Reflective Account Essay

This seemed to keep his mind off worrying about were his wife or daughter was and stopped him from wanting to walk about the ward. After a while the patient asked if he could lie down for a while, and I explained that this was ok. I lowered the bed for the patient as low as it would go, to prevent the patient from falling or injuring himself while climbing into the bed. By doing this I was following the guidelines set out by the health and safety at work act 1972 and carrying out risk assessments to prevent harm to myself or others. Once the patient had got into the bed safely I put the bed side up to prevent him from falling out while he was sleeping, I then gave him his buzzer. Before leaving the room I asked the patient if he would like the room door left open or closed over, by doing this I was promoting the patients right to choice and individuality. I then left the room and closed the door as the patient had requested, and told the staff nurse in charge of him, that he was now sleeping, and that I had emptied his catheter bag and updated the fluid balance chart. I had to tell the staff nurse that I had left the room, so that if anything happened they knew that I was not there, as I would be accountable for it. Being accountable for my actions is one of the NMC code of conduct and is in line with professional accountability. I think that this task was very fulfilling as I was able to help other staff around me, as well as keep a patient calm. I enjoyed talking to the patient and found it very interesting. It also allowed me to practice keeping patient’s charts up to date. References

How far did conditions improve for Black Americans between 1945-1955? Essay

The decade following up to WW2 there was general hostility towards Black Americans, lynching’s and beatings were quite common in the Deep South. Due to the huge amount of volunteered/conscripted black Americans who joined to fight for ‘liberty and freedom’ in Europe, many also fought the war of liberty and freedom at home. When black soldiers returned majority were still met with the same segregation and racism that they had felt when they left. However you could see some improvements in political, social and economic conditions for them; largely achieved through a combination of federal measures, supreme court decisions, and black activism. But there were clear limits to this progress due to powerful forces such as white racist attitudes, congressional resistance and lack of executive commitment. Conditions Improved a) Political The way the black soldiers had fought had changed a number of people’s views, including President Harry S. Truman, whom was known for being racist, understood that there were social developments in place and the black population began to have a voice such as organisations like the NAACP. Immobilised Black American soldiers were given the chance to have a college education and they had took advantage of this, they had also been treated like heroes in Europe but were unequal in the USA- Truman saw this was injustice and though they shouldn’t be subject to racist attacks, which made them more motivated to take action. In connection to this, there was increased awareness of southern inequality due to more motor cars and televisions becoming more accessible, so campaigns were mobile and more recognised. His reaction to this was â€Å"the buck stops here† meaning he was determined to get equal human rights for all citizens. The extent to which his motives were questionable as it can be argued he was well aware the black vote was of growing importance for the Democratic Party, so he knew he needed to gain their support. However having the President on side was a great step to making black and white citizens equal, and was one of the key steps to success for the Civil Rights movement, the other two being a Supreme Court and congress with pro-civil rights majority in the US constitution. Truman took government action to help black people. In 1946, Truman established the President’s Committee on Civil Rights; they produced  a report â€Å"To Secure These Rights† which examined racial minorities in America, so that they could address these issues. Such problems included lynching (over 300 reported cases from 1882-1945), police brutality(barbaric beating, forced confessions when innocent), voting rights (in 1944 only 18% of black people in the South could vote), employment, education and healt h ( black people were paid less that whites even if educated, and medical schools refused to take black students and they had less doctors). The summary was that segregation was causing many problems, â€Å"separate but equal† did not exist as blacks did not receive equal treatment, and were seen as inferior to associate with white people. Truman also appointed William Hastie as the first black judge in relation to making opportunities fairer in employment and education. He also appointed Ralph Bunche as the American Ambassador of the United Nations; he mediated between the Israelis and Palestinians and won the Nobel peace prize for this in 1950. These government appointments impacted the psychology of the black and white citizens, they could all see that black people were beginning to get high positions of power and authority; this in turn would help secure more democratic black votes, as their fair opportunities were being shown to increase. He also recognised that black campaigners such as Philip Randolph were telling soldiers to not go to war due to how they were treated, and he used his power to desegregate armed forces, under an exec. Order 9981 which guaranteed â€Å"equality of treatment and opportunity for all†, this boosted the morale and confidence of soldiers which encouraged them to fight for America. The inauguration of Truman was also not segregated, which showed the immediate effect of his policies all around the world as he had publicity. social The NAACP- the National association for the advancement of coloured people were a popular protest group that fought segregation and wanted to enfranchise black people with rights , between 1939 and 42, their members had grown from 50,000 to 450,000 so by 45 they were well established.Groups like these used methods involving both direct and indirect action. The indirect action the NAACP took were supporting people in their court cases to get the Supreme Court to take notice of the political incorrectness for  black people. Such cases included the 1944 Smith v Alwright which concerned the voting rights of black people in Texas, they were allowed to vote in congressional elections but not primary elections- which were more important as it determined the winning candidate. The case was taken to the Supreme Court and the 15th amendment states that all citizens have the right to vote so the case was won and all white primary elections were outlawed throughout the whole of America. In 1946, the case of Morgan v Virginia was regarding the segregation of interstate bus services, she was fined for not giving up her seat for a white person and she argued her constitutional rights were violated. This was taken to the Supreme Court and her case was won, segregation on transport was ruled illegal. in1950, Sweatt v Painter was a case about a black student wanting to study law, but was refused admission in Texas, a new law school was built for black students only, but this was shown to be inferior to the white school so Sweatt was able to register for the Texas law school and so the case was a success. The Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka in 1954 showed how black children weren’t being provided with an adequate education, and that segregation had a negative effect on black children. It was recognised that southern states failed to provide an education and the racist education system didn’t reflect on the ideals on America, so the decision was reached due to a change in leadership of the Supreme Court, Earl Warren replaced the deceased judge and he was much more sympathetic so used his authority to persuade desegregation. This case was a major stepping stone for black people, however there was a lot of white backlash, southern racists were provoked, like the KKK and white citizens council. The case was re opened for Brown II in 1955 as desegregation was not happening fast enough especially in southern states so it was argued a timetable needed to be implemented. The Brown case also demonstrated how the new President Eisenhower (from 1953) was unwilling to help, and showed how de jure change had little de facto change in the Southern states especially. economic Much like when slavery was still legal, the primary jobs for African Americans in the south were in agriculture, where they would work for very low pay and as a result remain very poor. However war had forced the south to spend over $4.5 billion creating factories for war goods, blacks couldn’t  get jobs in them at first though due to racism and prejudice on the part of those hiring (a social issue). But this was resolved in 1941 when President Roosevelt, under the threat of ‘black’ activism issued an executive order creating the Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC). The FEPC forced industries not to discriminate on the grounds of ‘race, creed, colour or national origin’. This had made the economic situation for ‘blacks’ better but it wasn’t to last as many were fired from their war time jobs to be replaced with returning white servicemen. Still,the war period had vastly improved the economic situation for African Americans on the whole, this can be proved on statistics alone; the number of unemployed African Americans in 1940 was 937,000 but fell to 151,000 in 1945, showing a huge improvement. Simply due to the lower income made by ‘blacks’ in both the North and South meant they were forced into substandard housing (Ghettos) as they were unable to afford better. In the North ‘blacks’ were predominantly industrial workers and during war time there was a second wave of black migration from South to North (the first being ‘The Great Migration’). Again proved by statistics; in 1940 a quarter of African Americans lived in the North (primarily in industrial cities such as Philadelphia), but by 1950 it was nearly a third (a migration of about 500,000 during the war), this was driven by the ‘war boom’. It must still be kept in mind that although it jobs were better in the North the situation was still not ideal, ‘blacks’ would earn, on average, 50% less than their white colleagues and it was common for whites to object to the promotion of African Americans. Finally whites were still more likely to be employed over ‘blacks’ and example of this is in New York, where 6% of white men were unemployed compared to 10% of black men.

Banning Smoking in public places

Banning Smoking in public places Banning Smoking in public places Have you ever stopped to think about the dangers of smoking? Did you ever put in your consideration about other people who are affected by your smoking? Many people think that smoking gives them the feeling of satisfaction and happiness. Other people thinks that smoking makes the to calm down when they are angry, but all of this is nonsense. Smoking is a picked up as a habit by the youth in an unusual way. This habit risks their life and makes them prone to dreadful diseases. So if you are keen to kill yourself, then it’s your own choice, but, your freedom ends when other people’s freedom begins. Smoking is a very dangerous activity done by most of the people around the world which causes several health, environmental, and social problems. As a result, the WHO decided to pass a law to prohibit smoking in public places to protect people and the environment from the dangers of smoking. Heavy smokers are likely to health problems which the y can’t figure it out until it reaches a late stage. Researches made by scientists proofed that tobacco is one of the most addictive substances on earth. Every cigarette a smoker smokes supplies the body with great amounts of carcinogen and hazardous chemical substances. â€Å"A heavy smoker, who usually consume from 1 to 2 packs of cigarettes per day inhales 150,000 dose of poisonous smoke yearly.† [1]These Toxic compounds are formed when tobacco reacts with fire. Therefore Nicotine and the other dangerous chemicals formed while smoking are the most harmful things in cigarettes which causes severe health problems. Another Dangerous health problem caused by smoking is Lung Cancer. This is because cigarettes contain over 80 different cancer-causing substances. Scientists showed that these substances could damage the body’s DNA and change their characteristics. This process leads the cells to grow and multiply out of control causing blockage in vital areas in the lung. A smoker could avoid all of these problems and live at ease just by giving up smoking. The pollution caused by cigarettes does not stop in our bodies or the air; it also affects the land we live on and the water that we drink. Millions of cigarette butts are thrown onto the ground every day. They finally end up in the rivers and lakes where fish and animals -by mistake- eat them and quite often die from it. The rest are left on the ground to decompose which will take an average of 25 years while all of the chemicals and additives leach into the ground and pollute the soil and the plants. If you are going to smoke please consider this information before your throw your cigarette butts on the ground. It looks unattractive, it is a major fire hazard in dry weather, and it is extremely harmful to the environment. Another impacting aspect of cigarettes is in producing them. The land used for growing the tobacco all over the world could be used for planting trees or food for starvin g children in the 3rd world’s countries. Tobacco plants are often sprayed with great amounts of harmful pesticides and chemicals as tobacco is very fragile plant and likely to pick up disease. A lot of trees are also used in producing and packing cigarettes. They use 4 miles of paper an hour just for rolling and packaging cigarettes. Every 100 cigaratte produced waste in the other hand a tree. The trees used in the cigarettes could be filtering out the pollutants found in the air instead of being chopped down for manufacturing a new cigarette.

World War 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

World War 2 - Essay Example One would realize that there was no need for United States of America to become a party in war (Blum). The Second World War was fought on European and Asian soils. There were two groups of countries that are involved in the war. The Allies and the Axis, the former faction included giants like Russia, United Kingdom, United States of America, and other anti-Nazi European countries. The three main players of Axis were Germans, Italians and Japan in the east (British Library, n.p.). Despite, the territorial clashes, there was severe damage to the civilian. There were genocides in the name of purification or superiority; there were mass killings in China and Korea. In total World War Two produced over fifty million deaths, the highest for any war. The key figures of World War Two were Hitler and Mussolini from the Axis side. Hitler was the leader of Nazi, while Mussolini led the Fascists in Italy. On the other side, there were names like Churchill prime minister of United Kingdom, Roosevelt the president of America, and Stalin, the dictator who ruled Russia. Hitler wanted to gain dominance over Eastern Europe, Germany which was a giant at that wanted to take control of Europe. Meanwhile Italy was on war with England over colonial claims. In Asian soils the main problem was Manchuria province in China. Apart from these key issues there was a competition for conquering crude oil reserves in the Middle East. World War Two was fought between 1939 and 1945. There was never any side that gained dominance, if Allies secured one base, the Axis would conquer another, the tug of war, continued for six years, and it might have extended even further, if America would have not used its atom bombs to make Hiroshima and Nagasaki silent forever (Weber, n.p.). The end of World War Two gave birth to formation of two blocs, and a cold war began between USSR and America (US History, n.p.). This led to an arm race; followed by formation of organizations like NATO and

Risk and Portfolio Context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Risk and Portfolio Context - Essay Example Risk is a core element of investment and is inseparable from investment function. According to investment theories and actual practices, it is evident that there is no possibility of return over the investment without the assumption of risk in that investment by the investor. A conscious and willing assumption of risk by a knowing investor, expecting to earn a measure of return, lies at the heart of investment process (Sedleck, 2008, pp.1). Webster defines risk as â€Å"the possibility of loss or injury† (Sedleck, 2008, pp.3), in investment risk is the possibility of monetary loss through the loss in value of the investment instrument. Risk is a subjective measure with many possible definitions. This is because different investors adopt different investment strategies to attain their investment objective. Therefore, the subjectivity of the risk is its only main characteristic. It is an unavoidable function of investment, intelligent investment strategies can help to reduce it but nothing can help to ignore, negate or make risk zero (Sedleck, 2008, pp.3). Types of Investment Risk Investment risks are of two types systematic and unsystematic, however, they hole various other kind of risk in these two head branches of risk. The risks associated with investments are as follows: Systematic Risk It is the market risk, related to the factors the complete market economy or securities market. This kind of risk is beyond the control of the investor. As it is a market risk, it affects all the companies in the market irrespective of the company financial position, capital structure and management position. It involves domestic and international factors, depending upon the kind of investment (FINRA, 2013). Types of Systematic Risks Interest rate risk is the risk that due to change in interest rate over time will result in value of security going down (FINRA, 2013). Inflation Risk is the risk of decrease in purchasing power due to increase in prices of goods and services and cost of living (FINRA, 2013). Currency Risk arises due to world currency floating against each oth er. The reason for this risk is the change in exchange rate. Change in exchange rate can affect the return on a foreign currency investment in positive as well as negative way. This risk occurs only in circumstances of investment in international securities and funds (FINRA, 2013). Liquidity Risk is the risk that an investor might not be able to purchase and sale investments quickly at the price that is close to the actual underlying value of that investment. It is higher in over the counter markets and small-capitalization stock (FINRA, 2013). In case of foreign investment the timing of dealings, market size and number of listed companies can affect an investor’s ability to buy or sell foreign investment (FINRA, 2013). Socio-political Risk is the risk of adverse effect of instability and unrest in one or more region of the world on the investment market (FINRA, 2013). Defence against Systematic Risks An investor’s defence against systematic risk is the strategy of ass et allocation. This strategy dictates that the investor should build an investment portfolio with such investments that react differently to same economic factors. It involves investing in bonds as well as

Substitution and income effects Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Substitution and income effects - Assignment Example Therefore, an increase in the price of gasoline has various effects. The owner of the vehicle can opt to take several measures in order to remain at the same level of satisfaction (Hall & Lieberman, 2008). Considering that it is only the price of gasoline that have changed, yet the income of the consumer remains constant, the following decisions will have different income and substitution effects: You drove less and purchased less gasoline When a consumer decides to drive less and purchase less gasoline, he/she will be able to save some income. The income saved from the reduction in the gasoline purchased can make up for the budget reduction that would have occurred as a result of increased gasoline prices (Landsburg, 2011). However, the satisfaction obtained by the consumer is likely to change. This is because, the consumer can no longer travel to far off distances where he/she used to go before. This could limit the satisfaction he obtains from the travel and adventure (Hall & Lieb erman, 2008). Additionally, the reduction in the quantity of gasoline purchased limits the extent to which the basket of the consumer can be filled, since some cheaper commodities that make up his/her basket could be found some distance away. Therefore, although reducing the quantity of gasoline purchased and the consequent distance travelled can maintain the consumers purchasing power, it is likely to reduce his/her satisfaction (McEachern, 2012). You ate out less often The effects of reducing what the customer eats, is not any different. Eating out less often has the substitution effect of conserving some resources that could have been used for food, to make up for the gap created by the increased gasoline price. This is meant to maintain the customer at the same level of consumption for gasoline units, despite the change in its prices (). However, even though such a move can keep the consumer at the same levels of gasoline consumption, he/she has already lost out in the quantity of food and drinks consumed. This has the effect of reducing the satisfaction of the customer, derived from eating several times in a day (Landsburg, 2011). In making such a decision, the preference and utility derived by the consumer from eating certain units of foodstuff in a day will play a greater role (Hall & Lieberman, 2008). The consumer will make his/her shopping basket based on the preference and the utility he/she derives from them. Thus, although reducing the quantity of foodstuff consumed can maintain the purchasing power of the consumer, his/her situation could be worse off in terms of satisfaction derived from foodstuff consumption (McEachern, 2012). You spent less to maintain your automobile Where the consumer decides to reduce the money spent in maintaining the automobile to mitigate the effects of increased fuel prices, the decision can maintain his purchasing power in the short run. However, this can be detrimental in the long run, since the automobile might end up breaking down, causing more resources to be used in its repair, than would have been used in its maintenance (Hall & Lieberman, 2008). Therefore, reducing the resources used in automobile maintenance can help the consumer remain at the same consumption level as before. However, this is not sustainable since lack of maintenance worsens the condition of the automobile. This is likely to

DUI Task Force Experiment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DUI Task Force Experiment - Essay Example The Following is a research study to compare the effectiveness of specialized training with that of unspecialized training in improving the efficiency in which the 12 units of the DUI task force prevent DUI related offenses. The researcher tests the management skills of 12 specialized officers, and that of 12 unspecialized officers. He thereafter randomly assigns them to two groups of 12 people each. One group consists of specialized trained officers, and the other group consists of unspecialized officers. In this case, the control group will be unspecialized officers, while the treated group is the specialized officers. In conducting the research, the following methods of data collection will be used. This involves perusing through the records of various officers under experimentation, to find out their efficiency in conducting their duties. This will also involve a look at the tickets issued during the last six months, of the year 2012. This will help in ascertaining the natures of DUI offenses that were common, and how efficient the officers under experimentation managed to reduce them (Dunning, 2012). 1) There is a risk of one group imitating the experiences of another group under comparison. This takes place when for instance the control group, which comprises of unspecialized officers, learns about the program, and tries to imitate the results that come from the treated group. This imitation can affect the posttest performance of the unspecialized officers who fall within the control group. The effect of this is that it will not produce an accurate result of the experiment. 2) Another threat to the internal validity of the program is rivalry among the treated group and control group in relation to compensation. This occurs when there are differences in compensatory packages amongst the control and treated groups. For instance, the unspecialized officers might see the specialized treatment that the specialized

Brief Memo Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Brief Memo - Case Study Example As the adviser firm, Harris Associates LP was sued by Jones amongst other investors, citing – section 36(b) of the Act. From receiving an adverse finding as passed by the Illinois District Court, Jones appealed, gaining a hearing in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 08-586 1). However, in the end, the majority of the Court of Appeals (Maryland) did rule against the claim, citing the lack of judicial authority; regarding the legal regulation of investment company fees. In explanation, the court was of the view that the best regulator of ‘fees’ was the free market-arena itself. Further rejecting the provided line of argumentation, the court also viewed government as not being ‘in-place’; in regard to making such an assessment. Ultimately, the ideal portrayed was that of a strong free-market approach, as opposed to legislative interpretation of prevailing aspects of the existing economy (Jones v. Harris Associates L.P). In effect, the court ruled that when the settling entity/ person charged with a given trust’s (firm) administration made a given decision, it was in essence conclusive. This is in reference to – The Contractarian Basis of the Law of Trusts, 105 Yale L.J. 625 (1995) (Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., 08-5 86 1). In the case of the – Serita J. Weathersby v. Kentucky Fried Chicken National Management Co., No. 92-2360 (1993/4) Case [326 Md. 663, 670, 607, A.2d 8 (1992)] – essentially concerns discrimination within the employment sector, public accommodation and housing. Under focus is the aspect of employment litigation whereby the Maryland Court of Appeals did, and continues to emphasize, on the need of tort law; in regard to intentional infliction of emotional distress, to be utilized sparingly. This should be only in cases of opprobrious behavior that is inclusive of truly outrageous/ extreme conduct; extreme to the nature of going beyond bounds of decency, and hence

The Developing World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Developing World - Essay Example Despite its proficiency in providing aid and humanitarian support, like its predecessor the League of Nations, the UN is fundamentally reactive, unable to independently and resolutely mark its influence upon events. This wouldn’t appear to be accidental as it cannot be an effective ‘world parliament’ or a conscientious objector when its policies and actions are determined by the interests of the main imperialist powers, predominantly the US ruling class. Since 1945 America has been the dominant force in the UN. In the Korean War of 1950-1953 fought under the United Nations Joint Command, 90% of all army personnel, 93% of air power and 86% of naval power came from the US (UNDP, 2001). Washington is supposed to provide 22% of the UN budget, but has often withheld huge sums owed in order to force compliance with its wishes. These arrears currently stand at $1.3 billion (UNDP, 2001). United Nations’ peacekeeping interventions are often controversial affairs and lay bare the UN’s inability to keep the peace when there is no peace to keep. The Security Council has been forced to explicitly accept responsibility for failing to prevent the 1994 genocide in Rwanda in which 800,000 people were killed. On the eve of the atrocities most of the 2,500 peacekeepers were withdrawn after the deaths of 10 Belgian soldiers, thereby sending a green light to the killers. Moreover much of the subsequent UN aid was channeled through former Rwandan government officials who controlled refugee camps in Congo. (FAO, 2001). Many of these camp leaders were implicated in the campaign of genocide. Similarly, the UN was widely criticized for rehabilitating the forces of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, even going so far as to provide them with funds for the 1993 election (UNCTAD, 2006). This policy suited both the US and China, both of which wanted to shore up any opposition to Vietnam. Then there is the shame of Srebrenica in Bosnia in 1995, where Serb forces overran a so-called UN safe area, butchering 7,000 men and boys in Europe's worst massacre since World War Two (UNCTAD, 2006). UN Secretary General Kofi Annan later wrung his hands and concluded that "peacekeepers must never again be deployed into an environment in which there is no ceasefire or peace agreement" (SMH, 15/7/07). In a sick postscript, the perpetrators of this massacre, Bosnian-Serb leader Karadzic and General Mladic are still in hiding, having thwarted the UN's attempts to bring them before the International Court of Justice at The Hague (SMH, 15/7/07). Worldly Struggle Savage fighting between ethnic African rebels and pro-government janjaweed militia in Sudan's vast western Darfur region has led to 200,000 deaths since 2003 (UNCTAD, 2006). A beleaguered 7,000 strong African Union force has been unable to stop the fighting and only now does it seem possible that UN troops will be permitted to enter the arena to try and uphold the Darfur Peace Agreement signed a year ago (SMH, 15/7/07). The impasse in Israel-Palestine is one of the clearest examples of the UN's inability to resolve complex crises. Despite first proposing a two-state solution in 1947, today the situation

Why Did Henry Viii Closed Dow the Monasteris Essay Example for Free

Why Did Henry Viii Closed Dow the Monasteris Essay In the 1500’s the king of England was Henry VIII. He had already broken up with the Catholic Church and the Pop. He had made himself head of the Church of England. Also he had divorced with Catherine of Aragon and marred Anna Boleyn. His lifestyle was extravagant and he was also worried that he could be attacked by the Catholic countries of Europe. Under these circumstances he decided to close down the monasteries for the following reasons: * He was greedy and needed more money for his extravagant lifestyle. * He needed lots of money to be prepared in case of a war with enemies * He needed to make sure the nobles of England supported him. * The monasteries had a lot of treasures and valuable parts and land * Monks and nuns lived a sinful life. Hennery VIII did not want to be unpopular to his people, for closing the monasteries, so he needed to justify his actions. For this reason he ordered his minister Thomas Cromwell to send inspectors to report how holy was the life of monks / nuns and how wealthy the monasteries were. The reports said that the monks and nuns were living a sinful life. Using the reports he managed to justify closing down the monasteries. He seized the wealth and the land of the monasteries for his needs (extravagant lifestyle, in case of war). To keep the nobles loyal to him, he gave them money and land. Finally this helped him to break one more link of the Pope with his people. Henry the VIII by closing the monasteries managed to solve his problems and to keep as many people as he could.

The Effects Of Cyber Crime Information Technology Essay

The Effects Of Cyber Crime Information Technology Essay Perhaps the most prominent form of cyber crime is identity theft, in which criminals use the Internet to steal personal information from other users. Two of the most common ways this is done is through phishing and pharming. Both of these methods lure users to fake websites (that appear to be legitimate), where they are asked to enter personal information. This includes login information, such as usernames and passwords, phone numbers, addresses, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and other information criminals can use to steal another persons identity. For this reason, it is smart to always check the URL or Web address of a site to make sure it is legitimate before entering your personal information. The first recorded cyber crime took place in the year 1820! That is not surprising considering the fact that the abacus, which is thought to be the earliest form of a computer, has been around since 3500 B.C. in India, Japan and China. The era of modern computers, however, began with the analytical engine of Charles Babbage. In 1820, Joseph-Marie Jacquard, a textile manufacturer in France, produced the loom. This device allowed the repetition of a series of steps in the weaving of special fabrics. This resulted in a fear amongst Jacquards employees that their traditional employment and livelihood were being threatened. They committed acts of sabotage to discourage Jacquard from further use of the new technology. This is the first recorded cyber crime! We are currently living in Cyber age, where Internet and computers have major impacts on our way of living, social life and the way we conduct businesses. The usage of information technology has posed great security challenges and ethical questions in front of us. Just as every thing has positives and negatives, usage of information technology is beneficial as well as insecure. With the growth of the internet, network security has become a major concern. Cyber crimes have emerged rapidly in the last few years and have major consequences. Cyber criminals are doing every thing from stealing money, hacking into others computer, stealing intellectual property, spreading viruses and worms to damage computers connected on the internet and committing frauds. Stoppage of cyber crimes is a major concern today. Cyber criminal make use of the vulnerabilities in computer soft wares and networks to their advantage. Hacking: Hacking or Cracking is a major cyber crime committed today. Hacker makes use of the weaknesses and loop holes in operating systems to destroy data and steal important information from victims computer. Cracking is normally done through the use of a backdoor program installed on your machine. A lot of crackers also try to gain access to resources through the use of password cracking soft wares. Hackers can also monitor what u do on your computer and can also import files on your computer. A hacker could install several programs on to your system without your knowledge. Such programs could also be used to steal personal information such as passwords and credit card information. Important data of a company can also be hacked to get the secret information of the future plans of the company. Cyber-Theft: Cyber-Theft is the use of computers and communication systems to steal information in electronic format. Hackers crack into the systems of banks and transfer money into their own bank accounts. This is a major concern, as larger amounts of money can be stolen and illegally transferred. Many newsletters on the internet provide the investors with free advice recommending stocks where they should invest. Sometimes these recommendations are totally bogus and cause loss to the investors. Credit card fraud is also very common. Most of the companies and banks dont reveal that they have been the victims of cyber -theft because of the fear of loosing customers and share holders. Cyber-theft is the most common and the most reported of all cyber-crimes. Cyber-theft is a popular cyber-crime because it can quickly bring experienced cyber-criminal large cash resulting from very little effort. Furthermore, there is little chance a professional cyber-criminal will be apprehended by law enforcement. Viruses and worms: Viruses and worms is a very major threat to normal users and companies. Viruses are computer programs that are designed to damage computers. It is named virus because it spreads from one computer to another like a biological virus. A virus must be attached to some other program or documents through which it enters the computer. A worm usually exploits loop holes in soft wares or the operating system. Trojan horse is dicey. It appears to do one thing but does something else. The system may accept it as one thing. Upon execution, it may release a virus, worm or logic bomb. A logic bomb is an attack triggered by an event, like computer clock reaching a certain date. Chernobyl and Melissa viruses are the recent examples. Experts estimate that the My doom worm infected approximately a quarter-million computers in a single day in January 2004. Back in March 1999, the Melissa virus was so powerful that it forced Microsoft and a number of other very large companies to completely turn off their e-mail systems until the virus could be contained. Solutions: An important question arises that how can these crimes be prevented. A number of techniques and solutions have been presented but the problems still exists and are increasing day by day. Antivirus And Anti spy ware Software: Antivirus software consists of computer programs that attempt to identify, thwart and eliminate computer viruses and other malicious software. Anti spy wares are used to restrict backdoor program, Trojans and other spy wares to be installed on the computer. Firewalls: A firewall protects a computer network from unauthorized access. Network firewalls may be hardware devices, software programs, or a combination of the two. A network firewall typically guards an internal computer network against malicious access from outside the network. Cryptography: Cryptography is the science of encrypting and decrypting information. Encryption is like sending a postal mail to another party with a lock code on the envelope which is known only to the sender and the recipient. A number of cryptographic methods have been developed and some of them are still not cracked. Cyber Ethics and Laws: Cyber ethics and cyber laws are also being formulated to stop cyber crimes. It is a responsibility of every individual to follow cyber ethics and cyber laws so that the increasing cyber crimes shall reduce. Security soft wares like anti viruses and anti spy wares should be installed on all computers, in order to remain secure from cyber crimes. Internet Service Providers should also provide high level of security at their servers in order to keep their clients secure from all types of viruses and malicious programs. The Effects of Cyber crime When you purchase a home it comes with a door and a lock. You always will make sure that the door/lock exist and that the lock is working properly. If you want you can aim to further secure your home against any threats. You may purchase a new security system, an additional lock or maybe even a pet dog for added safety. Why would you not secure your investment? Would you invite criminals to use your home to commit additional crimes wherever he/she pleases? In the same fashion, computer viruses that can generate havoc on your PC system are just as criminal. Viruses can cost companies millions and dollars in time to repair an infected system. Recently, Microsoft went as far as to post a $250,000 bounty for the writers of the MSBlast worm and the SoBig.F virus. Organizations such as Interpol now have sections of their website devoted to cyber-crime, with other websites such as the IFCC Internet Fraud Complaint Center specializing in Internet Crime. In General, computer viruses can be transferred to an unsuspecting PC through a variety of formats. Viruses can appear through e-mail, infected software, diskettes, infected CD/DVD discs or computer documents. Furthermore, if you do not run regular Microsoft Windows updates (http://windowsupdates.microsoft.com), even regular Internet web browsing can cause major problems, through known security exploits in your Operating System. An unsuspecting user can open what they think is a legitimate webpage, however then end up downloading a virus or allowing access to their PC by a hacker. Viruses are showing up on a weekly basis. Your Anti-virus software, security applications or Windows Operating System is only as good as its last update. To get complete protection, you must regularly update with the latest virus definition files, scanning engines, patches and fixes. Prevention is always better then hours of frustration and lost data. Some of the main ways to ensure your PC is protected from malicious computer viruses are as follows. Computer-based crime Computers facilitate the theft of money and property and the destruction of data when there are inadequate controls against their misuse. Crimes perpetrated by unauthorized access to keyboards, terminals and communications devices generally can be described as thefts, misapplications of assets, or destruction of information. These terms may apply to the misappropriation of money and real property, or of proprietary information and intangible assets. The misuse of the computer may involve the forgery of computer signatures such as authorizing codes; the creation of false accounts payable to disburse cheques; improper use of personal information; the creation of virus or rogue programmes which interfere in software operations and destroy data. All of these crimes include programming the erasure of any evidence of the computer crime perpetrated. Probably the fastest growing category of computer related crime is that involving electronic fund transfer systems. The most significant types of computer crime were: arson, sabotage and malicious damage of computer installations; system penetration, or hacking; unauthorized use of computer time; thefts of assets, including software; embezzlement of funds; defrauding of consumers and investors; and destruction or alteration of data (including college transcripts and diplomas) and software. The motive is usually personal financial gain, anger or revenge but another significant impetus is the intellectual challenge associated with computer crime The absence of, or inadequate provision for, documentation and access controls for computer installations, facilitates computer crime. Unauthorized access to software and hardware is almost exclusively the means of crime perpetration. With authorized access, but with criminal collusion, two or more persons may commit crimes unnoticed, until financial audits, inventories, and computer operation system checks uncover the fraud or misuse. In the case of theft of intangible properties such as computer-stored patents of engineering, chemical or other designs, processes, or marketing and strategic data, the crime is exposed, if at all, by inferences drawn from the activities, products or knowledge shown by competitors Studies in the USA indicate that about one-third of such crimes were committed by staff or consultant data-processing personnel, almost exclusively below management level; but the bulk were committed by non-data-processing personnel with normal, job-related access to computers. A recent USA study has concluded that computer-related crime now rivals white collar crime in cost and seriousness. The report was based on a survey of 283 corporations and government agencies and among the conclusions were the following: about 48% of those surveyed reported some form of computer crime during 1983 with total annual losses estimated to be $145 million to $730 million. More recent estimates based on actual reported crime place losses in the USA at $3 billion per annum. An Australian computer expert has estimated that there were about 4000 computer-related frauds over the period 1975-1983. Pranksters in Canada in the past have re-routed the entire delivery system for Pepsi-cola; in 1971 the New Y ork-Penn Central Railroad Company discovered 200 of its box-cars had been re-routed and ended up near Chicago and another 200 cars were found to be missing. In New Jersey seven young people, all under 18 years, were charge with conspiring to use their home computers for exchanging stolen credit card numbers, information on how to make free phone calls, and to call coded phone numbers in the Pentagon. They were found with codes capable of changing the position of communication satellites. One youngster had run up a large phone bill at home and when berated by his parents, he proceeded to break into the phone billing system and cancelled the charge Few computer crimes are actually reported. In the US is required by law to report computer crimes; many commentators agree that only about 15% of computer-related crimes are actually reported. The Australian Computer Abuse Research Bureau argues that only one in 20 cases of the $2 million or so worth of computer-related offences in Australia during 1980 was in fact reported. The reasons given are that there is not much faith in the legal system and its ability to prosecute a case of computer crime successfully; that companies fear that to declare publicly that their system has been breached and that their assets are not as secure as once thought will cause a flight of capital in shareholders funds and deposits; and that there is a reluctance to expose the companys records and systems to public scrutiny and competitors In the UK in 1989, it was estimated that the cost to industry of computer-based crime was over  ¿Ã‚ ½400 million per year. The average annual incidence was9 incidents per 100 companies (rising in some cases to 1 in 2), costing on average  ¿Ã‚ ½46,000 per incident. Other estimates put the cost of computer crime as high as  ¿Ã‚ ½2 billion per year. The most vulnerable sector is the communications industry in which there were 192 incidents per 100 companies. Fraudulent input of information, notably on payroll systems, accounted for 4.1 million pounds of losses A person stealing trade secrets no longer has to physically copy documents because much scientific and technical information is now stored on computers. Instead of copying hundreds of pages of information on a duplicating machine, a person can download that material onto a single computer disk which can be easily concealed in a pocket. The information on the disk can then be sent or transmitted anywhere in the world without ever engendering the employers suspicions. Additionally, if a thief is able to illegally penetrate a companys computer system, he or she can download that companys trade secrets and transmit them on international computer networks without removing the originals from the victim company 1. While the Internet provides dramatic and exciting benefits to enhance our lives, it also allows those who want to violate or evade the law an opportunity to reach exponentially greater numbers of people Common Types of Computer Related Crime There are a number of common attacks and methods of committing a computer related crime. Some of these are less sophisticated than others, and can be committed by someone with limited knowledge of computers. Others require programming skills and/or an advanced knowledge of how computers and various software can work together to commit a crime. COMPUTER VIRUSES Computer viruses are programs that can attach themselves to other programs or files. The virus infected files can then become carriers of the virus, or become damaged in some way. The virus may effect computer services, displaying messages or playing sounds, or may crash the operating system so that the computer wont run as expected (if at all). You can prevent computer viruses by installing an anti-virus program on your computer, which scans files for known viruses. There are a number of these programs on the market, and they can be purchased from software stores or acquired on the Internet. Once installed, you will need to regularly update anti-virus files, which are used to detect and remove viruses from your system. DATA DIDDLING Data diddling involves changing data prior or during input into a computer. In other words, information is changed from the way it should be entered by a person typing in the data, a virus that changes data, the programmer of the database or application, or anyone else involved in the process of having information stored in a computer file. The culprit can be anyone involved in the process of creating, recording, encoding, examining, checking, converting, or transmitting data. This is one of the simplest methods of committing a computer-related crime, because it requires almost no computer skills whatsoever. Despite the ease of committing the crime, the cost can be considerable. For example, a person entering accounting may change data to show their account, or that or a friend or family member, is paid in full. By changing or failing to enter the information, they are able to steal from the company. To deal with this type of crime, a company must implement policies and internal controls. This may include performing regular audits, using software with built-in features to combat such problems, and supervising employees. HACKERS AND CRACKERS In computer jargon, hacker has a variety of meanings, including being synonymous with programmers and advanced computer users. In these cases, it refers to someone who hacks away at a keyboard for long periods of time, performing any number of computer-related tasks. In recent years, hacking has come to mean the same as another term cracker, which is a person who cracks the security of a system or computer application. Hacking (and cracking) now refers to the act of gaining unauthorized access to a computer, network, Web site, or areas of a system. A person may hack their way into a system for a variety of reasons; curiosity, the challenge of breaking through security measures, or to perform malicious actions and destroy or steal data. All to often, it involves performing mischief and damaging a Web site or corporate network in some manner. Commonly, hackers will impersonate a valid user to gain access to a system. If the system requires a username and password before allowing entry, a hacker may take an authentic users identity. On a network or an office with Internet access, a hacker can impersonate someone else by simply sitting at the unattended workstation of another user who hasnt logged off. It also commonly occurs when someone has an easy to guess username and password, or allows this information to be known by others. Another common method hackers use to gain access is to guess or crack a username and password thats used to access a computer, network, or Internet account. To prevent being hacked in this manner, you should use passwords that are difficult to guess. You should also make your passwords a mixture of letters, numbers, and special characters (e.g. !, @, #, $, %, ^, , *).   You should change your password at regular intervals, and set a minimal length to passwords (such as being a minimum of six or eight characters). LOGIC BOMBS A logic bomb is a program that runs at a specific date and/or time to cause unwanted and/or unauthorized functions. It can effect software or data, and can cause serious damage to a system. Generally, it will enter a system as hidden content, or may be installed on the system by someone within a company. For example, a disgruntled employee may write a program designed to crash the system one month after he plans to quit the company. When this date and time arrives, the program then executes. In other words, the bomb goes off. Often, logic bombs arent detected until after they execute à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ when the damage is done. However, by installing anti-virus software, firewalls, and other security software, you can block hidden content, and stop the bomb before it becomes a problem. Anti-virus software can detect known logic bombs, trojan horses, and viruses. Firewalls allow you to set policies on your system that will strip hidden content out of messages, removed file attachments, and so forth. TROJAN HORSE Trojan horses get their name from the story of the attack on Troy. In the story, the army couldnt get past the gates of Troy to attack. A covert attack was needed, so soldiers hid inside of a giant wooden horse, which was offered as a gift to the citizens of Troy. Once inside the gates of the city, the Trojan Horse opened and the attack began. In computer terms, Trojan Horses live up to the name derived from the Greek story. Covert instructions are hidden inside of a program. These instructions are embedded in software or email, and may provide any number of undesired or unauthorized functions. Once opened, they may modify or damage data, or send information over the Internet (which can then be used by a hacker for future attacks). By dealing hidden content in messages or software, you can avoid problems with Trojan Horses. Using anti-virus software, firewalls, and other security software, your system can check for Trojan Horses and prevent them from attacking. Computer Crime Prevention Computer crime is becoming ever prevalent in our society. More and more, companies and individuals rely on the services and resources provided through networks and computers. Companies may be dependent on the data to conduct business, while individuals may store information that is important to their personal or work-related activities. Due to this, it becomes vital that steps are taken to protect computer systems and the data thats stored on them. It is important to remember that no system can ever be completely secure. The only network, Web site, or computer system thats 100% secure is one that cant be accessed by anyone or anything, which makes it completely unusable. Natural disasters, malicious, users who make mistakes, or motivated criminals can compromise security and/or cause damage. The goal for securing your system should be to balance security with accessibility. Community Crime Prevention Everyones Doing It: Planning a Successful Community Crime Prevention Project Are you tired of walking by playgrounds that are filled with trash and broken equipment? You know kids wont play there because its such a mess. Make a difference by cleaning up that playground as a community crime prevention project. Keeping Insider Information Inside Protect confidential information against insider leaks, and corporate espionage. Take Crime Prevention to Work Local law enforcement agencies will experience greater cooperation and success with crime prevention programs if they include local businesses and corporate offices. Presentations at local businesses are designed to provide basic information and tips on crime prevention. Safer Seniors An increasing population of senior citizens, including those in assisted-living communities, has made police officers aware of the challenges of reaching this group with safety information. Strong support from the police chief and elected officials helps ensure that time, staff, and resources are dedicated to aiding seniors. Also see Neighborhood Watch and School Safety

Symbolism,Characterization, and Faith in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brow

Symbolism,Characterization, and Faith in   Young Goodman Brown      Ã‚   Faith is believing what you can’t see or touch. Faith is knowing something especially when there is no proof to back it up. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is a story about a man who leaves his wife, Faith, home alone for a night while he journeys with the devil down the road of temptation. During the course of his journey, the man sees many people who seem out of place, including his wife. When he returns home to Salem, he is a changed man. In this story, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism and characterization in order to imply that when an individual loses faith in the goodness of mankind, that individual may conclude that mankind (including friends and family) has given in to temptation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hawthorne uses symbolism to imply that when individuals lose their faith in the goodness of mankind, they may begin to imagine that their peers have yielded to temptation. The character of Faith is Goodman Brown's spouse, but she is also a symbol of his faith in mankind. Brown's relationship with Faith changes as the story progresses, from tender and caring love to judgmental scorn. Brown's thoughts about Faith as he leaves on his journey are: "Poor little Faith...she's a blessed angel on earth;... ...ith in humanity and starts imagining that all his peers are guilty of sin. Is mankind unworthy of our faith? No. Faith in the goodness of mankind is a belief in something for which there is proof.    Works Cited and Consulted: Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Complete Short Stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Doubleday and Co., Inc.,1959.    Leavis, Q.D. â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989.

Essay --

In mijn essay behandel ik het boek het Maatschappelijke verdrag van Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Ik heb voor dit boek gekozen, omdat Rousseau mij heel erg interesseerde toen ik hem tegenkwam in handboek 2, het oog in de storm geschreven door Ellen Geerlings. Ik was vooral aangetrokken door zijn denken over de staat, omdat ik mijzelf al lang afvraag waar het naar toe gaat met deze maatschappij waar wij nu in leven, en zo kwam ik bij het Maatschappelijke verdrag terecht. Rousseau is geboren in 1712 te Genà ¨ve. Zijn moeder overleed kort na zijn geboorte en zijn vader leerde hem lezen en schrijven op goed niveau. Op zijn 17e bekeerde hij zich tot het katholicisme. En hij gaat naar Parijs in 1742. Zijn interesse naar de filosofie kwam in zijn 37e levensjaar toen hij de opstelwedstrijd: â€Å"Welke bijdrage heeft de versterkte positie van wetenschappen en kunsten geleverd aan de verfijning der zeden?† won en daardoor in 1 klap een beroemde schrijver is. Zijn interesse voor de filosofie groeit. Hij keert terug naar Genà ¨ve en wordt weer protestants. De plotselinge aandacht die hij kreeg maakte het moeilijk om zijn visie weer te geven. Rousseau is een contractdenker, die de ongelijkheid in deze maatschappij ziet als een voortbrengsel van cultuurhistorische teruggang, doordat bezit en liefde naar onszelf toe ingang hebben gevonden in een meer oorspronkelijke natuurtoestand van samenleven. Er is een verschil tussen mensen die in de natuurtoestand leven en tussen mensen die leven in de maatschappij. Iemand moet de stad gaan bewonen en voordeel doen, en niet doen wat de rest van de stad doet. Rousseau zijn denken in het algemeen is dat de mens terug naar de natuur moet om helemaal vrij te zijn, maar hier bedoelt hij niet mee dat mensen weer in het wo... ...us gevormd door een ieder die zich aan dit Maatschappelijke verdrag houdt. De staat zijn dus dezelfde mensen als de Soeverein. Dus de burgers bepalen wat ze willen en dan zijn zij ook de onderdanen die doen wat zij zelf willen, dus die de algemene wil volgen. Hierdoor ontstaat er voor iedereen vrijheid, omdat iedereen doet wat hij/zij zelf bepaald heeft. Er ontstaat natuurlijk ook zelfbehoud, omdat iedereen bepaald heeft en het dan ook iedereen zijn verantwoordelijkheid is dat elk individu beschermd wordt tegen aanvallen. Datgene wat de burgers (soeverein) bepaald over het belang worden wetten genoemd. Hierin staat de vrijheid van het volk en dit zijn geen wetten die de vrijheid willen beperken. Dit is volgens Rousseau ‘’de enige menselijke vorm die de vrijheid kan aannemen wanneer men het zelfbehoud als uitgangspunt neemt’’ (blz.20 Het Maatschappelijke verdrag) .

Negotiations and Decision-making Essay -- Negotiating

A multitude of data can be found online when searching for material on decision-making. Likewise, the same can be stated regarding the search for information pertaining to negotiations and decision-making. For example, a Google search of the key words â€Å"negotiations/decision-making† garnered over ten million results! Reviewing a tenth of that information would take a great deal of time and energy, so this paper will narrow the scope and focus on four negotiation/decision-making types: zero-sum game, win-win, satisficing solutions and fixed pie. In addition, a brief discussion on how each of the types has been applied will ensue. Prior to this class I had never heard of the zero-sum negotiation type. When researching the ideology, I came across a website created by Robert Korn (Korn, 2010) called Truth Pizza, and I found his take on the subject quite interesting. He explained the zero-sum games negotiations type as one party pursuing an action that satisfies their needs while a comparable party equally misses an opportunity. Korn offered several examples to explain the method in a way that was easy to understand and relatable. To convey a couple of scenarios Korn disclosed, he wrote about the zero-sum game as it relates to insurance companies. Each month people pay premiums to provide protection from what may come. People buy flood insurance to protect from rising water, auto insurance to protect from accidents and theft, life insurance to pay out in an untimely demise, and so forth. Society-at-large pays monthly, semi-annual or annual premiums in hopes that they will never need the services they are paying for. â€Å"For the most part, the money we get back from insurance is considerably less than what we pay in† (Korn, 20... ... negotiation feeling as though their issues were addressed and important to the compromise. This fosters better relations and improved camaraderie for those involved. Works Cited Business Dictionary. (2010). Satisficing. Retrieved November 15, 2010, from Business Dictionary: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/satisficing.html Korn, R. (2010, April 25). Zero-sum Games. Retrieved November 15, 2010, from TruthPizza.org: http://www.truthpizza.org/logic/zerosum.htm Menard, R. (2009, November 17). What Does Win-Win Negotiation Mean? Retrieved November 15, 2010, from Ezine Articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Does-Win-Win- Negotiation-Mean?&id=3281520 Spangler, B. (2003, October). Positive-Sum, Zero-Sum, and Negative-Sum Situations. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from Beyond Intractability: http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/sum/

Pay Structures and Internal Alignment Essay

Martin Straight Compressors employ 4600 people worldwide. MCS’s Chatham location is a small Canadian company that focuses on manufacturing compressors for heavy industries. Chatham employees approximately 70 salaried and 50 hourly employees. Beginning in 1999, Martin Straight Compressors Chatham had begun facing numerous compensation issues and conflicts. Some of the issues included: Having 7 authorized but unfilled middle-level management positions Manager-employee relationships broken Documentation not up-to-date with objectives, processes, progress, performance plans Hourly staff don’t respect the owners Increased workload with no compensation Loss of commitment, motivation, and job security among employees New management brought it while problems are still effecting the day-to-day functions of the organization Merit process isn’t liked Restrictions on merit raises by head office Union involvement Flawed gain-share plan Merit raises go to salaried, non-union staff Merit raises for one employee depend on other employees Executive incentive plan uses different formulas for different employees This consultation report will begin with identifying the two main problems MSC faces and how to resolve them. Next we will apply the Equity Theory and investigate why certain employees are unhappy about the current compensation system. We will look at the company’s standpoint from a competitor’s point of view, and what methods to use to ensure fast, accurate, and acceptable results to ensure MSC continues to grow and be profitable. The 2 Main Problems After analyzing the process and theories used by Martin Straight Compressors, two main issues become precedent: 1. MSC doesn’t have a fair or efficient compensation method. The processes and ideologies used in making decisions in regards to pay are flawed. There is a gap between pay levels due to different formulas that are used for different employees. Merit increases given to employees depend on other staff members within the organization. When companies adopt processes that are unfair, employees lose motivation. As well, inefficient practices puts production at a standstill and costs the organization a great deal of time and money. 2. Employees are not a part of the decision making process. They become uninterested in the events going on within the organization because dedication and commitment are lost. These employees may not fully understand the whole picture, like restrictions coming from head office. When employees feel they are not an important part of the organizations decision-making, they become alienated and their involvement decreases. They become unwilling to develop solutions to problems. Resolution of Problems Encourage employee involvement as much as possible. It is important for employees to have a passion for the work that they do and the organization they belong to. Encourage feedback by holding monthly meetings where everyone is invited to express any questions or concerns they have. Develop a team of cross-functional representatives that meet on a regular basis to discuss issues that are important to the staff. If the high-level managers empower employees to be involvement and provide feedback, the organization will be â€Å"more likely to achieve commitment, trust, and acceptance† (Milkovich, Newman, Gerhart, Cole & Yap , 2013) of a revised compensation structure. Developing a new compensation method is costly and timely. However it is essential to the functioning of an organization. MSC needs to begin with reviewing the compensation budget (Heathfield, 2001). This way management understands how much they are allowed to spend without putting the organization in debt. Analyzing the current job structure should be done on a regular basis to ensure the organization is able to adapt to internal churn, internal succession planning, and external market factors. When looking at a job structure, a few things should be in mind: reliability, validity, acceptability, currency, and usefulness (Milkovich, Newman, Gerhart, Cole & Yap , 2013). This will help the final structure satisfy both the employees and the employer. Equity Theory The Equity Theory explains that employees compare their job and pay to other positions within their internal environment, as well as jobs in their external environment. The more knowledgeable the employee is about their responsibilities, there position and pay, and the organizations structure, the more satisfied they will be. Martin Straight Compressors needs to establish this equity theory throughout the company because right now there is no equality felt among employees. My advice to MSC is to develop a Team Site where important information can be displayed for internal eyes only. Display organization charts to show the levels of progress within the company – and the corresponding pay levels – so employees feel motivated to move up the chain of command. Establishing these reporting relationships would benefit MSC because a positive communication flow would evolve. Keeping Employees Onside Martin Straight Compressors needs to focus on building employee-management relationships. Currently there is a lot of conflict occurring in the workplace and, according to employees, this has resulted form management breaking promises to their employees. This results in a loss of mutual respect. Below are 3 ways to mend professional relationships: Keep everyone informed and involved Develop 2-way communication Instill a sense of decentralization Change is a scary reality for employees because it makes them feel vulnerable and they lose their feeling of job security. While MSC slowly makes changes to their compensation system, the above 3 points will ensure employees adapt with the company. If employees continue to voluntarily resign, MSC will lose a great deal of knowledge and assets, which will make the change even more difficult. It’s important to keep valued employees so they are able to pass on their knowledge to new employees along the way. Competitive Advantage Martin Straight Compressors currently does not have a competitive advantage within the marketplace. Although salaries and wages are at par with external competitors, other factors hinder MSC: employees are expected to increase their responsibilities and workload due to the number of unfilled positions, without getting extrinsic compensation for it. Also, merit raises are mostly given to salaried, non-union staff. This discourages front-line workers because there is no incentive. Performance evaluations should be taken place on an annual basis to ensure employees are aware of their objectives and areas for improvement. A major problem I see with MSC is that employees either get merit raises, or they don’t. Every company should want their employees to succeed, so, in turn, the organization succeeds. I advise MSC to instill a mentoring/coaching program to guide their employees to achieve the best they can. By telling, teaching, and showing employees how to perform functions and tasks, the employee will become empowered. It will become easier to link performance and pay because benchmarks will be set and every employee will know what is expected of them, and how to achieve those expectations. Becoming Internally Aligned In 1999, performance management records did not identify key objectives for employees. Merit raises focused solely on the results from the employee, department, and company. Rather, MSC should be looking at the individuals’ skills and competencies, and how they are applying them to accomplish their tasks. Ensuring every employee understands what is expected of them is extremely important; it ensures that they are proactive within the company so they’re not just going through the daily motions. Annual performance evaluations and proper documentation is essential to becoming internally aligned because it ensures everyone is on the same page and employees know what is expected from them. It also allows the company to look back on the trend of the employees to see if improvements are being made, and if they aren’t, why. Recommendation Evidently, MSC is in need of a change. My recommendation is to have a short-term goal and a long-term goal. 1. Job Evaluation: Ranking Method (used during first 3 years) This will provide fast and accurate results. Using the paired comparison method would allow MSC to use a matrix to â€Å"compare two jobs in each cell and indicating which is of great value, then ranking jobs on the basis of the total number of times each is ranked as being of greater value (pg 87)†. The reason this is the first step is because MSC is in need of a quick fix to ensure no more positions are left voluntarily and that production continues. This method will serve as a â€Å"band-aid† until further down the road a permanent solution can be decided upon. 2. Job Evaluation: Point Method (developed by the end of third year) This method requires a lot of time and costs because it goes into the breadth and depth of each job. This is what MSC’s end goal should be. The point method provides accurate and acceptable results just like the ranking method but it takes a lot more time to investigate. The point method should be set as a long-term goal and would be beneficial for MSC to invest in. Once all positions are individually broken down to determine their compensable factors, they can be scaled and then weighted so points can be assigned and a plan can be made. This will become the foundation for MSC’s compensation structure for years to come; only reviews and evaluations would be needed after this to ensure employees are satisfied and methods are efficient. References (APA Format) Gondzio, J. , & Grothey, A. (2009, May). Exploiting structure in parallelimplementation of interior point methods for optimization. Retrievedrom http://link. springer. com/article/10. 1007/s10287-008-0090-3. Retrieved on October 6, 2013. Heathfield, S. (2001, June 05). Compensation strategies and structure. Retrieved from http://humanresources. about. com/od/compensationstructure/compensation-structure. htm. Retrieved on October 6, 2013. Milkovich, G. , Newman, J. , Gerhart, B. , Cole, N. , & Yap , M. (2013). Compensation. (4th ed. , p. 01). McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. Retrievedon October 6, 2013.

The Effects of Missing Letters to the Reading Comprehension

CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY (CvSU) DON SEVERINO DE LAS ALAS CAMPUS Indang, Cavite ( (046) 415-0021 ( (046) 415-0012 E-mail: [email  protected] com â€Å"The Effects of Missing Letters to the Reading Comprehension of 2nd year IT Students of Cavite State University† In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Subject Experimental Psychology Prepared By: Ersando, Shalom G. Suansing, Glenda Mae E. March 2012 BIOGRAPHICAL DATA Shalom G. Ersando was born in J. P Rizal Memorial Hospital Dasmarinas Cavite on January 15, 1994. She is now residing at Brgy. Cabezas, Trece Martires City,Cavite.She is the eldest among the two siblings of late Mr. Carlito B. Ersando and Mrs. Victoria G. Ersando. She finished her elementary at Palawit Elementary School at Brgy. Cabezas Trece Martires City,Cavite in 2006. She completed her secondary at Tanza National Trade School at Paradahan I Tanza Cavite. At Present she is now taking up Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Cavite State University Inda ng Cavite. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA Glenda Mae Suansing was born on August 23, 1994. She is the second child of Nerissa and Alexander Suansing. She is currently residing at St. Michael Village, Sungay East, Tagaytay City.She has two siblings, Glen Mark and Gladys Suansing. She graduated her elementary at Tagaytay Elementary School. She was a consistent character awardee. She finished her secondary education at Tagaytay City Science National High School. She is currently studying at Cavite State University taking up Bachelor of Science in Psychology. After graduating college she is planning to pursue Industrial Pschology. She wants to become a Human Resource Practitioner. ACKNOWLEDGMENT This experimental research will not be complete without encouragement,assistance,support and inspiration proved by several people.The authors wish to express their sincerest appreciation and gratitude to the following persons who helped in the realization of this piece of work; To Ms. Alodia Mercado, our adv iser for her sound academic guidance and moral support which enabled her to pursue this study; To Ms. Alma Fatima Reyes, for her useful comments and suggestions that improved the study; To Ms. Ivy Valerie Garcia for letting the researchers use her laptop; To To the family of the researchers,for their love and support they gave me throughout the study; My greatest praise and honor to our Lord Almighty who guided me through my most difficult moments and problems.ABSTRACT SUANSING GLENDA MAE, ERSANDO SHALOM â€Å"The Effects of Missing Letter to the Reading Comprehension of 2nd year IT Students of Cavite State University. † Experimental Research. Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Cavite State University. March 2012, under the supervision of Ms. Alma Fatima Reyes. As reading plays an important role in our lives, reading comprehension is important for human progress. This experimental research proposes to investigate the effects of missing letters to the reading comprehension of students. The research is conducted at Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite.Fifteen respondents were needed for the Pre-test and the Post-test. Same person will be taking the Pre-test and Post-test. All fifteen respondents are 2nd year BS IT students of Cavite State University. The general objective of the study was to determine the Reading Comprehension of Students with missing letters. Specifically, the study aimed to determine if there was a difference between the scores obtained in the Pre-test and the scores obtained in the Post- Test. Data and information were gathered through the help of the respondents by answering the questionnaires regarding to their Reading Comprehension Skills provided by the researchers.TABLE OF CONTENTS APPROVAL SHEET. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BIOGRAPHICAL DATA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACKNOWLEDGM ENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ABSTRACT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIST OF TABLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIST OF FIGURES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIST OF APPENDICES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Statement of the Problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Objectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hypotheses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Significance of the Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scope and Limitation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Definition of Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Theoretical Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conceptual Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . METHODOLOGY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Research Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Design Notation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sampling Technique. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Respondents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Research Instrument. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data Gathering Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . APPENDICES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .LIST OF TABLES †¢ Table 1. A Distribution Table of the Pre-test Scores †¢ Table 2. A Distribution Table of the Post-test Scores †¢ Table 3. Difference of Pre-test and Post-test Scores LIST OF FIGURES †¢ Figure 1. Parallel Letter Recognition †¢ Figure 2. Research Paradigm †¢ Figure 3. Graphic Representation of Pre-test Scores †¢ Figure 4. Graphic Representation of Post-test Scores LIST OF APPENDICES †¢ Budgetary Estimates (Appendix A) †¢ Calendar of Activities (Appendix B) †¢ Instrument (Appendix C) †¢ Statistical Analysis of Data (Appendix D) †¢ Curriculum Vitae (Appendix E) THE EFFECTS OF MISSING LETTERS TO THE READING COMPREHENSION OF 2nd YEAR IT STUDENTS OF CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY† Glenda Mae Suansing Shalom Ersando | An experimental research prepared to the faculty of the Department of Social Sciences and Humanities, College of | |Arts and Sciences, Cavite State University, Indang Cavite in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Experimental Psychology| |with Contribution No. ER1. Prepared under the supervision of Ms. Alma Fatima Reyes. | INTRODUCTION Reading is a cognitive process of decoding characters or symbols in order to create a meaning.It is a means of communicating and sharing of information. We do it automatically. It requires development, practice and understanding. When we read, we use our eyes to receive written symbols such as letters and we use our brain to convert them into words, sentences and paragraphs that communicate something to us. Many people read books, newspapers, magazines, comic books, etc. It is considered as a daily routine of other people who loved to read. Readers integrate the words they have read into their existing framework of knowledge or schema.Reading helps a lot in our vocabulary. It wi dens our knowledge about words. Sometimes when we encountered unfamiliar words we can’t understand it, but when we encountered the same word we already knew what its meaning because we’ve read it already read it in the past. Reading also helps us in communicating in many way for example say, your job or any job for that matter, and you need to read a contract for business purposes or even if you work at a supermarket, don’t you need to know how to read in order to send the food that a person get to the right address.So as you see reading is just an element we need for day to day life. Statement of the Problem The study aimed to determine the reading comprehension of students with missing letters. 1. What is the highest rating of the scores obtained in the Pre-test by the 2nd year BS IT students of Cavite State University? 2. What is the highest rating of the scores obtained in the Post-test by the 2nd year BS IT students of Cavite State University? 3. Is there a significant difference between the scores obtained in the Pre-test and the scores obtained in the Post-test? . Do the missing letters affect the reading comprehension of students? Objectives Generally, the study aimed to determine if there is a significant difference between reading with missing letters and reading with complete letters. Specifically, the study aimed to: 1. to determine the highest rating of the scores obtained in the Pre-test by the 2nd year BS IT students of Cavite State University. 2. to determine the highest rating of the scores obtained in the Post-test by the 2nd year BS IT students of Cavite State University. 3. o determine if there is a significant difference between the scores obtained in the Pre-test and the scores obtained in the Post-test. 4. to determine the effects of missing letters to the reading comprehension of students. Hypotheses Ha: There is a significant difference between reading the words with missing letters and reading with complete letter s in the comprehension of the students. Ho: There is no significant difference between reading the words with missing letters and reading with complete letters in the comprehension of the students. Significance of the StudyThis study will benefit the following beneficiaries: Respondents This study will help the respondents to be familiarized in this type of reading. The respondents will also enhance their vocabulary. Community This study will be a great help for the community in order for the people to be aware in this style of reading. School This study will benefit the school by teaching this style of reading not only for students but also for the teachers. Future Researchers This study will be a guide for the future researchers in order for them to have a background regarding to this study.This will also serve as their related literature. Scope and Limitation This study is about on how the students read and understand the meaning of a word if there is a missing letter on the word . This study will also test the vocabulary of the students. This study only involves 2nd year IT students of Cavite State University. It is composed of 15 respondents from IT students. The study also limits the short period time given to conduct this research. Definition of Terms These are some terms used in the study: Cognitive Psychology – it is the study of internal and external processes of the brainWord Superiority Effect – refers to the increase in efficiency of letter identification within words Reading Comprehension – level of understanding when reading Pattern Recognition – organization of stimuli Pre-Test – test given before the Post-test Post-Test – test given after the Pre- test Schema – past experiences Treatment – levels of the independent variable Theoretical Framework This study justified the Parallel Letter Recognition. It is the model that most psychologists currently accept as most accurate is the parallel le tter recognition model.This model says that the letters within a word are recognized simultaneously, and the letter information is used to recognize the words. This is a very active area of research and there are many specific models that fit into this general category. The figure below is one popular formulation of this model. [pic] Figure 1: Parallel Letter Recognition Figure 1 shows a generic activation based parallel letter recognition model. In this example, the reader is seeing the word  work. Each of the stimulus letters are processed simultaneously.The first step of processing is recognizing the features of the individual letters, such as horizontal lines, diagonal lines, and curves. The details of this level are not critical for our purposes. These features are then sent to the letter detector level, where each of the letters in the stimulus word are recognized simultaneously. The letter level then sends activation to the word detector level. The  W  in the first lett er detector position sends activation to all the words that have a  W  in the first position (WORD  and  WORK).The  O  in the second letter detector position sends activation to all the words that have an  O  in the second position (FORK,  WORD, and  WORK). While  FORK  and  WORD  have activation from three of the four letters,  WORK  has the most activation because it has all four letters activated, and is thus the recognized word. Conceptual Framework Fig. 2 This study aimed to know the difference between the Pre-test and Post-test scores of the students in their reading comprehension. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter presents the related topics and studies regarding this study. It also presents the synthesis of all the topics.Pattern Recognition Our ability to recognize familiar types of things is a spectacular human characteristic. This attribute allows us to recognize an old friend in a sea of faces, to identify an entire musical theme f rom a few notes, to read words, to enjoy the taste of a vintage wine, or to appreciate the smell of a rose. It is a cognitive endowment that we mostly perform seamlessly, rapidly, and without much effort. In our everyday life, we use pattern recognition all the time, yet the cognitive structures which support pattern recognition are only recently understood. Cognitive Psychology, 6th edition, Robert Solso, p. 109) Researchers have discovered that top-down processing can influence our ability to recognize a variety of objects. It also influences our ability to recognize letters during reading. Most of the research on this topic examines how context helps us recognize letters of the alphabet. Psychologists who study reading have realized for decades that a theory of recognition would be inadequate if it were based only as the information in the stimulus. (Cognition, 5th edition, Margaret Mathin, p. 42) Immediacy of InterpretationOne of the important principles to emerge in studied of language processing is called the principle of immediacy of interpretation. Basically this principle says that people try to extract as much meaning out of each word as it arrives, and they do not wait until the end of sentences or even the ends of phrases to decide or how to interpret a word. For instance, Just and Carpenter (1980) studied the eye movements of subjects as they read a sentence. While reading a sentence, subjects will typically fixate or almost every word. Just and Carpenter find that the time subjects spend fixating or word is basically proportional to the amount of information provided by a word. Thus, if a sentence contain or relatively unfamiliar or a surprising word, they pause in that word. (Cognitive Psychology & Its Interpretation,John R. Anderson) Reading Comprehension Reading comprehension is a complex undertaking that involves many levels of processing. One of the most fundamental aspects of comprehension is the ability to deal with unfamiliar words encoun tered in text. Readers who struggle with word-level tasks use up valuable cognitive space that could be allotted to deeper levels of text analysis.It is not enough to rely on context cues to predict the meaning of new words, since this strategy often results in erroneous or superficial understandings of key terms, especially in content-area reading (Paynter, Bodrova, & Doty, 2005). Mature readers need to possess a basic knowledge of â€Å"how words work† and a set of strategies for approaching new words encountered throughout the day. (http://www. edu. gov. on. ca/eng/research/mcquirter. pdf) How word knowledge affects reading comprehension Vocabulary knowledge is one of the best predictors of reading achievement (Richek, 2005).Bromley (2004), in a comprehensive review of research on vocabulary development, concludes that vocabulary knowledge promotes reading fluency, boosts reading comprehension, improves academic achievement, and enhances thinking and communication. Spellin g is also an important consideration in reading comprehension. The concepts about sound patterns that children learn in the early years through invented spelling and direct spelling instruction help them to decode new words in their reading. As they mature and begin to spell longer and more complex words, children apply the concepts of base words, prefixes, and suffixes to their spelling.This knowledge of morphology, in turn, helps them to deconstruct longer words encountered in their reading. Templeton (2004) argues that spelling knowledge provides the basis for explicit awareness and understanding of morphology, which, in turn, may guide the systematic growth of vocabulary knowledge. Considering the strength of vocabulary knowledge in predicting reading achievement, the complex interrelationships among these areas are significant. (http://www. edu. gov. on. ca/eng/research/mcquirter. pdf) Missing letter effectIn cognitive psychology, the missing letter effect refers to the finding that, when people are asked to consciously detect target letters while reading text, they miss more letters in frequent, function words (e. g. the letter â€Å"t† in â€Å"the†) than in less frequent, content words. The missing letter effect has also been referred to as the reverse word superiority effect, since it describes a phenomenon where letters in more frequent words fail to be identified, instead of letter identification benefitting from increased word frequency.The effect is usually measured using a paper-and-pencil procedure, where readers are asked to circle a target letter every time they come across it while reading a short passage. The missing letter effect is more likely to appear when reading words that are part of a normal sequence, than when words are embedded in a mixed-up sequence (e. g. readers asked to read backwards). The missing-letter effect for common function words It has been proposed that function words such as for and on conceal their let ters because their higher familiarity allows fast access to their unitized representations.However, this study shows that letter detection in function words varies with their linguistic role in text. When such words were embedded in a phrase where they were forced into a content role by the surrounding context (e. g. , for or against or on switch ), letter detection improved markedly and did not differ from that of matched content words. The result was replicated when the context preceding the function word and the overall sentential meaning were equated for both function and content usages.The results support a late-stage structural account of the function-disadvantage effect, where the syntactic units that support the structural frame of a sentence are lost in the transition from structure to meaning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) Word superiority effect In cognitive psychology, the word superiority effect (WSE) refers to the phenomenon that people a re more accurate in recognizing a letter in the context of a word than they are when a letter is presented in isolation, or when a letter is presented within a nonword (e. g. â€Å"WXRG†).Studies have also found a WSE when letter identification within words is compared to letter identification within pseudowords. (e. g. â€Å"WOSK†) and (e. g. â€Å"WERK†). The effect was first described by Cattell (1886), and important contributions came from Reicher (1969) and Wheeler (1970) . The WSE has since been exhaustively studied in the context of cognitive processes involved during reading. Large amounts of research have also been done to try to model the effect using connectionist networks. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Word_superiority_effect) Several studies have shown a correlation between working memory and reading comprehension.Daneman and Carpenter (1980) used a dine-task procedure in which both tasks (reading and remembering) use a single verbal memory state. A compromise position suggests that the phonological component of working memory acts as a sort of back-up memory. When sentences are short or easily comprehended it is not needed with syntactically more complex or lengthy sentences processing may lay behind the input and so the representation in the phonological store needs to be consulted. (McCarthy and Worrington, 1990) Transfer to Long Term MemoryVerbal rehearsals may be necessary in acquiring some kinds of knowledge such as learning new vocabulary words. New words need to be first remembered by sound like a representation cannot be retrieved to long term memory. Ebbinghaus discovered another unique findings the serial position effect. It can be found in memory for lists even when serial anticipation is not required. Working Memory Working memory  has been defined as the system which actively holds information in the mind to do verbal and nonverbal tasks such as reasoning and comprehension, and to make it available for furthe r information processing.Working memory tasks are those that require the goal-oriented active monitoring or manipulation of information or behaviors in the face of interfering processes and distractions. The cognitive processes involved include the  executive  and  attention  control of  short-term memory  which provide for the interim integration, processing, disposal, and retrieval of information. Working memory is a theoretical concept central both to  cognitive psychology  and  neuroscience. Synthesis We use pattern recognition in our daily lives, most likely in reading in how we recognize letters.It is an ability where only humans can do. One of the most widely demonstrated phenomena in the research on recognition is the Word Superiority Effect. According to the word superiority effect, we can identify a single letter more accurately and more rapidly when it appears in a word that it appears alone by itself or in a string or same letter. As we are reading a bo ok or any reading material, our brain process the meaning of a word. It is naturally done by our brain. By the help of our schema or past experiences, when we encountered a familiar word, we can easily recognize it.But it's quite difficult for us to understand the meaning of a word if we never encountered it in our past. METHODOLOGY In this chapter, the researchers will describe the research design, sampling technique, respondents, research instrument, data gathering procedure and the statistical analysis that they used. Research Design The research design that the researchers used was the Within Subject Design. A within-subjects design is a type of experimental design in which all participants are exposed to every treatment or condition. For the Pre-test, the respondents we’ll be not exposed to treatment.For the Post-test, the students will be now exposed to the treatment which is the missing letters in the passage. Psychologists often use them to test the relative effective ness of a new treatment, often a difficult proposition. One of the greatest advantages of a within-subjects design is that it does not require a large pool of participants. Generally, a similar experiment in a between-subjects design would require twice as many participants as a within-subjects design. A within-subjects design can also help reduce errors associated with individual differences.In a between-subjects design where individuals are randomly assigned to a treatment condition, there is still a possibility that there may be fundamental differences between the groups that might impact the results. In a within-subjects design, individuals are exposed to all levels of a condition, so the results will not be distorted by individual differences. Each participant serves as his or her own baseline. Design Notation O1XO2 O1 = Pre-test O2 = Post-test X = Treatment (Missing Letters) Sampling Technique Random sampling method was used.The researchers used the table of random sampling fo r choosing the respondents. The respondents were 2nd year IT students of Cavite State University. In random sample, each individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected. If more than one individual is to be selected for the sample, there must be constant probability for each and every selection. Respondents The researchers need 15 students for pre-test and post-test. Same person were taking the pre-test and post-test. Research Instrument The instrument that the researchers used was a test questionnaire. The est questionnaire is composed of a short passage or story and then it is followed by a 10 item question. Treatment For the first passage in the pre-test, a normal passage with complete letters is given. For the post-test, the passage contains words with missing letters. This treatment will be given to 15 respondents. This will tests if it is good or effective to use. Data Gathering Procedure The researchers need to provide questionnaires for the respondents reg arding to their Reading Comprehension skills. The researchers need to provide questionnaires until they meet the minimum ( 15) respondents.After that Pre-test will be given in the respondents. And the post-test will be given to know if missing letters will affect the Reading Comprehension of the respondents. Statistical Analysis The researchers used the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test is a non-parametric statistical test for testing hypothesis on median. It is used when we wish to compare two sets of scores that come from the same participants. This can occur when we wish to investigate any change in scores from one time point to another or individuals are subjected to more than one condition.As the Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Test does not assume normality in the data it can be used when this assumption has been violated and the use of the  dependent t-test  is inappropriate. The advantage with Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test is that it neither depends on the form of the parent distribution nor on its parameters. It does not require any assumptions about the shape of the distribution. For computing the mean, the researchers used the formula below. The researchers summed up all the scores and divided the total by the number of scores. [pic] Where: [pic] is the symbol for the mean [pic] is the symbol for summationX is the symbol for the scores N is the symbol for the number of scores For computing the standard deviation, the researchers used the formula: [pic] Where: S is the symbol for standard deviation [pic] is the value of the mean [pic] is the symbol for summation Xi represents each data value from i=1 to i=N.. N is the sample size RESULTS and DISCUSSION This chapter contains the analysis and interpretation of the results that we have gathered. The results gathered were organized, tabularized, discussed and analyzed in this section. The table contains the scores obtained by the students in the Pre-test and Post-Test.Table 1. A Distribution table of the Pre-test scores |Rating |Frequency(f) |Percentage(%) | |Excellent |0 |0 | |Very Good |4 |26. 7 | |Good |8 |46. 7 | |Poor 3 |26. 7 | |Total |15 |100 | |Mean |2. 0 | | |Standard Deviation |0. 75593 | | |Verbal Interpretation |Poor | | Legend: Poor 0-3; Good 4-5; Very Good 6-7; Excellent 8-10. Table one shows the pre-test scores by 2nd year IT students of Cavite State University. Out of fifteen students, 3 or 26. 7% of the students got Poor rating; 8 or 46. 7% of the students got Good rating; 4 or 26. 7% of the students got Very Good rating; and no one got Excellent rating. According to Anderson and Freebody (1981), it is well established that good comprehenders tend to have good vocabularies. This correlation, however, does not mean that teaching vocabulary will increase readers’ comprehension, for that is a causal conclusion.As it turns out, however, when reading educators conducted experiments in which vocabulary was either taught to students or not, compre hension improved as a function of vocabulary instruction. In the pre-test, the researchers included some difficult or unfamiliar words that the researchers think the students didn’t encounter before. As shown in the pre-test scores, the respondents tend to have poor reading comprehension and vocabulary. The low scores they got was a proof that if a word is unfamiliar and unrecognizable you can’t easily understand it. Table 2. A Distribution table of Post-Test Scores Rating |Frequency(f) |Percentage(%) | |Excellent |4 |26. 7 | |Very Good |3 |20 | |Good |4 |26. 7 | |Poor |4 |26. | |Total |15 |100 | |Mean |2. 5 | | |Standard Deviation |1. 18723 | | |Verbal Interpretation |Poor | | Legend: Poor 0-3; Good 4-5; Very Good 6-7; Excellent 8-10. Table 2 shows the post-test scores from the same students who took the pre-test. Out of fifteen students, 4 or 26. 7% of the students got Poor rating; 4 or 26. 7% of the students got Good rating; 3 or 20% of the students got Very Goo d rating; and 4 or 26. 7% of the students got Excellent rating. According to a research study, there are much more effective ways to teach comprehension. Much work has been done in the area of teaching novice readers a bank of â€Å"reading strategies,† or tools to interpret and analyze text.There is not a definitive set of strategies, but common ones include summarizing what you have read, monitoring your reading to make sure it is still making sense, and analyzing the structure of the text. Some texts, like in philosophy, literature or scientific research, may appear more difficult to read because of the prior knowledge they assume. Because the texts were unfamiliar, readers don’t understand it. Analysis of research findings reveal that if a reader is to become very good at comprehending what he reads he must meet two principal learning requirements. They must: (1. know words; and (2. ) be able to reason with physical text. In the post-test, the treatment was adminis tered. Some words in the passage have missing letters. According to Just and Carpenter (1980), who studied the eye movements when reading, if a sentence contains unfamiliar words, the reader will pause in that word. Thus, when the respondents were reading the passage, whey saw the words with missing letters, they paused as their brain processed to recognize that word. The respondents extract meaning to that word as they read it. Table 3. Difference of Pre-test and Post-Test Scores Rating |Pre test frequency |Post-test frequency | |Excellent |0 |4 | |Very Good |4 |4 | |Good |8 |3 | |Poor |3 |4 | |Total Mean |2. 0 |2. 5 | *Legend: Poor 0-3; Good 4-5; Very Good 6-7; Excellent 8-10. Table 3 shows the difference of pre-test and post-test scores. As a whole, it shows that most of the students got high scores in the post-test. The total mean scores of the students in the pre-test is 2. 0 which is equivalent to Poor rating. The total mean of scores of students in the post-test is 2. wh ich is equivalent to Poor rating also. Thus, there is a 0. 5 difference in the mean scores. After computing the difference of the pre-test and post-test scores using Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test, the result of the asymptotic significance is 0. 01. Thus, the researchers should reject Ho because the result of asymptotic significance of the study is less than 0. 050. The results have showed that the students were more capable in answering the passage with missing letters. The results gathered by the researchers showed that the missing letters affect the reading comprehension of the students. It positively helped the students to understand well the passage.According to Paynter, Bodrova and Doty (2005), one of the most fundamental aspects of comprehension is the ability to deal with unfamiliar words encountered in text. In the passage, maybe the students have encountered it before so that they understand the passage. Readers who struggle with word-level tasks use up valuable cognitive space that could be allotted to deeper levels of text analysis. SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS The summary provides comprehensible summary on how the study was conducted. It also presents the list of findings, state the conclusion and some of the recommendations. Summary The study aimed to determine whether there are differences between reading with complete letters and reading with missing letters.Specifically, the study aimed to 1) determine the rating of IT students in the Pre-test; 2) determine the rating of IT students in the Post-test; 3) determine the significant difference between the scores obtained in the Pre-test and the scores obtained in the Post-test; 4) determine the effect of missing letters to the reading comprehension of the students. The researcher conducted their study at Cavite State University from February 17 to March 8, 2012. The researcher used the within subject design for their study. The researcher used random sampling method where they used the table of random numbers to choose their respondents. Their respondents were 2nd year BS IT students, 15 students in pre-test and another 15 students in post-test. The researchers used a survey test questionnaire that was composed of a short passage and followed by 10 questions.The formula to determine the level of students in Pre-test was frequency tallies and percentage. The formula used to determine the level of reading comprehension in Post-test was also frequency tallies and percentage. In determining the significant difference between the Pre-test and Post-test scores, the formula that the researchers used was Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. The findings resolved that there is a significant difference between reading with complete letters and reading with missing letters. From the asymptotic significance obtained from the pre-test and post-test we should reject Ho and accept Ha. Conclusions Based on the findings and the data gathered the following conclusions were drawn: 1. Based on the scores of the respondents in the pre-test, the respondents got the highest rating of Very Good which ranges from 0-7. The students were not familiar to the words in the passage. The researchers conclude that those words were not in their long term memory so it was hard for the respondents to understand the passage; 2. )Based on the scores of the respondents in the post-test, the respondents got the highest rating of Excellent which ranges from 8-10. Thus, the student’s performance was excellent and they meet the highest rating compared to the pre-test. The respondents could really read fairly well even if only half of the letters are present; 3. )Based on the mean scores of the students, there is a 0. difference between reading with complete letters and reading with missing letters. The researchers conclude that the treatment, which is the missing letters, is effective in reading comprehension. As the results showed, post-test is higher than the pre-test. Thus, there is a sig nificant difference between reading with complete letters and reading with missing letters; 4. )Missing Letters affect the reading comprehension of the students. The researchers conclude that it is effective to use. Based on the scores the respondents achieved, post-test scores were higher than the pre-test scores. Thus, the students understood the passage with missing letters. RecommendationsBased on the results of the study, the researchers highly recommend the following: Students. To the students, they should use this type of reading as a practice for them in reading comprehension and for their vocabulary. Teachers. To the teachers, the researchers recommend to use this type of reading to increase their inferential comprehension. Future Researchers. To anybody who wants to pursue the same study or related to this study this will help to improve the student’s style of reading. The researchers also recommend having further study regarding this study and they should also use larger amount of participants/respondents to show the comparison in our study. APPENDICES Budgetary Estimates (Appendix A) |Cost | |Print |100 | |Computer Rent |250 | |Transportation |100 | |Total |450 Php | Calendar of Activities (Appendix B) February 13 – Chapters 1,2,3February 13,14,15 Instrumentation February 17 to March 8 – Conducting of experimental research Data Gathering March 15 – Data Analysis March 19 – Chapter 4,5 March 21 – Chapter 1,2,3,4,5 March 26,27 – Poster Presentation April 10 – Soft Bound Statistical Analysis of Data (Appendix D) Frequencies pre test level |Statistics | |Level | |N |Valid |15 | | |Missing |0 | | |Mean |2. 0000 | | |Std. Error of Mean |. 19518 | | |Std.Deviation |. 75593 | | |Minimum |1. 00 | | |Maximum |3. 00 | |level | | | |Level | |N |Valid |15 | | |Missing |0 | | |Mean |2. 5333 | | |Std. Error of Mean |. 30654 | | |Std. Deviation |1. 18723 | | |Minimum |1. 0 | | |Maximum |4. 00 | |le vel | | | | | | | |N |Mean Rank |Sum of Ranks | |level – group |Negative Ranks |4a |8. 00 |32. 00 | | |Positive Ranks |19b |12. 84 |244. 0 | | |Ties |7c | | | | |Total |30 | | | |a. level ; group | |b. level ; group | |c. level = group | |Test Statisticsb | | |level – group | | Z |-3. 351a | |Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) |. 001 | |a. Based on negative ranks. | |b.Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test | Curriculum Vitae ( Appendix F ) Contact Information Name: Glenda Mae Suansing Address: St. Michael Village, Sungay East, Tagaytay City Contact Number: 09159727469 E-mail Address: [email  protected] com Personal Information Date of Birth: August 23, 1994 Place of Birth: Indang, Cavite Citizenship: Filipino Gender: Female Educational Attainment Primary Tagaytay Elementary School Secondary Tagaytay City Science National High School College Cavite State University Bachelor of Science in Psychology Interests: Playing guitar, Reading books, Watching films Contact Information Name: Shalom E rsando Address: Brgy.Cabezas Trece Martires City Contact Number: 09107232128 E-mail Address: [email  protected] com Personal Information Date of Birth: January 15 1994 Place of Birth: Dasmarinas Cavite Citizenship: Filipino Gender: Female Educational Attainment Primary Palawit Elementary School Secondary Tanza National Trade School College Cavite State University Bachelor of Science in Psychology Interests: Reading books, watching movie, Hanging with friends and playing badminton INSTRUMENT (Pre-test) INSTRUMENT (Post-test) ———————– Reading Comprehension of 2nd year BS IT students of Cavite State University Post-test Scores Missing Letters (treatment) Pre-test Scores