to maximize its profit level. For attracting more customers, it keeps the price of the goods at a low level. However, if prices are kept low then the profit level of the company must also be low. However, this does not happen because the company reduces its cost of production. One way of reducing the costs that has been adopted by the company is by paying low wages to the workers. In 2005, the average weekly wage was $8. While the average hourly wag e rate is $8.23 on average, the average supermarket hourly rate is $10.35. In 2001 there was discrimination between female and male workers –â€Å"the average male employee was paid about $5000 more per year than the average female full time employee†3. In order to protect this low wage policy, Wal-mart does not support the formation of unions. In the year 2000, when a meat-cutting department built up a union at Wal-mart in Texas, the commercial giant phased out the department meticulously. Hence the largest private sector in Europe is free from any union. According to estimates of January

Reference list Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reference list - Essay Example Since early involvement is crucial in the reduction and prevention of aggression, this volume encourages professionals and researchers to acknowledge animal abuse as a human public health problem and a significant issue, which should be incorporated as a syllabus topic in teaching. The book examines the relationships between human interpersonal violence and animal maltreatment, expands the research scope in this developing area, and offers practical documentation and assessment strategies to help researchers that confront violence to perform their duties better through attending to such connections. The author incorporates data on seven kinds of child neglect and mistreatment – ranging from physical and sexual abuse to maltreatment by drug or alcohol-addicted parents – and summarizes the intricate ways by which abuse effects on later functioning of psychology. The author reframes conventional conceptions of psychopathology and defines approaches for treatment to abuse-linked Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), self-destructive behavior, borderline personality disorder, interpersonal dysfunction, and impaired self-reference. This book is a useful resource for abuse professionals and for overall therapists who wish to know the relationship between several forms of psychological trauma and the permanent effects of child abuse. Child abuse is not a new social issue, neither is it a deviant or haphazard activity. It is deemed to be an accepted portion of our tradition. While domestic aggression is currently politically recognized as among the most pervasive and entrenched form of hostility within our society, issues of child abuse have yet to gain the same scope of consideration. This is in spite of the actuality that every year, thousands of kids, suffer sexually, physically, and psychologically as an effect of

Queations Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Queations - Article Example To strengthen child’s existing capability is the good choice. Planned ignoring of the naughty child will have some salutary effect on the disposition of the child. Control, coercion and bribery need to be applied in a well-proportioned manner. Parents and teachers must share the responsibility to translate the well-researched set of tools to manage classroom behavior. Q.4.In the screening committee Mary owns prime responsibility. She knows about the ground realities about the day to day handling of children in the classroom environment. The counselor, with his knowledge about the psychological disposition of children should be able to give advice to identify a child having special needs and exceptionalities. The Principal, generally an individual with vast administrative experience, should be in a position to ensure that the student has the support and resources necessary to be successful and to reach his or her full potential. Parents are free to point out any shortcomings in the administration of their child and suggest modifications/improvements in the teaching technique. The final goal of the screening committee is the proper identification of the child’s learning needs. Q.5.The class as a whole was good and accepted her reformation methods, except five or six children, who had severe learning difficulties. Tim was a child with difficult home life and was mostly brought up at a childcare center. He was unable to change for the better and his initial response to her teaching methods was to cry and say, â€Å"Im no good. Im stupid. I cant do this work." But his self-pity soon turned to anger toward Mary and he yelled during a parent-teacher meeting, "Im going to kill you, I hate you, and Im going to kill you." Q.6.The responsibilities of the parents at home and the teacher at school to handle the child are different. Parents generally turn a blind eye to the discipline issue of their children as their feelings are coated

Lab report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Lab Report Example For the second cycle, the mass of the water alone is the mass of the crucible lid and hydrate, less the mass of the crucible lid and residue after heating. That gives 22.678 – 22.455 = 0.223. Considering the fact that the second cycle represents a time when more accuracy is sought as opposed to the first cycle, the mass from the second cycle is taken for use in the establishment of the % of the water of hydration. The % of water of hydration is equal to the mass of the water of hydration alone, divided by the mass of the hydrated salt and the result multiplied by 100%. That gives, (0.223 / 0.636 ) * 100 = 4% to the nearest whole number. It is apparent that the experiment manifested that the percentage of the water of hydration is 4% as opposed to the theoretical value which is 5%. This may be attributed to the fact that there are some errors in the experiment that result from such attributes as impurities entering the reagents; zero error introduced in the measuring instruments and parallax error on the side of the personnel taking the readings from the instruments. The experiment however proved that indeed there is water of hydration in the reagent and that has weight which is shade off by heating the

Keeping the peace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Keeping the peace - Essay Example The United Nations The purpose of the United Nations is to act as a global governing body through which peace is negotiated and attained. The U.N. has the capacity to help states find peaceful resolutions between nations when there is a dispute or the emergence of a conflict. The ways in which the disputes can be handled through the U.N. include diplomatic settlements, legal decisions, or through third party resolutions in which the dispute is mediated. The concept of non-peaceful means of dispute resolutions is not acceptable under the provisions of belonging to the U.N. According to U.N. Charter 2, section 4, member states are required to settle their disputes through peaceful means in order to continue international peace, security and justice (Ryan, 2000). During the Cold War there was a general disdain for the U.N. by the United States. During the 1980s, this belief in the power of the U.N. for acting on behalf of the world further diminished as the organization could not hold c ontrol over the actions within the Middle East. When Israel invaded southern Lebanon, the United Nations had only a symbolic involvement, the actual withdrawal from Beirut attempted to be negotiated by the Multinational Force which was comprised of the United States, France, and Italy. This failed as the United States began to bomb opposing forces of the Lebanese government. The lesson that should have been learned was one of impartial roles of those who are intended to seek peace between two forces that are in dispute (Ryan, 2000). During the Malvinas/Falklands conflict, the same sort of impartiality was ignored as the British and United States refused to accept peace that did not include the withdrawal of Argentinian forces. Other regions of the world in which the U.N. had little effect upon the establishment of peace were during the Iran/Iraq war, the conflict in Cypress and in the Western Sahara, as well as in Central America. Trying to keep peace in Afghanistan has been histori cally difficult for the U. N (Ryan, 2000). In 1994, Luard and Heater (1994) were asking the question as to whether or not the experiment that is the U.N. had failed. Part of the answer that they provide is that the U.N. holds its principles even though it has not always been able to convince various nations to follow their advice in keeping conflicts to a peaceful negotiation rather than deteriorating into war. However, they did conclude that the U.N. had contributed little in any way that was meaningful to creating peace within the world in the previous years which would include the 1980s (Luard & Heater, 1994). The question then becomes based upon the real purpose that the U.N. can hold in the world if it has no real powers either through persuasion or through law to support the overall peaceful existence between states in the world. Where the U.N. fails, however, other operations that are more closely tied to the states in question have had greater success as they work out the di sputes for which they represent. World Peace Organizations Some of the world peace organizations that have had success in

Criteria of American Rebels John Reed, Joseph Freeman, and Louis Research Paper

Criteria of American Rebels John Reed, Joseph Freeman, and Louis Fischer Used in the History Evaluation - Research Paper Example The developing stories of World War I, the Mexican Revolution, and the Bolshevik Revolution show the various stages through which the world has evolved before accomplishing its status. Apparently, the universe has been through series of social, economic and political transformations for the longest time since the introduction of the industrial revolution followed by series of inventions and discoveries that have shaped the world to what it is today (John Reed’s Selected Writings 76-158). Many people recognize the contributions of John Reed in the analysis of the Mexican Revolution as well as the happenings of World War I that have influenced international relationships between countries across the globe. Despite the raging debate over the contributions of World War and the infamous Mexican Revolution to the current status, it is important to recognize the views and opinions of the John Reed that have also illuminated understanding of many learners across the globe (John Reedâ €™s Selected Writings 76-158). In particular, Reed focused on the positive and negative aspects of the Mexican Revolution of 1911. He used unique criteria to create a clear and more comprehensible understanding of the Revolution, which has influenced the social, economic, and political dynamics of current Mexico as well as the neighborhood (Reed 63-78). The Americans (USA) did not understand the 1911 Mexico Revolution. However, the revolution found a soft landing in short stories, silent films, and American novels. The novels have particularly displayed a comprehensive analysis of the stages through which the country went through before attaining political, social and economic independence. Today, the United States and Mexico share fundamental similarities, which have immensely helped the process of shaping up an understanding of the relations between the two countries. Stereotypes about Mexico dominated American films during the 20thcentury (Reed 63-78). The first criteria that John Reed used were to examine and analyze whether or not the people of Mexico engaged in the fierce fight for the sake of it or because they wanted things they could not afford through the alternative option.  

The importance of Cromwells military role Essay Example for Free

The importance of Cromwells military role Essay Using these four passages and your own knowledge, assess the view that the importance of Cromwell’s military role in the Civil War has been exaggerated. Oliver Cromwell was born in 1599 into a middle class gentry family in Huntingdon. He began his career as a Member of Parliament for Cambridge in 1628; he went on to fight in the Civil War as part of the Parliamentarian army, with a number of roles as he rose through the ranks from captain to lieutenant-general. Cromwell fought in numerous battles with great success and was seen to have had great military and leadership skills. In my opinion, I believe that Cromwell’s military role in the Civil War was not exaggerated; the further analysis and evaluation of the passages will help me to prove this view. One view of Cromwell’s military role would agree that the importance he held was a result of his unusual military approach and his characteristics. The approaches that he used made him stand out as they were seen as ‘unique’. Interpretation C states ‘he raised such men as had the fear of God before them and made them conscience of what they did’. This relates to Cromwell’s use of religion within his cavalry as he was a devout Puritan himself. He believed that he was undertaking God’s work and saw every military victory as being won with the help of God. The use of religion would have been a strong motivation for any of the troops, which made them differ from any other cavalry at the time. Another Interpretation that shares evidence of this is Interpretation D as it states ‘he seems to have been instinctively aware that, in war, moral forces can far outweigh the physical’. This belief in God was thought to have been the driving force behind Cromwell which gave him the determination in battle that others did not possess. This determination is apparent within the battle of Marston Moor as Interpretation A mentions that he ‘kept such control over his man and over the battle when all three of his commanding generals had given it up for lost’. The actions of Marston Moor were seen to recognise Cromwell as an ‘extraordinary character’. Interpretations A, C and D all show evidence of Cromwell’s use of religion within war and how it was successful in his cavalry. The mention of religion in these sources appear to give the impression that these religious tactics set him out from others cavalry commander at the time. Therefore, this shows the difference between him and other military leaders, proving the view that he was a unique character, which is ultimately a factor in his military success. Cromwell also used other military approaches that were seen as unusual at the time, such as his use of discipline. He was seen to have total control over his cavalry in which they followed every order such as his ability to ‘regroup his forces into a tight formation’. There is further evidence of his disciplinary actions within Interpretation C, ‘an unusually high degree of discipline on, as well as off, the battlefield’. This discipline allowed him to carry out coordinated military manoeuvres with great success. The battle of Marston Moor in July 1644 was seen as a ‘dramatic struggle’ as the Royalists held many advantages but Cromwell’s decision to rally his cavalry after victory and aid the other side of the battlefield was the decisive tactic that won the Parliamentarians the battle. Without the discipline that Cromwell used in his cavalry he would not have been able to rally his men the way he did. The battle of Marston Moor was prearranged which was a disadvantage to both the Parliamentarians and the Royalists. However, Cromwell’s cavalry waited until early evening in order to obtain the element of surprise. This decision was a major factor in the victory over the Royalists in this battle as they were unprepared for the attack. The actions throughout the battle were unique and cunning and from the evidence appeared to have won the Parliamentarians their victory. Therefore, Ashley’s interpretation shows he was of great importance to the military success of the Parliamentarians through his decisions on the battlefield. Therefore, confirming that his military reputation has not been exaggerated. However, this view that Cromwell’s military role was not exaggerated is simply based on the numerous victories that he was a part of in his time of being a soldier. However, Ashley acknowledges that Cromwell held all the advantage at the Battle of Marston Moor. Yet, he does not take this into account in the interpretation. He focuses upon Cromwell’s tactics being exceptional rather than considering that all Cromwell’s advantages won the victory and not his tactics. This unbalanced interpretation is, therefore, limited and it undermines its reliability. Interpretation A recalls the events of the battle of Marston Moor and states that ‘it lacked coordinated command’, which was before the New Model Army, thus weakening the interpretation that Cromwell was such a good general. Yet, the New Model Army was created in order to control the numerous Parliamentarian armies throughout the country, the bases of the Army was to become disciplined, trained and mot ivated. These characteristics were very apparent within Cromwell’s cavalry during the battle of Marston Moor and could have been the reasoning behind the structuring of the New Model Army as it was proven to be successful. However, we need to consider whether this success as a cavalry commander was equally matched by his career as a general. Interpretation C also shows evidence of further military victories such as the defeat of Rupert at the battle of Naseby in June 1645 and a following success at the battle of Langport, which gave the Parliamentarians control over the West of England. This proves evidence that he was equally successful as a general and therefore deserves his reputation. Further evidence of military success is also apparent within Interpretation D, regarding ‘the Preston campaign of 1648’, this was a battle in which Cromwell was the main commander of the force and defeated the attacking Royalists and Scottish armies. This victory was seen to be the defeat of the Royalists that lead to the end of the Civil War. These numerous military successes are evidence that Cromwell showed importance to the military cause of the Parliamentarians. We also know of another military success that took place in 1649, this was Cromwell’s conquest of Ireland where he took Wexford in a massacre of 3,500 troops and civilians with only a small number of Parliamentarian casualties in comparison. These numerous victories indicate that the use of Cromwell’s military approach through the New Model Army proved successful. However, it is difficult to make a judgement with this evidence, as it could be argued that it was possible that these victories could have been achieved without Cromwell’s role in them, if another strong leader was present. These other military victories are not mentioned within the interpretations, this implies that they were not taken into account in judging the capability of Cromwel l as a military leader and could hinder the opinion presented from the interpretation. It is also believed that Cromwell was not in fact the military success that people saw him as. Interpretation D mentions his ‘atypical Cromwellian aggression’ that came out during battles, the interpretation implies his aggression and drive was the main factors that lead him to such success. The interpretation does not see him as an outstanding tactician as interpretation A and C imply but name his as a ‘very sound and capable tactician’, which seems to offer a more convincing view of Cromwell. The repeated use of positive language in these interpretations could be an indicator of Cromwell’s ability. However, interpretation D does not believe that Cromwell was the genius that interpretation A does, stating that he ‘never really reached the heights of a master of the strategic manoeuvre’. This shows that the evidence in interpretation D most strongly agrees with the view that the importance of Cromwell’s military role was exaggerated than any of the other interpretation. I disagree with the view that interpretation D implies, that Cromwell’s military role was exaggerated as the evidence regarding the battle of Marston Moor in both interpretation A and C outweighs the view presented in source D. The interpretation also describes him as ‘hasty’ and ‘unsubtle’ in his tactics on the battlefield, these negative phrases emphasise that the evidence does not agree with the importance of Cromwell’s military role. This idea is contradicted within the evidence shown in interpretation A as it states ‘led them across the battlefield to the aid of his right wing, had a crucial move with the hall-mark of genius upon it’, this was relating to the battle of Marston Moor in 1644. The tactics of Marston Moor were seen this way as they were very unique at the time and no other cavalry commanders managed their cavalries in this way. Cromwell’s use of his religion and confidence in his belief were seen to be the reason behind his success as implied in interpretation D, ‘sheer force of will; he seems to have been instinctively aware’. This could be a reason for and against the exaggeration of his military role as it set him apart from other which may have made him more successful. It may prove to be for the view that the role was an exaggeration as it could be implied that Cromwell relied on his religious beliefs, as he did not hold the tactical skills of his fellow cavalry commanders. Interpretation B shows the importance of Cromwell’s military role in a different way to the other interpretation as it only seems to concentrates on the political successes within his career as he rose to power to become Lord Protector. It explains that the major political success of Cromwell grew from the victories throughout his military career. His military success in the Civil War made him stand out and come to a spotlight within the government, allowing him to successfully work his way up politically, as interpretation B states ‘the well-deserved rise to fame, which in turn enhanced his position in the political world’. The fact that Cromwell was so success in his political career could be the reasoning to imply that his military role was also success as a result of a simple assumption. Cromwell’s main successes that are identified in the evidence are from Cromwell’s victories as a cavalry commander rather than as a general. As a cavalry commander, he proved numerously successful in battle yet his victories in the role of a general are not mentioned within the source in the same way as the cavalry commander role. This could be because he did not reach the peak of a military career as he changed his focused himself on the political issues within England at the time. This fact could indicate that his military career was exaggerated as the evidence focuses on his success as a cavalry commander rather than a general in a higher ranked position. However, a clear judgement regarding this cannot be made, as further evidence regarding his victories as a general would need to be assessed. In conclusion, it is possible that the importance of Cromwell’s military role was slightly exaggerated but he was important to the Parliamentarian side through the numerous victorious battles that he was a part of, which are shown in interpretation A, C and D. His unusual military approach such as the use of discipline and religion, as well as his own personality set him apart from others cavalry commanders. All these characteristics made Cromwell a success and as source B states, went on to help him in his political career, it could be said that this political career was a result of his actions in a military role. Ultimately, Cromwell’s importance in a military role was not exaggerated and he proved to be a very successful asset within the Civil War due to his numerous military victories.

Reflection on Learning Skills Development

Reflection on Learning Skills Development Learning Preferences Learning is a life long process and can be had in various shapes and forms. It can be based on education, experience, formal training etc. Every individual has his preferred way of learning which can change during the course of his lifetime. Eg. Individuals can prefer class-room learning when they are young and formal training when they grow old. Usually learning based on experience is considered one of the best ways to learn, but George Bernard Shaw (cited in Moyer, 2007) believes that experience doesn’t guarantee learning. He points out that men are wise in proportion, not to their experience, but to their capacity for experience and one needs to pay attention to find the lessons. Formal training is another way to learn and has been greatly successful within organizations over the years. But, Peter Drucker in his article â€Å"Managing Oneself† (HBR March–April 1999; pg 148) doubts the effectives of formal training by stating that training can be an impediment to learning because it is based on the assumption that there is only one right way to learn. Education and class-room based learning have traditionally been a preferred mode of learning. Rapid rise in technology and its applications has meant ready and continuous access to training and business communications which has meant that learning can now be more timely, specific and synchronous (Sullivan, 2003). Today’s generation want to be connected to instant messaging and short, highly-focused training that can be quickly downloaded and accessed via mobile phones, PDAs, or MP3 players(Ware, 2007; pg 58). Every learning technique has its advantages and limitations and the most preferred learning technique depends on variables like age, life-style, receptiveness and responsiveness of the brain, patience etc. Preferred Team Roles Teams have become a key component in organizations; properly working teams are now central to the organizations health. (Fisher at el., 1998) Because of the growing emphasis on team-working, a lot of research has gone into the structure, dynamics and the operations of the team. This has led to segregating team member by their functionality and the roles and responsibilities they entail as a part of the team. Belbin (1981) identified eight different roles within the team with each member complementing the others strengths and compensating for the weaknesses. Belbin classified and named his team roles as: The plant – Is a problem solver and has innovative, creative and unorthodox way of dealing with situations. Has a strong ownership of ideas. The resource investigator – Is the networking member the team that explores opportunities through new and pre-existing contacts. Is an extrovert, enthusiastic individual having good communication skills. The coordinator – Coordinates different activities of the team and acts as a chairperson. Is responsible for most of the decision making and is normally more experienced than other members. The Shaper – Overcomes obstacles with his drive and courage. Thrives on pressure. Monitor-Evaluator – Has good judgment and the ability to look at the bigger picture. Has more strategic focus. TeamWorker – Responsible for avoiding conflicts and making sure the team gels together and coordinates well. Implementer – Responsible for turning ideas into actions. Completer – Is a perfectionist responsible for finishing the project on time. (Belbin, 1993) Attitudes to Decisions making No matter what sector or industry people work in, they have to make decisions. Decision making involves risk because, most often than not, the outcome cannot be guaranteed. By definition, a decision involves choice and therein lie the difficulty- making the right choice. (McGuire, 2002) The degree of risk involved is greater if the decision is made at the strategic level as compared to the tactical and operational level. Normal attitudes to decision making include: Indecisiveness – People try to evade decision making because it involves risk. Faced with choices and being unclear about which one to make leads to indecisiveness and inaction. Over Analysis – Another attitude to decision making can be over-analyzing options to make sure the correct decision is made. Langdon (2001) calls it ‘paralysis by analysis’ syndrome which means inaction caused by too much thinking. Decisions made on past experiences (historical evidence)– Decisions, at times, are also made by on past experiences without considering the current situation. Eg. If faced with a similar problem as in the past, there is likelihood that the decision similar to the one made in the past will be made. Other attitudes to decision making include decisions made in haste and decisions made without proper consultation with others. Leadership and management skills Leadership is the ability to obtain results from others through personal direction and influence and requires management of self and management of others. Leadership and management differ in the way that management is concerned with ensuring things remain as they are and is often done by standard practice and regulation; leadership involves possessing vision, and the ability to communicate that vision. Leaders should possess the following skills Problem Solving – Problem solving involves identification and definition of the problem, generation of a number of solutions that could be accepted, evaluation of alternatives and their outcomes. An important attribute within problem solving is, communication, in particular, listening skills, as various opinions and possible solutions are being generated. The leader has to see the big picture and choose the best possible solution (decision-making). Decision making – Decision making goes hand in hand with problem solving (as cited in the last paragraph). Every aspect of leadership requires decision making. Delegation, for example, requires the manager to decide which individual is suited for specific tasks and how to distribute work in an optimal and best possible way. Communication – It is very important that the leader has regular and open communication with both the customer and the team members. Change-management – Managing change is also vital to effective leadership because changes might be requested by the stakeholders, caused by unexpected events. Therefore, it is important that the leader has the skills to manage and control change and make sure that the impact of change on accomplishing objectives is kept to a minimum. Management skills Independent of the leadership ability, managers has been studied to have different styles. The style chosen by a manager depends on the assumptions that they make about subordinates, what they think they want and what they consider their attitude towards work to be. Managers have to provide direction to the team, the drive and motivation to work as a part of the team, represent the purpose of team working and working as a group. All the components mentioned below are essential traits of a leader. There has been a widespread acceptance that leadership is an essential management component but it has proved to be difficult to identify the elements of effective leadership and how effective leadership relates to good management practices. (James Walke, 2004) It is worth pointing out that there is no one best style of leadership that is equally effective for all circumstances. The best leadership style is the one that fulfills the need of the group the most, while at the same time satisfy the needs of the external stakeholders. Personal Development plan Areas of development Author’s weaknesses lie in the following areas: Delegation skills – The author is not very good at delegating tasks and has an inherent weakness to doubt others capabilities. He is more comfortable when most of the crucial responsibilities and decision making rests in his own hands and where he just tells the team what to do. Communication – Communication in one of the author’s other weaknesses. This takes off from his delegation style, because he believes in centralized decision making and the need to communicate with subordinates or other team members is seldom realized. Negotiation – The author also finds himself lacking in negotiation skills at times. He is good at understanding and knowing the background to the problem but it’s the bargaining phase of negotiation that the author is not very good at (especially in project management environment). Strengths (Key Skills) Author’s strengths lie in: Organization and Planning – The author excels at organization and planning and makes good use of planning tools. He takes time out to decide on the critical activities and the slack and apportion responsibilities accordingly. He has a clear understanding of the tasks ahead and prioritizes tasks according to their order of importance. Motivation – The author is a highly motivated individual who could turn on creative juices, fight against odds and walk the extra mile to reach set goal and attain objectives. Change Management – Embracing change is another one of the author’s positive traits. He has always identified the need to change and how change can be effectively implemented with least resistance. Background Preferred team role The author’s preferred team role based on his capabilities is that of the ‘plant’ (going by Belbin’s classifications). Armed with strong theoretical basics and practical training, he has a strong ownership of ideas. The author also possesses an unorthodox way (out of the box thinking) of dealing things and is always looking for new and better ways to tackle issues and solve problems. He is skeptical to an all-logical approach to problem solving and does not always adhere to norms and proven ways of doing things. Author’s weakness lies in his ability to work under pressure and to consequently avoid situations that may entail pressure. Decision making style The author does make decisions after a proper analysis of the situation and how the decision affects individuals and the organization. His decision making style involves a process of elimination where a final decision is taken after eliminating alternatives. The author’s weaknesses lie in giving minimal consideration to external factors. What is required for decision making is the use of appropriate decision making tools. SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) is one such tool which helps to assess the internal and external decision making environment. Edward de Bono’s ‘six thinking hats’ is another tool for making team decisions. Before making a decision, the author has to make sure that the impact on external stakeholders is also considered. One of the other weaknesses of the author is the tendency to rush with decisions (haste). To overcome this, the author has to make sure that the issue is defined properly, all the information and alte rnatives are carefully considered and all the options weighed and evaluated before the decision is made. Preferred learning style The author’s preferred mode of learning is through hands-on training after having a firm theoretical knowledge of the basic concepts. A good way to learn for the author would be to start with a theoretical learning exercise through a tutor based class-room course and then having to execute the learning with hands-on training under some supervision. This would be an ideal scenario as it blends theory and practice. It might take some extra time to carry out the training, but at the end of it, the author would have added sufficient skills and is likely to be more efficient while working. This will also make sure sufficient time is allocated to train individuals; training is not rushed with and does not cover just one aspect (theoretical or practical). Goals The author sets goals based on his strengths. He makes sure that the goal is specific. A specific goal like improving profitability by 3% in the next financial year gives direction to the efforts. Also the author makes sure that the set goals can be measured (in relative or absolute terms) and are attainable. If goals are far too optimistic (unrealistic) and beyond reach, then it tend to have an adverse effect on motivation. The author only sets goals which he believes can be accomplished. It is made sure that the goal is attained within a specific time frame. Goal setting is a variable process for the author where the goal can be varied depending on external and unforeseen circumstances. Goals are set based on authors past performances and it is made sure that the goals are neither too easy nor too difficult to attain. Planning A plan is devised by the author to attain goals. Firstly, the author lists key skills required to attain the goal along with other requirements and constraints. Then a structure is given to the planning process to bring all aspects of planning together into a coherent, unified process. The planning structure includes analysis of opportunities, identification of aims, exploring of options, selection of the best option, evaluation of the plan followed by implementation and closure of the plan. Opportunities Setting up a goals and giving direction to the career to achieve that goals opens up several opportunities. The first opportunity is to realize the shortcomings and working on improving them. When we list our goals, we build our self-image and we see ourselves worthy of these goals which acts as a motivating agent. (Hosking Bass, 2001) As a result, we try our best to develop the traits and personality that allows us to possess those goals. Improving on weaknesses and learning through experience are the two best opportunities to be gained from the self development process. Progress The author makes use of indicators like Gantt Charts (See Appendix 1) and Network diagrams (See Appendix 2) to track progress. Gantt charts help in setting a time frame that allows carrying out all the necessary steps. The author makes sure that the critical activities are paid sufficient attention and sufficient time is allocated as ‘slack’. Authors skill set also includes soft skills such as impulse to lead and attain objectives, anticipatory skills to adjust the goals according to the changing environment and empowerment skills. Successful plans make optimal use of skills, experience and specialist knowledge. References Belbin, R.M (1981) Management Teams –Why they succeed or fail, London, Butterworth-Heinemann Belbin, R.M (1993) Team roles at Work, Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann Drucker, P (1999) People and Performance: Managing Oneself ,Harvard Business School Press Books, p1, pg 148 Fisher et al., (1998) The distribution of Belbin team roles among UK managers, Personnel review, volume 29, 2, pg 1-14 Janice, W (2007) TRAINING Tomorrows WORKFORCE., Rosemary; Kerschenbaum, Steve. T+D, Vol. 61 Issue 4, p58-60, Hall, B (2007) Five Ways to Use Social Networking for Learning.,. Chief Learning Officer, Vol. 6 Issue 5, p17-17 Hosking, D. M., Bass, A. (2001). Constructing changes in relational processes:Introducing a social constructionist approach to change work. Career Development International, 6/7, 348-360. McGuire, R (2002) Decision Making, The Pharmaceutical Journal, Vol 269, pg 647-649 Moyer, D. (2007) The Stages of Learning,. Harvard Business Review, Vol. 85 Issue 5, p148-148 Mumford, A (2002) Horses for Courses, Learning Centre, Accessed from http://peoplemanagement.co.uk Date accessed 21/05/2007 Sullivan, A. K., Strang, H. R. (2002-2003). Bibliotherapy in the classroom: Using literature to promote the development of emotional intelligence. Childhood Education,79, 74-80.