Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Problems of Conducting Research Into the Causes of Stress Essay Example for Free

Problems of Conducting Research Into the Causes of Stress Essay One problem when conducting research into the causes of stress is the generalisation of the sample, if the sample is restricted; this has limitations in terms of generalising the results to the total population. In the study by Johansson, a sample of only 24 workers was used and from a specific job type. This sample is unreflective of all job types and is too small to be applicable to the general population. Conclusions made may only be relevant to this sample. However it could be argued that the factors that cause stress in jobs such as deadlines and the dependence of others on you are common in all types of jobs and therefore using a sample of the specific job type becomes less restricted and applicable to other people in jobs with common stressors. A second problem when conducting research into causes of stress is the validity of measurements. Validity refers to whether the results measure what they are supposed to measure and this is often affected by the research method. The self report method is often questioned in terms of validity as participants have the ability to give socially desirable answers and steer away from the truth. In the study by Kanner, questionnaires were posted out to participants and a Hassles and uplifts scale was asked to be completed every month for 9 months and the Berkman life events scale after 10 months. This study, due to the use of self report lacks in validity, as researches are unsure as to whether data obtained reflects the true opinions of participants, which is an issue when trying to apply to everyday life. However the self report method is useful, despite it lacking in validity. It gives participants the freedom to write about their own subjective feelings and due to stress being individually perceived differently, it is useful in tailoring treatment to individuals to meet their needs. A third problem is reductionism, studies often reduce many factors that cause an individual stress to one factor, such as in the case of Johansson study, it was concluded work was the source of stress. However individual factors such as personality could play a role, researchers do not know that stress prone individuals are more likely to be in a high risk job. By failing to take into account other factors, resources and time may be used in the wrong area. However reductionism is useful as it does pinpoint an area that causes stress and allows in-depth research to be carried out to help participants.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Outsourcing Jobs :: Globalization, Economics, Economy

It is 2:00 A.M. and you have been surfing the Internet all night. Your computer starts to slow down and suddenly stops. You cannot explain why; you have tried everything in your power to get it running again. It is early in the morning and you are tired, so what are your options? You decide to call the computer company’s help desk. You know it is late, so you are surprised that someone answers your call. The person on the other end of the phone is an outsourced employee. The language barrier makes it difficult to understand, and you become upset. At this moment your main concern is to get your computer working again, so you continue to let the technical support representative help you. After a short time of being on the phone, the representative helps you, and your computer is fixed. Now that your computer is in working order, you return to the thought that you received help from an outsourced office. You were not happy to get a representative from overseas, but now that your problem is fixed, you realize it wasn’t that bad. Many people have the same reaction to this scenario. It is common today to get upset about the use of job outsourcing. The increase of companies that use offshore help is making people talk. The upfront concern is that the use of outsourcing is taking away from jobs in the United States. This may be the popular consensus, but it is not completely true. In reality, the use of job outsourcing does not have a negative effect on the economy in the United States. Americans complain about the loss of jobs to outsourcing, so we need to take a look at our unemployment rate. It would naturally make sense that if a job is placed overseas, it is being taken away from an American worker. â€Å"In truth, companies have outsourced since the Industrial Revolution† (Kakumanu, Portanova, 2006, p. 1). The use of outsourcing jobs is not a new concept; it has just become more popular. â€Å"Offshore outsourcing of labor first became prevalent in manufacturing industries. Labor in other countries was cheaper than America workers, and transportation fell. This made sending work offshore more economical and began a large wave of outsourcing† (Kakumanu, Portanova, 2006, pg 1). Would this then mean that if jobs are being sent overseas in these large waves, there would still be jobs left for American workers?

Monday, January 13, 2020

Emerging adulthood Essay

One of the most important features of emerging adulthood is that this age period allows for exploration in love, work, and worldviews more than any other age period. The process of identity formation emerges in adolescence but mostly takes place in emerging adulthood. Regarding love, although adolescents in the United States usually begin dating between ages 12 and 14, they usually view this dating as recreational. It is not until emerging adulthood that identity formation in love becomes more serious.[4] While in the United States during adolescence dating usually occurs in groups and in situations such as parties and dances, in emerging adulthood, relationships last longer and often include sexual relations as well as cohabitation.[5] As far as work, the majority of working adolescents in the United States tend to see their jobs as a way to make money for recreational activities rather than preparing them for a future career.[6] In contrast, 18 to 25 year olds in emerging adulthood view their jobs as a way to obtain the knowledge and skills that will prepare them for their future adulthood careers. Undergoing changes in worldviews is a main division of cognitive development during emerging adulthood.[7] People in emerging adulthood that choose to attend college often begin college or university with the worldview they were raised with and learned in childhood and adolescence. However, emerging adults who have attended college or university have been exposed to and have considered different worldviews, and eventually commit to a worldview that is distinct from the worldview with which they were raised by the end of their college or university career.[ Emerging adulthood is the sole age period where there is nothing that is demographically consistent.[16][17] In contrast, of adolescents in the United States up to age 18, over 95% live at home with at least one parent, 98% are not married, under 10% have become parents, and more than 95% attend school.[18] Similarly, people in their thirties are also demographically normative: 75% are married, 75% are parents, and under 10% attend school.[18] Residential status and school attendance are two reasons that the period of emerging adulthood is incredibly distinct demographically. Regarding residential status, emerging adults in the United States have very diverse living situations.[4] About one third of emerging  adults attend college and spend a few years living independently while partially relying on adults.[19] Contrastingly, 40% of emerging adults do not attend college but live independently and work full-time.[19] Finally, around two-thirds of emerging adults in the United States cohabitate with a romantic partner.[20] Regarding school attendance, emerging adults are extremely diverse in their educational paths (Arnett, 2000, p. 470-471). Over 60% of emerging adults in the United States enter college or university the year after they graduate from high school.[21] However, the emerging adulthood years that follow college are extremely diverse – only about 32% of 25-29 year-olds have finished four or more years of college.[18] This is because higher education is usually pursued non-continuously, where some pursue education while they also work, and some do not attend school for periods of time.[4] Further contributing to the variance, about one third of emerging adults with bachelor’s degrees pursue a postgraduate education within a year of earning their bachelor’s degree.[22] Thus, because there is so much demographic instability, especially in residential status and school attendance, it is clear that emerging adulthood is a distinct entity based on its demographically non-normative qualities, at least in the United States.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Basic Atomic Structure and Atomic Theory - Study Guide

Atoms are one of the first topics covered in a chemistry course because they are the fundamental building block of matter. Atoms bond to each other to form pure elements, compounds, and alloys. These substances exchange atoms with each other to form new products through chemical reactions. Key Takeaways: Atoms Atoms are the smallest unit of matter that cannot be divided using any chemical method. They do consist of smaller parts, but can only be broken by nuclear reactions.The three parts of an atom are protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons carry a positive electrical charge. Neutrons are electrically neutral. Electrons carry a negative charge, equal in magnitude to that of a proton.Protons and neutrons stick together to form the atomic nucleus. Electrons orbit around the nucleus.Chemical bonding and chemical reactions occur due to the electrons around atoms. An atom with too many or too few electrons is unstable and may bond with another atom to either share or essentially donate electrons. Atom Overview Chemistry is the study of matter and the interactions between different types of matter and energy. The fundamental building block of matter is the atom. An atom consists of three main parts: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons have a positive electrical charge. Neutrons have no electrical charge. Electrons have a negative electrical charge. Protons and neutrons are found together in what is called the nucleus of the atom. Electrons circle around the  nucleus. Chemical reactions involve interactions between the electrons of one atom and the electrons of another atom. Atoms which have different amounts of electrons and protons have a positive or negative electrical charge and are called ions. When atoms bond together, they can make larger building blocks of matter called molecules. The word atom was coined by the early Greeks Democritus and Leucippus, but the nature of the atom wasnt understood until later. In the 1800s, John Dalton demonstrated atoms react with each other in whole ratios to form compounds. The discovery of the electron earned J.J. Thomson the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physics. The atomic nucleus was discovered in the gold foil experiment conducted by Geiger and Marsden under the supervision of Ernest Rutherford in 1909. Important Atom Facts All matter consists of particles called atoms. Here are some useful facts about atoms: Atoms cannot be divided  using chemicals. They do consist of parts, which include protons, neutrons, and electrons, but an atom is a basic chemical building block of matter.Each electron has a negative electrical charge.Each proton has a positive electrical charge. The charge of a proton and an electron are equal in magnitude, yet opposite in sign. Electrons and protons are electrically attracted to each other.Each neutron is electrically neutral. In other words, neutrons do not have a charge and are not electrically attracted to either electrons or protons.Protons and neutrons are about the same size as each other and are much larger than electrons.The mass of a proton is essentially the same as that of a neutron. The mass of a proton is 1840 times greater than the mass of an electron.The nucleus of an atom contains protons and neutrons. The nucleus carries a positive electrical charge.Electrons move around outside the nucleus.Almost all of the mass of an atom is in its nucleus; a lmost all of the volume of an atom is occupied by electrons.The number of protons  (also known as its  atomic number) determines the element. Varying the number of neutrons results in isotopes. Varying the number of electrons results in ions. Isotopes and ions of an atom with a constant number of protons are all variations of a single element.The particles within an atom are bound together by powerful forces. In general, electrons are easier to add or remove from an atom than a proton or neutron.  Chemical reactions  largely involve atoms or groups of atoms and the interactions between their electrons. Study Questions and Answers Try these practice problems to test your understanding of atomic theory. Write the  nuclear symbols for three isotopes  of oxygen in which there are 8, 9, and 10 neutrons, respectively.  AnswerWrite the  nuclear symbol  for an atom  with 32 protons and 38 neutrons.  AnswerIdentify the number of protons and electrons in the Sc3  ion.  AnswerGive the symbol of an ion which has 10 e- and 7 p.  Answer Sources Lewis, Gilbert N. (1916). The Atom and the Molecule. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 38 (4): 762–786. doi:10.1021/ja02261a002Wurtz, Charles Adolphe (1881). The Atomic Theory. New York: D. Appleton and company. ISBN 978-0-559-43636-9.