The Nature of Logic and Perception Essay -- Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the use of those cognitive skills or strategies that increase the probability of a desirable outcome. It is used to describe thinking that is purposeful, reasoned and goal directed - the kind of thinking involved in solving problems, formulating inferences, calculating likelihood’s, and making decisions when the thinker is using skills that are thoughtful and effective for the particular context and type of thinking task. Thus, critical thinking involves: following evidence where it leads; considering all possibilities; relying on reason rather than emotion; being precise; considering a variety of possible viewpoints and explanations; weighing the effects of motives and biases; being concerned more with finding the truth than with being right; not rejecting unpopular views out of hand; being aware of one's own prejudices and biases, and not allowing them to sway one's judgment. The purpose of critical thinking is, therefore, to achieve understanding, evaluate viewpoints, and solve problems. Since all three areas involve the asking of questions, we can say that critical thinking is the questioning or inquiry we engage in when we seek to understand, evaluate, or resolve. Critical thinking includes the ability to respond to material by distinguishing between facts and opinions or personal feelings, judgments and inferences, inductive and deductive arguments, and the objective and subjective. It also includes the ability to generate questions, constru...

“The Metamorphosis” Expressionism

Expressionism An expressionist piece of literature portrays a vision of the real world through the author’s point of view. â€Å"The Metamorphosis† is an excellent example of expressionism. It shows Franz Kafka’s honest interpretation of the world. His endless fears from his life can be seen in â€Å"The Metamorphosis†. Two fears of Frank Kafka’s that keep re-appearing in â€Å"The Metamorphosis† are displacement in society and strained relationships with society. After Gregor’s metamorphosis he also is no longer a part of his human society and can no longer preserve his relationships with his family.Gregor’s metamorphosis symbolizes Frank Kafka’s every nightmare and hardship in life. Franz Kafka was born in a Jewish family in Prague in 1833. He wasn’t a part of the Jewish community whole heartedly nor was he a part of the German community wholeheartedly. He was out of place in society much like the main character, Gregor in â€Å"The Metamorphosis†. Gregor was an insect in a human world. Everything about him differed from a human’s. He went from a young and capable man one night to an â€Å"old dung beetle† (42). he next morning. A man can never be part of society if he doesn’t know how to fit in. How was Gregor to fit in as an insect? It’s impossible. Some might argue looks aren’t everything one can be an important figure in society and make an impact just through the power of speech. But Gregor couldn’t even do that. To everything that Gregor wished to say the response he received in return was â€Å"Did you understand even a single word? † (18). Neither Franz Kafka or Gregor were able to truly fit in their society.Another key component in Franz Kafka’s life was his strained relationship with his father. This is evident in Gregor’s life as well. The novelette does not tell the reader information on Gregor’s relati onship with his father before the metamorphosis. But from the astonishment of Gregor in response to his father’s actions and words the reader can conclude that his behavior towards Gregor was not always like this. No matter what Gregor did â€Å"his father was in no mood for such niceties† (37). This portrays Franz Kafka’s failure in ever making his father proud of him.Franz Kafka was the eldest yet he could not carry the pride of the family. Gregor has carried his family’s burden for a long time. In fact â€Å"he was hot all over with shame and sorrow† (30) when he thought of his family having to make a living for themselves. He had always been the provider. However he was never appreciated, yet another message of Franz Kafka. No one appreciated him in his lifetime. Therefore his character was never appreciated. They were both stepped on as if they were no more significant than an insect.

Network Key Terms Essay

The Internet- The global network formed by interconnecting most of the networks on the planet, with each home and company network connecting to an Internet service provider (ISP), which in turn connects to other ISPs. Internet edge- The part of the Internet between an ISP and the ISP customer, whether the customer is a company or organization with a large private TCP/IP network, or whether the customer is a single individual. point of presence- A term used by service providers, particularly for WAN or Internet service providers instead of traditional telcos, that refers to the building where the provider keeps its equipment. Access links that connect the customer device to the WAN service physically connect into the POP. Internet core- The part of the Internet created through network links between ISPs that creates the ability of the ISPs to send IP packets to the customers of the ISPs that connect to the core. Internet access- A broad term for the many technologies that can be used to connect to an ISP so that the device or network can send packets between itself and the ISP. analog modem- A device at the customer and ISP end of an analog circuit, created when one modem calls the phone number of the other modem, with the two modems sending data using the analog circuit. DSL- Digital subscriber line. A type of Internet access service in which the data flows over the local loop cable from the home to the telco central office, where a DSLAM uses FDM technology to split out the data and send it to a router, and split out the voice frequencies and send them to a traditional voice switch. cable Internet- A term referring to Internet access services provided by a cable company, using many components, including a cable modem, coaxial cable, and a CMTS at the cable company head end. default route- In a router, a concept in which the router has a special route, the default route, so that when a rout er tries to route a packet, but the packet’s destination does not match any other route, the router routes the packet based on the default route. host name- A name made up of alphabetic, numeric, and some special characters, used to identify a specific IP host. Host names that follow the convention for domain names in the DNS system use a hierarchical design, with periods  separating parts of the name. Domain Name System- The name of both a protocol and the system of actual DNS servers that exist in the world. In practice, DNS provides a way for the world to distribute the list of matching host name/IP address pair information, letting each company maintain its own naming information, but allowing the entire world to discover the IP address used by a particular host name, dynamically, using DNS protocols, so that any client can refer to a destination by name and send IP packets to that host. Subdomain- With DNS naming terminology, this term refers to a part of a host name (or domain name).That smaller part can be the part that a company registers through IANA or some authorized agency to identify all hosts inside that company. IPv4 address exhaustion- A term referring to the very real problem in the worldwide Internet, which first presented itself in the late 1980s, in which the world appeared to be running out of the available IPv4 address space. classless interdomain routing (CIDR)- One of the short-term solutions to the IPv4 address exhaustion problem that actually helped solve the problem for a much longer time frame.CIDR allows more flexibility in how many addresses IANA assigns to a company, and it helps reduce Internet routing table sizes through route aggregation. Network Address Translation (NAT)- One of the short-term solutions to the IPv4 address exhaustion problem that actually helped solve the problem for a much longer time frame. NAT reduces the number of public IP addresses needed by one ISP customer by using one public IP address for the traffic from many real client hosts. Acronyms: BGP- Border Gateway Protocol CATV- Cable TV CIDR- Classes Interdomain Routing CMTS- Cable Modem Terminating System DSL- Digital Subscriber Line DSLAM- DSL Access Multiplexer FTTC- Fiber to the Curb HFC- Hybrid Fiber Coaxial IANA- Internet Assigned Numbers Authority IPS- Intrusion Prevention Systems ISP- Internet Service Provider NAT- Network Address Translation POP- Point of Presence RIR- Regional Internet Registries RJ-11- Registered Jack 11 SOHO- Small Office/Home Office

Feasibility Study of a New Hotel in Moscow Essay

You have been contacted by the Chief Executive Officer (C. E. O. ) of the company to conduct some research into the opportmoduleies for hotel expansion in the developing nations of the world. The new C. E. O. believes that global expansion must be furthered. However, the C. E. O. wishes to update their knowledge of the differing nature of regional operations. They wish to reassess the characteristics of the regions with regards to potential investment. The C. E. O wants information from the different regions in order to: * Analyse & evaluate the profile of the hotel industry in a chosen region. * Compare & contrast the differences and similarities in the management of hotel operations in that region. * To gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that each region presents to the international hospitality operator. * To assess the relative merits of expanding in one district compared to another in that region. The C. E. O. ants you to â€Å"Evaluate the opportmoduleies for success for (any type of) hospitality expansion and assess the pitfalls that a potential investor should be aware of before entering the market of your choice. † The C. E. O. expects you to construct a report that demonstrates evidence of research, the use of academic theory and commentary of your findings. The report should outline the region you are investigating and highlight the salient issues that should be considered when developing in this region. You must prepare a strategy for development given the evidence you have provided and the argument you have constructed. There should be evidence of research and an extensive reference list to highlight the research you have undertaken when constructing this report. You must also prepare a verbal presentation based on the salient points of your report findings and attempt to recommend strategic options open to the C. E. O. Region chosen Russia Moscow Building a restaurant

Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Essay

Abstract According to the World Health Organisation an estimated 200 million people globally are affected by serious mental health problems, however, research evidence indicates that only around one-third of those experiencing mental health difficulties actually seek treatment. A number of psycho-social and demographic factors have been found to explain variation in attitudes towards, and intentions to, seek psychological help. This study sought to examine the association between attitudes towards seeking mental health services and intentions to engage in psychological counselling. The sample for the current study consisted of 331 active and retired members of the national police force of the Republic of Ireland. It was predicted that psychological openness, help-seeking propensity, and indifference to stigma would all positively predict intentions to participate in psychological counselling, after controlling for age, gender and personality factors. The results showed that Finish Abstract Introduction According to the World Health Organisation an estimated 200 million people globally are affected by serious mental health problems (Mollica, 2000). Available data, however, suggests that only around one-third of those experiencing mental health difficulties actually make treatment contact (Kessler et al., 2009). This is of concern not only because of the deleterious impact on individual’s lives, but also because of the associated economic and societal costs of untreated mental health problems (Kessler et al., 2009). A number of psycho-social and demographic factors have been found to explain variation in attitudes towards, and intentions to, seek psychological help (e.g., Bartels, 2003; Segal, Coolidge, Mincic, & O’Riley, 2005; Vogel, Wester, Wei, & Boysen, 2005). How favourable and effective one believes psychological counselling to be, one’s own belief in their capacity to engage in counselling, and perceptions of subsequent social rejection  following counse lling attendance, have been identified as particularly influential (e.g., Hyland, McLaughlin, Boduszek, & Prentice, 2012; Vogel & Wester, 2003). Research also suggests that females may be significantly more likely than males to hold favourable attitudes towards utilising mental health services (e.g., Chandra & Minkovitz 2006; Raunic & Xenos, 2008), although some studies have shown that males and females do not differ in their attitudes or intentions towards the utilisation of mental health services (e.g., Kelly & Achter, 1995; Vogel & Wester, 2003). Additionally, personality factors have been suggested to impact upon individuals’ help-seeking attitudes and intentions. Jagdeo, Cox, Stein, and Sareen (2009) found that antisocial personality disorder was associated with greater negative attitudes towards help-seeking using data from the US National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) (n = 5877) and the Ontario Health Survey (OHS) (n = 6902). Given the disparity between mental health service needs and service utilization a more comprehensive understanding of the factors involved in counselling-seeking behaviour is required. The Inventory of Attitudes toward Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS; Mackenzie, Knox, Gekoski, & Macaulay, 2004) is a 24-item scale designed to assess the attitudinal factors that influence the seeking of mental health services. This scale was developed based upon Fisher and Turner’s (1970) Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale. The scale was developed with a clear theoretical foundation, and its increasing use in research (James & Buttle, 2008; Loya, Reddy, & Hinshaw, 2010; Mackenzie, Gekoski, & Knox, 2006; Mojaverian, Hashimoto, & Kim, 2012; Floersch et al., 2009). The IASMHS initially included 41-items, however the results an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using maximum likelihood estimation among a sample of 208 adult volunteers (Mackenzie et al., 2004) reduced the number of items in the scale to 24. Results indicated that the 24-item scale could be explained in terms of three correlated factors, which accounted for 43% of variance: (a) Psychological Openness (the degree to which an individual is open to acknowledging the presence of a psychological problem and to seek professional care for such a problem), (b) Help-Seeking Propensity (one’s willingness and perceived ability to seek help for psychological problems), and (c) Indifference to Stigma (how concerned an individual would feel were significant others to discover that they were receiving psychological care).  Internal consistency coefficients for the IASMHS subscales were reported to be good with Cronbach’s alphas of .82 (psychological openness), .76 (help-seeking propensity), and .79 (indifference to stigma). Factor correlations were moderate with r values ranging from .37 to .47. In the same paper, using an independent sample of 293 undergraduate university students and employing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) techniques, Mackenzie and colleagues (2004) reported that they replicated the three-factor solution indicated by the EFA. Model fit was acceptable and factor correlations ranged from r = .26 to .43. The current study aims to assess the degree to which intentions to participate in psychological counselling can be predicted by attitudes towards seeking mental health services. Specifically, it was predicted that psychological openness, help-seeking propensity, and indifference to stigma would all positively predict intentions to participate in psychological counselling, after controlling for age, gender and personality factors. Method Participants The sample for the current study consisted of 331 (Males: n = 202; Females: n = 129) active and retired members of the national police force of the Republic of Ireland. Of the officers recruited, 302 (91%) were currently serving members of the Irish police force, while 29 (9%) were retired. Participants ranged in age from 20 to 77 years, with an average age of 28.41 years (SD = 8.63). Just under half the sample of officers were stationed in rural areas (45%, n = 149), 41% were stationed in suburban areas (n = 136), and 14% were stationed in urban areas (n = 46). The majority of officers who participated in this study were recent entrants into the police service with 63% of respondents indicating that they had been serving for two years or less (n = 209). Approximately half were married (48%, n = 159), while the remaining participants either resided with parents (27%, n = 89), lived with other family members (3%, n = 10), or lived alone (22%, n = 73). Procedure The majority of study participants were recruited during a training seminar (n = 259), while the remaining officers were recruited via formal written requests (n = 72). Appropriate authorization was granted from the relevant  officials to carry out the study. In total, 532 members were approached to complete the research questionnaire, and 365 volunteered their participation (68%). However due to overwhelming missing data in 34 returned surveys only 331 responses were retained for the final analysis (62%). Participants were required to complete an anonymous self-report, paper-and-pencil questionnaire booklet which included an instruction sheet and a consent form attached to the front of the booklet. Participants were assured about confidentiality and informed that their participation was voluntary. Completed questionnaires were returned by the participants to their superior officer in sealed envelopes, and were subsequently returned to the principal investigator. Measures The Inventory of Attitudes toward Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS: Mackenzie et al., 2004) is a 24-item scale designed to measure an individual’s attitudes towards seeking mental health services. The IASMHS was developed in order to measure three factors labeled (a) Psychological openness, (b) Help-seeking propensity, and (c) Indifference to stigma. Psychological openness reflects the degree to which an individual is open to acknowledging the presence of a psychological problem and to seek professional care for such a problem. Help-seeking propensity reflects one’s willingness and perceived ability to seek help for psychological problems. Indifference to stigma refers to how concerned an individual would feel if significant others were to discover that they were receiving psychological care. Each factor is proposed to be measured via 8 items and each item is measured using a five point Likert-scale ranging from 0 (â€Å"disagree†) to 4 (â€Å"agree† ). Intentions to Participate in Psychological Counselling: Intentions were measured as part of a larger questionnaire designed to measure the various constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991). This questionnaire was constructed according to the guidelines set forth by Ajzen (1991, 2002). The questionnaire was based upon a fictitious scenario which included the four elements of time, context, action, and target, as proposed by Ajzen and Fishbein (1977). The scenario describes an event that took place six weeks previously in which an individual witnesses a severe road  traffic accident. In the intervening six weeks this individual begins to experience significant personality changes. The individual is reported to now experience prolonged periods of extreme sadness, lack of energy, distressing thoughts related to the traumatic event, reduced interest in normally pleasurable activities, severe panic attacks while outside, and refusal to leave the house even for work. A friend of this individual attends a G.P. about the matter and the G.P. recommends that the described person should attend a professional psychologist for counselling within the next week. An appointment is thus made for next week. Participants in this study are asked to place themselves in the position of this fictitious person and to complete the questions that follow (see Appendix A for the full vignette). Behavioural intentions were measured via three items (Cronbach’s alpha = .77). 1. How likely is it that you would intend to go along to see a professional psychologist for counseling within the next week if you were in Terry’s position? 2. You will try to participate in counseling with a professional psychologist within the next week. 3. You have decided to participate in counseling with a professional psychologist within the next week. Each item was measured along a seven point Likert scale ranging from 1 (extremely unlikely) to 7 (extremely likely) and the scores on the three questions were summed. Higher scores on this scale indicate stronger intentions to engage in counselling.

The History of Democracy in Algeria Research Paper

The History of Democracy in Algeria - Research Paper Example As the discussion stresses  colonization in Algeria began in the 5th century B. C. Native people of Algeria were forced to move back from the coastal areas by the successive waves of Roman, Byzantine, Turkish, Arab and French invaders. Among these Arab invaders have greatly influenced the natives of the country in terms of religion and language. However, Phoenicians were the first to invade the northern Algeria during 12th century B.C. Then the Romans came into the country and united the northern part of it. Under Roman rule Christianity flourished. However, it was ended by the Vandals, though a large section of area was still under the control of Berbers. Arabs started to dominate the area since 7th century.  This essay declares that  during World War I many Algerians were brought to the mainland of France for making them work in the French Army and various factories. After the World War I first organized movements began in the country for complete independence under the heads hip of Messali Hadj. Such movements started to gain momentum after World War II. Muslims were given some political rights in 1947 after a massive nationalist demonstration caused death of almost 88 Frenchmen and thousands of Muslims. In November, 1954 Algerians started their uprising in a way that could not be ignored by the French government. National Liberation Front (FLN) which was the main nationalist party introduced attacks on French people in both France and Algeria.   The war resulted in the fall of the government. In 1958 Charles de Gaulle came back in power and in 1962, Algeria’s independence was proclaimed (Phillip C. Naylor. ALGERIA - Part 3). History since Independence In 1963 Ahmed ben Bella took charge as Algeria’s first president. Under Bella’s rule, abandoned colonial holdings were nationalized. He supported various liberation movements in the country.

Assisted Suicide Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Assisted Suicide - Research Paper Example The minutes pass like hours and you’ve been in this condition for three years. Relatives and friends occasionally come by but the visit is brief and filled with only sadness. What are you thinking as the minutes, days, months and years pass? Most, it would seem, would be praying to die wondering why anyone would be allowed to suffer physical and psychological pain endlessly. It is the worst type of torment, one without control or end. If you can speak, no health care worker will hasten death. If you cannot speak you cannot even express your wishes. If you were the family dog, society would have fully condoned that the â€Å"humane† option was taken and you were â€Å"put to sleep.† Laws that prohibit euthanasia are government mandated torture. The option of euthanasia, or doctor assisted suicide (DAS), strengthens the important doctor/patient relationship, respects an individuals dignity and right of personal autonomy in addition to reducing the suffering of pati ent, their families and the medical costs to both. Euthanasia is the contraction of Greek words meaning â€Å"good death† but too many people die gripped in pain, guilt and humiliation, a bad way to die. It’s shameful for a society to somehow justify the prohibition and criminalization of DAS. Statistics The General Population Those who oppose the concept of legal DAS usually do so based on religious grounds, believing that only God has the right to give and take life. Others claim that because people don’t decide how and when they are born they should not decide how and when they die. They also caution that legalizing euthanasia is a â€Å"slippery slope† and could result in an abuse of authority, that people could be euthanized when they don’t really want to die. Opponents to euthanasia are in the minority however, and support for a compassionate death is growing. In 2002, a Harris poll found that sixty-five percent supported legalization of DAS while sixty-one percent supported implementing a variation of Oregon’s Dignity Act enacted in their own state. The Act allows terminally-ill patients to die by self-administrating lethal drugs that were prescribed by a doctor for that specific reason. A series of studies involving patients with a terminal illness revealed at least two-thirds would like to have the option of a DAS. Surveys taken in California during 2005 and 2006 found seven in ten favored the idea that â€Å"incurably ill patients have the right to ask for and get life-ending medication.† (Fieser, 2011) Though it didn’t pass, a DAS bill introduced in 2005 to the California State Legislature gained passionate support. The Medical Community Support for legalized euthanasia is also found among those of strong religious faith though not to the degree as the general public and medical community. A 2005 national survey of doctors found fifty-seven percent consider DAS ethical. A Journal of the America n Medical Association survey in 2001 found a clear majority support the Dignity Act. Also in 2001, the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that forty-five percent of doctors thought DAS should be lawful and just thirty-four percent opposed. Mental health professionals realize that terminally ill patients can choose to die while mentally competent. A rational person can choose death as an alternative. Many medical groups have determined to adopt a â€Å"studied neutrality† stance on the subject of DAS, realizing not all within the medical field agree. (Fieser, 2011)