An Overlook of Sports Medicine Professor Ramos Blog

An Overlook of Sports Medicine What is sports medicine? Sports medicine is the study and practice of medical principles specifically related to athletes and individuals participating in physical fitness or sports training programs. The overall goal for sports medicine is to help athletes achieve outstanding health and any other type of training goals. In sports medicine, physicians treat a huge range of injuries and physical conditions, which includes small traumatic injuries like for example, dislocations, sprains and strains. They also can treat injuries cause by overuse of muscles such as tendinitis, degenerative diseases, and over training syndrome. The practice of sports medicine is all about medical education and specific principles of sports science, exercise physiology, orthopedics, bio mechanics, nutrition and even psychology. Education programs about sports medicine a pretty big rage of studies like sports injury prevention, sports training and athletic performance and sports injury treatment which includes   exercises and wor kouts, sports nutrition, and sports psychology.                         What are specialists? An individual who specialized education and training who focuses only on the medical, therapeutic, and functional aspects of exercise participation is a sports medicine specialist. They also work with athletes to improve their overall sports performance. A specialist doesnt always mean that they are a physician, there are so many different careers out there for people who are interested in working with athletes. Usually there are multiple different types of educated and specialized skill set   on any sports medicine team such as personal trainers, nutritionist, coaches, physical therapists, athletic trainers, etc. Theres various types of educational necessities when working in this field, depending on the specialization they may have doctoral degrees, bachelor degrees, or even all types of certificates in sports medicine, athletic training, sports science, nutrition, or another area of focus. What are physicians? Physicians are basically the people that diagnose and treat athletes, exercise and related injuries and illnesses. Even though physicians work with athletes they can also work with people that stay in shape and anybody who wants to come back to their regular activities after an injury. Usually what physicians do to become certified in their specialty is become board certified in family practice, emergency medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, or orthopedics with an additional two year fellowship or other continuing education in sports medicine. Another good path that physicians usually take is take accomplishing added qualifications in sports medicine. Musculature and orthopedic injuries and surgical interventions is something that all physicians need to have a thorough understanding up because not every physician is required to perform surgeries but its a good thing to know. Primary care physicians usually go through the most schooling because most of them become sports medicine doctors and to do that they have to complete a three-year family medicine residency after medical school and then gain additional, specific training and experience in sports medicine. What is sports science? Sports science can also be known as exercise science. The principles of physiology, anatomy, and psychology and how they relate to human movement and physical activity is the main focus of sports science. Exercise science is all about the research on how our bodies adapt to the way we work out and how when we dont, what effect it has on the human body. This research mainly focuses on the opposites of our population so for example, athletes to regular people in our society, the young to the elderly, and the components that go on in our bodies to the components that go on inside our heads. what is Sports psychology? Sports psychology is a certain psychology that specifically focuses on the mental and emotional processes that happen in an athlete when participating in sports or any type of challenging physical activity. A sports psychologists number one goal is to become a necessity to their athletes. Its common for sports teams, professional or not to hire a sports psychologist on a regular basis to enhance their athlete way of thinking while performing. A sports psychologist is a very cherished profession because as we all know many athletes go under many stress that can cause troubles with anxiety and manipulate their focus. Say if an athlete is faced with an injury, a sports psychologist can be also helpful with their coping with that situation. Careers There are many job opportunities in fields related to sports medicine, those who pursue degrees in sports medicine or sports science commonly work through clinical, academic, or service employment. In the article, Highest Paying Exercise Science Sports Medicine Jobs,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Careers in sports medicine are considered clinical, meaning those working in this field are actual healthcare providers. For example, athletic training is officially recognized as an allied healthcare profession†(Corolla). People who have accomplished an associates degree have enough knowledge and skills to enter a career to be personal or even a group trainer. At the level of a bachelors degree graduates can look for jobs as athletic trainers, nutritionists and physical therapist assistant. And finally after earning a masters degree graduates can look for more complex positions as well as teaching and researching. In order to become a practicing sports medicine physician, an individual needs to obtain a degree as a medical doctor. Typically employment works with healthy athletes or even people who are active and dont necessarily play sports. The two major areas are usually who want to enhance their performance or injury prevention and recovery. Education A lot of schools are now offering a lot more opportunities for sports medicine. Not that long ago it would be really hard to study sports medicine in college because there wasnt that big of a selection. Back then a regular education plan for sports medicine would have been just studying physical education or medical school. Now universities all around have degree specifically for sports medicine such as athletic training, exercise science, health promotion, kinesiology, sports coaching, and a variety of other disciplines. A certified athletic trainer (ATC) is an individual who is highly skilled in athletic health care. To be a certified athletic trainer you have to take multiple tests that cover a variety of different subjects like Prevention of athletic injuries, Recognition, evaluation, and diagnosis, Immediate care and treatment of athletic injuries, Rehabilitation and reconditioning of athletic injuries, Healthcare administration, Professional development and responsibility. The future of sports medicine Sports medicine will continue to grow, as well as the variety of specialists in the field. As time goes on and technology enhances which results in research and innovation in medicine to grow, obviously it will be applied in the specific areas in sports medicine. Emerging areas that most likely will grow may include advances in diagnosing and treating injuries with newer devices and even rehabilitation modalities.â€Å"Data not only helps to analyze, create new strategies and thus boost players’ performance in the arena but can also monitor health state and warn about over straining† (The Medical Futurist). Millard-Stafford, Mindy L. â€Å"Sports Medicine.† Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 30 Dec. 2015, britannica.com/science/sports-medicine. Millard-Stafford, Mindy L. â€Å"Sports Medicine.† Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 30 Dec. 2015, britannica.com/science/sports-medicine. â€Å"Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician.† ExploreHealthCareers.org, explorehealthcareers.org/field/sports-medicine/. â€Å"Sports Medicine Fellowship at Overlook.† Chilton Medical Center Hospital in Pompton Plains, NJ Atlantic Health, atlantichealth.org/professionals-medical-education/fellowships/sports-medicine-fellowship-overlook.html. â€Å"Sports Medicine Professionals.† HealthyChildren.org, healthychildren.org/English/family-life/health-management/pediatric-specialists/Pages/Sports-Medicine-Professionals.aspx. â€Å"Sports Medicine.† ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, sciencedaily.com/terms/sports_medicine.htm.  

Road Workouts for Truck Drivers Part 2

Road Workouts for Truck Drivers Part 2 If you missed our last post, be sure you go back for Part 1 of Road Workouts- it covered some preparation steps you shouldn’t skip before launching into a new regimen. This post will focus more on specific exercises and muscle groups as suggested by the folks at Roadmaster.com. This list of exercises should provide you with about two weeks worth of regular workouts–if you move from one exercise to another quickly, you can also score some cardio benefits! ShouldersFor many of these exercises, you’ll need only very light (if any) weights–shoulders are delicate, so go easy until you know you won’t be in danger of tearing or  too sore the next day.Swimmers: Laying on your stomach, lift your arms out to the side a few inches and move them forward in unison as though swimming. Optional extension: Make small circles and slide your shoulder blades down your back.Lateral Extensions: While sitting upright or standing, bend your elbows so your hands point f orward and your elbows are tucked in at your waist. Raise your elbows until they’re almost even with your shoulders, then back down–almost like you’re imitating a chicken. Use moderate weights if you’d like.Delt Extensions: (Front) With your arms held straight at your sides, thumbs facing forward, raise your hands straight out in front and back down. (Rear) Reach back and out while raising your arms behind you in the same motion. This exercise may benefit from appropriate use of weights–just make sure you’re not locking your knees.Shrugs: Easy to do even while stopped in traffic, â€Å"shrug† with exaggerated motions. Raise your shoulders all the way to your ears and drop them back down, seeing how far you can slide your shoulder blades down your spine. Holding tension in the shoulders is very common, and shrugging and releasing can help you realize when you’re unconsciously clenching, which can contribute to upper and lower ba ck pain, and even headaches.ArmsOne temptation to avoid with arm exercises is using your torso to gain momentum or rock towards the weight being lifted. Instead, remain still and focus on the specific muscles you’re trying to flex.Bicep curls: Just like it sounds.Overhead Tricep Extensions: Stretching up and over your head to either side–if you practice this stretch against a resistant surface it can be a great side and back stretch too.Dips: Supporting your weight on your arms, raise and lower your body from a variety of angles.Forearm Curls: Same as with your bicep, just emphasizing the wrists.Grips: Think of it as arm wrestling prep–and don’t burn out your joints so it’s too hard to steer.ChestForm is especially crucial with chest work because it can lead to working arms or shoulders instead–when attempting any kind of push-up, make sure to also flex your core so you don’t strain your back muscles.Push-ups: Make this classic more c hallenging by moving your hands closer together (even attempt a diamond formation!) or further apart. Try having toes or knees on the floor, or clapping between each push.Incline push-ups: Place your hands on a surface that’s higher than your feet, so even on the â€Å"down† of the pushup, your upper body is at an upward angle from the ground.Decline push-ups: The opposite of the last version–put your feet up higher than your head and hands. Stand up gradually after this one so the blood doesn’t drain out of your head all at once and leave you dizzy.Uneven Pushups: Put one hand on a raised surface or platform and the other on the ground–make sure you even back out by swapping sides halfway through.BackSuperman: Similar to the swimmer, while laying on your stomach reach forward and up, and back and up, so your limbs are off the ground while flexing your torso. Extend past the ends of your fingertips and toes, and straighten your neck by looking at t he ground and reaching through the top of your head.Pull-Ups: Full disclosure I have never done a pull up in my life or a flex-and-hang for longer than a few seconds, but I do know they make portable bars you can install and easily take down, if you’re into that sort of thing.AbsIf you have a chance to take a pilates class (great for men especially, since they often don’t get the same kind of training that isolates abdominal muscles), focus especially on how to contract your core. Essentially you want to keep your lower back on the floor and contract your abs in order to â€Å"sit up† with your ribcage and upper torso.Sit-ups/Crunches: Practice holding your hands behind your head or straight up in the air (try holding a ball or other small weight), bringing your elbow to your opposite knee for an oblique crunch, or pulling your legs up to a 90 degree angle while you crunch toward your knees.Planks: With your hands planted on the ground or bracing on your elbows, planks are great for stretching after crunches–check out some beginners yoga online or in a studio near you for how to embellish with twists or stretch into upward-facing dog to counter all the crunching.Holds/Flexes: This one is great because you can do it sitting down, while driving or while standing around. Keep your abs flexed while you inhale, or make a game out of it while you’re behind the wheel.LegsBuild on the legwork that occurs during your cardio exercise with these additional stretchesWall-sits: With your back against a stable surface, slide down until your knees are over your toes (don’t let them go past!). See how long you can hold it, or for a more intense stretch, step away from the wall and bring your arms over your head.Lunges: Hands on hips, step forward and bend one knee to get both a leg and a groin stretch. Don’t forget to pay attention to the back leg–come onto your back toes and straighten that leg too.Calf raises: This is a great quick rest-stop stretch–find a curb and step on to it, then move your heels back gradually until they touch the ground. Lean forward into the stretch.Step-ups: Use the step of your truck or that   same study curb–raise your knees higher for an extra boost, and match it by moving your arms together in a large circle beginning to the right, raising over your head and coming down on the left, then reversing. Alternate which foot you start with for each repetition.Squats: Make sure your knee doesn’t bend in front of your toes–if it does, you’re going too far down and can start damaging your knee cartilage.As always, don’t forget to stretch out before and after every workout session, and rehydrate regularly. Pick an area to focus on each day, take a day off in between, and soon you’ll be feeling better on the road, and off.

Vinal Barbaros's Options Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Vinal Barbaros's Options - Essay Example From this study it is clear that when the issues are revealed, conflicts may arise from agency interests, as the uncertainty in the company's future due to its failing operations may threaten the status quo, especially when it comes to cost-cutting activities such as downsizing in order to address the problem on profitability. One of the key stakeholders in this case is the company's major investor, the creditor National Bank of Australia. If the company reports the true amount of the cost estimates, the bank will have to protect its position with regard to its investment in the company. This can be done by downgrading the company's credit rating and increasing the interest payments due to default, or look for a second way out when it comes to getting the amount that is due. In this case, the owner or the major shareholder is deprived of knowing the true performance of the company. Because he does not know, he cannot do something in order to preserve his wealth or shareholder value. As for the company's employees, they will not be informed of the company's shortcomings with regard to dealing with its efficiency and operations productivity. As for the company's major investor, its creditor the National Bank of Australia, it will be able to grant a renewal on the company's loan by assuming that nothing is wrong in the company's operations, which puts its financial position in the company at risk because of misleading information. If the company continues to fail during its subsequent operations, the bank will have to suffer and absorb the losses with regard to the company's failure to pay on time. If the company has been able to recoup its losses, the bank has still been misled by the company because of the act; when it is found out, the bank can resort to proper means in order to compensate it for the possible losses from such act.

Social Inequality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Inequality - Essay Example Although the country has gone a long way toward an appearance of classlessness, class is still the prevailing force determining the way people are distinguished in the contemporary America. As Janny Scott and David Leonhardt maintain, "class is still a powerful force in American life. Over the past three decades, it has come to play a greater, not lesser, role in important ways. At a time when education matters more than ever, success in school remains linked tightly to class. At a time when the country is increasingly integrated racially, the rich are isolating themselves more and more. At a time of extraordinary advances in medicine, class differences in health and lifespan are wide and appear to be widening." (Scott and Leonhardt) Therefore, there are several evidences from education sector, health industry, and financial sector which prove the increasing influence of class in American life. Social inequality in health sector provides one of the most important evidences for the escalating influence of class in American life. ... Miele's, Mr. Wilson's and Ms. Gora's (people belonging to different classes) struggles to recover. "Class is a potent force in health and longevity in the United States. The more education and income people have, the less likely they are to have and die of heart disease, strokes, diabetes and many types of cancer. Upper-middle-class Americans live longer and in better health than middle-class Americans, who live longer and better than those at the bottom." (Scott) According to the scholars who have researched social factors in health the gaps among the various classes are widening. In their attempt to support the claim that class matters in American life, the New York Times Correspondents provide examples from marriages that cross class boundaries. Although these challenges are not as obvious as those that cross the lines of race or nationality, "people who marry across class lines are also moving outside their comfort zones, into the uncharted territory of partners with a different level of wealth and education, and often, a different set of assumptions about things like manners, food, child-rearing, gift-giving and how to spend vacations. In cross-class marriages, one partner will usually have more money, more options and, almost inevitably, more power in the relationship." (Lewin) According to the New York Times Correspondents, evidences from religious practices also suggest that class matters in American life and the growing power and influence of evangelical Christians illustrates this social inequality. "Their growing wealth and education help explain the new influence of evangelicals in American culture and politics. Their buying power fuels the booming market for Christian books, music

Four Goals of Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Four Goals of Psychology - Essay Example 17). With that distinction, psychology becomes an integral discipline that has goals to unravel information about the mind. In connection to the direction and progress of the study of the mind, four goals will be presented in the paper regarding psychology. Each will be elaborated and their advantages and disadvantages will be explored. The author then will take a position as to whether the goals are helpful or harmful to human beings supported by facts. The four goals of psychology are description, explanation, prediction, and behavioral change (Plotnik and Kouyoumdjian, 2010, p. 4). Description pertains to the objective of psychology to provide the details of the mind, behavior and motivation of people (Cutler and Penrod, 1995, p. 57). It also explores deep into the attitudes and emotions by conducting studies through surveys, observations, interviews and experimentation with the aid of equipment. On the other hand, explanation is the next step after description. It allows the psychologists to provide the information and analysis to other people and putting rational judgments on their findings (Plotnik and Kouyoumdjian, 2010, p. 4). Usually generalization is done to create principles and theories that will hold true for the majority of the findings. After explanation comes prediction which is an intelligent guess and differs from wild guess as the former makes use of science and past findings to predict the future. In the case of psychology, prediction is done based on the data or principles regarding past behaviors and attitudes (Cutler and Penrod, 1995, p. 58). With prediction, it allows people to make more accurate decisions. The last goal is behavioral change and it pertains to the act of intervening with the habits and actions of people using the techniques based on the findings about the workings of the mind (Plotnik and Kouyoumdjian, 2010, p. 4). The advantages of psychology then are easily seen as the

Peer Pressure And How It Affects Behaviour Philosophy Essay

Peer Pressure And How It Affects Behaviour Philosophy Essay What is social influence? Social influence is the change in behaviour that one person causes in another, intentionally or unintentionally, as a result of the way the changed person perceives themselves in relationship to the influencer, other people and society in general. Types of social influence on behaviour are a very interesting and an important topic in social psychology. It goes on to show us that even though individuals might consider themselves to possess qualities of uniqueness, when studied, their behavioural patterns are not very different from other individuals. The purpose for this study is to determine if social influence is bad or not. The two types of social influence that will be discussed are conformity and obedience. Conformity is the tendency to change ones behaviours or beliefs to match others. Why do people change because of social influence? Social psychologists provide two main reasons for the effects of social influence which are normative social and informational social influence ( Deutsch Gerard, 1995 ). Obedience is obeying an order from someone that you accept as an authority figure. Obedience can be constructive and destructive. How social influence can affect peoples behaviour will be discussed in this study. . Conformity Peer Pressure and how it affects behaviour Peer pressure is an example of normative social influence. This form of influence stems from our need to be liked by others. That is why we will follow certain behavioural patterns in order to conform to others expectations. Depending on how influential or popular a person or group is and how important their approval is for one, they will follow suit just so that they are liked by them. Teenagers especially face many issues related to conformity and peer pressure. They are pulled between the desire to be seen as individuals of unique value and the desire to belong to a group where they feel secure and accepted. As a result, teenagers reject family or general society values, while feeling pressure to conform rigidly to the values of their peer group. For example, this can be seen when young people join gangs. By joining the gang they are rejecting the communitys way of dressing and behaving. They have to conform to the gangs own style of dress, behaviour, and speech. They must follow what the other gang members are doing. Sometimes, they are involved in all kinds of negative activities such as smoking, drinking, taking drugs and so on. Peer pressure by itself is neither positive nor negative. For example, both high and low academic achievements are closely linked to peer influences. Several studies say that the values of the peer group with whom the high school student spends the most time are a stronger factor in the students level of academic success than the values, attitudes, and support provided by the family. Some students who spent time with an academically oriented peer group got better grades despite the fact that their families were not so supportive. People get influenced easily when they join gangs. They start drinking, smoking, taking drugs and doing all kinds of negative activities. For them, it is fun doing such things because they are in a gang. They influence one another to do bad things. Peer pressure also influences the degree to which children conform to expected gender roles. For example, girls get better grades in science and mathematics compared to boys up to grade six, but during adolescence girls test scores and level of expressed interest in these two subjects tend to decline. The tendency is to abandon competition with boys in favour of placing more emphasis on relationships and on physical appearance. In expressed peer pressure, a boy may be challenged by the group to prove his manhood by having sex or performing a risky stunt such as car racing. On the other hand, girls may be told that if they want to be part of a group they must do something illegal such as taking drugs. Studies show that both girls and boy take risks they do not want to take because they believe the risky behaviour will increase their standing in the eyes of their peers, make them more popular and assure their acceptance in the group. They can feel safe and secure in the group. Implied peer pressure is more subtle and can be harder to combat. For example, a group of boys may make fun of the way another boy is dressed, pressuring members of their group to dress only in one acceptable style. Because of this, people who look, dress, act in a different way or have different interests from those of their age group become outcasts. Pressure groups place on their members not to associate with anyone unlike themselves . This can lead the rejected person to feel desperate and depressed. However peer pressure isnt all bad. You and your friends can pressure each other into some things that will improve your health and social life and make you feel good about your decisions. Think of a time when a friend pushed you to do something good for yourself or to avoid something that wouldve been bad. There are some good things friends can pressure each other to do such as be honest, avoid alcohol, avoid drugs, not smoke, and respect others. One good example is group studies. In a group study, friends are able to encourage one another to study well. They are able to help one another by discussing difficult topics, solving problems and also understanding a particular topic well by actually interacting with one another. These are all the good sides of peer pressure. These types of behaviours are influential. One can be influenced but in a good way. One is influenced to do good things rather than doing bad things. Peer pressure provides individuals with a yard stick for self evaluation, leading individuals to being more competent. Interaction among peer groups who exchange different viewpoints for example political, religious or educational can promote moral development and independence in personal expression. Internet and how it affects behaviour Informational influence is a form of conformity which occurs when an individual turns to another in order to obtain information. It occurs when the person does not know what to do and turns to another person or other sources of information and believes the information from this person or source is true. This particular phenomenon takes on specific qualities on the Internet. On the Internet there is nobody standing in front of the room speaking or guiding the group. Nonetheless informational influence certainly occurs.      A cue used in forums, which can be dedicated to any subject ranging from music to international politics, is the post counter. To know how many times they have written a post, a small number under the users screen name will be able to indicate it. Ranking sytems can be found in some forums. As they become more involved in the community and continue making new posts, they will be ranked as experts. So, people tend to get influenced and think that the contributions written by users with the most posts and has a higher ranking are more valid than those of new users. Users often believe in information provided by these individuals rather than others. The information stored in the Internet is portrayed and interpreted in a different way than by exposure through meetings in person. The influence physical appearance such as clothing has on the perception of authority is a different social psychological phenomenon, yet it is an important factor in informational influence. There are many different things that can be done by the web designer to improve the visual aspects of the site, which replaces the physical appearance of the individual. This is done since people are not able to see how an individual behind a website appears. This in turn gives the impression that the information on the website is more credible and reliable. A well designed website can be particularly effective if it organizes and portrays information in a particular way. Older individuals or those who have limited experience with computers are easily influenced. The mere fact that the Internet is text based is also a form of informational influence in itself. People often feel that information conveyed through text is more reliable than information passed through word of mouth. The influence of the Internet has caused an impact on the way we communicate, learn and even shop. Through the Internet, all kinds of information can be easily spread. The introduction of mail service has changed the way people connect to others in their social world. Mail made possible connections among people without physical proximity. On the one hand, since the main use of the Internet is for communication, some people might speculate that the Internet will have positive social consequences in peoples everyday lives because it increases the frequency and quality of interpersonal communications among people. People with easy access to others would feel better connected and more strongly supported by others, leading to happiness and engagement in families, organizations, communities, and society more generally. People are able to communicate more easily. The Internet also allows people to work more easily from their home, to search for any information that they need, to form and sustain friendships and even romantic attachments from their home, to vote and engage in political and social issue based discussions with others. Some people are able to maintain long distance relationships through the Internet. For example, people are able to communicate through social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Skype and so on. In this variety of ways, Internet communications can potentially displace face-to-face communications. According to some psychologists, social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter demonstrate that group polarization can occur even when a group is not physically together. Blindly trusting information that they find online can be bad. As we know, not all information that is online can be reliable. There are many fake websites that are created by web designers in order to influence people and they also have all kinds of schemes that can trick people of their money. Besides, information that we get through forum websites on the Internet are sometimes not reliable and not true. Some users tend to simply post information out of nowhere and that brings no meaning at all. So, people that are searching for information on a certain topic for example would belief such posts and think that its true. They will think that the information on that website is true and reliable when it actually is not that reliable. Besides, social networks can influence people in a bad way. For example, Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg started the website with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better. As we can see nowadays, people are so addicted to Facebook. Children that spend more time on the Internet tend to develop anxiety, more stomach aches and more sick days from school. Besides, as we can see students that spend most of their time with the Internet, like using Facebook get lower grades in their exams. Facebooks applications can be really addicting. Facebook is giving people the chance to turn to another person to obtain information. We can even form our own group and invite others to join it. There is even an anti group group. As we can see, Facebook is actually influencing people to create and join such groups that can bring harm to themselves and the society. (James M.Henslin, Third Edition,2009 ,Pearson International Edition, Sociology ) Obedience Obedience to authority and how it affects behaviour An example is the classroom authority. Teachers use a different set of techniques for fostering obedience than they do for facilitating personal responsibility. Most obedience techniques rely on punishment and reward. Teachers try to demonstrate consistency in applying these positive and negative consequences to maintain a safe and orderly classroom. Students are to honour their teacher. This goes beyond obedience. It means to hold high or to give a special place of respect. Obedience will be the result of such honour, but obedience can be performed without honour. This is a simple situation where obedience to authority can be seen. Primary 2 students for example were told to memorize their times table and they were told that their task was to help another subject like themselves learn the times table (in pairs). Each time one made a mistake, they would be punished together by the teacher. For example, standing in midfield or running around the field. They would then be given a second chance by which if they made a mistake a second time the punishment would be more severe. Besides, there are some teachers that use positive reinforcement to get their students to obey them. For example, a teacher rewards his or her student with a chocolate when he or she memorises the times table correctly. Positive reinforcement always works better on a child than punishment for negative behaviour or disobedience. From this, we can say that students will definitely obey the teacher and memorise the times table properly in order to avoid the punishment. A social psychologist, Philip Zimbardo carried out the Stanford Prison experiment (1971) showing a fine example of perception of authority to social roles. Zimbardo selected volunteers and randomly assigned them to either a prison guard or a prisoner role to observe their interaction. Zimbardo believed that the behaviour in prisons could be best explained using a situational attribution. In particular he believed that the conditions were influenced by the social roles that prisoners and prisoner guards are expected to play. Not even Zimbardo foresaw how the study would turn out. Students were then selected from a response to an advertisement in a newspaper asking for volunteers to participate in a psychological study into prison life. Guards were told about their duties and the prisoners were arrested and blindfolded. This experiment was carried out at The Stanford University Psychology Department. The experiment was supposed to be for 2 weeks. Unfortunately, it only lasted for about 6 days due to the situation becoming all too realistic. They became engulfed by role that they were acting out. The guards became abusive to the point where they would humiliate and push the prisoners around. The prisoners were depressed and some were even released few days after the experiment had begun. Zimbardos study shows that the roles we play as members of a group can have a powerful effect on behaviour. ( Taylor S.E , Peplau L.A, Sears D.O ( Social Psychology, twelfth edition ) ) The question whether obedience is good or bad arises. Our society raises us to believe that obedience is good and disobedience is bad. We are taught to obey others and to be disobedient is something that is not good. Society tells us this, but it is not really true. Obedience is required for our society to function, yet, because of the power of authority, individuals may obey in ways which are destructive and against their personal, moral values. Most people will even be obedient to the point of causing harm to others, because to be disobedient requires the courage to be alone against authority. In Stanley Milgrams Perils of Obedience experiment, his studies showed that sixty percent of ordinary people would agree to obey an authority figure even to the point of severely hurting another human being. Zimbardos prison guards were abusing their power and controlling the prisoners. This shows that those in higher positions tend to influence others immorally. In this experiment, the priso ners became traumatized, depressed and dehumanized. Zimbardos prison experiment is a form of destructive obedience. The trauma inflicted being large or small seems to be unnecessary or avoidable and arguably unethical. Zimbardo failed to question the morality of what was going on and what the prisoners were going through. Was he showing any regard as to the well being of the participants? He had become a participant rather than the observer to his work. Being disobedient is not always wrong. As we can see in Hebrew mythology, human history began because of an act of disobedience. Adam and Eve gained independence from nature by disobeying God and eating an apple. Mans development has largely been affected by being disobedient to authority. Its as though we are allowing society to imprison us by accepting the roles assigned to us. Obedience is a behaviour deeply ingrained in us. It can be seen as an impulse that overrides ethics and sympathy. The tendency to locate the source of behaviour disorders in a particular person or group underestimates the power of situational forces. Constructive obedience benefits society. Without obedience to authority, society could not function. Constructive obedience is building upon obedience in a positive way. It uses positive reinforcement to get results using positive psychological methods. For example the teacher rewards the student for good behaviour and does not punish them for bad behaviour. Destructive obedience is when we obey blindly. We obey to do things that will harm us or others. We tend to obey easily because when we are obedient to an authority, we tend to feel safe and protected. We cant make mistakes because the authority decides for us and we cant be alone, because the authority watches over us. No matter what our behaviour is, it can be justified on the ground that we are only following orders, doing what were told from above. We can easily be brought to view ourselves as an instrument for carrying out another persons wishes, and so we no longer feel responsible for our actions. Unfortunately, that can make us feel responsible to the authority, instead of the content of the orders the authority is giving. The focus is changed although there is still morality there. However, this does not necessarily mean that all disobedience is good and all obedience is bad. That would ignore the relationship between obedience and disobedience. Acts of obedience to one principle is usually and act of disobedience to another. If a man can only obey, then therefore he is a slave and will accomplish very little. But, if a man can only disobey, he is a rebel and does not act in the name of a conviction or principle. We have to obey authority otherwise there would be chaos. This scenario would be far worse as you wouldnt be as safe and many of your basic rights could easily be violated. There have been people throughout history who have challenged authority to great effect. This occurs because the people in authority issue laws and rules that are unfair. Simple rule is, we obey to societys rules because they normally benefit us. Conclusion Is social influence bad? Well, as we have discussed, social influence has its pros and cons. Therefore, social influence can be good and it can be bad. As for peer pressure, the difference between good peer pressure and bad peer pressure is often summed up with a simple comparison. When it is good, you are a member of the crowd and when it is bad, you are part of a mob. If peer pressure is telling you to act in a generally appropriate way, to do the right thing when you may not otherwise, or to do more good than harm, experts say it is safe to say this is good. As long as following the crowd does not cause one to act without consideration, following is not always a bad thing to do. In a situation where peer pressure is good, individuals in the groups would be acting as individual parts of a whole, each working with the other. We have also discussed about the Internet and how it influences behaviour. Well again, it has its pros and cons. It can be a bad influence but at the same time it can be a good influence too. It all depends on the individual himself. If you look at it as something good and beneficial, then yes it would be beneficial to you and it would influence you in a good way but if you chose to use it in the wrong way then it can be a bad influence on your behaviour. For example, like Facebook. If you chose to use Facebook for communication purpose or as a faster way for exchanging information with someone else, then it could be a good thing. But if you use it for the wrong reasons, then you could be influenced to do things that are not so good and that could leave a bad impact on your behaviour and others. Regarding obedience, if our minds are so quick to obey an authority, we should channel our obedience towards our knowledge. Transform morals into authority, make decisions and carry out actions which affect our society in a positive and effective way. If we can accomplish this, our morals, values and critical discourse will determine our contribution to society. The danger comes when we blindly obey such figures and as a result behave in an immoral way as a result. Again, obedience has its pros and cons. Therefore, we conclude that social influence can be good and can be bad.

Against an Alcohol Age Limit Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Drinkin

Drinking Age: Lowered or Not   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The drinking age in the United States is 21. How ridiculous is that? You are able to do so many things at the age of 18. When a person reaches the age of 18, he or she can leave their homes or be kicked out, and become their own legal guardian. They no longer are required to have their parents sign their name to any documents pertaining to them, and are now considered an adult except when it comes to alcohol. When a person 18 or older commits a crime, they will be tried as an adult. Now the 18 year old no longer goes to Juvenile Hall when convicted of a crime, but instead they go to jail, state prison, federal prison, or even death row. At 18, they are held fully responsible for their own actions, and must accept the consequences. Don’t you think we s...