An evaluation of impact on financial and operations consequence

An evaluation of impact on financial and operations consequence INTRODUCTION Choosing the Topic After completion of all my fundamental papers in August 2010, I waited till the next session to decide to submit a research and analysis project for the Oxford Brooke University. The reason for such delay was the pressure to complete three professional papers in December session. This report is also important to me because I believe by having combination of both Profession qualification and a degree will uplift my career. To base my project on ACCA provided me with a list of 20 recommended topics to choose from. After reading through the list, the topic that immediately attracted my attention was topic 19 which was â€Å"The financial and operational consequences of a merger between two organisations or of the acquisition of one organisation by another†. What attracted me the most about this topic was that, it was all very relevant to my studies as I am thinking to pursue financial management after ACCA. I knew this topic will allow me to try out and learn the all important, analytical skills. Other reason to choose this topic was the much talked about acquisition of KRAFT and Cadbury therefore it encouraged me to choose this topic. Another reason was availability of the vast amount of information through the internet and press release because of recent release of Krafts recent fourth quarter in the month on February 2011. Choosing the organisation Once I chose my topic, I had to choose an organisation to base my research on.   I chose Kraft and Cadbury for my analysis; it was an obvious choice as this was the acquisition that impelled me to select this topic. This was one of the most controversial and largest takeovers in the year of 2010. I believed the takeover by the 2nd Largest Food Giants in its industry would accomplish the objective I had in mind for the project. Aims Objectives The main objective of this report is to evaluate the consequences of the acquisition on the finance and operations aspect of KRAFT FOODS. The financial statements by themselves only provide the quantitative data which need to be analysed by drawn graphs. The main focus of this report, therefore, is as follows: * To analyse the reasons for Kraft to make a strategic choice of acquiring Cadbury and whether it satisfy the strategic fit as claimed by the CEO of KRAFT FOODS in terms of financial and business operations. * The second part of the research aims to analyse whether Kraft is on the track to achieve its targets it promised its stakeholders at the time of acquisition. * Since financial information wasnt sufficient for my research, I need to review the strategic decisions made by Kraft for its subsidiary Cadbury after the acquisition along with the friction identified while integrating both business. The anticipated future of Cadbury under Kraft Group. In order to achieve the aims mentioned above, I have done qualitative analysis using SFE (Suitability, Feasibility Acceptability) and Ashridge model along with quantitative analysis using financial ratios and linking both to get an overall picture. THE ORGANISTAION Company Profile Kraft Kraft Foods is the worlds second largest food company headquartered in North Field, Illinois manufactures and market packaged food products, including biscuits, confectionery, beverages, cheese, convenient meals and various packaged and grocery products.( KRAFT FOODS INC, 2009)The business was formed by James L. Kraft and his four brothers who began by wholesaling door to door cheese business in Chicago. Kraft then achieved growth by merging with other companies and increases the size of the business by expanding more product lines.( Wikimedia Foundation,2011) Being listed on NYSE, Kraft now has approximately 127,000 employees worldwide. Kraft sells products to consumer in approximately 170 countries. At 31 December 2010, Kraft had operations in more than 75 countries and made products at 223 manufacturing and processing facilities worldwide. Kraft portfolio included eleven brands with annual revenues exceeding $1 billion each: Oreo, Nabisco and LU biscuits; Milka and Cadbury chocolates; Trident gum; Jacobs and Maxwell House coffees; Philadelphia cream cheeses; Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings; and Oscar Mayer meats. Kraft portfolio included approximately 70 brands which each generate annual revenues of more than $100 million. (KRAFT FOODS INC, 2010) Cadbury Cadbury was a leading global independent business in the exciting world of confectionery, a large, growing, brand-led industry. With an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum and candy brands, the largest emerging markets business and a focused and experienced team, Cadbury is committed to its long-term vision to be the worlds biggest and best confectionery company. Cadbury operated in more than 60 countries with a workforce of 46000. (Cadbury, 2008) Cadbury made its beginning by opening one single shop by John Cadbury. As time progressed John Cadbury moved into the manufacturing of drinking chocolate and cocoa. Cadbury grew bigger through some organic growth and some mergers. During the first world war Cadbury started to achieve great success, its products were regarded as necessities and Cadbury were at their peak. Cadbury kept investing in technology, new factories and in new products to remain ahead of competition. With factories all over the world and a host of well known brand names it has become a household name in many countries. (Birminghamuk, (n.d.)) INFORMATION GATHERING Sources of Data Data can be collected for any research by the following ways: * Primary Research: Under primary research new information is collected via interviews, survey or questionnaire etc; hence information is collected first hand. * Secondary Research: Also known as Desk Research is gathered from information which has already been provided but may not be for the same purpose. Such information are easy to access and are my cheaper than carrying out primary research. Such information gathered should be analysed and screened properly so that it fits for the purpose. Kraft and Cadbury both being listed companies although listed in different countries were required to issue annual accounts for its stakeholders by Sarbanes Oxley and Companies House respective. These companies especially Kraft issued Interim Reports as per the stock list requirement. Therefore much of the quantitative and qualitative date was readily available for analysis. Hence I chose to use secondary data over primary. The only complication I faced apart from time pressure was obtaining latest financial information for Cadbury (2009 accounts). Fortunately Kraft public relation team co-operated and emailed me 2008 and 2009 Cadbury annual accounts on my request. The following are the sources of secondary information I used for my project: Annual and Interim Financial Accounts and Reports This is the main source I used for financial aspect of my business and to draw graphs. I had to use interim reports even to demonstrate impact of Cadbury acquisition on Kraft at each and every quarter due to complexity of the business. Krafts annual accounts were available to view and download on Krafts Investors Website. However Cadbury financial statement isnt easily available. Internet This is the source of limitless information; hence it took me a lot of time to extract information which was relative to the point. Firstly it provided me the qualitative information which was missing or less in the financial statement of both entities. Secondly it also provided me information from a third party or neutral point of view. Letters and Reports Under this source, I analyzed the documents sent by Kraft to Cadbury management or reports addressed to Kraft shareholder explaining them the strategic fit of Cadbury acquisition. These documents were available over the internet. Library I used study text published by Kaplan for ACCA to brush my skills and be of aid when I got confused during an analysis phase. Apart from my course books I visited local library for reference books. As I mentioned earlier I didnt had an opportunity to visit British Library for the access of database such as Datamonitor and Mintel. However I was able to get access to Euromonitor through internet and used it as a tool to aid understanding of the application of analytical tools regarding acquisition and both the entities. Data Collection Methods Its easy to collect data, but skills are required to make sense of data and using it for the purpose. It was a fiddly job to collect reliable authentic information to base my reports on. Any negligence on my behalf may cause me a failure in achieving the report objectives. I was cautious and took my time to read through all the information once before starting with my project. As this acquisition was of the biggest acquisition in the year 2010, too much was written by the newspapers and media about it. Reading about the merger in 2011 gave me this idea to do a project on Kraft and Cadbury, as Kraft were about to issue its fourth quarter results. I started my data collection by reading articles from local newspapers as well as papers or journal published in other counties. I viewed them retrospectively. The most prominent newspaper I viewed was Financial Times, Guardian, Reuters, Wall Street Journal and Economists. After I got a general idea behind the acquisition and critics claiming the acquisition as a failure. I downloaded the fourth quarter as well as annual report. I need to know what did CEO responded on the acquisition as it had been a year. Then I looked at financial data provided to support any statement by the CEO. Internet provided me great deal of help in my project. I type in the keywords such as Cadbury Kraft in etc at www.google.com . Find the relevant articles and making notes as well as bookmarks of the WebPages if I needed to read it again for qualitative part of my research. I even visited many libraries in my local areas; the librarian helped me by giving me advice on referencing as I had no idea on references. Unfortunately I couldnt make a trip to British Library to access database which could help me in my project. But I was pretty content with the amount of information I already collected to carry out my analysis. Referencing I have used the HARVARD REFERENCING SYSTEM for the referencing in my research and to aid readability, I have cited the source below the paragraph if the whole paragraphs were written based on the same single source. Acquisition for Kraft PreAcquisition To systematic analyse the strategic choice by Kraft to acquire Cadbury, I will be using Johnson and Scholes framework (Suitability, Feasibility and Acceptability Model). (Wu, 2010) Suitability Kraft Foods Inc. being the second largest food company still looks for opportunities to grow and try to remain one of the market leaders in the industry and and to spread risk by a diversified portfolio. Kraft believes in rapid expansion by acquiring other businesses. Kraft adopted new strategy implemented by new CEO who believed low growth segment should be disposed of and adopt those strategies that will achieve rapid growth even by means of acquisition .Kraft will look for businesses that will build on its strengths and guide against its threats. Kraft has a successful track record of acquiring iconic brands and businesses and effectively using it for its expansion.   We will be using one of the criteria of Ashridge model under suitability. Under Ashridge model we will be examining two criteria; whether Kraft has sufficient skills, resources and understanding of the Cadbury business and whether there are opportunities for helping to achieve critical success factors. (Steiner, 20 09) * One key reason for Kraft to acquire Cadbury was to penetrate in those growing markets where Cadbury has good base such as China, India and Mexico. Brands such as Cadbury Dairy Milk dominated such markets by a vast length compared to its rivals. Cadbury did receive 40% of its revenue from fast growing emerging market.   Cadburys acquisition of Adams played a vital role to increase their market share in Latin America.   Cadbury has experienced 12% growth in revenue in emerging market over five years (EUROMONITOR, 2008) this can be beneficial for Kraft as it intends to use Cadbury s distribution network to sell its brands. (Cadbury, 2008) (Cadbury, 2009a) Kraft being aware of Cadbury s heritage and its strong confectionery business ranking and its iconic brands makes Cadbury globally number one in chocolate, gum and candy. By attaining all these eponymous brands Kraft will become a global powerhouse in snacks, confectionery and quick meals with exceptional portfolio of leading brands in the world. Hence will be one step closer in achieving organic growth objective. Feasibility Under feasibility we would evaluate Krafts position before acquisition in terms of internal resources of the organization this can even be connected to Ashridge s model criteria of possessing sufficient resource by Predator Company. Kraft being second largest business in its industry has huge cash reserve which reflects in its Cash flow Statements of 2008 and 2009 ($1.24 billion and 2.10 billion respectively). Buts its worth mentioning   the disposal of Krafts North American Pizza to Nestle for total consideration of $3.7 billion contributed majorly to its high cash reserve. High cash reserve helps them to with acquisition cost and integration cost and any other abnormal cost. Apart from cash reserve Kraft does have reasonable current ratio of 1.04 reflecting its above average liquidity position then its peers. Although Cadbury has a strong hold on overall emerging markets Kraft have a greater position in some markets such as Brazil and Russia. As Kraft being a huge conglomerate bu siness it has vast amount of resources in terms of specialist staff, a highly invested research and development teams and finance etc to back up Cadbury to face competition from other rivals such as Hershey and Mars. Kraft can eve use its power over major supermarket chains such Wal-Mart to increase shelf value of Cadbury as majority of its sales come from small convenient store. Kraft is even able to promote Cadbury heritage brand more rigorously due to available of immense resources. It would be worth mentioning the fact that billion dollar Kraft empire has been experiencing an average growth of impressive 5 % over period of four years to 2008 (where it achieved 13% growth than previous year).(Daltorio, 2009) Acceptability To carry on with a strategic choice it also need to be acceptable by the stake holders. As shareholders are key stakeholders their consent is highly important. Although Kraft assured them the acquisition would result in increase in shareholders wealth as it fits in into its business culture, some shareholders have different opinion. One of the reasons for such conflict of interests is the fear of increase in companys gearing. By 2008 Kraft had a high gearing of 1.34 (ratio) compare to its rival Nestle of (0.36). They fear by acquiring Cadbury, Kraft would issue more long-term debt that may adversely affect the gearing ratio and hence increasing the financial risk of the business and affecting the capability of paying out dividends, hence damaging shareholders interest. The other reason for conflict of interest was the reaction from one of the biggest shareholders Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway who regarded the acquisition as â€Å"bad deal â€Å".He believed Kraft has overval ued Cadbury for purchase consideration and the disposal of pizza business to Nestle for $3.7 billion   was a mistake. He firmly believed Kraft is paying high premium for the acquisition. One shareholders view didnt affected Krafts strategic choice and Kraft went ahead with the acquisition despite got rejected first time. (Barr, 2010) Ballast Businesses *CADBURY* Heartland Businesses Alien Business Value trap Business According to my analysis I think Kraft values Cadbury as Heartland Business as Kraft has the skills to exploit opportunities from Cadbury. (UNDER ASHRIDGE MODEL) ACQUISITION for Kraft The long clashing 5 month battle between Cadbury and Kraft was finally over on 2nd February 2010 as Kraft clinches control over Cadbury by 72% holding. Kraft then took total control of Cadbury on June 2010. Cadbury shareholders had a deadline of 2nd February to accept Kraft offer of 500 pence in cash for each Cadbury share and 0.1874 new Kraft shares for each Cadbury share which altogether values each Cadbury share at 840 pence including a special 10 pence dividend. This sums up the total valuation of Cadbury business to approximate of  £11.9 Billion ($19.4 Billion). Kraft offered this purchase price on 19th of January after a long negotiation with Cadbury management. Kraft tried to make hostile takeover on 7th September by a bid worth 300 pence in cash and 0.2589 new Kraft shares for each Cadbury share (valuing it 745 pence a share). However Cadbury rejected the bid immediately and regarded it â€Å"derisory†. Kraft sweetened the bid by raising the original offer and increa sing the cash component from 40% to 60% to make it more appealing for Cadbury shareholders. (Cimlluca et al, 2010) I have extracted this graph from Thomson Reuters to illustrate the impact on the share price for both involved parties after the announcement of take-over. We notice an increase of almost 40% in the market value of Cadbury. The increase in Cadburys share price was triggered by the initial announcement by Kraft of its intention to take over Cadbury in early September of 2009. The announcement was received well by Cadbury Shareholders causing an increase in demand and thereby price of the stock. However we see a fall in the share price of Kraft food at the time announcement (graph below), some analysts believe this was due to Warren Buffet dissatisfaction of Kraft Acquisition. He regarded the acquisition as ‘bad deal, which caused chaos amongst other shareholder hence a price falls. This price fall deteriorated the purchase price offered by Kraft which was immediately rejected by Roger Carr, Chairmen of Cadbury. KEY POINTS FOR FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Kraft foods acquired Cadbury plc in February2 2010. Hence Cadbury results are restricted to 10 months rather than full 12 years and its subject to fluctuate with moving exchange rates. Cadbury data was adjusted from IFRS (previously applied by Independent Cadbury) to U.S GAAP followed by its new Parent Kraft Foods Inc. Cadbury previous years figures couldnt be compared with unless comparison is made in percentile due to the size difference of both businesses. Kraft even revised its Net Revenue retrospectively 2009 onwards. Post Acquisition Financial Perspective The above graph represents s the growth and decline in sales over a period of 4 years by means of percentage. The 2010 information contains data post acquisition, specifically contribution from Cadbury of $9143 that has been converted using the exchange rate of $1.595 per  £1.00 for the aid of analysis. It can clearly be noted the reason why Cadbury was so desirable by Kraft. Cadbury attained significant growth from 2007. In June 2007 Cadbury introduced their Vision into Action plan which insisted in strengthening their position in emerging market. This strategy was immediately effective and can be reflected in the graph. As stated earlier in this research report one of the key reasons for Kraft to acquire Cadbury was their better position in emerging market as compared to Kraft. Although Cadbury has just been acquired for 11 months under Kraft we see a marginal fall of 4% in Cadbury sales than its preceding years. This maybe because Kraft maybe getting acquainted to Cadburys opera tion and network hence not utilizing Cadburys full potential. (Cadbury, 2009a) This graph explains what did Krafts CEO meant by â€Å"GLOBAL POWER HOUSE†. If we examine the two graphs we see a change in the revenue from developing and North American markets. The main reason for Kraft to takeover Cadbury was to derive maximum benefit of Cadburys strong hold in emerging market. Although Kraft is one of the largest companies in food industry it drives more than 57% of its revenue from its Home Market US. As US market is experiencing economic recession Kraft needed to adopt an effective strategy to broaden its operations globally. Hence Cadbury looked more attractive from Krafts perspective. Its worth mentioning that Cadbury earns more than 40% from the fast emerging markets portraying its position being better than Kraft.. It should be taken into consideration that fact that Kraft hasnt launched any new aggressive marketing scheme or any strategic step via Cadbury in emerging markets. In 2010 Kraft has continued to run Cadbury operation without making any m ajor changes. Talking quantitatively Cadbury boosted Krafts net revenue in emerging markets by $3382 million which can be seen clearly in the graph at the bottom. Krafts strengths in Russia, Brazil and China along with Cadbury great position in United Kingdom, India and Mexico has spread its revenue source which has reduce the risk of a recession affecting Krafts sales .By acquiring Cadbury Kraft enhanced its distribution channel which became effective in the first year of acquisition and clearly be seen in the 2010 net revenue segments. In 2010 revenue from US market contributed less than 50% to Total Net Revenue minimizing the business risk driven by recession. (Farrell et al, 2010) The above illustrated graphs represent the change in Krafts revenue source after the acquisition of Cadbury. Krafts adopt a rational approach and pursue the strategy of selling off less profitable brands and achieving quick growth by acquisition. Kraft faced fierce competition from private label companies in the cheese and packaged meat market. Therefore Kraft acquired Cadbury to diverse its revenue source as there were dangers of fall in revenue from its main segments. There is an increase of 16% in the contribution made by confectionery segment. This segment is a high potential growth segment and Kraft would like diverse its business risk by investing more in promotion of this segment. (Trefis, 2011) The Gross margin shows the amount of gross profit generated by the company as a percentage of the sales revenue. Kraft Gross Profit Margin has been plotted against each quarter from 2009. It can be analyzed by the graph that Kraft tried to maintain its Gross Profit Margin in mid 30s percentile despite economic downturn in US market and increase in raw materials Kraft is able to maintain its objective, the main grounds for such level gross profit margin was the acquisition. By acquiring Cadbury Kraft has widen its distribution network as Cadburys main selling networks are convenient stores open on High Street therefore reach of every individual. Talking in respect on cost of sales (100 Gross Profit Margin) Kraft will benefit from economies of scale especially regarding purchases as Kraft will be bulk buying and using Cadbury suppliers rationally to minimise cost of sales as possible. (Szalai, 2011) Net Profit Margin is an indicator of profitability, calculated as net income or net profit divided by net revenue. As shown by the graph, we see a downward trend in the net profit margin against each quarter in 2010.Despite the fact that there has been a 27% increase in Net Revenue in 2010 as compared to its preceding year, we notice a fall of 23% in net profit especially in the fourth quarters of 2009 and 2010 ($711m and $547 respectively. However in aggregate there has been an increase in the net profit from 2009. The major reason for such deteriorates result for the fourth quarter was the cost associated with integration between Kraft and Cadbury. The pizza business of Kraft did contributed to the net profit in 2009 , by the sale of its pizza business to Nestle ,Kraft has deprived itself from the positive contribution of its disposal component.(BBC, 2011) The Prime objective of making investment in any business is to obtain satisfactory return on capital invested. Hence, the return on capital employed is used as a measure of success of a business in realizing this objective. Return on capital employed establishes the relationship between the profit and the capital employed. It is used to show the overall profitability and efficiency of the business. By analysing we see a fall in return on capital employed although the sales and net profit overall has increased however it hasnt increased by the proportion of investment made by KRAFT FOOD. As Mr. Warren Buffet feared that Kraft did overpay for the acquisition this can be reflected in diminish of return on capital employed. I have also included a graph showing fall in earning per share that illustrate the point of less return for the investors this maybe due to issue of new share to Cadbury shareholders. (Wilson , 2010) I have included this graph in my research report especially to breakdown the positive and negative contribution made by Cadbury to Kraft operating income in 2010 as compared to Kraft in 2009. As announced by CEO of Kraft Foods, Kraft is highly likely to expect $1 billion in incremental revenue synergies apart from $750 million in cost saving by 2013. In order to achieve the synergies Kraft has budgeted to spend $1.5 billion in the first three years following the acquisition to combine and integrate the two businesses and already incurred $657 million in 2010. As stated in Kraft Annual Account 2010, Kraft incurred and expensed transaction related fees of $218 millions in 2010 and $40 million in 2009.Kraft has recorded the mentioned costs under selling, general and administrative expenses in Profit and Loss Statement (Statement of Comprehensive income). However in the above graphs include figures which has been given in the Kraft 2010 annual accounts analysis of operating profit rather than actual incurred cost as some cost have been taken under finance cost which hasnt been included in arriving at operating profit for 2010. This seems a draw back in the acquisition object ive and maybe criticizes by its stakeholders as integration cost has reduced Krafts earning by 33%. (BBC, 2011) Liquidity ratio expresses a companys ability to repay short-term creditors out of its total cash. The liquidity ratio is the result of dividing the total cash by short-term borrowings. This Graph represents the two liquidity ratio one normal current ratio and another quick test ratio. Unlike Current ratio, quick ratio focus on the most liquid assets hence it exempt inventory from current asset while calculating ratio. Some of the key points that need to be addressed before analysis of the graph are the disposal of the pizza business and all the working capital relating to it. We should also account for the current assets and current liabilities acquired by Kraft such as Net Receivable of $ 1333 m and Accounts Payable of $ 1605 m etc. Another point to be mentioned is that while calculating Quick ratio I havent excluded the deferred tax asset, while some analyst exclude deferred tax asset as they dont regard it liquid. We see a significant difference between both ratios as inventory has occupied much of the working capital. Comparing it to the last year it is almost consistent with the growing sales. We notice a slight deterioration in both the ratio of 2010. The $3.7 billion cash raised by disposal of the pizza business was used to pay cash component of the acquisition. The rise in the actually figure is in line with the growing and diverse sales (Kraft Foods Inc, 2010) Gearing Ratio is a measure of financial leverage, demonstrating the degree to which a firms activities are funded by owners funds versus creditors funds (investopedia).The above   graph represents   how much company has borrowed compare to equity raised by KRAFT FOODS. Kraft had issued a long term debt of $9.379 billion (net proceeds) to support the cash component of Cadbury of acquisition along with proceeds from Pizza Business. Kraft even made a repayment $2.1 billion of long term debt during the year. This has increased the total debt of the business from $18990 million to $28724 Million. Kraft has also issued 262 million shares to existing Cadbury shareholder as part of purchase consideration. This has enlarged Krafts share capital affecting the gearing ratio. By taking into consideration the above mentioned circumstances, we see an increase in the gearing ratio of 7%. This may cause some concerns amongst shareholders and lenders of Kraft as the financial risk of the business has increased as more interest will be paid from the profits available to pay dividends to shareholders. (Tradition Financial Concept.). This may even damage the creditability of KRAFT FOOD in lenders market as it has borrowed 80% to Equity, hence it may be charged high interest rate by the lenders in future. (Kraft Foods Inc, 2010) (Hoskins, 2010) Interest cover is a measure of the adequacy of a companys profits relative to interest payments on its debt. This ratio will help to explain the previously mentioned financial due to increase in gearing. Due to the increase in leverage we see a fall of 0.94 in interest cover which means there would be less profit available for dividends.   This maybe is one of the reasons why Warren Buffet (one of the major shareholder in Kraft) reduced its stake from 9% to 6%. The ratio is over 2 which is considered strong by analyst and reflects Krafts strong position in borrowers market. However Fitch, one of reputed credit rating agency, has downgraded the default rating on both companies to BBB-. However its rivals havent downgraded the rating as yet but our reviewing if they should follow their peers. Flitch has downgraded the rating due to anticipated increase in financial leverage of the combined Kraft/Cadbury. (Peters   et al, 2010) Operational Changes Post Acquisition The significant changes in operations along with their impact on KRAFT FOOD GROUP as a whole: Closure of Somerdale factory Days after acquisition Kraft announced the closure of Cadbury factory in Bristol. During the acquisition struggle, Kraft pledged to retain Somerdale Factory. The announcements created a chaos amongst Cadbury workforce and British Unite trade union as 400 employees were being made redundant. It would be worth mentioning; Cadbury prior to its acquisition (in year 2007) had already announced the closure of its Somerdale factory as they had invested more than  £100million in the production plant

Psychology 101

Course Information Fundamentals of Acoustics: Applications in Speech, Hearing and Language Description: This course will provide students with a basic and working knowledge of acoustics and the physics of sound. It will provide the basis for measurement and description of speech stimuli. It will have direct application to Speech, Hearing and Language intervention as well as application into communicative sciences. CSD 221 Student Name __________________ Course Fundamentals of Acoustics Course Code CSD 221 FacultyPhyllis J. Washington College of Education and Human Sciences Faculty Department Communicative Sciences and Disorders Suggested prerequisite None Length of Course One semester Degree Bachelor of Arts Credit 3 credit hours Assessment Tasks Assessment 1 Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Assessment 2 Assignments/Labs/Quizzes Assessment 3 Acoustic Study Prepared by Al Yonovitz, PhD  © University of Montana First published 2010 Contents Introduction UM Mission Statements Welcome About the In structor Class Organization Learning ObjectivesClass Times Class Attendance Policy Private Study Commitments Occupational Health and Safety Learning approaches Classroom Lectures Moodle Study Resources Required Texts Additional Resources Support Services and Resources Student Resources Students with Disabilities Foreign Exchange Students and Scholars Directory of Assistance Study plan/Course Outline Assessment information Overview Delivery and submission Helpful tips for submission of your assessments Extensions and late submission Resubmission University Plagiarism PolicyAssessment and examination rules Special examinations and special consideration Assessment tasks Introduction UM Mission Statements MISSION STATEMENT THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA The University of Montana capitalizes on its unique strengths to create knowledge, provide an active learning environment for students, and offer programs and services responsive to the needs of Montanans. The University delivers education an d training on its four campuses and through telecommunications to sites inside and outside of Montana.With public expectations on the rise, the University asks its students, faculty, and staff to do and accomplish even more than they have in the past. The dedication to education for and throughout life reflects the commitment to service learning and community building on and off the campuses. The University enhances its programs through continuous quality review for improvement and remains fully accountable to the citizenry through annual audits and performance evaluations. MISSION STATEMENT THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA-MISSOULAThe University of Montana-Missoula pursues academic excellence as indicated by the quality of curriculum and instruction, student performance, and faculty professional accomplishments. The University accomplishes this mission, in part, by providing unique educational experiences through the integration of the liberal arts, graduate study, and professional traini ng with international and interdisciplinary emphases. Through its graduates, the University also seeks to educate competent and humane professionals and informed, ethical, and engaged citizens of local and global communities.Through its programs and the activities of faculty, staff, and students, the University of Montana-Missoula provides basic and applied research, technology transfer, cultural outreach, and service benefiting the local community, region, state, nation and the world. Welcome Welcome to CSD 221 – Fundamentals of Acoustics: Applications in Speech, Hearing and Language Understanding the nature of the speech and acoustic stimulus form the primary bases for your clinical education and your career in speech pathology. As you progress in your program the role of understanding the bases of the sound and acoustics will become evident.It is a great privilege to be your instructor in this inaugural autumn class within the new program in Speech Pathology at the Univers ity of Montana. I have been a practicing audiologist and speech and hearing scientist for many years. I look forward to offering you both the historical speech and hearing perspective and that of current practice. These perspectives will provide you with a basic understanding of the needed vision and available opportunities for Speech Pathologists. Your study will, in turn, help improve diagnosis and service delivery within the practice of Speech Pathology.Acoustics of speech production and the auditory stimulus will provide you with a foundation for your clinical process. It will also offer you the basic skills necessary to assess speech and hearing disorders and to plan intervention programs. This is a course which will enable professional preparation. Through study, your increased knowledge and skills will greatly benefit your future clients. In this course, I believe you will also experience the joy of learning and satisfaction of understanding new concepts and procedures. I wil l do my best to present the material in a clear and understandable manner.Finally, I want you to think that you are here to learn and not here to just ‘earn the grade'. If you concentrate on learning, the grades will take care of themselves. Make sure that you design a reliable study schedule and I guarantee your efforts will be rewarded. I hope to have the chance to meet all of you (including the external students) sometime soon in the near future. Of course, you may contact me at anytime via the information in the announcements. Kind Regards Al Yonovitz, Ph. D. , CCC-A, MAudSA (CCP) Professor Communicative Sciences and Disorders The University of MontanaMissoula, MT 59812-6386 Telephone:   406-243-2408 Fax:   406-243-2362 Email: al. [email  protected] edu Mobile: (406) 241-2364 Postal: Al Yonovitz Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders Curry Health Center, Lower Level University of Montana Missoula, MT 59812 About the Instructor Dr Yonovitz has been active in research issues in abnormal development of central auditory processing abilities in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. His concentrated interest has been in deaf and hearing-impaired children. He has also published widely in areas of speech and hearing science.He has been the Unit Head for the Ear Health and Education Unit of the Menzies School of Health Research and a Manager for Australian Hearing, a Commonwealth Agency, providing hearing improvement for children and pensioners. He was with Charles Darwin University in Darwin, NT Australia before accepting the position as Chair of the new Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders. Phone: (406) 243-2408 Email: al. [email  protected] edu Mobile: (406) 241-2364 Postal: Al Yonovitz Department of Communicative Sciences and DisordersCurry Health Center, Lower Level University of Montana Missoula, MT 59812 Course Organization The Spring 2012 semester is 16 weeks long, beginning January 23, and ending May 4, with a 1-we ek spring vacation. This class is duplicated as both a face-to-face (F2F) section and an online section. The F2F class meets 2 times each week, 8:10 – 9:30 am Monday and Wednesday in the CSD classroom in the lower level of the Curry Health Center. All lectures and laboratory demonstrations will be uploaded that day. Grading opportunities will be consistent between sections.Any questions regarding the course, any unit, or any assignment should first be posed to the instructor via the discussion board on Moodle called â€Å"Queries†. Before you submit your question, however, please check to be sure your question has not already been answered in that forum. These questions will be addressed within a 24-hour period, M-F. Learners who have signed up for the face-to-face mode should expect to attend every lecture. Learners who have signed up for the online mode are welcome to attend the face-to-face lectures at any time. There are five (5) summative assessments.Summative ass essments include multiple choice tests and a number of assignments. Formative assessments, which are indicative of student progress, will be conducted in class. These formative assessments can be viewed either synchronously or asynchronously by online learners. Formative assessment will include review of multiple choice questions at the end of chapters of the text. You will also notice a discussion board entitled â€Å"Student Lounge. † You may use this board to communicate with your classmates. Course Organization 1. Introduction to wave analysis 2. Standing Waves 3. Resonance . Wave Analysis 5. Speech Production 6. Acoustics of Speech Signals 7. Computing and Measurement Techniques for Acoustics Lectures can be accessed either in real time or asynchronously from the CSD website. (There is a tutorial for website access under ‘Start Here’). Lectures are usually posted to the website the same day. On rare occasions, the lecture is posted the next day. Learning obj ectives This course is divided into areas that will allow the student to gain mastery of the following topics: 1. Describe the acoustic signals in the time and frequency domain 2.Understand how the structures of the speech system are used to produce speech (consonants and vowels). 3. Analyze acoustic and speech signals with both Hardware and Software 4. Utilize their knowledge finding application in clinical matters Any questions regarding the course should be directed to the course instructor, Al yonovitz. Hours and Required Discussion Lectures – 8:10-9:30am Mondays & Wednesdays The class will be live at the times above. Students may access the live classes and all other archived class meetings this semester by going to the Elluminate links posted to the Calendar of Moodle.The PowerPoint presentations, discussion board, etc. will be available via Moodle. For UMOnline students it is not necessary to view live classrooms, but you must watch the archived class sessions. Attenda nce will be taken for students attending class. In class discussion for internally registered students and discussion board submission for UMOnline students will be recorded. Study Commitments You should expect to spend 8 to 12 hours per week on this course. This time should be spent completing the required reading for this course, reflecting on your reading, completing the weekly activities and preparing your assignments.Occupational Health and Safety There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit. General Content overview 1 Introduction to wave analysis Mathematics and calculating systems Types of Waves Wave Shapes Propagation Velocity and Medium Velocity Sinusoidal Waves: More Terminology Oscillating Systems and Sinusoidal Waves Application of the Concept of Waves to Sound Relationship Among v, f and[pic] Wave Velocity and Properties of the Medium Elastic Properties of Air Reflection and Transmission of Waves Interference and Superposition 2. Standing Waves Long itudinal Displacement WavesNormal Modes for an Air Column Closed at Both Ends Normal Modes for an Air Column Open at Both Ends Normal Modes for an Air Column With One End Open a and One End Closed 3. Resonance Resonance in Mechanical Systems Resonance in the Speech Production System Resonance in the Outer and Middle Ear 4. Wave Analysis Wavefronts Wavefronts and Space Interference Diffraction of Wave Phase of a Wave Complex Wave Forms Complex Traveling Waves Complex Standing Waves Beats Sound Quality Non-Repetitive Sounds 5. Speech Production Vocal Organs Vocal Fold Vibration Acoustic Properties of the Vocal Tract Sound Spectrographs . Acoustics of Speech Signals Vowels Consonants Glide and Liquid Consonants Nasal Consonants Fricative Consonants Stop Consonants Coarticulation 7. Computing and Measurement Techniques for Speech Analysis Sound Spectroscopy Fourier Analysis Learning approaches Moodle Moodle is the University of Montana’s on-line learning system. It is critically important that you maintain an accurate e-mail address with the University of Montana. In this unit, Moodle will be used to: Provide important announcements regarding your course †¢ Provide discussion questions and responses †¢ Provide assessment documentsCSD 221– Fundamentals of acoustics relies significantly on Moodle participation. The Discussion Board is the mode of communication which allows for face-to-face and online learners to share. Postings should be succinct, yet comprehensive (about one paragraph). In addition to your posting, you must reply to at least one other learner’s posting in, again, a succinct, yet comprehensive posting. The instructor facilitates the discussions, carefully monitors the Discussion Board, and provides considered responses. These responses are usually provided after the particular Discussion Board question has closed for the week.Learners are encouraged to use the Discussion Board for ‘Questions to the Instructorâ₠¬â„¢. Postings will be viewed daily and instructor responses will be offered daily. Netiquette expectations are expected on any online submission. For the Core Rules of Netiquette, please visit http://www. albion. com/netiquette/corerules. html. In addition, the instructor expects formal rules of standard American English language to be followed in the Discussion Board. Informal, non-standard English language approaches are not acceptable. You will need to connect to the Internet to access Moodle, at: http://umonline. umt. edu/ Conceptual FrameworkThis course provides a learning community that a) integrates ideas, b) encourages cooperative endeavors, and c) respects diversity and individual worth. These concepts are illustrated through the following activities:   a) by understanding acoustics you will be able to appreciate the linkage between this course and other CSD courses, you will have an understanding of the nature of the conversational element; b) you will also participate in laboratories designed to mutually assist each other, and c) you will be challenged to combine both the science and mathematical nature of speech with some reference to various dialectical patterns. )  Ã‚  Ã‚  Integration of Ideas:   Members of a learning community look beyond the traditionally subject-oriented curriculum and think about the interrelationships among and between subject areas. They work with a variety of fields of study and search for unifying themes that cross disciplinary lines. There is an emphasis on explaining realities and bringing differing kinds of knowledge to bear on dealing with actual problems. b)  Ã‚  Cooperative Endeavors:   In a learning community knowing and learning are viewed as communal acts, and members are encouraged to assist each other o learn and grow. There is a commitment to engage all learners cognitively and emotionally in acquiring knowledge that is personally meaningful. In the process members create a cohesiveness that encoura ges personal responsibility and commitment to the group and its goals. c)  Ã‚   Respect for Diversity and Individual Worth:   A learning community embraces diversity with respect to ideas, abilities, viewpoints, experiences, learning styles, cultural backgrounds. Diversity is valued because of the inherent worth of each individual who brings his or her strengths to the community.The ethics of caring and mutual respect are viewed as essential for supportive learning environments that enhance each member’s self-esteem and foster risk-taking, creative conflict, and excellence. Study resources Required text: Required texts: INTRODUCTION TO SOUND, Acoustics for the Hearing and Speech Sciences. Charles E. Speaks, Singular Publishing, 1999. Several additional readings will be assigned throughout the semester. These may include journal articles, chapters from books other than your textbook, and other related materials. Support services and resources UM Academic Honesty PolicyThe student Conduct Code, embodying the ideals of academic honesty, integrity, human rights, and responsible citizenship, governs all student conduct at The University of Montana-Missoula. You are expected to adhere to this code: (http://liffe. umt. edu/SA/documents/fromWeb/StudentConductCode1. pdf). Student Resources Two tutoring programs are available to students, one administered by the TRiO and the other by the Undergraduate Advising Center; both are located in Corbin Hall. More information on TRiO, visit TRiO at Lommasson Center 154, call 406-243-5032, or log on to www. mt. edu/eop. The Undergraduate Advising Center is located in the Lommasson Center 269, or you can visit www. umt. edu/ucoll/. The Writing Center is available to help you improve your writing skills. Writing instructors are available to help you plan and develop your thoughts. For more information, visit them online at: http://www. umt. edu/writingcenter/, email [email  protected] umt. edu or call (406) 243-2266. S tudents with Disabilities Students with disabilities are encouraged to plan ahead and can contact Disability Services for Students (DSS).For additional information, contact DSS Director Jim Marks, Lommasson Center 154 or (406) 243-2243 (Voice/Text) or jim. [email  protected] edu. Please visit http://www. umt. edu/dss/ to find details about the available services. Foreign Exchange Students and Scholars The office of Foreign Student and Scholar Services (FSSS) is available for general counselling and provides direct support services, consultation, and liaison. Staff members at FSSS are available to help with academic advising, cultural adjustment, financial problems, and other issues.The FSSS office is in the Lommasson Center, Room 219. For more information, contact [email  protected] edu or visit http://ordway. umt. edu/sa/fsss/. |DIRECTORY OF ASSISTANCE | |Concern |Contact |Contact details | |Matters concerning the course |Instructor – Al Yonovitz |al. [email  protected ] edu | |General academic issues relating to |Department Chair – Al Yonovitz |al. [email  protected] edu | |your course | | | |Moodle difficulties |UM Online Tech Support Desk |Ph: (406) 243-4999 or (866) 225-1641 (toll free) | | | |E-mail: [email  protected] edu | | | |Website: http://umt. du/xls/techsupport | |Difficulties accessing your Student |IT Helpdesk |Ph: (406) 243-4357 | |Computer account | | | |Technical difficulties in PC Labs | | | |Library enquiries |UM Library |Ph: (406) 243-6866 | |Help with library databases, Internet| | | |searching and Reference queries | | | |Purchasing of text books and |UM Bookstore |Ph: (406) 243-1234 | |stationery | |Fax: (406) 243-2001 | | | |email: [email  protected] com | | | |website: http://www. umtbookstore. om | | | |University of Montana Bookstore | | | |University Center, 1st & 2nd Floor | | | |5 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59801 | |General administration enquiries |Registrar |Ph: (406) 243-2995 | |e. g. admissions/ enro lments, course | | | |information, graduation | | | Class Schedule Week |Lecture Topic |Readings |Assessments | | | | |& Labs | |Week 1 |The Nature of Sound Waves |Chapter 1 | | |1/23/11 | |The Speech Chain, Chapters 1 | | |Week 2 |The Nature of Sound Waves |Chapter 1 | | |1/30/11 | | | | |Week 3 |Simple Harmonic Motion |Chapter 2 | | |2/6/11 | | | | |Week 4 |Simple Harmonic Motion |Chapter 2 | | |2/13/11 | | | | |Week 5 |Logarithms and Antilogarithms |Chapter 3 |Exam 1 (20%) | |2/20/11 | | | | |No Class on 2/20/11 | | | | |Week 6 |Logarithms and Antilogarithms |Chapter 3 | | |2/27/11 | | | | |Week 7 |Sound Intensity and Sound Pressure: The |Chapter 4 | | |3/5/11 |Decibel | | |Week 8 |Sound Intensity and Sound Pressure: The |Chapter 4 | | |3/12/11 |Decibel | | | |Week 9 |Complex Waves |Chapter 5 | | |3/19/11 | | | | |Week 10 |Complex Waves |Chapter 5 |Exam 2 (20%) | |3/26/11 | | | | |Week 11 |Spring Break | | | |4/2/11 | | | | |Week 12 |Resonance and Filtering |Chapter 6 | | |4/9/11 | | | | |Week 13 |Resonance and Filtering |Chapter 6 | | |4/16/11 | | | | |Week 14 |Distortion |Chapter 7 | | |4/23/11 |Sound Transmission |Chapter 8 | | |Week 15 |Summation and Revision | | | |4/30/11 | | | | |Final Exam | | |Exam 3 (20%) | |5/7/11 | | | | Topical Description of Course Material Assessment Information 5 Assessment items are required. All assessment tasks must be completed for you to obtain a pass in this course. I would expect a significant commitment on your part to achieve a deep and effective understanding of topics in this course. I would therefore expect a high commitment to learning. Note: unless stated otherwise, the due date for an assessment refers to the date by which the assessment must be received by the Instructor. Assessments for CSD 221 – Fundamentals of Acoustics Assessment |Focus |Percent Value |Length |Due date | |item | | | | | |Assessment 1 |Test 1 |20% |50 M/C Questions |Week 5 | |Assessment 2 |Test 2 |20% |50 M/C Questions |Week 10 | |A ssessment 3 |Test 3 |20% |50 M/C Questions |Week 16 | |Assessment 4 |Submission of Acoustic Study |20% |4-6 Pages |Week 14 | |Assessment 5 |Assignments/Labs/Quizzes (10) |20% |TBA |Throughout Semester | Descriptions of Assessments Three tests (20% each test) Test 1 (20%) Available from Monday, February 23–Sunday, February 26 Test 1 must be submitted electronically by 11:55pm Sunday, February 26 2-hour timed test Multiple choice & true/false Test 2 (20%) Available from Monday, March 29 – Sunday, April 1 Test 2 must be submitted electronically by 11:55pm Sunday, April 1 2-hour timed test Multiple choice & true/false Test 3 (20%) Available from Wednesday, May 7 – Thursday, May 10Test 3 must be submitted electronically by 11:55pm Thursday, May 10 2-hour timed test Multiple choice & true/false Assignments/Labs/Quizzes (20%) There will be ten assignments/quizzes during the semester. Each assignment/quiz will be discussed in class demonstrated in class and a teaching a ssistant will be available for individual help. Separate descriptive hand-outs will be available for each lab. Acoustic Study (20%) The acoustic study will be a project that you will be able to accomplish. The project should not relate to speech but should consider the analysis of an interesting acoustic event. A separate handout will be available. *Note – Tests are electronically marked and are automatically submitted to Gradebook.After taking a test, your mark will be immediately available; however, your test will only be made available for you to view after the closing date of the test. Delivery and submission of Assessments Note: The three tests are electronically marked by Gradebook. You are expected to keep your own copy of the assignments. On the PowerPoint assignment, please attach an introductory slide with the following details: Your name and student number Course code, title and date submitted Helpful tips for submission of your Assessments There are several ways t hat you can assist with the efficient processing and return of your assessments. †¢ Turn in your assessments on time. Additional time will not be readily offered.Extensions and late submission Note: Apply for extensions before the due date. You must apply for extensions at least 2 university business days before the due date. All extension requests must be in writing to the Instructor. If you do not follow these procedures and have an extension formally approved, your assessment will be considered late if it arrives after the due date. Extenuating circumstances do arise from time to time such as illness or a family crisis. In such circumstances, you are required to contact your tutor to discuss your options. Poor time management is not considered an extenuating circumstance and is not grounds for an extension.Normally work commitments will not be sufficient grounds for an extension. Resubmission In this course, you cannot resubmit your work for reassessment. Plagiarism Policy P lagiarism is the presentation of the work of another without acknowledgement. As defined by the University of Montana’s Student Conduct Code, plagiarism is â€Å"Representing another person's words, ideas, data, or materials as one's own. † Staff and students may use information and ideas expressed by others, but this use must be identified by appropriate referencing. Students who plagiarize may fail the course and may be remanded to Academic Court for a possible suspension or expulsion from the University.More information regarding student policy, academic misconduct, and plagiarism can be found at: http://www. umt. edu/catalog/policy_procedure. htm Assignment and examination rules Exams will involve multiple choice and true/false questions. They will cover the material provided both in the lectures and in the assigned readings. Exams/tests must be submitted by the assigned date. If you do not submit a test by the assigned date, you will not receive credit for the tes t, unless arrangements are made with the instructor in advance. Test 1 (20%) Test 2 (20%) Test 3 (20%) Assignments/Labs/Quizzes (20%) Acoustic Study (20%) Applying the university assessment grading to Assessments A | | | |Demonstrates imagination, originality or flair, based on proficiency in all learning outcomes of the unit; | |(90. 0-100) |work is interesting or surprisingly exciting, challenging, well read or scholarly. | | | | | |-For this assessment an A response answers all the set questions in a very informed, applied, cogent manner. | |B | | | |Demonstrates awareness and understanding of deeper and less obvious aspects of the unit, such as ability to | |(80. 0-89. ) |identify and debate critical issues or problems, ability to solve non-routine problems, ability to adapt and| | |apply ideas to new situations, and ability to evaluate new ideas. | | | | | |-For this assessment a B response answers all the set questions in an informed manner and applied manner. | |C | | | |Demo nstrates ability to use and apply fundamental concepts and skills of the unit, going beyond mere | |(70. 0-79. ) |replication of content knowledge or skill to show understanding of key ideas, awareness of their relevance, | | |some use of analytical skills, and some originality or insight. | | | | | |-For this assessment a C response answers all questions correctly. There is a basic application of ideas. | |D | | | |Satisfies all of the basic learning requirements of the unit, such as knowledge of fundamental concepts and | |(60. 0-69. ) |performance of basic skills; demonstrates satisfactory, adequate, competent, or capable achievement of the | | |objectives of the unit. | | | | | |-For this assessment a D response answers most the questions correctly. Theses answers cover only the | | |fundamentals and lack application. | |F | | |(59. 9 and below) |Fails to satisfy some of the basic requirements of the assessment task. | ———————â₠¬â€œ [pic] [pic] [pic] Psychology 101 We all come in different shapes and sizes. We all have strengths and weaknesses. What is right for one person may not be right for another. How we feel, think, behave and react in different situations are shaped from when we are born throughout the rest of our lives. Our environment influences our personality, our experiences from when we first walk to the last day we breathe. There are a number of psychologists who support that individuals environment is the key aspect to influencing personality. Sigmund Freud believed that our childhood experiences are what influence our personality as an adult.The nurture theory proposes that environment is what influences each individual and determines their personality. B. F. Skinner and John Watson both suggest that personality is a result of interaction between the individual and the environment. The case study of â€Å"Genie, the wild child† comes to show how much we require all of the environmental factors in Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs to live a healthy and standard life. Sigmund Freud (1856- 1939) believed that the psychosexual stages affect your personality and your experiences as you grow up influence your personality as an adult.Each of Freud’s five stages determines certain characteristics in our personality as we become adults (see appendix 2 for details on stages). It was developed from patients' recollections, dreams and free associations. He â€Å"asserted that sexual instinct was the most important influence on personality. † (WiseGEEK, 2011). The oral stage develops a sense of trust and comfort. The next period, the anal stage, increases accomplishment and independence. The differences between males and females are developed throughout the phallic stage, as the individual wants to possess the opposite sex parent and has the desire to replace the same gender parent.The latent period is important in the improvement of social and communication skills and self confidence. The individ ual will develop a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex throughout the last stage, the genital stage. â€Å"Fixation gives each problem at each stage a long-term effect in terms of our personality or character. †(Boeree, George. 1997) This means that if difficulty occurs in the stages, it can affect your personality, such as independence can transform to becoming dependant on others. Everything you become is determined by your first few years.The adult is exclusively determined by the child's experiences, because whatever actions occur in adulthood is based on an outline laid down in the earliest years of life. Personality comes from adaptive patterns associated to an individual’s specific environment. Nature versus nurture is a debate upon the importance of an individual’s inborn qualities against personal experiences in influencing or causing individual’s personality and traits. Nurture is the influences on development occurring ‘from prenat al, parental, extended family and peer experiences, extending to influences such as media, marketing and socio-economic status. (Answers, 2011). Nature is the genetic predispositions that determine how people behave. It provides us with inborn abilities and traits. A case study that supports the influence of nurture is John B. Watsons and his partner, Rayners, experiment on ‘Little Albert’. This case study conveys that Little Albert did not display any fear towards the white rat or anything furry, until associating the rat with the load noise. This event produced Little Albert’s fear of furry objects and demonstrates that experiences play a large role in developing our personality and particularly our traits.If environment didn't play a part in shaping an individual's personality, then identical twins should, supposedly, be exactly the same. â€Å"Although identical twins are genetically identical and share the same family environment, identical twins raised tog ether do not have identical personalities. These differences must then be explained entirely by non-shared environmental effects. † (Haimowitz, Avi. 2005) It is evident through the case study of ‘Little Albert’ and the quote above, that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. B. F.Skinner (1904 -1990) proved that human behavior could be conditioned and individuals condition their behavior accordingly to each role and responsibility they undertake. You may find yourself juggling different roles as a parent, child, husband or wife, sibling, worker, and friend. The way we act and react in different positions and situations has been formed by our environment and how we have been taught to respond through our experiences. The ‘Skinner box’ is an example of operate conditioning (see appendix 1 for image of the Skinner box). It is an experiment, created by B.F. Skinner to demonstrate a behavior followed by a reinforcing stim ulus, which results in an increased likelihood of that behavior occurring in the future. B. F. Skinner placed a rat in the Skinner box. The rat pressed the response lever, releasing a food pellet into the food dispenser. It was not trying to do anything when it first touched the lever, but once the rat learned how to release the food, it began repeating the process. â€Å"The behavior is followed by a consequence, and the nature of the consequence modifies the organism’s tendency to repeat the behavior in the future. (Boeree, George. 1997). As you learn from your experiences and environment, you condition yourself in response to it. Skinner suggests that psychologists focus on observables, that is, the environment and our behavior in it. â€Å"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select†¦ regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations and race of his ancestors. †- John Watson.This well known behaviorist, John Watson, conveys that no matter what the individual’s nature is, the environment and experiences in one’s life can condition the individual and shape their personality. Genie, a thirteen year old girl, was found on the 4th of November in 1970. She had suffered severe sensory and social deprivation as a result of being locked in her room, completely isolated, for almost her entire life. She was haunted by her traumatic upbringing and trapped by memories of her suffering. Her father, Clark Wiley, turned his back on the world after his mother had been killed by a hit and run driver.The result of his lose was taken out on his family. Genie was particularly targeted by her father, after he was told she may have a slow development. This case study expresses how important parenting is on a child’s personality. The lack of interaction and speech f rom Genie resulted in having no language or cognitive ability. â€Å"The left part of the cerebral cortex in Genie’s brain, which is responsible for speech and language, has not received the stimulation required for normal development† (ExtraOrdinaryChildren, 2008)(See appendix 4 for image).This lack of development has left her speech centres irreparably damaged. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs show that Genie did not meet any of the levels of need (see appendix 3 for Maslow’s hierarchy of need’s pyramid). According to this theory â€Å"they are the literal requirements for human survival. If these requirements are not met, the human body simply cannot continue to function†. (Wikipedia, 2011) She had the physical development of a 7-year old due to her prolonged malnutrition. Genie had a poor quality diet consisting of milk, oatmeal and sometimes an egg. The house was completely dark, all the blinds were drawn and there were no toys, no clothes, nothing to indicate that a child of any age had lived there†. (ExtraOrdinaryChildren, 2008)These experiences of Genie’s entire life, comes to show how much each individual needs their environment and the result of not having nurture in one’s life. Bibliography A2zpsychology, 2006, Freud's Psychosexual Theory. Viewed March 16, 2011, http://www. a2zpsychology. com/great_psychologists/freud_psychosexual_thoery. htm About, 2011, Personality Psychology.Viewed March 21, 2011, http://psychology. about. com/od/personalitydevelopment/Personality_Psychology. htm Answers, 2011, Nature or Nurture. Viewed March 4, 2011, http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_influences_personality_more_nature_or_nurture#ixzz1HIvrEH1D Boeree, George. 1997, Sigmund Freud. Viewed March 13, 2011, http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/freud. html. Boeree, George. 1998, B. F. Skinner. Viewed March 12, 2011, http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/skinner. html Changingminds, 2011, Freud’s Psychosexual Stage Theory.Viewed March 15, 2011, http://changingminds. org/explanations/learning/freud_stage. htm Dr. Westrope. 2010, Personality. ViewedMarch 18, 2011, http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20091119000820AALKEuL ExtraOrdinaryChildren, 2008, Genie Wiley. Viewed March 13, 2011, http://www. mymultiplesclerosis. co. uk/misc/wild-child. html Haimowitz, Avi. 2005, Heredity vs. environment. Viewed March 21, 2011, http://www. personalityresearch. org/papers/haimowitz. html Powell, Kimberly. 2011, nature vs nurture.Viewed March 22, 2011, http://genealogy. about. com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/nature_nurture. htm Stennes Barbara (2009), How Different Roles Influence Your Personality. Viewed March 14, 2011, http://www. resourcesunlimited. com/How_Different_Roles_Influence_Your_Personality. asp Wikipedia, 2011, Personality Psychology. Viewed March 21, 2011, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Personality_psychology#Trait_theories Wikipedia, 2011, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Viewed March 1 4, 2011, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/File:Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs. svg Psychology 101 We all come in different shapes and sizes. We all have strengths and weaknesses. What is right for one person may not be right for another. How we feel, think, behave and react in different situations are shaped from when we are born throughout the rest of our lives. Our environment influences our personality, our experiences from when we first walk to the last day we breathe. There are a number of psychologists who support that individuals environment is the key aspect to influencing personality. Sigmund Freud believed that our childhood experiences are what influence our personality as an adult.The nurture theory proposes that environment is what influences each individual and determines their personality. B. F. Skinner and John Watson both suggest that personality is a result of interaction between the individual and the environment. The case study of â€Å"Genie, the wild child† comes to show how much we require all of the environmental factors in Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs to live a healthy and standard life. Sigmund Freud (1856- 1939) believed that the psychosexual stages affect your personality and your experiences as you grow up influence your personality as an adult.Each of Freud’s five stages determines certain characteristics in our personality as we become adults (see appendix 2 for details on stages). It was developed from patients' recollections, dreams and free associations. He â€Å"asserted that sexual instinct was the most important influence on personality. † (WiseGEEK, 2011). The oral stage develops a sense of trust and comfort. The next period, the anal stage, increases accomplishment and independence. The differences between males and females are developed throughout the phallic stage, as the individual wants to possess the opposite sex parent and has the desire to replace the same gender parent.The latent period is important in the improvement of social and communication skills and self confidence. The individ ual will develop a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex throughout the last stage, the genital stage. â€Å"Fixation gives each problem at each stage a long-term effect in terms of our personality or character. †(Boeree, George. 1997) This means that if difficulty occurs in the stages, it can affect your personality, such as independence can transform to becoming dependant on others. Everything you become is determined by your first few years.The adult is exclusively determined by the child's experiences, because whatever actions occur in adulthood is based on an outline laid down in the earliest years of life. Personality comes from adaptive patterns associated to an individual’s specific environment. Nature versus nurture is a debate upon the importance of an individual’s inborn qualities against personal experiences in influencing or causing individual’s personality and traits. Nurture is the influences on development occurring ‘from prenat al, parental, extended family and peer experiences, extending to influences such as media, marketing and socio-economic status. (Answers, 2011). Nature is the genetic predispositions that determine how people behave. It provides us with inborn abilities and traits. A case study that supports the influence of nurture is John B. Watsons and his partner, Rayners, experiment on ‘Little Albert’. This case study conveys that Little Albert did not display any fear towards the white rat or anything furry, until associating the rat with the load noise. This event produced Little Albert’s fear of furry objects and demonstrates that experiences play a large role in developing our personality and particularly our traits.If environment didn't play a part in shaping an individual's personality, then identical twins should, supposedly, be exactly the same. â€Å"Although identical twins are genetically identical and share the same family environment, identical twins raised tog ether do not have identical personalities. These differences must then be explained entirely by non-shared environmental effects. † (Haimowitz, Avi. 2005) It is evident through the case study of ‘Little Albert’ and the quote above, that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. B. F.Skinner (1904 -1990) proved that human behavior could be conditioned and individuals condition their behavior accordingly to each role and responsibility they undertake. You may find yourself juggling different roles as a parent, child, husband or wife, sibling, worker, and friend. The way we act and react in different positions and situations has been formed by our environment and how we have been taught to respond through our experiences. The ‘Skinner box’ is an example of operate conditioning (see appendix 1 for image of the Skinner box). It is an experiment, created by B.F. Skinner to demonstrate a behavior followed by a reinforcing stim ulus, which results in an increased likelihood of that behavior occurring in the future. B. F. Skinner placed a rat in the Skinner box. The rat pressed the response lever, releasing a food pellet into the food dispenser. It was not trying to do anything when it first touched the lever, but once the rat learned how to release the food, it began repeating the process. â€Å"The behavior is followed by a consequence, and the nature of the consequence modifies the organism’s tendency to repeat the behavior in the future. (Boeree, George. 1997). As you learn from your experiences and environment, you condition yourself in response to it. Skinner suggests that psychologists focus on observables, that is, the environment and our behavior in it. â€Å"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select†¦ regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations and race of his ancestors. †- John Watson.This well known behaviorist, John Watson, conveys that no matter what the individual’s nature is, the environment and experiences in one’s life can condition the individual and shape their personality. Genie, a thirteen year old girl, was found on the 4th of November in 1970. She had suffered severe sensory and social deprivation as a result of being locked in her room, completely isolated, for almost her entire life. She was haunted by her traumatic upbringing and trapped by memories of her suffering. Her father, Clark Wiley, turned his back on the world after his mother had been killed by a hit and run driver.The result of his lose was taken out on his family. Genie was particularly targeted by her father, after he was told she may have a slow development. This case study expresses how important parenting is on a child’s personality. The lack of interaction and speech f rom Genie resulted in having no language or cognitive ability. â€Å"The left part of the cerebral cortex in Genie’s brain, which is responsible for speech and language, has not received the stimulation required for normal development† (ExtraOrdinaryChildren, 2008)(See appendix 4 for image).This lack of development has left her speech centres irreparably damaged. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs show that Genie did not meet any of the levels of need (see appendix 3 for Maslow’s hierarchy of need’s pyramid). According to this theory â€Å"they are the literal requirements for human survival. If these requirements are not met, the human body simply cannot continue to function†. (Wikipedia, 2011) She had the physical development of a 7-year old due to her prolonged malnutrition. Genie had a poor quality diet consisting of milk, oatmeal and sometimes an egg. The house was completely dark, all the blinds were drawn and there were no toys, no clothes, nothing to indicate that a child of any age had lived there†. (ExtraOrdinaryChildren, 2008)These experiences of Genie’s entire life, comes to show how much each individual needs their environment and the result of not having nurture in one’s life. Bibliography A2zpsychology, 2006, Freud's Psychosexual Theory. Viewed March 16, 2011, http://www. a2zpsychology. com/great_psychologists/freud_psychosexual_thoery. htm About, 2011, Personality Psychology.Viewed March 21, 2011, http://psychology. about. com/od/personalitydevelopment/Personality_Psychology. htm Answers, 2011, Nature or Nurture. Viewed March 4, 2011, http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_influences_personality_more_nature_or_nurture#ixzz1HIvrEH1D Boeree, George. 1997, Sigmund Freud. Viewed March 13, 2011, http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/freud. html. Boeree, George. 1998, B. F. Skinner. Viewed March 12, 2011, http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/skinner. html Changingminds, 2011, Freud’s Psychosexual Stage Theory.Viewed March 15, 2011, http://changingminds. org/explanations/learning/freud_stage. htm Dr. Westrope. 2010, Personality. ViewedMarch 18, 2011, http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20091119000820AALKEuL ExtraOrdinaryChildren, 2008, Genie Wiley. Viewed March 13, 2011, http://www. mymultiplesclerosis. co. uk/misc/wild-child. html Haimowitz, Avi. 2005, Heredity vs. environment. Viewed March 21, 2011, http://www. personalityresearch. org/papers/haimowitz. html Powell, Kimberly. 2011, nature vs nurture.Viewed March 22, 2011, http://genealogy. about. com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/nature_nurture. htm Stennes Barbara (2009), How Different Roles Influence Your Personality. Viewed March 14, 2011, http://www. resourcesunlimited. com/How_Different_Roles_Influence_Your_Personality. asp Wikipedia, 2011, Personality Psychology. Viewed March 21, 2011, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Personality_psychology#Trait_theories Wikipedia, 2011, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Viewed March 1 4, 2011, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/File:Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs. svg

Identifying and Refining Research Topics in Practice Area Essay

Part I: Research Questions Nursing is a dynamic career. Through nursing research, doors to improved, quality healthcare are paved open from time to time. In practice-based studies, human subjects are inevitable; thus, a researcher must be sensitive, aware and compliant to the regulations set by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (Wolf, Walden, and Lo, 2005; NIH, n. d.; American Nurses Association, n. d.). In this regard, the author of this study was inspired to formulate the following practice-based research questions: Quantitative. Quantitative approach explains using objective facts, eliminating bias and error (Firestone, 1987). Research, especially quantitative method, should avoid false findings (Ioannidis, 2005). 1. What is the relationship between the transport of newborns via a transporter vs. other mode of transport after birth and thermoregulation? 2. What is the relationship between history of general depression and postpartum depression in postpartum mothers? 3. What is the relationship between mandatory nurse-patient ratio and job stress or burnout? Qualitative. Firestone (1987) stated that qualitative approach is best for phenomenological studies where â€Å"multiple realities that are socially defined† and readers are given â€Å"enough detail to â€Å"make sense† of the situation.† 1. Why do children born to teenaged mothers become teenage parents themselves? 2. What are birthing plans that are essential to a successful labor and delivery experience? To determine if these are viable topics for further research, the help of the nurse clinician, the senior staff nurse, a staff nurse, and clinical manager was consulted. On the relationship between the transport of newborns via a transporter vs. other mode of transport after birth and thermoregulation, it has been noted that infants that are transported from Labor and Delivery to the Well Baby Nursery via a bassinette or in mother’s arms experience hypothermia while those that are transported via a transporter maintain normal temperature. From the consultation with the other healthcare providers, there was a research study on infant remaining with the mothers after birth but not on the mode of transport, which influenced the practice by allowing infants to remain with mother after both vaginal and cesarean deliveries until their transfer to postpartum. According to the nurse clinician, this is a good topic as they noted that the infant’s of vaginal delivery are transported in the mother’s arms or in an open bassinette and they usually have low temps while the infants of cesarean deliveries are transported in a transporter and they usually have normal temperatures; thus, there may be correlation between the two. For the relationship between history of general depression and postpartum depression in postpartum mothers, it was noted that mothers with a history of general depression are usually anxious and weepy and have difficulty coping. However, studies for evidence are not sure. The only data that may be readily available for this topic are those referrals of any mother with a history of depression to Social Services for postpartum depression education and resources. On the relationship between mandatory nurse patient ratio and job stress or burnout, the healthcare givers observed and agreed that its implementation is much better and beneficial because the nurses make less mistakes and patient care is better. However, supporting studies are a little bit hard to find. On the other hand, it is noted that significant numbers of teenage mothers are 15 to 18 years younger than their own mothers and considerably, these young mothers will have their second child within one to two years of the first, which means having multiple children within their teenage years. From the consultation, the study is an interesting one but lacks available supporting data. Meanwhile, the study on birthing plans was commended by the healthcare givers during the consultation as it has been noted that the outcome of the facility is usually the opposite effect: Majority of patients with birthing plans experience emergency delivery situations regarding themselves and/or their newborns resulting in cesarean sections for themselves and/or admittance to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for the newborn. But again, the problem with this topic is on the availability of references that will be used. From the conferred ideas, the author then was enlightened and selected the quantitative study on the relationship between mandatory nurse-patient ratio and job stress or burnout. The author will not have difficulties on supporting information on the topic as lots of research works had been conducted on the matter from all over the world. Job stress or burnout has always been a problem of nurses from time immemorial until now and from the different parts of the world. Part II: Research Study The relationship between mandatory nurse-patient ratio and job stress or burnout Research Problem Nursing is a career that requires lots of activities. With what their jobs require, nurses cannot avoid adverse outcomes related to their nursing care activities and daily patient load which are noted to be increased, shift rotation, and staffing that is short such as skipping their tea or coffee breaks, â€Å"feeling responsible for more patients than they could safely care for, inadequate help available, inadequate time to document care, verbal abuse by a patient or a visitor, and concern about quality of care† (Al-Kandari and Thomas, 2008). A great problem nowadays in nursing is on staffing. Mantese, Pfeiffer, and Mantese (2005-2006) stated that â€Å"in this age of trying to maximize limited personnel to undertake expanding workloads, there is a risk of a detrimental increase of mistakes, misjudgments, and harm.† Flynn and McKeown (2009) support this with their research that focused on â€Å"the impact on patients and nurses of ‘poor’ nurse staffing levels†. From these, burnout or job stress has been found out to be on of the major nursing practice problems (Mrayyan, 2007). In relation to this, the author was inspired and interested to find out more on the relationship between mandatory nurse-patient ratio and job stress or burnout. Statement of Purpose   The purpose of the study is establish a practice-based study which can be utilized by nurses and other concerned people as baseline data for the improvement of their practice or for further understanding of the nursing practice. Job stress or burnout in nurses should be addressed immediately as they are dealing with the lives of their patients. The findings of this study look forward to help uplift nursing management.

On-Line Teaching vs Traditional Teaching - 1302 Words

Traditional Teaching vs Online Teaching Nowadays, education becomes one of the important things in human life. Most of the individual in the earth is aware to obtain the education. Besides that, every country always concern on developing the quality of the education to improve the human resources. If the quality of human resources of a country is good, indeed, the quality of that country will be good too. As the matter of fact, we cannot deny that the improvement of technology really influence the education itself. Last time, before the advance of technology, the implementation of education system is still traditional. But, it is different nowadays. The implementation of the education is not only traditional but also online. In†¦show more content†¦Regarding studying, it is based on various sources of information including web data banks and net-experts. Hence, each learner will get more of an equal standing than in a face-to-face discussion ( Rashty, (n.d.)) . Moreover, there is more reliance on written communica tion than live, oral communication. As we know, teaching online is not â€Å"face-to-face real†, so students will really open up themselves by making mistakes without feeling silly and give full attention into everything. As online teaching need to be more focused, teachers can work on the areas that need the most attention when working with students (Zavitz, 2011) . Other than that, there is a lot of flexibility in learning online. For instance, for students who are pretty busy all the time, if they want to schedule a class, every time their schedule allows for it. Some of the students even email the teacher when they want a lesson as they are more of a â€Å"drop in† type learner (Zavitz, 2011). Furthermore traditional teaching will be more expensive if the students who attend the school which implemented traditional education will spend much more money. 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