Wyndham international fostering high-touch with high-tech free essay sample

The Harvard Business Review case study on Wyndham International discusses the inception of the hotel company, its initial exponential growth followed by a rapid decline in 1999 due to various external and internal factors. The organization restructuring and changes in management introduced several guest loyalty programs, ByRequest in particular, to allow Wyndham International to reestablish its brand. This paper discusses the strategies followed by Wyndham International and identifies role of Information Resources (IR) in implementing the ByRequest program. In the final analysis, the paper identifies issues with customer signup and integration the various IR systems for the ByRequest program, limiting Wyndham in achieving its business goal in a more robust nature. Wyndham’s Business Wyndham International, a company in lodging industry, enjoyed significant tax benefits in the initial years under the REIT status and expanded continuously. Wyndham managed and owned most of its hotel properties, while in lodging industry hotel management and ownership were normally separated. We will write a custom essay sample on Wyndham international: fostering high-touch with high-tech or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But policy changes in 1999 resulted in a drop of 80% of Wyndham’s stock price, forcing the company to sell most of its low-end properties and focus on business and leisure travellers in the upscale segment of the market. Opportunities and Threats With changes in government policies, Wyndham faced serious threats of financial debt. Low customer recognition was also hurting its market share. Fierce competition and commoditized service made it difficult to bring in profit. Nevertheless, there was an opportunity as well, that if the company could successfully differentiate itself from competitors, it would harness more profit. Business Strategies and Objectives In order to navigate through the competition, Wyndham changed its management team and came up with new customer loyalty program, ByRequest, and started to focus on upscale market. The objective was to establish Wyndham brand. ByRequest program has also differentiated Wyndham from its competitors as opposed to point based loyalty program. Since, it provided a unique service to every customer as per the request, this in turn increased the customer satisfaction and loyalty towards Wyndham’s service. Organizational Capabilities: Strengths and Weaknesses As mentioned previously, Wyndham both owns and runs its hotel properties. These business operations give Wyndham the ability to deploy new assets faster than competitors, where its business strategy can be easily integrated with its investment model. Wyndham had also started moving towards centralized IT infrastructure and integrated IT systems. If this succeeded, the move would have given Wyndham more power to adopt its business strategies. Wyndham also had some weaknesses. During 1999, Wyndham’s management team was going through major organizational changes.. So, around that time there was an unstable internal environment for Wyndham to execute its operations. From 2000 to 2002, still outsourced IT infrastructure and segmented IT system also pose difficulties for Wyndham to adopt an integrated business solution. Organizational Strategies and Objectives Wyndham changed its management team after the 1999 shake up. New management was appointed to develop and implement new strategies for the company, which in deed came out with a set of plans including the ByRequest program. Down the management chain, Wyndham had direct control over its hotel management teams. So, Human Resource operations could be easily executed at the property level. At the operation level, positions of hotel general manager and ByRequest manager were separated. ByRequest manager had some power over spending money on customers. General manager was responsible for the profit regarding the property. Employees’ incentive plan was also based on the profitability from the property. Wyndham’s organizational strategy was to try and align with its business strategy. By giving ByRequest manager the power of budget so that the Manager has the opportunity to serve the customer better, improved the overall customer satisfaction. This way, the organization was able to reach their objectives [Rajasekaran, 2011] Role of IR and Existing IR Set-up The role of Wyndham’s internal resources (IR) is in the strategic quadrant. Because Wyndham relies on its IR not only for running its business on a daily basis, but also for differentiating itself from its competitors. If IR had failed, ByRequest managers would not be able to match reservations with the customers’ profile, thus Wyndham would have failed to deliver their services. Without ByRequest program, Wyndham would have been providing just the same service as its competitors. The time when the ByRequest program was introduced formally (2000), Wyndham just started to centralize its IR infrastructure. The . ASP model was adopted to provide faster deployment of IT infrastructure. Until 2002, Wyndham was still in the process of centralizing its PMS and callaccounting system. Centralization of revenue management and POS had to be put into the agenda, but had not ben actually started. Prior to 2000, a subsidiary of Wyndham was serving its IT infrastructure. Wyndham’s IR Strategy (ByRequest Program) ByRequest program was an IT backed system to provide customizable services for its customers. Customers had to sign up, either by themselves or with the help of the hotel staff. A profile of customer was saved in the ByRequest System. Once entered, all profiles awere available throughout all properties of Wyndham, to be used by hotel managers. Thus, the managers could provide customized services to their guests based on the guests’ profiles. Wyndham planned to use this IR strategy to save customer preferences in a central location and sync the data with every hotel branch. This innovative idea brought two advantages to Wyndham. First customers were able to request special services when booking rooms with Wyndham. Second, the customers’ preferences were available for the future stays at Wyndham. Thus, customizations could be made by hotel managers to ensure complete customer satisfaction. Other IR strategies were adopted by Wyndham to ensure the implementation of ByRequest program. First, Wyndham was bringing its IT operation in-house, so Wyndham could exercise more control. Second, Wyndham was starting to centralizing its IT system, e. g. PMS and CRS. Centralization plays an important role in standardizing business process and ensuring availability of customer data. Third, Wyndham adopted the . ASP model while implementing new systems, which ensured fast deployment time and standardized implementation process. These IT strategies played critical roles in delivering ByRequest program. Analysis Wyndham’s current IR set-up helped the IR strategy as mentioned in the previous section. Because an integrated, standardized and centralized IT infrastructure was very important for the execution of ByRequest program. But effort had to be made continuously, as Wyndham was still in the middle of improving its IT infrastructure. However, ByRequest program was not enough to help Wyndham to achieve its business strategy for three main reasons: First, customer signup process was essentially long and complicated. In lodging industry, service is very important because of the fierce competition and low customer switching cost. An extended signup process doesn’t fit the business environment and the primary goal to serve customers better. But, without the signup process, Wyndham’s ByRequest service could not be delivered at all. Second, Wyndham’s organization strategy did not completely fit into its ByRequest program. The General Manager was majorly responsible for the overall profitability of hotel, but the ByRequest Manager could spend more money on customer in order to keep them satisfied. We know, customer satisfaction is a vague measure, and conflicts with general manager’s responsibility. Also employees’ incentive is based on profitability, which further conflicts with the long term vision of customer satisfaction. Third, ByRequest system wasn’t integrated with the PMS system. Customer had to give her/his member id upon arrival for ByRequest manager to know what she or he needed. Thus the manager could not prepare in advance. And in the case of customer forgetting her or his id (which would happen almost all the time), service could not be delivered, which resulted in bad customer experiences. In order for ByRequest to succeed, a streamlined customer signup process was very essential to be established. Wyndham also had to improve its organization strategy so that employee incentive was aligned with its business goal, and nothing got between ByRequest manager and customer. Last, deep integration of various information systems of Wyndham was supposed to be deeply integrated, for ByRequest Manager to respond to customer’s needs before they arrive.

Timeline of Events From 1840 to 1850

Timeline of Events From 1840 to 1850 The years from 1840 to 1850 were marked by war, political changes, a gold rush in California, and many other important events in America and around the world. 1840 January 10: Penny postage was introduced in Britain.January 13: In a shocking maritime disaster, the steamship Lexington burned and sank in Long Island Sound. Only four men survived and more than 150 passengers and crew perished.February 10: Queen Victoria of England married Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg-Gotha.May 1: The first postage stamps, Britain’s â€Å"Penny Black,† were issued.Summer/Fall: The 1840 presidential campaign was the first to prominently feature songs and slogans. William Henry Harrison won the presidency thanks to his Log Cabin and Hard Cider campaign, and the slogan Tippecanoe and Tyler Too! 1841 March 4: William Henry Harrison was inaugurated as president of the United States. He delivered a two-hour inaugural address in very cold weather. As a result, he caught pneumonia, from which he never recovered.Spring: A free black New Yorker, Solomon Northup, was lured to Washington, D.C., drugged, and kidnapped into slavery. He would tell his story in the powerful memoir Twelve Years a Slave.April 4: President William Henry Harrison died after only one month in office. He was the first American president to die in office and was succeeded by Vice President John Tyler.Autumn: Land was purchased in Massachusetts for Brook Farm, an experimental farming community frequented by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and other writers and thinkers of the era.November 9: Edward VII of England, son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, was born. 1842 January: The British retreated from Kabul, Afghanistan and were massacred by Afghan troops.August 29: The First Opium War ended with the Treaty of Nanking.November: Showman Phineas T. Barnum tracked down a child in Connecticut said to be peculiarly small. The boy, Charles Stratton, would become a show business phenomenon known as General Tom Thumb. 1843 Summer: Oregon Fever gripped America, beginning mass migration westward on the Oregon Trail. 1844 February 28: An accident with a cannon on US Navy warship killed two members of John Tyler’s cabinet.May 24: The first telegram was sent from the U.S. Capitol to Baltimore. Samuel F.B. Morse wrote, â€Å"what hath God wrought.†August: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels met in Paris.November: James Knox Polk defeated Henry Clay in the U.S. presidential election. 1845 January 23: The U.S. Congress established a uniform date for federal elections, naming the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November as Election Day.March 1: President John Tyler signed a bill annexing Texas.March 4: James Knox Polk was inaugurated as President of the United States.May: Frederick Douglass published his autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave.May 20: The Franklin Expedition sets sail from Britain. All 129 men on the expedition were lost during their attempt to explore the Arctic.Late Summer: The Irish potato famine, which would become known as the Great Famine, started with widespread failures of the potato crop. 1846 February 26: American frontier scout and showman William F. â€Å"Buffalo Bill† Cody was born in Iowa.April 25: Mexican troops ambushed and killed a patrol of U.S. soldiers. Reports of the incident inflamed tensions between the two nations.April-August: Francis Parkman traveled from St. Louis, Missouri to Ft. Laramie, Wyoming, and later wrote of the experience in the classic book The Oregon Trail.May 13: The U.S. Congress declared war against Mexico.June 14: In the Bear Flag Revolt, settlers in northern California declared independence from Mexico.December: The Donner Party, a party of American settlers in wagon trains, became stranded in the snow-covered Sierra Nevada Mountains in California and resorted to cannibalism to survive. 1847 February 22: U.S. troops commanded by General Zachary Taylor defeated a Mexican Army at the Battle of Buena Vista in the Mexican War.March 29: U.S. troops commanded by General Winfield Scott captured Veracruz in the Mexican War.June 1: Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of Americas richest and most competitive men, raced a steamboat against rival Daniel Drew in the Hudson River. Many thousands of New Yorkers lined the citys docks to watch the paddle wheelers race.Late summer: The potato famine continued in Ireland, and the year became known as Black 47.September 13-14: U.S. troops entered Mexico City and effectively ended the Mexican War.December 6: Abraham Lincoln took his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. After serving a single two-year term, he returned to Illinois. 1848 January 24: James Marshall, a mechanic at John Sutters sawmill in northern California, recognized some unusual nuggets. His discovery would set off the California Gold Rush.February 23: Former president John Quincy Adams, who served as a U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts after leaving the presidency, died after collapsing in the U.S. Capitol building.July 12-19: A conference at Seneca Falls, New York, organized by Lucretia Mott and Elizbeth Cady Stanton, took up the issue of Womens Rights and planted the seeds of the suffrage movement in the U.S.November 7: Zachary Taylor, Whig candidate and a hero of the Mexican War, was elected President of the United States.December 5: President James Knox Polk, in his annual address to Congress, confirmed the discovery of gold in California. 1849 March 5: Zachary Taylor was inaugurated as the 12th president of the U.S. He was the third, and last, candidate of the Whig Party to hold the office.

God's Existence and Essence Philosophical Theory Essay

God's Existence and Essence Philosophical Theory - Essay Example It was during this time that Aristotle’s teachings were common. He used these teachings in his own theological work although Aristotle’s teachings were really at the neck of the Christians during his reign. The intent of this paper is to discuss issues that reveal through Thomas Aquinas’ way of thinking on the existence of God. Ideas According to Thomas Aquinas came up with five ways that prove the existence of God. Then, in his first away he observed that some of the things found on earth are in constant motion. It is from his point of view that anything that is moving is likely to get started by another item, which was also in motion (Aquinas, 2006). The other item in motion was also exposed to motion by another moving item then the process continues in the same manner. The series of moving objects cannot go back to infinity to indentifying the first mover. It is true that there was a first mover of the objects that are in motion though the mover is unknown. Th is gives an impression that there is a mover who does not move. In this context, the unmoved mover is God. In the second way, he states that everything has a cause and nothing can cause be a cause of itself. In this context, the causes go back to infinity since all causes depend on the past cause and the eventual cause depended on the previous cause leading to an infinitive cause. This means that the first cause is unidentified (Aquinas, 2006). The absentee of the first cause cannot end with our scrutiny. Therefore, there must be a first cause of all these events, in which all people refer to as God. The third way to identify that there are things in nature that we observe to be possible and others are impossible as they come to exist and pass away from existence. In this context, nothing that could not exist at one point can exist. It requires that, first something exists before it can find itself existing at another moment (Aquinas, 2006). Form this statement, if there was nothing that existed in the first place, then there could be nothing existing at this time in the world. Since an effect has its cause and the subsequent cause goes to infinitive without indentifying the cause it is possible that something existed first to cause the other to exist. The unidentified cause of events in this context is the Almighty God. It is true that God existed first then caused other things on earth to exist. The fourth states that the world has characteristics that vary in degree. Some of the characteristics are more or less true, good, noble and many more examples. The grading of these characteristics is done in relation to maximum. This indicates that there should be something truest, noblest and best. According to Aristotle, there are some things, which are supreme in truth. In his view, something causes supreme truth in these characteristics and any perfection that we get in every beings of the world. He refers to this supreme cause as God. Aquinas observes nonintell igent and inanimate objects in nature that act in the direction of achieving the best probable purpose although the objects themselves would lack awareness of doing so (Aquinas, 2006). It is possible that the objects achieve their purpose though an organized a plan. The objects that are nonitelignt

Free Will Unit4 DB Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Free Will Unit4 DB - Assignment Example My argument is empiricist. It is supported by some evidence including Psychiatric illness like Schizophrena whose findings after studies suggest a remarkably high degree of influence of genetics, mostly evidence that is additive with no shared influence of the environment. Mental ability, where the IQ is only governed by the environment at an early age, but genetic influence increases gradually while the effects of the shared environment drop to zero. Social attitudes, where studies reveal that environmental influence on conservatism is only up to the age 19 after which genetic influences takes change (Bouchard & Thomas, 2004). My argument is based on findings from different researches taken by different institutions and which focuses on different areas. I have also provided supporting evidence of those findings. Therefore, my conclusion is that genetics affect the human personality and physiology more than the environment does and given that this argument is empiricist the freedom to choose among the two is restricted to a single option being genetics. Baker C. (2004) Behavioral Genetics: An introduction to how genes and environments interact through development to shape differences in mood, personality and intelligence. Retrieved March 4, 2013 from

The Pro and Con of Obama's New Healthcare Policy Essay

The Pro and Con of Obama's New Healthcare Policy - Essay Example However, there has been a stir of controversies revolving around the implementation of the reform in the health sector. Some of the controversies that have been noted include the effectiveness of the reform, incurred costs, and the impact of this particular reform on the debt of the United States. As a fact, many cons and pros can be derived from the Obamacare reform. Many families, individuals and the society as a whole are bound to benefit (Zephyros Press, 2013). Similarly, the Obamacare deems to benefit the medical practitioners in the United States. Since it is a collective benefit for many professionals, individuals and society, it is a prudent approach in the health sector. The first positivity of the Obamacare is provision of affordable healthcare to the entire population of the United States. Apparently, the reform is to provide affordable health insurance to the whole population in the country. It has been noted that many people do not have health insurance due to the high r ates payable for health insurance. Since some people have skewed budgets, they are not in a position to afford the basic services of healthcare insurance (Tate, 2012). This has affected a large part of the population as they find it difficult to access some of the services incorporated in health insurance. Therefore, this will be a prudent approach to provision of such services to the people. This will be helpful especially to people that find it hard to cater for the up surging expenses of health insurance. The Obamacare is a positive approach to health insurance. As a fact, with the implementation of this reform, it is believed that over 32 million Americans will have access to health insurance. In addition to this, the initiation of this reform will help protect Americans from discriminatory health practices. Similarly, it will weed out unfair practices from the medical practitioners in the health sector (Maglione, 2011). It is noted that some insurance companies have established unfair and discriminatory practices in their scope of their service provision. Therefore, implementation of this reform will protect and encourage other Americans that often face unfairness from the discriminating insurance companies. This will pave way for a comfortable living for all Americans (Boehner, 2011). This will also have a positive impact on the health of many Americans as they will have equal opportunity. This is an encouraging aspect in ensuring equality for all Americans. The Obamacare is set to benefit a cross-section of individuals in the whole country. First, Unemployed persons in the United States will be in acceptance of the stated Obamacare. For example, unemployed persons with an annual income of up to 15, 000 will be legible for healthcare coverage. This will be effective from 2014 under the Medicaid, for single individuals (Pipes, 2013). However, unemployed persons with families will have to pay a higher amount for the same services. Secondly, patients will n ot face any discrimination when they need health coverage. For example, it is noted that many insurance companies do not cover patients that are diagnosed with existing conditions. It is noted that many insurance companies do not insure people with disabilities and deformities. Similarly, insurance companies are selective on patients with cancer and other diseases. However, with the provision of Obamacare, such patients will not be discriminated. Thirdly, patients who

How Guide Books Help Construct The Tourist Gaze Tourism Essay

How Guide Books Help Construct The Tourist Gaze Tourism Essay How guide books help to construct the tourist gaze and constrain the way tourists see the city. If you really want your life to pass like a movie in front of you, just travel, you can forget your life. Andy Warhol (1975). Tourism is an important aspect in 21st century living as it represents a type of escapism an individual can experience to add spontaneity in ones mundane routine. With mass globalization posing as an ever-growing epidemic, most tourist spots are highly advertised in the media creating what has been known as the tourist gaze. The tourist gaze is summarized very neatly by John Urry (1990), as the process when places are chosen to be gazed upon because there is an anticipation, especially through daydreaming and fantasy, of intense pleasures, either on a different scale or involving different senses from those customarily encountered. Such anticipation is constructed and sustained through a variety of non-tourist practices, such as film, TV, literature, magazines, records and videos, which construct and reinforce that gaze This paper will attempt to explore the different factors of how guidebooks in particular help to construct the tourist gaze and also how it may limit the experience one would have of the city. Urry (1990) introduces a wide variety of themes of which will be closely examined in the process of this essay. To be specific to the question the analysis will be closely related to how guide books and therefore, literature as well as magazines, evoke the different senses that help in instilling th e tourist gaze particularly in contemporary London. The tourist experience is very closely mediated by sight, and by the practices of representation that are part and parcel of travel (Crang, 1997). The city of London represents a region full of history, culture, authentic architecture and modern marvels all of which can easily be beautifully captured as a still image and has been greatly advertised in travel guides. london_mix001.jpg Figure 1: Introductory depiction of multiple aspects in London. The Informative Travelers Guide To London introduced the city of London by means of an image, Figure 1. Spots to visit are chosen because of their value as photographic landmarks. A walk through a city or rather tourism in general becomes in effect a search for the photogenic. (Kubalek, 2008) Photography is a powerful means of evoking ones senses. Figure 1 depicts history, culture, and architecture as well as conveys a sense of patriotism all in one effectively edited shot. The tourist gaze is created as the viewer, most likely foreign to the British culture, is thrust into such an exotic world mentally without even having cross the boarder. Tourism is often about the body-as-seen, displaying, performing and seducing visitors with skill, charm, strength, sexuality and so on. (Urry, 2001) Clearly evident in Figure 1 is a depiction of a British guard in the iconic uniform, which forces the on-looker to envision the ceremony of the changing of the guards. The Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace is a comprehensive guide book that entails history of the ceremony as well as dissects the facts from the different ranks of the soldiers to the intricacies of his uniform. This example involve what MacCannell(1992, 1999) calls a reconstructed ethnicity as well as a staged authenticity clearly because this ceremony is a major tourist attraction for visitors alike. Not only will they experience an act of British nationalism but also catch a glimpse of a national landmark, Buckingham Palace. National histories tell a story, of a people passing through history, a story often beginning in the mists of time (Bhabha, 1990) Included in the aforementioned guide book is a list of places of attraction within a close vicinity to Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, St James Palace, 10 Downing Street, The Thames, Trafalgar Square and even Hard Rock Cafe, to name just a few of the great London sights that are a stones throw from Buckingham Palace! (Changing of the Guard, 1990) This is an example in how the tourist gaze can pose as a constraint to the visitors experience of the city. Part of the motive for travelling is to experience the photographs on site, in the real (Dyer, 1995). The book subconsciously guides the tourist and therefore his/her liberty to explore the land is controlled. union-jack-333.jpg Figure 2: The 2012 Olympic Games logo International events, premised upon mass tourism and cosmopolitanism, means that national identity is increasingly conceived of in terms of a location within, and on, a global stage. (Urry, 2001). Visit Britain 2012 is synonymous with images such as that depicted in figure 2 and highly advertised with articles relating to the highly anticipated 2012 Olympic games. The visit London 2012 homepage opens with a description of the Olympic Park, The London 2012 Games are the catalyst for transforming 2.5sq km of land in east London. What was once industrial, contaminated land has been rapidly transformed over the past three years.. Rochee (2000) describes these areas as having the power to transform themselves from being mundane placesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ into being there special host city sites that come to occupy a distinct niche within global tourism. The reconstruction of what was once an industrial area into what is portrayed as a place of interest is another way tourist organizations crea te the tourist gaze, by stressing this in tourist manuals they represent the tool that conveys the message. Liberated from the real-world burdens of stores and product manufacturing, brands are free to soar, less as the dissemination of goods and services than as collective hallucinations (Klein, 2000: 22) Product advertising is evident in many travel magazines; one brand in particular that is greatly linked to tourism is the Rimmel franchise. Get the London look! Rimmel claims to be authentic, experimental, fun, accessible to all and uniquely British, offering value for money, with a dash of London glamour. (Rimmel London) By hiring American talent such as actor, Zooey Deschanel as well as musician, Solange Knowles, they represent brand ambassadors who in turn help in the creation of the tourist gaze especially since the advertising has them set in very stereotypical London scenarios, creating again an idealized and stereotypical representations of the place we are visiting (Martwick, 2001) Young aristocrats took Grand Tours in the 17th century primarily for educational reasons, but only since the 1840s did travel start to be of greater interest for a wider part of European society. (Kubalek, 2008) History plays an important part of tourism in general as Roche (2000) explains with the example of the 1851 Great Exhibition at Londons Crystal Palace, the first-ever national tourist event. Although the British population was only 18m, 6m visits were made to the Exhibition, many using the new railways to visit the national capital for the first time. Timeout London. The best of London (2010), has a comprehensive display of the different museums and attractions of which claim to hold great historical and cultural significance to the country. Particularly important in the genealogy of nationalism have also been the founding of national museums and the development of national artists, architects, musicians, playwrights, novelists, historians and archaeologists (McCrone, 1998; K irshenblatt-Giblett, 1998) Also highly publicized in the guide book mentioned earlier is the ever so popular, London Eye observation wheel. The static forms of the tourist gaze, such as that from the balcony vantage point, focuses on the two-dimensional shape, colours and details of the view that is laid out before one and can be moved around with ones eyes (Pratt, 1992: 222) On the wheel the viewer is able to observe Londons other landmarks, for instance the Houses of Parliament, St Pauls Cathedral even The Gherkin. In a sense it gives the viewer the feeling of having some kind of an overview of the city he/she has traveled to (Kubalek, 2008). Although this feeling may be quite rewarding Osborne (2000) explains that the tourist never quite arrives, never completely connects. The significance of other sights interrupts each sight. Every sight signifies all other sights, most still lacking our visit. Kubalek (2008) gives an example to the previous quote by introducing the Southbank, which is the stage for stree t performers. Being right next to the wheel does the static image of watching the view from the wheel contrast to the more interactive experience of walking down the iconic Southbank? Similarly the view through the car windscreen (like the view from one of the rotating glass pods) has also had significant consequences for the nature of the visual glance, enabling the materiality of the city or the landscape to be clearly appreciated (Larsen, 2001) The touristic experience reflects, magnifies and distils everyday life, it infuses the mundane, and vice versa, in relation to the developing and maintaining of an individuals social identities. (McCabe, S., 2002) Consumer psychology, geography and business management studies are essential in the planning of tourism. It is an intentional play by tourist organizations, to make the person believe that their holiday is made by choice, when holiday packages have been planned with great intricacy to benefit the countrys economy. Urry (1990) has found that leisure travel is motivated by a desire to escape ordinary, normal life. The meaningful experiences through travel (MacCannell, 1976) is garnered by a carefully planned plot that guides the tourist in question on a journey that may seem to be of great spontaneity, but is in actual fact carefully planned by greater powers and hence there is clear constraint to the true experience that the tourist encounters. In conclusion, there are many ways tourist guide books create the tourist gaze, be it in ways that may not be seemingly apparent. It is an intricately planned affair of which tourist companies greatly weigh the economic aspects with the environmental as well as the political as so to produce an experience that will create a symbiotic relationship between the visitor, the locals as well as the environment. In order to achieve this, as I have explained in the process if this paper, there are apparent constraints that is embedded psychologically in the minds of the tourist by the way the guide book is presented. They are cumulatively lead to places of interest of which due to careful planning will come to benefit the area economically, socially and sustainably. Tourism is a game, or rather a whole series of games with multiple texts and no single, authentic experience (Urry, 1990) Total words: 1720 words

1015 Folsom Night :: essays research papers

There are many nightclubs in the city of San Francisco and throughout the Bay area. There is two different kind of nightclub. One is the high-class nightclub, which the cover charge is more expensive, tight security and the nightclub itself is more exclusive. The other one is the lower class club, which all people can enter and the security is not that tight. Nowadays, most nightclubs are the same. Nightclub used to be for people to meet their friends and having fun together but nowadays many people misuse nightclub as a place for using drug. I never like to go to nightclub because the place is very noisy, dark and lastly drugs are often involve in nightclub. It took me a few hours to decide which club to go. I am a person who likes to stay at home watching television, playing video games and surfing through the Internet. Well, it was very hard for me to go out, as my legs felt heavy to walk through the front door. After a long struggle, then I forced myself to go to a nightclub. My friend recommended me to go to 1015 Folsom nightclub because the songs are funkier. The club is located at Folsom street, downtown San Francisco. We arrived at 1015 Folsom around 11.45pm. Many people were still lining up to get into the discotheque. I didn't know why people like to go to such a dark and noisy place like that. Anyway, people who were there are mostly dressed up. Some of them looked interesting. My attention went to an old man about 50-60 years old man who were already dressed up and ready to rock his world. I wondered why would the old man go to a nightclub. May be he was lonely or may be he was just looking for fun and excitement. Well, I didn't really know. Ten minutes after lining up, I went inside the nightclub. From the door, I could hear the song and the beat of the bass so loud that my heart could feel it. Inside the nightclub, I saw people were dancing everywhere, on dancing floor, on their own seats, everywhere. They would dance and take a big gulp of their beer. Even the bartenders were dancing too, following the rhythm of the loud funky music. The rainbow rays of light moved through the club to make the mood even more exciting and funky.

Definitions of Attitude Essay

An attitude can be defined as a positive or negative evaluation of people, objects, event, activities, ideas, or just about anything in your environment, but there is debate about precise definitions. Eagly and Chaiken, for example, define an attitude â€Å"a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor.†[2] Though it is sometimes common to define an attitude as affect toward an object, affect (i.e., discrete emotions or overall arousal) is generally understood to be distinct from attitude as a measure of favorability.[3] This definition of attitude allows for one’s evaluation of an attitude object to vary from extremely negative to extremely positive, but also admits that people can also be conflicted or ambivalent toward an object meaning that they might at different times express both positive and negative attitude toward the same object. This has led to some discussion of whether individual can hold multiple attitudes toward the same object.[4] Whether attitudes are explicit (i.e., deliberately formed) versus implicit (i.e., subconscious) has been a topic of considerable research. Research on implicit attitudes, which are generally unacknowledged or outside of awareness, uses sophisticated methods involving people’s response times to stimuli to show that implicit attitudes exist (perhaps in tandem with explicit attitudes of the same object). Implicit and explicit attitudes seem to affect people’s behavior, though in different ways. They tend not to be strongly associated with each other, although in some cases they are. The relationship between them is poorly understood. Jung’s definition Attitude is one of Jung’s 57 definitions in Chapter XI of Psychological Types. Jung’s definition of attitude is a â€Å"readiness of the psyche to act or react in a certain way† (Jung, [1921] 1971:par. 687). Attitudes very often come in pairs, one conscious and the other unconscious. Within this broad definition Jung defines several attitudes. The main (but not only) attitude dualities that Jung defines are the following. †¢ Consciousness and the unconscious. The â€Å"presence of two attitudes is extremely frequent, one conscious and the other unconscious. This means that consciousness has a constellation of contents different from that of the unconscious, a duality particularly evident in neurosis† (Jung, [1921] 1971: par. 687). †¢ Extraversion and introversion. This pair is so elementary to Jung’s theory of types that he labeled them the â€Å"attitude-types†. †¢ Rational and irrational attitudes. â€Å"I conceive reason as an attitude† (Jung, [1921] 1971: par. 785). †¢ The rational attitude subdivides into the thinking and feeling psychological functions, each with its attitude. †¢ The irrational attitude subdivides into the sensing and intuition psychological functions, each with its attitude. â€Å"There is thus a typical thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuitive attitude† (Jung, [1921] 1971: par. 691). †¢ Individual and social attitudes. Many of the latter are â€Å"isms†. In addition, Jung discusses the abstract attitude. â€Å"When I take an abstract attitude†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Jung, [1921] 1971: par. 679). Abstraction is contrasted with concretism. â€Å"CONCRETISM. By this I mean a peculiarity of thinking and feeling which is the antithesis of abstraction† (Jung, [1921] 1971: par. 696). For example: â€Å"I hate his attitude for being Sarcastic.† Pasted from The classic, tripartite view offered by William J. McGuire[9] is that an attitude contains cognitive, affective, and behavioral components. Empirical research, however, fails to support clear distinctions between thoughts, emotions, and behavioral intentions associated with a particular attitude.[10] A criticism of the tripartite view of attitudes is that it requires cognitive, affective, and behavioral associations of an attitude to be consistent, but this may be implausible. Thus some views of attitude structure see the cognitive and behavioral components as derivative of affect or affect and behavior as derivative of underlying beliefs.[11] Despite debate about the particular structure of attitudes, there is considerable evidence that attitudes reflect more than evaluations of a particular object that vary from positive to negative. Attitudes also have other characteristics, such as importance, certainty, or accessibility (measures of attitude strength) and associated knowledge.[12] There is also considerable interest in inter-attitudinal structure, which connects different attitudes to one another and to more underlying psychological structures, such as values or ideology.[13] Attitude function Another classic view of attitudes is that attitudes serve particular functions for individuals. That is, researchers have tried to understand why individuals hold particular attitudes or why they hold attitudes in general by considering how attitudes affect the individuals who hold them.[14] Daniel Katz, for example, writes that attitudes can serve â€Å"instrumental, adjustive or utilitarian,† â€Å"ego-defensive,† â€Å"value-expressive,† or â€Å"knowledge† functions.[15] The functional view of attitudes suggests that in order for attitudes to change (e.g., via persuasion), appeals must be made to the function(s) that a particular attitude serves for the individual. As an example, the â€Å"ego-defensive† function might be used to influence the racially prejudicial attitudes of an individual who sees themselves as open-minded and tolerant. By appealing to that individual’s image of themselves as tolerant and open-minded, it may be possible to change their prejudicial attitudes to be more consistent with their self-concept. Similarly, a persuasive message that threatens self-image is much more likely to be rejected.[16] Attitude formation According to Doob (1947), learning can account for most of the attitudes we hold. Theories of classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning and social learning are mainly responsible for formation of attitude. Unlike personality, attitudes are expected to change as a function of experience. Tesser (1993) has argued that hereditary variables may affect attitudes – but believes that they may do so indirectly. For example, consistency theories, which imply that we must be consistent in our beliefs and values. As with any type of heritability, to determine if a particular trait has a basis in our genes, twin studies are used.[17] The most famous example of such a theory is Dissonance-reduction theory, associated with Leon Festinger, which explains that when the components of an attitude (including belief and behavior) are at odds an individual may adjust one to match the other (for example, adjusting a belief to match a behavior).[18] Other theories include balance theory, origincally proposed by Heider (1958), and the self-perception theory, originally proposed by Daryl Bem.[19] Attitude change Main article: Attitude change Attitudes can be changed through persuasion and an important domain of research on attitude change focuses on responses to communication. Experimental research into the factors that can affect the persuasiveness of a message include: 1. Target Characteristics: These are characteristics that refer to the person who receives and processes a message. One such trait is intelligence – it seems that more intelligent people are less easily persuaded by one-sided messages. Another variable that has been studied in this category is self-esteem. Although it is sometimes thought that those higher in self-esteem are less easily persuaded, there is some evidence that the relationship between self-esteem and persuasibility is actually curvilinear, with people of moderate self-esteem being more easily persuaded than both those of high and low self-esteem levels (Rhodes & Woods, 1992). The mind frame and mood of the target also plays a role in this process. 2. Source Characteristics: The major source characteristics are expertise, trustworthiness and interpersonal attraction or attractiveness. The credibility of a perceived message has been found to be a key variable here; if one reads a report about health and believes it came from a professional medical journal, one may be more easily persuaded than if one believes it is from a popular newspaper. Some psychologists have debated whether this is a long-lasting effect and Hovland and Weiss (1951) found the effect of telling people that a message came from a credible source disappeared after several weeks (the so-called â€Å"sleeper effect†). Whether there is a sleeper effect is controversial. Perceived wisdom is that if people are informed of the source of a message before hearing it, there is less likelihood of a sleeper effect than if they are told a message and then told its source. 3. Message Characteristics: The nature of the message plays a role in persuasion. Sometimes presenting both sides of a story is useful to help change attitudes. When people are not motivated to process the message, simply the number of arguments presented in a persuasive message will influence attitude change, such that a greater number of arguments will produce greater attitude change.[20] 4. Cognitive Routes: A message can appeal to an individual’s cognitive evaluation to help change an attitude. In the central route to persuasion the individual is presented with the data and motivated to evaluate the data and arrive at an attitude changing conclusion. In the peripheral route to attitude change, the individual is encouraged to not look at the content but at the source. This is commonly seen in modern advertisements that feature celebrities. In some cases, physician, doctors or experts are used. In other cases film stars are used for their attractiveness. Emotion and attitude change Emotion is a common component in persuasion, social influence, and attitude change. Much of attitude research emphasized the importance of affective or emotion components. Emotion works hand-in-hand with the cognitive process, or the way we think, about an issue or situation. Emotional appeals are commonly found in advertising, health campaigns and political messages. Recent examples include no-smoking health campaigns and political campaign advertising emphasizing the fear of terrorism. Attitudes and attitude objects are functions of cognitive, affective and conative components. Attitudes are part of the brain’s associative networks, the spider-like structures residing in long term memory that consist of affective and cognitive nodes. By activating an affective or emotion node, attitude change may be possible, though affective and cognitive components tend to be intertwined. In primarily affective networks, it is more difficult to produce cognitive counterarguments in the resistance to persuasion and attitude change. Affective forecasting, otherwise known as intuition or the prediction of emotion, also impacts attitude change. Research suggests that predicting emotions is an important component of decision making, in addition to the cognitive processes. How we feel about an outcome may override purely cognitive rationales. In terms of research methodology, the challenge for researchers is measuring emotion and subsequent impacts on attitude. Since we cannot see into the brain, various models and measurement tools have been constructed to obtain emotion and attitude information. Measures may include the use of physiological cues like facial expressions, vocal changes, and other body rate measures. For instance, fear is associated with raised eyebrows, increased heart rate and increase body tension (Dillard, 1994). Other methods include concept or network mapping, and using primes or word cues in the era . Components of emotion appeals Any discrete emotion can be used in a persuasive appeal; this may include jealousy, disgust, indignation, fear, blue, disturbed, haunted,and anger. Fear is one of the most studied emotional appeals in communication and social influence research. Important consequences of fear appeals and other emotion appeals include the possibility of reactance which may lead to either message rejections or source rejection and the absence of attitude change. As the EPPM suggests, there is an optimal emotion level in motivating attitude change. If there is not enough motivation, an attitude will not change; if the emotional appeal is overdone, the motivation can be paralyzed thereby preventing attitude change. Emotions perceived as negative or containing threat are often studied more than perceived positive emotions like humor. Though the inner-workings of humor are not agreed upon, humor appeals may work by creating incongruities in the mind. Recent research has looked at the impact of humor on the processing of political messages. While evidence is inconclusive, there appears to be potential for targeted attitude change is receivers with low political message involvement. Important factors that influence the impact of emotion appeals include self efficacy, attitude accessibility, issue involvement, and message/source features. Self efficacy is a perception of one’s own human agency; in other words, it is the perception of our own ability to deal with a situation. It is an important variable in emotion appeal messages because it dictates a person’s ability to deal with both the emotion and the situation. For example, if a person is not self-efficacious about their ability to impact the global environment, they are not likely to change their attitude or behavior about global warming. Dillard (1994) suggests that message features such as source non-verbal communication, message content, and receiver differences can impact the emotion impact of fear appeals. The characteristics of a message are important because one message can elicit different levels of emotion for different people. Thus, in terms of emotion appeals messages, one size does not fit all. Attitude accessibility refers to the activation of an attitude from memory in other words, how readily available is an attitude about an object, issue, or situation. Issue involvement is the relevance and salience of an issue or situation to an individual. Issue involvement has been correlated with both attitude access and attitude strength. Past studies conclude accessible attitudes are more resistant to change. Attitude-behavior relationship This section requires expansion. (September 2012) The effects of attitudes on behaviors represents a significant research enterprise within psychology. Two theoretical approaches have dominated this research: the theory of reasoned action[21] and, its theoretical descendant, the theory of planned behavior,[22] both of which are associated with Icek Ajzen. Both of these theories describe the link between attitude and behavior as a deliberative process, with an individual actively choosing to engage in an attitude-related behavior. An alternative model, called MODE for â€Å"Motivation and Opportunity as DEterminants† was proposed by Russell H. Fazio, which focuses on motivations and opportunities for deliberative attitude-related behavior to occur. MODE is a Dual process theory that expects deliberative attitude-behavior linkages – like those modeled by the theory of planned behavior – only occur when individuals have motivation to reflect upon their own attitudes. Pasted from Theory of reasoned action From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search The theory of reasoned action (TRA), is a model for the prediction of behavioral intention, spanning predictions of attitude and predictions of behavior. The subsequent separation of behavioral intention from behavior allows for explanation of limiting factors on attitudinal influence (Ajzen, 1980). The Theory of Reasoned Action was developed by Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen (1975, 1980), derived from previous research that started out as the theory of attitude, which led to the study of attitude and behavior. The theory was â€Å"born largely out of frustration with traditional attitude–behavior research, much of which found weak correlations between attitude measures and performance of volitional behaviors† (Hale, Householder & Greene, 2003, p. 259). Pasted from Definition and example Derived from the social psychology setting, the theory of reasoned action (TRA) was proposed by Ajzen and Fishbein (1975 & 1980). The components of TRA are three general constructs: behavioral intention (BI), attitude (A), and subjective norm (SN). TRA suggests that a person’s behavioral intention depends on the person’s attitude about the behavior and subjective norms (BI = A + SN). If a person intends to do a behavior then it is likely that the person will do it. Behavioral intention measures a person’s relative strength of intention to perform a behavior. Attitude consists of beliefs about the consequences of performing the behavior multiplied by his or her evaluation of these consequences. (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) Subjective norm is seen as a combination of perceived expectations from relevant individuals or groups along with intentions to comply with these expectations. In other words, â€Å"the person’s perception that most people who are important to him or her think he should or should not perform the behavior in question† (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). To put the definition into simple terms: a person’s volitional (voluntary) behavior is predicted by his/her attitude toward that behavior and how he/she thinks other people would view them if they performed the behavior. A person’s attitude, combined with subjective norms, forms his/her behavioral intention. Fishbein and Ajzen say, though, that attitudes and norms are not weighted equally in predicting behavior. â€Å"Indeed, depending on the individual and the situation, these factors might be very different effects on behavioral intention; thus a weight is associated with each of these factors in the predictive formula of the theory. For example, you might be the kind of person who cares little for what others think. If this is the case, the subjective norms would carry little weight in predicting your behavior† (Miller, 2005, p. 127). Miller (2005) defines each of the three components of the theory as follows and uses the example of embarking on a new exercise program to illustrate the theory: †¢ Attitudes: the sum of beliefs about a particular behavior weighted by evaluations of these beliefs ââ€"‹ You might have the beliefs that exercise is good for your health, that exercise makes you look good, that exercise takes too much time, and that exercise is uncomfortable. Each of these beliefs can be weighted (e.g., health issues might be more important to you than issues of time and comfort). †¢ Subjective norms: looks at the influence of people in one’s social environment on his/her behavioral intentions; the beliefs of people, weighted by the importance one attributes to each of their opinions, will influence one’s behavioral intention ââ€"‹ You might have some friends who are avid exercisers and constantly encourage you to join them. However, your spouse might prefer a more sedentary lifestyle and scoff at those who work out. The beliefs of these people, weighted by the importance you attribute to each of their opinions, will influence your behavioral intention to exercise, which will lead to your behavior to exercise or not exercise. †¢ Behavioral intention: a function of both attitudes toward a behavior and subjective norms toward that behavior, which has been found to predict actual behavior. ââ€"‹ Your attitudes about exercise combined with the subjective norms about exercise, each with their own weight, will lead you to your intention to exercise (or not), which will then lead to your actual behavior. Pasted from In psychology, the theory of planned behavior is a theory about the link between attitudes and behavior. The concept was proposed by Icek Ajzen to improve on the predictive power of the theory of reasoned action by including perceived behavioural control.[1] It is one of the most predictive persuasion theories. It has been applied to studies of the relations among beliefs, attitudes, behavioral intentions and behaviors in various fields such as advertising, public relations, advertising campaigns and healthcare. The theory states that attitude toward behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, together shape an individual’s behavioral intentions and behaviors. Pasted from Extension from the theory of reasoned action The theory of planned behavior was proposed by Icek Ajzen in 1985 through his article â€Å"From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior.† The theory was developed from the theory of reasoned action, which was proposed by Martin Fishbein together with Icek Ajzen in 1975. The theory of reasoned action was in turn grounded in various theories of attitude such as learning theories, expectancy-value theories, consistency theories,[2] and attribution theory.[3] According to the theory of reasoned action, if people evaluate the suggested behavior as positive (attitude), and if they think their significant others want them to perform the behavior (subjective norm), this results in a higher intention (motivation) and they are more likely to do so. A high correlation of attitudes and subjective norms to behavioral intention, and subsequently to behavior, has been confirmed in many studies.[4] A counter-argument against the high relationship between behavioral intention and actual behavior has also been proposed, as the results of some studies show that, because of circumstantial limitations, behavioral intention does not always lead to actual behavior. Namely, since behavioral intention cannot be the exclusive determinant of behavior where an individual’s control over the behavior is incomplete, Ajzen introduced the theory of planned behavior by adding a new component, â€Å"perceived behavioral control.† By this, he extended the theory of reasoned action to cover non-volitional behaviors for predicting behavioral intention and actual behavior. Extension of self-efficacy In addition to attitudes and subjective norms (which make the theory of reasoned action), the theory of planned behavior adds the concept of perceived behavioral control, which originates from self-efficacy theory (SET). Self-efficacy was proposed by Bandura in 1977, which came from social cognitive theory. According to Bandura, expectations such as motivation, performance, and feelings of frustration associated with repeated failures determine effect and behavioral reactions. Bandura (1986)[full citation needed] separated expectations into two distinct types: self-efficacy and outcome expectancy. He defined self-efficacy as the conviction that one can successfully execute the behavior required to produce the outcomes. The outcome expectancy refers to a person’s estimation that a given behavior will lead to certain outcomes. He states that self-efficacy is the most important precondition for behavioral change, since it determines the initiation of coping behavior. Previous investigations have shown that peoples’ behavior is strongly influenced by their confidence in their ability to perform that behavior (Bandura, Adams, Hardy, & Howells, 1980).[full citation needed] As the self-efficacy theory contributes to explaining various relationships between beliefs, attitudes, intentions, and behavior, the SET has been widely applied to health-related fields such as physical activity and mental health in preadolescents,[5] and exercise.[6] Concepts of key variables Behavioral beliefs and attitude toward behavior †¢ Behavioral belief: an individual’s belief about consequences of particular behavior. The concept is based on the subjective probability that the behavior will produce a given outcome. †¢ Attitude toward behavior: an individual’s positive or negative evaluation of self-performance of the particular behavior. The concept is the degree to which performance of the behavior is positively or negatively valued. It is determined by the total set of accessible behavioral beliefs linking the behavior to various outcomes and other attributes. Normative beliefs and subjective norms †¢ Normative belief: an individual’s perception about the particular behavior, which is influenced by the judgment of significant others (e.g., parents, spouse, friends, teachers).[7] †¢ Subjective norm: an individual’s perception of social normative pressures, or relevant others’ beliefs that he or she should or should not perform such behavior. Control beliefs and perceived behavioral control †¢ Perceived behavioral control: an individual’s perceived ease or difficulty of performing the particular behavior (Ajzen, 1988).[full citation needed] It is assumed that perceived behavioral control is determined by the total set of accessible control beliefs. †¢ Control beliefs: an individual’s beliefs about the presence of factors that may facilitate or impede performance of the behavior (Ajzen, 2001).[full citation needed] The concept of perceived behavioral control is conceptually related to self-efficacy. Behavioral intention and behavior †¢ Behavioral intention: an indication of an individual’s readiness to perform a given behavior. It is assumed to be an immediate antecedent of behavior (Ajzen, 2002b).[full citation needed] It is based on attitude toward the behavior, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, with each predictor weighted for its importance in relation to the behavior and population of interest. †¢ Behavior: an individual’s observable response in a given situation with respect to a given target. Ajzen said a behavior is a function of compatible intentions and perceptions of behavioral control in that perceived behavioral control is expected to moderate the effect of intention on behavior, such that a favorable intention produces the behavior only when perceived behavioral control is strong. Pasted from Cognitive dissonance is a term used in modern psychology to describe the feeling of discomfort when simultaneously holding two or more conflicting cognitions: ideas, beliefs, values or emotional reactions. In a state of dissonance, people may sometimes feel â€Å"disequilibrium†: frustration, hunger, dread, guilt, anger, embarrassment, anxiety, etc.[1] The phrase was coined by Leon Festinger in his 1956 book When Prophecy Fails, which chronicled the followers of a UFO cult as reality clashed with their fervent belief in an impending apocalypse.[2][3] Festinger subsequently published a book called â€Å"A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance†, published in 1957, in which he outlines the theory. Cognitive dissonance is one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology. The theory of cognitive dissonance in social psychology proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance by altering existing cognitions, adding new ones to create a consistent belief system, or alternatively by reducing the importance of any one of the dissonant elements.[1] It is the distressing mental state that people feel when they â€Å"find themselves doing things that don’t fit with what they know, or having opinions that do not fit with other opinions they hold.† [4] A key assumption is that people want their expectations to meet reality, creating a sense of equilibrium. [5] Likewise, another assumption is that a person will avoid situations or information sources that give rise to feelings of uneasiness, or dissonance.[1] Cognitive dissonance theory explains human behavior by positing that people have a bias to seek consonance between their expectations and reality. According to Festinger, people engage in a process he termed â€Å"dissonance reduction†, which can be achieved in one of three ways: lowering the importance of one of the discordant factors, adding consonant elements, or changing one of the dissonant factors.[6] This bias sheds light on otherwise puzzling, irrational, and even destructive behavior. Pasted from The elaboration likelihood model (ELM) of persuasion[1] is a dual process theory of how attitudes are formed and changed that was developed by Richard E. Petty and John Cacioppo in the early 1980s (see also attitude change). The model proposes an â€Å"elaboration continuum,† which determines the extent to which arguments are processed and evaluated (high elaboration) versus peripheral cues such as source expertise or attractiveness (low elaboration) shape persuasion. The model is similar to the Heuristic-systematic model of information processing developed around the same time by Shelly Chaiken. Pasted from Central route Central route processes require the audience to use a great deal more thought, and therefore are likely to predominate under conditions that promote high elaboration. Central route processes involve careful scrutiny of a persuasive communication (e.g., a speech, an advertisement, etc.) to determine the merits of the arguments. Under these conditions, a person’s unique cognitive responses to the message determine the persuasive outcome. If a person evaluates a message centrally as reliable, well-constructed, and convincing, it will often be received as favorable even if it is contrasting to the receiver’s original stance on the message. So, if favorable thoughts are a result of the elaboration process, the message will most likely be accepted (i.e., an attitude congruent with the message’s position will emerge), and if unfavorable thoughts are generated while considering the merits of presented arguments, the message will most likely be rejected.[1] In order for the message to be centrally processed, a person must have the ability and motivation to do so. In order for the receiver to have motivation to centrally process a message it must have relevance to him or her. Peripheral route Peripheral route processes, on the other hand, does not involve elaboration of the message through extensive cognitive processing of the merits of the actual argument presented. These processes often rely on environmental characteristics of the message, like the perceived credibility of the source, quality of the way in which it is presented, the attractiveness of the source, or the catchy slogan that contains the message.[1] It is also frequently used when the argument presented is weak and/or lacking evidence. The peripheral route is a mental shortcut process that accepts or rejects a message based on irrelevant cues as opposed to actively thinking about the issue [2] The peripheral route is a process in which outside influences affect the decision making process. This is also the process used when the audience is unable to process the message. This could be from having a message that is too complex, or an audience that is immature. The most common influences would be factors such as reward. Reward could be objects like food, sex or money. These inducements create a quick change in mind and action. Celebrity status along with likability and expertise are other factors in the peripheral process that have become more popular. Humor within messages is a dominant influence in this process as well. Appearance also has the ability to gain the attention of individuals which can create an interest in the topic, but will not create a strong change in individuals. The goal of the peripheral process is to create change, this change can be weak and even temporary as opposed to the strong and lasting change in the central route. Choice of route The two factors that most influence which route an individual will take in a persuasive situation are motivation (strong desire to process the message; e.g., Petty & Cacioppo, 1979) and ability (actually being capable of critical evaluation; e.g., Petty, Wells, & Brock, 1976). Which route is taken is determined by the extent of elaboration. Both motivational and ability factors determine elaboration. Motivational factors include (among others) the personal relevance of the message topic, accountability, and a person’s â€Å"need for cognition† (their innate desire to enjoy thinking). Ability factors include the availability of cognitive resources (e.g., the presence or absence of time pressures or distractions) or relevant knowledge needed to carefully scrutinize the arguments. The ability to understand the message that is being communicated. Distractions such as noise can affect the ability for one to process a message. An example of noise would be a persuader trying to share his message in a room full of crying babies, this would make it extremely difficult for listeners to concentrate on the message being given. Noise that you can’t physically control would be if a persuaders listeners could concentrate on the message because they had something else on their mind which was more important than the persuaders message like a death in the family, or problems they’re having in their relationship. Another example of this is in children. A child will change their behavior because his or her parent told them to do so rather than taking the information given and processing it. As that child grows up, however, he or she will have a higher cognitive complexity, and therefore be able to process the information of the situation centrally in order to draw a conclusion of their own. (O’Keefe) The subject’s general education level, as well as their education and experience with the topic at hand greatly affect their ability to be persuaded. Under conditions of moderate elaboration, a mixture of central and peripheral route processes will guide information processing. There are benefits and consequences for both processes. An individual who disagrees with the message being presented will likely have a boomerang effect if he or she centrally processes the message and bounce farther away from the speaker’s goal. If that same situation takes place, but the message is peripherally processed, a weak change will not have as large of a negative effect on that individual. (O’Keefe) Type of Elaboration: Objective Versus Biased Thinking Attitude, motivation, and ability strongly increase the likelihood that a message will be ingrained in the minds’ of listeners. Although, as the social judgement theory suggests, they may not process the information in a fair, objective way. Attitudes are general evaluations that people hold that correspond with how they perceive themselves in relation to the world they live in. One way to influence attitude is to give peripheral cues. Peripheral cues can be things that lead to good or punishing or they can invoke provide guiding rules or inferences. These are often effective because they cause the audience to draw the conclusion themselves, therefore, making them believe it is their own idea, so they buy in to it. (Griffin) Many of the evaluations are based on Cognitive intelligence, behavior, and guidance. Given a basic understanding of an individuals attitudes one can interpret which type of elaboration would better suit the situation. There are two types of elaboration a listener can possess: (Biased elaboration, Objective elaboration) Elaboration can lead to both positive and negative results depending on the audience who is receiving the message. Individuals who have a Pre conception of a certain topic are going to be much harder to persuade oppose to an individual who has an open mind about a topic where only the facts hold truth. Biased Elaboration: Top-down thinking in which predetermined conclusions color the supporting data. This is used on people who likely already have their minds made up about a situation before the message is ever conveyed to them (Cacioppo) Ex. Someone who has had a negative personal experience with motorcycles will probably have made up their minds and be biased in the way they process the message.[2] Objective Elaboration: Bottom-up thinking in which facts are scrutinized without bias; seeking truth wherever it might lead. These listeners let the facts speak for themselves and approach the message with an unbias mind. Which leads to a true unbiased result or opinion. (Cacioppo) Ex. A person who is listening to a motorcycle salesman and already has a mindset about them. This person would let the facts influence their attitude.[2] Testing the Elaboration Likelihood Model To design a way to test the Elaboration Likelihood Model, it is crucial to determine whether an argument is universally seen as strong or weak. If an argument is inconsistent in opinions of strength, the results of persuasion will be inconsistent. A strong argument is defined by Petty and Cacioppo as â€Å"one containing arguments such that when subjects are instructed to think about the message, the thoughts they generate are fundamentally favorable† (Griffin). In general, a weak argument that is universally viewed as weak will entice unfavorable results if the subject is instructed to and is in an appropriate environment to consider it logically (or when testing the central route of the Elaboration Likelihood Model). In turn, a strong argument under similar circumstances will return favorable results. The test arguments must also be rated for ease of understanding, complexity, and familiarity. To scientifically study either route of the Elaboration Likelihood Model, the arguments themselves must be designed to have consistent results.[3] Conclusions of the Elaboration Likelihood Model In addition to these factors, the ELM also makes several unique proposals.[1] It is suggested that attitudes formed under high elaboration, the central route, are stronger than those formed under low elaboration. This means that this level of persuasion is stable over time and is less susceptible to decay or any type of counter-persuasion. Attitudes formed under low elaboration, the peripheral route, are more likely to cause a short term attitude change. Variables in ELM routes can serve multiple roles in a persuasive setting depending on other contextual factors (examples below). Under high elaboration, a given variable (e.g., source expertise) can either serve as an argument (â€Å"If Einstein agrees with the theory of relativity, then this is a strong reason for me to as well†) or as a biasing factor (â€Å"if an expert agrees with this position it is probably good, so let me see what else agrees with this conclusion† — at the expense of information that may d isagree with it).[4] Under conditions of low elaboration, a given variable can act as a peripheral cue. This could happen, e.g., through the use of an â€Å"experts are always right† heuristic. Note that, while this is similar to the Einstein example presented above, this is a simple shortcut, which, unlike the Einstein example, does not require careful thought. Under conditions of moderate elaboration, a given variable can serve to direct the extent of information processing: â€Å"If an expert agrees with this position, I should really listen to what (s)he has to say†. Interestingly, when a variable affects elaboration, this can increase or decrease persuasion, depending on the strength of the arguments presented. If the arguments are strong, enhancing elaboration will enhance persuasion. If the arguments are weak, however, more thought will undermine persuasion. More recent adaptations of the ELM (e.g.)[5] have added an additional role that variables can serve. They can affect the extent to which a person has confidence in, and thus trusts, their own thoughts in response to a message (self-validation role). Keeping with our source expertise example, a person may feel that â€Å"if an expert presented this information, it is probably correct, and thus I can trust that my reactions to it are informative with respect to my attitude†. Note that this role, because of its metacognitive nature, only occurs under conditions that promote high elaboration. Pasted from Attitudes Attitudes are evaluations people make about objects, ideas, events, or other people. Attitudes can be positive or negative. Explicit attitudes are conscious beliefs that can guide decisions and behavior. Implicit attitudes are unconscious beliefs that can still influence decisions and behavior. Attitudes can include up to three components: cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. Example: Jane believes that smoking is unhealthy, feels disgusted when people smoke around her, and avoids being in situations where people smoke. Dimensions of Attitudes Researchers study three dimensions of attitude: strength, accessibility, and ambivalence. †¢ Attitude strength: Strong attitudes are those that are firmly held and that highly influence behavior. Attitudes that are important to a person tend to be strong. Attitudes that people have a vested interest in also tend to be strong. Furthermore, people tend to have stronger attitudes about things, events, ideas, or people they have considerable knowledge and information about. †¢ Attitude accessibility: The accessibility of an attitude refers to the ease with which it comes to mind. In general, highly accessible attitudes tend to be stronger. †¢ Attitude ambivalence: Ambivalence of an attitude refers to the ratio of positive and negative evaluations that make up that attitude. The ambivalence of an attitude increases as the positive and negative evaluations get more and more equal. The Influence of Attitudes on Behavior Behavior does not always reflect attitudes. However, attitudes do determine behavior in some situations: †¢ If there are few outside influences, attitude guides behavior. Example: Wyatt has an attitude that eating junk food is unhealthy. When he is at home, he does not eat chips or candy. However, when he is at parties, he indulges in these foods. †¢ Behavior is guided by attitudes specific to that behavior. Example: Megan might have a general attitude of respect toward seniors, but that would not prevent her from being disrespectful to an elderly woman who cuts her off at a stop sign. However, if Megan has an easygoing attitude about being cut off at stop signs, she is not likely to swear at someone who cuts her off. †¢ Behavior is guided by attitudes that come to mind easily. Example: Ron has an attitude of mistrust and annoyance toward telemarketers, so he immediately hangs up the phone whenever he realizes he has been contacted by one. The Influence of Behavior on Attitudes Behavior also affects attitudes. Evidence for this comes from the foot-in-the-door phenomenon and the effect of role playing. The Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon People tend to be more likely to agree to a difficult request if they have first agreed to an easy one. This is called the foot-in-the-door phenomenon. Example: Jill is more likely to let an acquaintance borrow her laptop for a day if he first persuades her to let him borrow her textbook for a day. Social Norms and Social Roles Social norms are a society’s rules about appropriate behavior. Norms exist for practically every kind of situation. Some norms are explicit and are made into laws, such as the norm While driving, you may not run over a pedestrian. Other norms are implicit and are followed unconsciously, such as You may not wear a bikini to class. Social roles are patterns of behavior that are considered appropriate for a person in a particular context. For example, gender roles tell people how a particular society expects men and women to behave. A person who violates the requirements of a role tends to feel uneasy or to be censured by others. Role requirements can change over time in a society. The Effect of Role Playing and the â€Å"Prison Study† People tend to internalize roles they play, changing their attitudes to fit the roles. In the 1970s, the psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted a famous study called the prison study, which showed how roles influence people. Zimbardo assigned one group of college student volunteers to play the role of prison guards in a simulated prison environment. He provided these students with uniforms, clubs, and whistles and told them to enforce a set of rules in the prison. He assigned another group of students to play the role of prisoners. Zimbardo found that as time went on, some of the â€Å"guard† students became increasingly harsh and domineering. The â€Å"prisoner† students also internalized their role. Some broke down, while others rebelled or became passively resigned to the situation. The internalization of roles by the two groups of students was so extreme that Zimbardo had to terminate the study after only six days.

How to Manage and Identify American Beautyberry

How to Manage and Identify American Beautyberry Introduction: American beautyberry has colorful berries that last long into winter and are eaten by a variety of wildlife. Beautyberry has proven to be an attractive plant for wildlife within its native range.Birds - including robins, catbirds, cardinals, mockingbirds, brown thrashers, finches and towhees - are favorite consumers of both the fresh berries and shriveled raisins. The fruit is heavily used by white-tailed deer and will be eaten well into late November. Specifics: Scientific name: Callicarpa americanaPronunciation: kallee-CAR-pa ameri-KON-aCommon name(s): American beautyberry, beauty berry, French mulberry,USDA hardiness zones: 6 through 10Origin: native from Maryland to Florida an west through Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas.Uses: natural garden specimen; wildlife food; spring flowersAvailability: somewhat available, may have to go out of the region to find the tree. American Beautyberrys Ecology: Beautyberry commonly occurs on a wide variety of sites - moist to dry, open to shady. A favorite place for the American beautyberry is under open stands of pines. It is a pioneer and grows in newly disturbed forests, along forest margins and along fencerows. It is somewhat fire tolerant and increases in abundance after burns. Birds will readily spread seeds. Description: Leaf: Opposite, deciduous, ovate to broadly lanceolate, 6 to 10 inches long, margins coarsely serrate to crenate except near base and hairy beneath with prominent veins.Flower: Dense axillary clusters with lavender-pink cymes on short stalks.Trunk/bark/branches: Multi-trunked, shade tolerant and with spreading branches. Stems ascending and spreading, opposite branched and young twigs light green. Fruit: The berry is a drupe, purple to violet and particularly attractive in September and October. The showy fruit clusters encircle the entire stem at regular intervals starting in late summer and persist to early winter. Propagation: As I have mentioned, seeds are bird-dispersed and this seeding is a major way the plant spreads. You can also propagate using semi-hardwood cuttings. This shrub often volunteers within its range, sometimes with such vigor that the species can be considered a pest. What the Experts Say!: Dr. Mike Dirr, Professor of Horticulture, University of Georgia: It is a great thrill to experience the plant in the wild, particularly in September and October when the fruit are at their best. This shrub thrives with neglect.Dr. Charles Bryson, Mississippi Botanist:My grandfather would cut branches with the leaves still on them and crush the leaves, then he and his brothers would stick the branches between the harness and the horse to keep deerflies, horseflies and mosquitoes away. In Depth: American beautyberry has a coarse habit, large toothed green to yellow-green oval-shaped leaves that turn chartreuse in the fall. Small lilac flowers appear in late summer, and for the next several months, the fruit, which grow in clusters around the stem, ripen to a vibrant purple color. This woody shrub reaches 3-8 tall and is native to the southeast, where it will grow best in moist areas but can also withstand drought.In the landscape, you can prune Amercian beautyberry if it grows too lanky. Pruning actually makes a very pretty plant. Cut it back to within 4-6 of the ground in early spring as it flowers and fruits on new wood. To make more beautyberries, take softwood cuttings, place them in sand and keep moist. Cuttings should root in one to two weeks.This plant can tolerate extremes of heat and cold, it is very rarely bothered by insects or diseases and will live in most soils. Beautyberry can stand partial shade but is at its best in full sun if provided ample moisture. It wi ll also be denser and more fruitful in sun. American Beautyberry looks best planted in masses and is especially beautiful under pine trees or placed in a shrub border.By late summer and autumn the flowers give rise to berry-like drupes in striking metallic shades of magenta and violet in the fall. The beautyberries are packed tightly together in clusters that encircle the stem. A variety called lactea has white fruits.

Writing Poetry-Assignment One Essays

Writing Poetry-Assignment One Essays Writing Poetry-Assignment One Essay Writing Poetry-Assignment One Essay Name: Course: Lecturer: Date: Writing Poetry-Assignment One List 1 bowl camping on the lakeside 2 tents 2 slices of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches 1 glass of fresh fruit juice 1 cup dried peanuts 2 cups hidden treasure -cup dry firewood 2/3 tsp fishing 1 boat I plate hide and seek I bucket laughter Grill 2 cups wild berries Poem For the appetizer, enjoy the 2 cups of wild berries, Swallow with a gulp of the fresh juice then prepare the main meal Put the tents in a dry bowl and add in the boat Put in the fishing and half a bucket of laughter Light the fire and place the mixture on a grill Turn the mixture over until golden brown Remove from grill and serve in a tray of happiness Enjoy the meal with ? a bucket of laughter Add in the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches For the dessert Sift through hide and seek, and mix together with the dry peanuts Blend in the hidden treasure until they are thoroughly mixed Put in a bowl full of joy and Enjoy the mixture Have a good night sleep as the sounds of nature sing a lullaby There you have it-camping on the lakeside

Operating System Windows XP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operating System Windows XP - Research Paper Example Each of these possesses their own benefits and disadvantages. However, the most popular system among IT professionals is Windows XP Professional. Windows XP is a very good thing to have in the computer world. There are several programs that you can choose to use to manage your personal data and calculate certain mathematical equations. You can open more than one program at a time. Each window contains a different program. (Spring, 2007) A good example of a program is Microsoft Excel. When you get Microsoft XP Home Edition you also get many other programs that come with it, for instance, go to start and then all programs and then go to Microsoft Office. There is Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Office Access, Microsoft Office Word, and Microsoft Office Publisher. Each program has its own purpose. Microsoft Excel is spreadsheet software that organizes data in columns and in rows. (McFedries, 2007, 210) The first thing that you will need to obtain is a copy of Windows XP Pro. You can easily obtain this from your local computer store or make use of a copy from a friend. Next, you will need to check to see if your computer system is compatible with MS Windows XP Professional. You will need to make sure that your system has enough random access memory, or RAM, and be sure that your hard drive is large enough to hold the MS Windows XP Professional files with enough room left to save your own files. Another thing to check before going ahead and installing MS Windows XP Professional is the speed of your processor. (Youg, 2001, 510) It should be running at a minimum of 800 MHz. One processor that I prefer is the AMD-K7 processor. Your system will also need to have an installed CD-ROM drive and an available floppy drive. Now you are ready to begin the installation.

Government Business Relation GBR Research Paper

Government Business Relation GBR - Research Paper Example The campaign seeks to improve safety in the transport sector by pushing for the ban on the use of mobile phones in motor vehicles. Since the development and incorporation of mobile phone technology, there has been increased occurrence of accidents as a result of drivers using mobile phones when driving (TWU, 2011). Banning the Use of Mobile Phones in Motor Vehicles The submission seeks to address the need to ban the use of mobile phones in motor vehicles, a phenomenon that has led to the rise of accident rates from driver distraction and divided attention. (Zamgba, 2001) Reports indicate that there has been a rise in the number of drivers brought to courts with regards to the use of phones when driving motor vehicles on public roads Recently, the use of phones in motor vehicle has increased significantly with increased driving offences resulting in significant rise in casualty risks irrespective of whether the phones being used are hand-held or hands-free. Drivers who make calls, tex t or even touch mobile phones are proved to have slow reactions and low concentration, thus increasing the risk of accident. US Research has indicates distraction from the use of hands free mobile phones in motor vehicles are more or less the same as distraction caused by handheld mobile phones when driving (Zamgba, 2001, P6). Key Arguments Recently, a number of countries such as Australia and New Zealand have introduced laws that ban the use of handheld mobile phones in motor vehicles. However, passengers and public transport users are still facing the risk of drivers failing to have proper control in driving motor vehicles when using hands-free mobile phones (Maslen, 2008, pg 13). The distraction and divided attention resulting from drivers who use mobile phones when driving causes as much risks as those that result from speeding and drunken drivers (Maslen, 2008, pg 46). However, according to Zamgba (2001, P6), there is need for existence of exceptions in the ban on the use of mo bile phones in motor vehicles with respect to critical issues such as medical emergencies or need to report disabled vehicles. In addition, these are issues of concern in the ban particularly with the introduction of new generation phones where drivers are reported to use applications such as e-mails and even accessing the internet, which is extremely distractive to concentration (Zamgba, 2001). According to International Debate Education Association and Trapp (2009, p. 45), Arguments against a ban on the use of mobile phones as being inapplicable became baseless after the technological improvement in photography where drivers using mobile phones while driving can be automatically detected and apprehended by law enforcers. The photography detection will be effective in enforcing the ban on the use of mobile phones in motor vehicle through evidence. However, other irrelevant criticism against the ban, include the use of phones is vital for economic purposes, appointments and general communications needs given the fact that everyone could cope without phones some few years ago before introduction