Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Essays on Norway Past And Present

Norway (Past- Present) Norway: From It’s Past To It’s Present For ages ago, appeared the forefathers of what is the present day Norway. In a time of 10,000 years ago, these early Norwegian were mainly relayed on their prey such as reindeer. There is no historical agreement to where these ancestors had appeared from. Below I will explain the history of Norway from its past to its present. Some of their artifacts were of the same type had been discovered in Southern Sweden and in Denmark. Examples of these artifacts are claimed to be flint tools, clay vessels, art, and rock carvings. By the Bronze Age which had appeared in the 1500 to 500 BC, had started a turning point in the Norwegian history. Through the majority of the population were hunters, some had found advancements and technologies for agriculture. In the Roman Age ( 0-400 AD) was the beginning of more advancements and people began to become more civilized. Many of these advancements were the discovery of glass, weapons, bronze utensils, and the art of writing and communication. These writings were in a form of runic letters, which became popular in the Nordic times. Around the year 400 scientist and historians have found out that the Nordic forefathers began to migrate most of the time. The era of the Vikings marks a historical stand point in the prehistoric Norway. Through without written sources, the Vikings had left many archaeological remains, and stories which were inherited by mouth to generation to generation. It also has been said that out of the prehistoric period in Northern Europe, the Viking age was the richest of the all. For the early Vikings their job were mainly settled in Northern Scotland and Ireland. They were also sailors and explorers. The most two popular explorers were Eric the Red, and Leif Ericson. With their advancements, they were able to build worthy ships. The areas explored and traveled were countrie... Free Essays on Norway Past And Present Free Essays on Norway Past And Present Norway (Past- Present) Norway: From It’s Past To It’s Present For ages ago, appeared the forefathers of what is the present day Norway. In a time of 10,000 years ago, these early Norwegian were mainly relayed on their prey such as reindeer. There is no historical agreement to where these ancestors had appeared from. Below I will explain the history of Norway from its past to its present. Some of their artifacts were of the same type had been discovered in Southern Sweden and in Denmark. Examples of these artifacts are claimed to be flint tools, clay vessels, art, and rock carvings. By the Bronze Age which had appeared in the 1500 to 500 BC, had started a turning point in the Norwegian history. Through the majority of the population were hunters, some had found advancements and technologies for agriculture. In the Roman Age ( 0-400 AD) was the beginning of more advancements and people began to become more civilized. Many of these advancements were the discovery of glass, weapons, bronze utensils, and the art of writing and communication. These writings were in a form of runic letters, which became popular in the Nordic times. Around the year 400 scientist and historians have found out that the Nordic forefathers began to migrate most of the time. The era of the Vikings marks a historical stand point in the prehistoric Norway. Through without written sources, the Vikings had left many archaeological remains, and stories which were inherited by mouth to generation to generation. It also has been said that out of the prehistoric period in Northern Europe, the Viking age was the richest of the all. For the early Vikings their job were mainly settled in Northern Scotland and Ireland. They were also sailors and explorers. The most two popular explorers were Eric the Red, and Leif Ericson. With their advancements, they were able to build worthy ships. The areas explored and traveled were countrie...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission

SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission The well known and widely scorned court case Citizens United has been credited with paving the way for the creation of super PACs, the hybrid political groups  that are allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations and unions  to influence American elections. But there would be no super PACs without a lesser known, companion court challenge to Federal Election Commission fundraising laws,  SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission. The nonprofit political group, organized under Internal Revenue Service Section 527, is just as instrumental in the creation of super PACs as Citizens United.   Summary of SpeechNow.org v. FEC SpeechNow.org sued the FEC in February 2008 claiming the $5,000  federal limit  on how much individuals can give to a political committee such as its own, which therefore limited how much it could spend supporting candidates,  represented a violation of the Constitutions First Amendment guarantee to freedom of speech.   In May of 2010, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of SpeechNow.org, meaning the FEC could not longer enforce the contribution limits to independent groups.   Argument in Support of SpeechNow.org The Institute for Justice and the Center for Competitive Politics, which represented  SpeechNow.org, argued that the fundraising limits were a violation of free speech, but also that the FECs rules requiring it and similar groups to  organize, register, and report as a â€Å"political committee† in order to advocate for or against candidates was too burdensome. That means that while Bill Gates one his own could spend as much of his money as he wanted on political speech, he could contribute only $ 5,000 to a similar group effort.  But since the First Amendment guarantees individuals the right to speak without limit, it should be common sense that groups of individuals have the same rights.  It turns out that these limits and red tape made it virtually impossible for new independent citizen groups to raise start-up funding and effectively reach voters.   Argument Against SpeechNow.org The governments argument against SpeechNow.org was that allowing contributions of more than $5,000 from individuals  could â€Å"lead to preferential access for donors and undue influence over officeholders.† The government was taking the tack that its ruled are designed to prevent corruption. The court rejected that argument, though, in the wake of the January 2010 decision in Citizens United, writing:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Whatever the merits of those arguments before  Citizens United, they plainly have no merit after  Citizens United†¦.Contributions to groups that make only independent expenditures cannot corrupt or create the appearance of corruption.† Difference Between SpeechNow.org and Citizens United Cases Though the two cases are similar and deal with independent  expenditure-only committees, the SpeechNow court challenge focus on federal  fundraising caps. Citizen United successfully challenged the  spending limit on corporations,  unions, and  associations. In other words, SpeechNow focused on raising money and Citizens United focused on spending money to influence elections. Impact of  SpeechNow.org v. FEC The  U.S. District Court for the District of Columbias ruling the case, combined with the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in Citizens United, together paved the way for the creation of super PACs. Writes Lyle Denniston on SCOTUSblog: While the  Citizens United  decision dealt with the spending side of federal campaign finance, theSpeechNow  case was on the other side - raising funds. Thus, as a result of the two decisions put together, independent advocacy groups can raise as much and spend as much as they can and wish to do to support or oppose candidates for federal office.   What is SpeechNow.org? According to SCOTUSblog, SpeechNow was created specifically to spend money advocating for the election or defeat of federal political candidates. It was  founded  by  David Keating, who at the time headed the conservative, anti-tax  group  Club for Growth.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Sentence Supervision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sentence Supervision - Essay Example On the surface these measures seem adequate to deter future and repeat offenders, ensure the safety of the public and to allay the fears of the populace. However a deeper study of the issue reveals there is little scientific evidence to support the perceived effectiveness of these measures. In fact harsher sentences and more stringent parole requirements tend to defeat the very purposes they are supposed to serve. Thus a critical evaluation of sentencing and post - sentence supervision as measures to control dangerous offenders helps provide a comprehensive analysis of their use and the detrimental effects they are likely to have in the criminological process. Initially the acute need for sentencing and post - sentence supervision was felt following the occurrence of certain horrific crimes like the James Bulger, Sarah Payne cases and similar killings. These terrible crimes sent shockwaves rippling through the nation and led to a huge outcry from the impassioned populace. The media played its part in fuelling public outrage and there was a clamour for severe punishments to be handed out to the perpetrators of such heinous crimes. In the aftermath of these killings, the political climate favoured the inclusion of legal provisions to control dangerous offenders by the use of longer sentences and supervision. Such steps served as an opiate to public passions. Unfortunately these measures have not been implemented on the basis of sound scientific study, rather as Tonry points out they reflect a "reduced tolerance of risks in 'late modern society', punitive public attitudes and the cynicism of a political class that chooses to pander to public fears and primitive passions".2 Another reason for the employment of stricter sentencing and supervision was the belief that it would carry out some of the aims of the criminal justice system. For instance it was believed that sentencing and supervision by means of parole officers would serve as a method of crime prevention. It would serve a dual purpose of dealing harshly with dangerous offenders while reducing the risk of reoffending. Theoretically this premise appears to be sound, unfortunately as Ashworth puts it, " it does not follow from any of this that increases in sentence levels will bring about increases in general crime prevention". 3 Dangerous Offenders and the Law Measures for controlling dangerous offenders are outlined under the Criminal Justice Act 2003. When convicted of a 'serious offence', the offender may be condemned to life imprisonment, imprisonment for public protection or extended sentences. Serious offences refer to specified crimes (mentioned under this law) that are usually violent or sexual in nature. Life sentences are imposed on murderers and offenders who have already been convicted for a serious offence. In the words of Hungerford - Welch, "Under s 225(2), if the offence is punishable with life imprisonment and the court considers that the seriousness of the offence (or of the offence and one or more offences associated with it) is such as to justify the imposition of a sentence of imprisonment for life, then the court must impose a life sentence". 4 If the gravity of the crime is

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Marketing Research- Individual Data Analysis Report Assignment

Marketing Research- Individual Data Analysis Report - Assignment Example Another critical factor that has led to an increased consumerism is the surge in credit culture. In addition, companies nowadays also put more emphasis on the requirements of consumers because they have understood that it is wise and sensible to manufacture products according to the requirement as it mitigates the market risk as well as provides opportunity to gain success. The same idea is applicable for a television production company (Edwards & Peccei, 2007). Television viewers have the tendency to watch programs that is entertaining and has some kind of social value (DeMozota, 2003). However, the viewership of a television program is greatly dependent upon the culture of the country and also the customer base that the television program has considered as its target. In this report, in-depth consumer analysis will be conducted to assess their attitude towards reality shows. On the basis of the analysis, a recommendation to the client, NBN will be made about whether they should int roduce a new Reality TV show or not. The analysis of data will encompass both qualitative and quantitative forms and a judgment will be made after considering both the facts (Solomon, 2008; Pride & Ferrell, 2004). Qualitative Analysis Key Themes Identified The study is trying to analyse the attitude of consumers towards reality TV shows. Another issue that became evident while exploring the qualitative data is the definition of a reality TV show. The analysis revealed that there are several types of shows being aired on television, but classifying programs as reality, soap and drama is a tricky task. Interpretation of Theme 1 The nature of the program is also dependent upon an individual’s point of view. According to R2, a reality shown is the one that depicts a real life scenario and showcases true reactions of the contestants participating in the program. Furthermore, the respondent also mentions that there are some reality shows that uphold real things but is often scripte d and participants act according to the direction. In the similar way, R5 comments that â€Å"I have to admit, I am not a very big fan of real-life TV. I tried watching programs such as survivors and Temptation Island, but they just are not appealing to me, which I think has a lot to do with the fact that I see those shows as acting and nothing else†. Hence, the same issue i.e. what actually is a reality television show is the matter of doubt among the mass. Another point raised by the respondent regarding reality TV shows is the authenticity of the participants. Exemplifying the mega hit show ‘Big Brother’, the respondents stated that â€Å"who wouldn’t be tempted to pretend to be someone that they don’t normally get to be on TV, even though the shows are supposed to be 100% real and genuine.† The statement obviously holds great importance, as consumers may feel cheated if they are not shown the real side of the participants. However, the po int made by R1 in this regards is contradicting. The respondent believes that some sort of acting in the reality shows is absolutely acceptable because they have participated in a competition and wining the show will reward them with a lot of money. Therefore, it is up to them how they portray themselves in front of the audience and it is up to the audience how the rate remains constant. In addition, the respondent also stated referring to reality show where two ordinary people

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Academic Achievement of Homeschooled Children Essay Example for Free

Academic Achievement of Homeschooled Children Essay These days many American children are schooled at home, with the number growing more and more per year; however, t the same time home schooling has received less attention than other recent changes in the educational system. It could be argued that home schooling may have a much larger impact on educational system, both in the short and long run. This research will basically provide the home school population, its growth and its characteristics. Also, with the beginning of a discussion of the data sources used in the analysis, this research examines characteristics of home schooled children and their families such as those characteristics most relevant for gauging trends in home schooling. Lastly, there will be talked about implications of home schooling for regular schools and a brief conclusion. Therefore, based on all these researches, I am going to research whether or not home-based education cause higher academic achievement than the institutional schooling in U. S. A. Proposal Methods The researchers will use quantitative research regarding the influence of the educational background of parents on the performance of their home schooled children. The performance of the home schooled children will be quantified in comparison with the public school children with also varying educational backgrounds. Survey method—using will be used in order to obtain the more generalized results of the study. Participants will be contacted first through phone to have permission or consent of being part of the study. This part will also inform the family, especially the parents about the research study that will be conducted. According to Timothy Johnson of University of Illinois at Chicago, having an informed consent of the participants is part of the ethics of conducting researches. (Johnson) If the participants agree on being part of the study, mailed questionnaires will be distributed. The group that I propose to study is 75 homeschooled eleventh (11th) and twelfth (12th) graders. The chosen sample size is a significant number in order to study the influence of the educational background of parents on their homeschooled children since 75 is not much of a high number, making it too pricey or having too much effort given on the study, or not too low of a number. Studies were also made regarding the influence of parents on their homeschooled children, but these studies were more focused on the primary education (Grades 1-4, as indicated in the Literature Review), and not on the high school level. This study will further explore if the influence of parent’ educational background will change if the students are at a higher level of schooling. This study will also be limited on eleventh and twelfth graders. The sample size 75 students will be divided into three groups. Group 1 will consist of children that have been schooled at home by parents that have less than a high school education. Group 2 will consist of children that have been homeschooled by parents that have a high school education. Group 3 will consist of 25 children that have been homeschooled by parents. Additionally, 75 public school children also in eleventh (11th) and twelfth (12th) grade will serve as the control group. Group 4 will consist of children that have been schooled in the public school system and whose parents have less than a high school education. Group 5 will consist of 25 children have been schooled in public school and have parents that have a high school education and Group 6 will consist of 25 children that have been schooled in public school whose parents have a college education. These particular groups were chosen to research two key areas addressed in the research proposal. First the area of whether homeschooled children outperform those that are educated by public school. Second this method will attempt to address if the parents education significantly impacts academic achievement in both groups. Eleventh (11th) and Twelfth (12th) grade students were chosen for this research because they are at the end of their respective high school education and one can better assess their overall education. Obtaining the data necessary to conduct the research will consist identifying the test subjects in home school by contacting a home school association within the target state(s) for a mailing list of parents. A small questionnaire will be sent out to ascertain the educational background of parents with return postage and a request that they mail the questionnaire back. This feedback will be divided into the three groups identified to study. At this point, 25 families will be randomly chosen from each group and contacted by the researcher via telephone. If a family elects not to be part of the study group, another family will be randomly chosen from that category. The researchers will continue to distribute questionnaires on families that fit the criteria, until a response is made. Once a telephone interview with the parents is conducted and they have agreed to participate, a paper assessment will be mailed to the family. A return envelope with postage paid will be sent with the assessment. This assessment will be an ACT/SAT style test addressing the four main academic components: Math, Reading, Science, and English. The child or children will have 24 hours to complete the assessment and return it to either the post office or mailbox so that the return envelope can be stamped for that day. This method will put urgency into the test being completed and sent back and may reduce some forms of cheating. While a computerized test was considered, it may not be possible for all children schooled at home to have computer access so a paper assessment was the most versatile method of data collection. The same process will be conducted for the public school children. Eligible families will be identified by contacting the target state(s) Department of Education. Again, a paper questionnaire will be sent asking for data on the parents’ education and a request to return it. These parents will also be contacted for permission. Once consent is given, the assessment will be sent to the family with the same procedure outlined above. In Groups 1, 2, and 3 we can assess the general academic achievement of children schooled at home. We can also measure, to a degree, how much the parents own education impacts the academic achievements of the child or children. The same is true of Groups 4, 5, and 6. In the case of the latter group, parents’ education may not be relevant however it is necessary for the continuity of the study. In order to obtain accurate results, these assessments should be conducted sometime within the school year after the first quarter of either the eleventh (11th) or (12th) grade. Students should be assessed after being accustomed to their routine learning guidelines in their respective schooling. Respondents will also be assured that they will be guaranteed that their responses will be confidential, as also stated in the Code of Standards of Council of American Survey Research Organizations. (Council of American Survey Research Organizations, 2009) In a working paper written for the U. S. Census Bureau, Kurt Bauman pointed out several characteristics that may determine home school trends (Bauman, 2001). However, the purpose of this study is purely to identify academic achievement within both the home school student group and public school student group. SURVEY QUESTIONS: The survey questions will be divided into three parts: basic information, performance section. These questions will be the same for Groups 1, 2, and 3, and Groups 4, 5, and 6. The first part, as the name says, contains all the basic information about the student and the parents. This part will include the educational background of the parents, the reasons for home schooling, what they know about the regulations regarding home schooling of their state, etc. The questionnaire for those that are homeschooled, in order, will provide this series of questions: name, name of parents, age, grade, educational background of parents, number of years being homeschooled, reason/s of being homeschooled, and organizations that are involved in regarding homeschooling. The questions, on the other hand, of those that are in public schools will be the same of the homeschooled questionnaire, except for the last three questions. The next part on the other hand, will include the academic test that will determine the performance of the student. The students will answer questions on subject matters like Math, Science, Reading and English, in order to at least have a grasp about their overall academic knowledge. ETHICS ON RESEARCH The researchers acknowledge the fact that the study can be a critical matter especially for parents since discrimination, especially on educational backgrounds, might be possible. However, it is also an essential for the researchers to keep in mind the ethics of conducting a research as stated by Thomas Watson. First is that the researchers will give privacy to the respondents, meaning they can willingly say or not say information that they aren’t comfortable with. Second, the researchers will ensure voluntary participation—that is, the researchers will respect if they want to be part of the research or not. Lastly, the researchers will maintain confidentiality and non-attribution. The respondents will remain to be anonymous. (Watson, 1996) References Bauman, Kurt J. , Home Schooling in the United States: Trends and Characteristics, (2001). Retrieved April 13, 2010 from the U. S. Census Bureau website: http://www. census. gov/population/www/documentation/twps0053/twps0053. html Literature Review Academic Achievement of Homeschooled Children Does home-based education cause higher academic achievement than the institutional schooling in California? Early studies as well as the more recent studies illustrate that this is indeed possible, as they examine the academic performances of homeschooled students in different locations and with various independent variables. For instance, Belfield and Levin (2005) showed that homeschooled students have better SAT verbal scores than the non-homeschooled students. Although homeschooled students have higher SAT math scores as well, the gap seems to be greater in the verbal scores (Belfield Levin, 2005). After controlling for 21 independent variables, Belfield and Levin showed that the advantage of homeschooled students over private school students was reduced, but the great gap still exists when the comparison is between homeschooled students and public schools students. Moreover, the scores of the homeschooled students and private school students in SAT are at par with each other, with no group outperforming the other (Belfield Levin, 2005). According to Basham et al. (2007), whether having at least one or no parent as a certified teacher do not significantly matter on the achievement levels of the homeschooled children, although parents who acquired university degree have homeschooled children who outperform significantly those parents who did not earned a degree. However, Bansham illustrate that regardless of these parental backgrounds, homeschooled children all scored between the range of 80 to 90 percent, as opposed to the average score of 63 percent for public school students, who have parents with university degree and average score of 28 percent of public school students who have parents with no degree. Moreover, around 25 percent of homeschooled students have academic performances better than students above their age-level studying either in public or private schools (Bauman, 2002). This can be seen in grade 1 to 4 homeschooled students. All of them perform better compared to the performance of the non-homeschooled students of at least one-grade level higher (McDowell Ray, 2000). When it comes to 8th grade, the homeschooled students have academic performances better than non-homeschooled students at least four grade levels higher. All these evidences illustrate that being homeschooled leads to better academic performances despite the children’s background, which would have played negative roles when the children were not homeschooled (McDowell Ray, 2000). Homeschooling reduce or eliminate altogether the negative effects low family income, low parental educational attainment, large family size, race or ethnicity or even gender would have played if the students were not educated in the home setting (Bansham et al. , 2007, Ray, 2000; Ray Eagleson, 2008). Not having computers or other materials required by formal schools or not having access to public libraries seems not to matter as much for homeschooled students as compared to homeschooled students as well (Bansham et al. , 2007). All these factors do not affect how the children perform academically either. The academic achievements of homeschooled children cannot be generalized. Researchers doubt generalizations because it is difficult to compare homeschooled children and those who are not. However, despite all the doubts of the generalizabilty of the better academic performance of homeschooled children, more and more studies are producing evidence that homeschooled children achieve better performance against their non-homeschooled peers on various types of tests (Basham et al, 2007). The present study will determine if in California, the same findings would emerge. the scores of the homeschooled students and certain Californian private school students in SAT will be examined to test this. Factors such as socio-economic background, gender and ethnicity will also be tested to determine whether each of them will have a significant relationship with the academic achievement of homeschooled students in California. Homeschooling laws depend on the state where the family is residing—whether be it the requirements of the parents, the testing procedure, etc. In a state like Washington, parents are required to have 45 quarter units of college level credit, complete parent qualifying course, an average of an hour a week meeting with a certified teacher, and a qualification to provide home-based teaching instruction by the superintended of the local school district. (Russell, 2008) The case is otherwise different in Michigan since no law requires for parents or teachers to have certain qualifications in order to teach. ( Home School Legal Defense Association, 2009) According to Home School Legal Defense Association, there are already 40 states that adopted the home school regulations. It is also stated in their website that â€Å"Forty-one states do not require home school parents to meet any specific teacher qualifications. The eight states which require only a high school diploma or a GED are: GA, NC, NM, OH, PA, SC, TN, and WV. DC also requires either a high school diploma or GED. (In TN, there is no qualification requirement for grades K-8 if home school is associated with a church-related school). The remaining state has the following qualification requirements: ND requires only a high school diploma or GED, provided that the parent is monitored by a certified teacher for two years. † There are three states who qualify home school teachers to be â€Å"competent† such as CA, KS, and NY. Having less than GED are considered to be competent in those three states. (Home School Legal Defense Association) References Bansham, P. , Merrifield, J. , Hepburn, C. R. (2007). â€Å"Home Schooling: From the Extreme to the Mainstream. Studies in Education Policy. † The Fraser Institute. Retrieved from http://www. netzwerk-bildungsfreiheit. de/pdf/From_the_extreme_to_the_mainstream. pdf Bauman, K. J. (2002). Home schooling in the United States: Trends and Characteristics. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 10(26). Retrieved from http://epaa. asu. edu/epaa/v10n26. html. Belfield, Clive R. and Henry M. Levin (2005). Privatizing Education Choice: Consequences for Parents, Schools and Public Policy. Boulder, C. O. : Paradigm Publishers. McDowell, Susan A. and Brian D. Ray (2000). â€Å"The Home Education Movement in Context, Practice, and Theory. † Peabody Journal of Education, 75(11), 1-7 Ray, B. D. (2000). Home schooling: The ameliorator of negative influences on learning? Peabody Journal of Education, 75(1 2), 71-106. Ray, B. D. , Eagleson, B. K. (2008, August 14). State regulation of homeschooling and homeschoolers’ SAT scores. Journal of Academic Leadership, 6(3). Retrieved from http://www. academicleadership. org/emprical_research/State_Regulation_of_Homeschooling_and_Homeschoolers_SAT_Scores. shtml Bibliography Home School Legal Defense Association. (2009). Home Schooling in the United States: A Legal Analysis. Retrieved April 30, 2010, from Home School Legal Defense Association: http://www. hslda. org/laws/analysis/Michigan. pdf Council of American Survey Research Organizations. (2009). CASRO Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from Council of American Survey Research Organizations: http://www. casro. org/codeofstandards. cfm Home School Legal Defense Association. (n. d. ). Summary of Home School Laws in the Fifty States. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from Home School Legal Defense Association: http://www. hslda. org/laws/Summary_of_Laws. pdf Johnson, T. (n. d. ). Ethical Issues in the Conduct of Survey Research. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs: http://www. srl. uic. edu/seminars/ethicsint. htm Russell, L. (2008, June 12). Washington Homeschool Law. Retrieved April 29, 2010, from Suite 101: http://homeschool-regulations. suite101. com/article. cfm/washington_homeschool_law Watson, T. (1996). Survey and Interview Ethics for Data Gatherers and Respondents. Retrieved April 30, 2010, from Independent Job Analysis: http://www. ijoa. org/imta96/paper64. html

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Essay --

Standards and Procedures It is the policy of Business Ethics Company (further called the â€Å"Company†) that employees shall conduct their business activities with honesty, fairness and integrity by following fundamental ethical standards. This Executive Directive applies to all Company Commission employees. All Managers and Supervisors are responsible for ensuring compliance with this directive. All employees are accountable for compliance with this directive. Types of regulated activities and violations of this directive include conduct of employee activity which is in any way job related and which involves a dishonest, unethical or otherwise unlawful act in violation of Company instructions, directives or policies. Employees should not attempt to deceive, defraud or mislead Company management, other employees, or those whom the Company has business or other relationships; take or misuse Company property, funds or service; misrepresent the Company or its employees, divulge or release any information relating to the Company of a proprietary nature; obtain a personal advantage or benefit because of their association with the Company or by use of the Company name; withhold their best efforts to perform their work to acceptable standards; engage in unethical business practices; violate application laws; or conduct themselves at any time dishonestly or in a manner which will reflect discredit on the Company. The following provides a general outline of the types of activities subject to this directive and examples of misconduct to be considered when administering this Executive Directive. However, no attempt has been made to illustrate every conceivable instance which would be considered misconduct. All funds collected on beha... ...ted as soon as is reasonably practicable to the Human Resources Director for approval. Upon request of an employee, Human Resources may advise employees on whether the Company would consider a proposed action to be a violation of this Executive Directive. No employee will be held to have violated this directive if the alleged violation resulted from his or her good faith reliance on a written opinion from the Human Resources Director and the opinion was made after a full and accurate disclosure of the material facts. Employees violating this Executive Directive will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal and may also be subject to legal action. In addition, supervisors who knowingly allow others to violate this Executive Directive will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal and may also be subject to legal action.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

American Immigration 1607-1830 Essay

Ever since its founding in 1776, and even before then, the United States has attracted immigrants from around the world. For well over two centuries, people have flocked under this nation’s protective wings as opportunists, sojourners, missionaries, refugees, and even illegal aliens. With the Statue of Liberty greeting Europeans entering Ellis Island, and The Golden Gate Bridge greeting Chinese and other Asians into San Francisco, the U. S. has long since been a refuge of the world, with opportunities abound and freedom for all. Over time, millions around the world have found emigrating to the U. S. as the only alternative to starvation, death, or a life full of hardship and suffering. With thousands from nations spanning the globe, America has become a mosaic of people, culture, and hope. The Regulations and Laws In 1862, the first measure restricting immigration enacted by Congress was a law forbidding American vessels to transport Chinese immigrants to the U. S. 20 years later in 1882, Congress upped the constraint, passing the Chinese Exclusion Act restricting all Chinese immigrants entry into the U.  S. At about the same time, acts passed by Congress in 1875, 1882, and 1892 provided for the examination of immigrants and for the exclusion from the U. S. of convicts, polygamists, prostitutes, person suffering from loathsome or contagious, diseases, and persons liable to become public charges. Also passed were the Aline Contract Labor Laws of 1885, 1887, 1888, and 1891, prohibiting the immigration to the U. S. of persons entering the country to work under contracts made before their arrival. The English Out of all the ethnic groups in the world, most consider the English to have had to most crucial role in paving the way for U. S. immigration. The English were the ones to establish colonies of which the United States of America sprung from. Their offspring formed the largest component of the Republic and the foundations they laid influenced all subsequent newcomers. The first successful permanent English settlement was Jamestown, founded in 1607 by the Virginia Company. Jamestown was founded on May 14, 1607, by a small group led by Captain Christopher Newport, who was hired by the London Company to transport colonists. Many settlers died from famine and disease in the winter of 1609-10. The survivors were encouraged to stay in Jamestown by the arrival of new settlers and supplies the following June. In 1612 tobacco growing was started. The colony prospered and became the capital of Virginia. In 1619 the first representative assembly in America was held here. In the same year, at Jamestown, the first black slaves were introduced into the original 13 colonies. The village was often attacked by Native Americans. In 1622, 350 colonists were killed; 500 in 1644. Colonists rebelling against the rule of Governor William Berkeley burned Jamestown in the seat of government was moved to the Middle Plantation (now Williamsburg) in 1699, and Jamestown was deserted. The National Park Service and the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (which owns 9 hectares/23 acres of the island), have excavated and restored the area. The Jamestown Archaeological Laboratory contains relics unearthed by National Park Service excavations. Jamestown Festival Park, adjacent to the national park, has full-scale replicas of early ships and a re-creation of James Fort (1607). Pavilions depict Native American and English cultures. (Microsoft, 1998) Immigration to New England began with the migration of Pilgrims who established Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts Bay in 1620. In 1629, a large mount of English Puritans with charter and a mission to set up a Puritan commonwealth establish a settlement on the Massachusetts Bay. The following decade from 1630 to 1640 marked the period of time known as the Great Migration. During this time, Massachusetts’s population skyrocketed with the migration of approximately 21,000 immigrants to New England, about a third of them being Britons. However, by 1660, large-scale migration from Britain to New England rapidly decreased and immigration to the New World was officially discouraged. But during 1700’s, Britain began to restrict emigration out of England to the U. S. In 1718, the British Parliament prohibited immigration of skilled workers from the British Isles to migrate to the U. S. and in 1775, an outbreak of revolutionary violence stops immigration from Britain. From that point on, only a trickle of British immigrants came to the USA, compared to the rest of western Europe. The Germans Around the year 1700, many Germans were fleeing their homeland to find an easier life in other European countries, the Western Hemisphere, and Australia due to extremely violent conditions. Unlike most immigrants, German immigrants mostly did not immigrate for political reasons. In fact, the country was repeatedly being attacked by armies of various nationalities. Inhabitants of the southwestern part, especially, were constantly robbed and tortured. Entire villages were often burnt down and their inhabitants killed. During the flood of emigrants from Germany, its rulers tried to stop the flow, but to little effect. In fact, the flow increased, and in 1709 about 15,000 Germans left for Britain, and 3,000 crossed the Atlantic to New York. In 1745, there were an estimated 45,000 Germans living in Pennsylvania alone. After the year 1800, Germans still poured into the US, but for different reasons than the earlier generations. Modernization and population growth forced many Germans from their respective family businesses. Also, modernization made immigrating more convenient and faster with inventions such as the steam boat and steam train. Many Germans took long, complicated, but cheap routes through Great Britain by way of train and boat to get to the United States. In the United States, most Germans lived on the countryside. Only about two fifths lived in cities larger than 25,000 people. In 1870, German-born farmers made up one third of the agricultural industry in the region. This does not include most Pennsylvanian Germans who were born native to the US. German farmers didn’t just stay in the east. Large numbers of German farmers could be found in the Midwest and in Texas. Some even went as far west as Anaheim, California. West coast German farmers, though, didn’t live up to the east coast stereotype of a German farmer. Most of the west coast farmers would sacrifice fertile land for a closer location to other Germans. Also, in cities, Germans would cluster together to form communities not unlike the Chinese Chinatowns. These replications of Germany would house prominent German businesses such as the lager beer industry. German entrepreneurs such as bakers, butchers, cabinetmakers, cigar makers, distillers, machinists, and tailors also could be found in abundance in these â€Å"Miniature-Germany† towns. German women, however, were less likely than the average American woman to enter the labor force. Very few German women could be found holding jobs in a factory, or as a clerk. Instead, they sought after work as bakers, domestic workers, hotel keepers, janitors, laundry workers, nurses, peddlers, saloon keepers, and tailors. Not all Germans got along in large groups, though. During much of the nineteenth century, divisions among Germans seemed more significant those between German Americans and other groups. These divisions were based on geography, on ideology, and on religion. The first two were most apparent before 1871, when the push for German unification tended to unite most but certainly not all German Americans in feelings of pride in their fatherland and its achievements. Initially, German immigrants tended to identify themselves as Bavarians, Wurttembergers, Saxons, and so on, although intellectuals and those who politicized yearned for some kind of German unification. Most of these were liberals of one kind or another, who dreamed of a more-or-less democratic Germany. Even so, when unification did come to Bismarckian, autocratic terms after the wars of unification, all but the most ideologically committed German Americans rejoiced: Liberals and conservatives, as well as the more numerically important apolitical, were united in a feeling of pride. (Roger Daniels, 1990) Religious differences were more enduring. Most German immigrants were Protestants, with Lutheranism by far the most denomination; perhaps a third of German immigrants were Catholics, and around 250,000 were Jewish. With the Lutheran community in the United States there was considerable friction. Nineteenth-century German Lutheran immigrants found that the existing German Lutheran churches in the US had developed into what, to them, were unwelcome tendencies. Most had been Americanized enough so that English was used for all or part of their services. Even worse, doctrine had been liberalized. The older churches and their offshoots, established by immigrants who had come before the Revolution, had come closer to Reformed and even Anglican churches and in many instances had adopted preaching styles similar to that of the Methodists. These trends were, not surprisingly, more pronounced in the cities than in the country. In New York and Philadelphia, for example, Lutheran bodies had adopted new constitutions in which all reference to the Augsburg Confession had disappeared. The result was, eventually, schism. By 1847, under the leadership of a recent immigrant pastor, C. F. W. Walther, whose enemies called him â€Å"the Lutheran pope of the West,† the newer Lutheran arrivals who wished to maintain the old-style doctrine had organized the Missouri Synod. Over the years it has remained the bulwark of the more conservative American Lutherans, regardless of where they live. The Italians During the mass emigration from Italy during the century between 1876 to 1976, the U. S. was the largest single recipient of Italian immigrants in the world. However, their impact was not as great as countries like Argentina and Brazil. That was due to the fact that hundreds of thousands of immigrants from nations all over the world were migrating to the U. S. at the same time and American born natives already made up the majority ethnic group. The Italians did play a major role though, socially with individuals rising to national stature in many different fields. In 1850, less than 4,000 Italians were reportedly in the U. S. However in 1880, merely four years after the influx of Italian immigrants migrated, the population skyrocketed to 44,000, and by 1900, 484,027. From 1880 to 1900, southern Italian immigrants became the predominant Italian immigrant and stayed that way throughout the mass migration. Despite the increase numbers, the Italians were not the largest foreign-origin group in American cities. Outnumbered by groups migrating for decades before them. Italians only made-up 1. 5% of the U. S. population at its peak. In the U. S. where the abundance of cheap land could no longer be found, the mostly agricultural Italians in Italy, became mostly urban. Starting from the bottom of the occupational ladder working up, they worked jobs such as shoe shinning, ragpicking, sewer cleaning, and whatever hard, dirty, dangerous jobs others didn’t want. Even children worked at an early age, as in Italy, even at the expense of their educations. The Italians were known for rarely accepting charity or resorting to prostitution for money, another reflection of patterns in Italy. As in many other places in the world, Italians in America clustered into groups related to their place of origin. For example, the Neapolitans and Sicilians settled in different parts of New York, and even people from different parts of Sicily settled on different streets. However, what seldom occurred in U. S. were Italians enclaves, or all-Italians neighborhoods. The Italians would disperse themselves in other immigrant groups, such as, the Irish, the Jews, the Germans, and the Poles, while remaining in their clusters. Also, immigrants usually settled in different regions of U. S. based in where they came from in Italy. The Sicilians resided in New Orleans, the Neapolitans and Calabrians in Minnesota, and mostly northern Italians in California. However most of the Italians were concentrated in the mid Atlantic states in 1910 with 472,000 in New York and nearly 200,000 in Pennsylvania at the time. The living conditions for the Italians tended to be over crowded and filthy all over the U. S.. Italian laborers also tended to skimp on food in a desperate attempt to save money. However, after time and new generations of Italians, the dirtiness of their homes disappeared along with the complaint of weak Italians from lack of nutrition. The Italians were noted for their diligence and sobriety as workmen. In the late 19th and 20th centuries, Italians often became fishermen, shoemakers, waiters, fruit sellers, and tradesmen. Most were unskilled laborers though, working in mines and construction jobs. Over the years, the Italians rose up the economic scale but acquiring job skills in blue-collar job rather than by becoming educated and entering that profession. The Irish The Irish were unfortunately divided during much of the nineteenth century and was therefore helpless in the face of its grave problems. The Act of Union of 1803 incorporated the island into British polity, but was useless in easing the difficult situation of the people.. With an overly large population as the result of the Napoleanic Wars, the Irish soon became impoverished. And with the religious prejudice of Protestant Masters to the Catholic Irish, plus political subordination, many had no alternative by to emigrate to the United States for relief. Between 1820 and 1860, the Irish were never less than a third of all immigrants. The British Passenger Acts attempted to deflect the immigration from the British Isles to Canada instead of the U.  S. , making the fare a cheap 15 shilling compared to the 4 or 5 pound fare to New York. Many Irish soon found it convenient to take the affordable trip to Canada, where they could buy cheap fares to the U. S. , or cheaper yet, they could walk across the border. By 1840, the Irish constituted nearly half of all entering immigrants, and New England found it self heavily foreign born. By 1950, the Irish consisted of one fifth of all foreign born in the originally homogenous region. In 1845, the great potato rot touched off a mass migration. The disaster eliminated the sole ubsistence of millions of peasants, thrusting them over the edge of starvation. For five weary years, the crops remained undependable, and famine swept through the land. Untold thousands perished, and the survivors, destitute of hope, wished only to get away (Handlin, 1972). The only mode of escape was emigration. Starving families that could not pay landlords faced no alternative but to leave the country in hopes of a better future. And thus the steadily scaling number of Irish who entered the U. S. between 1820 and 1830 skyrocketed in the 1840s, nearly 2 million came in that decade. The flow persisted increasingly for another five years, as the first immigrants began to earn the means of sending for relatives and friends. The decade after 1855 showed a subside in the movement, but smaller numbers continued to arrive after the Civil War. Altogether, almost 3. 5 million Irishmen entered the U. S. between 1820 and 1880. Emigrating to the U. S. wasn’t the magical solution for most of the immigrants. Peasants arrived without resources, or capital to start farms or businesses. Few of them ever accumulated the resources to make any meaningful choice about their way of life. Fortunately for them, the expansion of the American economy created heavy demands for muscle grunt. The great canals, which were the first links in the national transportation system were still being dug in the 1820s and 1830s, and in the time between 1830 and 1880, thousands of miles of rail were being laid. With no bulldozers existing at the time, the pick and the shovel were the only earth-moving equipment at the time. And the Irish laborers were the mainstay of the construction gangs that did this grueling work. In towns along the sites of work, groups of Irish formed their small communities to live in. By the middle of the nineteenth century, as American cities were undergoing rapid growth and beginning to develop an infrastructure and creating the governmental machinery and personnel necessary to run it, the Irish and their children got their first foothold- on the ground floor. Irish policemen and firemen are not just stereotypes: Irish all but monopolized those jobs when they were being created in the post-Civil War years, and even today Irish names are clearly over-represented in those occupations (Daniels, 1990). Irish workmen not only began laying the horsecar and streetcar tracks, but were some of the first drivers and conductors. The first generations worked largely at unskilled and semiskilled occupations, but their children found themselves working at increasingly skilled trades. By 1900, when Irish American mend made up about a thirteenth of the male labor force, they were almost a third of the plumbers, steamfitters, and boilermakers. Industry working Irish soon found themselves lifted up into boss and straw-boss positions as common laborers more and more arrived from southern and eastern Europe- Italians, Slavs, and Hungarians. In years after 1860, Irish Immigration persisted. More than 2. 6 million Irish came in the decades after 1860. However, larger numbers of immigrants from elsewhere masked the inflow of Irish people. Those Irish who did continue to flow into the U. S. tended to settle in the already existing Irish communities, where Catholic Churches had been built, and cultural traditions were carried out. However materialistically poor they were, the Irish were rich in cultural resources, developing institutions that helped them face hardship without despair. Cultural events such as St.  Patrick’s Day were regarded by most Americans as evidence of the separateness of these immigrants, but helped hold the Irish culture together. Their desire for self-expression showed that the Irish understood their group identity. Poor as they were, they drew strength from a culture that explained their situation in the world and provided spiritual resources to face if not to solve the problem. Aside from the church, the most important media of that culture were the press and the stage. All Irish newspapers had either a nationalistic or a religious base, some published as church organs, other drawing support from patriotic societies. Their newspapers interpreted news, accommodated information, and printed popular poems and stories. The stage was even more appealing because it did not demand literacy, presenting to attentive audiences dramas as real as life but not as painful. By the late 1800s, the painful initial Irish transplantation into American society had ended. Second and third generation born and educated in the U. S. replaced the immigrants, but their heritage still stemmed from the peasants’ flight from Ireland and of the hardships of striking new roots in the New World.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Determination of Quinine in Tonic Water Essay

i. The selectivity of fluorimetry is greater than that of absorption spectrophotometry as it depends on excitation, absorption and emission spectra. As for fluorimetry, when molecule absorbs radiation and become excited, fluorimetry detects the intensity of light emitted from the molecule returns to ground state from excited state. Fluorescence is good at rigid molecules as it absorbs UV radiation. When two compounds are excited at the same wavelength radiation, they would emit different wavelength radiation as different compound has its unique spectrum. ii. Second, the sensitivity of fluorescence is greater than absorption spectrophotometry. As for absorption spectrophotometry, the concentration is directly proportional to the absorbance. However, in fluorimetry, concentration is directly related to the luminescent radiant power which is measured against a very small background. Moreover, flourimetry is easier to measure the small difference. Disadvantages: i. Quenching is resulted in a variety of processes such as excited state reactions, energy transfer, complex formation and collisional quenching occur. This will decreases the fluorescence intensity of a given substance and affects the experimental result. ii. Standard solutions or the fluorescent cells may be contaminated, leading to absorption some energy of the incident radiation and transmitted radiation. It will interfere the experimental results. iii. The reflection or scattering of the incident or transmitted radiation in the fluorescent cell may influence the accuracy of the intensity of the fluorescent. iv. Fluorescent substance will undergo decomposition in fluorimetry which is related to the solvent which control the pH, temperature and pressure interfering the excitation-relaxation fluorescence process. The line will be broadened and fused together to give a less structured spectrum in the presence of solvent. 2. Define the term â€Å"quantum efficiency† for fluorescence processes. How does temperature affect quantum efficiency? â€Å"Quantum efficiency† for fluorescence processes is the ratio of the number of molecules that luminescence to the total number of excited molecules. For some species which do not have propriety of fluorescent, the quantum efficiency will approach to zero. The quantum efficiency of a highly fluorescent molecule may approach unity under certain conditions. The quantum efficiency of fluorescence in a lot of molecules will decrease with increasing temperature. It is because the kinetic energy of the molecules and hence the frequency of collisions will be increased with increasing temperature. Some molecules will convert the excitation energy to heat instead of emitting light. So the number of molecules emits fluorescence and hence the fluorescence intensity will be decreased. Result: A calibration curve with fluorescent intensity against concentration of quinine hydrochloride in ppm was plotted by using least square method. The least square equation of the calibration curve is y = 3629. 7x – 12. 157. From this equation, the amount of quinine hydrochloride in the sample was calculated to be 78. 645 ppm. Conclusion: The least square equation of the calibration curve was y = y = 3629. 7x – 12. 157 and by calculation, the amount of quinine hydrochloride in Schweppes tonic water was 78. 645 ppm. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the limit of quinine content in tonic water is 83 ppm. The quinine concentration in Schweppes has not exceeded the limit.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Effects of TiVo On Advertising †Marketing Essay

The Effects of TiVo On Advertising – Marketing Essay Free Online Research Papers The Effects of TiVo On Advertising Marketing Essay Putting â€Å"TiVo† and â€Å"commercial† next to each other may seem paradoxical. TiVo is initially selling its feature of skipping commercials. However, with the launch of TiVo, many advertisers feel threatened for their commercials not being broadcasted to what they had paid for. In order not anger major supporters of TV programs, TiVo has been trying to be commercial-friendly and has eliminated the feature of skipping commercials. In the August issue of Television Week, TiVo recently signs contract with five brands to advertise. The proposed advertising method is a branded tag on TiVo consumers’ screens, and they can find out more information by pressing a button on their remote. This â€Å"branded tag† operates similar to Internet advertising. Consumers are exposed to promotional messages but not forced to watch them. Given its similarity to Internet advertising, advertisers can offer incentives for people to click the branded tags. For example, TiVo could count the number of clicks in a certain designated period. For each click of the tag, advertisers would offer certain amounts of monetary reimbursement to the consumer. Or the reimbursement could be used as credit in paying the monthly TiVo subscription fee. Advertisers could also give exclusive offers to only those who clicked the tag. Money is usually the best incentive to get people to do an act. TiVo now has 3.3 million users. Assume they all clicked the tag for Tylenol once in a month, and each click is worth $0.45. Each month Tylenol would have to send out $1,685,000 of reimbursement, and $20,220,000 for a year. That is only about 2.6% of its total sale of $786.5 million sales in 2004. Assume all TiVo viewers on average $6 on Tylenol products in the month within clicking the tag, Tylenol makes a profit of $5.55 per viewer after issuing the reimbursement. Therefore, Tylenol still makes $18,315,000 for the month. Even though it has to pay consumers to watch its commercial, Tylenol is not losing money. Consumers would be happy to watch commercials knowing that they are being paid to watch. Although consumers are willing to spend over $100 to avoid commercials, they are also willing to spend several seconds to make some money. Offering reimbursement should compensates consumers’ frustration for unable to avoid ads, yet advertisers still get their messages across. After all, Tom Rogers the CEO of TiVo sees TiVo â€Å"as a platform for dealing with, and allowing for the growth of, the advertising business.† Research Papers on The Effects of TiVo On Advertising - Marketing EssayMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaDefinition of Export QuotasThe Project Managment Office SystemTwilight of the UAWAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalPETSTEL analysis of IndiaGenetic Engineering

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Electrical Current Definition

Electrical Current Definition Electrical current is a measure of the amount of electrical charge transferred per unit of time. It represents the flow of electrons through a conductive material, such as a metal wire. It is measured in amperes. Units and Notation for Electrical Current The SI unit of electrical current is the ampere, defined as 1 coulomb/second.  Current is a  quantity, meaning it is the same number regardless of the  direction of the flow, without a positive or negative number. However, in circuit analysis, the direction of current is relevant. The conventional symbol for current is  I, which originates from the French phrase  intensità © de courant, meaning  current intensity.  Current intensity is often referred to simply as  current. The  I  symbol was used by  Andrà ©-Marie Ampà ¨re, after whom the unit of electric current is named. He used the I symbol in formulating  Ampà ¨res force law in 1820.  The notation traveled from France to Great Britain, where it became standard, although at least one journal did not change from using  C  to  I  until 1896. Ohms Law Governing Electrical Current Ohms law states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly  proportional  to the  potential difference  across the two points. Introducing the constant of proportionality, the  resistance, one arrives at the usual mathematical equation that describes this relationship: IV/R In this relationship,  I  is the current through the conductor in units of  amperes,  V  is the potential difference measured  across  the conductor in units of  volts, and  R  is the  resistance  of the conductor in units of  ohms. More specifically, Ohms law states that the  R  in this relation is constant and is independent of the current. Ohms law is used in electrical engineering for solving circuits. The abbreviations  AC  and  DC  are often used to mean simply  alternating  and  direct, as when they modify  current  or  voltage. These are the two main types of electrical current. Direct Current Direct current (DC) is the unidirectional flow of  electric charge. The  electric charge  flows in a constant direction, distinguishing it from  alternating current  (AC). A  term formerly used  for  direct current  was galvanic current. Direct current is produced by sources such as  batteries,  thermocouples,  solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the  dynamo  type. Direct current may flow in a  conductor  such as a wire  but can also flow through  semiconductors,  insulators, or even through a  vacuum  as in  electron or ion beams. Alternating Current In alternating current (AC, also ac), the movement of  electric charge  periodically reverses direction. In  direct current, the flow of electric charge is only in one direction. AC is the form of  electric power  delivered to businesses and residences. The usual  waveform  of an  AC power  circuit is a  sine wave. Certain applications use different waveforms, such as  triangular  or  square waves. Audio  and  radio  signals carried on electrical wires are also examples of alternating current. An important goal in these applications is the  recovery of information encoded (or  modulated) onto the AC signal.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Critical of an article (SPSS) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Critical of an article (SPSS) - Assignment Example The study attempted to measure the effects of two independent variables - the subjects' performance standard, and the standard of the class – on the type of comparison made by the subjects towards particular and generic others. It was hypothesised that: 1. Across all classes, students would show a preference for comparing upwards with a particular other. 2. Subjects in the threat condition would make a downward comparison to a particular other. 3. Across all classes, students would make a downward comparison to a generic other. 4. Students in the threat condition were less likely to make a downward comparison to a generic other. Thus, the effects and interactions of the two independent variables were observed on two dependent variables. The first independent variable – the subjects' performance standard – had two levels for the study – high and low. The second independent variable was the performance standard of the class; also divided into two levels â₠¬â€œ high and low. Thus, four experimental groups were formed: i. Student with high performance in high performance group. (Uniform) ii. Student with high performance in low performance group. (Advantage) iii. Student with low performance in low performance group. (Uniform) iv. ... A variety of statistical procedures were carried out in order to test the hypotheses put forth. The study used Two Way ANOVA's, student's t – tests, correlations and the chi square test. Initially, all the sets of scores for the particular comparison other were inter-correlated, and since the correlations were quite high, one comparative index was created for all these scores. The Cronbach's Alpha, - an estimate of reliability, showed that the index would have a high reliability, and could be used without too many concerns. A similar index was also computed for the scores on comparison with a generic other. The Chronbach's Alpha was very high for this index as well. Such systematic evaluations of reliability are important since the data was collected in rating form on a set of dimensions for each dependent variable. Under such circumstances, the consistency and generalisability of the data is best evaluated through reliability testing. Next, for the actual testing of the hypot heses, two ANOVA's were computed. Each was a 2 by 2 ANOVA, and the interaction effects were analysed in order to test the hypotheses. Although none of the hypotheses predicted any main effect differences; in order for the hypotheses to be truly verified, one would see significant main effects as well as the interaction effects. The first 2 by 2 ANOVA was conducted on data about comparison to a particular other. This analysis went towards responding to the first and second hypotheses. The statistical analysis showed that the main effects for both variables were significant; but the one for standard of class (p < 0.001) was much stronger than the one for the standard of subject's performance (p