Introduction to Psychology. forums Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to Psychology. forums - Essay Example On the other hand behaviours usually occur consciously and it is possible for us to change our behaviour if we make a conscious effort. Dr Vasily Klucharev, from the FC Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging in the Netherlands has said that people often change their decisions and judgments to conform with normative group behavior (Alleyne). Psychology is interested in both behavioural studies and mental activities since both have close relationships. Psychology is the study of human mind and behaviour. Behaviour is the outcome of mental processes which means the study of psychology might not be completed without the study of behaviour and mental processes. For example, suppose a person shows some abnormalities in his behaviour. A psychiatrist or psychologist cannot treat him without knowing his mental processes. In order to know his mental processes, a psychiatrist or psychologist normally makes a free association with the patient. In short, behaviour and mental processes, both are important to psychology. Neurotransmitters are some kind of chemicals which is responsible for the amplification and modulation of signals between a neuron and another cell. Purse (2010) has mentioned that when a message or signal comes in at one end of a nerve cell, an electrical impulse travels down the "tail" of the cell (axon), and causes the release of the appropriate neurotransmitter and subsequently, molecules of the neurotransmitter are sent into the tiny space between nerve cells, called the synaptic cleft (Purse). Proper transmission of messages across the body is important for the smooth functioning of body parts. Neurotransmitters are responsible for ensuring the correct transmission of messages from the brain to other parts of the body. Neurotransmitters are responsible for the control of mood, sleep regulation, body temperature, blood pressure, hormonal activities etc. The brain

Tax Policies Essay Example for Free

Tax Policies Essay Taxes are financial charges or levies impose by a government on companies or individuals as a source of government revenue. Government needs revenues to cover their expenditure, which include enforcement of law and order, security, public works and infrastructures. The government also finances education and health care systems. Taxes are levied to transfer wealth from the richer people in society to the poor. They are also effective in addressing externalities. Generally taxes are used for distribution and allocation purposes. Taxes are beneficial for the economy. (Phillipe H and Norberg K, 1994)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Taxes designed to discourage harmful activities to the environment benefits the community as a whole. For instance taxes on harmful gas emissions act as incentives to reduce pollution, which can be disastrous to the health of individuals. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are responsible for global warming which has adverse effects to the whole world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tax policies can have short term or long-term effects to the economy. Taxes can reduce people’s incentives to work, save or invest. Taxes could be consumption taxes, income taxes and taxes on international borrowing. Other types of taxes include corporation taxes, estate and social security taxes. (Gupta A, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The wealthy people in society are subject to inheritance taxes and estate or gift taxes. Personal income taxes apply to taxes imposed on individuals or families while corporate taxes apply to corporate earnings. Proportional taxes ensure equitable distribution of resources in the economy. Taxes benefit the community through the services the government is able to provide from revenues earned through taxes. (Gupta A, 2002). The community attains health and education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Increasing tax rates acts as a disincentive for laborers. On the other hand, if tax rates are lower, people will be motivated to work and their productivity levels will be higher. Taxes can encourage or discourage production of certain goods. (Gupta A, 2002). To encourage the production or consumption the government imposes higher taxes on the goods in question. On the contrary taxes are deducted to promote the production and consumption of preferred goods. Therefore taxes affect the production of goods and services and therefore influence people’s consumption patterns.    An increased income tax reduces people’s disposable incomes making them ‘poorer’ as their purchasing power is reduced. Taxes on producers of goods and services translate to higher prices for them as the said producers transfer the costs to their consumers. People tend to avoid goods that are costly. (Phillipe H and Norberg K, 1994) Again, they can substitute the expensive or costly goods thus promoting the reduced disposable substitutes. This is referred to as the substitution effect of taxes. With reduced disposable incomes individuals are forced to operate on constrained budgets and their consumption trends will be affected. This is the income effect of taxes. (Gupta A, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Taxes regulate or restrict certain types of business practices, products or services. Income, sales and property taxes are revenue taxes while excise and import duties are regulatory taxes. Taxation is a very important source of government revenue. Other sources of government revenue include borrowing and charging for services. Payroll taxes benefits the community as they are used to finance social insurance programs like social security. The elderly unemployed and the disabled benefit from these taxes. Consumption taxes are levied on sales of goods and services. Taxes imposed on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages are excise taxes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Taxes affect people’s saving power or ability. When taxes are levied on interests or dividends they reduce the benefits that would have been felt if saving was done. Taxes can therefore influence a people’s saving ability. Taxes can influence the physical investment for businesses when tax rates put in place are higher in certain places than in others. Businesses will locate their premises where tax rates are lower so as to increase their profitability levels. Taxes are added costs for the business. Reduction of people’s purchasing power reduces their ability to obtain necessities, comforts and luxuries. (Gupta A, 2002). If the tax burden falls on the poor they are likely to feel a strong impact. Their standards of living will be lowered and thus their efficiency and ability to work will be reduced.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The rich in society may not feel the impact as taxation. Taxation for them mostly affects luxurious goods, which don’t influence their efficiency or ability to work. Tax policies affect people’s ability to save. Incomes determine the amount of savings. Reducing people’s incomes automatically reduces their saving power. The richer people have higher marginal propensity to save, as their incomes are higher than their expenditures. Taxes on the poor greatly reduce their ability to save. Ability to save affects investment and capital formation in the economy. Effects of income on distribution affect income generation as well as income distribution. The tax rates and the type of tax influence the effects to be felt. Governments must incorporate effective taxation policies that promote equity and growth in the economy. References: Alka Gupta. 2002. Public Finance and Tax Planning. Anmol Publications PVT. Hoffman Phillipe and Kathryn Norberg. 1994. Fiscal Crises, Liberty, and Representative Government, 1450-1789, p. 238.

Guide to performing a Job Evaluation

Guide to performing a Job Evaluation What are the main issues faced by the residents in Portugal? Click on the play button to watch the video. Highlight the issues and look for the solutions. Share your opinions in the LMS Forum. [MMP: Create video screen and embed video as shown in link] Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vKDyPJmQD0 Job evaluation is the process of determining the worth of jobs assigned to employees.The worth of a job is determined by the demand for it in relation to its job description, job specification and the expected outcomes from that job. In some cases, it is found that an employee who holds a similar position as his colleague may hold a different role, and have different responsibilities and accountability. In such cases, he/she should receive different pay. This chapter discusses the importance of job evaluation, basic job evaluation methods, the hay guide chart method, and inputs to refer to when pricing jobs. Job Evaluation and Its Importance Job evaluation is the process of determining the value of one job in comparison to the other jobs within the organisation so a fair salary system can be established. The job evaluation process is the most common method used to provide a rationale for a pay structure and to assign a job to a pay grade. Job evaluation can also be defined as a practical technique for trained and experienced employees to judge the size of one job relative to others. It does not directly determine the pay levels but establishes the basis for an internal ranking of jobs. Among other definitions are as follows: Job evaluation is concerned with assessing the relative demands of different jobs within the organisation. Its usual purpose is to provide a basis for relating differences in rates of pay to different in-job requirements. It is therefore a tool which can be used to help determine a pay structure. (Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), London 1984) A job evaluation system consists of compensable factors and a weighting scheme based on the importance of each compensable factor to the organisation. Compensable factors are the characteristics of jobs that an organisation values and chooses to pay for. These characteristics may include job complexity, working conditions, required education, required experience and responsibility. (Noe et. al. 2003) Job evaluation is a systematic procedure to determine the relative worth or value of jobs. Although there are several different approaches, each one considers the duties, responsibilities and working conditions of the job. The objective of job evaluation is to identify which jobs should be paid more than others. (Schwind et. al. 1999) The objectives of a job evaluation process in an organisation are as follows: Establishes the relative value or size of jobs, i.e. internal relatives. Produces the information required to design and maintain equitable and defensible grade and pay structures, critical in any organisation. Provides as a basis for grading jobs within a grade structure, thus enabling consistent decisions to be made about job grading. Ensures that the organisation meets ethical and legal equal pay for work of equal value obligtions. More recently the use of job evaluation is the hinge of most equal pay cases. Despite its popularity, it is often misunderstood. So, the following facts about job evaluation must be made clear: SELF-CHECK What is job evaluation and why is it important? What are the four facts about job evaluation? Job Evaluation Methods The human resource management is usually responsible for administering the job evaluation programme. However, actual job evaluation is typically done by a committee. The committee might include the human resource director as the chairperson and the finance, marketing and production heads. Job Evaluation Committee Chairperson (Human Resource Director) Head of Finance Head of Marketing Head of Production Figure 8.1: The job evaluation programme is typically performed by a committee within the organisation Small and medium sized organisations may elect to use outside consultants as they often lack job evaluation experience. When employing a qualified consultant, management should require the consultant to develop an internal job evaluation programme and train company employees to administer it correctly. This can be done by reviewing information obtained through job analysis regarding the duties, responsibilities and working conditions of the organisation. With this knowledge, the relative worth of jobs is determined and the consultant will be able to shape a job evaluation programme suitable to the company by selecting an appropriate job evaluation method. Figure 8.2: The 10 basic steps in conducting an effective job evaluation There are four basic job evaluation methods commonly used by organisations. They are job ranking, job classification (or job grading), factor comparison and the point system. Job ranking and job classification are categorised as non quantitative methods while factor comparison and the point system are classified as quantitative methods. A job evaluation committee or an outside consultant needs to choose one method and modify the method to suit the organisations particular need. Figure 8.3: Job evaluation methods Job Ranking Method In the ranking method, jobs are compared to each other and arranged in order according to their worth to the organisation. The worth of a job is usually based on judgements of skill, effort (physical and mental), responsibility (supervisory and fiscal), and working conditions. The steps involved in ranking jobs are Rank Jobs Make an overall comparison between jobs, by focusing on certain factors such as, responsibility, skills, effort, and working conditions. It is possible that elements of some jobs may be overlooked or weighed too heavily. Rank jobs from the highest to the lowest. The highest and lowest are ranked first, followed by the next highest to the next lowest, until all jobs are ranked. Conduct job analysis and write job descriptions. Pay scales are established based on the rankings, where more important jobs are paid more. However, as the ranking of jobs are subjective and lack precision, the pay levels may be inaccurate. The job ranking method is perhaps the simplest method of job evaluation but it is also known to be the least precise among the four evaluation methods. WEB-SITE Find out the ten worst jobs in the US of 2010. Go to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/06/worst-jobs-2010-careercas_n_413511.html Job Classification Job classification is a form of evaluation that assigns jobs to an existing grade/category structure according to their relative worth to the organisation. First, job grades or categories are established and each is given a standard description, as shown in Table 8.1. Table 8.1: A Job Classification schedule for use with Job Grading Method Job Grade Standard Description I Work is simple and highly repetitive; done under close supervision; requires minimal training and little responsibility, or initiative. II Work is simple and repetitive; done under close supervision; requires some training or skill. Employee is only rarely expected to assume responsibility or exhibit initiative. III Work is simple, with little variation; done under general supervision; training or skill is required. Employee has minimum responsibility and must take some initiative to perform satisfactorily. IV Work is moderately complex, with some variation; done under general supervision; requires high level skills. Employee is responsible for equipment and safety, and must exhibit initiative regularly. V Work is complex and varied; done under general supervision; requires advanced level skills. Employee is responsible for equipment and safety, and must show a high degree of initiative. Next, the standard description that most nearly matches a job description determines the grade of that job. Job classification or job grading is slightly more sophisticated than job ranking, but it too is not very precise. Factor Comparison In the factor comparison method, each job is ranked according to a series of factors. This method includes five major steps. Under this method, instead of ranking complete jobs, each job is ranked according to a series of factors (as shown in Figure 8.3). Figure 8.4: The five universal job factors Job evaluators must then identify factors relevant and common in a broad range of jobs as shown in Table 8.2. A numerical point value is assigned to each job factor. The weights might be different for different job positions. Some organisations use different factors for managerial, professional, sales and other positions. Table 8.2: Factors relevant and common in a broad range of jobs Job Mental Skill Physical Responsibility Working Condition System Analyst 1 4 2 1 3 Data Entry Clerk 4 1 1 4 1 Programmer 2 3 3 2 4 Operator 3 2 4 3 2 Note: In the mental requirement, systems analyst ranked highest (1), followed by programmer (2), operator (3) and clerk (4). The evaluation allows the committee to determine the relative importance of each job. In this method, pay will be assigned by comparing the weights of the factors required for each job. This method of job evaluation is more systematic. Point System This method evaluates the critical factors of each job. But instead of using wages, as the factor comparison method does, it uses points. Under the point rating system, a number of factors such as skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions are identified as being common to all jobs being evaluated. Each factor is then given a weighting indicating its values relative to the others and for each factor there are varying degrees (as shown in Table 8.3). Table 8.3: Point system matrix No. Critical Factors Levels or Degrees Minimum I Low II Moderate III High IV 1 Responsibility Safety of others 25 50 75 100 Equipment and materials 20 40 60 80 Assisting trainees 5 20 60 50 Product/ Service Quality 20 40 60 80 2 Skill Experience 45 90 135 180 Education / Training 25 50 75 100 3 Effort Physical 25 50 75 100 Mental 25 70 105 150 4 Working Condition Unpleasant condition 20 20 60 80 Hazards 20 40 60 80 Total Points 100 A job description is prepared for each job and a committee then considers each description in turn, comparing it factor by factor, with the degree definitions. Points are allocated for each factor and the total point value determines the relative worth of each job. A point system is more precise than the factor comparison method because it can handle critical factors in more detail. This method is also used more than the other methods. Some 95% of the major corporations in the US are thought to use some variation of this method to evaluate jobs. Accountability Accuracy Analysis and judgment Complexity Contact and diplomacy Creativity Decision-making Dexterity (clever, skilful, neatness) Education Effects of errors Effort Initiative Judgment Know-how Knowledge and skill Mental effort Mental Fatigue Physical demands Physical skills Planning and coordination Problem-solving Responsibility for cash/material/confidential Information equipment, process, record and reports Social skills Supervision given/received Task completion Training and experience Work condition Work pressure Figure 8.5: A list of factors used most frequently in the point rating method as prepared by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) SELF-CHECK Describe how each of the four job evaluation methods below determine the worth of a job to an organisation. a) Job ranking b) Job classification c) Factor comparison d) Point system Hay Guide Chart The job evaluation process is enormously time consuming, complex and often a frustrating task as it is subjected to political pressures and biases that is natural among committee members who represent different functional areas. It has been proven that the job evaluation process is easier to do if the committee compares factors common to all jobs (compensable factors). For evaluating management jobs, the Hay Guide Chart Profile Method is the most popular method. This method provides a common language, an organised framework and the criteria to ensure that judgements applied can be tested and defended in an objective, consistent and equitable manner. This method is based on assessing three main factors, which are: know how problem solving accountability INPUT PROCESS CONTRIBUTION KNOW-HOW PROBLEM SOLVING ACCOUNTABILITY Figure 8.6: The Hay Guide Chart Method (a) Know How Knowledge, skills and experience needed for acceptable job performance. It consists of three dimensions which are: Scientific disciplines, specialised techniques, and practical procedures The depth and range of specialised knowledge required to perform the job. It requires a deep authoritative knowledge in areas of considerable significance to the organisation disciplines or general knowledge required to deal with strategic issues at the most senior level within the organisation. Managerial know-how Requirements needed in the job to plan, supervise, coordinate and integrate different activities, resources or parts of the organisation. Human relation skills Skills needed to communicate with and influence individuals and groups within and outside the organisation to achieve the necessary results. (b) Problem Solving The span, complexity and level of analytical, evaluative and innovative thought required in the job. The problem solving factor has two components. They are: Thinking environment The environment in which thinking takes place. Identifies and addresses problems that arise. Depends on the absence or presence of policy, procedure, supervision as well as other guidance. Thinking challenge Thinking done to assess the complexity of problems encountered, ranging from simple to complex situations. Also involves the extent of original thinking needed to arrive at conclusions. (c) Accountability Discretion given to the job holder to influence or determine the course of events and his/her answerability for the consequences of his/her decisions and actions. Accountability has three dimensions which are: Freedom to Act Assesses the degree of freedom of action given to a job by the organisation. Magnitude Gauges how much of the organisation is effected by the job holders accomplishment of the job. Job impact on end results Concerned with how directly the job affects end results in that area. SELF-CHECK Explain the three factors that the Hay Guide Chart method considers in evaluating the worth of a job to the organisation. Pricing Jobs Pricing jobs are divided into two activities: Establishing the appropriate pay level for each job. Grouping the different pay levels into a structure that can be managed effectively. It would not be unusual, for instance, for the personnel manager of Motorola to regularly share wage data on key positions. Firms in the community like Hewlett Packard identify job positions such as maintenance engineer, electrical engineer, key punch operators or clerk-typists and give comprehensive descriptions of these jobs. During the wage survey, various information can be requested (as shown in Figure 8.7). Figure 8.7: Information that can be requested when conducting a wage survey (a) Pay Level The appropriate pay level for any job reflects its relative and absolute worth. A jobs relative internal worth is determined by its ranking through the job evaluation process. The absolute worth of the job is controlled by what the labour market pays for similar jobs. Figure 8.8: Pay level Source: http://www.nursingtimes.net/whats-new-in-nursing/acute-care/pay-levels-confirm-lower-status-of-nurses/5008226.article (b) Scattergram In order to set the right pay level, the job evaluation ranking and the survey wage rates (the going rates in the industry) are combined through the use of a graph called the scattergram. [GD: Insert image of scattergram] Figure 8.9: Scattergram (c) Wage-trend line Through the dots that represent key jobs, a wage-trend line is drawn as close to as many points as possible (the line can be drawn freehand). Most importantly, this method can be used to identify jobs whose pay is out of the trend line. When a jobs pay rate is too high, it should be identified as a red circle rate. Undervalued rates (wage rate is too low) carry a green circle and attempts should be made to grant these jobs an average pay increase. Figure 8.10: Wage-trend line (d) Pay structure Jobs that are similar, in terms of class grades and points, are grouped together. For instance, pay grade 1 may cover 0-100 points, pay grade 2 from 1-200 points, and so on. The result is a hierarchy of wages. The more important jobs are paid more, and as individuals assume jobs of greater importance, they rise within the wages structure. Figure 8.11: Pay structure Source: http://skorcareer.com.my/images/salary-survey-asia.jpg Rate ranges are simply pay ranges for each job class. For example, the wage-trend line indicates that $8.00 is the average hourly rate for a particular job class. With a rate range of $1 for each class, a marginal performer is placed at a midpoint or $8.00. When performer appraisals indicate above-average performance, the employee may be given a merit rise of, say 25 cents per hour. Once the employee reaches the top of the wage range, no more wage increase will be forthcoming. Either a promotion or a general across-the-board pay raise needs to occur for this worker to exceed $8.50 an across-the-board increase moves the entire wage trend line upward. As new jobs are created, the wage and salary section of the personnel department performs a job evaluation. For this evaluation, the new job is assigned to an appropriate job class. If rate ranges are used, the new incumbent will start at the bottom of the range and receive raises, where appropriate, to the top of the rate range. SELF-CHECK What are the inputs that can be requested when conducting a wage survey to price jobs? Case Study The Thai Silk Company, Ltd. Source: http://www.retireearlylifestyle.com/ThaiSilk.html (a) Thai Silk Industry The production of Thai silk involves a number of stages. The earliest fiber production, was carried out by approximately 500,000 individual peasant families primarily in the economically-depressed northern portion of the country. Several hundred family firms located in the larger provincial towns and in Bangkok undertook intermediate stages dyeing, spinning and weaving. The final stages printing, converting and retailing were dominated by fewer than 100 enterprises located in Bangkok. (b) Finishing and Converting Thai silk moved directly from weavers into retail channels to be sold as fabric. However, a portion was finished (e.g. printed with a design) and/or converted (e.g. made into a pillow case, garment, window drape, etc.) before reaching retail. There were seven finishing establishments in the country, all located in Bangkok. The largest of these was a 51%-owned joint venture of Thai Silk Company Ltd. (TSC). It contained 16 hand painting tables compared to only 10 by its next largest competitor. It was the only finisher in the country specialising in silk to own an automatic printing machine. (c) Proposed New Weaving Mill On top of these changes, an important new development is currently under consideration. It involves a proposed 51-owned weaving joint venture, the Thai Silk Handweaving Co. Ltd. (TSHC). The plant was to be located at Pakthongchai in Korat Province about 100 miles northeast of Bangkok. It would initially contain 120 hand looms of the tradiational variety with capacity to supply about 20% of TSCs fabric needs. Currently, there are plans for an increase in the number of looms to 600 over a 6 year period. TSCs share of initial capitalisation would amount to 2.4 million Baht. SELF-CHECK The silk production involves many processes and stages, from dyeing to printing and retailing. As the Human Resource manager, how would you price the pay for employees working in the different stages of the silk production? Summary This chapter introduced you to job evaluation, its methods, the hay guide chart method, and inputs to refer to when pricing jobs. We have learned that: Job evaluation is the process of determining the value of one job in comparison to the other jobs within the organisation so a fair salary system can be established. It is the most common method used to provide a rationale for a pay structure and to assign a job to a pay grade. Job evaluation is usually administered by the human resource manager. However, it is typically performed by either a committee within the organisation or by outside consultants. The four basic job evaluation methods commonly used by organisations are: Job ranking Job classification (or job grading) Factor comparison The point system The hay guide chart method of evaluating jobs assesses three main factors: Know-how Problem solving Accountability When performing a job survey to price jobs, the following information can be requested: Pay level Scattergram Wage-trend line Pay structure Glossary Terms Definition Factor comparison Each job is ranked according to a series of factors, namely mental requirement, skill, physical requirement, responsibilities and working conditions. Hay guide chart method A job evaluation method that considers know-how, problem solving and accountability. Job classification/Job grading A form of evaluation that assigns jobs to an existing grade/category structure according to their relative worth to the organisation. Job evaluation The process of determining the value of one job in comparison to the other jobs within the organisation so a fair salary system can be established. Job ranking Jobs are compared to each other and arranged in order according to their worth to the organisation. Pay level What the labour market pays for similar jobs. Pay structure Jobs that are similar, in terms of class grades and points, are grouped together. Point system method Evaluates the critical factors of each job. But instead of using wages, as the factor comparison method does, it uses points. Scattergram A graph that uses plotted points to represent a set of data. Wage-trend line A line drawn as closely as possible to as many points representing key jobs in a graph.

Did You Say Library Anxiety? - Part Two :: Essays Papers

Did You Say Library Anxiety? - Part Two The discussion thus far has centered on some of the barriers that contribute to library anxiety. What are librarians learning from the study of this pervasive problem? The literature suggests that library anxiety impacts academic success or failure through learning styles and behavior anomalies. In addition, studies are showing how library anxiety is teaching librarians that best practices exist for areas such as bibliographic instruction. Graduate students and undergraduates alike experience library anxiety. Qun G. Jiao and Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie have conducted numerous studies on this subject and found that certain behavior anomalies are linked to library anxiety, such as perfectionism and academic procrastination. It has been concluded that for socially prescribed perfectionists, the library is a threat for them and there exists a relationship between perfectionism and library anxiety . This is also consistent with the results of Mellon’s study which reported that library anxious students feel that only they are inept at using the library while other students do not experience the same problems, and that this ineptness is a source of embarrassment and should be kept secret. These feelings result in a reluctance to seek help from librarians fearing that their ignorance will be exposed. In turn this anxiety, in all likelihood, leads to library avoidance. Library avoidance behavior has also been found in the phenomena of academic procrastination. Fear of failure and task aversion resulting in procrastination has been found to be related to barriers with staff, affective barriers, comfort with the library, and knowledge of the library. Although it is unclear whether this is a causal relationship, it provides evidence that there are more than just time management and study skill issues involved, but includes cognitive-affective components. These are only two examples of behavior anomalies shown to be linked to library anxiety. The broader perspective here is that library anxiety can lead to scholastic underachievement in students who are nervous about seeking help from a librarian and therefore tend to produce lower quality work. Constance Mellon’s groundbreaking work in 1986 was the first to not only identify library anxiety, but to discover how it affects the learning process. While designing an instruction program, she discovered that anxiety students felt about the research process was considerably lessened after contact with a librarian. She then developed exercises to be done in the library and added information into these sessions about the phenomena of library anxiety assuring students that is was a common occurrence.

Education in America Essay

Education is a hot topic in the news and for most American citizens. They are preoccupied with the level of education their loved one are receiving. With the deficit being the cornerstone of much of government funding, agencies are feeling the cutbacks, and education is no exception. States have made steep cuts to education funding since the start of the recession. In many states, those cuts deepened over the last year. Elementary and high schools are receiving less state funding in the 2012-13 school year than they did last year in 26 states, and in 35 states school funding now stands below 2008 levels-often far below (Oliff, Mai, & Leachman, 2012). Lack of government funding for education can lead to other issues such as well qualified teachers leaving the profession due to lack of good pay, and benefits. Other issues includes lack of school material that is needed to teach successfully in the classrooms, and teacher’s assistants to help. In other classrooms teachers are feeling overwhelmed and leaving students to take responsibility for their learning experience. Still other issues derive from a lack of funding such as a lack of finances to assist special needs students. The lack of government funding could deter learning for students that are already struggling Analysis of Education in Georgia Georgia like many other states are negatively affected by the budget cuts for education. Georgia will lose approximately $28. 6 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 390 teacher and aide jobs at risk. In addition about 54,000 fewer students would be served and approximately 80 fewer schools would receive funding. In addition, Georgia will lose approximately $17. 5 million in funds for about 210 teachers, aides, and staff who help children with disabilities (Burns, 2013). These persistent budget cuts are an injustice because all students deserve a well-rounded education. Educators are leaving In addition, teachers are leaving the classroom in massive groves to find employment in other careers because of the lack of government funding. Sadly, many teachers are leaving their beloved classrooms to pursue other ventures because of budget cuts, or because they are put in a situation of distress due to budget cuts, so either way our children are losing the battle of education, and good teachers are optioning for other career choices. Nationally, the average turnover for all teachers is 17 percent, and in urban school districts specifically, the number jumps to 20 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future proffers starker numbers, estimating that one-third of all new teachers leave after three years, and 46 percent are gone within five years (Kopkowski, 2013). Stakeholders The stakeholders in education includes the students, parents, teachers, principals, student advisors, the PTA, etc. , any person or organization that has a vested interest in the students and their education. When the education systems fails, we all fail as a country. The future of education is a looming reminder of the importance of financial funding from the federal government. When budget cuts interfere with the future of students, it is time to make some tough choices. Although there are other programs that need federal funding to keep their agencies successful, education should still be given top priority. The stakeholders invest in the future of the young by teaching, advising, mentoring, and in some cases funding. Their valuable input is mandatory in the fight for survival for educational funding. The stakeholders have much to lose when the educational system fails. When this happens, dropout rates and unemployment rises which adversely affects the economy. Summary Children are truly our future, and illiterate children have nothing positive to offer. The demise of education in the America is taking a heavy toll on each of us, the parents, the student, and the teachers, we all suffer. Frustration often leads to failure when it is not dealt with in a professional and timely manner. Not only are the students feeling the pressure of ill equipped schools, but the teachers are also feeling the pressure. Many teachers buy supplies for their classroom from their already shrinking checks because they do not have proper funding to supply their classroom needs. Tough decisions need to be made in allocating funds to agencies that are in dire need of funding. Education is vital for the future of America, and the government is wise to realize that this is one budget cut that is not beneficial to anyone involved.

Free Essays on Understanding Socrates Argument“Knowledge Is Virtue“

, any human being does what benefit him/her the most. Furthermore, Socrates talked much about soul. He thought of the soul as " the intellectual and moral personality, the responsible agent in knowing and acting rightly or wrongly". (Armstrong , 29). As such the soul is the essence of a person, his/her true rationality. In order to be virtuous everyone should care about his/her soul. In addition for virtues are "qualities of the soul. " ( Boguta, 131) Everyone, who neglects these qualities, makes the soul bad, which makes whole human being bad. In describing the soul he also refers to the importance of knowledge, saying, " the things of the soul†¦ hang upon wisdom". ( Boguta , 131) Socrates claims in such a way that right ac... Free Essays on Understanding Socrates Argumentâ€Å"Knowledge Is Virtueâ€Å" Free Essays on Understanding Socrates Argumentâ€Å"Knowledge Is Virtueâ€Å" Understanding Socrates' argument " Knowledge is virtue" Socrates devoted his life to resolving the philosophical problems he discovered through persistent dialectical activity. One of his concerns was to prove that good could not be done without knowledge. In other words, he claims the idea of Knowledge is Virtue. (Boguta, 130) Not less important was question what it was that makes people complete and whether there are such things that make woman/man perfect. Good people for him were virtuous people, people who had such qualities as wisdom, courage, temperance, etc. Moreover, nothing would be good were it is not for knowledge, and hence, knowledge is the only profitable thing; but virtue is profitable as well because it brings profit to one's soul. Thus, Virtue must be Knowledge. (Boguta , 131) So, good involves knowledge as in the ability to make, use and choose good things and actions. Without knowledge it is impossible to fulfill our desires and make us happy. Things for Socrates are neither good nor evil. It is only because of knowledge or lack of it that makes them either. Besides, Socrates assumes that anyone who has the mind will always try to act in a way that is better for him/her. In other words, any human being does what benefit him/her the most. Furthermore, Socrates talked much about soul. He thought of the soul as " the intellectual and moral personality, the responsible agent in knowing and acting rightly or wrongly". (Armstrong , 29). As such the soul is the essence of a person, his/her true rationality. In order to be virtuous everyone should care about his/her soul. In addition for virtues are "qualities of the soul. " ( Boguta, 131) Everyone, who neglects these qualities, makes the soul bad, which makes whole human being bad. In describing the soul he also refers to the importance of knowledge, saying, " the things of the soul†¦ hang upon wisdom". ( Boguta , 131) Socrates claims in such a way that right ac...