Psychopathy Essay Example for Free

Psychopathy Essay There have been many studies linking conduct disorder to antisocial personality disorder and sometimes to psychopathy as well. Conduct disorder appears in children and adolescents and involves behavior that violates rights of others and/or societal norms or rules. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), the individual’s behavior must include actions such as aggression to people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, serious violations of rules, as well as a clinically significant impairment in the adolescent’s social, academic, or occupational functioning. The DSM-IV states that in order for a child or adolescent to be found to be presenting Conduct Disorder he or she must present with three or more of the above listed behaviors in the past twelve months, including at least one in the past six months (McCaullum, pp. 6-12, 2001). Those who present with antisocial personality disorder may or may not present with psychopathy. There are two main assessment devices used to evaluate the level of psychopathy that a person exhibits. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was developed by Robert Hare in 1980 and revised in 1991 (Blair et al, 2005). The Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) is another device used to assess psychopathy in adults (Frick Hare, 2001a). Both of these assessments consist of twenty behavioral items, scored from zero to two, that are used to measure whether or not a person possesses certain traits that, when combined, are common to those of people diagnosed with psychopathy. There have been many research studies conducted over the years concerning the validity and effectiveness of the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised. One such study was aimed at assessing whether or not the level of psychopathy of an individual, as measured by the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised, was correlated to that individual’s probability of violent recidivism (Tengstrom, Grann, Langstrom, Kullgren, 2000). The study had a sample size of 202 male violent offenders presenting with schizophrenia that ranged in ages from 16 to 67. The base rate for each individual’s Psychopathy Checklist- Revised score was 26 and the base rate for reconvictions during follow-up was 21% (Tengstrom, Grann, Langstrom, Kullgren, 2000). Overall, his study showed a positive relationship between score on the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised and the level of violent recidivism. The implications of this research study show that the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised can be used as a tool to gauge the likelihood of reconvictions concerning violent crimes, at least when discussing male violent offenders that present with schizophrenia. Another study, conducted by Walters and colleagues (2003), strived to determine whether the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised or the Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form (LCSF) compared to each other when assessing levels of disciplinary adjustment and recidivism. Although the results of the study showed that the two tests were similar in results, the Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form only took about ten minutes to complete while the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised takes between two and three hours (Walters et al, 2003). Therefore, it was concluded in the study that if there was a high risk of offender recidivism or disciplinary maladjustment, the Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form would possibly be a better choice due to the cost-effectiveness of the inventory. Due to the abundance of characteristics tested for in the Psychopathy Checklist- Revised, there have been many studies to assess which of those have a greater effect than others when discussing propensity to commit violent offenses. According to Blair and associates (2002), one of the specific symptoms presented in individuals with psychopathy is a reduced level of empathic response. There has been a positive relationship found between high levels of antisocial behavior and low levels of empathetic response. This supports the reason that both the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and the Antisocial Process Screening Device for children include the lower levels of empathetic response to victims in their criteria of psychopathy (Blair et al, 2005). One of the most common methods in which this theory has been tested is by measuring the level of skin conductance in individuals while presenting them with images of people in distress. Both children with psychopathic tendencies and adults with psychopathy present reduced autonomic responsiveness (Blair et al, 1997). This study shows that while those not presenting with psychopathy show high levels of autonomic responsiveness through sweating due to empathy felt by viewing the disturbing images, those that present with psychopathy or psychopathic tendencies do not. According to a study conducted by Blair and Coles (2000), individuals presenting with psychopathic tendencies or psychopathy tend to have a reduced ability to name both fearful facial expressions and fearful vocal affect (Stevens et al, 2001). An interesting fact coinciding with this finding is that while both children with psychopathic tendencies as well as adults with psychopathy present with this lowered empathetic response to fear and sadness, they do not show impairment in responding to expressions of happiness, anger, or surprise (Blair et al, 2005). Another factor associated with psychopathic tendencies or psychopathy is a partially inhibited ability to make the distinction between moral and conventional transgressions. A moral transgression is explained by Turiel (1983) as one that is defined by its consequences pertaining to the rights and well-being of individuals, such as hurting a person. A conventional transgression is assessed by its consequences for the social order (Turiel, 1983). A person that is not presenting with psychopathy will not present with an inability to distinguish between moral and conventional transgressions. They tend to reference the victim in a moral or conventional transgression situation more frequently when explaining their reason as to why they believed the transgression to be wrong. In the case of those presenting with psychopathic tendencies, psychopathy, as well as some other antisocial disorders, individuals make less references to the victims included in the situation and also seem to have a more difficult time distinguishing between moral and conventional transgressions discussed in the situation (Blair et al 1995a). The second of the two previously mentioned deficiencies in the ability to distinguish between moral and conventional transgressions is even more prevalent when the rules banning the specific transgressions are removed from the scenario. Thus, if there is no law or rule prohibiting the act or transgression, children with psychopathic tendencies, adults with psychopathy, as well as other antisocial populations will show a decreased ability to distinguish between the two types of transgressions (Nucci Herman, 1982). Another area that is studied in order to search for differences in populations that present with psychopathy is that of gender and ethnicity. In a study by McCoy and Edens (2006), researchers looked to test the theory that stated that individuals of African descent are more likely to present with psychopathy. The study included 945 Black and White youths who were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist- Youth Version. There was a lack of results showing any significant difference between Caucasians and those of African descent. However, there was an unexplained heterogeneity among the individual races. The researchers from this study advised that more research should be conducted in this area of study in order to attempt to discover the reason for this similarity within the individual races. Another study, this one conducted by Kosson, Smith, and Newman (1990), used a combination of three separate research projects in order to come to a conclusion. The first study was aimed at examining the internal structure of the Psychopathy Checklist and and its scores in relation to several constructs relevant to psychopathy. This first study found that there were differences between Whites and Blacks in the distribution of psychopathy scores. It also noted a difference between the two groups in the relation of psychopathy to measures of impulsivity. The second study was focused on assessing patterns of passive avoidance manifestations as compared to the results in a study conducted by Newman and Kosson (1986). It found that the levels of passive avoidance manifestations were similar, but not identical, in the two groups. The third and final study consisted of assessing the levels of criminal charges received by both psychopaths and non-psychopaths. This portion of the study was particularly interesting in that it found that psychopaths do, in fact, receive more criminal charges than do non-psychopaths (Kosson, Smith, Newman, 1990).

Speech and Language Disorders -- essays papers

Speech and Language Disorders Communication is very crucial in life, especially in education. Whether it be delivering a message or receiving information, without the ability to communicate learning can be extremely difficult. Students with speech and language disorders may have â€Å"trouble producing speech sounds, using spoken language to communicate, or understanding what other people say† (Turkington, p10, 2003) Each of these problems can create major setbacks in the classroom. Articulation, expression and reception are all essential components for communication. If a student has an issue with articulation, they most likely then have difficulty speaking clearly and at a normal rate (Turkington, 2003). When they produce words, they may omit, substitute, or even distort sounds, hindering their ability to talk. Students who lack in ways of expression have problems explaining what they are thinking and feeling because they do not understand certain parts of language. As with all types of learning disabilities, the severity can range. Two extreme cases of expression disorders are dysphasia and aphasia, in which there is partial to no communication at all (Greene, 435, 2002). Individuals can also have a receptive disorder, in which they do not fully comprehend and understand information that is being given to them. They can experience problems making sense of things. â€Å"Children may hear or see a word but not be able to understand its meaning† (National Institutes of Health, 1993, p1). Whether children have difficulty articulating speech, expressing words, receiving information, or a combination of the three, there is no doubt that the tasks given to them in school cause frustration. These children experience anxiety when... ... CLD info sheets: assistive technology. Council for Learning Disabilities. Retrieved on April 24, 2005, from http://www.cldinternational.org/c/@CS_yKIo7l8ozY/Pages/assistive.html This page provides an in-depth look at assistive technology available for learning disabilities. The site is an outlet for students with learning disabilities. Croal, N. (2004 September 27). This is serious fun. Newsweek Magazine. Retrieved on May 1, 2005, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6100258/site/newsweek/ This article looks at a new type of video game that is actually beneficial, in that it aides’ students with learning disabilities such as ADHD. Page, C. (2005, April 26). Critics leave behind no alternative for education reform. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved on April 29, 2005, from http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.page26apr26,1,7395434.story

Currency Crisis & Inflation in Argentina

Inflation is the increase in the prices of goods and services. Simply, inflation means continuously fall in the value of money due to too much supply of money in the market. Inflation affects a nation’s domestic (internal) market by repelling consumers to buy goods and services therefore this effects businesses as they are not getting money so they close down. This leads to unemployment. Inflation affects a nation’s exchange rate as it usually will depreciate their currency in relation to the currencies of their trading partners. 2.The Argentinean government adopted the Keynesian approach as their economic policy in the 1880-1886 period. This is clear because the Keynesian approach adopts an active government influence on the economy which is similar to the Argentinean approach. It says â€Å"funds were used to construct railroads and public works†, this shows the Keynesian approach the Argentinean’s were implementing. 3. The political stability affects th e economic activity in a country. Political stability means a government that can be relied on by the people from now until next year. A fraudulent election† signals that political parties were in strong conflict with each other in the election of Roca’s brother-in-law. This would mean that there would be conflict when it would come to decision making and policy changes. This damaged the economy as it could not implement the best policies which would have helped recover their economy. 4. Firstly, fiscal policy is the way in which a government adjusts its levels of spending in order to monitor and influence a nation's economy.It is linked with monetary policy where a central bank influences a nation's money supply. These combined are very important in achieving an economy’s goals. 5. When a country’s debt crisis spreads to other countries the other countries governments have to come up with a rescue package that will rescue their financial institutions. Thi s is seen when the British central bank had to step in with a bailout fund for the House of Baring which protected not only Britain but the European markets. 6.The pros of defaulting are that the country won’t have to go into a deeper hole of debt by getting other countries or the ECB to bail them out with their funds which will help the country get back on track. For investors, this is good news. They get to purchase property at bargain prices. The cons of defaulting are that the country’s credit rating is destroyed. Lenders have to raise their interest rates and become less generous to new borrowers in order to make up for the fact that they are losing money. This means that a default rate affects anyone who wants to get a loan by making it more expensive or even impossible.

Analysis of Low Visibility

When humans entered the twentieth century, a lot had changed since that mime, but the oppression was still there for every woman to feel – however, it was disappearing, slowly, but surely. In 191 5 women got the right to vote, and since that moment everything went uphill, for both women and society In general. Today men and woman are equal, to a certain degree, and our life standard has never been better – though it has to be said that macho men still exist. The short story, written by Margaret Murphy, â€Å"Low Visibility' is about one of these men and his animal-like crave for control.It Is also about the struggle of a woman, who Is trying to escape this The short story Is written In chronological order and starts In media oppression. Rest. The story begins with, the main character of the short story; Laura. She and her husband John are both sitting in the living room, watching a riot on television. The omniscient narrator guides us through the story, where a couple of abuse incidents, towards Laura, occur. A while later, we hear about an angry mob, who were robbing a shop under the couple's building. John decides to go down and teach them a lesson, but ends up bloodied and on the ground.Later on Laura follows him downstairs, and she finally triumphs over him and leaves him. Laura used to be a very passionate woman who could cheer up, almost, anybody with her sheer smile (L 19). This however, was in the past before she got married. The new Laura is an oppressed, prisoner-like, housewife who has no say in anything. After years of, physical and mental, abuse John managed to feast on her blood and ruin her life (L 60: † â€Å"Animals,† John mutters, feasting on her pain†). Before the couple got married, Laura fell for. She could always distinguish him from the others.She always felt that the spotlight was on him due to his personality and refusal to be a part of something. Another important factor, to this marriage, is that John was lacking the ability to fit in. She tried to make him a part of her group, and when she reached out one of her hands, he grabbed on her whole body. As the years went by, John had anguished all the passion and hope, inside of Laura, and she became an obedient slave, with no right to speak or express herself (L. L â€Å"One Han on the remote control, the other on her thigh. She keeps very still†). He knew hat if she struggled in any way, she would suffer an even greater pain (L. 43-44 â€Å"So she says nothing. It's safer – less painful†). At the end of the story we see, however, that even after all she has suffered, she is still a dynamic person, as she develops throughout the story. The riot, which was on television, symbolizes Laurel's rage, anger and hope. After taking all the abuse John threw at her, she was bound to eventually explode. The riot reminded her that there was a way out of her misery, but seen Ana to stand up Tort nearest Ana Talent I en angr y moo mace nerd Tortuous Walt resell – a fire lit inside her chest.The only problem now was that she did not know how to free herself from the prison she was locked in, did not know how to fight back (L . 15 â€Å"She wishes she could protest, but has forgotten how'). It would not be far from the truth to claim that the riot was happening in her head and not on the streets. The fact that John was beaten too helpless state by the marching mob makes it all the more convenient, that she managed to throw him off his throne, in one way or another. The ending was nothing short of poetic, as Laura, the once stupid and young RL, made a complete change in personality, and entered a new state of mind.Through all the pain and suffering, she had experienced, she attained a new perspective on life. She was not going to stand for any more insults or abuse and decided to follow her own will. She realizes that the best way to avoid having to face the same agony she experienced is to keep a low profile, a low visibility. The fact that she stood up for herself and left her husband was a victory for herself, however, the fact that she decided to become Just another person and keep a low profile was a defeat to all women.

Free Essays on Viktor E. Frankl---“Mans Search 4 Meaning“

â€Å"Prisoners with a vision beyond the torture had a mission to survive†. What is the meaning to one’s life? Viktor Frankl tries to answer this question that has overwhelmed mankind for centuries. Frankls book is divided into three sections that begins with his own experiences of the concentration camps and the relative stories of lost hope or gained hope. The last two sections cover logotherapy, the way it works and the many cases that he thinks logotherapy provides success. The first stage of the book people were treated in a manner that was cruel, senseless and for which there was no frame of reference. All their choices were taken away. They were treated as a sub-human, much like objects or worthless vermin. Ther... Free Essays on Viktor E. Frankl---â€Å"Man's Search 4 Meaningâ€Å" Free Essays on Viktor E. Frankl-â€Å"Man's Search 4 Meaningâ€Å" â€Å"Man’s Search for Meaning† While reading Viktor E. Frankls, â€Å"Man’s Search for Meaning†, I discovered many thesis’s. I’m only going to share the few that I thought really caught my eye. â€Å"(Of the inmates) it can be said that they were worthy of their sufferings; the way they bore their sufferings was genuine inner achievement. It is this spiritual freedom-which cannot be taken awaythat makes life meaningful and purposeful† (Frankl, pg 87). â€Å"The prisoner who had lost faith in the future-his futurewas doomed. With his loss of belief in the future, he also lost his spiritual hold; he let himself decline and became subject to mental and physical decay† (Frankl, pg 95). â€Å"It was a question of getting them to realize that life was still expecting something from them; something in the future was expected of them. This uniqueness and singleness which distinguishes each individual and gives a meaning to his existence has a bearing on creative work as much as it does on human love† (Frankl, pgs 100-101). I think that Frankl was trying to tell his reads, if you would give up in the concentration camps that there was no reason to even try to live. In Frankls words â€Å"Prisoners with a vision beyond the torture had a mission to survive†. What is the meaning to one’s life? Viktor Frankl tries to answer this question that has overwhelmed mankind for centuries. Frankls book is divided into three sections that begins with his own experiences of the concentration camps and the relative stories of lost hope or gained hope. The last two sections cover logotherapy, the way it works and the many cases that he thinks logotherapy provides success. The first stage of the book people were treated in a manner that was cruel, senseless and for which there was no frame of reference. All their choices were taken away. They were treated as a sub-human, much like objects or worthless vermin. Ther...

Applying Of Management Information Systems In Modern System Research Paper

Applying Of Management Information Systems In Modern System - Research Paper Example The role of Management Information Systems (MIS) becomes quite vital. The changing needs of the business in the modern day scenario can be met with the incorporation of MIS in different business-related activities. There are various sections of organizations comprising sales, production, and marketing among others that collectively form the base of organizational operations. MIS enables the flow of information from one aspect of the businesses to the other which further facilitates to stabilize the overall operations. Furthermore, it has also been noted that decision making is one of the important concerns in the modern day business. Without the presence of quality as well as an accurate information base, decisions regarding any aspect of the business operations cannot be effectively taken. However, it is worth mentioning in this regard that organizations can make use of different vital sections of MIS which will be effective in acquiring proper information for taking significant dec isions. All these aspects, as well as their advantages to the business, will be elaborately discussed in the later part of the paper. This paper intends to analyze the potential advantages of MIS and the role it can perform in resolving or rendering quality information for future decision making (Jewadekar, 2006; Coleman, 1996). Management Information Systems (MIS) play an imperative role in today’s business world especially with regard to acquiring quality information for various significant activities of the business. Organizations nowadays depend on MIS for various important functions which essentially decide the direction of the business. From this aspect, it can be affirmed that MIS is quite vital in every department of modern day business.

Introduction To Pre-Negotiation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Introduction To Pre-Negotiation - Essay Example According to William Zartman, a leading scholar of international negotiations, Pre-negotiation begins when one or more parties considers negotiation as a policy option and communicates this intention to other parties. It ends when the parties agree to formal negotiations, or when one party abandons the consideration of negotiation as an option. In essential terms, pre-negotiation is the span of time and activity in which the parties move from conflicting unilateral solutions for a mutual problem to a joint search for cooperative multilateral or joint solutions. It is the diagnostic phase of negotiation. (Dr. Plamen Pantev., Negotiating in the Balkans: The Pre-negotiation Perspective. National Security and the Future Volume One, Number 1, 2000). Jane Gross Stein has differentiated between the pre-negotiation and actual negotiation, 'Pre-negotiation was generally characterized by important structuring activity. It set broad boundaries, identified the participants, and, in at least half the cases, specified the agenda for negotiation. Even in those cases where it produced only a rough outline of the agenda, it nevertheless reduced uncertainty and complexity by establishing what would be kept off the table. In every case, pre-negotiation framed the problem and set the limits of the negotiation to follow. According to Brain W. ... iation includes identification of the problem, search for the feasible option, and reflect commitment towards negotiations, agreement to negotiate, and setting the parameters. (Dr. Plamen Pantev, Negotiating in the Balkans: The Pre-negotiation Perspective. National Security and the Future Volume One, Number 1, 2000). STAGES OF PRE-NEGOTIATION Irrespective of the nature of the dispute, the mediator and facilitator struggles to help the parties to reach an understanding with reference to procedural and structural questions, before the commence of formal negotiation process. This practice has several advantages as it provides the parties with sense and chance of success on the preliminary round. It is important to workout the procedural and structural questions so that the reluctant party can be understood the worth and significance of the practice and association. The objective of the pre-negotiation is to acquire the commitment of the parties to negotiate their differences and concerns. The objective is achieved by identifying the eliminating the obstacles to negotiations. There can be series of differences and obstacles which are likely to hinder the pace and prospects of pre-negotiation. The main hindrance is often that the parties fail to organize the negotiation in the required manner. There is possibility of existence of differences which is likely to turn the group unable to organize itself and present a consistent set of interests. Another obstacle is likely to be the lack of credible representative or spokesperson on the behalf of respective parties. There are likely to be many other substantial hurdles prior to the commencement of negotiation. Similarly the opening phase of the negotiation is likely to be problematic as well. Problems can be experienced