Monday, January 27, 2020

The Likert Scale and Manipulation Checks in Research

The Likert Scale and Manipulation Checks in Research The independent variable is the status and the dependent variables are rule compliance and hierarchy-enhancing beliefs. The study collects the data through an online survey, uses a likert scale, and incorporated manipulation checks into its experimental design. It is a between subject design. Its weakness lies with its lowered external validity. Firstly, the survey was conducted online. Hence, the computerized system would be able to manage the order in which question were shown, controlling the questions in which it was being answered (Wan, 2014). This also eliminates the need for researchers to code their answer into a format that can be analysed by statistical program which could sometimes results in mistakes when transferring the data from paper to software. It is also impersonal and can help decrease the effect of social desirability as compared to a scenario in which the survey was administered by the experimenter (Wan, 2014). Secondly, the study uses a likert scale. Dependent variables are measured with the use of a likert scale instead of a simple dichotomous categorical answer. This allows the researcher to measure the degree in which a particular construct is felt rather than it just being felt or not. This is important as the hypothesis wants to measure not just the presence of rule compliance and hierarchy-enhancing beliefs, but the level (â€Å"lower† vs â€Å"stronger†) of it. Items on the measurement scale were being reverse coded and can help to counter acquiescent bias (Wan, 2014). The effect of acquiescent bias can be measure on a bipolar scale such as what was used for measuring the hierarchy-enhancing beliefs, from a â€Å"strongly disagree† to a â€Å"strongly agree† (Hinz, Michalski, Schwarz, Herzberg, 2007). However, the scale testing the rule compliance construct is unipolar. It also uses multiple item scale. This helps to average out participant random error within a scale, making it more reliable (Wan, 2014). The scale that was used to measure the hierarchy enhancing beliefs was used in past research to measure the same construct, increasing the confidence we have that they are more valid than other measurements of hierarchy enhancing beliefs (White McBurney, 2013). While the odd point likert scale has its advantages, it also has drawbacks. By doing using an odd-point scale, researchers did not force participants to take a side. Participants could clearly state that they feel neutral about an item rather than choosing one mild directional response over the other when they do not really feel that way. This will enable the scale to reflect what the participants really feel. However, the interpretation of mid-point is entirely up to the participants as there are only two anchors on the extreme end of the 5-point scale. One participant’s interpretation of the mid-point might not be the same as another participant. For example, one participant might choose the mid-point if they do not have an opinion about it, but another participant could also choose the mid-point if they do not want to think about it or just want to finish the survey faster. This could affect the reliability and validity of the instrument and result. The researchers could ha ve put an anchor for the mid-point as well so that all participants can see the mid-point in the same way. The participants could also use the mid-point as a way of avoiding decision. This is especially so since the scale measures hierarchy-enhancing beliefs and rule compliance, both of which could inflict a certain extent of social desirability on the participants. Furthermore, the scale was put on a survey which essentially is a self-reported measure and they can choose whichever choice they feel like (Wan, 2014). This will make the effect of social desirability even stronger. The scores measured might not be a representation of what they actually feel, but a reflection of what they feel is morally right. Thirdly, a manipulation check was done as they asked participants to â€Å"describe what happened and how they felt in the situation†. This can help provide evidence for construct validity of manipulation and help make sure that status have indeed been manipulated (White McBurney, 2013). This will help ensure that the status manipulation has been properly executed, and the results had been obtained in the presence of successful manipulation and not due to chance. This is especially important for participant manipulation as the manipulation might not have the intended effect on the participant as it is subjected to the participant’s interpretation (Gravetter Forzano, 2011). Fourthly, as participants are only being manipulated to experience one condition (either a high status or low status condition), the study uses a between subject design. Researchers can be sure that the scores will not be influenced by factors like sensitization of knowing what is being measured and as a result, the possibility of having a good-subject tendency (Wan, 2014). Participants will also not experience the effects of order effect such as carryover of perceived status as compared to a study that uses a within subject design. However, as the individuals cannot act as their own control as they can in a within subject design, the study is subjected to individual differences such as family upbringing, emotions and personality, all of which can influence the result (Wan, 2014). Individual differences can produce high variability in the scores (Gravetter Forzano, 2011). They can also become confounding variables (University of Arizona, 2006). The study limited the confounding thro ugh randomization (University of Arizona, 2006). The participants were randomly assigned to either of the two conditions. This helps to reduce or eliminate the systematic differences between the two groups, achieving group equivalence. Hence, the internal validity of the study, which is important for the study as it is trying to establish relationships between two variables, is increased (White McBurney, 2013). Furthermore, two dependent variables are being measured in one study. The effect of manipulation might have worn off or be diminished by the time participants answered the second survey on hierarchy enhancing beliefs. The order in which the surveys were given and filled up might have been important in the degree to which participants agree or disagree with the items in the survey. However, the external validity might have been lowered as the study might have a biased sampling frame and the method of selection of participants was not mentioned. Firstly, the study could have a biased sampling frame. Unless the market research firm has a wide reach of participants that spread across the country, they had only sampled from a small set of cities and towns in the whole of America. By systematically excluding all US working adults who lives in other parts of United States of America (USA), valid generalizations about the entire American population could not be drawn from this data and results (Wan, 2014). This is assuming that the population that the study is investigating is the whole of USA. The assumption was made as the hypothesis did not specify the population it will be investigating. By stating â€Å"people†, it could mean people around the world, people in America, or people in a specific state. Secondly, random selection of the sample was not mentioned. Hence, it might not be representative of the population, lowering the external validity of the study (Wan, 2014). However, this might not be that important as the goal of the study was to establish a relationship between the two variables and not to generate a result that could be generalized across the population. Since, there might be limited resources, it is wise to only choose one validity; internal validity was more important than external validity in this study that investigates the relationship of variables (Wan, 2014). This weakness will not affect the conclusion that much. In conclusion, the use of online survey, likert scale, and manipulation checks had made the study better. However, the reduced external validity might make it difficult for the results of this study to be generalized. Tan Jun Xuan References: Gravetter, F., Forzano, L.-A. (2011). Research Methods for the Behavioural Sciences. United States of America: Cengage Learning. Hinz, A., Michalski, D., Schwarz, R., Herzberg, P. Y. (2007). The acquiescence effect in responding to a questionnaire. Psychosocial Med. University of Arizona (2006). Ch8 Between-subjects design [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from: www.u.arizona.edu/~dusana/psych290Bpresession06/notes/Ch8%20Between-subjects%20desing.ppt Wan, C. (2014). HP1100 Sem1 1415 Week 2 Slides [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from: ntulearn.ntu.edu.sg Wan, C. (2014). HP1100 Sem1 1415 Week 3 Slides [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from: ntulearn.ntu.edu.sg Wan, C. (2014). HP1100 Sem1 1415 Week 4 Slides [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from: ntulearn.ntu.edu.sg White, T. L., McBurney, D. H. (2013). Research Methods. United States of America: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Martin Luther King Jr. Headed Research Essay

Martin Luther King Jr was a well known civil rights leader in the 1960’s. He inspired many African Americans with his speeches and his non-violent movement. He had vision, courage and concern three out of the six characteristics mention by Campbell (2002) that create a leader. Even though he was well know for stopping segregation it is important to study his effective leadership. Many High School students have studied about Martin Luther King Jr. However, there is much more to King. We need to study his courage to step up and create sit-ins and protest, concern for others right and vision to tie all these in and make them possible. In addition, we need to look into these characteristics that made him a strong catalyst for change. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the findings about the leadership and characteristics of Martin Luther King Jr. Also adding to how this leader improved the reading and writing skills to this papers author. The questions posed for the research described here are the following: 1. What important findings were made during this research? a. Why was he concerned about the rights they had? b. How did sit-ins and boycotts help King? c. What did it take to accomplish his goal? 2. Which of the leaders personal characteristics seem to be most important for his success as a catalyst for change? 3. What did the author of this paper learn about him/herself as the research, reading and writing for this assignment progress? 4. What conclusion can be drawn from this research? Findings about the Leader Martin Luther King Jr most important accomplishment was concerned about the civil rights that black people had King tried to protect the freedom of discrimination based on â€Å"gender, religion, race, national origin, age or sexual orientation.† (History Alive ch. 46) King wanted to give African Americans their rights to freedom of speech. he saw to gain equality through the world. also King wanted to stop the discrimination that was mostly based on race. this would stop the segregation that was going on and open the doors of opportunity and a better community. Much of Kings work was controversial during the time in which he lived. People opposed King because he encouraged sit-ins and boycotts. In one of the many sit-ins four college students sat in white people spots and refused to move because they were not getting served. The students dressed like they were going to church and the sit-in lasted for almost two weeks. Many white people fought the black people and the black people were arrested. They were able to get bailed for fifty dollars or do the thirty-three days in jail. Then the marches started and one girl marched up to the mayor and she said that it was unfair. Three weeks later black people got served.(History Alive.p 69) In the Montgomery Bus Boycotts was organized because of the segregated buses. The boycott lasted 328 days with no one riding the bus. Martin Luther King Jr lead the black people in this boycott. In 1955 black people had to sit in the back of the bus and white people sat in the front, sometimes black people had to give up their seats. Black boycott leaders got attacked by white people. Some of which got their homes bombed. Even though they were attacked they stuck to their non-violent system. eleven months later the segregation was considered unconstitutional. King said that, â€Å"it wasn’t a victory for them or whites, but justice and good will.† (History Alive. p 69) Kings ideas were important for the time in which he lived. People opposed King because they knew he would accomplish his goals. It took a lot of Kings time to accomplish desegregation and equality, but he was able to accomplish all the sit-ins, boycotts and marches with the help and support from his family, church and his followers who wanted the justice that King wanted to achieve. The Leader’s Personal Characteristics The three personal characteristics that, according to Campbell are necessary to become a strong exceptional leader are vision, concern and courage. These three characteristics best describe Martin Luther King Jr. King’s vision was shown through his speeches, sit-ins and boycotts. King wanted the future of his people and the future generation of young African Americans to be better and equal. He wanted to put a stop to the segregation and the discrimination that was going on through this time period. King knew that his vision would come true when these problems would come to an end. King wasn’t concern for himself only. He was concern for the entire African American community. King tried to prevent the hate that was being shown by the white people towards the black people to stop. Once this stopped King knew that the children growing up in this time period wouldn’t grow up with the same hatred shown by their parents. He wanted to put a stop to all of it so it wouldn’t spread to the young minds of the children as well as in the parents. This was all accomplished by King through his courage. He went through many risks. King not only put his life in danger, but the life of his family and his followers. The sit-ins, boycotts and marches brought hate and violence to King and his followers as well. There were times that they experienced mob attacks and bombings on their own home. All of which put King in danger for following and making justice happen. Fighting for every ones rights using non-violent movement was difficult, but courageous. King using this type of movement was significant and brave because he didn’t fight back when they would get attack and going out with this movement in mind against all those people that apposed King showed his true leadership skills. Learning about Myself as a Reader and Writer This experience has made me a better reader because it helped me improve my note taking and helped me focus on a certain topic. My note taking has become more in depth and I’m able to pull out the important part or parts of the articles were are reading. Having focused notes also helped me stay focus on this topic. I learned how to focus on a specific topic for each paragraph in my essay. Writing was a difficult part for me because I didn’t know exactly what I had to write about sometimes, or I wouldn’t have a clear sense of direction, or explanation to what I was, or had to do. This caused me a lot of confusion, so that leads into why I didn’t do so well in my papers. It was the little assignments we got that confused me the most because I didn’t find a connection from the little assignments to the bigger one. Also because we mixed how to write the paper along with finding facts and integrating sources. It would have been more helpful if we had spilt that into two different sections and having one section to do with MLK, finding the facts and integrating sources as one section and how to write the paper as another. The things I need to work on the most are writing and making connections with the assignments provided. Due to the fact that, that was my point of confusion during the assignment. Also it was writing that I scored the lowest in and this shows that I didn’t become a better writer throughout the course of this assignment Conclusion Where are we in racial equality today? what would Martin Luther King Jr think or do? Today were are not as bad in racial equality as in the time of Martin Luther King Jr, but we do experience racial hate and judgement today, mostly against Hispanics. If King was alive today, his reaction would probably be the same as when he experienced the discrimination against African Americans. He probably wouldn’t like the way people are being treated and would feel the same type of tension he did when he was a catalyst for change in the 1900’s. King would try to find away to help and also make this stop by using the same method, such as non-violent movement. King would have to change his way of solving this to get the same success he had if he tried to be a catalyst for change during this era because of the different time periods Citations Campbell, Scott. â€Å"Great Leaders Grow Deep Roots The Six Characteristics of Expectional Leaders.† . N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan 2012. . King, M.. â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail.† â€Å"letter from a birmingham jail†. University of Pennsylvania, 1963. Web. 8 Dec 2011. Carson, Clayborne, et. al. of the Martin Luther King Research and Education Institute. The Martin Luther King, Jr. encyclopedia. Greenwood Press: Westport, Connecticut. 2008. Goff, Brent. History Alive!: Pursuing American Ideals. Teachers Curriculum Inst, 2008. Web. .

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Of mice and men †dreams and hope Essay

Hopes and dreams help people survive even if they never become real. How true is this for the characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’? The novel ‘Of mice and Men’ was written by John Steinbeck and is set in Salinas and Soledad California in the 1930s when life was hard for so many people because of the great depression. A major theme of John Steinbeck’s novel ‘of mice and men’ is the American dream and the drive to attain it. There are two major themes in ‘of mice and men’ novel that is foreshadowed by the reference to Robert Burns’ poem called â€Å"To a mouse† the word mouse within the title means loneliness and dreams. (BBC Bitesize, 2014:2) This poem contains the lines, â€Å"The best laid plans of mice and men/ often go awry† Most of the main characters in â€Å"Of Mice and Men† harbour dreams and have plans that never come true. George, Lennie, and Candy all share a doomed dream of buying their own f arm and living off the land. George often thinks about how his life he could have had as an unrestricted bachelor and free of the burden of caring for Lennie. â€Å"If I was alone I could live so easy,† he says. (Steinbeck, 1965:12) However, Lennie has his own private dream of living in a cave with his own rabbits but Curley’s wife regrets the missed chance to become a movie star. The main theme throughout this novel is that people must learn to reconcile their dreams with the reality to accept that everyone’s best laid plans often die. Each of the characters plans go askew not because they give up on them but because the forces beyond their control destroyed each one of them. Due to the bleak economic outlook of the Great Depression coming to terms with your broken dreams was the reality nearly everyone in America faced. The American Dream is written into the Declaration of Independence: â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.† With these protections, any American, regardless of class, religion, gender, and eventually race, could always strive—and even sometimes succeed—at improving himself via wealth, education, or labour. (SparkNotes, 2014). George and Lennie’s dream about owning a farm and living off the â€Å"fatta the lan† (Steinbeck, 1965:16) symbolises this dream. In the novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† shows that the American Dream became an illusion and a trap for the poor migrant workers during the Great Depression. Every single one of the ranch  workers in the novel dream of life, liberty and happiness but not one of them ever gets is. When Crooks hears of George and Lennie’s dream of owning their farm he says â€Å"Nobody ever gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land.† (Steinbeck, 1965:84). Although the ranch workers dreams may not be realised, the novel suggest that in order for a person’s life to be full and meaningful it has to contain some sort of dream. At the end of the novel George and Lennie never achieved their dream but it did hold their remarkable friendship together throughout the story, for them this dream was real even if it was just there imagination because kept Lennie happy and it stopped George from becoming a mean and lonely guy like the other ranch workers. The dream gives them life, even if life never allows them to achieve their dreams. This novel explores the changing aspects of male friendship during this period this is shown when Lennie asks George to tell him why they are not like the other ranchers; George tells him â€Å"we got a future Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place†¦.With us it ain’t like that. We got a future†¦. An’ why? Because†¦because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.† (Steinbeck, 1965:15) this is George’s way of sayi ng he and Lennie are different to the other workers. It could also be suggested that the word ‘future’ could be a metaphor for something bright and so much greater then what they have got now, which could be linked to their version of the American Dream and to ‘live off the fatta the lan’. (Steinbeck, 1965:16) this could almost suggest a biblical meaning like a promised land where all their dreams could come true. This dream helps George and Lennie to endure the hardship they face each day and to help them not to give in to despair. Usually the men who worked on these ranches would have no family, friends so therefore no future. Their friendship strikes the other ranch workers as odd due to their dependency on each other. This makes the boss and Curley suspicious and Slim observes that ranch workers rarely travel together because they’re scared of each other. Although most of the men in the novel are completely alone they still all crave true friendship. As Crooks, perhaps the novel’s most solitary character because of his black skin puts it, â€Å"A guy needs somebody—to be near him.† (Steinbeck, 1965:82) All the characters in the novel long for friendship and kindness but yet they all live in fear of one  another. This is shown with the tough shooting of Candy’s dog which makes it clear that during the Great Depression if you are useless, old or weak you will certainly be destroyed because the strong and the useful will fight for survival. All the workers on the ranch would constantly try to make themselves look strong especially if they feeling weak. The fear of the weak being overrun by the strong could explain why Curley likes to fight a larger men then he is â€Å"Curley’s pretty handy. He done quite a bit in the ring. He’s a light weight and he’s handy† (Steinbeck, 1965:29) and it could also be why Crooks tells Lennie that George is going to abandon him. Then Curleyâ₠¬â„¢s wife threatens to have Crooks lynched. Each of these characters tries to appear strong by asserting power over one another. This fear of being the strongest explains why the other characters in novel find it hard to understand George and Lennie’s friendship because they see being the strongest as a fight for survival. In ‘Of Mice and Men’ it has two different visions of women in it the first is the male character view and the second is the novel’s view of women. The male characters view on women which is they tend to view the women with fear and negatively labelling them as dangerous sexual temptresses. The male workers often referred to Curley’s wife with insulting words like a â€Å"tart† (Steinbeck, 1965:31) and â€Å"jail bait† (Steinbeck, 1965:36). George and Lennie have a friend in prison â€Å"on account of a tart† (Steinbeck, 1965:63) plus they have had their own troubles twice as a result from a woman. The first the women from Weeds and the second is Curley’s wife. Although she plays into her role as sexy temptress throughout the novel until the last part of it where is a victim. Curley’s wife craves the attention of the men on the ranch because she’s desperately lonely so she flaunts her power over the men because she h erself feels weak. There are a number of symbols within the novel that have different meanings these are George and Lennie’s farm, the rabbits that Lennie keeps talking about, Candy’s old dog and also Lennie’s puppy. The dream of owning a farm for George and Lennie is a symbol of the American Dream. This fantasy of owning their own farm leads George, Lennie and the other ranch workers such as Candy and Crooks to indulge in the dream of living â€Å"off the fatta the lan† (Steinbeck, 1965:16). George’s rich description of the farm’s lavish plants and animals also makes it seem like a symbol of paradise. While Lennie dreams of tending to the rabbits on the farm that he and George hope to own  one day. This dream forms Lennie’s complete innocence. Lennie enjoys touching anything that has a soft fur such as rabbits and mice due to this love of touching soft things leads to his fate. This symbolise not just innocence but also Lennie’s downfall of innocence in the harsh world that he lives. The next symbol is Candy’s old but once powerful sheepdog. For Carlson killing Candy’s dog makes it clear that during the Great Depression those who was strong would only survive. The way that Carlson kills Candy’s dog in the back of the head with just a single gunshot is foreshadowing how George will kill Lennie in the end. The link between Lennie and Candy’s dog is that they are powerless, innocent and doomed from the start. The symbol of Lennie’s puppy shows how dependent Lennie is on George, just as the puppy is dependent on Lennie. The puppy symbolise the fate of the weak in the face of the strong.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

The Importance Of Probation Kiosks For An Office Visit

Any time new or advanced technology is introduced to a workplace, it is almost always with the goal of making processes more efficient. Probation kiosks are no different. Ultimately, the end goal is to make things easier for supervising officers and for offenders. Officers can use the kiosks to collect information they normally would have to do face-to-face. Address/phone number changes, employment data, drug/alcohol treatment updates, and payment information are just a few of the conditions that offenders talk about during an office visit. Offenders are typically scheduled for particular times on their report day to cut down on wait time and capitalize on officer availability. However, there are numerous factors that can lead to a lobby getting filled up and lead to potential issues while offenders wait to be seen. Kiosks offer the opportunity to collect needed information and enable offenders to quickly report. This research will utilize some qualitative and quantitative app roaches. Given that this project began with research surrounding departments utilizing kiosks, this literature review will continue throughout the project. This will result in a final project that highlights successes and failures in regards to kiosk reporting. Additionally, the literature review will touch on how to supervise low/moderate/high risk offenders and justification for the use of kiosks on low risk offenders (thus providing officers more time to focus on high risk offenders). Any