The African Child by Camara Laye Essay Example

The African Child by Camara Laye Paper The novel was originally written in French and later translated to numerous other languages including English. Mostly autobiographical, the novel paints a colourful picture of life in Africa. There are the typical ingredients of African wildlife, traditional tribal culture, belief in hoodoo or black magic, etc. But each of these facets to the novel presented through the personal experience of one individual, abstractly referred in the title as the ‘African Child’. Since the story starts from Laye’s childhood and continues into his maturation and adulthood, the work can be classified as a bildungsroman – the story of growing up. But the focus is not solely on one individual, as Laye fleshes out in detail the dynamics of several key relationships through his life. One of the recurrent themes is Laye’s search for intimacy, which starts in his teenage years and continues to adulthood. Though these relationships are not always successful, they do help mould Laye’s mental makeup as he enters adulthood. One of the features of native African culture is belief in hoodoo or black magic. Laye gives numerous accounts of exhibition of magical powers by his father and mother. His father, for example, by virtue of belonging to the Malinke tribe, has the power to create gold out of iron. His father possesses the power of the black snake, which enables him to perform these supernatural feats. Though features such as these make the story interesting and add colour, we have to concede in the end that they are mythical. The proper way to understand these events in the book is to consider them as ‘impressions’ in the naive and imaginative mind of young Laye. Likewise, the descriptions of ‘powers’ wielded by his mother are equally mythical. For example, having been born in a tribe whose totem is the crocodile his mother will never be attacked by crocodiles in the dangerous river. Likewise, she has special powers to heal wounded animals. By treating these magical el ements as myth, the reader can then sift out factual information from the book. We will write a custom essay sample on The African Child by Camara Laye specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The African Child by Camara Laye specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The African Child by Camara Laye specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Just as the magical elements throw light on African culture and belief, the factual elements help us understand the political and historical realities of Laye’s Guinea. The book is set in colonial Africa when Western thought and technology was just beginning to be introduced. Yet, most of the continent, including Guinea, remained firmly in the grip of ancient tradition. Superstition and ritual was rife at the time and it had a profound effect on all aspects of culture. For example, Laye himself had to go through a rite of passage as he entered manhood. The rite is to stay away in the open wilderness for a whole night, with a real risk of being attacked by lions. Having successfully fulfilled this challenge, he is accepted as a man in his community and is given the privilege of living in his own hut. These rites and rituals were integral to Guinean culture, even as Western methods of agricultural production and social organization were being implemented. These opposing te ndencies were depicted well in the book. I think there are a lot of positive features in the book. Firstly, translators James Kirkup and Ernest Jones have done a stellar job of rendering the original French version into English. The translator’s major accomplishment is in being able to retain the ‘authorial voice’ of Laye across languages. The style of presentation and the manner of sentence construction highly resemble the original. This way we are made aware that the narrator is someone who is not a native speaker of English. This lends a quality of authenticity to the text. Second, the choice of topics and themes dealt by the book is very discreet. Camara Laye strikes a good balance between socio-historical commentary and autobiography. This juxtaposition works well for the book, as the author succeeds in bringing impersonal tone to his analysis and judgment. Coming to one of the few drawbacks, it would be imprudent for students to think of ‘The African Child’ as factually accurate at all places. For reasons of literary and artistic licence there are instances where fact merges into the realm of the fiction. So, the scholarly merit of the work will have to be weighed in this light. Barring such small drawbacks, I would recommend this book for students of African history, politics and culture. A kaleidoscopic view of all these subjects is presented through the prism of one individual’s life, namely, the author himself. The time from Laye’s infancy to his adulthood offers a representative snapshot of early twentieth century Africa. The book is rich in detail, colourful in its perspectives and insightful in its socio-cultural analysis. Works Cited: Laye, Camara, The Dark Child: The Autobiography of an African Boy, Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1954, pp.192, ISBN: 080901548X

Biography of Alfred Nobel, Inventor of Dynamite

Biography of Alfred Nobel, Inventor of Dynamite Alfred Bernhard Nobel (October 21, 1833–December 10, 1896) was a Swedish inventor, chemist, and businessman known for inventing dynamite and establishing the Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine, Peace, and Literature. Fast Facts: Alfred Nobel Occupation: ChemistKnown For: Inventor of dynamite; established the Nobel PrizesBorn: October 21, 1833 in Stockholm, SwedenParents: Immanuel and Karolina NobelEducation: Private teachers in St. Petersburg and lab work in Paris (no formal degree)Died: December 10, 1896 in San Remo, Italy Early Life Alfred Nobel was born October 21, 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden, one of 8 children born to Immanuel and Andriette Nobel. The same year Nobel was born, his father, a building constructor, went bankrupt due to financial misfortune and a fire that destroyed much of his work. In 1837, Immanuel left Stockholm for Russia, establishing himself in St. Petersburg as a successful mechanical engineer providing equipment for the Russian Army. Immanuel’s work included explosive mines, which would detonate when a ship hit them. These mines worked by using a small explosion to set off big ones, an insight which would be important to inventing dynamite. Immanuel’s family joined him in St. Petersburg in 1842. There, Nobel was educated by private teachers, learning the natural sciences, languages, and literature. One of Nobel’s chemistry teachers was Professor Nikolai Zinin, who first told Nobel about nitroglycerine, the explosive chemical in dynamite. Though Nobel was interested in poetry, his father wanted him to become an engineer and sent him abroad to study chemical engineering. Nobel never obtained a degree or attended a university. However, he worked in the lab of Professor Jules Pà ©louze in Paris. Mass Production of Nitroglycerine In 1847, the Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero discovered nitroglycerine. Though the explosive power of this chemical was much greater than gunpowder’s, it was incredibly difficult to handle and could explode unpredictably. Because of this, people avoided dynamite. In 1852, Nobel came back to work in his father’s business, which was successful because it worked with the Russian Army. In 1856, however, the Crimean War ended and the army cancelled its orders, leading Nobel and his father to look for new products to sell. Nobel and his father had heard of nitroglycerine from Professor Zinin, who had shown them nitroglycerine some time at the beginning of the Crimean War. They began working on nitroglycerine together.  One idea, for example, was to use nitroglycerine to improve explosives for Immanuels mines. However, Immanuel was not able to achieve any notable improvement. Nobel, on the other hand, made significant strides with the chemical. In 1859, Immanuel was facing bankruptcy again, and returned to Sweden with his wife and another of his sons. Meanwhile, Nobel stayed in St. Petersburg with his brothers Ludvig and Robert. However, his brothers soon focused on rebuilding the family business, eventually turning it into an oil empire called The Brothers Nobel. In 1863, Nobel returned to Stockholm and continued working with nitroglycerine. One year later, he filed a patent for the blasting cap, a detonator that could be ignited by lighting a fuse. This invention revolutionized the field of explosives, and was integral to the development of modern explosives. Nobel’s new blasting technique garnered significant attention from mining companies and the state railways, which began to use it in their construction work. However, a series of explosions involving the chemical- including one which killed Nobel’s brother Emil- convinced authorities that nitroglycerine was extremely dangerous. The use of nitroglycerine was banned in Stockholm, and Nobel continued to manufacture the chemical on a barge on a lake near the city. Despite the high risk involved in using nitroglycerine, the chemical had become essential to mining and railway construction. In 1864, Nobel began the mass production of nitroglycerine in Stockholm, founding companies throughout Europe. However, several accidents with nitroglycerine led authorities to introduce regulations restricting the manufacture and transport of explosives. Invention of Dynamite Nobel continued looking for ways to make nitroglycerine safer. During his experiments, he found that combining nitroglycerine with kieselguhr (also called diatomaceous earth; mostly made of silica) formed a paste which allowed the chemical to be shaped and detonated on command. He patented this invention in 1867, calling it â€Å"dynamite† after the Greek word for power (dynamis). The demand for Nobel’s dynamite surged. Since the user could control the explosions, it had many applications in construction work, including tunnel blasting and road building. Nobel continued building companies and laboratories all over the world, amassing a fortune. He developed other explosives as well, such as blasting gelatin- which had even more explosive power- and ballistite, a smokeless gunpowder. Though dynamite was Nobel’s main business, he also worked on other products, such as synthetic leather and artificial silk. Later Life and Death At the age of 43, Nobel advertised himself in a newspaper: â€Å"Wealthy, highly educated elderly gentleman seeks lady of mature age, versed in languages, as secretary and supervisor of household.† The Austrian countess Bertha Kinsky answered the call, but two weeks later she returned to Austria to marry Count Arthur von Suttner. Nobel and Bertha continued to correspond with one another even as she became increasingly critical of the arms race and he continued to work on explosives. He may have justified his decision to Bertha with the rationale that he could create something so destructive and terrible that it would stop all wars forever. Alfred Nobel died of a stroke on December 10, 1896 in San Remo, Italy. The Nobel Prize After Nobel died in 1896, his will stated that his fortune should be used for prizes in five categories: physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. (The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, also known as the Nobel Prize in Economics, was established much later, in 1968.) His will was executed by two engineers, who formed the Nobel Foundation to coordinate Nobel’s finances and award the prizes. Nobel’s choices for scientific prizes may have been influenced by his background in science and invention. The founding of the peace prize may have been influenced by the peace activist Countess Bertha von Suttner, or his guilt for creating a material that was so destructive. After Nobel’s death, Bertha was awarded the 1905 Nobel Peace Prize for her work. Sources Jorpes, J. Erik. â€Å"Alfred Nobel.† British Medical Journal, 1959, pp. 1–6.Livni, Ephrat. â€Å"The Nobel Prize Was Created to Make People Forget Its Inventors Past.† Quartz, 2 Oct. 2017, qz.com/1092033/nobel-prize-2017-the-inventor-of-the-awards-alfred-nobel-didnt-want-to-be-remembered-for-his-work/.Ringertz, Nils. â€Å"Alfred Nobel - His Life and Work.† Nature Reviews - Molecular Cell Biology, vol. 2, 2001, pp. 1–4.

Limits of the UN's Human Rights Agenda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Limits of the UN's Human Rights Agenda - Essay Example However, League of Nations failed to achieve its objectives, which is evident from the occurrence of a Second World War. The formation of United Nations helped a lot in settling human rights issues and global political, cultural and economic issues. According to Kennedy (2007), â€Å"Without the actions and the existence of UN, human kind would be a lot worse off than it is today† (Kennedy, 2007, p.285). However, there are plenty of people who argue that United Nations failed to fulfil its objectives as far as the human right protection of the global community is concerned. â€Å"The first International Conference on Human Rights, held in Tehran in April and May 1968† (Burke, 2008, p.275). Since then plenty of global incidents happened in which human right violation occurred in one way or another. UN interfered in some international crisis successfully whereas it failed miserably on many such occasions. â€Å"The story of UN peace keeping operation in the 1990s - some success and some failures - to agree that the record is a mixed one†(Kennedy, 2007, p.285). This is because of the fact that UN failed to act neutrally on global issues. Some people argue that UN is working as a toy in the hands of America and its allies. In their opinion, UN fails to interfere properly in human rights violation incidents in which America and its allies are the culprits. They cite incidents from Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq etc to substantiate their arguments. This paper analyses the limits of the UN’s human rights agenda. Limitations of UN’s Human right protection efforts The United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, declared explicitly for the first time on September 15, 2004 that the US-led war on Iraq was illegal. Mr Annan said that the invasion was not sanctioned by the UN Security Council or in accordance with the UN's founding charter (MacAskill & Borger, 2004). Even though Anan showed the4 courage to openly criticize America’s interventions in Iraq, UN failed to take any effective measures to stop America’s war with Iraq. It should be noted that thousands of Iraqi people suffered a lot because of America’s effort to seize Saddam and weapons of mass destruction from Iraqi soil. Even after years of battle and the execution of Saddam, America failed to establish peace in Iraq or seize any biological, chemical or nuclear weapons from Iraq. In other words, Iraq war was definitely the violation of international laws related to sovereignty and human rights. America vetoes any UN efforts which may go against their interests as well as the interests of their allies like Israel. Middle East is a region in which human right violations are going on for the last few decades. UN is acting as silent witness amidst all human right violations happening in Middle East. It failed to ensure safety and security to the lives and properties of the innocent Palestinian people from the hands of Israel. The right for having an independent state is a human right for Palestinians. However, Israel in company with America blocking Palestine’s every effort to become a sovereign state. Israelis have settled in to lands that Palestinians call home and these Israelis believe that they have the right to live there and call it home themselves. Palestinians want the Israeli "occupiers" to leave, and they desperately want a homeland of their own, a country of their own (The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, n. d). Israel’s ability to stop the functioning of a sovereign Palestine is definitely a failure to United

What is Hegel's critique of Kant in Reason as Testing Laws Is Hegel Essay

What is Hegel's critique of Kant in Reason as Testing Laws Is Hegel fair to Kant - Essay Example For Kant the categorical imperative is important mainly because it "determines the will independently of the sensuous motives of which ordinary moral deliberation is suspect."2 Therefore for him there is a marked difference between acting honestly for ones own sake and acting honestly with the belief that truth is a "universal requirement" the latter of which relates to categorical imperative.3 For Kant duty requires more than the universal form of action and he brings out these ideas and notions of the categorical imperative which Kant claims are "merely so many formulations of precisely the same law."Also for him the categorical imperative contains an end which functions as the single limiting condition of moral action. 4 Thus in his book the Formula of the End, Kant says "Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end" Kant goes on to clarify further that if humans are to be treated as "ends in themselves" then each individual should be allowed to choose their own ends at the same time. Furthermore he claims that misleading someone (by lying to them) for a particular Design is the way of using that other person as means rather than an end. Therefore the assertion not to treat humanity as a means but an end, i.e. when they choose to help you themselves. Hegel's criticism of Kant Hegel has made some interesting criticisms of the emptiness that seems to surround the Categorical Imperative when he says that "The criterion of law which Reason possesses within itself, fits every case equally well, and is thus in fact no criterion at all."5 However in the... What is Hegel's critique of Kant in "Reason as Testing Laws† Is Hegel fair to Kant? For Hegel this idea is fruitless in many respects as he thinks that even immoral behaviour would qualify under the test given by Kant' and that there no formulation of a universal set of duties .Thus Hegel's criticism of Kant largely concerns Kant's so called formalism as has been discussed by Julian. Before discussing Hegel's critique of Kant it would be useful to explain the ideas of Kant who expresses interest in the relationship between reason and experience. For Kant knowledge begins with experience in a rather chronological sense. For Kant empirical knowledge should be a "compound of that which we receive through impressions and that which our faculty of cognition supplies from itself". And that reason should become the tool that isolates knowledge from everything empirical from it. Julian has pointed out that Hegel believes that Kant’s idea of a duty does not produce an â€Å"immanent list of duties;†. To be fair this is not one of Kant's objectives at all and it can be safely said that Hegel is missing the point of Kant’s claim, because devising such a list is not possible at all due to people’s differing notions of what morality or duties should be like.In this regard I would like to give the example of local conventions in certain areas. The notion of hospitality in Asian countries allows anyone to be welcome in another’s house and there is hardly any concept of â€Å"unauthorized entrance† as in the case of western countries.

Effect of Reinforcement Essay Example for Free

Effect of Reinforcement Essay Psychology as we know it didn’t suddenly appear on the intellectual scene. It is impossible to say just when it began, or who was responsible for it. Instead, we can only point to a number of current that takes us from philosophy and the natural sciences into something recognizably psychological. To give you the simple concept of this field, psychology is the study of human and animal behavior. As time ages, many psychological theories have evolved. Burhus Frederic Skinner, as one of the contributors has emphasized a theory on learning regarding to individual’s behavior. Skinner believed that the best way to understand behavior is to look at the causes of an action and its consequences. He called this approach operant conditioning. Skinners theory of operant conditioning was based on the work of Thorndike (1905). Edward Thorndike studied learning in animals using a puzzle box to propose the theory known as the Law of Effect Skinner is regarded as the father of Operant Conditioning, but his work was based on Thorndike’s law of effect. Skinner introduced a new term into the Law of Effect Reinforcement. Behavior which is reinforced tends to be repeated (i.e. strengthened); behavior which is not reinforced tends to die out-or be extinguished (i.e. weakened). Skinner (1948) studied operant conditioning by conducting experiments using animals which he placed in a â€Å"Skinner Box† which was similar to Thorndike’s puzzle box. B.F. Skinner (1938) coined the term operant conditioning; it means roughly changing of behavior by the use of reinforcement which is given after the desired response. A. Background of the study Reinforcement, a term used to refer to anything that increases the likelihood that a response will occur. Reinforcement, noted, defined by the effect that it has on behavior it increases or strengthens the behavior. It might involve responses right after the reinforced present a kind of motivation. In this study, we could see the behavior, and the responses made by the rat in the presentation of reinforcement. The errors of the rat in the progress of the experiment shall be observed and noted and shown to answer the queries of the researchers at the same time address curiosity. B. Theoretical Basis: Physiological psychology research has identified separate but interactive neural pathways mediating reward and aversion (i.e., functioning as positive and negative reinforcement systems, respectively). Direct activation of brain reward mechanisms through electrical and chemical stimulation provides a tool for elucidating these neural systems. During the past four decades, considerable knowledge has been gained regarding the anatomical and neurochemical basis of these pathways. This brief presentation addresses only brain mechanisms involved in positive reinforcement because they are closely identified with pleasure in humans and because they underlie the primary process governing much of normal behavior. Deprivation and Positive Reinforces: Experts who say educators can use positive reinforces (positive consequences) to control students behavior usually dont tell the educators they must first deprive students of whatever they plan to use as reinforce. As far back as 1938, Skinner described how deprivation is necessary when a person wants to use reinforces to control another organism. That was when he wrote, in the preface to his book, The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis (N.Y.: Appleton-Century-Crofts): The simplest contingencies involve at least three terms stimulus, response, and reinforcement and at least one other variable (the deprivation associated with the reinforcement) is implied. I think it is interesting that, even relatively early in his work, Skinner was waffling on his acknowledgment of the central role deprivation plays in operant conditioning. Notice how he says there are at least three terms, and at least one other variable (the deprivation associated with the reinforcement) is implied. Make no mistake about it, deprivation is not merely implied; it is the essential action that allows behaviorists to create the illusion that reinforcement controls behavior, whether the behavior occurs in the experimental laboratory, the classroom, or the slaughterhouse. Watsons S-R behavioristic psychology described behavior as reflexive responses to stimuli. Skinners radical behaviorism described behavior as responses in the presence of stimuli that were associated with reinforcers, where the reinforcers worked because the organism was deprived. The formula in Skinners psychology is stimulus-response-reinforcement (+deprivation): S-R-R (+D). (Sometimes the formula is written, Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence, or A-B-C. I would add +Deprivation, making the formula A-B-C (+D).) Without deprivation, or denial of access to something an organism wants or needs, there is no reinforcement. If a rat eats pellets of food until it stops of its own accord, then the behaviorist cannot use food to reinforce the rat’s actions. If a child has all of the attention he or she needs or wants, then a teacher cannot use attention to reinforce the childs behavior. No deprivation, no control of behavior. No control of behavior, no discipline program The following passage, from one of the Bibles of laboratory research methods for radical behaviorists, describes how completely they relied on deprivation to create the illusion that reinforcers control behavior. In 1957, C. B. Ferster and B. F. Skinner wrote that: Birds are sometimes matched on deprivation level as measured by the rate of responding under a variable-interval schedule. Each bird is run for a session of fixed length each day C. Related Literature What is Reinforcement? Reinforcement theory is the process of shaping behavior by controlling the consequences of the behavior. In reinforcement theory a combination of rewards and/or punishments is used to reinforce desired behavior or extinguish unwanted behavior. Any behavior that elicits a consequence is called operant behavior, because the individual operates on his or her environment. Reinforcement theory concentrates on the relationship between the operant behavior and the associated consequences, and is sometimes referred to as operant conditioning. REINFORCEMENT, PUNISHMENT, AND EXTINCTION The most important principle of reinforcement theory is, of course, reinforcement. Generally speaking, there are two types of reinforcement: positive and negative. Positive reinforcement results when the occurrence of a valued behavioral consequence has the effect of strengthening the probability of the behavior being repeated. The specific behavioral consequence is called a reinforced. An example of positive reinforcement might be a salesperson that exerts extra effort to meet a sales quota (behavior) and is then rewarded with a bonus (positive reinforce). The administration of the positive reinforce should make it more likely that the salesperson will continue to exert the necessary effort in the future. Negative reinforcement results when an undesirable behavioral consequence is withheld, with the effect of strengthening the probability of the behavior being repeated. Negative reinforcement is often confused with punishment, but they are not the same. Punishment attempts to decrease the probability of specific behaviors; negative reinforcement attempts to increase desired behavior. Thus, both positive and negative reinforcement have the effect of increasing the probability that a particular behavior will be learned and repeated. An example of negative reinforcement might be a salesperson that exerts effort to increase sales in his or her sales territory (behavior), which is followed by a decision not to reassign the salesperson to an undesirable sales route (negative reinforce). The administration of the negative reinforce should make it more likely that the salesperson will continue to exert the necessary effort in the future. As mentioned above, punishment attempts to decrease the probability of specific behaviors being exhibited. Punishment is the administration of an undesirable behavioral consequence in order to reduce the occurrence of the unwanted behavior. Punishment is one of the more commonly used reinforcement-theory strategies, but many learning experts suggest that it should be used only if positive and negative reinforcement cannot be used or have previously failed, because of the potentially negative side effects of punishment. An example of punishment might be demoting an employee who does not meet performance goals or suspending an employee without pay for violating work rules. Extinction is similar to punishment in that its purpose is to reduce unwanted behavior. The process of extinction begins when a valued behavioral consequence is withheld in order to decrease the probability that a learned behavior will continue. Over time, this is likely to result in the ceasing of that behavior. Extinction may alternately serve to reduce a wanted behavior, such as when a positive reinforce is no longer offered when a desirable behavior occurs. For example, if an employee is continually praised for the promptness in which he completes his work for several months, but receives no praise in subsequent months for such behavior, his desirable behaviors may diminish. Thus, to avoid unwanted extinction, managers may have to continue to offer positive behavioral consequences. What is motivation? Definition of Motivation Motivation refers to â€Å"the reasons underlying behavior† (Guay et al., 2010, p. 712). Paraphrasing Gredler, Broussard and Garrison (2004) broadly define motivation as â€Å"the attribute that moves us to do or not to do something† (p. 106). Intrinsic motivation is motivation that is animated by personal enjoyment, interest, or pleasure. As Deci et al. (1999) observe, â€Å"Intrinsic motivation energizes and sustains activities through the spontaneous satisfactions inherent in effective volitional action. It is manifest in behaviors such as play, exploration, and challenge seeking that people often do for external rewards† (p. 658). Researchers often contrast intrinsic motivation with extrinsic motivation, which is motivation governed by reinforcement contingencies. Traditionally, educators consider intrinsic motivation to be more desirable and to result in better learning outcomes than extrinsic motivation (Deci et al., 1999). Although the use of differential reinforcement has been recommended in previous investigations and in early intervention curriculum manuals, few studies have evaluated the best method for providing differential reinforcement to maximize independent responding. This paper reviews previous research on the effectiveness of differential reinforcement as treatment and describes important areas of future research. Keywords: acquisition, differential reinforcement, early intervention, reinforcement quality, reinforcement schedules Differential reinforcement is an operant procedure used to increase the occurrence of desirable behavior while simultaneously decreasing undesirable behavior. The use of differential reinforcement is recommended in early intervention (EI) programs because children in EI often do not acquire skills in the absence of motivational procedures (Karsten Carr, 2009; Leaf McEachin, 1999; Lovaas, 2003). In addition, prompting procedures may be necessary initially, because children who require EI may not have extensive skill repertoires that could be exposed to differential reinforcement. Thus, one challenge in EI programming is to identify differential reinforcement procedures that minimize prompt dependence and promote independent responding as the ultimate goal. However, only a few studies have examined the effects of differential reinforcement on independent and prompted responding in EI programs. Therefore, the purposes of this review are (a) to provide a summary of previous research related to differential reinforcement during acquisition-based procedures in EI and (b) to suggest areas of future research. Schedules of reinforcement Studies have examined variations in differential reinforcement schedules for prompted and independent responding to identify schedules that increase the efficiency of learning (i.e., quickly increase independent responding). Olenick and Pear (1980) implemented differential reinforcement during tact training using 5-s constant time delay (hereafter referred to as â€Å"prompt delay†) with 3 children with severe intellectual disabilities. The evaluation included four conditions. In two of the conditions, reinforcement was provided on a fixed-ratio (FR) 6 or 8 schedule. Reinforcement was provided on an FR 1 schedule for correct independent responses and on an FR 6 or FR 8 schedule for prompted responses in the third condition. In the fourth condition, reinforcement was provided on an FR 1 schedule for prompted responses and on an FR 6 or 8 schedules for correct independent responses. Results indicated that all participants had the highest accuracy and number of independent responses on the FR 1 schedule for independent responses. These findings suggest that schedules of reinforcement that favor independent responding may produce more rapid skill acquisition. However, the authors implemented a fairly thin schedule of reinforcement in the first two conditions (i.e., FR 6 or 8) and did not conduct any sessions at a 0-s prompt delay, both of which are inconsistent with typical procedures used in EI (Walker, 2008). Thus, it is not clear that the results of this study are representative of acquisition in clinical settings, in which rich schedules of reinforcement and a 0-s prompt delay are used most typically in initial stages of learning. What is Latent learning? Latent learning is a theory in psychology that describes learning without a reward. An organism learns a new concept simply from observation and without any obvious reinforcement. The organism may not be consciously aware of its new skill until it suddenly expresses that skill when it becomes useful at a later date. For instance, a person can casually observe other people using chopsticks to eat and discover much later that he or she can use them correctly without ever being taught. A classic experiment in psychology illustrates how latent learning works. Edward C. Tolman and C.H. Honzik famously placed three groups of rats inside a maze, where the rats were allowed to wander around. One rat group always received a food reward when reaching the end of the maze, while the second group found no food at the end. The third group found no food at the end of the maze for ten days but discovered food on the 11th day. The first group of rats learned to reach the end of the maze quickly to reach the food. The second group continued to wonder around the maze. The third group acted similarly to the second group until food was placed at the end of the maze on the last day. One day after food was placed; the third group had already learned to reach the end of the maze as quickly as the first group.

Enigmatic Quirigua :: essays research papers

One of the last lowland Mayan cities to collapse, existing well into the 9th century, Quirigua, lies today in the still grasses of the Motagua Basin. This 1,200 years old Mayan city is the focus of the article. The ruins of Quirigua are found amidst a banana plantation established at the turn of the century by the United Fruit Company. Some of the executives of the United Fruit Co. were interested in archaeology and decided to keep the central plaza from being plowed over. The surrounding smaller buildings are now part of the banana plantation. Nine monolithic sandstone monuments, called stelae, with dated texts of hieroglyphs, defining the beginnings and the end of the Classic Period of Maya Civilization, from about 300 to 900 AD, is what makes Quirigua an attraction to archeologists. The stelae remain the principal written chronicles of this lost civilization, as well as the key to their highly advanced calendric system. Other Mayan centers erected stelae much earlier and in greater profusion, but the stelae at Quirigua are unsurpassed in their style and technique. Like most Mayan monuments, they were erected to commemorate the passage of time, significant historic events, and also served as â€Å"billboards advertising the kings‘ standings with the Maya godsâ€Å" (as the author of the article points out). During its brief period of erecting stelae, from the early 8th century until 810 AD, Quirigua was one of only two cities to regularly erect monuments marking the end of five-year periods (the quarter-katun, or hotun). The enormously heavy material needed for the construction of the stelae had to be transported from large distances and there is no evidence to show the usage of wheels or animals. These huge monolithic sculptures, weighing up to 65 tons, were artfully carved without the benefit of metal tools. Stone chisels, driven by other stones or wooden mallets, were the only tools available; and yet the Mayan sculptors achieved such a high level of artistry; the carvings, apparently, were done before the stones were lifted up to their vertical positions. This fine collection of gigantic stone sculptures is arranged in a regular pattern on the main plaza at Quirigua, the Great Plaza. The city is believed to have served as an important way station between Copan and Tikal. The greatest leader of Quirigua, during whose reign seven of the nine stelae were erected, was Cauac Sky (or Kawak Sky) founder of the Sky Dynasty, who ruled the city for sixty years. Enigmatic Quirigua :: essays research papers One of the last lowland Mayan cities to collapse, existing well into the 9th century, Quirigua, lies today in the still grasses of the Motagua Basin. This 1,200 years old Mayan city is the focus of the article. The ruins of Quirigua are found amidst a banana plantation established at the turn of the century by the United Fruit Company. Some of the executives of the United Fruit Co. were interested in archaeology and decided to keep the central plaza from being plowed over. The surrounding smaller buildings are now part of the banana plantation. Nine monolithic sandstone monuments, called stelae, with dated texts of hieroglyphs, defining the beginnings and the end of the Classic Period of Maya Civilization, from about 300 to 900 AD, is what makes Quirigua an attraction to archeologists. The stelae remain the principal written chronicles of this lost civilization, as well as the key to their highly advanced calendric system. Other Mayan centers erected stelae much earlier and in greater profusion, but the stelae at Quirigua are unsurpassed in their style and technique. Like most Mayan monuments, they were erected to commemorate the passage of time, significant historic events, and also served as â€Å"billboards advertising the kings‘ standings with the Maya godsâ€Å" (as the author of the article points out). During its brief period of erecting stelae, from the early 8th century until 810 AD, Quirigua was one of only two cities to regularly erect monuments marking the end of five-year periods (the quarter-katun, or hotun). The enormously heavy material needed for the construction of the stelae had to be transported from large distances and there is no evidence to show the usage of wheels or animals. These huge monolithic sculptures, weighing up to 65 tons, were artfully carved without the benefit of metal tools. Stone chisels, driven by other stones or wooden mallets, were the only tools available; and yet the Mayan sculptors achieved such a high level of artistry; the carvings, apparently, were done before the stones were lifted up to their vertical positions. This fine collection of gigantic stone sculptures is arranged in a regular pattern on the main plaza at Quirigua, the Great Plaza. The city is believed to have served as an important way station between Copan and Tikal. The greatest leader of Quirigua, during whose reign seven of the nine stelae were erected, was Cauac Sky (or Kawak Sky) founder of the Sky Dynasty, who ruled the city for sixty years.

A Huey P Newton Story Essay

‘A Huey P Newton Story’, the movie based on the story of Huey P Newton who was a freedom fighter and the co-founder of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in Oakland in 1960s. He was the Minister of Defense in the party and he made a Ten Point Plan based on the demand for basic civil rights and made it public in 1966. The movie is based on hyper-energetic, magnetic, faltering and chain-smoking Newton and Robert Guenveur Smith has played the role of Newton in this movie. Smith is the only person on the stage dressed in black and most of the time sitting on a single wooden chair. He is seen reading poetry, asserting his philosophies, worrying about the potential and complaining about the way everything turned out. The movie was shot in front of the live audience and was completed in single night improvisation. There are some archival footage and some sound effects to support the plot of the story. Like when Newton writes the Ten Point Plan you can hear sound of a typewriter. The movie is directed by Spike Lee and is quite disturbing and provocative at times. It also capture’s Newton’s â€Å"inner mind† and jazz saxophonist Branford Marsails provides olo music for the project. Newton was an extraordinary man and lot of energy and resources was needed to portray him on stage. There are some points in the movie where Smith pushes away the microphone and remains silent and it seems he is recollecting his energies. As Newton was a chain smoker Smith also had to smoke a lot while performing on stage. Smith quotes the saying of Newton, â€Å"Any time a black man in America stands up against the slave mentality, he’s going to scare a lot of white people and some black people, too. † Although the movie depends quite a lot on the clips and the soundtracks it is one man show and that too in front of live audience which in itself is a very difficult task. The chain smoking cigarettes are referred as props for Newton’s anger and similes. Smith is seen shaking and trembling with anxiety and he had to deliver speeches in the same hypocritical manner. The music, clothing and art all had to resemble and have an image of Newton’s surroundings. However Smith resembles Newton somewhat physically and has done justice to the character up to a large extent. The movie shows a man in prison with only one chair to sit on and the stage setting gives an impression of a room in prison. The whole movie is one-man show where the actor talks about everything and the whole story is depicted. In the beginning Newton is shown here proud with military pronouncement like a warrior and then shifting towards poetry and reading poetic recollection of a brother and then recollecting memories of his father who had shifted to California and had to work three jobs in order to support his seven children. Here, every aspect of Newton’s life is epicted because he was not only a freedom fighter but also a human being with all normal feelings and similarly concerned with his family and its welfare. He also recalls his own life and how he turned from burglar to a law student but there is wit and regret in his tone. After joining the revolutionary career he faces lot of problems and he has only one aim that is to get basic rights to his community. Smith also reveals a part of Newton’s character where he is hurt because he cannot dance and he uses philosophical questions to get girls’ phone numbers. He is shown fascinated with â€Å"rap† and seems to be connected with the current generation style too. Then coming back to philosophy of success and failure he says that a leader most of the time disappoints his followers and leaves nothing behind except contempt. He chooses riffs of songs and tells the audience about the fortune of his people. At the end of the performance, the audience is taken to a scene where a young man on the mountainside plays guitar and makes the sun come up. Newton is aware of the fact that he did not make the sun come up for himself. Lee’s direction and Smith’s performance make the audience realize that a human spirit can rise while he waits and watches his own songs. ‘A Huey P Newton Story’ is a powerful plodding film based on one-man stage show by Roger Guenveur Smith and directed by Spike Lee and was premiered on June 18 on Black Starz. Smith is a veteran actor and has very warmly and effectively portrayed Newton with all his talent and imaginative hands. He is dressed in a simple way with black shirt, black pant and shoes and is seen mostly sitting on a single chair kept on the stage. The set resembles the interior of Newton’s Oakland high-rise apartment where he resided in the last few years of his life. He is seen ruminating his life and bouncing his right leg and chain smoking. The presentation of Smith is so noteworthy that he looks as if on the stage at one moment and immediately on the other he seems to be in prison. In this movie Smith uses humor and wit and portrays Newton as a normal guy who has desires like a normal human being too. Newton is the youngest among seven children and hates being teased as â€Å"Baby Huey†, becomes a Black Panther and then he is elated to the fact where he argues for the right to housing, jobs etc. for people. It is felt that Newton is portrayed with mostly positive aspects of his character along with the humanity that is painful and complex. No emphasis is given on Newton who was alleged as a drug user. However the bare stage seems to be monotonous in spite of Smith’s extraordinary performance and so the director uses historic footage and photographs to give a break from the monotonous stage and a single man’s dialogues. 1960 saw quite a lot of political nd social change and also fight for these and so this gives a perfect ground for veteran artists to show their talent. The stories of this time have its contemporary significance and Smith here has tried to take advantage of the same and joined hands with Lee for the purpose. It is for sure that the way Smith and Lee tried to depict the story is completely different from the usual trend of movie making. Newton otherwise would have been the â€Å"icon† for the purpose for which he lived his short life but here he is shown with all the qualities and desires of a normal human being.