Cognitive Dissonance Essays - Social Psychology, Attitude Change

Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive Dissonance How do human beings make decisions? What triggers a person to take action at any given point? These are allquestions that I will attempt to answer with my theoretical research into Leon Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance, as well as many of the other related theories. We often do not realize the psychological events that take place in our everyday lives. It is important to take notice of theories, such as the balance theory, the congruency theory and the cognitive dissonance theory so that one's self-persuasion occurs knowingly. As psychologist and theorist gain a better understanding of Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory manipulation could occur more easily than it already does in today's society. Leon Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory is very closely related to many of the consistency theories. The first of the major consistency theories, the balance theory, was proposed by Fritz Heider (1946, 1958) and was later revised by Theodore Newcomb (1953) (Larson, 1995). Heider and Newcomb's theory was mostly looking at the interaction between two people (interpersonally) and the conflicts that arose between them. When two people have conflicting opinions or tension is felt between another person, it is more likely persuasion will occur. Because if no tension was felt between the two parties, or there were no conflicting opinions there would be no need to persuade each other. If you think about it persuasion occurs only because there is tension between two facts, ideas or people. Charles Larson writes in his book, Persuasion, Reception and Responsibility, ?another approach to the consistency theory is congruency theory, by Charles Osgood and Percy Tennenbaum (1955)? (p.82). This theory suggest that we want to have balance in our lives and there is a systematic way to numerically figure it out. When two attitudes collide we must strive to strike a balance between the two attitudes. The balance varies depending on the intensity we feel about each attitude and our pre-disposed positions concerning the attitude. We either have a favorable , neutral or unfavorable opinion concerning ideas. When two attitudes collide we will attempt to downgrade the favorable position and upgrade the unfavorable position so that we feel a balance. For example, suppose someone thought of Mel Gibson as a good role model. Later on they come to find out Mel Gibson does not like football. If the person was to like both football and Mel Gibson one of three things would happen: 1) The individual would downgrade their opinion of Mel Gibson, or 2)downgrade football, or 3) downgrade both. The action taken would create psychological consistency in one's mind. These theories are very interesting and have been quite researched, but none more so than Leon Festinger's theory of cognitivedissonance. Leon Festinger's theory, unlike the others I have described, deal with quantitative aspects, as well as qualitative. That's what is so different and revolutionary about Festinger's theory. Robert Wicklund and Jack Brehm (1976), in their book Perspectives on Cognitive Dissonance, write,? Most notably, the original statement of dissonance theory include: propositions about the resistance-to-change of cognitions and about the proportion of cognitions that are dissonant, both of which allowed powerful and innovative analyses of psychological situations (p.1). The term ?dissonance? refers to the relation between two elements. When two elements do not fit together they are considered dissonant. Cognitive dissonance can be broken down into a number of elements. As Brehm and Cohen (1962) write, ?A dissonant relationship exist between two cognitive elements when a person possesses one which follows the obverse of another that he possesses. A person experiences dissonance, that is, a motivational tension, when he (or she) has cognitions among which there are one or more dissonant relationships? (p.4).Cognitive dissonance can occur intrapersonally as well as betweentwo or more people. With individual cognitive dissonance the individual longs for consistency within their own mind. Second, there exist dissonance between two or more people. This occurs when two people have differing opinions about a particular issue.This phenomenon may have something to do with varying degrees of knowledge about the issue or different belief systems being enacted. An example of this can be seen by taking a look at the cultures of the West versus cultures of the East. Cultures of the East value loyalty and honor. Cultures of the West have different value systems that often collide with those of the East. Between two parties, dissonance may arise from: (1) logical inconsistency; (2) because of cultural mores: (3) because of a specific opinion; and (4) because of past experience. To reduce cognitive dissonance a person

Job Prospects for ESL Teachers in the U.S.

Job Prospects for ESL Teachers in the U.S. If youve ever thought about changing professions to become an ESL teacher, now is the time. Increasing demand for ESL teachers has created a multitude of ESL job opportunities in the US. These ESL jobs are being offered by states which are offering a number of job training opportunities for those not already qualified to teach ESL. There are two principle types of ESL jobs that are in demand; positions which require bilingual teachers (Spanish and English) to teach bilingual classes, and ESL positions for English-only classes for speakers who have a limited ability in English (LEP: limited English proficiency). Recently, the industry has moved away from speaking about ESL and has turned to ELL (English language learners) as the preferred acronym.   ESL Job Demand Facts Here are some statistics that point to the great need: According to the  National Center for Education Statistcs, In school year, 27 percent of all schools with bilingual/ESL teaching vacancies found them very difficult or impossible to fill, more than for many other teaching fields. Since this report, the number of ESL job vacancies has grown rapidly.From the same report: As the number of children with difficulty speaking English has increased (from 1.25 million in 1979 to 2.44 million in 1995), so has the burden on school systems to recruit teachers with the skills necessary to teach these classes. The difficulty schools have in filling such positions is one indication of whether the supply of bilingual and ESL teachers is adequate to meet the demand.The number of LEP speakers grew 104.7%, from 2,154,781 in 1989 to 4,416,580 in 2000 according to a survey performed by the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition. Now for the good news: As a means of meeting the ESL job demand a number of special programs have been implemented around the United States for non-certified teachers. These programs provide an excellent means for teachers who have not taught in the State education system to take advantage of these opportunities. Even more exciting, it provides an opportunity for those from a wide variety of backgrounds to become ESL teachers. Some of these even provide a financial bonus (for example a bonus of up to $20,000 in Massachusetts) for joining their programs! Teachers are needed throughout the country, but principally in large urban centers with high immigrant populations.   Education Required In the U.S., the minimum requirement for programs is a bachelors degree and some sort of ESL qualification. Depending on the school, the qualification required might be as simple as a months certificate such as the CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). The CELTA is accepted around the world. However, there are other institutions that provide training online and in weekend courses. If youd like to teach in a community college or at a university, youll need at least a masters degree preferably with a specialization with ESL.   For those who would like to teach in public schools (where demand is growing), states require additional certification with different requirements for each state. Its best to look into the certification requirements in the state in which you would like to work.   Business English or English for Special Purposes teachers are in high demand outside of the country and are often hired by individual firms to teach staff.  Unfortunately, in the United States, private companies rarely hire in-house teachers.   Pay Despite the need for quality ESL programs, pay remains rather low except at larger accredited institutions such as universities. You can find out about average salaries in each state. Generally speaking, universities pay best followed by public school programs. Private institutions can vary widely from near minimum-wage to much better-paid positions.   To meet the growing demand for ESL teachers, a number of websites have created invaluable resources for the recruitment of teachers. This guide provides some tips on becoming an ESL teacher. Other opportunities are open to those who are in mid-career  or do not have the exact teacher certification required by any individual state for ESL jobs in the public school system. For more information on teaching ESL in the United States, TESOL is the leading association and provides a great deal of information.

Sports Day Event 'Give It a Go' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sports Day Event 'Give It a Go' - Essay Example Aims and Objectives Engaging students in sports events in order to bring the best in them making them Good leaders, Team builders and discipliners. To promote healthy competition amongst students of the Childwall Valley Primary school (Lang-8 2011). A good psychological and physical health for students To encourage interaction (communication skills) between the students and Parents so they can learn from one another (Bigelow, Moroney and Hall 2001). Work plan of Event The event requires extensive preplanning, which is not possible with the help of the School staff as well as Students. For the success of the event the Sports Instructor of the Childwall Valley Primary School will be given the task of short listing students participating in the event and under which aspect will they be participating (Gomez 2011). The heads of departments need to be patient with allocating some time from their classes during the last two weeks of the Sports Event. Parent volunteering is welcomed and high ly respected for the event. The event will have an opening ceremony, gymnastics and cheer leading squad, field sports, relay races, tug of war and event ceremony with prize distribution (Lang-8 2011). Persons in charge of event Responsibility Name Head of Sports Event Daniel Roffman (Sports instructor) Speaker and Disciplinary head at Event Rachel Mike Gymnastics and Cheerleading Kathrine Jones Field Sport Rohit Adwalia and Hilton John Drinks and Food Parent Volunteers Nurse Kamila Scott Score Board (Spectator) High School Volunteers Award and Closing ceremony Rachel Fo (Director) (Merriam Webster 2012 ) Equipment Required Equipment Required Whistles Boundary Ropes Hurdle Exercise Mats Microphone and Speakers Baseball kit Cricket kit Basketball Nets kit Soccer Goals and kit Stop watch Relay sticks Score board Trophy and prize distribution gifts (Sports Equipemnet Supplies 2012) Explanation of Event The event will take place in the premises of the Child Valley Primary School’s Playground. This option was feasible and convenient as it is economical and will avoid transport issues for students and teachers. The School bus will pick students from the bus stop for the event at nine in the morning. The organizers of the event will be in school from seven in the morning preparing for the event. Safety is the most important aspect for this event. Therefore, the school Medical nurse will be available at the ground at all times during the event (Omelianovych 2010). The event will start at 10 in the morning with the Opening Ceremony and the settling of the students with energy drinks and water bottles. Then, the cheer leading squad and gymnasts will perform their exercised performance. Shortly after this, the races and rallies will take place around the ground with the help of the sports instructor and parent volunteers. The high school students will maintain a Scoreboard throughout the event for the avoiding confusion at the end of the ceremony (Omelianovych 2010 ). The Baseball, Basketball, Cricket and Soccer will be played in the teams made during practices for the event. After the last game of Soccer students will be given a break of twenty minutes to rest and change. The ending ceremony will take half an hour with the awards being trophies, medals and certificates for volunteers (NSW Department of Planning 2009

Beauty Cuts More Than Skin Deep Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Beauty Cuts More Than Skin Deep - Essay Example In the article, the author tends to indicate that the practice of beautifying oneself is more or less a recent trend. Though this is not expressed directly but the indication and focus on more recent techniques such as Botox indicate that the author is analysing the situation in a recent perspective only. People have been in the race to beautify themselves from ancient times. There are indications to suggest that cosmetics were utilised by affluent men and women alike in the ancient Egyptian civilisation (Winter, 2005). Not only this, the practice of denying the usage of cosmetics and other beautification agents has been just as strong. In her article, Cannold (2012) suggests that the onus of using makeup or beautification agents and denying it falls squarely on women. However, this may not necessarily be true. The denial of using beautification agents is just as rampant in men as in women. Studies have indicated that the usage of cosmetics is more of a personal or individual affair than a gender related affair. The author indicates that women use Botox and other beautification agents but deny it in front of other women. She also implies that women are not concerned with Botox usage in men but instead are concerned with the use of such agents by other women. However, if this phenomenon is looked at in detail, it could be recognised that none of us, whether men or women, want to admit our fallibility to age. As indicated before, the use of beautification agents is not associated to gender anymore (Robertson, Fieldman, & Hussey, 2008). Instead, the old values are being replaced by new values where men and women alike want to deny the usage of any beautification agents. The author further develops her argument by presenting weight as a means of differentiating between women’s social groups. Cannold (2012) suggests that women of one weight category will socialise with each other only in order to justify their own weight. This serves as a weak argument since this argument can be generalised to nearly any gender and their socialisation patterns. It is relevant to note that men will only socialise with other men who share common physical characteristics. For example, body builder men will socialise with others who are conscious about their physical well being. This argument can also be extended further to espouse the third gender. Members of the third gender will only socialise with members of the third gender since they resemble physically. Hence, it could be concluded that physically similar people will socialise with each other whether you talk about men, women or about the third gender. The author extends her argument to indicate that women utilise beautification agents in order to fit into their social groups where 50 year olds seem like 40 year olds. Again, it could be argued that men tend to be just as choosy about their appearance and this can be demonstrated by looking at the corporate sector. Restricting the argument’s sc ope to women alone is rather lope sided since male corporate managers do their best to look and as fresh as a cucumber (Gimlin, 2002). Present-ability is one of the most esteemed characteristics of the corporate world especially at the higher levels. This applies across the board to men and women operating in those domains (Low, 2008). The author’

The Second Treatise of Civil Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Second Treatise of Civil Government - Essay Example This is an indication that freedom has its own limitations based on the activities that individuals are involved in. Freedom is important in ensuring that the individuals are able to carry out their activities without the fear of being arrested or harassed . Different forms of freedom exist in the current world. The different types of freedoms are recognized by the government in the United States of America and it based on theses freedoms that the individuals are allowed to carry out certain activities and restrained from carrying out other activities.   Freedom also comes with a sense of responsibility and the individuals are supposed to be responsible when carrying out different activities.   The issues of slavery have also been highlighted in the article. Slavery has negative impacts on the freedom of the individuals. This is because a slave does not have any freedom and cannot make any decision. The master decides everything for the slave which puts their life at the mercy of their master. Freedom is therefore important to the society in enabling the individuals to be involved in different political, social and economic activity. The freedom that the individuals enjoy in the society determines the levels of democracy.   The theory of John Locke considers freedom as one of the most important aspect in the society. It is through freedom that the members of the society can make decisions on how they should be governed.   The limitation of the freedom in the society in most cases results to dictatorship.

Mass Media Creates Rather Than Reflects Social Reality Media Essay

Mass Media Creates Rather Than Reflects Social Reality Media Essay The modern society is surrounded by different types of media that present multifarious information. This is done in a gratuitous manner whether with or without the consent of the audience. It has been argued by some that the medias role has extended from the conventional reflection of societal values to the creation of new values. This is a complex and controversial matter though. However, this articles final stand is that the media is an amplifier of underlying societal values. Some of the content is distorted, even though one cannot down play the inherent significance of the medias belonging to the society (Lull, 2000, p. 37). The media has rapidly developed with the advent in information technology. It has become easier to access information in contemporary times than it was some few decades ago. This has been through smart gadgets and technologies such as phones, and the internet, and social networking sites such as Facebook, My Space, and Tweeter among others. Virtually everything is going e, from e-mails to e-newspapers. This has made it so easy to communicate; you could easily speak your mind and even show the world what youve got through YouTube (Kuerschner, 2006, p.11). When one is sitting in their living room to watch music videos from MTV, different interpretations arise, but one thing is common-MTV clearly displays the way music has developed. MTV has generally been a symbol of those who are young and jaunty. The music, the lifestyle of rap stars, rock stars, pop stars have liberally set new criterions, which are earnestly followed by the young. MTV has increased its presence in oriental countries; this has been observed as an invasion from the West and a destruction of conventional values. There has been a creation of new styles of walking, talking, clothing, and consequently thinking for the young oriental minds. For example, MTVs era in Japan is quickly associated with the birth of the rebellious Japanese adolescents. However, it is sincerely wrong to believe that the MTV itself creates reality from nowhere or to conclude that the MTV is responsible for all changes in the contemporary technologically advanced Japan. The MTV has actually been s uccessful in the western world, and then in the rest of the world simply because it has continued to support and magnify the values that are inherently held and nurtured by these societies. The contemporary society is more liberal, more spontaneous, and more rebellious; this may be as a result of industrialization, and the media serves as an amplifier of such values. If the modern media would instead assume a more conservative figure, the expected result would be its extinction. (Connell, 1995, p. 9) Information has a significant effect on people lives. For example watching the world cup can make one to experience a gamut of emotions, a sense of delight, nervousness and even resentment at the same time. Watching movies can take someones mind away from reality; this may bring inspiration to do act in a certain way. Therefore, information has created a myriad of avenues to the society but at the same time the society has become heavily dependent on these avenues (Newbold et al., 2002, p. 31). The film making industry is another noteworthy example. Several changes have occurred in this industry and the modern filming industry has witnessed radical changes in the physical appearance of actors and actresses. Main actresses have become symbols of beauty. Modern movies depict beauty as tall and slim. More evidence can be seen from the modern posters and magazine covers display of images of women. The social appetite and taste for the woman body have really changed over time. The figure of a man is displayed as tall and well built (Parenti 1990, p. 6). The media has significantly propagated a certain type of beauty. Think about it this way, what if the media starts to promote short and fat model of beauty, would it be successful? This question may receive more No than yes, this means a doubt in the ability of the media to create the beauty that is not inherently held by the society. Another example is watching a movie of the hero robbing a bank with striking ingenuity; this ins tills negative messages into the masses (McGillion, C., 2003, p. 33). Generally stealing is wrong, but the hero of the movie walks out free, and goes to have fun without any conscience. Such movies create negative values that are against the principles of honesty (Barr, 2000, para.2). However, the media plays a significant role in presenting facts and realities say from newspapers on development, finance, justice, poverty, e.t.c, which are real reflections of what is happening in the society (Newbold, 2002, pp. 219). The values and mentality of the society is displayed as a whole rather than as an individual. Renowned scholar James Curran argued that The conviction à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that the media are important agencies of influence is broadly correct. However, the ways in which the media exert influence are complex and contingent (p. 158). For example the way the media has reported on terrorism has really instilled fear in the minds of people (Cozens, 2006). The loathing of terrorism has on the other hand turned others into pacifist. The media is arguably the most important form of expressing views and it is itself a medley of individuals and societys views (Fiske 1989, p. 127). With all these said, some view the media as being liberal but a closer analysis reveals otherwise, the owners of media outlets are not liberal themselves. Media outlets are businesses that are kept afloat by advertising revenues. It is true that some media outlets do a good job of being impartial. But when a TV station backs a political candidate who is sponsored by business heavy weights it must pay the price (Kalathi, S, 2004, p.40). Money of course directly buys influence as a result it affects how media covers a certain event (Price, 2002, p. 13). It is a medium for the ruling class to perpetuate their power, wealth and status (Barr, 2000, p. 17). Therefore, the media in this sense does not reflect reality (Curran, 2002, p. 45). Conclusion The thesis of this paper is that the media does play a role in creating reality from underlying societal values. Thus, the media cannot create values of its own. The article puts the relative advantage and disadvantage of the power of the media in creating reality, with an emphasis on the way the society has inherently allowed this to happen.

Holbein vs Il Guercino :: Essays Papers

Holbein vs Il Guercino Most museum-goers would say that the artwork they are looking at is "impressive" or "interesting", but they would not usually be able to tell you why they think so. This is because, even though they hold that different pieces of work are equally beautiful, it is not often that the inexperienced eye would truly realize exactly what makes each work unique. Some of these factors include the period in which the work was done, the techniques used, and the overall emotion that the work displays. Even though these are not usually the first things that the average museum-goer thinks of, they are surely some of the most significant reasons for why art attracts so many different people with a variety of tastes and interests. Two excellent examples of how these aspects add to the magnificence of a painting while still retaining each work's uniqueness can be seen in comparing Sir Thomas More, by Hans Holbein the Younger, and Sampson Captured by the Philistines, by Guercino. These two paintings are both masterpieces in their own respects, displaying the exceptional talents of the artists and encompassing the nature of paintings during their time. Sir Thomas More, painted in 1527, is a portrait done by Hans Holbein the Younger. The portrait shows Sir More posing still, from the waist up, seated in front of green drapery, with one arm lightly resting on a type of wooden panel. This painting accurately encompasses the civil situation and spirit of the Renaissance in the North. Since religious art was traveling in a downward spiral due to the Protestant Reformation, artists were forced to look for other types of commissions. Because of the improving economy, middle-class citizens started making more money and began to commission portraits of themselves. Holbein was forced to leave his home to find work in England, where he first met Sir Thomas More and portrayed several other great humanists of the time. Holbein's painting of Sir More displays the intricate details, definite lines, rich colors, and illusionism that are associated with the Northern Renaissance. The details in this painting are countless. The individual strands of hair at Sir More's hairline, the wrinkles on his knuckles, the easily observable difference between the color of his irises and his pupils, and the "SS" chain around his neck are all details that may be easily overlooked if one was not thinking about it.