Why Do Companies Spend Money On Computerized Systems? :: essays research papers

Starting in the late Twentieth Century, many companies started using computerized systems. Most of these companies started using these systems to save time and reduce costs. Even though these computerized systems are rather expensive, in the long run they saved companies money. The companies saved money by making or purchasing a computerized system by reducing paper usage and employee overtime. Since employees did not have to spend there time doing paper work, they could do their jobs faster and more efficiently. This gave the employees more time to do other projects around the office. One computerized system that saved employee’s time is automatic payroll. Instead of wasting time filling out paper time sheets, the employee could simply â€Å"clock† in at the beginning and end of each shift. Some companies like this idea because it can possibly reduce the number of employees needed in the payroll section of their company. Many aspects of the computerized system might take away some duties from the human employee. This can save the company a lot of money, but is very bad for employee morale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Management also benefits from the computerized system. Management is able make decisions much faster because the information they needed to make these decisions with is right there and could easily be accessed. There is no searching for documents or other files. The company can easily give access to certain parts of the computerized system to one group in the company and not the other. This way, information is kept private or public, depending of the company needs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is not always the case that the company’s employees and employers notice most of the benefits that a computerized system has.

Maze Learning

MAZE LEARNING 1 MAZE LEARNING Ana Iqbal Mirajkar Bahria University BS-04 MAZE LEARNING 2 Abstract This experiment was conducted to uncover the underlying principles of transfer of training in maze learning. The aim was to see if transfer of training facilitated maze learning. It was assumed that practice of one maze would assist the chances of transfer in another and that participants who had prior knowledge of mazes would perform better. A sample of 56 students was chosen conveniently from Bahria University.All participants performed the same experiment on maze A and B, which is they traced a maze twice with the experimenter’s help, had a break of ten seconds and then had five minutes to find the goal. The results were analyzed using percentages. The findings of the results indicated that practice of one maze assists transfer of training on the other and that participants with prior knowledge had more successful trials than the ones who did not. Thus, both hypotheses were pro ved. Key words: maze, learning, memory, cognitive mapping MAZE LEARNING Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior brought about by experience (Feldman, 2009).Peter Gray, a psychologist, defines learning as any process through which experience at 3 one time can alter an individual's behavior at a future time. Hence learning can be anything that brings about a change in one’s behaviour, or another definition common to all theories of psychology would describe simply a stimulus that generates a response(S-? R) (Herbert Terrace). Learning has been an important area of research in psychology; psychologists have done extensive research on how human beings acquire learning and what factors facilitate learning.One such experiment is done by Ivan Pavlov where he introduced the concept of classical conditioning and concluded that learning occurs gradually through pairing and association (Pavlov). Whereas a gestalt psychologist by the name of Wolfgang Kohler concluded that n ew behaviour is learned due to insight. According to Frederic Vestor there are four types of learning. The first being auditive learning which is learning by using the auditory channels that is using the ear to listen and mouth to speak. Second is visual learning that is learning using the eyes.Haptic learning is the third type of learning which occurs by touching and feeling and the fourth type is learning through the intellect. Training is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. Areas that use training extensively are job training such as worker endowment and physical training for sports. Transfer of training was originally defined as the extent to which learning of a response in one task or situation influences the response in another task or situation (Adams, 1987).While Thorndike and Woodworth (1901) predicted that transfer would occur as long as the aims, method, and approaches used for the learning task were similar to the transfer task. They found support for the generalization of responses when there was similarity in the stimuli and responses in the learning and transfer environment. Types of transfer of training are positive which means previous training facilitates new training such as learning to add numbers in math courses helps when one learns multiplication.Negative transfer occurs when previous training hinders new training, whereas zero transfer is when previous trainings have no effect on new ones. Wolfgang Kohler would say that learning occurs through sudden insight while Thorndike would contradict by saying that it happens gradually over a long period of time. Generally it is noted that learning is both intentional and unintentional and has no specific time requirements. That is MAZE LEARNING one can learn in a day or can take months. Whereas training is usually intentional and there are certain time bound aries for training.Furthermore, learning focuses on achieving permanent 4 changes in behaviour while training focuses on the acquisition of new skills and knowledge with training interventions being event driven. Memory refers to the processes that are used to acquire, store, retain and later retrieve information (Kendra Cherry). The process of forming a memory is composed of three components encoding, storage and retrieval. In order for pieces of information to make sense the brain encodes all the information to form memories and stores it.A memory, when brought into consciousness is known as retrieved memory. Memories can be of three types; sensory memory that is collected from the first hand experiences and is very brief. Short term memory is what is in the conscious awareness, whereas long term memory is what is not in the conscious awareness and might have to be retrieved, according to Freud short term memory would be the conscious and long term memory the unconscious. Ebbingha us, who was a pioneer of the experimental study of memory, did extensive research on memory, memory formation and memory decay.Through his experiments he devised the forgetting curve of memory which revealed a relationship between forgetting and time. He suggested that information, initially, is often lost very quickly after it is learned but after a certain point the amount of forgetting levels off. This indicates that information stored in long-term memory is surprisingly stable. (Hermann Ebbinghaus) Labyrinth is a term in Greek Mythology, which basically denotes a maze in which the Minotaur was confined (The Free Dictionary).The most ancient of labyrinths are Cretan labyrinths that are surrounded by an aura of mysticism and skepticism, this was the elaborate structure designed to hold Minotaur. Next are the Egyptian Labyrinth and the Leminian Labyrinth which are more densely routed and complex than the Cretan Labyrinth. Although the true origins of the mazes and labyrinths probab ly go back to Neolithic times, the earliest mazes were actually parts of architectural monuments built in Egypt and on Crete about 4000 years ago (Christopher Berg).Edward Chase Tolman, a pioneer in the areas of learning and motivation, claimed that everything important in psychology can be investigated in essence through the continued experimental and theoretical analysis of the determinants of rat behavior at a choice-point in a maze. A maze is defined by Webster as a confusing, intricate network of MAZE LEARNING 5 winding pathways; specifically with one or more blind alleys. Furthermore, one could perceive a maze as a complex structure with a series of interconnecting pathways that eventually has to be solved by pursuing a goal.The term is also used to refer to a graphical puzzle that replicates the maze on a two dimensional medium (S. E. Smith). Mazes, in psychology, have contributed greatly to understanding complex human behavior. Moreover, maze studies have helped uncover asto unding principles about learning that can be applied to many species, including humans. The fact that researchers have even used mazes to figure out if men and women are different in the way they perceive suggests the important role mazes have played throughout. In this context a study was carried out by B.Jones that looked at trial and error learning in humans using a virtual maze and at looked at the gender differences where the participants were tested using the Online Psychology Laboratory Maze. Another study which attempted to uncover if multiple trials allow a researcher to determine how ability can develop and change over trials and that the importance of task components fluctuates during the stages of learning (O'Neill, 1978). The findings gave the impression that repeated trail can help the participant develop the knowledge of the maze and make fewer errors.Yet one more research finding on mazes indicated that no matter how well the maze is learned, the subject will never a ble to dispense with sensory guidance and that there is throughout this type of functioning a close cooperation between sensory and motor adjustments (Ailene Morris). There are two main categories of mazes which are then further subdivided into various types. A Unicursal maze is without branches, it has no dead ends and there is one path that leads to the end whereas, a multicursal maze is one with branches and dead ends. Among the various types of mazes are Blind Alleys are mazes that have a branch that is a dead end.Simply-connected mazes have pathways that never re-connect with one another, so every path leads to additional paths, a fork, or to a dead end and there is only one solution to a simply-connected maze. A multiplyconnected maze contains one or more passages that loop back into other passages, rather than leading to dead ends. A more complex form of the multiply-connected maze is the braid maze. A weave maze has pathways that go under and over each other and can be in mu ltiple dimensions, while a logic maze must be navigated by adhering to logical rules in addition to following its passages such as symbols or following colour schemes.A Plainair maze, however, is a maze on something other than a flat surface. For example, a maze painted on the outside of a cube or sphere. MAZE LEARNING A principle that is derived from the extensive study of mazes is known as cognitive mapping; 6 making a mental picture of one's physical or spatial environment (APA). A cognitive map allows one to construct and accumulate spatially defined images whose function is to enhance recall and learning of information. This type of spatial thinking can also be used in non-spatial tasks. Chaining is a behaviour technique that involves breaking a task down into smaller components.The simplest or first task in the process is taught first, and then after this has been learned, the next task can be taught. This continues until the entire sequence is successfully chained together (K endra Cherry). Maze learning is an example of a successive chaining, when animal runs down a maze it chains the route through the subsequent goals and dead ends all in all the entire stimuli present in the environment gives the animal clues and make his cognitive map (Terrace). The aim of this study is to see if transfer of training facilitates performance.It is assumed that the practice of one maze will facilitate the chances of transfer of training on the second maze and that participants having knowledge of practical will have more successful trials than participants who do not have any prior knowledge. Method Participants: There were two groups of participants that participated in the study. Group 1 composed of 28 people who had no prior knowledge of maze leaning. While Group 2 composed of 29 participants who had prior knowledge of maze learning. The total sample was that of 56 students who were chosen conveniently from Bahria University.The design of the experiment was independ ent measures design. Materials: Match box, scissor, glue, mazes A, stop watch and a blindfold. Two mazes were extracted from the internet and the participants of group 2 constructed the entire maze using match sticks to cover all the branches and boundaries of the maze. It was later discovered that both mazes were multicursal and simply connected. Procedure: The experiment was conducted in the experimental lab, with controlled conditions. In the first phase of the experiment participants from group 1, who had no prior knowledge of maze learning, were tested.The experimenter blindfolded the participant and traced their finger, twice, along maze A (in some cases a thin object such as a pen or pencil was used). During the whole procedure it was tediously made sure that the participant did not see the mazes. Following MAZE LEARNING 7 this the participant was given a ten second break and then told to complete the maze again with no help from the experimenter this time. After given five m inutes to complete this maze, the participant was told to stop and the blindfold was undone for two minutes.The same procedure was then followed for maze B that is tracing twice with the experimenter’s help, a break and then five minutes for the trial for maze B. Throughout the experimenter observed the errors made and the progress of the participant. In the second phase of the experiment the participants from group 2, who had prior knowledge of maze learning, were tested following the exact same procedure that is tracing twice maze A and then later maze B with an experimenter’s help, a break of ten seconds, then five minutes for the trial for maze A and later maze B.Results Table I Showing results of Maze A of Group 1 Participants 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Successive Trials 1 3 3 2 4 0 1 1 4 2 5 0 1 4 Errors 0 4 7 3 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 5 14 0 MAZE LEARNING 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 1 4 5 2 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 4 0 3 10 4 2 4 0 3 10 8 20 20 7 10 8 8 Total 5 2 146 Table II Showing results of Maze B of Group 1 Participants 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Successful Traits 5 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 3 Errors 10 0 4 4 0 3 5 2 0 MAZE LEARNING 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2 5 0 8 4 3 2 2 5 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 3 2 1 4 13 0 15 0 9 0 20 0 11 3 2 2 25 1 3 2 9 Total 58 148 Table III Showing results of Maze A of Group 2 Participants 1 2 3 4 Successful Trials 5 0 3 3 Errors 1 2 3 3 MAZE LEARNING 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2 3 1 1 7 7 3 4 3 5 4 3 4 3 1 1 4 1 2 2 2 3 2 0 0 8 4 2 3 1 12 4 1 0 2 2 7 4 5 4 1 1 14 0 1 1 5 0 10 Total 79 91 MAZE LEARNING Table IV Showing results of Maze B of Group 2 Participants 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Successful Traits 5 0 0 6 4 8 10 1 10 11 7 5 3 7 7 2 8 5 1 4 4 2 1 3 2 4 Errors 0 4 0 4 0 0 0 3 0 1 5 7 0 3 0 0 3 3 0 2 0 2 1 0 5 0 1 MAZE LEARNING 27 28 0 5 3 0 12 Total 125 46 Calculations:- = 41. 7% = 58. 2% = 35. 03% = 64. 96% MAZE LEARNI NG Graph I Showing results of comparison between Maze A and Maze B 13 Comparison between both the mazes 42% Maze A Maze B 58% Graph II Showing results of comparison between Group 1 and Group 2 (c and d) Comparison between both the groups 35% Group 1 65% Group 2 MAZE LEARNING Discussion It was proved that practice of one maze facilitates the transfer of training on the second maze 14 hich meant that most of the participants performed well on maze B as compared to maze A. An interesting research by Edward Tolman on rats and mazes showed that once the rats knew where there goal in the maze was, they could find their way through the maze. Thus, Tolman’s and this research show that people form a cognitive map of the spatial layout of the situation rather than just leaning to make a series of responses. However, one single most undermining factor that could cause this is the carry over effects the participants might have carried over from maze A.Furthermore, there might been quite a many extraneous variables present in the environment that the experimenter failed to control; hence, they became confounding variables. These include noise distractions, the close seating arrangement of the participants and experimenter bias. It was further noted that even though both mazes were multicursal participants found maze B relatively easier and more straight forward than maze A, pointing more towards the fact that practicing on one maze improved their performance.Likewise, the participants who had prior knowledge of mazes performed better than the participants who did not. This meant that hypothesis 2 was also proved. David Ausubel a pioneer in educational psychology who emphasized on prior learning said â€Å"If I had to reduce all of educational psychology to just one principle, I would say this: The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach him accordingly. The results of this research highlight the importance of prior learning. Nevertheless, the participants of group 2 were also the ones who constructed the maze, which meant that they possibly brought forward transfer effects. Moreover, the participants in group two were in a more comfortable setting than the participants in group one who were not in their comfort zone. Besides, there were four students who were not from the psychology department and might have been anxious because of the new and unfamiliar place and setting.In addition to this some participants used a pencil, pen or a sharp object to complete the maze instead of their fingers, which meant less tactile experience and learning and might be a contributing factor as to why group 1 performed poorly. MAZE LEARNING References: American Psychological Association. (2013). Dictionary. com Unabridged. Retrieved from http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/cognitive map Ausubel, D. (1968). Educational implications of concept mapping. Joseph D. Novak & D. Bob Gowin (2002 ). Learning how to learn (pp. 40). UK, Cambridge University Press. Berg, C. 2011). The History of Mazes and Labyrinths. Amazing Art. N/A. Retrieved from http://amazeingart. com/maze-faqs/ancient-mazes. html Cherry, K. (N/A). An Overview of Memory. Memory. N/A. Retrieved from http://psychology. about. com/od/cognitivepsychology/a/memory. htm Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology. Classics in the History of Psychology. N/A. Retrieved from http://psy. ed. asu. edu/~classics/Ebbinghaus/index. htm 15 Eddie, W. L. & Danny, C. K. (2001). A review of transfer of training studies in the past decade. Personnel Review, Vol. 0 No. 1, 102-118. Retrieved from http://www. owlnet. rice. edu/~ajv2/courses/12a_psyc630001/Cheng%20&%20Ho%20(2001)%20 PR. pdf Feldman, R. S. (2009). Psychological Approaches to Learning, 177. Retrieved from http://www. studymode. com/essays/Psychological-Approaches-To-Learning-730466. html Jones, B. (2011). Gender Difference-Mazes, 09. Re trieved from http://www. studymode. com/essays/Gender-Difference-Mazes-774551. html Morris, A. (1994). A Descriptive Study of Maze Learning, 67-69. Retrieved from http://digital. library. okstate. edu/oas/oas_pdf/v25/p67_69. df Terrace, H. (2010). The Comparative Psychology of Serially Organized Behavior. Comparitive Cognition and Behaviour Reviews, Vol. 5, 23-58. Retrieved from http://psyc. queensu. ca/ccbr/Vol5/Terrace. pdf MAZE LEARNING Tolman, E. C. (1953). Edward Tolman and cognitive maps. Douglas Mook (2004), Classic experiments in psychology (pp. 139-142). Westport, Greenwood Press. Vestor, F. (1998). Die Deutsche Schule, 93(2), 186-198. Retrieved from http://www. oecd. org/edu/ceri/34926352. pdf 16 MAZE LEARNING 17 Appendix A: Maze A & B MAZE LEARNING Appendix A 18 MAZE LEARNING 19

What can you learn from source A about Chamberlain’s policy towards Germany?

Source A tells me that Chamberlain did not want to go to war with Germany because he thought Germany was a power to be reckoned with, especially since she had Italy's support. He feared that if it came to war Italy could take advantage of its position in the Mediterranean to attack British territory there (such as Gibraltar) and more importantly stop British shipping to and from her empire, which was very important to Britain. It also shows that Chamberlain thought that if it came to war, Hitler could hurt France where she was weakest. Because the source is an unofficial, private document it can accurately show us Chamberlain's opinion, and though it gives us a good idea of his intent, it does not properly show us his official policy. The source shows that Chamberlain did not think Britain's armaments were strong enough to stand against Germany's, and that therefore they must buy time to build up arms, just in case. It also tells me that Chamberlain felt that the dictators could still be reasoned with and were not devoid of any honour or reasonableness, and that he still held some hope of coming to an agreement to suit everybody. He thought that if he appeased Hitler and Mussolini by helping to fix their grievances, they would be happy and the peace of Europe would be assured. 2) Study A and B. In what ways does source B add to your understanding of Chamberlain's foreign policy? (6) Source B shows me that Chamberlain genuinely believed that even if Britain and France did act, nothing could save Czechoslovakia from being taken over by the Germans if they wanted to do it. He knew that Czechoslovakia was hemmed in on 3 sides by Germany and believed that Germany had every tactical and military advantage around Czechoslovakia, and Russia could not help either because she was too far away. Source B supports source A in that Source B shows me that Chamberlain still thought that Germany was too strong for Britain and France to take on, and that to protect Czechoslovakia would be tantamount to declaring out-and-out war on Germany, which he was strongly against because he thought that Britain had no chance of an easy and quick victory. The source shares with source A the idea that Chamberlain was unwilling to risk going hastily into a war against a major power, which would cost British money and lives and if, as he thought, Britain was not ready, it could mean a repeat of the extended conflict of the first world war, which everyone was keen to avoid. Chamberlain makes it clear in his diary (source B) that he did not think that it was all worth it over one small country that he thought could probably not be saved anyway. Source B like source A is private and unofficial and therefore shows just what Chamberlain is really thinking, more so than A because it is his diary, presumably intended at the time only for him. 3) Study C and D. In what ways does the evidence of these sources help you to understand Chamberlain's attitude towards Hitler? (10) The author of Source C was a British ambassador and Chamberlain's main source of information in Germany, and as such Chamberlain must have trusted his views as a high-ranking British dignitary who had been living in Germany probably some time. However, it is possible that Henderson had come around to the German point of view from living there so long and is writing his own opinion, which is biased, as is apparent from his comment in C about how he dislikes the Czechs. If he really had come round to the German point of view, then it is possible that he felt for Germany and like many Germans, considered that Hitler could ‘make Germany great again'. If this were true, it would mean either that Henderson actually believed that Hitler was reasonable, or that he deliberately misled Chamberlain about Hitler's intent. Alternatively, officials he had spoken to in the German government may simply have misled Henderson. The Germans knew that he was Britain's main source of information and they may have decided to use him to convince Chamberlain that Germany was stronger than she was and that Hitler was open to options other than going to war, thus encouraging him to put off war by appeasement. In source C Henderson leads Chamberlain to believe that Hitler does not really wish to go to war if he has to, as war would help the opponents of Hitler and Nazism, but it would be disastrous for Germany. He implies that Hitler is reasonable and open to negotiation. If Henderson had not been corrupted by Hitler, then source C contains Henderson's genuine idea of what Hitler must have been thinking, but as it turned out, his assessment of the situation was wrong. Henderson's reports, whether genuinely what he thought or not, must have influenced Chamberlain to think that Hitler was a reasonable man who did not want war any more than Chamberlain himself. This would have simply built upon the view Chamberlain already had that Hitler had some sense of honour. Chamberlain was from a business background in Birmingham and must have found it hard to believe that the leader of a nation could be so duplicitous as Hitler eventually revealed himself to be. Source D shows us this exact trust Chamberlain had in Hitler – even though he did not like the look of him, Chamberlain still had faith that Hitler's word meant something and that Hitler's policies were only directed towards uniting all the German speaking peoples, not just getting all the territory he could. Because Chamberlain believed what he said in source D, and believed Hitler when he said he would be satisfied with the Sudetenland and not ask any more territory in Europe, he convinced France and Czechoslovakia to submit to the German occupation of the Sudetenland. ) Study E, F, G and H. What can you work out from these sources about: i) The demands made by Hitler (6) The very fact that Britain and France were willing to agree to Hitler's demands at all shows that his first demands (Czechoslovakia handing over to Germany the parts of the Sudetenland comprised of over 50% Germans) were not perceived by the governments of Britain and France to be altogether too much to ask, and that they believed that he was genuine in his insistence that it was all he would take from Europe. The fact that they were so eager for a reply to the statement in source E and were so ready to give up Czechoslovakia to Germany shows how insistent Hitler was that he got his way. This is corroborated by the fact that Germany put a lot of pressure on Czechoslovakia to agree to Hitler's demands; this could be the â€Å"unheard of pressure† of source F. Chamberlain was so convinced that giving in to Hitler's demands was the way to peace that Britain and France even refused to support Czechoslovakia at all if she didn't capitulate completely in the matter of the Sudetenland. However, source G shows us that Hitler was not to be trusted and as soon as Chamberlain had got Czechoslovakia and France to agree, he changed his demands to more unreasonable ones, which Hitler hoped would ultimately insure the disintegration of Czechoslovakia, by taking large amounts of land from her. These demands were completely unreasonable, even for the peacemaker Chamberlain, and only when Britain and France threatened to go to war did Hitler reduce his demands a little, although his demands mentioned in source G are so unreasonable it could almost be said he was deliberately aiming high so when he was forced to compromise he would get the better deal. Source H shows that Hitler could feel confident about making these demands as Chamberlain was still set upon peace despite all he had seen Hitler capable of. Chamberlain makes clear in this speech that he thinks all Hitler is after is Czechoslovakia and that Britain will not go to war just to protect one small country. ii) Relations between Britain and Czechoslovakia in September 1938? (6) When Hitler made his first demands of Chamberlain, Chamberlain agreed and then informed Czechoslovakia (source E), even though it would severely weaken Czechoslovakia (a state that Britain had helped to set up). Britain and France practically forced her to agree to Hitler's demands, going so far as to refuse to support her if she did not. The Czechoslovak government was not even consulted in the future of its own country, which as source F shows was hurtful to the Czechs. Czechoslovakia could not even defend herself from her enemy because she had been let down by her friends. Czechoslovakia must have felt pressured into agreeing and very disillusioned with and even betrayed by France, its so-called ally; and Britain, France's ally and one of the upholders of the Treaty of Versailles. As source G shows, when Hitler came up with his next outrageous demands, Czechoslovakia balked and refused point blank to agree, and the feelings of the Czechoslovak government are expressed to the British government in source G in no uncertain terms. Czechoslovakia may have had some hope in Britain's support when she promised to support France in a war against Germany, although this soon faded after the Munich agreement. Source H shows that Chamberlain was still trying to uphold peace despite Hitler's continually changing demands, and evidently still thought that it was worth sacrificing Czechoslovakia on the altar of peace. ) Study I, J and K. â€Å"The Munich agreement was very popular in Britain†. Use the evidence of the sources, and your own knowledge, to explain whether you agree with this view. (8) I agree with this view to a point. The Munich agreement was certainly popular with many people, especially the generations who had been through the Great War. They knew what it was to fight in terrible conditions or to lose a loved one in the war. The First World War was called ‘the war to end all wars' and nobody wanted to go through it all again. This view is supported by source I, which is from a quality paper and written by the editor, who is presumably an educated person who knows what they're talking about. The bad memories of the previous war would put the public in favour of avoiding another war if it could be possibly helped, so the peacemaking Chamberlain with his slogan from Benjamin Disraeli: ‘Peace in our time' was well received by many. The Munich agreement, which guaranteed that Germany and Britain would not go to war in the future, seemed to sort out everyone's worries. Source J shows a crowd outside 10, Downing Street, who look like they are there to support Chamberlain. However this is not really indicative of the agreement's popularity as photographs can be deceptive, and Downing Street is not actually that wide a street so the crowd appears bigger than it is. Most of the generation who were making the decisions for Britain (the politicians and diplomats) had experienced the war and this may have influenced them and their decisions in favour of appeasement and the Munich agreement. The government also feared that if war broke out, thousands of civilians could be killed by bombing raids. Also the British army was not strong enough to handle another big war at that time. People like the author of source I did not want to involve Britain in European affairs again, as they thought it was nothing to do with Britain. Many, like Henderson in source K, felt that Chamberlain had done something special in making Hitler agree to peace and so supported the Munich agreement because they thought it was a great feat of negotiation and diplomacy on Chamberlain's part. Source K shows that at least one person thought that what Chamberlain did was the only option in the circumstances. Many British people felt sorry for the Germans because the Treaty of Versailles was so harsh and felt that they had been unfairly treated. Many could sympathise with the desire to bring the German-speaking people together. People did not even disagree wholly with Germany claiming the Sudetenland, as it was thought of as practically a part of Germany anyway – both geographically and culturally. However, being in favour of the Munich agreement was far from universal and it had many critics. They thought that Germany was being allowed to become too powerful, breaking treaty after treaty and getting away with it. They thought Germany would not stop at just Czechoslovakia, and she would eventually become a power strong enough to threaten the British Empire. Winston Churchill was one of the critics of the Munich agreement and appeasement in general. 6) Study all the sources. The writer of source K believed that war was only avoided in 1938 because of the courage of Chamberlain. Use the sources and your own knowledge to explain whether you agree with this view. (10) I agree with this view to the point that I would say the fact that war was avoided in 1938 was mostly because of Chamberlain. It was Chamberlain's insistency on trying to appease the dictators at all costs that brought the Munich agreement about. It was Chamberlain who convinced France to support him in encouraging Czechoslovakia to agree to Hitler's demands (as in source C), and eventually almost forcing them into it by refusing to support Czechoslovakia at all should it come to fighting. Although Chamberlain says in source D to his sister that he thinks Hitler is to be trusted, and I think he means what he says because it is a personal, private letter, by the time of the Munich agreement he must have had some idea of what Hitler was like as he had broken his word and gone back on their agreement of the 15th of September only days before, which as source G shows was very damaging and humiliating to the Czechs. Yet still he went ahead and in effect signed Czechoslovakia over to the Germans without even inviting the Czechs to join the conference. Either this is the move of a very stupid and naive man in still believing that Hitler would not make further attempts to get territory for Germany, or Chamberlain was taking a calculated risk to give Britain more time to protect herself from Germany, not caring about Czechoslovakia. As source B shows, Chamberlain was not willing to take the risk of going to war in 1938 just to protect one small country. Source A shows us that as early as January 1938 Chamberlain was thinking about building up British armaments. I think that the lack of war in1938 was due to Chamberlain although I would not call it courage. He made the agreement because he was convinced that the British public wanted peace more than anything (source J shows that at least some of them did). He was afraid of what another war would do to Britain if she were not ready, especially since the Spanish civil war in which the German Condor Legion decimated the Basque town of Guernica. Chamberlain was excessively afraid of German air strength as he was unfamiliar with the effects of bombing and feared that London could become another Guernica, with hundreds of thousands of casualties. It was thought that the entire German Luftwaffe would head for Britain as soon as war broke out and people greatly overestimated its size and strength. However optimistic Chamberlain chose to be, he must have known that if Britain continued to get involved in Europe's affairs then sooner or later she would have to fight Germany. Although war was avoided in 1938 it was not avoided altogether and if anything it convinced Hitler that Britain was soft and irresolute and would do nothing by force to stop his further conquest of Europe. This meant that he persevered in his plans to expand Germany without worrying about Britain.

Overcoming Negative Thoughts

It was during the summer vacation and I was very excited having been offered a job as a sales person. The detergent was new and I had obtained good results after using it and so I was sure that I would make many sales. In addition, the price was affordable. After a half day’s training we began the job. However, when I started the job I was disappointed to realize that I was not making as many sales as I had anticipated. This dampened my spirits a little.When the time to hand in our weekly reports came, I was discouraged to learn that others had met and even exceeded the targets while I had barely met the target. This happened for two times and after this I started feeling like I did not measure up and that I could never meet the targets. Even as I approached prospective customers, I could visualize them rejecting me and this translated to even less sales. One day I sat down and wondered why I could not meet the targets yet others could. I started telling myself that I could do it if others could.I searched the internet for tips on direct selling and started to put them into practice. All of a sudden my whole attitude changed and as I approached customers, I felt that I would make sales as I knew the tips. The most surprising thing is that people started being more enthusiastic about the detergent I was selling to them and the sales increased to a point where I became among the people who always exceeded sales targets. It is true that positive thinking is contagious (Sasson, 2010). Reference Sasson, R. (2010). The power of positive thinking. Retrieved 30 April, 2010 from http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_000009.htm

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 18

Research Paper Example Indeed, it was ultimately an expression of America’s character during that era. 2. The American lifestyles: Though it is a little bit hard to take this point as a form of serious criticism, most American lifestyles and way of life was so fascinating. This depicted America as being a violent country. That most Americans often feed on a constant diet of bloody television programs, movies, as well as murder mysteries (Henry, 19).These have often translated into the practical senses of Road rage, beatings, highway killings, and even murder of those who seem different. This facts and events can be drawn from accident reports, newspapers, labor statistics, and even from the local histories. 3. The entire American Revolution: This was the ultimate revolution that led to the creation of US. It started as the colonies’ political upheaval against the British Empire, and profoundly turned out towards influencing the nineteenth century Europe through demands for immediate radical social and political changes (Henry,

Coastal Erosion on Essex Coast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Coastal Erosion on Essex Coast - Essay Example Expenditure on coasts has risen to protect the coast from further depletion as well as shielding nearby residences from flooding. People have tried for many years to control erosion by the abrasive forces of the ocean. In the following paragraphs, I will depict some of the reasons for the erosion of international coastlines. Then, find will analyze the types of sea defences that can protect coastlines. Then we will evaluate which sea defence is will aid Clacton on Essex coast. Coastal erosion is the local loss of coastal landmass due to natural processes such as waves, winds and tides, or even due to human interference. There are many reasons why there is an erosion happens on coastland. A simpler reason is because the pounding of waves that affect the shoreline daily (i.e. High tide and low tide.) The natural causes such as storms, hurricanes, instanteous surges toward the shore can change the form of the shore. Large storm-generated waves often cause coastal erosion, which may take the form of long-term losses of sediment and rocks, or merely in the temporary redistribution of coastal sediments. Erosion in one location may result in accretion nearby. On rocky coasts, coastal erosion can result in dramatic rock formations in areas where the coastline contains stones with a plethora of resistances to erosion. The softer areas of a beach will be eroded much faster than the harder ones, which can result in typical structural land masses such as tunnels, bri dges, columns, and pillars. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_erosion) Some insinuate the temperature change of the climate due to global warming may contribute to erosion. As the planet's temperature rises, the ice caps in the north and south begin to melt and results in higher sea levels. The increased in temperature is do to emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The planetary climate system varies through natural, internal processes and in response to variations in external factors including solar radiation, volcanic emissions, and human proliferated greenhouse gases. The detailed causes of the recent warming remain an active field of research, but the scientific studies insists that increased levels of greenhouse gases due to human activity as the main component. This attribution is clearest for the most recent fifty years, for which the most detailed data are available. Contrasting with this view, other hypotheses have been proposed to explain some of the observe d increase in global temperatures, including: the warming is within the range of natural variation; the warming is a consequence of coming out of a prior cool period, namely the Little Ice Age; or the warming is primarily a result of variances in solar radiation, higher sea levels will strengthen the displacement of sediments and can affect coastal habitats. In addition, droughts can cause vegetation to die. When the vegetation dies, the land is loose because the roots no longer can hold together the ground because it is decaying. Therefore, coastal erosion can easily uproot and erode the dry land mass. Furthermore, flooding has been for centuries a major problem for residents residing near shores. Not only does water destroy property or sacrosanct materials, but it can decapitate homes and threaten life. Coastal erosion affects homes, tourism, and businesses. When many settle in a coastal area, they begin building homes. Then, if that area has a tourist attraction,

Democratic states have historically been fouded upon the exclusion of Essay

Democratic states have historically been fouded upon the exclusion of women. What, if anything, does this tell us about the nature of democracy as a system of g - Essay Example This remains the case even today, if the discourses on democracy are not restricted to the mere exercise of the right to vote or to hold an office. The idea of democracy dates back to the ancient Greek and Roman forms of governance and a prototype of the modern democratic government were perhaps found in India, in the 6th Century BC. However, the ideological elements of a democratic state are still in the developing stage, as the concerns of various minority sects emerge every day. In all the ancient forms of democracy, the right to participate in the governance and policy decisions was restricted to certain privileged sects, mostly men. In ancient Greece and Rome, women and slaves were excluded from the running of the government of the people, where the idea of ‘people’ was attributed solely to free men. In ancient India, though women were given ample opportunity for education and participation in the theoretical aspects of governance, they were prohibited from the actual material aspects of it, thereby denying them any agency in the system. The Middle Ages focused on the limited participation of people in the gov ernance, where the traditional hegemonic structure of nations was mainly decided by the clergy. Even in the 18th and 19th Century when the United States emerged as a liberal democracy, the ostensibly democratic rights reserved for the white adult male citizens left out various ethnic minorities and women from active participation in the system. The historically exclusive nature of democratic ideals had even been transformed to strong and open dictatorships in the early part of Twentieth Century, but the Second World War led to a lot of introspective analyses that brought back the idea of democracy both a system of government and as an ideology that reflects the general quality of life in every sphere. The nature of democracy, in its Aristotelian and historically developed terms, relates to the participation of people