Naturalistic Observation Method

Naturalistic Observation Method Naturalistic Observation  Instructions Introduction Naturalistic observation is a method that is used to collect behavioral data in real life situations. The researcher needs to be careful not to interfere with the natural setting. Data can be gathered by observing from a distance without making the subject aware that he/she is been observed. The researcher can also join the setting and became a part of it so as to gain the trust of the subjects. As a result the subjects will behave normally. The observation may be direct or indirect. In the direct method the researcher is present in the setting but in the indirect method other means such as video recordings are used. Indirect method allows the observer to capture activities that would easily be unnoticed. Direct method on the other hand allows the observer to focus on particular areas of interest. Case study This is a naturalistic observation of a child and his parents in a health care facility. Am African-American family is sited in the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphias waiting room. It is 9 am and the hospital has a sizeable number of patients to attend to. The young boy is approximately 7 to 9 years of age. He is wearing a blue T- shirt and blank trousers. His mother a full figured lady is in a red and white poker dots dress. The father is quite tall approximately 57†, he is in a long sleeved purple shirt, a black tie and black pants. He appears to be dressed up for work. As the observation begins the family sits quietly in the waiting room. The husband and wife converse in low tones. The young boy keenly observes the hospital environment, often turning his head and moving around his chair. His father signals him to sit still. The boy looks at his mother and goes back to his sit. However, a few minutes later he starts looking around again. The woman appears to be engaged in a serious conversation with her husband. She nods her head attentively and occasionally gives a response. Her attention drifts back and forth from her husband then to her son. She stokes the boys head, smiles and turns his head so that he stops staring at a little baby and its mother around the corner. After waiting for a few minutes the man leaves the room. The boy leans fondly on his mother and starts to speak. Often he raises his finger to point out things but his mother holds his hand and smiles. She whispers something in his ears as she shakes her head. She appears to be communicating her disapproval based on her gestures and facial expression. He boy makes a face and chuckles. His father returns and the mood becomes tenser. He boy sits upright playing with his hands. Hypothesis The child speaks more frequently to the mother than to the father. The child appears to have a closer relationship with the mother than with the father. When the father left the room the child appeared more relaxed. He even initiated a conversation with his mother. Occasionally as he spoke he pointed out things in the environment, although his mother cautioned him against it. When the boy was cautioned by his mother he did not appear threatened. In stead he smiled and maintained his jovial mood. His mother also appeared to pay attention to him. She would stoke his head as she conversed with her husband. As soon as the father returned he boy become tense, sat up right and kept to himself. Earlier on in the observation the father had signaled the boy to sit still. The boy had responded swiftly without any hesitation and seemed rather tense. The father appears to be disciplinarian. The manner in which his spouse gave him her attention also asserts his role as head of the family. This appears to be a decent inner city family that is keen on instilling morals in their son. The father appears to adopt a stern and direct form of disciplining or correcting. This is evident in the way he signals the child to sit upright. He keeps a straight face and maintains direct eye contact. The boy seems to be more withdrawn when relating to his father. They do not even exchange a word or glances. Challenges The exercise is time consuming. It takes a lot of patience to observe, take notes and then analyze the findings. Alteration of behavior by subjects when they become aware that they are been observed is another challenge. Therefore the researcher needs to be very cautious so as not to alert the subject. The researcher should record his findings without intervening in the situation. It is a challenge to avoid experimental bias when observing the inner city families. It is difficult to remain object without allowing personal predispositions or stereotypes to cloud ones judgment. Conclusion Naturalistic observation of children and their families in a health care facility is an effective method of carrying out a research. This technique can assist in gathering data and gaining insight more than other research methods such as structured interviews and quantitative methods. Human factors are a challenge in any form of observational research. References George A. Miller (1983). The Principles of Psychology: with introduction. London: Harvard University Press. Brain, Christine. (2002). Advanced psychology: applications, issues and perspectives. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.

Computer Revolution Essay

Personal Computers The personal computer revolution was a phenomenon of immense importance in the 1980s. What the average American commonly refers to as a PC, or personal computer, did not even exist before the 1970s. Mainframe computers had been the norm, and they were primarily relegated to business and scientific use. With the dawn of the personal computer all Americans were allowed potential access to computers. As competition and modernization increased, issues of cost became less and less of an inhibitor, and it appeared that a new technological â€Å"populism† had developed. Companies such as Apple Computer became household names, and words such as software and downloading became commonplace. It was predicted that by 1990, 60 percent of all the jobs in the United States would require familiarity with computers. Already by 1985, some 2 million Americans were using personal computers to perform various tasks in the office. The impact of the personal computer to the average American has been enormous—in addition to its usefulness at the office, it has become a source of entertainment, culture, and education. Apple Founded in 1976 by Steven Jobs and Stephen Wozniak, Apple Computer was to be the spearhead of the personal computer revolution. Apple had achieved moderate success in the late 1970s, but in the 1980s the company developed its innovative vision of how computers could relate to the average person. By 1982 Apple became the first personal computer company to have an annual sales total of $1 billion. In 1983 Apple introduced the Lisa. Lisa was to be the successor of the Apple II and was the first computer to widely introduce the concept of windows, menus, icons, and a mouse to the mainstream. The Lisa computer was phased out by 1985 and sur-passed by the Macintosh in 1984. Macintosh was faster, smaller, and less costly than the Lisa; it retailed for around $2,500 and was packaged as a user-friendly machine that was economical enough to be in every home. Although the machine possessed less processing capability than IBM PCs, one did not need any programming capability to run the machine ef fectively, and it became popular. Beyond Simplicity Not satisfied to be simply â€Å"the easy PC,† Apple in 1986 introduced the Mac Plus, PageMaker, and the LaserWriter. The infusion of these three, particularly PageMaker, an easy-to-use graphics page-layout program, helped give rise to a new medium known as desktop publishing. Creating this new niche made Macintosh the premier, efficient publishing computer. Apple expanded its hold on the graphics market in 1987 with the introduction of the Mac II computer. Its color graphic capability fostered the introduction of color printers capable of reproducing the color images on the computer screen. By 1988 Apple introduced Macs capable of reading DOS and OS/2 disks, thereby closing some of the separation between Macintosh and IBM PCs. IBM On 12 August 1981 International Business Machines (IBM) created its first personal computer. Simply called the IBM PC, it became the definition for the personal computer. IBM was the largest of the three giant computer firms in the world, and the other two, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Xerox, had previously attempted to make efforts into the new PC market but failed. IBM initially was not convinced that the American public was interested in computers, particularly for their own home usage, but after viewing the early successes of Apple they were determined to enter the race. In creating the software for the PC, IBM turned to a young company called Microsoft to formulate MS-DOS. Market Success IBM PCs were immensely powerful, fast machines, and their entrance into the market legitimized the personal computer and created a new cottage industry. In 1983 IBM introduced the PCjr, a less expensive version of the PC. Despite strong advertisement PCjr was not a success and cost IBM quite a bit in reputation and money. Undiscouraged by these results, IBM pressed onward. By the mid 1980s, IBM PCs had inspired many clones that emulated IBM’s functions at a lower cost to consumers. Constantly setting the standard, IBM in 1987 introduced the PS/2 and the OS/2, the first IBM 386 models. IBM also established agreements with software companies such as Lotus to develop sophisticated programming for their company. Attempts were also made by the company to launch a line of portable computers over the decade. The success of these various portable models was somewhat limited, due to size and cost, as well as improper promotion. Even with several marketing setbacks throughout the decade , however, IBM remained the largest computer firm in the world. By 1989 IBM was producing personal computers that dwarfed earlier models in speed, capability, and technology. Software As the personal computer explosion continued to grow, it spawned more and more cottage industries. One of the largest new markets to develop was that of the software industry, and one of the largest companies in that industry was Microsoft, founded in 1975 by William Gates and Paul Allen in Redmond, Washington. In 1981 Microsoft created MS-DOS, short for Microsoft Disk Operating System. Although it was initially licensed only to the IBM Corporation, by the end of the decade it became the industry-standard operating software for all PCs. The ability to corner this lavish, fast-growing market solidified Microsoft’s software leadership position in the 1980s. Microsoft also began work late in the decade on Windows and OS/2 software programs for PCs and introduced programs for Apple Computer. Another growing software company was Lotus Development Corporation, who created its innovative 1—2-3 spreadsheet programs. Desktop publishing software was advanced greatly thanks to the growth of Apple Computer’s graphics capabilities. Countless other software programs, from playful (video games) to statistical (accounting programs), began to saturate the market, attempting to feed the growing desires of the American public. Information Society Computers have touched most aspects of how Americans function. Through their ability to link groups across great distances, they have made the world, at least theoretically, a smaller place. The computer was not the first technological advancement to impact the nation so greatly, but the speed in which it swept across the country and the pace in which change within the field continues to occur have been remarkable. As technology advanced, the cost of computers also significantly declined. Schools on all levels began to integrate computer literacy into their academic programs as it was seen that this knowledge would be as essential as reading in the next century. Sales for computer companies sky-rocketed as they rushed to meet demand. Computer magazines, such as Byte, PC World, and PC Magazine were either born in the 1980s or grew substantially as interest around the issue grew. Backlash regarding the growth of computers and their infiltration into society also occurred. Fear of an un feeling technical society where human contact has been replaced by machines has been voiced by some extreme critics. On the more moderate side are criticisms that computer technology will only improve the lives of those who could afford the high costs of a PC. Thus, the computer, instead of unifying, could potentially increase the gap between the rich and the poor. Machine of the Year In 1983 Time magazine solidified the personal computer’s arrival into mainstream society when it named the PC its 1982 Machine of the Year. Time’s Man of the Year award was given to a prestigious man or woman that had made a significant mark on the world in the preceding year; by adapting the honor for a machine, Time acknowledged the immense contribution this technology had made upon society. Computers, once available only to trained programmers, now became increasingly commonplace in homes across the country. They changed the way the average American received and processed information at work and at home. Some critics scoffed at the fact that the magazine had bestowed a machine with such an important title, but Time defended the decision, stating, â€Å"There are some occasions, though, when the most significant force in a year’s news is not a single individual but a process, and a widespread recognition by a whole society that this process is changing the cou rse of all other processes. That is why, after weighting the ebb and flow of events around the world, Time has decided that 1982 is the year of the computer.†

Effective Communication Between Physicians And Patients

15 Medical Language: Effective Communication between Physicians and Patients Effective communication can be the main perpetrator in an unsuccessful relationship. Why is it so important? Well communication is one of the building blocks to gaining trust in a relationship. Some physicians fail to realize how valuable their input can be to a patient, these same physicians also fail to realize how much impact they can have on their patients’ lives. It’s important that physicians are mindful of how they interact with their patients because it’s important to have a trusting relationship with their patients. Or else, how would a patient be able to trust instructions given to them in order to have a healthier outcome? Not only is it†¦show more content†¦In India surrogate mothers are given very little value, they’re simply looked at as a solution to help make ends meet. In India’s surrogacy business, surrogate mothers only purpose is to help families who cannot have children on their own, once this purpose is fulfilled theyà ¢â‚¬â„¢re no longer have any importance and are forgotten about. Kumari explains â€Å"In this business, the baby is the product. The surrogate is the means of production. Even those who care for the surrogate do so until the product is delivered,† (Kumar.) The problem with India’s surrogacy business is that there is very little concern about shown for surrogate mothers needs after she gives birth. To be fair, physicians shouldn’t be the only people that are responsible to show concern for a surrogate’s well-being, intended parents should also show concern. However even if the intended parents show no concerns for the surrogate’s well-being, physician’s in India should and should build a relationship with the surrogate provide emotional support if needed. Although these women know once they become a surrogate, they will not be able to keep the child after they give birth, it is very possible they could experience postpartum depression. Me gan Cohen, an adoption attorney states that basically if a woman is the biological mother or surrogate mother to a child, it is

What Health Food Can Be And Do For You - 991 Words

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The practice of trying to eat the right foods at the right time, with the correct portions and best preparation might sound like a burden for some, but can ea sily become a simple habit like it is for others. With some basic preparation, portion combining and meal timing strategies and tips, you may come to enjoy eating healthy. Once you start eating healthy you will increase your overall energy, while decreasing your stress, and improving your sleep, which overall will benefit your daily well-being. When you prepare a meal, do you ever consider at what temperature you are cooking at? Do you consider the weight and distribution of the food you are layingShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Speech : Genetically Modified Food1222 Words   |  5 Pagesmodified food. Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience to take action against genetically modified food and realize the risks of GMO’s. INTRODUCTION A. Attention Gainer: What do you call a fish with no eyes?....a fsshhhh. 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