Some Essential Suggestions to Improve Your Explanatory Essay

Some Essential Suggestions to Improve Your Explanatory EssayLooking for some examples of persuasive writing? A guide to explanatory essay samples is essential to help you learn how to craft effective persuasive essays. By following these tips, you will be on your way to a successful writing career.Begin your explanation with an illustration. This is often the first step that a reader takes in order to obtain clarity about the topic under discussion. An illustration is a perfect way to get people to understand what you are saying. However, don't overdo it. Provide examples that are more subtle in tone, but still require your readers to visualize what you are talking about.You should have an outline for your essay, but it's not essential. Stick to the principle of speaking in generalities. That way, your reader will feel less overwhelmed and will focus more on the meaning of what you are writing. In many cases, it's actually better to speak in generalities because they are more concret e and memorable. So, when you provide examples that only partially address the point being made, it distracts from the overall picture. Unless you are giving a lengthy discussion, don't use this technique as a writer.Restate the same ideas over. This is a common mistake that most students make. Most writers include a word here and there, but omit the words that are most important. For example, instead of giving three examples, give five. You want to give your reader a picture of the message that you are trying to convey.Use keywords that define the topic of your writing, like the one you are writing about or 'testimonials' in order to stir up interest in your topic. You'll have to use these keywords in several different parts of your essay. Make sure that they are integrated throughout.Include examples in your paper so that you can use them again. This is how you will generate links between all of your examples. The more examples you use, the more likely it is that your readers will be motivated to learn more about the topic you're discussing. Also, if you have five different examples, you will be able to vary the pace of your explanation by varying how you go about explaining your points. Also, you should always provide the reader with additional supporting information that gives context to your points. Of course, don't overdo it, as this will confuse your readers.Learn the technique to create a persuasive writing sample. Don't rely on what others tell you about writing samples. It's important to come up with your own. With a little imagination, you'll soon know how to be a persuasive writer.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words Free Essays

string(114) " stronger than spatial compatibility when the spatial cue is smaller and less dynamic than the body movement cue\." Title: Actions speak louder than words: comparing automatic imitation and verbal command Authors: Helge Gillmeister, Arnaud Badets and Cecilia Heyes University College London, London, UK Corresponding author: Helge Gillmeister Department of Psychology, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP, United Kingdom Tel. : +44 207 679 5379 E-mail: h. gillmeister@ucl. We will write a custom essay sample on Actions Speak Louder Than Words or any similar topic only for you Order Now ac. uk Running head: Actions speak louder than words Word count: 3904 Actions speak louder than words Abstract Automatic imitation – copying observed actions without intention – is known to occur, not only in neurological patients and those with developmental disorders, but also in healthy, typically-developing adults and children. Previous research has shown that a variety of actions are automatically imitated, and that automatic imitation promotes social affiliation and rapport. We assessed the power of automatic imitation by comparing it with the strength of the tendency to obey verbal commands. In a Stroop interference paradigm, the stimuli were compatible, incompatible and neutral compounds of hand postures and verbal commands. When imitative responses were required, the impact of irrelevant action images on responding to words was greater than the effect of irrelevant words on responding to actions. Control group performance showed that this asymmetry was not due to modality effects or differential salience of action and word stimuli. These results indicate that automatic imitation was more powerful than verbal command. 1 Actions speak louder than words Introduction Even when we do not intend to imitate others, we are inclined to copy their body movements. This tendency, known as ‘mimicry’ or ‘automatic imitation’, was once thought to be confined to patients with frontal brain damage (Lhermitte, Pillon, Serdaru, 1986), atypically-developing individuals (e. g. Charman Baron-Cohen, 1994), ‘savages’ (Darwin, 1989) and nonhuman animals (Thorndike, 1898). More recent research has shown that automatic imitation is also common in healthy, typically-developing adults (e. g. Wallbott, 1991; Lakin Chartrand, 2003; Brass, Bekkering, Wohlschlager, Prinz, 2000) and children (Simpson Riggs, 2007). The purpose of the present study was to estimate the strength of our tendency automatically to imitate the behavior of others by comparing it with the strength of our tendency to do what we are told; to perform actions on verbal command. Most previous research on automatic imitation has been concerned, not with the strength of this tendency, but with its pervasiveness and effects on social attitudes. Carefully controlled laboratory studies have found automatic imitation of facial expressions (e. g. Wallbott, 1991), as well as finger (e. . Brass et al. , 2000), hand (Heyes, Bird, Johnson, Haggard, 2005) and arm movements (e. g. Kilner, Paulignan, Blakemore, 2003). Studies investigating the ‘chameleon 2 Actions speak louder than words effect’ in semi-naturalistic social situations have shown that gestures such as eartouching and foot-wagging are automatically imitated, that this kind of mimicry can occur without the imitator’s conscious awareness, and that it prom otes affiliation and rapport between social partners (e. g. Lakin Chartrand, 2003). Indirect evidence of the pervasiveness of automatic imitation has been provided by functional imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). For example, imaging has shown that the observation of hand, foot and mouth movements activates the same areas of premotor cortex active during their execution (Buccino et al. , 2001). Revealing yet further specificity, the observation of hand and arm movements selectively increases TMS-induced motor evoked potentials from the particular muscles involved in executing these movement (e. g. Strafella Paus, 2000). In behavioral studies, stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) procedures are often used to detect automatic imitation. These procedures provide some indication of the strength of the automatic imitation tendency by showing that it can interfere with performance based on task instructions. For example, Kilner et al. (2003) instructed participants to make sinusoidal arm movements in a vertical plane while observing a model perform the same vertical movements (compatible condition) or sinusoidal arm movements in a horizontal plane (incompatible 3 Actions speak louder than words condition). Although participants were, presumably, equally motivated to obey instructions in the two conditions, their movements showed more, counterinstructional deviation from the vertical plane in the incompatible than in the compatible condition. Other SRC studies have shown that automatic imitation interferes, not only with the spatial properties of movement, but also with its timing. Participants instructed in a simple reaction time (RT) task to open their hand as soon as an observed hand began to move, initiated the opening movement faster when the stimulus hand opened than when it closed (Heyes et al. 2005). Similar studies have shown that automatic imitation can influence the timing of hand and finger movements even when the observed movements are taskirrelevant, i. e. when participants are instructed to respond, not to the observed movements, but to arbitrary stimuli such as digits (Brass et al. , 2000), crosses (Bertenthal et al. , 2006) or colors (Sturmer, Aschersleben, Prinz, 2000 ). As far as we are aware, only one study has explicitly compared the strength of automatic imitation with that of other response tendencies (Brass et al. , 2000). This study found that the impulse to imitate finger movements was stronger than the tendency to respond with finger movements to arbitrary symbols and to static spatial markers. The results were important in providing evidence that automatic imitation is genuinely automatic (i. e. that it occurs contrary to task instructions), and that it is not reducible to spatial compatibility (see also Heyes et al. , 2005; 4 Actions speak louder than words Bertenthal et al. , 2006), but Brass et al. (2000) provided only a very conservative estimate of the strength of automatic imitation. Theories of imitation assume that it is based on stimulus-response connections that are either innate (e. g. Meltzoff Moore, 1997) or the product of long-term learning (e. g. Heyes Ray, 2000). If this is the case, it is not surprising that the tendency to imitate is stronger than the tendency, based solely on task instructions, to respond differentially to symbolic cues. Like imitation, spatial compatibility effects depend on innate or learned response tendencies (Tagliabue, Zorzi, Umilta, Bassignani, 2000). However, Brass et al. s study did not show that automatic imitation is generally stronger than the tendency to respond to the site of stimulation; only that automatic imitation is stronger than spatial compatibility when the spatial cue is smaller and less dynamic than the body movement cue. You read "Actions Speak Louder Than Words" in category "Essay examples" The present study provided a more stringent test of the strength of automatic imitation by comparing it with that of the tendency to obey verbal commands. Like imitation, verbal command is a common method of instruction in everyday life, and the power of words to evoke actions is a product of deeply engrained mechanisms. Indeed, one theory of imitation, the associative sequence learning (ASL) model (e. g. Heyes Ray, 2000), suggests that the two response tendencies become engrained in the same way; that we learn to imitate through correlated 5 Actions speak louder than words experience of observing and executing action units, just as we learn the meanings of words through correlated experience of the words and their referents. We used a Stroop procedure to compare the strengths of automatic imitation and verbal command. There were four groups of participants. In the focal group (Manual-Auditory), participants were required in each trial to open or to close their hand in response to a compound stimulus. The compound consisted of an image of a hand in an open, closed or neutral posture, and the sound of a word: ‘open’, ‘close’ or a neutral nonword. In one condition, participants were instructed to imitate the action and to ignore the word (action-relevant task), and in the other condition they were told to obey the verbal command and to ignore the action (word-relevant task). In any given trial, the stimulus on the taskirrelevant dimension (the word in the action task, and the action in the word task) was compatible, incompatible or neutral with respect to the stimulus on the taskrelevant dimension. For example, in the action task, an image of an open hand was accompanied equally often by the word ‘open’ (compatible), the word ‘close’ (incompatible) and by a nonword (neutral). If the tendency to imitate is stronger than the tendency to obey verbal commands, then, in this focal group, one would expect the impact on performance of action stimuli in the word task to be greater than the impact of word stimuli in Actions speak louder than words the action task. More specifically, one would expect the compatible taskirrelevant stimulus to speed responding, and /or the incompatible task-irrelevant stimulus to slow responding, more in the word task than in the action task. However, an effect of this kind would not be sufficient to show t hat automatic imitation is stronger than the tendency to obey verbal commands, for two reasons. First, it could be that the action images used in this experiment were more salient or easier to discriminate than the word stimuli. In this case, one would expect action images to be more potent stimuli, not only for automatic imitation, but also for nonimitative responding. To address this issue, we included a second group of participants (Vocal-Auditory) who were presented with exactly the same stimuli as the focal group, action images in compound with word sounds, but they were required to make vocal rather than imitative responses. For example, in the action task, this group said ‘open’ when they saw an opened hand, and ‘close’ when they saw a closed hand. Langton, O’Malley, Bruce (1996, Experiment 5) found that irrelevant gestures affected vocal responses to words to the same extent as irrelevant words affected vocal responses to gestures. Therefore, we expected that, in contrast with the focal group, the performance of the Vocal-Auditory group would be affected equally by irrelevant actions in the word task, and by irrelevant words in the action task. 7 Actions speak louder than words The second issue concerns modality of stimulus presentation. In the focal group, actions were presented visually and words were presented in the auditory modality because those conditions are typical of everyday life. In the course of development, it is likely that simple verbal instructions, consisting of a single word, are more often heard than seen. However, because spoken words unfold over time, whereas images are instantaneously available for processing, auditory presentation of verbal commands could put them at a disadvantage. In other words, if irrelevant actions have a greater impact than irrelevant words in the focal group, this could reflect, not the relative strengths of automatic imitation and verbal command, but faster processing of visual than auditory stimuli. To address this issue we included two further groups in which the word stimuli were written rather than spoken. One of these groups (Manual-Visual) made hand movement responses, and the other (Vocal-Visual) made vocal responses. Thus, there were four groups: Manual-Auditory, Vocal-Auditory, ManualVisual and Vocal-Visual. We predicted that in the focal Manual-Auditory group the effect of irrelevant actions on speed of responding to words would be greater than the effect of irrelevant words on responding to actions. If this asymmetric effect indicates that the automatic tendency to imitate is stronger than the tendency to obey verbal commands, rather than an effect of nonspecific features of the stimuli or stimulus-response mapping, then it should also be present in the Manual-Visual group, but not in the Vocal-Auditory or Vocal-Visual groups. 8 Actions speak louder than words Method Participants Forty-eight right-handed volunteers (15 men, mean age: 22.  ±7. 5 years) were randomly assigned to one of four groups: Manual-Auditory, Vocal-Auditory, Manual-Visual and Vocal-Visual. All had normal or corrected-to-normal vision and normal hearing. The experiment was carried out with local ethical approval and written consent. Stimuli and Apparatus Warning and imperative stimuli were compounds of hand action s and words with coincidental onsets. Hand actions were life-sized images of postures made by a male right hand, taken from the angle at which one normally views one’s own hand, and presented on a laptop computer screen (60Hz, 400mm, 96DPI) in color on a black background. For the warning stimulus, the hand was in a neutral posture, with the fingers closed and pointing upwards in parallel with the thumb (visual angle: 6. 96 ° x 13. 33 °), and was shown for a variable duration between 800ms and 1520ms. For the imperative stimuli, the hand was in an opened (15. 5 ° x 13. 5 °), closed (7. 0 ° x 11. 2 °) or inverted neutral posture (see Figure 1D for examples), and was shown for 640ms. Word stimuli were either sound files presented via the laptop’s internal speaker (auditory) or superimposed in white 9 Actions speak louder than words nk on the hand stimuli in the centre of the screen (visual; 6. 5 ° to 7. 1 ° x 2. 6 ° to 3. 1 °). For the warning stimulus, the nonword clepo was presented for 650ms (auditory) or between 800 and 1520ms (visual). For the imperative stimuli, the word ‘open’, ‘close’ or the nonword pocle (see Figure 1C for examples) were presented for 640ms (visual) or between 600ms and 640ms (auditory). The nonwords clepo (warning stimulus) and pocle (neutral stimulus) were phonotactic amalgams of phonemes contained in the two words ‘open’ and ‘close’. Pocle contained the same syllables as clepo, presented in reverse order. For the manual response groups, response onset of opening and closing hand movements was measured by recording the electromyogram (EMG) from the first dorsal interosseus muscle of the right hand (see Heyes et al. , 2005). For the vocal response groups, onset of voice responses was measured via a free-standing electret microphone (Vivanco EM 32, Vivanco-direct. com). The RT interval began with the onset of the imperative stimulus, and ended with EMG onset (manual responses) or the activation of the microphone (vocal responses). Design and Procedure Participants sat at a viewing distance of approximately 700mm from the stimulus presentation screen. For the manual response groups, the participant’s right forearm lay in a horizontal position across his/her body, supported from elbow to wrist by an armrest. The wrist was rotated so that the fingers moved 10 Actions speak louder than words upwards during opening responses, and downwards when closing. Thus, the plane of response movement (up-down) was orthogonal to the plane of action stimulus movement (left-right), controlling for any effects of left-right spatial compatibility. After making each response, participants returned their hand to the neutral starting position; their fingers closed and parallel to the thumb. Each trial began with the presentation of the warning stimulus. After a variable duration it was replaced by the imperative stimulus. Participants were instructed to respond to the imperative stimulus as quickly as possible, without making errors, by opening or closing their hand (manual response groups) or by saying ‘open’ or ‘close’ (vocal response groups) as soon as they saw an open or closed hand posture (action-relevant task), or heard or saw the word ‘open’ or ‘close’ (word-relevant task). They were instructed to ignore the irrelevant dimension. After the presentation of the imperative stimulus, the screen went black for 3000ms before the next trial. Four action-relevant and four word-relevant task blocks of 60 trials were presented in alternating order, counterbalanced between participants. Relevant and irrelevant stimulus compounds were compatible (e. g. an open hand accompanied by the word ‘open’), incompatible (e. g. an open hand accompanied by the word ‘close’) or neutral (e. . an open hand accompanied by the nonword pocle). The six trial types, defined by compatibility (compatible, neutral or 11 Actions speak louder than words incompatible) and relevant stimulus (open or close), were equiprobable and randomly intermixed within each block. Results Mean RTs are plotted as a function of task and compatibility in Figures 1AD. Incorrect responses and RTs less than 100ms or greater than 1500ms were removed (3. 1%). Figure 1 about here As predicted, in the focal Manual-Auditory group (A) the impact of irrelevant actions on responding to words was greater than the impact of irrelevant words on responding to actions; there was an asymmetry favoring actions over words. This asymmetry was not observed in the Vocal-Auditory group (B), who responded to exactly the same stimuli using vocal responses rather than hand actions, suggesting that the asymmetry was not due to greater salience of the action than of the word stimuli. The asymmetry favoring actions over words was present in 12 Actions speak louder than words the Manual-Visual group (C), who saw rather than heard the word stimuli, indicating that it did not depend on faster processing of visual than auditory stimuli. Providing further confirmation that this asymmetry was not due to nonspecific factors, the Vocal–Visual group (D) showed the reverse asymmetry; irrelevant actions had a lesser effect on responding to words than did irrelevant words on responding to actions. These impressions were confirmed by an initial ANOVA, in which task (action-relevant, word-relevant) and compatibility (compatible, neutral, incompatible) were within-subject factors, and response mode (manual, vocal) and word modality (auditory, visual) were between-subject factors, and by subsequent analyses in which a 2Ãâ€"3 ANOVA (task x compatibility) was applied to the RT data from each group separately. The initial analysis indicated a significant three-way interaction (task x compatibility x response mode: F(2, 94) = 35. , p . 001), and a nonsignificant four-way interaction (task x compatibility x response mode x word modality: F(2, 94) = 1. 1, p = . 341). The separate analysis of the data from the focal Manual-Auditory group yielded a significant interaction between task and compatibility (F(2, 22) = 20. 8, p . 001), confirming that there was an asymmetry favoring actions over words. This interaction was also significant in the Manual-Visual group (F(2, 22) = 25. 5, p . 001), but it was 13 Actions speak louder than words bsent in the Vocal-Auditory group (F(2, 22) = 1. 5, p = . 252), and reversed in the Vocal-Visual group (F(2, 22) = 5. 5, p = . 017). In the two groups where there was an asymmetry favoring actions over words, mean RT in the action-relevant task was shorter than in the word-relevant task (Manual-Auditory: F(1, 11) = 48. 7, p . 001; Manual-Visual: F(1, 11) = 172. 3, p . 001). To check whether the action-dominant asymmetry was dependent on this main effect of task on RT, the data from these groups were subjected to bin analyses. For each group, RTs of each participant in each task were divided into five bins of equal size (Ratcliff, 1979). Three quintiles were selected in which, within group, mean RT on neutral trials was approximately equal in action-relevant and word-relevant tasks. The data from these quintiles were subjected to 2x3x3 ANOVAs (task x compatibility x bin). These analyses showed that, in each group, although there was no main effect of task on RT (Manual-Auditory: F 1; Manual-Visual: F(1, 11) = 1. 1, p = . 16), there was a significant task x compatibility interaction (Manual-Auditory: F(2, 22) = 11. 8, p . 001; Manual-Visual: F(2, 22) = 11. 9, p = . 001). Thus, the action-dominant asymmetry observed in the Manual-Auditory and Manual-Visual groups did not depend on faster responding in the action task than in the word task. 14 Actions speak louder than words Discussion Previous research has shown that healthy adult humans have a pervasive and automatic tendency to imitate the actions of oth ers, but this is the first study to provide a stringent test of the strength of this tendency. Using hand actions in a Stroop procedure, the power of actions to elicit imitative responses was compared with the strength of our tendency to obey verbal commands. The results from the focal group, who made manual responses to simultaneously presented actions and spoken words, showed that the impact of irrelevant actions on responding to words was greater than the impact of irrelevant words on imitative responding to actions. The same asymmetry was observed when written, rather than spoken, words were presented, indicating that it was not due to faster processing in the visual modality. The same asymmetry was not observed when participants made vocal, rather than imitative, responses, indicating that the action-dominant asymmetry was not due to greater salience or discriminability of the action images than of the verbal stimuli. Therefore, these findings suggest that the human tendency to imitate is stronger than the tendency to obey verbal commands. Previous studies have indicated that irrelevant actions influence the control of movements made in response to color, spatial and symbolic cues (Sturmer et al. , 2000; Bertenthal et al. 2006; Brass et al. , 2000). The present findings show for 15 Actions speak louder than words the first time that automatic imitation effects occur, not only when the imperative stimuli bear an arbitrary or purely spatial relationship with responses, but also when they are verbal commands; that is, when the relationship between the imperative stimulus and the response is both specific and overlearned. Langton, O’Malley, Bruce (199 6, Experiment 5) used a Stroop procedure to compare the power of actions and words, but they did not examine imitative responding. Instead, they required participants to make vocal responses to directional gestures (a person pointing up, down, left and right) and to their verbal equivalents, and found symmetrical compatibility effects; irrelevant gestures affected vocal responses to words to the same extent as irrelevant words affected vocal responses to gestures. We found the same symmetrical pattern in our Vocal-Auditory group, when participants were making nonimitative responses, but a contrasting pattern, indicating action dominance, when participants were making imitative responses. Thus, comparison of the two studies i) confirms that action dominance is specific to imitation, and ii) indicates that, in the case of nonimitative vocal responding, actions and words have comparable impact both when the action stimuli are pointing gestures and when they are opening and closing hand movements. 16 Actions speak louder than words In a variant of the game ‘Simon says’, played at teatime in Victorian England, children were required to grip the tablecloth when an adult, gripping or releasing the cloth, said ‘Hold tight! ’, and to release the cloth, regardless of the adult’s action, when he said ‘Let go! . Presumably, amusement derived from the fact that, like the participants in the present experiment, children could not resist the influence of automatic imitation, and were therefore compelled flagrantly to disobey the authority of verbal command. However, the results of the present study do not merely vindicate the disobedient behav ior of Victorian children. They show that automatic imitation is much more than a parlour game, or a device that experimental psychologists can use to investigate the processes involved in stimulus-response translation. These findings show that automatic imitation is not only pervasive but also powerful. Even among healthy, typicallydeveloping adults, it is more powerful than the tendency to obey verbal commands. In this context, actions do indeed speak louder than words. 17 Actions speak louder than words References Bertenthal, B. I. , Longo, M. R. , Kosobud, A. (2006). Imitative response tendencies following observation of intransitive actions. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 32, 210–225. Brass, M. , Bekkering, H. , Wohlschlager, A. , Prinz, W. 2000). Compatibility between observed and executed finger movements: comparing symbolic, spatial, and imitative cues. Brain and Cognition, 44, 124-43. Buccino, G. , Binkofski, F. , Fink, G. R. , Fadiga, L. , Fogassi, L. , Gallese, V. , Seitz, R. J. , Zilles, K. , Rizzolatti, G. , Freund, H. J. (2001). Action observation activates premotor and parietal areas in a somatotopic manner: an fMRI study. European Jour nal of Neuroscience, 13, 400-404. Charman, T. , Baron-Cohen, S. (1994). Another look at imitation in autism. Development and Psychopathology, 6, 403-413. Darwin, C. (1989). Voyage of the Beagle. London: Penguin Books. 18 Actions speak louder than words Heyes, C. M. , Ray, E. D. (2000). What is the significance of imitation in animals? Advances in the Study of Behavior, 29, 215–245. Heyes, C. M. , Bird, G. , Johnson, H. , Haggard, P. (2005). Experience modulates automatic imitation. Cognitive Brain Research, 22, 233-240. Kilner, J. M. , Paulignan, Y. , Blakemore, S. J. (2003). An interference effect of observed biological movement on action. Current Biology, 13, 522–525. Lakin, J. L. , Chartrand, T. L. (2003). Using nonconscious behavioral mimicry to create affiliation and rapport. Psychological Science, 14, 334-339. Langton, S. R. H. , O’Malley, C. , Bruce, V. (1996). Actions speak louder than words: Symmetrical cross-modal interference effects in the processing of verbal and gestural information. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 22, 1357–1375. Lhermitte, F. , Pillon, B. , Serdaru, N. (1986). Human autonomy and the frontal lobes. Part I: Imitation and utilization behavior: a neuropsychological study of 75 patients. Annals of Neurology, 19, 326-334. 19 Actions speak louder than words Meltzoff, A. N. Moore, M. K. (1997). Explaining facial imitation: A theoretical model. Early Development and Parenting, 6, 179-192. Ratcliff, R. (1979). Group reaction time distributions and an analysis of distribution statistics. Psychological Bulletin, 86, 446–461. Simpson, A. Riggs, K. J. (2007). Under what conditions do young children have difficulty inhibiting manual actions? Developmental Psychology, 43, 417-428. Strafella, A. P. Paus, T. (2000). Modulation of cortical excitability during action observation: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study. Neuroreport, 11, 22892292. Sturmer, B. , Aschersleben, G. , Prinz, W. (2000). Correspondence effects with manual gestures and postures: a study of imitation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception Performance, 26, 1746-1759. Tagliabue, M. , Zorzi, M. , Umilta, C. , Bassignani, F. (2000). The role of longterm-memory and short-term-memory links in the Simon effect. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception Performance, 26, 648-670. 20 Actions speak louder than words Thorndike, E. L. (1898). Animal Intelligence: An Experimental Study of the Associative Processes in Animals (Psychological Review, Monograph Supplements, No. 8). New York: Macmillan. Wallbott, H. G. (1991). Recognition of emotion from facial expression via imitation? Some indirect evidence for an old theory. British Journal of Social Psychology, 30, 207-219. 21 Actions speak louder than words Author note AB is now at Faculte de Psychologie et des Sciences de l’Education, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. 22 Actions speak louder than words Figure caption Figure 1. RTs in compatible, neutral and incompatible trials for word-relevant (solid line) and action-relevant (broken line) task conditions. Results are presented separately for the four different participant groups: (A) ManualAuditory, (B) Vocal-Auditory, (C) Manual-Visual and (D) Vocal-Visual. Vertical bars indicate standard error of the mean. Images show compatible, neutral and incompatible stimulus compounds in action-relevant (Panel C) and word-relevant (Panel D) task conditions for the visual word modality groups (C and D). For the auditory word modality groups (A and B), words were spoken. 23 How to cite Actions Speak Louder Than Words, Essay examples

The Tragedy Of Hamlet Essays (946 words) - Shakespearean Tragedies

The Tragedy of Hamlet Arguably the best piece of writing ever done by William Shakespeare, Hamlet the is the classic example of a tragedy. In all tragedies the hero suffers, and usually dies at the end. Othello stabs himself, Romeo and Juliet commit suicide, Brutis falls on his sword, and like them Hamlet dies by getting cut with a poison tipped sword. But that is not all that is needed to consider a play a tragedy, and sometimes a hero doesn't even need to die. Making Not every play in which a Hero dies is considered a tragedy. There are more elements needed to label a play one. Probably the most important element is an amount of free will. In every tragedy, the characters must displays some. If every action is controlled by a hero's destiny, then the hero's death can't be avoided, and in a tragedy the sad part is that it could. Hamlet's death could have been avoided many times. Hamlet had many opportunities to kill Claudius, but did not take advantage of them. He also had the option of making his claim public, but instead he chose not too. A tragic hero doesn't need to be good. For example, MacBeth was evil, yet he was a tragic hero, because he had free will. He also had only one flaw, and that was pride. He had many good traits such as bravery, but his one bad trait made him evil. Also a tragic hero doesn't have to die. While in all Shakespearean tragedies, the hero dies, in others he may live but suffer "Moral Destruction". In Oedipus Rex, the proud yet morally blind king plucks out his eyes, and has to spend his remaining days as a wandering, sightless beggar, guided at every painful step by his daughter, Antigone. A misconception about tragedies is that nothing good comes out of them, but it is actually the opposite. In Romeo and Juliet, although both die, they end the feud between the Capulets and the Montegues. Also, Romeo and Juliet can be together in heaven. In Hamlet, although Hamlet dies, it is almost for the best. How could he have any pleasure during the rest of his life, with his parents and Ophelia dead. Also, although Hamlet dies, he is able to kill Claudius and get rid of the evil ruling the throne. Every tragic play must have a tragic hero. The tragic hero must possess many good traits, as well as one flaw, which eventually leads to his downfall. A tragic hero must be brave and noble. In Othello, Othello had one fatal flaw, he was too great. Othello was too brave, too noble, and especially too proud to allow himself to be led back to Venice in chains. A tragic hero must not back down from his position. He also has to have free will, in order to stand up for what he believes in. Finally, the audience must have some sympathy for the tragic hero. In MacBeth, although MacBeth commits many murders, one almost feels sorry for him and his fate. Hamlet is the perfect example of the tragic hero. Hamlet has all the good traits needed to be a tragic hero. He is brave and daring. One example of this is that when he went to England, he was taking a big risk. If his plan didn't work, he would have been executed He also is also loyal. His loyalty to his father, was the reason he was so angry at Claudius and his Mother. Another trait was that he was intelligent. He was able to think up the idea of faking insanity, in order to get more information about Claudius. But Hamlet like all other tragic hero's had a flaw. He couldn't get around to doing anything, because he couldn't move on. He was a full grown adult, yet he still attended school in England, because he couldn't move on. Also, it took him a long time to stop grieving about his father, because he didn't want to move past that part of his life. And after he finally did, Hamlet couldn't get around to killing Claudius. He kept pretending he was insane even after he was sure that Claudius killed his father.

Movie The Graduate

Movie The Graduate Introduction It is necessary for filmmakers to use the best tools and ideas in order to make their works spectacular. A good work of art such as a film should have a proper theme, clear message, and at the same time entertain the audience. The film â€Å"The Graduate† by Mike Nichols narrates the story of a young man who has just completed college.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Movie The Graduate specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At the age of 20, the protagonist realizes that everything is complex and hard than he had thought earlier. This essay therefore explains how the film â€Å"The Graduate† utilizes the best aspects of art and design to present useful insights that can help young individuals have a better life. The film achieves this using the best editing, â€Å"mise-en-scene†, photography, shots, and storyline. Analysis of the Film â€Å"The Graduate† Summary of the Movie Mike Ni chols is the director of the film â€Å"The Graduate†. The 1967 film is based on a novel written by Charles Webb in 1963. The name of the novel is also â€Å"The Graduate†. The actor in the film is Benjamin Braddock, a recent graduate who lacks a clear understanding of life. As a graduate without any aim in life, Braddock decides to befriend an older woman by the name Mrs. Robinson. It is also notable from the film that Mrs. Robinson is married and has a daughter be the name Elaine. Benjamin Braddock eventually falls in love with Elaine, Robinson’s daughter. From an historical perspective, it is agreeable that the film plays a significant role towards boosting the position of folk-rock in the American society. Produced in the 1960s, the film explores most of the issues that affected the society during the time. Historians and researchers have argued that the film presents a major cultural and historical value to the American people. It adds a sense of beauty to American art and film culture. The use of various technical aspects of film production has made it a spectacular piece of art. For instance, the producers used the best mise-en-scene, close-shots, long shots, sound track, and editing to present quality scenes to the audience. This has made it easier to deliver the targeted message to the audience. Lawrence Turman and Joseph Levine produced the film in 1967. The producers managed to present various themes that can educate different members in the society. The first theme in the film is the idea of â€Å"coming of age†. In the film, Benjamin and Elaine are two youngsters who are unable to make the best decisions in order to address the issues affecting them. This explains why Benjamin encounters various challenges and obstacles because he is â€Å"indecisive† and incapable of coming up with the best solutions.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The theme of â€Å"rebellion† is also evident in this film by Mike Nichols. The film presents a â€Å"radical mood† whereby Benjamin rebels against many things and ideas in the society. For instance, he appears to ridicule the existing social norms. This occurs when he befriends Mrs. Robinson after finishing school. He also rebels against the social ideas in the society. As well, the movie demonstrates a strong sense of opposition. This is the case because Benjamin rebels against the ideas of the older generation, social conventions, and the upper class in the society. The theme of â€Å"infidelity† is also evident in the film. This occurs when Mrs. Robinson decides to befriend Benjamin while knowing she was already married to Mr. Robinson. Benjamin goes further to date Elaine without considering the issues and consequences that might arise from the decision. Although the audience is aware of Benjamin’s thoughts and idea s, it becomes evident that he continues to befriend Elaine in an attempt to achieve his dreams. Benjamin also realizes how the relationship might be horrible. This explains why such kind of indulgence by Benjamin is the most scandalous event in ‘The Graduate†. Personal Views The film by Mike Nichols is definitely one of the best works of art ever produced. The film presents a wide range of ideas and concepts that can help individuals live a better life. There are certain factors that make the movie admirable. To begin with, the producers have used the best strategies in order to make the film appealing to the audience. The film embraces the idea of cast combination in order to make it entertaining. The timing of the film is â€Å"perfect† because it explores the issues that affected the American society in the 1960s. This explains why the film captures the â€Å"true spirit† of its era. The other reason why this film is admirable is that it relates closely with its time of production. This explains why many people would consider the film as culturally and aesthetically momentous. As well, the film goes further to present some critical themes and lessons that can help the viewers address most of their problems.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Movie The Graduate specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The film explains how young individuals can address most of their issues arising from indecisiveness. The film is also a classical work of art. It is admirable because it employs all aspects of film production such as â€Å"editing, mise-en-scene, and close-shots†. I would also say that most of the parts in the film are attractive. For example, the film begins with Benjamin who has graduated from college. His parents and friends are interested in Benjamin’s plans for either a career or joining school for further studies. The unfolding story reveals most of the chall enges facing many people at this age. The director has made the best decisions to make the film successful and entertaining to the targeted audience. The film conforms to the â€Å"Classical Hollywood Narrative† style for film production. Movies that use the style tell a story in a â€Å"chronological order†. The style follows a â€Å"cause-and-effect† approach. By so doing, the producers have used a principle known as â€Å"continuity editing†. The approach requires that the editing and sounds are â€Å"invisible† to the audience. That being the case, the producers gave the â€Å"desired attention† to the storyline and not to specific elements such as photography, editing, and sounds. The approach helps the producers and the editor present the best film to the targeted viewers. Conclusion The movie â€Å"The Graduate† is definitely one of the best works of art produced in the 20th century. The film narrates a story that is culturally and historically significance. The producers have used the best tools and approaches in order to come up with a classic piece of art. The film educates people to make appropriate choices in life as they work hard to pursue their dreams. It is agreeable that the film by Mike Nichols presents new ideas, themes, and lessons that can be applied in our lives. Personally, I have found the film meaningful because it combines different aspects of design and production. It also encourages people to make the best decisions and eventually overcome the challenges affecting them.

Rhamphorhynchus - Facts and Figures

Rhamphorhynchus - Facts and Figures Name: Rhamphorhynchus (Greek for beak snout); pronounced RAM-foe-RINK-us Habitat: Shores of Western Europe Historical Period: Late Jurassic (165-150 million years ago) Size and Weight: Wingspan of three feet and a few pounds Diet: Fish Distinguishing Characteristics: Long, narrow beak with sharp teeth; tail ending with diamond-shaped skin flap About Rhamphorhynchus The exact size of Rhamphorhynchus depends on how you measure itfrom the tip of its beak to the end of its tail, this pterosaur was less than a foot long, but its wings (when fully extended) stretched an impressive three feet from tip to tip. With its long, narrow beak and sharp teeth, its clear that Rhamphorhynchus made its living by dipping its snout into the lakes and rivers of late Jurassic Europe and scooping up wriggling fish (and possibly frogs and insects)much like a modern pelican. One detail about Rhamphorhynchus that sets it apart from other ancient reptiles is the spectacularly preserved specimens discovered at the Solnhofen fossil beds in Germanysome of this pterosaurs remains are so complete that they display not only its detailed bone structure, but the outlines of its internal organs as well. The only creature to have left comparably intact remains was another Solnhofen discovery, Archaeopteryxwhich, unlike Rhamphorhynchus, was technically a dinosaur that occupied a place on the evolutionary line leading to the first prehistoric birds. After nearly two centuries of study, scientists know a lot about Rhamphorhynchus. This pterosaur had a relatively slow growth rate, roughly comparable to that of modern alligators, and it may have been sexually dimorphic (that is, one sex, we dont know which, was slightly larger than the other). Rhamphorhynchus probably hunted at night, and it likely held its narrow head and beak parallel to the ground, as can be inferred from scans of its brain cavity. It also seems that Rhamphorhynchus preyed on the ancient fish Aspidorhynchus, the fossils of which are associated (that is, located in close proximity) in the Solnhofen sediments. The original discovery, and classification, of Rhamphorhynchus is a case study in well-meaning confusion. After it was unearthed in 1825, this pterosaur was classified as a species of Pterodactylus, which at the time was also known by the now-discarded genus name Ornithocephalus (bird head). Twenty years later, Ornithocephalus reverted to Pterodactylus, and in 1861 the famous British naturalist Richard Owen promoted P. muensteri to the genus Rhamphorhynchus. We wont even mention how the type specimen of Rhamphorhynchus was lost during World War II; suffice it to say that paleontologists have had to make do with plaster casts of the original fossil. Because Rhamphorhynchus was discovered so early in the history of modern paleontology, it has lent its name to an entire class of pterosaurs distinguished by their small sizes, big heads and long tails. Among the most famous rhamphorhynchoids are Dorygnathus, Dimorphodon and Peteinosaurus, which ranged across western Europe during the late Jurassic period; these stand in stark contrast to pterodactyloid pterosaurs of the later Mesozoic Era, which tended to larger sizes and smaller tails. (The biggest pterodactyloid of them all, Quetzalcoatlus, had a wingspan the size of a small airplane!)

Drug Trafficking within the United States Essay

Drug Trafficking within the United States - Essay Example Additionally, the land facilitates entry of 370 million people while the sea plays a significant role in this sector as it aids to entry of over six million people into this country. The sea also witnesses more than nine million shipping containers dock at the coastal ports of America (Scott, 2003). These ships ferry very many containers filled with different merchandise supplied to different parts of America. Ideally, this voluminous trade contributes largely to drug trafficking as drug traffickers conceal different drugs inside these containers. This paper will seek to develop an argumentative paper on drug trafficking in the United States. Surprisingly, amid this great deal of trade, drug peddlers manage to conceal illegal drugs such as marijuana, methamphetamine, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine MDMA, heroine, and cocaine and ship these drugs directly into the American market for distribution (Ganister & David, 2008). Numerous drug trafficking groups acquire and distribute these d rugs to criminals operating in the South of America who extend the chain by smuggling marijuana and cocaine via a number of routes into different parts of America. ... al drugs for distribution into the US neighborhoods, the Mexican criminal drug traffickers are seeking to increase their grip of distributing these drugs into the eastern part of US markets. Similarly, as of today, the use of 3 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is on the rise in the streets as it goes in the name â€Å"ecstasy†. Statistics show that the abuse of this type of drug is rising at an alarming rate in the streets of the United States following the emergency and collaboration of Russian and Israeli drug traffickers (Lyman & Potter, 2010). Western Europe is the world largest produce of MDMA. The Western Europe drug smugglers collaborate with the Mexican criminals who facilitate the entry of this type of drug into the United States market through commercial airlines as well as through express package couriers. Criminal groups ailing from the Southeast and Southwest Asia control and smuggle illegal drugs like heroine into the United States market with the help of s ome mafias based in the New York City which happens to be the main hub for distribution of heroine within and around Midwest and eastern sea bond (Scott, 2003). International drug trafficking aside, America has interior drug smugglers who in addition to trafficking take part in planting and manufacturing. Common drugs found in the hands of criminals of this caliber comprise of marijuana and phencyclidine PCP (Younger & Rosin, 2005). Others include lysergic acid diethylamide LSD and methamphetamine. As the demand for high potency methamphetamine continues to grow, the number of illicit laboratories is also hiking. This is because of the growing number of addicts especially college and high school students. Up to this point, one may ask for reasons as to why drug trafficking is on the verge in the

Has british politics become more feminized since 1997 Essay

Has british politics become more feminized since 1997 - Essay Example While the current parliament has the largest number of women MP’s in British history, the proportion is only 22.6%, which is just an increase of about 4% since 1997. This proportion indicates an increase of 1.3% in female representation per each election held after 1997. As many political systems across the world move towards equality in representation, Britain still lags way behind other countries like China, Italy, Germany and Argentina among many others. Feminisation of British politics has progressed with slow increase since the major achievement of 1997. The concept of feminisation of politics is based on the gender rather than the party and sex differences existing between men and women. The increased debate on the feminisation of politics is essentially based the perceptions of women’s political styles being less legitimate, than those of their male counterparts. The practice of politics is believed to be completely different between men and women. The fundamental discrepancies existing in the ways which individuals from different genders practice politics are utilised in the determination of feminisation of political systems. Feminism politics are characterised as based on co-operation, collaboration and honesty, qualities that depict them as gentle and kind politics. Masculine politics on the contrary, are presumed to be based on conflicts, hierarchy and sleaze. The characteristics of political systems and the politics have a significant effect on how the political environment within a country. The basic definition of feminisation of politics is based on the gender representation of individuals rather than the content of the political system. Consideration of the gender issues within the British system results in the politics being considered to be less feminine, because of the large number of men within the