Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Essay Example for Free

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Essay The conditions causing the psychological condition, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD has continued to become a puzzle to psychologists. Overtime, the symptoms for ADHD have undergone numerous diagnoses. Although the main cause of ADHD remains unknown, present evidences show that ADHD is genetically acquired (Lilly, 2007). ADHD is a mental disorder characterized by problems of hyperactivity and impulsiveness. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV, inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity are either or both of the two syndromes associated with this psychological disorder (House, 2002). ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders among children in the United States and it is believed that it affects 4 to 5 percent of the children in the country (Coile, 2004). ADHD often affects the school performance of the children. Because of the lack of attention and hyperactivity of children, it is difficult for them to concentrate on learning or educational activities (House, 2002). One of the speculated roots of ADHD is through heredity and genetics. Researches presented that ADHD runs in families. According to the Pediatric Annals, there is a 25 percent chance that the child of an adult with ADHD will also acquire the disease (Lilly, 2007). At present, since there is insufficient evidence on the real and exact cause of ADHD. Most researches consider the genetic explanation of ADHD as the most valid. It is believed that a particular gene is passed on from parents to children; this may be the inherent cause of ADHD. This can be well explained in identical twins. If one of the twins has ADHD, there is a greater risk that other will have it too (Driscoll, 2007). Researches firmly suggest that ADHD occurs in cluster within families. ADHD occurs in biological relatives of children or adults with the disorder, implying the strong hereditary cause of the disorder. An ADHD twin studies found out that identical twins are most likely to manifest symptoms of ADHD, and this finding is consistent in all studies conducted (Joseph, 2006). One of the comprehensive reviews in the twin studies is made by Jay Joseph where he examined the continued misinterpretation on the findings of the twin studies. He firmly believed that the similarities manifested by the twins are not presenting the possible genetic influences on ADHD but this may lie on the environmental factors experienced by the twins (Southhall, 2007). The twin studies are crucial theoretical assumptions. Some researchers claim that the studies are not supported by sufficient evidences. The study merely focused on identical twins, but there are fraternal twins and considered that the environmental factors are equal, there are changes in the findings. Since the evidences is deeply anchored on identical twins who are treated more alike and spend more time together and has a greater tendency to experience confusion and closeness, thus, in a controlled environment, it is expect that the identical twins will correlate higher than the fraternal twins on ADHD measures (Joseph, 2006). ADHD twin studies are based on unsupported theoretical assumption and offer only a possible genetic influence on the symptoms of ADHD. These studies recorded are based more on the psychological bond, more similar treatment and same environment experienced by identical twins than fraternal twins (Joseph, 2002). Another method of study used to discover the roots of ADHS is the adoption study. The difference of this approach on the twin studies is that, it is able to disentangle genetic and environmental influences on psychiatric disorders due to the genes that came from one family and was raised in the environment of another. The rules of hereditary and environmental influences or the nurture and nature influences are relevant in this study of ADHD causes (Joseph, 2002). In this approach, participants are obtained from families with adopted children and families with their biological children, who both have ADHD and same type of families without the psychological disorder. However the research is proven to have a flaw; it is unable to consider the biological parents and relatives of the adopted children. This may contain pertinent information on the genetic influence of ADHD. Therefore, the researchers were not able to make a definite comparison on the foster and biological families of the adopted children. Another flaw of the research is that hyperactivity of the parents is solely based on recollections of the parents if they experienced symptoms of ADHD when they were young. This method and data are unreliable for the having the possibility of giving false accounts (Joseph, 2002). The fundamental assumption of the adoption studies is that ADHD is more prevalent in biological families than in families with adopted children. The studies found higher rates of hyperactivity in children and their biological parents than children with adoptive parents (Joseph, 2002). It is reasonable to dismiss the conclusions of the adoption studies since it did not perform blind diagnoses and introduced a genetically-biased research with conclusions favoring genetics. The control group is unable to serve its purpose if the researchers know the participants related to the cases and which belongs to the control group (Joseph, 2002). Now, psychiatric geneticists see children inheriting a predisposition that will eventually develop into ADHD in the presence of unknown environmental factors which might include viruses and toxins (Joseph, 2002). Though the genetic influences are believed to be the most valid cause of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), they seem to only give possible genetic assumptions and add to the incomplete puzzle of the real cause of ADHD, as the root cause of the psychological disorder targeting most of our children is still unknown.

Employee Morale After Downsizing Essay -- essays research papers fc

Employee Morale After Downsizing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Downsizing has become a significant idea in today's economy and maintaining the trust of employees when something like this takes place has also become very serious business (Brockner, Konovsky, Cooper-Schneider, Folger, Martin, & Bies, 1994). The question is not whether a company should downsize their employees but how to do the downsizing properly so that as few employees as possible are injured (Brockner, Konovsky, Cooper-Schneider, Folger, Martin, & Bies, 1994). There are several ways that companies can downsize that will help retain much of the loyalty of the workers that remain (Brockner, Konovsky, Cooper-Schneider, Folger, Martin, & Bies, 1994). Companies who downsize through attrition and buyouts, those companies that work to help downsized employees find new jobs, and companies that are willing to provide outplacement services to those individuals often end up in positions that are much better than companies that simply fire workers due to downsizing (Brockner, Konovsky, Cooper-Schneider, Folger, Martin, & Bies, 1994). These companies who show that they care about the workers that they have to remove through downsizing have a much greater chance of retaining a lot of the loyalty originally given to them by the workers that survived the downsizing (Brockner, Konovsky, Cooper-Schneider, Folger, Martin, & Bies, 1994). Trust is a very important asset for these companies but it is very difficult to achieve and just as difficult to hold on to (Brockner, Konovsky, Cooper-Schneider, Folger, Martin, & Bies, 1994). If companies are willing to downsize in a way that is considered to be very humane by many of the workers these companies will fare better in the long-term than companies who perceive workers as disposable (Brockner, Konovsky, Cooper-Schneider, Folger, Martin, & Bies, 1994). Late in the 1970s, companies began to downsize workers (Brockner, Konovsky, Cooper-Schneider, Folger, Martin, & Bies, 1994). They did this in order to improve the bottom line and also to cut many of their costs (Brockner, Konovsky, Cooper-Schneider, Folger, Martin, & Bies, 1994). Even though some companies today are making record profits they carry on this idea that they must be as lean as they possibly can in order to compete (Brockner, Konovsky,... ...tional Forms? Organizational Science, 4, i-vi Davidow W.H. & Malone, M.S. (1992). The Virtual Corporation. New York: HarperCollins. Hirschhorn, L. & Gilmore, T. (1992). The New Boundaries of the 'Boundaryless' Company. Harvard Business Review, 70: 104-115. HR Paints a Bleak Portrait of Downsizing Survivors. (1993). HR Focus, 70, 24. If You Are Going to Downsize, Says U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, Do It Gently. Interview, (1996). Sales & Marketing Management, 148, 118-123. Kets de Vries M.F.R. & Balazs, K. (1997). The Downside of Downsizing. Human Relations, 50, 11-50. Kozlowski, S.W., Chao, G.T., Smith, E.M., & Hedlund, J. (1993). Organizational Downsizing: Strategies, Interventions, and Research Implications. In C.L. Cooper and I.T. Robertson, eds., International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. New York: Wiley, 262-332. Mishra, A.K. (1996). Organizational Responses to Crisis: The Centrality of Trust. In R.M. Kramer and T.R. Tyler, eds., Trust in Organizations.' Frontiers of Theory and Research. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage, 261-287 New York Times Special Report: The Downsizing of America. (1996). New York: Random House, 5.

Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton Essay

Alan Paton is the clever author of Cry, The Beloved Country, a historical fiction book that displays the violences of injustice, discrimation, and imperialism that begins its story in the lonesome island of Ndotsheni where Kumalo lives. Stephen Kumalo, the main protagonist of Alan Paton’s Cry, The Beloved Country, is a meek Zulu pastor who has lived as a native in Ndotsheni. Kumalo discovers his sister Gertrude has fallen ill as addressed in a letter from a fellow priest in Johannesburg. Despite the cost of the strenuous excursion to Johannesburg, Kumalo flees Ndotsheni in hopes of Gertrude’s quick recovery and finding his son Absalom along his journey. Everyday seems to be a challenging obstacle for Kumalo (I used the black poster board to symbolize these hardships), either searching the metropolis for Absalom or coming to the realization his sister is a prostitute, he never loses his confidence. Therefore, it seems appropriate to ask this basic question: â€Å"Why is it so important to keep moving forward and have hope if your loved ones are not around to support?† because questions about life pop into each individual’s mind and life is a heavy package that comes with prices to pay (I used the package to symbolize this). The title is written symbolically because Stephen and Absalom Kumalo have been seperated, but suddenly Absalom reenters Kumalo’s life. The visual portion’s background contains the repetition of the book’s title because certain remarks are repeated throughout the course of the story, but the title must be read in a way so people turn the paper to fully understand life. The title has underlined letters because they are important messages and ideas I received from the novel. A major symbol, the dove in the center symbolizes that Christian faith is the center of Kumalo’s life where he acknowledges blacks are inferior to whites. Arthur Jarvis’s written words read, â€Å"The truth is that our civilization is not Christian; it is a tragic compound of great ideal and fearful practice, of high assurance and desperate anxiety, of loving charity and fearful clutching of possessions. Allow me a minute. . . .† (Paton 188). This pop-up quote represents that faith is as high as the heavens and an important element in Jarvis’s and Kumalo’s lives. Jarvis suggests blacks do not develop their God- given gifts like the whites do. The dove appears to  be carrying a heavy load because the Church is the place people go to be heard or to speak (I used the deaf person and the speechless person to symbolize this). However, the burdens on the dove make it difficult to fly. Therefore, the dove fails to conceal the injustices, crimes, punishments, and corruption like the leaky roof of the church in Ndotsheni. Next, injustice and ironically brightness are symbols in the novel. The sun is a clear image of both; the rings in the sun symbolize the corrupt cycle of racism and the sun itself is the depiction of generosity and warmness. Additionally, the image of the cross is split in half; the colorful half belongs to the whites representing their fruitful lands as opposed to the blacks’ land. The symbols are organized by rank so injustice and change gradually work toward enforcing freedom. Also, the signs generically symbolize the change that needs to be instilled between the whites and blacks, specifically, the â€Å"One Way† signs signify the progressive change that overcome the bloodshed and violence portrayed by blood. It is simply glaring that faith is valuable in the eyes of Kumalo, therefore, the praying hands signify the strength it provides and when lifted the representation is uplifting the souls of those who suffer from injustices. Although the issues discussed in the book are disheartening, the book changes my viewpoint on different ethnicities. I do not look at different people as just another person in the world but more as I person I should learn to appreciate more. The book is a significant work of several universal themes: endurance and bravery and love and confidence. Unfortunately, I wish the assignment allowed me more time to process my ideas, but it improved my thinking so I could realize digging deeper is always beneficial. I am quite impressed with the final outcome of my project because it took me a long while to think of images to use or images to remove.

The Process Of An Organization - 1702 Words

BENCHMARK There is a common method for both public and private companies, allowing them to improve efficiency in their processes and activities. This method is known as Organizational Benchmarking, which is defined as the process of identifying, learning and applying best practices of other successful companies in the market (Gibson, L and Glenn, E., 2000). In other words, this process is based on the analysis of how other companies conduct their business and adapt to another company to improve efficiency. Before starting the process of benchmarking, it is necessary to evaluate and establish the starting point of the organization. That is, knowing where the company is, what it is doing well and what their weaknesses are. Then, a†¦show more content†¦As a result of this research there were obtained two important conclusions. The first conclusion is that US and Europe could improve production processes of vehicles to overcome the energy use and environmental effects issues. The second conclusion is that it was difficult to compete with Japanese companies, because they, especially Toyota, had developed a different method from the others enterprises and consisted of a more developed system than a simple mass production (Graves A. and Madigan, D., 2012) Having analyzed more than 90 companies, it was possible to observe that Toyota created something that was later called Lean Production. In the first stage two indicators were used to measure the efficiency of the company: the first refers to the total hours worked by all employees divided by the number of vehicles produced; and the second indicator was the number of defects per vehicle. At the end of this analysis it was concluded that Japanese companies had a lower rate of defects per vehicle, they were twice as productive and used 40 % less space in production plants, which meant a significant reduction in costs Later, a more detailed analysis was performed according to the activities type, separating the standard tasks of non - standard and taking into account the time it took each employee to perform them. Having completed the entire analysis process, it was possible to identify how Toyota, having created the