Mean Girls Essay free essay sample

This movie, Mean Girls, is a very interesting movie that shows that you should always be yourself no matter what people think and no matter what they have to say. A few of the main characters in this movie include Cady Heron, Regina George, Karen Smith, Gretchen Weiners, and Ms. Norbury. All of these characters take part in the high school that the film take place in. The director of this movie is Mark Waters; he is a film director and producer. This movie was published in the year of 2004. This movie contains one type of genre which is the â€Å"Drama† category. This movie runs for approximately 97 minutes. I really enjoyed watching this movie. It is interesting to see how people’s attitudes can change due to one person and a specified reality check. This movie portrays that some of the smallest things can make a big difference within people’s attitudes and personalities. We will write a custom essay sample on Mean Girls Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In 2004, Cady Heron had to leave her homeschooling and start going to public school. Cady was homeschooled all of her life and didn’t know what it was like to go to school with a bunch of teenagers. Cady lived in Africa her entire life, which was where her parents had a working contract. When she first reached high school, in the first couple of days she met Janice and Damian, who were known in the â€Å"Out Crowd† and completely against the â€Å"Plastics†. The â€Å"Plastics† had three beautiful and popular girls in it, the most popular, Regina, Gretchen, and the least popular of the three, Karen. The â€Å"Plastics† attention was automatically brought to Cady when they noticed how pretty and easily-influenced she would be. But Cady, being unsure about them, kept her friends Janice and Damian. Cady eventually ends up becoming close friends with the â€Å"Plastics† so that she can retrieve their darkest secrets and tell them to Janice and Damian. Little does everyone know, Cady soon starts to turn into a â€Å"Plastic†. When Cady falls for Regina’s ex-boyfriend, Aaron, that soon causes a problem between the two girls and makes Regina snap on the rest of the â€Å"Plastics† which leaves Cady in charge. When the story first begins, it takes place in a high school located in Evanston, Illinois, but the film was also shot in Toronto, Ontario. During most of the Evil plans and evil actions that the â€Å"Plastics† do, the camera was zoomed into their face in order to see their expression. This movie has various camera angles that all support what’s going on in the intense and dramatic scenes. Most of the Dolly shots are found at the end of the movie when they show what happens after the Homecoming dance. As they reach the end of the movie, they start narrating. The costume designers did an amazing job. They dressed the actors appropriately according to the year this movie took place in. The lightning during the speech at the dance makes everything seem more sincere and intense. In my opinion, the two main characters in this film are Cady Heron and Regina George. A majority of the film focuses on their relationship. Regina is the leader of the â€Å"Plastics†. Her nasty attitude towards anyone outside of that group is changed when she meets Cady. Regina was first very nice to Cady because she was very easy to influence and didn’t know much about the crowds in high school. As she sees the way Cady is acting and changing, she realizes that they will no longer get along based on how Cady was acting. Cady and Regina became distant and treated each other as if they didn’t exist. Cady is the new-girl in her high school. In the beginning, Cady cares about nobody but herself, but then realizes that she is making friends, and she tries to look out for them. Once Regina and Cady have a talk, Cady realizes that Regina is really just and evil back-stabber and those from the â€Å"Out Crowd† were completely right. Regina and Cady then treat each other as if they’re worthless. All the actors show a great amount of intensity and passion during the film. You can really see the connection that they really started to have, and that made the movie ten times better and even more interesting. Mean Girls relies on the theme; â€Å"Take me as I am, or watch me as I go.† I think it relies on this theme because at first Cady changed the way she was acting around everyone in order to fit in and seem liked, but it only made her look fake. Cady later on learns that if people aren’t willing to accept her for who she is, than they shouldn’t deserve to be in her life. In my opinion, changing who you are in order to fit in is only hurting yourself because you are not able to stay true to yourself. This movie is amazing, I loved it, and the overall point of the movie changed the way I choose to think about people. I learned that if I don’t really show who I am, I will be hurting myself by not being honest and true to myself, which is giving myself the â€Å"short end of the stick† and hiding my true potential. This movie could bring people together and help them focus on someone’s personality instead of what they look like. In my perspective, this movie really does demonstrate loyalty, trust, and respect, which are very important keys to life.

Debate on School Prayer Essays

Debate on School Prayer Essays Debate on School Prayer Essay Debate on School Prayer Essay The School Prayer Debate William Scanlon PHI200 Mind and Machine Instructor Jon Stern July 20, 2011 One of the most hotly debated topics in the last fifty years is whether or not prayer in public schools should be allowed; a simple question which gives rise to many complicated and emotional answers. The most basic dispute is the separation of church and state. As reiterated in a 1962 Supreme Court ruling in the case of Eagel v. Vitale, the court ruled that public schools were not empowered to condone school prayer and in fact that school prayer was unconstitutional(Dierenfield,2007). The case was brought about by families of public school students who complained that the voluntary prayer, â€Å"Almighty God,† was a contradiction to their beliefs. The prayer went simply, â€Å"Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon thee, and we beg thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teacher, and our country. Amen. †(Murray,2010) The complaint argued that beginning the school day with this prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution which states, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. † The constitutionality of the prayer had been upheld the N. Y. State Appeasl (Smith,1987). Not ironically perhaps because the prayer had been written and approved by the N. Y. Board of Regents. It ruled the opinion of the Supreme Court was that a government authorized prayer could not be made mandatory to be recited in a public school. The Court further went on to reinstate how important the Separation of Church and State is. They went on to explain that prayer is a religious activity and thus violated the establishment clause. Hence the prayer written by a government agency to encourage religious belief was not permissible according to the Constitution. Many lawsuits on the same subject ensued. In subsequent cases though, the Supreme Court has been consistent in its rulings. It has prohibited readings from the Bible, forbidden the Lord’s Prayer, and has even ruled that prayers at public school sporting events and graduations were unconstitutional (Ravitch 2001). The debate rages on with each case and ruling. A situation which may never be settled or compromised is Religion and belief in a God is one of the most emotional issues man has debated, fought about, and even died for over the centuries, The debate on school prayer will rage on and on and ultimately always come to a stalemate. This is partly due to the fact that the question of one’s own personal belief in God is at the core of the issue. Those in favor of prayer in school will say that praying in school will teach Religious tolerance(Majors,Cheri 2010). That it will instill and inspire children to question and seek answers about God and different Religions and to develop their own beliefs. Very often the argument For Prayer is that putting prayer back in school will reverse what is believed to be a moral decline in the country. Many believe that since school prayer has been banned, crime has increased, family values have deteriorated, and some zealots even predict that it is the forerunner to Armageddon, as America has lost its soul. Some believe that banning prayer actually deprives religious freedom as guaranteed in the Constitution. By prohibiting prayer it in turn promotes Non-Religion. That is to say without prayer in school it discourages a child from believing in any religion and gives a sense that praying at all is bad. On the other side, those against prayer in school feel that if it were allowed, religion would be forced upon students. They feel that school is there strictly for education and religion should not be part of it. Prayer promots emotional feelings and can give rise to religious discrimination of these opposing beliefs. Some go as far to say that prayer in school wastes time better spent focused on studies. Prayers are part of values learned at home and as such should remain there. Those against prayer will also say that schools allow enough free time for any religious observance. As the case against prayer in public school continues to be upheld by the courts, I have to admit that the side against prayer has the more logical argument. The Constitution guarantees a citizen the right to private prayer, but it does not force others to listen if they chose not to. I agree with the statement, â€Å"State supported prayer is not ‘Free Exercise’ its ‘Forced Religion. ’†(Dierenfield,2007) And that is why it is prohibited. Another fact I take credence in is that according to the U. S. Census church membership remained constant since 1960, before prayer in public school was banned. True morals in this country have declined since the Supreme Courts originally ruled, but I owe that more to the decline of Family Values. Due in part to changed in family dynamics as there are more and more single parents, as well as both parents being forced to work. The question of school prayer in public schools is indeed a philosophical one. I truly believe this debate will be never-ending. Just as people debate the existence of a God; there will always be more questions than answers to the issue. Exactly how prayer in school ultimately affects students is subject to interpretation. The matter cannot be judged or determined as a whole because young individual minds are a stake here. In my opinion I believe it is all the more important that individual rights and free thinking must be the main objective in teaching our children. We must continue to teach, not preach religion to young minds. Expose them to all the different cultures and religious beliefs there are. Show them that be it Christianity, Judaism, Muslim or any other religion, all promote goodwill and love. All are there for them to embrace and choose if they so desire. References Dierenfield, Brue J. The Battle Over School Prayer (2007) Kansas City, KS University of Kansas Press Murray, Andrew With Christ in School Prayer (2010) readaclassic. com Majors, Cheri A Case for Prayer in Schools (2010) Creare Space, NY, NY Ravitch, Frank S. School Prayer and Discrimination (2001) Simon Schuster, New York, NY Smith, Rodney K. Public Prayer and the Constitution (1987) Schorarly Resources, New York, NY Appeals Court Hears AU’s Prayer Case Church and State (1999) Col 52 Issue 1 Page 13

Battle of Franklin - Civil War Battle of Franklin - John Bell Hood

Battle of Franklin - Civil War Battle of Franklin - John Bell Hood Battle of Franklin - Conflict: The Battle of Franklin was fought during the American Civil War. Armies Commanders at Franklin: Union Major General John Schofield30,000 men Confederate General John Bell Hood38,000 men Battle of Franklin - Date: Hood attacked the Army of the Ohio on November 30, 1864. Battle of Franklin - Background: In the wake of the Union capture of Atlanta in September 1864, Confederate General John Bell Hood regrouped the Army of Tennessee and launched a new campaign to break Union General William T. Shermans supply lines north. Later that month, Sherman dispatched Major General George H. Thomas to Nashville to organize Union forces in the area. Outnumbered, Hood decided to move north to attack Thomas before the Union general could reunite with Sherman. Aware of Hoods movement north, Sherman sent Major General John Schofield to reinforce Thomas. Moving with VI and XXIII Corps, Schofield quickly became Hoods new target. Seeking to prevent Schofield from joining with Thomas, Hood pursued the Union columns and the two forces squared off at Columbia, TN from November 24-29. Next racing to Spring Hill, Schofields men beat off an uncoordinated Confederate attack before escaping in the night to Franklin. Arriving at Franklin at 6:00 AM on November 30, the lead Union troops began preparing a strong, arc-shaped defensive position to the south of the town. The Union rear was protected by the Harpeth River. Battle of Franklin - Schofield Turns: Entering the town, Schofield decided to make a stand as the bridges across the river were damaged and needed to be repaired before the bulk of his forces could cross. While repair work commenced, the Union supply train slowly began crossing the river using a nearby ford. By noon, the earthworks were complete and a secondary line established 40-65 yards behind the main line. Settling in to await Hood, Schofield decided that the position would be abandoned if the Confederates did not arrive before 6:00 PM. In close pursuit, Hoods columns reached Winstead Hill, two miles south of Franklin, around 1:00 PM. Battle of Franklin - Hood Attacks: Establishing his headquarters, Hood ordered his commanders to prepare for an assault on the Union lines. Knowing the dangers of frontally attacking a fortified position, many of Hoods subordinates attempted to talk him out of the assault, but he would not relent. Moving forward with Major General Benjamin Cheathams corps on the left and Lieutenant General Alexander Stewarts on the right, the Confederate forces first encountered two brigades of Brigadier General George Wagners division. Posted half a mile forward of the Union line, Wagners men were supposed to fall back if pressed. Disobeying orders, Wagner had his men stand firm in an attempt to turn back Hoods assault. Quickly overwhelmed, his two brigades fell back toward the Union line where their presence between the line and the Confederates prevented Union troops from opening fire. This failure to cleanly pass through the lines, coupled with a gap in the Union earthworks at the Columbia Pike, allowed three Confederate divisions to focus their attack on the weakest part of Schofields line. Battle of Franklin - Hood Wrecks His Army: Breaking through, men from Major Generals Patrick Cleburne, John C. Brown, and Samuel G. Frenchs divisions were met by a furious counterattack by Colonel Emerson Opdyckes brigade as well as other Union regiments. After brutal hand-to-hand fighting, they were able to close the breach and throw back the Confederates. To the west, Major General William B. Bates division was repulsed with heavy casualties. A similar fate met much of Stewarts corps on the right wing. Despite the heavy casualties, Hood believed that the Union center had been badly damaged. Unwilling to accept defeat, Hood continued to throw uncoordinated attacks against Schofields works. Around 7:00 PM, with Lieutenant General Stephen D. Lees corps arriving on the field, Hood selected Major General Edward Allegheny Johnsons division to lead another assault. Storming forward, Johnsons men and other Confederate units failed to reach the Union line and became pinned down. For two hours an intense firefight ensued until Confederate troops were able to fall back in the darkness. To the east, Confederate cavalry under Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest attempted to turn Schofields flank but were blocked by Major General James H. Wilsons Union horsemen. With the Confederate assault defeated, Schofields men began crossing the Harpeth around 11:00 PM and reached the fortifications at Nashville the next day. Battle of Franklin - Aftermath: The Battle of Franklin cost Hood 1,750 killed and around 5,800 wounded. Among the Confederate deaths were six generals: Patrick Cleburne, John Adams, States Rights Gist, Otho Strahl, and Hiram Granbury. An additional eight were wounded or captured. Fighting behind earthworks, Union losses were a mere 189 killed, 1,033 wounded, 1,104 missing/captured. The majority of those Union troops that were captured were wounded and medical personnel who remained after Schofield departed Franklin. Many were liberated on December 18, when Union forces re-took Franklin after the Battle of Nashville. While Hoods men were dazed after their defeat at Franklin, they pressed on and clashed with Thomas and Schofields forces at Nashville on December 15-16. Routed, Hoods army effectively ceased to exist after the battle. The assault at Franklin is frequently known as the Picketts Charge of the West in reference to the Confederate assault at Gettysburg. In reality, Hoods attack consisted of more men, 19,000 vs. 12,500, and advanced over a longer distance, 2 miles vs. .75 miles, than Lieutenant General James Longstreets assault on July 3, 1863. Also, while Picketts Charge lasted approximately 50 minutes, the assaults at Franklin were conducted over a span of five hours. Selected Sources Civil War Trust: Battle of FranklinCWSAC Battle Summary: Battle of Franklin

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Globalization - Essay Example Before the United States of America was the ultimate supreme ruler and countries like India were low-level underdeveloped nations. However, globalization has changed this. Although these countries cannot yet rise to the same level in terms of development, they are able to learn and understand better the culture and other aspects of development such as in technology and innovations about other countries. Communication has definitely increased in growth. People are now integrated in their thinking to improve and modernize their ways of doing things. Lower level countries can now understand the good concepts of other countries and integrate them in their own country for development. Technology, especially computers, paved the way for Internet, which has made communication so much faster. Freidman, in his book, realizes that the world is flat when he visited several technology companies and call centers in India and also in China. Friedman is later told that the playing field right now h as been leveled, a condition in which all companies and businesses have an equal chance of being successful and on top. Now, countries like India can participate in the competition for worldwide understanding and knowledge, flattening to the point where businesses, small or big, can collaborate and vie globally. Globalization has caused several effects in the development of many areas in development and growth. In the military, it has flattened through the use of computer technology. Now, low-status officers and recruited men could gain access to different kinds of information through the Internet. Education is also now available through the Internet. Online schooling is now possible. American people can be lectured, coached and instructed online by Indian tutors. Information is spread throughout the world and is now continually flowing to even the remote locations in several countries. In terms of trade and commerce, advertising and sales can be done through television and the inte rnet as well which is seen by more audiences in a cheaper and a more low-cost way. Because of the flat world, there is an emergence and the beginning of worldwide production markets that have dramatically increased the development of international trade within the past five decades. In addition, in terms of economy, in my opinion, countries now have the same and equal opportunity to become the number one power in terms of wealth. Before, the United States was the main world power and it has maintained a sturdy and rich economy. But because of globalization, China grew tremendously, competing with America, and it has been predicted that in twenty years time with this kind of rate from China, it will have enough to rival with the United States. Communication to the social public has now effectively increased and grew. Tri media has now become cheaper and cheaper to the point where it has become affordable to everyone, enabling it to reach a larger audience faster and in a more afforda ble way. Culture has also become influenced and has changed. Cultural diffusion, or the sharing an the spreading of ideas, the contact between cultural countries, adopting new cultures and practices and technology has bloomed, flourished and tremendously grew. Cultural diversity is now more apparent such as the emergence of international pop culture and trends. With all this development and the rise

Com 263 Assignment # 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Com 263 Assignment # 2 - Essay Example The dinner table is considered a formal type of gathering and is considered an important event. This reflects the Hispanic culture that places a high value on family. Because mealtime is considered to be an important and formal event, formal communication skills are stressed. The children, aged 6 and 9, are instructed to speak clearly and in complete sentences. Children are also taught that there is an appropriate time to speak and an appropriate time to listen. Slang is not encouraged and though the family speaks Spanish, they use English at the table. This is a non-verbal message that reflects the value they place on America. Other non-verbal messages, such as hand gestures and facial expressions, are not allowed in the formal setting. These non-verbal messages are prized by the culture in informal communication, but children are discouraged from using them with elders or in formal settings. One of the basic cultural norms for the Hispanic family is that children must listen to their parents. This conveys a high degree of respect for age and authority. The children are also taught to listen attentively to anyone that is speaking and attempt to understand what is being said. Though the children are bilingual, English is their first language. In less formal settings the children are taught Spanish and encouraged to speak and understand both languages. They are also taught to ask questions about any conversation they dont understand. They are instructed to react in a proper manner and not engage in sibling rivalry or mocking at the dinner table. One of the basic understandings of this cultural setting is that the father is the head of the table and will control the meal as well as the communication. The father in the Hispanic culture is the undisputed head of the household in all affairs. You should engage in conversation only with his consent. This consent may be in

Effectiveness of Sports Psychology

Effectiveness of Sports Psychology With reference to published literature critically discuss the factors influencing the effectiveness of a sport psychologist Introduction Sport psychology has grown remarkably from its roots in the amorphous and poorly understood disciplines of athlete motivation and performance counselling 40 years ago (Dosil, 2005; Cox, 2005). Modern sport at every level of competition and in virtually every sporting activity has benefited from the application of psychological principles and mental training in the pursuit of maximum athletic performance, stress management, improved training attitude and every other aspect of sport where the mind, emotions and physical performance intersect. Sport psychology is unique amongst the applied psychology disciplines for a number of reasons. The phrase suggests that there are accepted common practices employed by sports psychologists and its is acknowledged as with any science, the baseline approaches to the education, training and certification of the sport psychologist are well understood across the world of sport and athletic competition. The feature of sports psychology practice that tends to differentiate it from other form of applied psychology is the general closeness of the relationships developed between an individual athlete and their psychologist. The common professional boundaries of professional detachment are different in sports environments where intense emotion and competitive desire are the fuel that both drives the athlete onwards and makes them vulnerable to psychological stresses. Many sport psychologists play a multi-dimensional role in the lives of their athlete clients trained professional psychologist, friend, sounding board, confidante and advisor are each possible and entirely ethical component to the relationships that may develop in practise (Watson, 2008, 1). This paper considers the question of effectiveness of the sports psychologist as considered within the following analytical and discussion framework. A detailed and properly academic analysis of why the science of sports psychology is effective in the context of competitive and recreational sport is beyond the scope of this paper. The discussion that is developed below is premised on the proposition that sports psychology is a proven and well accepted body of science that applied in accordance with its principles will generally benefit an athlete. All athletes in all sports, team and individualÂÂ   from cross country running to equestrienne events, in all age groups and genders are amenable to its benefits (Kornspan McCracken, 2003: 36: Donohue, 2001: 19). The important question in the present context is what factors, professional and personal render a sports psychologist successful in a particular application. Included in this discrete issue are a wide variety of potential eth ical considerations. The question requires that a preliminary working definition of sport psychologist be articulated; the definition as stated below also assists in defining the general areas of professional engagement within sport. The discussion will then engage two broad and interrelated questions: what steps sports psychologists take in any given assignment to achieve maximum effect with their athlete; where are the typical problem areas that require attention in the sports psychologist / athlete relationship? The emphasis of the discussion will be directed to Educational Sports Psychologists as this area of sport psychology provides the most immediate connections between athletic performance and the application of psychological principles. These questions also require consideration of the type of person who is more likely to succeed as a sports psychologist as with any professional activity where the subject is a human being, the delicate interface between the knowledge based psychological education that helps to comprise ones intellect and the often empathetic talent of dealing with people is important (Armstrong, 2001; Griffin, 2008:10). The paper draws upon the significant representative sampling of the authorities as appended to this paper in this regard. The paper concludes with some thoughts concerning the anticipated continued expansion of the sport psychologist role at all levels of sport. If these professionals have not already achieved such status in most sports, it is submitted that the progression observed in the relationship between athletes and sports psychologist will trace the progression from pop psychology to important training and coaching asset to an indispensible component of the training regimes and competitive performance of all serious athletes.ÂÂ   Sport Psychology definition and scope of the discipline The literal definition of sports psychology is a deceptively straightforward one. According to Cox (1998) and confirmed as accepted throughout the literature, sport psychology is a science in which the principles of psychology are applied in a sport or exercise setting (p.4). The definition does not depend on the presence of a professional relationship with elite or aspiring high performance athletes; the principles of sport psychology apply with necessary circumstantial modification to every level of athlete. In this paper, the term sport psychologist shall extend to any professional engaged in the psychology of sport or exercise (Douthitt Harvey, 1995: Griffin, 2008)). As a general proposition there are three different types of sport psychologists recognised in the field; a great deal of the work carried out by a sport psychologist may include work in more than one category in the case of a particular athlete or assignment. For the purposes of the discussions set out below, the boundaries between each sub discipline shall be regarded as relatively fixed. In the present discussion, it is assumed that each category member is a fully trained and accredited psychologist as defined by the relevant statue I their jurisdiction (British Psychological Society, 2009: American Psychological Society, 2009). The first category is the Clinical/Counselling Sport Psychologist (Cox, 2005).This person is trained in clinical or counselling psychology and is a licensed psychologist. These psychologists are trained to assist athletes to deal effectively with emotional and personality disorder issues that affect particular athletes. The range of prospective sport patients that this professional might assist is very broad; an example would include treating a female gymnast who suffers from bulimia or other eating disorder given the competitive pressures to perform at a specific weight. Treating a downhill skier of motorsports racer who has difficulties recovering from a particular crash or injury might be another. The second category is the grouping that includes the Educational Sport Psychologist (Cox, 2005; Kramer Moran, 2008). These psychologists come to sport with an extensive academic and practical background in university departments of physical education and sport specific training. The objective of an intervention or ongoing assistance provided by these individuals is to assist the athlete to develop a wide range of potential psychological skills for performance enhancement. Specific techniques such as various mental imagery sequences, self talk, the building of per performance or per competition routines are all included in the work carried out by the psychologists in this category (Morris Summers, 2004; Boyce King, 1993). These psychologists also provide services to athletes in a team environment. This particular definition also provides an important qualification concerning the general role of psychology in sport. Sport psychologists are not monopolists in this area. Many athletes have the benefit of psychological support as provided by a trainer, a position coach or a team manager (Kornspan Duve, 2006; Wilson Stephens, 2005). This element of sport psychology is very important but is excluded from consideration here. The final category is the Research Sport Psychologist. This group is comprised of scientists and scholars of sport psychologist. Theirs is an important support role to the entire discipline (Cox, 2005). Sport provides science with ongoing opportunities to gain access to athletes and teams in every sport from its preseason, in season and post season /off season periodization. The psychologists engage in ongoing research and experiments in the field. Applied sport psychology Applied sport and exercise psychology involves the extension of psychology theory and research into a specific field. While the particular athlete or team will inevitably attract the most attention in these applications, given that the pursuit of athletic excellence is a primary objective, the psychologist has a significant role to play in the education of any coaches, teammates, parents, fitness professionals, and athletic trainers about the psychological aspects of the specific sport or exercise activity. Applied sport and exercise psychologists seek to facilitate maximal involvement, performance, and enjoyment in any sport environment. The practice of applied sport and exercise psychology usually involves a combination of individual and group consulting or counseling depending on the style of the professional conducting the intervention and the needs of the client. The realty of amateur sport is that many athletes do not have the access or means to have a personal psychological consultant (Maclean Hamm, 2008: 352). Notwithstanding access questions, the principles that support a proper practitioner / athlete relationship are the same. Key Issues Sports psychologists face similar professional demands in areas such as continuing education and training. It is submitted that given the ceaseless commitment to athletic improvement, the development of new training techniques, nutritional and supplement approaches, physical monitoring, equipment trends and related factors places a substantial pressure on a sports psychologist to remain current in all aspects of their practice (Nesti, 2004). At its best articulation, sport psychology has a transformational power that elevates performance (Armstrong, 2001, 4). Experiential learning cycles are often at the heart of successful sport psychology practice, because sport performance typically provides immediate feedback as to the efficacy of the cycles developed for the athlete. Sport psychology encourages an intensely personalized approach to all facets of it application; a significant relationship exists between the personality of the practitioner and the effectiveness of the applications; the simple observation that not every psychologist can succeed in this area due to the limitations of their own personality is reinforced here. For even the most engaged and cutting edge practitioners, there are practical considerations to the discipline that are submitted as both constants and as overarching issues that never decline in their importance. These are discussed here under the general rubric of ethics; as the examples below illustrate, the boundaries between professional competence, the duty of care to the athlete, continuing education concerning best practices, and the maintenance of appropriate ethical standards in all matters involving an athlete or team are not always clear cut. It is important to appreciate that notwithstanding the unique demands of an individual sport or the immediacy that may be a part of the practitioner / athlete relationship, a psychologist remains bound by the statutory provisions and the ethical regulations of their jurisdiction. The various Codes of Conduct do not create separate regimes for the sports psychologist; the attention to the athlete relationship must be observed with the same care as patient relationships in clinical or therapeutic settings. It may be observed that in an elite sports team setting, where there is a large staff of professional sport persons that span a number of disciplines, only the team physician and the sport psychologist are liable to a standard of ethical conduct that extends beyond their contractual obligation to the team or the common law duties of care that might apply to a coach athlete or trainer athlete scenario (Nesti, 2004; Watson, 2008; Morris Summers, 2004). Ethical codes may be clearer c ut when the practitioners relationship is with a adult professional golfer or well paid footballer; the youth and overall potential for vulnerable persons to be working with a sports psychologist render the standard ethical duties very important in practice. One might conclude that given the acceptance of sport psychology as an important element of modern sport training and competition, that the more closely one could integrate physical and psychological, athletic training the more efficient the training over all and the more successful the athletic enterprise. Leaving aside the impossibility of installing combined coach / practitioners at every level of sport, a seeming next best option would be to ensure a close and centralised relationship between the athletic and psychological training programmes. There are clear advantages to such a coordinated approach. The training time required for each aspect would be optimized; the psychological training could be seamlessly integrated into every segment of the physical training routines. The trust implicit in the athlete / coach relationship could assist the athlete in overcoming any apprehension about what to them may be novel or disconcerting mental training approaches (Wright Erdal, 2008: 187). The disadvantages are equally stark and it is submitted that the maintenance of practitioner and coaching boundaries is important in several potential areas of difficulty. Where the coach and the psychologist are working very closely together in a team sport environment, there is the concern that the athlete may be apprehensive about confiding in the psychologist or making a complete commitment to a psychological training programme for fear of any mental / emotional weakness being revealed to the coach and thus compromising playing time or status on the team (Watson Clement, 2008, 3). The relationship between psychologist and athlete, like coach and athlete is inherently a power relationship; the knowledge that the practitioner applies to the psychological aspects of training create a dependency that must not be permitted to influence any other relationships that the athlete has.ÂÂ   As Nesti notes (2004), the task facing the practitioner is to simultaneously maintain openness to the athletes and coaches without abandoning or diluting their most personal and deeply held values. This makes considerable demands upon the psychologist working in a sports environment where the dominant values are those centred on self-preservation and material gain.(102) The ethics rubric takes on a further and more complex dimension when a team or sports organisation retains a sport psychologist to provide training. The ethical duties and their corresponding lines can become blurred. The following hypothetical will illustrate the issue. A sport psychologist is retained by a football team to help develop what the coach describes as mental toughness (Wann Polk, 2007).ÂÂ   The coach wants his players to be more aggressive, more truculent and more physical in their approach to the game Im tired of our guys getting pushed around. It may be readily appreciated that there is a thin almost indiscernible boundary between the coachs toughness and a training programme that may as easily promote rough, violent or anti-social attitudes amongst the players. The coach is determined to take newfound toughness instilled in the mental training regime to a new competitive level. The psychologist is now placed in a difficult position to train as the clubs retai ner requires, or to potentially assist in the promotion of emotional attitudes that are not necessarily in the individual athletes interest (Goldstein Iso-Ahola, 2006). The sports psychologist has an important preventative / restorative role in all aspects of athletic training. Burnout is a psychological problem at every level of competitive sport, youth leagues to the professional ranks. (Kalliath Beck, 2001; Matheson, Mathes Murray, 1997) The same fundamental trust relationship between practitioner and athlete that build mental power in sport must also be applied where appropriate to protect if an athlete is not emotionally suited to a particular type of training a practitioner has a positive ethical obligation to discontinue it, no matter who is paying for the services. Future Directions in Sport Psychology It is impossible to provide a definitive conclusion as to the future direction of sport psychology within the framework of this paper. However, two tentative propositions may be advanced. The first is a predicted even greater reliance by elite athletes on sport psychologists to provide them with support in training and competition. Every athlete in every sport seeks the proverbial edge, so often measured in millimeters or milliseconds. In an era of immense potential financial returns for sport success, a sports psychologist is a cost-effective training aid. The second prediction is connected to the development of the discipline itself. Competitive athletes are result driven; for society as a whole, there are fewer ways to empirically measure societal athletic or sport exercise success. The cost of health care as attributed to poor life style choices and sedentary attitudes may militate in favour of a public push to incorporate sports psychologists into the public health mainstream, on the same cost effectiveness rational as observed in elite sports. Works Cited American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2009) [online] Retrieved November 18, 2009 at: Armstrong, Scott. Are You a Transformational Coach? JOPERDThe Journal of Physical Education, Recreation Dance 72.3 (2001): 44 British Psychological Society Ethical Guidelines (2009) [online] Retrieved November 21, 2009 at: Boyce, B. Ann, and Valerie King Goal-Setting Strategies for Coaches JOPERDThe Journal of Physical Education, Recreation Dance 64.1 (1993): 65+. Questia. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. Cox, Richard H. Sport Psychology: Concepts and Applications (5th ed.) Toronto: McGraw Hill (2005) Donohue, Brad, et al. The Development and Initial Evaluation of Two Promising Mental Preparatory Methods in a Sample of Female Cross Country Runners. Journal of Sport Behavior 24.1 (2001): 19 Dosil, Joaquin, ed. The Sport Psychologists Handbook: A Guide for Sport-Specific Performance Enhancement Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley Sons, (2005) Douthitt, Vicki L., and Mark L. Harvey Exercise Counseling How Physical Educators Can Help JOPERDThe Journal of Physical Education, Recreation Dance 66.5 (1995): 31 Goldstein, Jay D., and Seppo E. Iso-Ahola Promoting Sportsmanship in Youth Sports: Perspectives from Sport Psychology; Sport Psychology Provides Crucial Insights for Improving Behavior in Sport. JOPERDThe Journal of Physical Education, Recreation Dance 77.7 (2006): 18 Griffin, Joy. Sport Psychology: Myths in Sport Education and Physical Education Sport Psychology Isnt Just for the Elites; It Can Benefit Everyone in Youth Sports and Physical Education. JOPERDThe Journal of Physical Education, Recreation Dance 79.8 (2008): 11 Kalliath, Thomas J., and Alexandra Beck Is the Path to Burnout and Turnover Paved by a Lack of Supervisory Support? A Structural Equations Test New Zealand Journal of Psychology 30.2 (2001): 72 Kornspan, Alan S., and Mary J. McCracken The Use of Psychology in Professional Baseball: The Pioneering Work of David F. Tracy. Nine 11.2 (2003): 36 Kornspan, Alan S., and Michael A. Duve A Niche and a Need: A Summary of the Need for Sport Psychology Consultants in Collegiate Sports. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association 9.1 (2006): 19 Kremer, J., Moran, A. P. Pure Sport: Practical sport psychology. London: Routledge (2008) Maclean, Joanne, and Shannon Hamm Values and Sport Participation: Comparing Participant Groups, Age, and Gender. Journal of Sport Behavior 31.4 (2008): 352 Matheson, Hilary, Sharon Mathes, and Mimi Murray The Effect of Winning and Losing on Female Interactive and Coactive Team Cohesion Journal of Sport Behavior 20.3 (1997): 284 Morris, T., and Summers, J., eds. Sport psychology: theory, application and issues (2nd Ed.). Chichester: Wiley (2004) Nesti, Mark. Existential Psychology and Sport: Theory and Application. New York: Routledge, 2004 Wann, Daniel L., and Joshua Polk The Positive Relationship between Sport Team Identification and Belief in the Trustworthiness of Others North American Journal of Psychology 9.2 (2007): 251 Wilson, Marcia A., and Dawn E. Stephens Great Expectations: How Do Athletes of Different Expectancies Attribute Their Perception of Personal Athletic Performance? Journal of Sport Behavior 28.4 (2005): 392 Watson, Jack C and Damien Clement Ethical and Practical Issues Related to Multiple Role Relationships in Sport Psychology (2008) [online] Retrieved November 22, 2009 at: Wright, Perry B., and Kristi J. Erdal Sport Superstition as a Function of Skill Level and Task Difficulty Journal of Sport Behavior 31.2 (2008): 187

Basic Statistics for Business and Economics Essay

Over the last four weeks of being in the QNT/351 course our team has learned a lot about researching a hypothesis and understanding the mean. The hypothesis testing begins with the statement and the assumption that determines the population of the mean, (Lind, 2011, p.288.). There are five steps taken which include; state the hypothesis, select level of significance for it, identify the test statistics, formulate decision rule, and take a sample to arrive at a decision. On the contrary, however, McClave, 2011 states that there are seven steps including; null hypothesis, alternate hypothesis, test statistic, rejection region, assumptions, experiment and calculation of test statistic, and the conclusion. With setting a hypothesis and testing it is important to understand the mean and how to compare it amongst two or more groups. With testing the mean with multiple groups, the data collected is used to help determine the probability of a given amongst two distinct groups being analyzed which have the same or equal variances. This info it all based off the given hypothesis and should result in proving the null hypothesis stated. When looking at the mean the distance noted between the hypothesis and the mean placed is a value given as a result of the probability of occurrence. When analyzing and testing the means of the two groups we use the variance analysis. An example of this type would be testing the means of the two groups based off statistical models and valid conclusions. Along with completing the testing of the means of the groups, we must also calculate the variance according to the distribution of the differences in means. If the standard deviation is known we can calculate the z-score by using the difference of the variance and the mean. In calculating the correlation between the two variables we see that it is crucial to know the characteristics of the coefficient. According to Lind, 2011 pages 386-389 we can calculate the coefficient of correlation. The coefficient of correlation can help dete rmine the cause as well as effect amongst the two variables. Calculating these numbers is  crucial as the results give information which help determine the level of significance of the given hypothesis. References Lind, D. A., Marchal, W. G., & Wathen, S. A. (2011). Basic Statistics for Business and Economics (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. McClave, J. T., Benson, P. G., & Sincich, T. (2011). Statistics for Business and Economics (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.