The Application of Operant Conditioning Techniques in a Secondary Classroom free essay sample

The Application Of Operant Conditioning Techniques In A Secondary Classroom Background A plethora of Studies have reported the effectiveness of operant conditioning techniques in altering the behavior of children in a number of different situations. There has been many studies in which teacher-supplied consequences have had effects on preschool and elementary school children in a regular classroom, but almost none in the secondary schooling classrooms. The results of these studies were that in smaller classrooms, students’ behavior improved with consequences given by the teacher. McAllister, Stachowiak, Baer, and Conderman now take a look at the effects of these consequences on a larger scale. This study sought to take an entire class of secondary school students and apply teacher-supplied consequences for misbehavior to discover if the behavior of the students improved. Methods The subjects consisted of 51 students ranging in age from 16-19 years, who all had similar I. Q. s and economic backgrounds. We will write a custom essay sample on The Application of Operant Conditioning Techniques in a Secondary Classroom or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The experimental group consisted of 25 students (12 boys and 13 girls), Where as the control group consisted of 26 students (13 boys and 13 girls). Also, The experimental class was 70 minutes long and the control class was 60 minutes long. The teacher was a 23-year-old female who held a bachelors degree in education. She had one year’s experience in teaching secondary level English. The basic design of the experiment was a pretest-posttest control group design combined with the use of a multiple baseline technique in the experimental class. The behaviors chosen to be targeted were Inappropriate talking and turning around due to the fact that these behaviors had a high rate of occurrence. Inappropriate talking was classified as any vocal behavior portrayed by a student without the teacher’s permission. Also, any vocal behavior required that the student raise his or her hand before speaking, unless engaged in a group discussion. Inappropriate turning around was classified as any turning-around behavior in which the student turned more than 90 degrees away from the front of the room. An exception to this was when a student was required to turn around to distribute papers to their classmates as directed by the teacher. The observations were recorded for the experimental class using a sequentially numbered, 70-box table for each behavior. The observations of the control class were recorded using a similar, 60-box table. If either of the target behaviors occurred during any minute interval of time, it was recorded by placing a check mark in the corresponding box for that interval. Any further occurrences of the target behavior during the same time interval were not recorded. Thus, each time interval represented whether or not the behavior had occurred during the time interval opposed to the number of occurrences. A daily quantified measurement of each behavior was obtained by dividing the number of checked time intervals by the total number of intervals in that class period, which gave us a percentage of intervals in which the behavior occurred at least once. The baseline condition lasted for 28 days in which the teacher was asked to behave in her usual manner. The Average reliability for talking behavior was 90. 49% in the experimental class, and 89. 49% in the control class. Average reliability for turning behavior was 94. 27% in the experimental class and 90. 98 in the control class. Also, two aspects of the teacher’s behavior were recorded. The average reliability for teacher reprimand behavior was 92. 78% in the experimental class and 94. 84% in the control class. Average reliability for teacher praise behavior was 98. 85% in the experimental class and 97. 65% in the control class. The first experimental condition began in the experimental class on the 28th day. The teacher was to attempt to disapprove of all instances of inappropriate talking behavior whenever they occurred in a direct and verbal manner. The teacher was also asked not to threaten students with or apply other consequences such as keeping them after class or sending them to the office. In addition to these guidelines, the teacher was also asked to praise the entire class with remarks like â€Å"thank you for being so cooperative today†. The second experimental condition took place after the first one had been in effect in the experimental class for 26 days and had markedly reduced talking behavior. In this condition, the contingent social consequences for talking behavior were continued as well as implementing the same system of consequences for turning behavior. Results Inappropriate talking behavior during the baseline condition in the experimental class and the control class yielded similar results (25. 3% in the experimental class, and 23. 81% in the control class). On day 28 when the first experimental condition was implemented, inappropriate talking behavior immediately reduced. This decrease continued as time went on and finally stabilized at a level below 5%. At the same time, the control class continued to portray its previous level of inappropriate talking behavior. Inappropriate turning behavior during the baseline condition in the experimental class and control class was slowly increasing (15. 13% in the experimental class, and 14. 45% in the control class). On day 54 when the second experimental condition was implemented, the inappropriate turning behavior also began to decrease. This behavior continued to decrease during the remaining days of the study. The number of times the teacher reprimanded students for inappropriate behavior during the baseline period were 25. 76% in the experimental class and 22. 23% in the control class. During the first experimental condition, the teacher disapproved an average of 93. 33% of inappropriate talking behavior. During the second experimental condition, the teacher disapproved an average of 95. 0 % of inappropriate turning behavior. Conclusions The results clearly portray that by the teacher’s actions of praise and disapproval, she was able to reduce the amount of inappropriate talking behavior as well as the amount of inappropriate turning behavior. In reprimanding the students in a more direct manner, using names and calling the students out for misbehaving, the teacher was able to make a deeper impact on the student for his or her actions. Also, in taking away consequences such as staying after class, the teacher removed fear from the tudents and instead implemented proper behavior. The teacher also used praise to decrease the amount of inappropriate behavior of her students. She would say things like â€Å"what a great class today† or â€Å"you guys were on your best behavior today† to make the students feel good about being on their best behavior.

The eNotes Blog Confessions of a BookAbandoner

Confessions of a BookAbandoner A positively shameful confession from college student and intern, Yael I need to confess something, guys. I’m a book-starter. That kind of sounds like a positive thing, but it’s not. Allow me to rephrase. I’m a book-abandoner†¦ a book-deserter. I just can’t kick the habit. In the past two years, I’ve probably started and stopped reading about 20 books. With each, as goes the one before it, I make it through about a quarter of the novel. Then I bookmark it and put it on my nightstand like I’m totally going to tackle it â€Å"one of these days,† but I know, deep down in my book-neglecting heart, that my lame attempts to try and pick it back up weeks later will result in one page being read, over and over, until I realize I’m hungry. Then, you know, it’s game over. Book goes back on the nightstand. Collects dust. Poor book. (Sometimes-and I put this in parentheses because it’s just so shameful-I even do this to used books†¦books who have already gone through so much. Who does that? It’s like†¦where’s my heart? I don’t know. I just don’t know.) Theoretically, I love books. I love the idea of books, the feel of books. I’m one of those people (or maybe the only person) who walks down the hallways at Barnes Noble just, you know, lightly grazing book bindings with my finger tips, flipping through random pages and thinking about all the possibilities that lie within them. I even love smelling books. Don’t you furrow your brows at me†¦there’s no denying it: books smell like hundreds of years of life and also like warm, cozy memories and those are the best smells that were ever invented. But†¦seriously? I haven’t been able to read past chapter 3 in any book since high school when reading fictional novels was required and life was a little more chipper. Harry Potter, where you at? (Obviously†¦on my book shelf in order from 1-7 and properly covered with their respective book sleeves, but that’s beside the point†¦ The real point is, I’m fed up. I’m done. I’m ready to change. TODAY IS THE DAY I START MY JOURNEY TO BECOME A WELL-READ, BOOK-COMPLETER. I will be a book-MASTER. (You go, girl ↠Ã‚  yes, that was self encouragement, and it makes talking to yourself acceptable) If you’re like me, this transformation I’ve just gone through might spark something in you. Maybe you’ll feel motivated to kick that nasty habit, stop pretending you don’t know how to â€Å"read for pleasure† anymore because textbooks burned you out, and get your act together. Seriously†¦just get it together. Because, if you’re like me, you may soon be an unemployed, recent graduate, looking for ways to kill time in between all that job-hunting and stress eating. Books, friends. Books. We can spend time getting caught up in other peoples’ more exciting lives, actually gain a little knowledge, and maybe even get our hands on a little bit of peace of mind and calm. Now that you’re ready to become a librarian and the world’s most influential leader in literary criticism, let’s discuss book choice. It doesn’t really matter. Any kind of reading is the good kind. Personally, I want to tackle the classics. Why? I’m not sure. Maybe because everyone’s read them and I just want to be one of the cool kids. But that’s only about 80% of it. I also think that the â€Å"classic† novels are classic for a reason, and not just because they’re old and wise. In general, I feel like it would be beneficial to read the works of writers who laid the backbone and set the pace for the next great writers. They’re the OGs, you know? You have to learn from the masters and then their students. Now if you hate Jane Austen and Dostoyevsky and are about to say to me sternly â€Å"Yael, don’t you dare put that Hemingway anywhere near me,† be soothed: there are millions of books left out there to read. All kinds and all sizes, from all different kinds of countries and different kinds of people. You have a world of novels to choose from. So choose randomly, haphazardly, and without much forethought. Scratch that, without any forethought. And do it often. (A good analogy is to act like you would if you were at a grocery store in the ice cream aisle, and that for today only, all the ice cream had 0 calories and 0 grams of fat. I mean†¦just go to town. Take all of it. All. Of. It. Even the weird flavors.) Books are one of those world wonders that will enrich your life in so many ways you can’t even begin to realize. The lessons you learn, the relationships you make, the inspiration you’ll take, and the enjoyment you’ll get from reading a book is something you really can’t get elsewhere. So go to your nearest library or book store, grab some books, smell them (seriously, just try it) and read them. Finish them. Even if you don’t like them very much, you’ll get something out of it. That’s what I’m going to do at least, and honestly if I can do it†¦I really think anyone can. Oh, and also if anyone wants to start a book club, I’m interested. I’ll bring the snacks. Sincerely, Your-Book’s-New-BFFAEAE (that’s best friend forever and ever and ever) (Featured image via Unsplash)

Tourism Development in China

Tourism Development in China Tourism is a burgeoning industry in China. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), 57.6 million foreign visitors entered the country in 2011, generating over $40 billion dollars in revenue. China is now the third most visited country in the world, behind only France and the United States. However, unlike many other developed economies, tourism is still considered a relatively new phenomenon in China. As the country industrializes, tourism will become one of its primary and fastest growing economic sectors. Based on current UNWTO forecasts, China is expected to become the worlds most visited country by 2020. History of Tourism Development in China Shortly after the Chairmans death, Chinas most famous economic reformist, Deng Xiaoping, opened up the Middle Kingdom to outsiders. Contrary to Maoist ideology, Deng saw the monetary potential in tourism and began to promote it intensely. China quickly developed its own travel industry. Major hospitality and transportation facilities were constructed or renovated. New jobs such as service personnel and professional guides were created, and a National Tourism Association was established. Foreign visitors quickly flocked to this once forbidden destination. In 1978, an estimated 1.8 million tourists entered the country, with the majority coming from neighboring British Hong Kong, Portuguese Macau, and Taiwan. By 2000, China welcomed over 10 million new overseas visitors, excluding the aforementioned three locations. Tourists from Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States comprised the largest share of that inbound population. During the 1990s, the Chinese central government also issued several policies to encourage the Chinese to travel domestically, as a means of stimulating consumption. In 1999, over 700 million trips were made by domestic tourists. Outbound tourism by Chinese citizens recently become popular, as well. This is due to a rise in the Chinese middle-class. The pressure presented by this new class of citizens with disposable income has caused the government to ease international travel restrictions greatly. By the end of 1999, fourteen countries, mainly in Southeast and East Asia, were made designated overseas destinations for Chinese residents. Today, over a hundred countries have made it onto Chinas approved destination list, including the United States and many European countries. Since the reform, Chinas tourism industry has registered consistent growth year-after-year. The only period in which the country experienced a decline in inbound numbers are the months following the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. The brutal military crackdown of peaceful pro-democracy protestors painted a poor image of the Peoples Republic to the international community. Many travelers ended up avoiding China based on fear and personal morals. Tourism Development in Modern China When China joined the WTO in 2001, travel restrictions in the country were relaxed further. The WTO reduced formalities and barriers for cross-border travelers, and global competition helped cut costs. These changes additionally enhanced Chinas position as a country for financial investment and international business. The rapidly developing business environment has helped the tourism industry prosper. Many businessmen and entrepreneurs often visit popular sites while on their business trips. Some economists also believe the Olympic Games fostered an increase in tourism numbers due to worldwide exposure. The Beijing Games not only put The Birds Nest and Water Cube on center stage but some of Beijings most incredible wonders were displayed as well. Moreover, the opening and closing ceremonies showcased to the world Chinas rich culture and history. Shortly after the conclusion of the games, Beijing held a Tourism Industry Development Conference to present new plans to boost profits by riding the games momentum. At the conference, a multi-year plan was set in place to increase the number of inbound tourists by seven percent. To realize this goal, the government plan on taking a series of measures, including stepping up tourism promotion, develop more leisure facilities, and reduce air pollution. A total of 83 leisure tourism projects were presented to potential investors. These projects and goals, along with the countrys continued modernization will undoubtedly set the touri sm industry on a path of continuous growth into the foreseeable future. Tourism in China has received a major expansion since the days under Chairman Mao. It is no longer uncommon to see the country on the cover of a Lonely Planet or Frommers. Travel memoirs about the Middle Kingdom are on bookstore shelves everywhere, and travelers from all over are now able to share a personal photo of their Asian adventures with the world. It is not surprising that the tourism industry would thrive so well in China. The country is filled with endless wonders. From the Great Wall to the Terracotta Army, and from sprawling mountain valleys to neon metropolises, there is something here for everyone. Forty years ago, no one could have ever predicted how much wealth this country was capable of generating. Chairman Mao certainly didnt see it. And he definitely did not foresee the irony that preceded his death. It is amusing how the man who detested tourism would one day become a tourist attraction, as a preserved body on display for capitalistic gains. References Wen, Julie. Tourism and Chinas Development: Policies, Regional Economic Growth and Ecotourism. River Edge, NJ: World Scientific Publishing Co. 2001.

Patricia Benners Nursing Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Patricia Benners Nursing Theory - Essay Example This is an excellent perception in the field of nursing and draws on concepts from Nightingale as well which make it even more powerful. The main points of this research with regard to this theory will emphasize that patients deserve the best quality of care that can be given and nurses can only do this by drawing upon the knowledge and experiences that they have gained through clinical areas and on into areas of more pronounced nursing care from their past as well. All of these experiences help the nurse become better attuned to her nursing duties and more prepared to know what to do in times of great stress also. As the conclusion will point out, sharing this knowledge with other nurses and medical professionals is what strengthens the nursing care that patients are meant to receive. It helps the knowledge and acquired skills to grow, moving certain forms of nursing over from novice care givers to care givers who are full of excellence and continue to grow in order to provide even more improved supportive services to those who need it the most. Patricia Benner states "Knowledge development in a practice discipline consists of extending practical knowledge (know-how) through theory based scientific investigations and through the charting of the existent know how developed through clinical experience i... Benner's theory expects nursing to gradually improve the care we provide through academics and experience. She also believes that nursing only benefits if that knowledge learned is shared. Processes can only be improved with the knowledge of what is wrong. Clinicians and leaders should develop programs in their facility to allow for discussion of patient observation, mistakes and mishap to enhance the clinical judgment of the entire nursing staff. Following a strategic theorization such as Benner's emphasizes the power to minimize medical mistakes and errors resulting from misguided care, especially due to the fact that much of the knowledge is shared among the medical practicing team (American Nurses Association 2000). Such accidents are errors that could be avoided, which are considered to be sentinel events that stem from an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk thereof due to lack of knowledge, experience, or even shared knowledge among the nursing staff (Ballard 2002). Benner's theory defines that the top recommendation for nursing leaders is to come to the forefront and recognize errors and near misses as learning tools to prevent future errors. The basic premise is that nurses do not go to work to harm patients, but the processes that are in place put everyone at a greater risk. This shows that this theory focuses heavily on patient safety and the concerns of the patient; as well it should since there are so many errors that take place in the medical environment in current day (Institute of Medicine 2000). For instance, in terms of lives lost, patient safety is as important an issue as worker safety. Every year, over 6,000 Americans di e from

Factors that Influence Consumer Behavior Patterns, when Purchasing Essay

Factors that Influence Consumer Behavior Patterns, when Purchasing Fashion Items - Essay Example This study reveals a number of factors that do influence the consumer behavior when making the buying decision for fashion goods. There are a number of factors that have such influence. Culture is one of those factors. There is a number of such factors such as the subculture, the stage of life, age demographics, the personality and perception and so on. This research will identify those factors and exploring their impact on the buying decision of the consumers for fashion goods. Cultural influences are powerful ones and if a company does not understand the culture in which a particular market operates, it cannot hope to develop products and market them successfully in that market. Culture affects consumer behavior in a variety of ways. It relates to customs and beliefs that are learned from the society in which an individual grows up. Culture is a huge area of study that often has unclear boundaries and fluctuates in degree of influencing consumers. Cultural elements that influence c onsumer behavior can also be said to be environmental influences. A sub-culture could be defined as a group of individuals whose beliefs, values and behavior differ from that of the predominant culture. ‘Sub-culture plays an important part to marketers because of their influence on brands and types of product and services demanded by their members.’ This culture is rebelling away from long working hours and heavy television watching lifestyle. In this alternative culture the interest and participation of extreme sports has merged with music and clothing.

Preparation of Identification by Ir and Nmr Spectroscopy Essay Example for Free

Preparation of Identification by Ir and Nmr Spectroscopy Essay The reactive acid chloride can then be treated with a primary or secondary amine to give the amide along with HCl, which reacts with the excess amine to give an alkylammonium chloride salt. The mechanism of this process is shown on the following page in Scheme 22: [pic] Scheme 2 To carry out this reaction, the apparatus shown in Figure 1 will be assembled. The apparatus must be dry, since thionyl chloride will react with water to give sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride. The acid chloride will then be cooled to room temperature and dissolved in anhydrous ether. Ice-cold diethylamine will be added as a solution in anhydrous ether to form the amide. The resulting ether mixture will washed with aqueous sodium hydroxide (to remove any excess acid chloride), then washed with hydrochloric acid (to remove any excess diethylamine). The resulting ether solution of DEET will be dried and evaporated to yield the crude product, which will then be purified by column chromatography to afford pure DEET. The percent yield from m-toluic acid will be determined and the product will be analyzed by transmission infrared spectroscopy (IR) as a neat sample using NaCl plates5 to confirm its structure by (1) looking at the major absorptions and comparing them to a correlation table6 and (2) by comparing the spectrum to that of an authentic sample. Thionyl chloride is toxic and corrosive! Do not breath the vapors! Use in a hood! When heating a reaction apparatus, be sure that it is open to the air so that pressure build up and subsequent rupture of the apparatus does not occur. When heating liquids, make sure the liquid is stirred (or a boiling chip is added) to prevent â€Å"bumping†. When performing an extraction, make sure to vent the separatory funnel often to prevent pressure build-up. The apparatus shown in Figure 1 was assembled. The 10-mL reaction flask was charged with 0. 275 g of m-toluic acid (0. 0020 mol) and 0. 30 mL of thionyl chloride (0. 492 g, 0. 0041 mol). The condenser water was started, and the mixture was gently heated with stirring on an aluminum block (block temp ~ 90 oC) until boiling started. The reaction mixture was then gently boiled for about 15 minutes. After the boiling period was finished, the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature. 4. 0 mL of anhydrous ether were added, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature until a homogeneous mixture was obtained. To this solution was added (dropwise over a 15 minute period) a solution of 0. 6 mL of cold (0 oC) diethylamine (0. 462 g, 0. 0063 mol) in 1. 33 mL of anhydrous ether. During the addition, a thick white cloud of diethylamine hydrochloride was formed. After complete addition, the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for about 10 minutes. 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide (2 mL) was then added, and the reaction mixture was stirred for an additional 15 minutes at room temperature, then poured into a separatory funnel and allowed to separate. The aqueous layer was discarded, and the organic layer was washed with an additional portion of 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide (2 mL), followed by a portion of 10% hydrochloric acid (2 mL). The organic layer was washed with water (2 mL), dried (Na2SO4) and evaporated to yield crude N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide as dark brown liquid. The crude product was filtered through a short alumina column using hexane as the eluent (~ 5 mL). The hexane solution was evaporated to give 0. 340 g of pure N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide as a yellow liquid. Reaction of m-toluic acid with thionyl chloride, followed by diethylamine produced 0. 340 g of a yellow liquid the IR spectrum of which unequivocally showed the presence of the amide carbonyl functional group at 1633 cm-1. In addition, absorptions due to aliphatic C-H (2980 – 2880 cm-1), and aromatic C=C (at 1585 cm-1). The IR spectrum is attached to this report. These data are consistent with the structure of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), shown in Figure 2 below: [pic] Figure 2: N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) In addition, the IR of the product closely corresponds with that of an authentic sample of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) shown in the lab text. 9 Also, the 1H-NMR shows the presence of four (4) aromatic protons in the region 7. 3 – 7. 1 ppm, as well as a three (3) proton singlet at 2. 35 ppm, which corresponds to the benzylic methyl group. The presence of two ethyl groups is clearly shown by the presence of two quartets which integrate to 2 protons each at 3. 53 and 3. 24 ppm, and two triplets which integrate to 3 protons each at 1. 23 and 1. 09 ppm.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: An Analysis of Parallel Scenes Essay

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: An Analysis of Parallel Scenes The anonymous author of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" was supposedly the first to have originated the alternation of temptation and hunting scenes, which both contribute importantly to the effectiveness of the poem (Benson 57). The two narratives are obviously meant to be read as complementary. Therefore, the parallel juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated episodes is the basic characteristic of the narrative. The narrative, which appears parallel, contrasts temptation and beheading tales; which posed the major problem of unity for the early critics (Benson 26). H. L. Savage analyzes the relation between the hunting and temptation scenes and concludes that they are probably the best known explanation of narrative variation in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Benson 25). Simultaneously, one scene takes place in a bedroom, while the other in a forest. One scene concerns courtship, while the other the vigorous excitement of the chase of wild prey. These two sets of scenes differ in content and emphasis, however ...