Arterial Blood Gas Essay

Understanding arterial blood gases can sometimes be confusing. A logical and systematic approach using these steps makes interpretation much easier. Applying the concepts of acidbase balance will help the healthcare provider follow the progress of a patient and evaluate the effectiveness of care being provided. Copyright 2004 Orlando Regional Healthcare, Education & Development Glossary ABG: arterial blood gas. A test that analyzes arterial blood for oxygen, carbon dioxide and bicarbonate content in addition to blood pH. Used to test the effectiveness of ventilation. Acidosis: a pathologic state characterized by an increase in the concentration of hydrogen ions in the arterial blood above the normal level. May be caused by an accumulation of carbon dioxide or acidic products of metabolism or a by a decrease in the concentration of alkaline compounds. Alkalosis: a state characterized by a decrease in the hydrogen ion concentration of arterial blood below normal level. The condition may be caused by an increase in the concentration of alkaline compounds, or by decrease in the concentration of acidic compounds or carbon dioxide. Chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD): a disease process involving chronic inflammation of the airways, including chronic bronchitis (disease in the large airways) and emphysema (disease located in smaller airways and alveolar regions). The obstruction is generally permanent and progressive over time. Diamox â„ ¢: a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor that decreases H+ ion secretion and increases HCO3 excretions by the kidneys, causing a diuretic effect. Hyperventilation: a state in which there is an increased amount of air entering the pulmonary alveoli (increased alveolar ventilation), resulting in reduction of carbon dioxide tension and eventually leading to alkalosis. Hypoventilation: a state in which there is a reduced amount of air entering the pulmonary alveoli. Hypoxemia: below-normal oxygen content in arterial blood due to deficient oxygenation of the blood and resulting in hypoxia. Hypoxia: reduction of oxygen supply to tissue below physiological levels despite adequate perfusion of the tissue by blood. Iatrogenic: any condition induced in a patient by the effects of medical treatment. Kussmaul’s respirations: abnormal breathing pattern brought on by strenuous exercise or metabolic acidosis, and is characterized by an increased ventilatory rate, very large tidal volume, and no expiratory pause. Oxygen delivery system: a device used to deliver oxygen concentrations above ambient air to the lungs through the upper airway. Oxygenation: the process of supplying, treating or mixing with oxygen. Oxyhemoglobin: hemoglobin in combination with oxygen. Pneumothorax: an abnormal state characterized by the presence of gas (as air) in the plueral cavity. Pulmonary Embolism: the lodgment of a blood clot in the lumen of a pulmonary artery, causing a severe dysfunction in respiratory function. Thyrotoxicosis: toxic condition due to hyperactivity of the thyroid gland. Symptoms include rapid heart rate, tremors, increased metabolic basal metabolism, nervous symptoms and loss of weight.

Policies and Procedures Essay

Policy: A person requesting a release of patient information other than him or her self, needs to correctly identify the reasoning for the information and proper legal documents need to be completed, such as an authorization form signed by the patient. Under certain circumstances, the release of information would not need authorization due to certain federal and state statutes; these are explained in the measurement standards. Objective: To protect patient’s individual rights to the privacy, security, and confidentiality of medical information being released to others by recording authorization information into the database with accuracy and in a timely manner. The patient’s specific authorization forms must be filed within 24 hours of admission. Measurements: 1. The patient must disclose their written authorization by completing an authorization form prior to the release of patient information to a health care provider, an individual who assists a health care provider in the delivery of health care, or an agent of the health care provider. 2. If the patient decides to complete an authorization form, we are required to honor that authorization and, if requested, provide a copy of the recorded health information unless the health care provider denies the patient access to health information. 3. To be valid, a disclosure of authorization must be in writing, dated, and signed by the patient. Identify the nature of the information to be disclosed, identify the name and institutional affiliation of the person to whom the information is being disclosed, identify the provider and the patient, and contain an expiration date that relates to the patient. 4. A patient may revoke in writing a disclosure authorization to a health care provider at any t ime unless disclosure is required to effectuate payments for health care that has been provided or other substantial action has been taken in reliance on the authorization. 5. A health care provider or facility may disclose patient health information without the patient’s authorization in the event of the recipient needs to know the information because the provider or facility reasonably believes the person is providing health care to the patient. 6. Disclosure without authorization may also be made to federal, state, or local law enforcement authorities upon receipt of a written or oral request made to a nursing supervisor, administrator, or designated privacy official, in a case in which the patient is being treated or has been treated for a bullet wound gunshot wound, powder burn, or other injury arising from or caused by discharge of a firearm. 7. A health care provider shall maintain a record of existing health care information for at least one year following a receipt of an authorization to disclose that health care information under RCW 70.02.040, and during the pendency of a request for examination and copying under RCW 70.02.080, or a request for correction or amendment under RCW 70.02.100. 8. The authorization must be entered into the database within the first 24 hours of completion; therefore, other staff members in the facility such as providers and other members of the ROI department will know the limits to the release of that patient’s information if requested upon. State and Federal Statutes: RCW70.02.020, RCW 70.02.030, RCW 70.02.040, RCW 70.02.050, RCW 70.02.160.

Amy Tan “Mother Tongue” Analysis

Amy Tan â€Å"Mother Tongue† Analysis Essay Analysis of Amy Tan â€Å"Mother Tongue† is a common topic in  English  assignments, and there is much content you can include to make your paper stand out. Whether you are writing your thesis or a class assignment in literature, Amy Tan mother tongue analysis is such a common topic. It is important, therefore, to enrich your thesis or assignment  with the major ideas that are prevalent in the text. For starters, Amy Tan  finds herself in a struggle with her linguistic identity. She finds herself in the middle of her mother’s broken English  where she has to fight the prejudice  her mother  faces because of her fractured dialectal. Amy speaks a different language with her mother  as well as with other people, and we are told how about the struggle that she had with  English  as a subject. She would do quite well in Math because she says, while Math has a definite solution, English  answers in most of her tests appeared more judgmental. But Tan does not regret anything about her mother tongue  background. She affirms that her mom’s dialectal brought her a long way, shaping the way she perceived things, the way she expressed herself and made sense of the world. To her, the kind of English  she spoke with her mother  and to a larger extent, her husband made perfect sense and brought in some kind of intimacy that only her family perfectly understood. A textual analysis  of Amy’s â€Å"mother tongue† reveals her passionate defense on her mother’s broken English. Some of the people in her circle claim to understand only a small fraction of whatever her mother speaks. Others would not simply understand anything and looked at her mum as if she spoke in pure Chinese. Her mum is seen to face a lot of challenges and  prejudice  from the people around her. Rhetorical analysis on Amy’s article reveals how people around her mother claimed they wouldn’t understand much of her mother’s broken English, but Amy goes in details explaining how she finds it easy understanding every bit of what her mother says. In this rhetorical analysis, Amy’s main ideas  happen to be that she at no point despises her mother’s English. She even goes ahead describing it as clear and perfectly normal. Her mastery of rhetorical devices  is another aspect of her great mastery of language. In one of her many talks about her book, The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan  display such a great mastery of language, the kind of language she had learned from school and her extensive reading, with carefully articulated grammar, in the audience  of her mother who was in her company. She felt the talk all wrong seeing she was speaking the kind she never spoke with her  mother. Her use of parallel structure in a paragraph  she speaks of how she isn’t an  English  scholar and later in the next paragraph  that she is a writer display her deep understanding of English. Amy Tan  had earlier affirmed that she was not a scholar of the language or literature and still she was a writer. She speaks about her love of linguistics and how much she gets fascinated by language in her daily life. She takes some time to think about her mum’s language. The kind of descriptions it has received from people in the restaurants, banks, stores, and offices, as broken, fractured and limited. She thinks of the times when she fell a victim of the same  prejudice  in her childhood days. She had a difficult time with her  mother, holding her with less regard and hating her for the kind of language she spoke. Her limited English is  seemingly translating into her limited personality. People around her treated her less serious, some would even ignore her with sharp brutality, seeing her in the light of someone with some kind disability or some sort of incompleteness. READ: A Lesson Before Dying EssayAmy recalls how she had to save her mother  occasionally from the embarrassment that her broken dialectal brought. She would have to make calls to her mum’s stockbroker, to the hospital attendants among other services if anything was to be taken any serious. Like only the perfect English carries with it some kind of authority. It is clear in the textual analysis of  how Amy employs a lot of dialogue to give her audience  a taste of her mother tongue. Although she has gained an excellent mastery of the English  language as evidenced by a line, â€Å"That was my mental quandary in its nascent state,† from one of her works of fiction, Amy Tan is not about to thrash her mother tongue  as someone would expect. In fact, she does not bend so much into displaying her mastery of the literary devices  when she envisions her mum as her intended audience  in the stories she wrote about mothers and daughters whose intended audience  is mainly women. She is quite delighted when her mom finishes reading her work and seals it with one simple compliment, â€Å"So easy to read.† Amy also recalls her early days of entry into the world of nonfiction freelancer writing when one of her bosses described her writings as the worst ever and even advised her to work towards account management. It’s only her rebellious nature and the consistency of purpose  that kept her going even while surrounded by a host of critics. Her use of her mother for purpose and  audience  is a proof of how much she appreciated the simplicity of language and just how much she wasn’t bothered by the critics that had been a great challenge to her mum. The main ideas that the author appears to communicate in this article are that the notion of a perfect language is not entirely the driving force behind what it is and what is not of other versions of the English  language spoken. Tan seeks to emphasize that there are no standard measures for what should be the right type of language. The  purpose  of her article is clearly to do away with the prejudice that comes with other versions of English whose speakers are held with less regard. Through this article, Amy effectively delivers on her purpose and audience  bringing to light quite important aspects of linguistic dynamics.

White New Brutality Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

White New Brutality Films - Essay Example The white cultural identity is directly proportional to the understanding of the effective power of new-brutality films. The movies and documentaries attract viewers because of the historical significances and violent contents. The book of Paul Gormley regards the films related to race and violence as the new-brutality films. According to the author, the issues related to discrimination of race in the United States were extraordinary and a white filmmaker could not use the word nigger without evoking the white suppression in past and the problems faced by the black community in America. Gormley has also stated in the book that films such as, Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs give people a complete understanding about the anarchic and unveiling racial age in the white society, however, the films like Menace II Society presents the imagination of the white culture in crisis. Most of the films of the 1990s were populated with the thoughts related to the African-American cultural bodies fo r their negative power in the Western Society. In the 1990s, one of the utmost striking scenes of the United States that was filmed for ten minutes is the disreputable torture part in the Reservoir Dogs. This scene is viewed as one of the pivotal parts which contained numerous features that lead to the advent of different development in the history of Hollywood cinema. Pulp fiction and Menace II society films have signified a new strand in the aesthetic direction. These films are viewed by author Paul Gormley as the new-brutality films which share one common theme to revive and renegotiate the affecting qualities and proximity of the experience of cinema. These films created a new aesthetic direction in the commercial Hollywood. In the year 1994, the American black crime and comedy film was directed by Quentin Tarantino named as Pulp Fiction. The film is primarily renowned for its ironic mixture of violence and comicalness, eclectic dialogue, cinematic allusions and a nonlinear storyline.

I have not chosen a topic yet, choose whatever is good Essay

I have not chosen a topic yet, choose whatever is good - Essay Example Similarly, the type of movies people enjoy watching tells the type of character they have as well in real life. On the other hand, some people still have a hard time picking out their favourite movie genre. Consequently, there are various movie genres nowadays that identifying them becomes confusing. Classifying them according to the general emotional effect that it gives on its audience makes it easier for ordinary people to tell which types of movies they like. Based on the dominant feelings drawn from its viewers, it would be appropriate to classify movies into three general categories. The first category for movies would be the drama. Movies that draw out strong emotions from the viewers may be classified under this category. In other words, movies under this group make people cry, fall in love, hate, and hope. Therefore, other movie genres such as romance or love stories fall under this group. The usual plots of drama movies include various themes in the family, friendship and love. Specific examples of such are conflicts between parents, children, as well as parents and children. Themes such as intrapersonal conflicts are also tackled in this type of movie. A huge majority of movies that fall under this category are based on real events and real people in the society. The main purpose of these movies is to impart life’s valuable lessons among its audience. Moreover, another general classification that would be deemed fit is action movies. For the majority of the film, moviegoers feel the sudden rush of blood as they witness the actors involve in a lot of physical activities such as fist fighting, gun fires, running and chasing, wars and the like. Adventure films may be grouped under this category. Furthermore, actions movies are easily identified because its stories center on social and political problems. These types of movies focus on solving interpersonal relationships among co-workers involving

Psychological Testing Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Psychological Testing Article Analysis - Essay Example Discussed here is an article on the basis of how effective psychological tests actually are in a workplace. Keywords: psychological test, workplace, employee, behaviour. The article selected is from HR Magazine and talks about how hiring the right person for the job is very necessary and this can only be done through testing a person’s personality to be on the safe side. The CEO of Quest, Tim Burke, relates how difficult it was for him to find the correct people to be employed, and finally he had to make use of psychological testing in order to speed up the process and choose the best people. This has also helped in improving the performance of the company on an overall basis, so much so that Burke has also started using the process of testing on the existing employees in order to find out which employee should be relocated to another position, or who is better suited for a certain job profile. Such kind of testing helps the company to also understand the core of every individ ual even though some experts state that these tests are not always bound to give correct results. Many companies state that in a period of financial turmoil and downturn, they feel that instead of just hiring people they are sceptical about, it is better to utilize some funds and spend money on the entire process of testing than just hiring people who do not end up giving the best results to the best of their potential. Thus, a number of different kinds of tests are used to evaluate a person’s aptitude, behaviour and emotional intelligence in order to see how well he fits the bill for the company. (Bates, Steve) These tests help to ascertain and find out each individual’s capacity on the basis of motivation, leadership skills, as well as his attitude towards the company and his co workers and his needs. There are no wrong answers in these tests; they only ask questions to help determine the characteristics of every person and how best he would react to a given situatio n. (Eisenbraun, Garett A.) There are many tests that have been designed by experts that help to understand a person’s qualities and outlook towards things on a social and personal basis and this really helps his employers to comprehend whether or not he should be hired and is perfect for the job at hand. Most people agree that such kind of tests are the best and most legitimate way to understand fresh people willing to get employed and is also the safest way to find out about the person’s way of thinking. In the given article, personality tests were used most, followed by cognitive tests to test an individual’s attitude and behaviour. After taking the personality test, it was found that it helped to determine the shortcomings of each person and this really surprised the people because even they were not aware consciously, of what they were falling short on in terms of their personality and conducts towards others. These tests help to pin point on the weaknesses and strengths of every person and thus it becomes very easy for the firm to evaluate and choose the employees best fit for the task. The senior managers at the companies mentioned in the article found these methods to be very effective and even tried them out on their own in order to measure its correctness. Such personal assessments, they found, were the best way in order to look into a person’s mind and find out how he thinks and also, how best his potential can be used for the

Casd Briefing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Casd Briefing - Essay Example President Nixon refused to comply, arguing executive privilege. At issue: Does the President’s inherent right to safeguard certain information make him entirely immune to judicial review? President Nixon (through his counsel, James St. Clair) argued that the special prosecutor, functioning as an employee of the Department of Justice, made any request for White House audiotapes an internal matter to be resolved within the Executive Branch. In sum, the Judicial Branch was overstepping its Constitutional authority by intervening in the matter. Special prosecutor Leon Jaworski argued that the audiotapes in question almost certainly contained direct evidence of a criminal conspiracy, to wit, to commit obstruction of justice. Procedural history: Special prosecutor Jaworski secured a subpoena in Federal District Court (Judge John Sirica, presiding) requiring White House compliance with demands to surrender certain audiotapes, in April 1974, requiring the White House to surrender the tapes no later than May 31. The White House refused to comply. Both Jaworski and St. Clair (the President’s counsel) concurred in requesting the Supreme Court hear the appeal from the Sirica decision—‘certiorari before judgment,’ a procedure allowing the matter to proceed directly to the Supreme Court without an intervening hearing and decision rendered by the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit—which motion was granted. The Court heard arguments on July 8 and delivered its unanimous opinion on July 24, 1974. 3 The law: There was not specific statute at issue. However, certain language in the Constitution appears relevant. That document makes no reference to executive privilege, although it privileges Members of Congress in matters relating to debate (Art. I, sec. 6). Article II (the Presidency), provides, inter alia, that â€Å"The

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 70

Art - Essay Example Also prominent in the film is the incorporation of technology in the work of art. As opposed to other people’s negative views on the use of technology such as optic devices in displaying or creating pieces of art, it is better to perceive it as an aspect of creativity rather than a cheating ordeal. Based on these contentious issues, the reflective essay aims to depict a personal position on Tim’s work in the context to his 17th century predecessor in the field of artwork, Johannes Vermeer. Judging from Jim’s work and stamina, passion, and creativity is what makes up an artist. The three individual dispositions prove to be instrumental in defining an artist. Tim employed everything he could in a bid to show that the work of his counterpart was made using optical devices. His passion and determination led to his discovery of his path in art. Profound and entertaining in equal proportion, Tim’s poses intriguing questions that inspires the reader and engage other artists. Therefore, he qualifies again as an artist due to his significant contribution to creating a wave of the influence of other artists into believing in his unique creations. The contemporary contradictory opinions perceive art, created with the help of technology as being weak in terms of originality and attraction. Many people tend to regard the act of incorporating technology in undertaking a piece of artwork as taking some short cut. An artist who embraces technology is also considered as less creative. Contrary to the popular opinion, it is imperative to consider the use of technology as a unique kind of art. Instead, people should not be quick to criticize but should open their minds to fresh techniques in the field of art. The question as to whether Johannes Vermeer used the optical devices or not should not be the focal point of discrediting or appreciating his work but should be an inspiring adventure to learn more techniques. Tim’s

The gospel of Mark supports the idea that the messiah (Jesus Christ) Term Paper

The gospel of Mark supports the idea that the messiah (Jesus Christ) must receive dominion, glory, and kingship - Term Paper Example Verse 14 of the same chapter says that dominion, glory and a kingdom were all given to the image he saw, people of all nations and languages should serve him (what resembled the son of man). Further, the son of man's dominion over the nations is everlasting and shall not pass away and his kingdom shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7: 14). Although what Daniel saw was just a vision, the description befits the character of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament. Hundreds of years after Daniel' vision, the fulfillment came through the birth of Jesus. According to Mark 1: 2, the birth of Jesus came as a fulfillment of what was written by the prophets. Hence, God send a messenger to prepare the way for the coming of Christ. After Jesus' birth, what transpired as recorded in the Gospel of Mark only supports the idea that Jesus was indeed the Son of man as predicted by Daniel and that he had in his power the ability to be the messiah and deliver the world from earthly sins. All the aspects of Jesus were unique, right from the time he was baptized to the time he died on the cross. This papers bases its discussion against a backdrop of the events that led to the birth of Jesus, right from the prophesies in the Old Testament to the fulfillment of all the anticipated occurrences. Hence, the paper will evaluate the significance of Daniel's visions as well as the relevance of the prophesies. In order to get concise ideas from the New Testament, the Gospel of Mark will be used to highlight the life of Jesus right from baptism and therefore show why Jesus was indeed the figure to receive dominion, glory and kingship to rule over the world. The birth of Jesus and commencement of his ministry There is every bit of evidence that the life Jesus would be no ordinary right from the time he was baptized. To begin with, he was baptized by a very special man, John the Baptist, who had been born just to prepare a way for him (Mark 1: 2). While John was used to baptizing people with water, he was categorical that Jesus would have powers to baptize people using the Holy Spirit. This portrays Jesus as a being that would possess supernatural powers that would rule over the people. Indeed when the time came for Jesus to be baptized, the service was provided by John the Baptist. That would seem ordinary since baptism was part of John's normal activities, but the amazing aspects of the baptism are the events that followed the baptism activity. As recorded in Mark 1: 9-10, after Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened and Jesus saw the spirit of God descending upon him in the form of a dove. This was followed by a voice from heaven that said that Jesus is "my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased". This was probably the voice of God and the statement shows that Jesus was indeed being monitored at all times. In the early days of Jesus' ministry, he went to Galilee to preach, at a time when John the Baptist had been imprisoned (Mark 1: 14). The choice of words that Jesus used implied that he indeed had a right to the kingdom (of God). Jesus told the people that the time had been fulfilled, and that the kingdom of God was at hand, they only had to repent and believe the Gospel (verse 15). That the kingdom of

Psychology and Association Test Essay Example for Free

Psychology and Association Test Essay Experimental psychology is an area of psychology that utilizes scientific methods to research the mind and behavior. While students are often required to take experimental psychology courses during undergraduate and graduate school, you should really think of this subject as a methodology rather than a singular area within psychology. Many of these techniques are also used by other subfields of psychology to conduct research on everything from childhood development to social issues. Experimental psychologists work in a wide variety of settings including colleges, universities, research centers, government and private businesses. Some of these professionals may focus on teaching experimental to students, while others conduct research on cognitive processes, animal behavior, neuroscience, personality and many other subject areas. Those who work in academic settings often teach psychology courses in addition to performing research and publishing their findings in professional journals. Other experimental psychologists work with businesses to discover ways to make employees more productive or to create a safer workplace, a specialty area known as human factors psychology. Do you enjoy researching human behavior? If you have a passion for solving problems or exploring theoretical questions, you might also have a strong interest in a career as an experimental psychologist. Experimental psychologists study a huge range of topics within psychology, including both human and animal behavior. If youve ever wanted to learn more about what experimental psychologists do, this career profile can answers some of your basic questions and help you decide if you want to explore this specialty area in greater depth. An experimental psychologist is a type of psychologist who uses scientific methods to collect data and perform research. Experimental psychologists explore an immense range of psychological phenomena, ranging from learning to personality to cognitive processes. The exact type of research an experimental psychologist performs may depend on a number of factors including his or her educational background, interests and area of employment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:â€Å"Experimental or research psychologists work in university and private research centers and in business, nonprofit, and governmental organizations. They study the behavior of both human beings and animals, such as rats, monkeys, and pigeons. Prominent areas of study in experimental research include motivation, thought, attention, learning and memory, sensory and perceptual processes, effects of substance abuse, and genetic and neurological factors affecting behavior. Experimental psychologists work in a wide variety of settings including colleges, universities, research centers, government and private businesses. Some of these professionals may focus on teaching experimental methods to students, while others conduct research on cognitive processes, animal behavior, neuroscience, personality and many other subject areas. Those who work in academic settings often teach psychology courses in addition to performing research and publishing their findings in professional journals. Other experimental psychologists may work with businesses to discover ways to make employees more productive or to create a safer workplace, a specialty area known as human factors psychology. Experimental psychology is an approach to psychology that treats it as one of the natural sciences, and therefore assumes that it is susceptible to the experimental method. Many experimental psychologists have gone further, and have assumed that all methods of investigation other than experimentation are suspect. In particular, experimental psychologists have been inclined to discount the case study and interview methods as they have been used in clinical and developmental psychology. Since it is a methodological rather than a substantive category, experimental psychology embraces a disparate collection of areas of study. It is usually taken to include the study of perception, cognitive psychology, comparative psychology, the experimental analysis of behavior, and some aspects of physiological psychology. Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) was a German physician, psychologist, physiologist and philosopher, known today as the â€Å"Father of Experimental Psychology† Some Famous Experimental Psychologists: Wilhelm Wundt later wrote the Principles of Physiological Psychology (1874), which helped establish experimental procedures in psychological research. After taking a position at the University of Liepzig, Wundt founded the first of only two experimental psychology labs in existence at that time. (Although a third lab already existed William James established a lab at Harvard, which was focused on offering teaching demonstrations rather than experimentation. G. Stanley Hall founded the first American experimental psychology lab at John Hopkins University). Wundt was associated with the theoretical perspective known as structuralism, which involves describing the structures that compose the mind. He believed that psychology was the science of conscious experience and that trained observers could accurately describe thoughts, feelings, and emotions through a process known as introspection. Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus was one of the first to scientifically study forgetting. In experiments where is used himself as the subject, Ebbinghaus tested his memory using three-letter nonsense syllables. He relied on such nonsense words because relying on previously known words would have made use of his existing knowledge and associations in his memory. In order to test for new information, Ebbinghaus tested his memory for periods of time ranging from 20 minutes to 31 days. He then published his findings in 1885 in Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology. His results, plotted in what is known as the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, revealed a relationship between forgetting and time. Initially, information is often lost very quickly after it is learned. Factors such as how the information was learned and how frequently it was rehearsed play a role in how quickly these memories are lost. The forgetting curve also showed that forgetting does not continue to decline until all of the information is lost. At a certain point, the amount of forgetting levels off. What exactly does this mean? It indicates that information stored in long-term memory is surprisingly stable. In the realm of mental phenomena, experiment and measurement have hitherto been chiefly limited in application to sense perception and to the time relations of mental processes. By means of the following investigations we have tried to go a step farther into the workings of the mind and to submit to an experimental and quantitative treatment the manifestations of memory. The term, memory, is to be taken here in its broadest sense, including Learning, Retention, Association and Reproduction. The principal objections which, as a matter of course, rise against the possibility of such a treatment are discussed in detail in the text and in part have been made objects of investigations. I may therefore ask those who are not already convinced a priori of the impossibility of such an attempt to postpone their decision about its practicability. Gustav Fechner did not call himself a psychologist, some important historians of psychology like Edwin G. Boring consider the experimental rising of this science in Fechner’s work (1979, p. 297). More specifically, it was Fechner’s famous intuition of October 22, 1850 that, according to Boring (quoted by Saul Rosenzweig, 1987), gave opportunity to his work as a psychophysicist (Rosenzweig also remembers that this date that serves as reference to this event, is curiously close to Boring? birthday, October 23rd). In a more concise way, if we think Fechner’s psychophysics work as the junction of a philosophical doctrine (that correlates spirit and matter as aspects of the same being), an experimental methodology (correlating the variations of stimulus and sensations perceived) and an assemblage of mathematical laws (the famous Weber-Fechner law); in addition, the last two aspects are considered especially relevant to the rising of psychology. Nevertheless, to think that the rising of a science is restricted to the establishment of experimental procedure and to a mathematical formalization, is to forget a whole field of questioning in which the instruments created by Fechner could, in the middle of the 19thcentury, overcome some obstacles and answer some questions, notably the ones made by the critic philosophy of Immanuel Kant. Ernst Weber was a German physiologist and Psychologist. He was regarded as a predecessor of experimental psychology and one of the founders of Psychophysics, the branch of psychology that studies the relations between physical stimuli and mental states. He is known chiefly for his work on investigation of subjective sensory response (sensations) to the impact of external physical stimuli: weight, temperature, and pressure. Weber experimentally determined the accuracy of tactile sensations, namely, the distance between two points on the skin, in which a person can perceive two separate touches. He discovered the two-point threshold the distance on the skin separating two pointed stimulators that is required to experience two rather than one point of stimulation.

The importance of childrens play and talk

The importance of childrens play and talk The first example is of Js first experience of mark making with felt tip pens and on speaking to the parents this was his first experience of using any drawing implements. This activity came about from Js own initiation his interest was gained when he saw his sister with the pens she was sat beside him drawing a picture of what she described as a rabbit, J watched for a while then grabbed at the pen his sister asked ‘Do you want to draw a picture ‘, J made a sound his sister gave him a blank piece of paper and a felt tip pen. J made marks on the paper looking up at his sister every so often who would say ‘wow J thats fantastic, good boy J would smile then continue to make more marks, Js sister gave him more colours J tried to pick all the pens up at once but dropped them all, he picked one up made a mark then tried another he continued this action for the duration of the activity. The activity was initiated and endedby J which lasted around 30 minuets. The second example is again by J and his first mark making and exploration with paint. This activity was adult initiated, the adult introduced a large rectangular blank canvas and different coloured paints with different size paint brushes. J was unsure at first and kept his distance, however moved closer and closer firstly poked the canvas with his finger, he picked up a brush exploring it with his mouth and then fingers, he put the brush on the table then put his finger in a paint pot he looked at his finger touching it with his thumb he put his hand on the table when he lifted his hand off he looked at the mark the paint had made poking his finger in the mark moving it around this made the mark bigger, J put his finger on the canvas the adult said ‘ what that ‘look its Js finger, J put his finger back in the paint moving it around the canvas. The adult picked the large brush up handing it to J ‘do you want to try the brush J took the brush he explored it with is mouth screwing his face up as the brush touched his tongue, ‘ewwwww said the adul t pulling his face ‘put it in there pointing to the pot of paint. J looked at the pot he dipped the edge of the large brush in the paint then dragged the brush across the canvas he continued this action a few times the picked the smaller brush putting it into different colours using a dabbing motion he made more masks on the canvas , he held the brush in one hand then placed the other onto the canvas lifted it up looking at his hand which was covered in different coloured paint he moved it closer to his face dropped the brush poked his painted hand moving his finger around the paint , J looked at his finger then put both hands together pulling them apart them put one on the canvas looking at the adult smiling ‘wow J thats Js hand J squealed then poked at the canvas with his painted finger. J put his hand on his face the adult laughed J then put both hands on his face laughing the adult said ‘come on J we better get you cleaned up . Because of the age of J the activity was more about exploration and investigation and the introduction to new experiences. Clay 1979; Goodman 1973; Smith 1971 cited in Barrat-Pugh 2000 challenged the developmentalist view of literacy drawing upon the 1970 research into how children learn to read and write their suggestions were that reading and writing are not isolated skills that can be taught but however the child is an active participant and the process is ongoing from birth. Arguing that reading, writing and oral language developments are interrelated, emerging over time through participation in literacy events. The childs family and community are central to this process as they provide experiences that facilitate emergent literacy. The importance of childrens play and talk is recognised in the Governments literacy and numeracy strategies where a commitment is stated to using these for reception children in their first year of school (Wood, E. 2004). The Association for Early Childhood Education recommends that practitioners make allowances for the fact that children learn at different levels and so activities need to be well planned and organised, thus providing opportunities for different children to shine in different contexts. The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage in England also recommends a play-based curriculum. The practioner needs to be able to plan and resource challenging learning environments and to support childrens learning through planned play activity. The practitioner also needs to be able to extend and support the spontaneous play of children and help develop their language and communication skills through play. The practitioner also needs to ensure the childs continuity and progress ion (Wood, E. 2004:20). Moyles et al (2001) have argued that a learning environment that is dependent on play leads onto more mature forms of knowledge, skills and understanding. There is evidence to suggest that through play children develop high levels of verbal skill and creative problem solving capabilities. Practitioners need to be resourceful and have a tightly organised environment if they are to integrate play into the curriculum and the child becomes a powerful player in constructing their own learning (Malaguzzi, 1993). In order that the process is meaningful the teacher needs to understand how and what the child thinks and knows, and to be able to engage with this (Wood, 2004). Vygotsky (1933) argued that what children learn and how they learn it is driven by the social experiences and social interactions that they encounter and the development of their thinking occurs as a result of the interaction between themselves, their environment, and more experienced others. Thus, learning is a collaborative process, practitioners need to be aware however of the power relationships that exist in educational settings. Children have no control over the world they enter, of the pre-existing cultural practices or of the power of the expectations of others, particularly their parents and teache rs (MacNaughton, 2004). Training for those who intend to work in the early years sector should not neglect the issue of power or the contexts in which it operates. In English preschool classrooms, learning by being active and interactive, by exploring the environment, has gained universal status (Curtis, 1998). Dewey advocated that children learn best by exploring and manipulating their environment. Isaacs (1933) also emphasized the importance of learning by doing. She wrote that play is not the only means by which children come to discover the world; the whole of their spontaneous activity creates their psychic equilibrium in the early years. Communication, Language and Literacy includes the child to read a variety of different books, being able to communicate in different ways, such as facial expressions and eye contact used in non verbal communication. Children should be able to communicate in order for them to participate in their society. Children should also receive simple reading tasks and texts and writing for different purposes. Drake, (2001) A study carried out by Halls (1987) in a literate home corner, showed that where paper, pencils, newspapers, planners, telephone directories, cookery books and catalogues were added as part of the environment. During the four hour days of this study, children were engaged in 290 literacy events. For example it was found that the frequency, duration and complexity of childrens play with print increased and that the objective encouraged self-generated literacy activity. A particularly interesting finding was that children in the intervention group often transformed the literacy objects into something else. Another example was the cookery books became magic genie books, and newspapers became magazines. Language is a powerful source of signs, and empowers the child to restructure his or her environment, (Taylor and Woods 1998). There are many ways that children make connections with writing and reading, and many pathways into literacy. Writing and reading can enter young childrens lives in a variety of ways. Early experiences with literacy may be initiated by the child or by other people, they may be playful or work-like, and may take place at home, in the neighbourhood or in community settings. The range and diversity of early literacy experiences suggests that there are many ways that children make connections with writing and reading, and many pathways to literacy. Literacy development often starts in young childrens early symbol using activities: in talking, in play and fantasy, in scribbling and drawing, in pretend reading and writing. Between the ages of 1-5 children learn to use symbols they invent for themselves and those donated by the culture (Gardner Wolf, 1979, p.vii). The use of symbols—which may include words, gestures, marks on paper, objects modelled in clay, and so forth—makes it possible to represent experience, feelings and ideas. Symbols also allow children to go beyond the immediate here and now and to create imaginary worlds Play consumes much of young childrens time and energy, and for many children, play is where writing and reading begin. Play is the arena in which young children make connections between their immediate personal world and activities that are important in the larger social world of family and community, and play is the context in which many children find ways to make culturally valued activities part of their own personal experience. When children play with writing and reading, they are actively trying to use—and to understand and make sense of—reading and writing long before they can actually read and write. When books, paper, and writing material are among the objects children play with, important literacy learning can occur. As they experiment with written language, often in playful ways, children begin to learn what writing and reading are, and what they can do with them. At the same time, children can acquire a range of information and skills related to writing and r eading, as well as feelings and expectations about themselves as potential readers and writers. This multifaceted body of knowledge and attitudes constitutes early or emergent literacy (Holdaway, 1979; Teale Sulzby, 1986). Play appears to have at least two potential links to the development of literacy: First, as a symbolic activity, pretend play allows children to develop and refine their capacities to use symbols, to represent experience, and to construct imaginary worlds, capacities they will draw on when they begin to write and read. Second, as an orientation or approach to experience, play can make the various roles and activities of people who read and write more meaningful and hence more accessible to young children. In play the focus is on exploring rather than on accomplishing predetermined ends or goals, so there are few pressures to produce correct answers or final products. Plays non literal, not-for-real, not-for-profit orientation allows players the freedom to manipulate materials, experiences, roles and ideas in new, creative, experimental, as if ways (Bruner, 1977, p.v; Garvey, 1974). Play thus creates a risk-free context in which children do not have to worry about getting it right or about messing up. This freedom may lead children to discover or invent possibilities—new ways of doing things and new ways of thinking about ideas—which may, in turn, lead them to new questions, problems, and solutions. Approaching writing and reading with such an experimental, as if attitude may help children realize that written language is something they can manipulate in a variety of ways and for a variety of purposes. Playing at writing and reading—by scribbling, drawing, pretend ing to write, or pretending to read—may serve to open up the activities of writing and reading for childrens consideration and exploration (Bruner, 1976; Sutton-Smith, 1979). While activities like talking, playing, and drawing are closely linked to writing and reading, and while their use often intertwine and overlap, there are no direct or inevitable transitions between earlier—and later—developed symbol systems. Whether and how children make connections between talking, playing, drawing, and writing and reading depends on the childrens interests and personalities, on what is available and valued in their particular culture, on how the people around them use writing and reading in their own lives, and how these people initiate and respond to childrens writing and reading activities. In other words, early literacy development does not simply happen; rather, it is part of a social process, embedded in childrens relationships with parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, caretakers, and teachers. Early writing activities tend to be more visible than early reading activities because they involve making something. If given crayons or pencils, children usually begin to scribble around the age of 18 months; they find scribbling interesting because it leaves a visible trace—they have made something that didnt exist before. When children encounter print in their environment, they use this visual information in their scribbling and pretend writing. Marie Clay (1975) has shown that as scribbling develops, it begins to incorporate various features of conventional written language, such as linearity, horizontally, and repetition. As children learn that marks and letters represent or stand for something, they are developing an understanding of what Clay calls the sign concept—which is of central importance in learning to write and read. Robert Gundlach (1982) has argued that beginning writers need to master the functions, uses and purposes of writing; the forms and features of written language; and the processes of writing. Children must learn what writing can do, and, in particular, what they can do with writing. Early literacy development is closely tied to the specifics of young childrens relationships and activities. To these relationships and activities, children bring their curiosity, their interest in communicating and interacting with others, and their inclination to be a part of family and community life. They also bring their desire to use and control materials and tools that they perceive as important to the people around them—their urge to do it myself. And they bring their willingness to seek help from more proficient writers and readers. When they interact with more competent writers and readers, children serve as spontaneous apprentices (in George Millers phrase), learning about written language and how to use and control it for a range of purposes. What is the relationship between early experiences with literacy and later, long-term literacy development? There are as yet no definitive answers to this question, but as in other aspects of psychological development, we assume that there is a relationship between early literacy experience and later mature literacy. How this relationship unfolds for a particular child will depend on several factors which interact with one another in complex ways. These include the childs interests, temperament and personality, opportunities at home and in the neighbourhood for writing and reading, as well as the nature and quality of the instruction the child encounters in school. Even children who do not narrate their play are enacting a narrative with their gestures. It has been shown that children engage in this kind of symbolic play more and in richer ways when they do it with a facilitating adult, usually a parent or caregiver. A typical interaction consists of a young child moving a toy around, guiding the toy or toys through a sequence of actions. Often it is the adult who provides the language that highlights the narrative form embedded within the childs play gestures The Emergence of Story Telling During the First Three YearsBy Susan Engel Bennington College,Bennington, VermontZero to Three Journal, December 1996/January 1997. http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_key_language_storytellingAddInterest=1145