Critical Thinking Paper Draft and Self-evaluation Essay

Critical Thinking Paper Draft and Self-evaluation - Essay Example I am completely motivated and geared up to stop smoking, I remember I smoked for the very first time when I was young and I knew nothing about the damage which smoking could cause, I got to know about the damage only later on and I have been trying hard to quit but the temptation always lingers on and it is quite hard to stop it but this time around I am going to do it and I have already been quite successful. I do not even remember the last time that I smoked and this I think is really a big achievement for me and I am going to carry on and completely stop it because I have realized that it is really dangerous and can cause lung cancer, I have already seen enough pain and suffering in those videos. Those videos have been really useful and have motivated me to quit. Chewing gum has also helped me a ton, whenever I feel the urge to smoke I start chewing and this has been of great help to me, the urge to smoke goes away as soon as I pop it into my mouth and the urge to smoke instantly goes away. â€Å"Nicotine replacement therapies work by giving you a small amount of nicotine, but without the dangerous effects of inhaling tobacco smoke. This helps relieve the withdrawal symptoms and cravings for a cigarette that you get when you stop smoking, and allows you to get on with breaking the psychological habit of smoking. If you are physically addicted to nicotine, using NRT has been shown to almost double your chances of successfully quitting smoking.† (Nicorette Gum) This idea was first suggested to me by a good friend and I tried it and it works like a charm for me, the first time I tried it and I was very happy with the results and I knew this was going to save me, I have bought several gums to help me quit. These are a couple of ideas that have really helped me, discipline in life is really important and I have realized this very late but I am going to follow it till my last breath, I have also understood how difficult it is to give up on vices. Developing

History of the Stanford-Binet intelligence scales Essay

History of the Stanford-Binet intelligence scales - Essay Example The Fifth Edition of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (SB5) is a relatively new revised method, but has a unique history (figure 1). In 1905, Binet and Simon developed the first formal intelligence test, and Louis Terman created the Stanford-Binet Scale in 1916; this final scale was revised in 1937, 1960, 1986, and 2003. The first versions used items to address functional abilities, and were arranged by levels. The Fifth Edition is a standardized intelligence battery that can be administered to people from ages 2 to 85 years. According to Strauss (2006) the main purpose of the revision was â€Å"to expand the range of the test, to allow assessment of very low and very high levels of cognitive ability†, and to increase its clinical applications (see table 1).The SB5 is based on the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive functioning, which is considered â€Å"one of the well-validated, comprehensive models of cognitive functioning† (Fiorello and Primerano, 2 005). Johnson (2007) describes the Stanford-Binet as â€Å"a comprehensive, norm-referenced individually administered test of intelligence and cognitive abilities†. The test is consists of five factors, which include Fluid Reasoning, Knowledge, Quantitative Reasoning, Visual-Spatial Processing, and Working Memory; each factor is further divided in verbal and non-verbal subtests (table 2). The Abbreviated Battery IQ scale consists of two routing subtests: one nonverbal (Object Series/Matrices) and one verbal (Vocabulary) (Coolican, J. et al, 2008).

Articulation of Effective Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Articulation of Effective Leadership - Essay Example The paper tells that the personality of individuals plays a great role in the leadership traits that the person holds. A person displays this behavioral and emotional character to the world. The ideas of an individual characterize the personality of the person. Leaders are majorly extroverts, as opposed to introverts who are better at sharing ideas than in interaction with people. Both personalities are useful for the realization of the strengths and weaknesses of a society that a person yearns to lead. The public picture drawn by a person determines the following he/she enjoys. Ethics in leadership stirs the society towards ethical development and effective coexistence. Leaders who have ethical leadership skills influence the operations of an organization or community. Ethics ensures that the public mentality is set to do the right things, not to exploit the setbacks of others. The ethics in a leader begins with responsible handling of crisis to owning up in situations that implicat e their performance in public office. The inclusion of the entire society and members of an organization in decision-making proves to be ethical for the leadership style portrayed by a leader. The ethical background of a good leader should not allow the negative behaviors or deeds of certain individuals to erode the trust of the society. For it to be practiced by the followers, the leader should cultivate the accountability culture. By being accountable, the leadership builds trust and encourages communication in the process of building the society. The ethics in leadership is important in bringing unity to a people as the regulations of ethics exempt nobody from meeting them.

Macroeconomices Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Macroeconomices - Research Proposal Example Apparently, the simplicity of the underpinnings of economics benchmarked overlooking its significance in the intensified global market activities. All and sundry has anticipations concerning economic depression, but, accepted mitigations for that depression are determined by fluctuations in comprehensive demand. Surveillance about economic depression began about 1929. Snowdon and Vane (2) mentioned Aldcroft (1993) and Romer (1993) who did a study on the economic conditions of the country. They discovered that somewhere between the years 1929 and 1932; the United States economy saw a dip in its business output. This was reflected in the Gross Domestic Product report, hand in hand with the sharp rise in unemployment. As Aldcroft and Romer study revealed, probably most people were not aware that trade and industry productivity degenerated; unemployment rose and contributed to the economic downturn. Economic depression depends on unseen margins, and those boundaries move with productivity and employment in the economy (Snowdon and Vane 2). So that the economic situation may get better or worst, depending on the nations leadership to move forward or be diffident. Snowdon and Vane supposed John Maynard Keynes in 1936 was right in his theory of employment, interest, and money. Further they said: â€Å"The implication of Keynes analysis was that government intervention, in the form of discretionary fiscal and monetary policy, could help correct such aggregate instability and stabilize the economy at full employment† (Snowdon and Vane 2). In a scenario where economic stability is lower than probable gross domestic product, it is most likely that consumers spend less (Baumol and Blinder, 588), because in reality they really do not have anything to be spent on either goods or services despite needs. Otherwise, investment spending is weak, despite

Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Advertising - Essay Example The poster would say â€Å"man, that’s so ‘a part of a city, especially a slum, occupied by a minority group or groups, sequestered them based on socio-economic status† followed by something that says â€Å"think of your words.† Another example would be â€Å"that’s so ‘happy’† or â€Å"that’s so ‘person who is attracted to someone of the same gender† with the same slogan. Visually, I imagine these print campaigns being visually simple, with a black and white background portrait of a person with a serious expression. This would create the inherent connection that language affects people, and is powerful. The text is solid and bright, with a color difference between the main text and the definition text. These would encourage people to actually think of the meaning behind their words and the idea that they have power in and of themselves. Furthermore, it will make people be more critical of the language they use and how it could affect

The Linguistics Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Linguistics Theory - Essay Example Words that relate just by meaning, form lexical relations, can take various forms: synonymy is when all the semantic components of the words are similar; antonyms are created when one component of the meanings differ, and hyponymy is the case of an extra component is added to differentiate one word from the other. The antonym is a lexical opposition. It was traditionally classified as a contrastive paradigmatic construction (meaning a complex lexical construction that unifies with other constructions, resulting in syntagmatic usage). Unlike other paradigmatic relations, antonymy is both a lexical and a semantic relationship. Unlike synonyms and hyponyms, antonyms can only exist in binary form. Some lexicologists use the term opposite to refer to the semantic relation and antonym specifically for opposites that are also lexically related. It is also thought that, unlike synonyms and hyponyms, the antonym can only be a contrast set of only two words. But, depending on the meaning, word s may have different antonyms. Besides the natural binarity of the antonym, there is also the possibility of a brighter spectrum of contrast. For instance, the antonym of happy would be: sad. But â€Å"angry† is also very different from happy and can easily be used to contradict it.Coordinated Antonymy, a discourse –functional category – it indicates exhaustiveness of the scale involved. It neutralizes the difference between normally opposed categories, by considering them and all the instances in between, as being true.

The Woman in Black Review Essay Example for Free

The Woman in Black Review Essay Upon the arrival in London my anticipation was high. My first impression of the Fortune Theatre was; it was a very old Victorian building, very small and slightly ragged. Upon entering it felt very cramped and made you feel claustrophobic. The atmosphere was eerie due to the old style of the building. This was particularly effective as the play was set in the Victorian period. This made you feel as if you were in the past. Also the narrow staircase and small seating area created effect. Before the play starts there is no background music played to set a scene or image in the audiences mind. The play starts without warning and lights go down and we are straight into the story. The play is set in a theatre and the audience see the actors rehearsing a manuscript to an empty crowd. At first the older actor was reading his story as if he was an appalling actor. This technique used was effective and gave some comic relief at the start of the play. He mumbled his words without emotion which was in total contrast to the younger actor. The younger actor was very articulate and pronounced his words properly, both characters spoke with posh accents. By doing this it lulled the audience in to an almost false sense of security. Fans blew into the theatre to make the ambience cold and chilling. Diagram of the Stage The audience were seated in front of the stage. This was so the whole audience would all see the play in the same way. Also this would ensure the woman in black wouldnt be able to be spotted. The set was open and most things on the stage were shown. There was a clothes rack which was covered, a wicker basket which was closed and some metal buckets. There was a door which was shut but we did not know to where it would lead. However during the play we discovered a whole new dimension to the stage. Behind a gauze there was another part of the stage. If this had been shown some of the creative element would have been lost as we wouldnt be surprised to see it. Also the fact the only time the audience saw the back of the stage was when the actors themselves were present there. This would link the audience to the actor and heighten the personal bond. Spotlights were used a lot in this production. It persuaded the audience to focus on one area of the stage. It also gave a creepy effect, as you could not see the whole of the stage, therefore you would not know what was happening in the black spots. Images were also shone on to a translucent curtain showing at the position of the actors. This included a crucifix. This was effective as it was a very overpowering image, which embraces the audience as it is the first scary moment of the play. The other image was of the house in which the Woman in Black haunts. It gives you a mental representation of what the building would look like. Upon seeing this building, it was obvious a catastrophe was immanent. The lighting also represented where they were. For instance the actors were on a train and the windows of another train passed. This made you jump and started a continuous pattern of many frights to come. Sometimes the lack of lighting built up the atmosphere. At one time the stage was dark until the actor lit a match which illuminated his face. The effect of this was astonishing, such a simple thing as a match built up the scene immediately. The match was very effective because it was less bright than a spotlight and would not show off the surroundings. A torch was also used in the same way as the match but was just as effective as it showed a specific area. After seeing this used I realised how effective low light can be to create suspense and confusion. Sometimes the light came as a relief for the audience. In the first half of the play whenever there was a scary part normal lighting would come in to effect and give the audience relief from the intenseness. This almost gave the audience a false sense of security. The most effective use of the lighting was the way in which the Woman in Blacks face was bright white and prominent. The audience never quite managed to see the full complexion of her face as she was not still for long. However it showed enough to keep the audience intrigued and for them to know it was a ghost. The darkness created a spooky air about a scene but there was music to accompany it. Recorded sound was also used in this play. In the same way as lighting it set the scene and emulated a climax. For instance it was used to create a scene in an office by the ticking of a clock. The main way sound was used was to build up a climax. A recorded sound of a rocking chair would always represent a terrifying image about to appear; the Woman in Black. We would associate sounds to images. It was an almost psychotic repetitive noise, which at first time of hearing may not have been distinguished as anything important. Another petrifying noise was an ear piercing, frightful scream. It sounded like it was made by someone in the utmost agonising pain who had gone insane with rage. It most certainly made the audience jump as it was played very loudly at an unexpected moment. However I considered it to be more than just a short fright. The sound was very disturbing. The way in which it died out gently also made you wonder what the person making it was feeling. It conjured up an image of someone who could not cope with what was happening to them. They let all the rage out in one long blast. It was played a number of times, each very chilling. It did not lose the effect, as it was played unexpectedly each time, thus you heard it in another situation and dimension. The other main recording was of a horse and trap coming slowly to a halt and then crashing. This is played at the end of the play and is a backbone to the plot. It is an equally disturbing noise not one you would chose to listen to regularly. This was also used to show an image you could not see and would put that picture vividly into your mind. After the crash it was followed by a dampened scream (slightly less potent than the previous, but equally as disturbing! ). The lighting and sound contributed immensely to the play. Without the immaculate and synchronized use of sound and lighting the plays ferocity (it has in copious amounts) would be lost, no matter how good the actors were. The attire used by the actors was very Victorian. They wore waistcoats and suits, making themselves look respectable. The older man would change clothes which also changed his character. This technique was effective as there were only two main actors. I saw this skill used in another play Stones in His Pockets which consisted of only two actors. The Woman in Black wore a black cloak with a bonnet to cover a lot of her face and hair. Her long cloak covered her feet most of the time giving the impression that she floated instead of walking. Accompanied by the sound and lighting was the immensely impressive acting. The younger actor gave a solid performance in his role of an actor. However many of his facial expressions were very modern and contemporary, these would not have been used in the Victorian times. Sometimes also his diction sounded very forced in comparison to the older man who had a very calm and constant accent. The older actors accent sounded like it was his own normal voice and was how he spoke. One of the younger actors most elaborate and perfect factors was his frustration when he was playing the older actor when he was young. This made you forget he was acting and made the audience accept as true the fact that he was the older actor when he was young and not actually acting him. Both actors were extremely talented, the older man was flawless. His overall performance as all the characters was outstanding. I enjoyed how he got into his first role when he puts on his glasses. The gradual transition is very effective and amusing. His acting in natural situations was actually completely natural, which made everything believable. One of my favoured characters of his was the driver Ketwick. This was very well done and brought some comic relief to the play. As in many of his characters he used his hands a lot to express himself. A very good example of this was at the end when the younger actor congratulates him on bringing a woman. The older man reacts as if he doesnt know what he is talking about. This was not strained nor was it milked, they spent just enough time to put across to the audience. A subtle sign of his perfection was the whole way through the play he never looks at the Woman in Black making the end believable. However an important role has been missed out. The Woman in Black is easy to forget as an actor and could be overshadowed by the other actors and also you think of her as an actual ghost. Her facial expressions were stern and ferocious. The audience could see the fury in her eyes. She walked concisely and smoothly almost floating. Yet at one point she ran which was petrifying, as you did not know where she was going to end up. Her facial expressions were good, a little more frightening effect could have been gained if her face was more cadaver like. Nevertheless it was clever of the director to not include her in the program and not for her to take a bow. This made you constantly scared of her, as you do not think of her as a real person. After saying how effective sound was in this play I think the lack of it was more effective. The long silences followed by a noise or person would always make you jump. The silences would always build the suspense and get you ready for something bad to happen. After the loud, unexpected sounds there were many long pauses, which added to the sinister atmosphere. In my opinion this was the most effective use of sound. By the end of the play there was still a disturbing ambience as I walked away. I had thoroughly enjoyed the play and was suitably scared. Any more and I may not have been able to sleep. I took away many aspects of acting, which could be useful in the future. The use of silence and torches in the darkness were some of my favourites. The play was enjoyable and funny but also terrorizing. One of the most amusing parts was the dog spider scene. This was hard to act as they were pretending there was a dog but it was done with the utmost ease. It was funny how the older man kicked the dog saying it does what I say. If I was a critic for a magazine my short caption would read; The Woman in Black is a play with a distressing plot, of ghastly ghostly terror. Set in the Victorian times it sends a feeling of emptiness and solitude through you, nevertheless an obvious first choice for taking the young ones to see, to appreciate and learn from the immaculate actors and use of stage crew!