Literature Review Essays - Drinking Culture, Health, Neuroscience

Literature Review Kerrice Lawrence St. Mary's University College Most philosophers believe that behaviors are not inborn, but rather, developed by means of habits. Teaching imparts virtue , and it is believed that every child who is taught, including the bad ones, would be better than those that have never been taught. Bad behavior is associated with lack of education and low social status , while c ollege attendance is mos tly associated with self-improvement and upward mobility ( Parker-Pope, 2008) . However, f indings from different research studies tell a different story . Surprisingly, university/ college students are more likely to behave badly than their non-college-attending peers ( Parker-Pope, 2008) . P aper will give a critical review of research studies on the bad behaviors such as suicide, drugs, alcohol, health risks, and cannabis use of university/college students . Research by A r ria, O'Gr ady, Caldeira, Vincent, Wilcox and Wish (2009) states that s uicide is the second leading killer of college students and the third leading killer of youths aged 1 5 to 24 years. It accounts for approximately 1,100 student deaths annually (Arria et al., 2009). Suicide ideation is believed to be an important precursor to completed suicide and attempted suicide cases . The research was aimed at estimating the predictive ability of various suspected risk factors, their interactions on suicide ideation among college students , and the intervention . Specifically, the study's goals were to estimate the prevalence of suicide ideation among college students, and to develop a multi-dimensional explanatory model that explains college suicide ideati on. The study employed a face-to-face interview method. The results showed that depression is a clear risk factor for suicide ideation. Lack of social support was also a prominent risk factor for suicide ideation among college students. The study also found that parent-student relationships were very significant in suicide ideation among college students. The likelihood of suicide ideation increased with h igher levels of conflict with parents. Preventive factors identified included parental supervision, spending time together as a family, and family cohesion . The risk factors identified by most students included poor communication between students and parents, low parental approval, low perceived support, and family dysfunction. Besides family conflict, suicide ideation among college students is linked to lower family cohesion , higher emotional unavailab ility of the parents, and lower security in the students' current attachments to parents (Arria et al., 2009) . The study also linked suicide ideation among college students to social support , affective dysregulation, and other fac tors such as alcohol use disorders (AUD). This study, however, was limited to a single public university , thus the results may not be generalized to all students in other areas or i n small private universities or colleges. Besides, the study did not consider several factors that contribute to suicide ideation among college students. Such factors include stressful life events like troubled relationships and other personal, p rofessional, and academic problems , financial struggles, and family problems . Psychological disorders like anxiety have also been linked to suicide ideation among college students, though not included in this study. For most students, transition between adolescence and adulthood occurs during the university or college life. This life is characterized by high levels of stress as the students try to adjust to increased academic demands and new social environments. The social support networks also undergo drastic changes during this per iod, such as the separation from home and parents. P revious study by Arria et al. (2 009) used the interview method while Neighbors, Lee, Lewis, Fossos and Larimer (2007) use the survey approach to talk about bad behaviors . Neighbors et al. (2007) illustrated that h eavy alcohol consumption is a prevalent and problematic behavior among college students . About 40%-45% of college students in U.S. engage in heavy episodic drinking. The effects of heavy drinking among college students include academic problems, criminal behavior, injuries, unwanted sexual experiences, and deaths. This study was aimed at evaluating the relati ve contribution of social norms, drinking motives, demographics, and alcohol expectancies in predicting the alcohol consumption and the related problems among the heavy-drinking college students (Neighbors et al., 2007). The study employed a screening

50 Idioms About Arms, Hands, and Fingers

50 Idioms About Arms, Hands, and Fingers 50 Idioms About Arms, Hands, and Fingers 50 Idioms About Arms, Hands, and Fingers By Mark Nichol Many idioms referring to human behavior are based on analogies to parts of the body, especially arms, hands, and fingers. Here are explanations of many of the most common expressions. 1. â€Å"All hands on deck,† from nautical terminology, means that a circumstance requires everyone’s attendance or attention. 2. One who is all thumbs is clumsy (as if one had thumbs in place of fingers and is therefore not dexterous). 3. To have something at hand is to have it accessible or nearby. 4. To be hand in hand is to be in close association. 5. A backhanded compliment is one that explicitly or implicitly denigrates the recipient. 6. To be in good (or safe) hands is to be in a secure position. 7. To be on hand is to be in attendance or available in case of need. 8. To bite the hand that feeds you is to attack or reject someone who has helped you. 9. â€Å"The devil makes work for idle hands† means that those who do not have enough to occupy them are susceptible to risking illicit behavior. 10. To say that someone did not or would not lift a finger is to criticize the person for failing to assist. 11. â€Å"Elbow grease† refers to influence that will enable something to occur that would otherwise be hindered or stalled. 12. Elbow room is space to be free to live the way one wants to or engage in activities as one wishes. 13. To finger someone is to identify someone, especially a perpetrator of a crime or someone who is to blame for doing something wrong. 14. To experience something at first hand (or firsthand) is to experience it directly rather than to merely become aware of it through an intermediary. 15. To force someone’s hand is to maneuver so that someone is compelled to act prematurely or reveal his or her intentions. 16. To give someone a free hand is to allow that person autonomy. 17. â€Å"Five-finger discount† is a euphemism for stealing, especially shoplifting. 18. To gain the upper hand is to become dominant or victorious. 19. To get one’s fingers burned is to experience a painful lesson, often about issues such as trust in interpersonal relationships. 20. To get one’s hands dirty it to directly engage in an activity that may not be appealing, rather than leave it to others, or to become involved in illicit activity. 21–22. To give one’s right arm (to right-handed people, the more useful one) or an arm and a leg is to offer a significant sacrifice to obtain a desired result. 23. To go hand in glove means to be in close agreement or in a close relationship. 24. To hand it to someone is to acknowledge someone’s accomplishment. 25. To hand something to someone on a plate or a platter means to make something easy for someone. 26. To hang on by one’s fingernails is to barely manage to cope with something. 27. To have a finger in every pie (or many pies) is to be involved in many activities or projects 28. To have one’s finger on the pulse of something is to be acutely aware of its condition or status. 29. To have one’s hands full it to be busy or too busy to take on other activities. 30. Something done with a heavy hand is done excessively and/or oppressively. 31. A reference to an iron fist (or iron hand) in a velvet glove is to authoritarian behavior concealed behind a facade of benevolence. 32. To keep someone at arm’s length is to maintain emotional and/or physical distance from someone who is a bad influence or may otherwise cause harm. 33. To keep one’s fingers crossed is to wish for good luck. 34. To know something like the back of one’s hand is to be intimately or thoroughly familiar with it. 35. When the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, one entity associated with another is unaware of the second entity’s actions or intentions. 36. To lend a hand means to help. 37. To live from hand to mouth is to live on a subsistence level, with no cushion of comfort. 38. When something gets out of hand, it is out of control. 39. The long arm of the law is the influence of law enforcement, which can be more far reaching in time or space than one expects. 40. â€Å"On the other hand† means â€Å"alternatively.† 41. To overplay one’s hand is to be overconfident. 42. To play into someone’s hands is to engage in activity or behavior that makes one vulnerable to another person’s manipulation. 43. A show of hands is a literal or figurative assessment or vote to determine support for or opposition to an intended course of action or agreement or disagreement with an opinion. 44. To stick out like a sore thumb is to be conspicuous. 45. To take the law into one’s own hands is to seek justice or retribution instead of obtaining assistance through law enforcement or legal procedures. 46. â€Å"Thumbs up† refers to the gesture of approval. 47. To be under someone’s thumb is to be subject to someone else’s influence. 48. To be up in arms is to be indignant or agitated about a wrong done to oneself and/or others. 49. To wash one’s hands of something is to decide that one no longer wants to be considered responsible for an action or policy that one does not have control over. 50. To work one’s fingers to the bone is suggest that one’s fingers have been stripped of flesh from the exertion. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Masters Degree or Master's Degree?"Gratitude" or "Gratefulness"?What Is a Doctor?

BBC Documentary Critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

BBC Documentary Critique - Assignment Example It claims that while making a decision, one is fooled to assume that they have full understanding of the circumstances that lead to their decisions, which, according to the documentary, could not be further from the truth. The documentary, therefore, primarily sets out to show its viewers how to be more rational and how to successfully cope through life’s greatest decision making points. The following is a brief critique of the documentary. In the first instance, there are a group of four young men composed of computer enthusiasts, engineers and rocket scientists who are reportedly brilliant and intelligent in their careers and education, but have all failed to land girlfriends. Garth Sundem comes in to utilize his carefully crafted math equations to solve this (deciding on a girlfriend) and other complex human problems (such as buying the right pair of shoes at the retail store). In every circumstance, Garth weighs intervening factors against each other and calculates each of the friends’ chances of landing their preferred dates at the bar (except for Levi who turns down the technique and opts to go in and pursue his choice without any prior knowledge of his chances) (BBC Horizon, 2009). Garth’s calculations fail, however, as even those who scored the lowest probabilities (41% and 43%) land their dates, but in the end, there is a valuable decision making tip accrued from the whole ordeal. We appreciate t he importance of analyzing a situation beforehand in correct decision making. This is proved by the fact that the ‘ignorant’ Levi was the only one who failed to land their date, as he later reckons that he should have analyzed things better before plunging in. this idea resonates with ideal good decision making strategies and management rules that advocate for proper analysis of a situation before making a rushed choice (Drucker & Maciariello, 2008). In the ensuing gambling

In this assignment you will draw two primary sources and two secondary Research Paper

In this assignment you will draw two primary sources and two secondary sources written after 1990 to explore a topic addressed i - Research Paper Example There are several factors that played a key role in the collapse of one of the greatest empires in the world. According to Bauer (84), several factors that occurred within a span of approximately 500 years were instrumental in the collapse of a strong empire, the Roman Empire. Expansion of the Rome Empire can be referred to as one of the major causes of its collapse. Rome kept conquering many nations and therefore there was rapid growth in the land they owned. Consequently, there was great need to defend the borders and the territories of Rome. As they struggle to keep this under their control, emperors increased taxes on non-Romans and these created more enmity where frequent rebellions arose. Lack of enough solders to safeguard their territories forced them to employ foreigners who were against them resulting in the collapse of the empire. Since the empire was growing at a rapid rate, it needed more soldiers for it to remain a great conqueror. As such, militarism was adopted as a m ean of the emperor and his compatriots remaining in full control. In this case, constant fighting needed heavy military spending. This demand for the military was high since the Roman Empire became over stretched, and the need for more solders was proportional to its needs for expansion and protection of their overstretched territories. Due to this, there was overspending in the military body, hence other fundamental activities were left with few resources. Vital issues such as provision of houses to the public, quality roads and channel were left untouched. This also resulted in emperors raising taxes repeatedly resulting in increased levels of inflation. Roman Empire faced a failing economy and increased levels of inflation. Inflation is a state where prices increase and the purchasing power of currency declines. The Rome Empire was in this situation and the government was threatened of impoverishment as it did not have sufficient cash to cater for its needs. Overexpansion and eff orts to protect their territories resulted in this. For instance, the increased population required more militaries and the demand forced them to recruit and train more people. This process was demanding and more money was used in paying the large numbers of military personnel .The other factor is that after they diminished new lands conquering, the flow of gold to their economy decreased. This resulted to less use of coins and the coin become less valuable. Due to over-expansion of the territories, there were more merchants from the conquered places who raised the prices of the goods that they sold. Several persons changed their way of trading and butter trade erupted eventually. People stopped using coins and they began to undertake barter trade in order to get what they wanted from others. This went to as far as paying salaries in the form of food and clothing while tax collection also changed and vegetables and fruits were used to pay taxes. In this case, the expansion of territ ories shows how the economy was affected resulting to its decline. According to Goldsworthy(72) Over expanded Roman Empire territory had people from different ethnic groups and was over populated. As a result, the labor force was composed of slavery resulting in unemployment. Plebs in

Race by the Numbers Essay Example for Free

Race by the Numbers Essay In his article, â€Å"Race by the Numbers†, Orlando Patterson argued about the misinterpretation of the census results and that this misinformation is having negative effects on the perspective of the people. The misinterpreted part of the census, according to Patterson, was the idea that the population of the Whites is becoming the minority in many areas of the country. Thus, Patterson offered arguments and ideas to disprove the validity of the interpretation. However, the question is whether or not Patterson was able to persuade the readers, the citizens, that the interpretation of the census report was indeed incorrect. Patterson’s article is full of information especially statistical and quantitative information that helped him in establishing ground for his arguments. Patterson statement that â€Å"48 percent of Hispanics classified themselves as solely white† (p. 83) adds to his persuasive argument that is also supported by the next sentence in the article, â€Å"Hispanics can be of any race† (p. 83). These statements clearly supported the fact that the total percentage of Whites in was decreased as interpreted by the census report. Patterson also included studies that affirm his claim including recent census result. Patterson stated that, â€Å"whites will constitute 74. 8 percent of the total population in 2050, and that non-Hispanics will still be 52. 8 percent of the total† (p. 83) as indicated by the recent census. With such facts indicated in the article, it can be said that Patterson was able to build a strong evidence and supporting detains and information regarding his assertions. Thus, his argument, regarding the population of white Americans in the country, is a â€Å"gross distortion† (Patterson p. 83) is not a mere point of view but is supported by facts and relevant information. By establishing the facts and the arguments, it can be said that Patterson’s main purpose of writing the article was to show that the population of whites in America is still and will continue to be the majority; disproving the assumption that â€Å"non-Hispanic whites will cease to be the majority† (Patterson, p. 82). By doing so, Patterson aims to encourage the whites that they still are the majority and will continue to be. In this case, Patterson was able to do great job through his article. However, Patterson also indicated in his article the idea that â€Å"each group in the new minority-majority country has longstanding grievances against whites†, thus, Patterson may also want to claim the invalidity of this assertion through his article. But in this case, was Patterson effective? Basing from the article, Patterson was really able to encourage the whites and take away the doubt that they will cease to be the majority. However, Patterson was not able to take away the idea that minority groups in America have grievances on whites. On the contrary, it even points out another idea, that whites does not see minority groups as to be equal to them. Thus, instead of disproving the issue of minorities having grievances on whites, the article may even fuel the said issue. The article can trigger grievances against whites since the article establishes the idea that whites are and will continue to be the superior race in the country. Therefore, this may cause insecurity and rebellion against the white race since others may wish to see the downfall of a superior race. Patterson also included historical developments in regarding some issues such as the classification of races. Patterson stated that, â€Å"In 1930 Mexicans were classified as a separate race by the Census Bureau – which reclassified them as white in 1940, after protests† (p. 84). Patterson also mentioned 2 other related issues in history. In this case, Patterson was able to convince the readers regarding the misclassification done that lead to the misinterpretation of the census result. Thus, Patterson once again established a ground for his ideas and arguments by nullifying the classification made by the census bureau on the issue of which races are to be included as whites. As mentioned earlier, the author was able to establish the supporting facts about his claims. However, there are some instances that the author failed to mention relative and important information. Patterson adapted a study stating that, â€Å"Recent studies indicate that the second-generation Hispanic whites are intermarrying † (p. 83). However, Patterson did not mention what particular study reaches that conclusion. Therefore, readers in doubt of that particular argument have no means of verifying the claim. Patterson should have indicated all the necessary information about the research to enable the readers to locate the particular study, otherwise doubts will remain doubts in the minds of the readers. Although the article has its strengths, i. e. the use of statistical information, the weakness of the article is readily available to the readers. The main weakness of the article was that the author, Mr. Patterson, was obviously one sided in writing the article. The bias can be seen from the very beginning of the article. Thus, this limits the trust of the readers and the integrity of the writer. Showing personal biases is will really lead to doubts and disbeliefs of the author’s claim since the readers are aware that he or she is arguing for or against one side. Thus, in persuading the readers about a certain action or issue, one must show personal biases for this will weaken the arguments and the ideas presented by the author. In order to establish a ground proof about an argument, a writer must not show biases as much as possible. It would be better to show the different arguments of both side and show relative information, facts and evidences and let the readers decide which arguments weigh more basing from the given evidences. All in all, Patterson did a great job in laying the arguments and he was able to fulfil his main objective, to encourage the whites. However, as mentioned earlier, the article has its own weaknesses as well. Thus, the article would only be effective if the reader is taking the same side as Patterson’s, otherwise, the article would seem very racist of which whites are considered incomparable to others. The validity of the claims is thus, very subjective on the personality and side that the readers will take.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - The Death of Innocence :: Free Essay Writer

To Kill A Mockingbird: Death of Innocence A songbird's melody can evoke happiness in anyone, as can the smiling face of a child. The mockingbird sings for the sake of singing, and an innocent child possesses an innate joyfulness, as natural as instinct. Yet a mockingbird's song dies as easily as innocence. In the beginning of the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout and Jem are portrayed as innocents, uncorrupted by our world of prejudice and racism. Their world is simple, sensible, a child's world. However, by the end of the novel, their world has expanded to enclose the irrational nature of humans. Jem and Scout's growing up is portrayed by a series of events that shatters their innocence as easily as a mockingbird can be silenced. One of the first chinks in their armor of naività © that protected them was social prejudice. This was introduced to them in the form of Aunt Alexandra. Scout was crushed when Aunt Alexandra sent Atticus to talk to the Scout and Jem. " 'you are not run-of-the-mill people, that you are the product of several generations gentle breeding...try to behave like the little lady and gentleman that you are' " (Lee 133). Scout was upset because he was essentially telling her not to be herself. Aunt Alexandra wanted to change Scout's personality to conform to society's ideas of what was right for a girl in those times. It seemed like Atticus had almost encouraged them to find their own way, despite the disapproval of many in town; overalls were allowed for Scout, a female, and they had free run of the surrounding few houses during the day. Although the incident with Atticus preaching Aunt Alexandra's ideas made Scout feel overwhelmed, Atticus resisted Aunt Alexandra by telling Scout to f! orget what Aunt Alexandra told him to say, which reassured Scout somewhat. Another way Aunt Alexandra introduced Jem and Scout to social prejudice was how she wouldn't let Scout play with Walter Cunningham. Because the Cunninghams were farmers that lived out of town, Aunt Alexandra regarded Walter to be socially inferior, and said she would only let him in the house on business. " 'Because he's trash, that's why you can't play with him (Lee 225).' " This exposure to social prejudice struck Scout harder, because this time around, Atticus couldn't say, forget it.

Nail Biting

Nail Biting Do you constantly find yourself biting your nails off for no reason at all? Or have you ever thought about the damages caused by nail biting? Many people do not realize and know that there are medical affects and explanations for nail biting. Adults usually do not find themselves with this bad habit because nail biting is most common among kids and teens but mainly more within guys than girls. However regardless of gender or age nail biting can lead to unwanted consequences caused by stress, nervousness, or hunger. Unwanted consequences mainly consist with dental complications such as the chipping of your teeth.For most people, chipping a tooth is the only negative effect that biting your nails might have on your teeth. In fact, the book Pediatric Dentistry by Pinkham states: There is no evidence that nail biting can cause dental change other than minor enamel fractures. Nail biting can also cause a gap between your two front teeth. If the nail biting habit begins when th e child is very young, it has been reported to cause a gap between teeth. In addition causing gaps between your teeth can cause the roots of your teeth to become weaker. Nail biting during braces has been shown to cause root resorption.Last but not least nail biting can cause gingivitis. For example in the case report of a nine-year-old boy whose father called the dental office to describe his son's complaint of swelling of the gums surrounding the top front tooth. The patient came to the office the same day. The initial clinical examination revealed swelling of the gingival. During discussion with the parent and patient, the dentist noted that the patient's fingernails were bitten off. The patient and parent confirmed a habit of nail biting. Therefore the dentist removed from the gums a piece of nail that was compressed in.Nail biting can cause many dental complications however, what causes people to bit their nails? Many doctors and psychologists state that medical and psychologic al situations cause nail biting to occur without even realizing it. For example nail-biting is a common stress-relieving habit. Stress is that feeling you get when you're really worried about something. There are general factors that can lead to stress such as threats which include physical threats, social threats, financial threats, fears, and uncertainty. Therefore a common way people to react to stress is nail biting.A child or even an adult uses nail biting as a coping mechanism to relieve stuffed emotions. It has been documented that some people bite their nails in their sleep, sometimes wholly. This has been linked to stress while dreaming. Secondly, nervousness also leads to nail biting. When people are nervous, they fidget. Fidgeting involves moving with excitement. Hands, legs and other parts of the body make quick movements, with no particular aim. This is a reflex movement, initiated by the subconscious mind. This is a reaction to a tense situation. We do not know what to do but we know that we have to do something.Nail biting is one way of the body's response to the call for doing something. Children sometimes face an unpleasant situation. They commit a mischief and are caught. When they are confronted by their parents or teachers, they just stand biting their nails. This is a defense mechanism to prevent the children from doing an absurd act that could make the matter worse. Thirdly, as simple as this may sound, it has been revealed that some people who suffer from biting on their nails complains that they will only do so when they are feeling extremely hungry.Some will even go as far as to say that when they are hungry and they chew on their fingernails, they will get a soothing, as well as a comforting feeling that will sometimes drive away the hunger sensation. Several treatment measures may help you stop biting your nails. For example keeping your nails trimmed and filed, taking care of your nails can help reduce your nail-biting habit and enc ourage you to keep your nails attractive. Also try substituting another activity, such as drawing, writing when you find yourself biting your nails.Substituting nail biting can reduce the chances of getting dental complications. However it is important to keep in mind that psychological factors contribute to the bad habit of nail biting which is stress nervousness or hunger. These factors should be considered in stopping the reoccurrence of nail biting. http://www. nail-care-tips. com/nail-biting. php http://www. ehow. com/about_5097901_reasons-nail-biting. html http://www. tellinitlikeitis. net/2009/04/nail-biting-causes-consequences-cure-how-to-stop- biting-your-nails. html http://www. webmd. com/healthy-beauty/guide/stop-nail-biting-tips