Video Games And Aggression Essays - Violence In Video Games

Video Games And Aggression As technology continues to forge ahead concerns about its effects on the populace are raised. Whether it be microwave ovens causing cancer or cell phones causing accidents, people are always interested in researching, and often condemning, these new products. Such is this case with videogames. Ever since Pong? swept the nation, scholars have been researching videogames effects on children. The most popular aspect of videogame research is whether or not games increase aggression. A video game is any console or PC based interactive game, aggression is any thoughts or behaviors related with the intention to cause harm. Contrary to popular belief, there is no reliable correlation between videogames and aggression. Claims are the backbone to a study; they are both the starting point and the goal. Cooper and Mackie (1986) sought to discover if a highly violent game would affect 4th and 5th grade kids differently than a nonviolent game or a paper-and-pencil game. Tamborini et all (2000) predicted that aggressive thoughts and behaviors would be highest amongst those playing a violent virtual reality game followed by those playing a violent standard game, followed by those playing a nonviolent standard game. Derek (1995) was interested in what effect, if any, playing violent games would have on aggressiveness in different personality types. Ballard and Weist (1996) researched whether the level of violence in a game would affect peoples responses on a hostility questionnaire. Sherry (2000) performed a meta-analysis on 25 video game/aggression studies; he wanted to see if there was any credence to the claims. All five studies are very similar in their intent. They mostly focus on whether the level of immersion (via different hardware, violent content, and/or graphics) affects the level of aggression. To understand a study one must understand the definitions used within that study. All five studies use the same general definition of a videogame that the general public uses; an interactive game played on a television or monitor whereby onscreen objects can be manipulated through the use of a controller. Violent video games are those that involve death and destruction to things resembling reality and/or fantasy. Definitions of aggression, however, differ. Cooper and Mackie (1986) used a childs toy selection and distribution of reward/punishment as an indicator of aggression. Tamborini et all (2000) consider aggression to be hostile thoughts. Derek (1995) defines aggression as a mindset that includes seven subcategories (the Buss-Durkee Inventory): assault, irritability, indirect hostility, negativism, resentment, suspicion, and verbal hostility. Ballard and Weist (1996) use the word hostility instead of aggression. In this case it refers to thoughts of defensiveness, dominance, aggr ession, self-confidence, nurturance, and autonomy. Sherry (2000) just says, and some form of aggressiveness as the dependant variable. The Cooper and Mackie study and the Sherry study are the only two that incorporate behavior in their definition of aggressiveness. All of the others deal only with thoughts, but are quite similar in their intent. The real make-or-break portion of research is the method in which you seek and categorize the data. Cooper and Mackie (1986) took 84 4th and 5th graders from New Jersey. They had equal numbers of boys and girls separated into three groups. One group played the violent game Missile Commander (a cheesy game where you shoot lasers at little dots representing bombs falling on a city), another played Pac Man (which we all know and love), and the control group solved mazes with pencil and paper. After 8 minutes of game play the kids were told to select a toy to play with while the researcher did some work (the researcher was actually observing how long the child play with each toy. They could select a Shogun warrior (a violent toy), Nerf basketball (an active toy), Lincoln Logs (a quiet game), or pop-up pinball (a skill game). Which toy the child selected acted as an indicator of mindset. After the play session the children were told to hold down a button to indicate the length of a time a child should be punished for various acts of insubordination. They were then told to hold down a button for the length of time a child should be rewarded for various good deeds. Tamborini et all (2000) enlisted 92 MSU

Capital Punishment misc2 essays

Capital Punishment misc2 essays From the beginning of time, crime has been evident in human existence, and from the first crime there has always been a punishment. And it came to pass, when they were in a field, that Cain rose up against his brother, Able, and slew him (Genesis 4:8). This for many people was seen as the first crime. This crime did not go unpunished. Cain was then ostracized from his colony and sent to wonder as a vagabond and a fugitive for his crime (Genesis 4:14). He was also branded with the mark of a murderer. Therefore, the presence of crime in human life is inevitable. Defined in Websters Dictionary, crime is, an act of violation against society and its laws. Punishment is the consequence of the crime. Crimes like fraud, burglary, assault, etc., are usually punished by prison terms. Murder, manslaughter, and homicide maybe punished by prison terms or death. Electrocution-the three legged oak chair was constructed in 1923 by inmates and is still used today. (ironic isnt it?) The electrocution cycle is two minutes or shorter in duration. Voltage and amperage levels peak on three occasions. Maximum current is 2000 volts and 14 amps. The executioner is an anonymous, private citizen who is paid $150 per execution. The position of executioner was advertised in several Florida newspapers in 1978. Lethal Injection-execution by lethal injection involves the continuous intravenous injection of a lethal quantity of a short-acting barbiturate in combination with a chemical paralytic agent. A number of doctors have pointed out that drugs may not work effectively on diabetics or former drug users, whose veins may be hard to reach. In some cases minor surgery may be required to cut in to a deeper vein, according to medical testimony. More states use this form of execution than all US states. Gas Chamber-prisoner is restrained in a hermetically sealed steel chamber below which is a pan. Upon a signal, the...

What sort of freedom is required for moral responsibility Essay

What sort of freedom is required for moral responsibility - Essay Example The forms synonymous to these moral actions are praise and blame. For instance: when one is confronted with a car accident, he/she may be considered as worthy of being praised because they have managed to save a child from the burning car. On the other hand, they can also be blamed, if they fail to call for help. This means assigning moral responsibility to a person on the basis of what they have or left done or undone. It is also possible that the reaction might be self-directed i.e. one can be held accountable. In other words to be held morally or ethically responsible for an action means being worthy of a particular kind of reaction i.e. blame, praise for having performed it. In the context of moral responsibility, there are two theories of free will, which are commonly discussed. The first one is called libertarianism, which is similar to Arminian theology. There has been a debate amongst many philosophers both in ancient and contemporary times. There seems to be a consensus amon gst Christian philosophers that one cannot claim to have a sense of moral responsibility without actually having a liberal view of freedom. According to the liberal view, human decisions and actions, especially religious and ethical decisions are uncaused. The more refined forms of libertarianism posit that these decisions are not usually caused by our desires or character. They strongly cling to the belief that a free act is not an act, which is able to implement our core desires; on the contrary, it goes against our desires. Rest assured, the libertarian is aware that our desires are a function of our heritage, surroundings, our past decisions etc. Furthermore, they believe that if free decisions are based on desires, then they are certainly not completely free and therefore not uncaused. Such a view is considered to be imperative for moral responsibility because no one can be held responsible for an act unless he could have done otherwise. Quoting an example: â€Å"If I am strap ped to a robotic machine which, using my arms, robs a bank, I am not to blame for robbing the bank. I â€Å"could not have done otherwise† (Eshleman, 1). It can be said that libertarianism rather than ensuring ethical responsibility tends to destroy it. The question arises that how can we be held responsible for our decisions, if those decisions are actually psychological accidents, which do not have association with any of our desires. It cannot be denied that such a situation would definitely disregard all responsibility. Undoubtedly, it becomes quite perplexing to be regarded as responsible for something, which was against our will. There is another concept of freedom as well, which is also said to have relevance with the Reformed Theology, and is considered to be held by a number of philosophers. It is frequently cited as compatibilism. It holds the view that while forming moral decisions, we have the liberty to do what we want to and pursue our issues. In this way, there is a clear dichotomy between compatilism and libertarianism. Reformed theology says that every person has freedom in the compatibilist sense. Compatibilist freedom is the most vital type of freedom for ethical responsibility. Rest assured, there are other types of freedom, which are also imperative theologically and morally. But compatabilist freedom is more important because it is believed that every person possesses a distinct freedom, so as to go beyond their surroundings and heredity, and even though these features are compounded of tests, temptations and ethical challenges, they cannot be used as excuses for sin. We cannot declare that we are determined by heredity or our surroundings, which can give us the chance to negate our responsibility in front of

A Presentation by Raj Rupani - International Tax Manager Essay

A Presentation by Raj Rupani - International Tax Manager - Essay Example In addition, Raj seemed to be quite conversant with the social media; he made us understand the best ways of using the social media both as individuals and in the corporate. There was so much to learn from Raj’s career and training. He mentioned to us about his journey, on how he came to develop a strong passion for accounting. This prompted him to join an accounting school where he successfully finished before joining the work environment. Raj is an accomplished professional who challenged me to have a passion and pursue it fully. What made his presentation even more interesting was the versatility applied. He gave us many experiences from several of his friends and people he had read about, he was quite knowledgeable. At Deloitte, Raj mentions that the career has turned him into a global trotter; he has visited several countries in the world and the chances of touring many more still remain ripe. I really admired his career. Technology is the driver of life in the 21st Century; this was his message concerning the use of technology. He started by dispelling the notion among young people that Facebook and other social media platforms are only used for communicating with friends. His dimension of thought challenged me, he told us how they have capitalized on the social media at Deloitte and have completely transformed the customer experience. Social media makes it easy and convenient to communicate to clients and it is possible to customize the communication to a particular client or a group of clients. Since accounting information in an organization is kept confidential, he mentioned the various ways in which we can be able to have secure social media communication. He took time to motivate us to become our best in whatever we do. Raj’s works still keep on lingering in my mind; he said that we should be able to understand what we are good at and start exercising. Citing his own example, he said an individual who endeavours to pursue accounting should have a passion and a positive attitude towards mathematics and other affiliate courses.  

Greed of Capitalists Essay Example for Free

Greed of Capitalists Essay In The Grapes of Wrath, the author, John Steinbeck utilizes intercalary chapters to portray the calamity and desolation that wandering farmers faced in Oklahoma during the Great Depression. Steinbeck employs chronic symbols, motifs, and specific narrative intervals to connect each intercalary chapter with its neighboring narrative counterparts in order to unify and strengthen the dominant themes of the novel. The intercalary episodes highlight perseverance of the Okies, the greed of capitalists, and the inhumanity of many who belittle the displaced families from Oklahoma. Despite the predicament of the meager farmers, Steinbeck provides his readers with a sense of hope through the respect for survivors and the tough pioneer spirit. Steinbeck highlights the perseverance of the Okies, in Chapters One and Three, through the turtle’s continuous struggle across the highway and the men’s resilient attitudes following tragedy. The turtle represents all the migrant workers that are evicted from their homes and fall victim to the hostile environment yet continue to persist through their journey, especially the Joads. The turtle in its attempt to make it through life â€Å"[boosts] and [drags] his shell along† representing the slow but determined traveling of the workers. In the same way that life becomes more difficult for the Okies, the hills get steeper for the turtle and â€Å"more frantic† grow its efforts (15). The Joads’ strong willed determination to make it to California provides a sense of hope that although it will be difficult and some person seeking the enjoyment of mocking one who is worse off than he is, may â€Å"[swerve] to hit [them]† their fortitude will result in triumph. In Chapter One the winds come and dust covers the lands demolishing all the crops. The women and children looked to see if the men would â€Å"break† knowing that as long as he stood firm â€Å"no misfortune was too great to bear.† The men remained relentless revealing the persistent nature of the Okies. Steinbeck demonstrates the injustice done unto the Okies, in Chapters Five and Seven, through the property owners and used car salesmen. In Chapter Five the owner men came to the Okies land to tell them they had to leave, the land was getting to be poor and they were unable to pay their taxes. The farmers protest, claiming that they have been on this land for generations and that they will have nowhere to go; they are told to go to California where there are many opportunities to make money. These families represent the Joads being kicked off their land by â€Å"the bank—the monster [who] has to have profits all the time†¦ When the monster stops growing, it dies. It can’t stay one size† (92). Steinbeck describes the greed and injustice of the â€Å"monster† with a tone of complete and utter antipathy revealing the lack of feelings and desensitization towards the suffering the farmers were being subject to. Later when the farmers choose to stay, the bank sends a man with a tractor to force the Okies off their land. The heartless man controlling the tractor seems to become a part of the machine, destroying any human sensitivity becoming incapable of intercession he does not even â€Å"look like a man† but rather he looks like â€Å"a robot in the seat† (94). The man blinded by greed chooses to forget his friends and convince himself that there is â€Å"no call to worry about anybody’s kids but [one’s] own.† The young man is willing to betray his community for a comfortable life, explaining to the tenant that he must knock down the tenant’s house, â€Å"got to keep the lines straight.† Tommy discovers, upon arriving home, that the same thing has happened to his old house. The connection between the two stories transfers a sense of sympathy towards the tenant farmers, and anger towards the inhumanity of the driver, to the story of the Joads. In chapter seven Steinbeck highlights the injustice done to the Okies by describing the used car salesman and the way he tricked tenant farmers out of excessive amounts of money. The tenant farmers, new to the world of salesmen, don’t have a choice to be without a car and are forced to ignore the fact that they are being sold a run down car for a price that far exceeds the amount it is worth. The chapter is written in a singsong melodic format in order to symbolize the bounce of a car rolling down the road, quick-paced and crude. Throughout the chapter a car salesman and his assistant utilize the lack of knowledge and desperation of the evacuees to force them into deals by complaining that they’re â€Å"taking up [their] time then walking out† on the deal. The disrespect and blasphemy of the salesmen creates more sympathy for the Okies and anger towards those who choose to exploit them. When the Joads go to sell they’re whole lives they are only give eighteen dollars, a very low price compared to what they deserved. The appalling situations that the Okies are found in combined with the malicious manner with which those who are better off treat them causes the readers to feel compassion for the ex-tenants. The ninth chapter of the book describes a family being forced to leave, and take with them only that which they can carry. Another family comes to buy the house and begins to pick through the once precious belongings of the owners. They sell what they can of the tenant’s past and burn the rest. All the while the tenant’s are crying out â€Å"How can we live without our lives? How will we know it’s us without our past? No. Leave it. Burn it.† After watching their belongings go up in flames the Okies no longer have a desire to stay and choose to leave their old life behind and drive on. Being forced to watch their personal belongings burn without a morsel of understanding from the buyers causes the readers to feel sorrow for the Okies. The Okies encounter many people on their journey to California, some who work to improve life for everyone. The Joads however tend to come across people who are greedy and only seek to better themselves, not caring who they hurt in the process. Steinbeck writes his novel in this way to develop his main point that greed and capitalism is causing the dehumanization in America. He is creating a passion in his readers to stand up against the longing for wealth and ease and start helping others even when it may not be best for you. Steinbeck hopes to awaken humanity in America and fight against the black whole of greed. Americans must heed to his novel and apply it to today’s society as much as they would have in Steinbeck’s period.

The Death Penalty Essay -- essays research papers

When you first think of the words ’death penalty’, you can’t help but associate that with the words ’capitol punishment’. However, is the death penalty really the ultimate, and therefore capital punishment. I believe that capitol punishment is the right punishment for those who commit heinous crimes like pre-meditated murder or rape. However, the death penalty would not satisfy me as a family member of the victim. What would satisfy me is to know that the murderer or rapist is suffering in prison until he dies and receives their true punishment in eternal life. I believe that life in prison, in solitary confinement, and without the possibility of parole, is the most fit punishment and the punishment that will put the person in the most pain and suffering until they die. But how did I come up with this belief and argument against the death penalty as a capital punishment? How and based on what did I come up with these beliefs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, I am a very religious person who follows the church in just about everything it does. If you are a religious person as well, you would know that on the subject of the death penalty for crimes, the bible seems to have a clear points of view about it in the old testament. In one part, the bible asks for â€Å"an eye for an eye†¦and a life for a life†. This is clearly stated in the old testament in exodus 21:22-25. However, if you look closely, the bible asks for the death penalty for several different crimes that by today’s standards would not even be crimes at all. In the article â€Å"Executions Are Too Costly---Morally† by Helen Prejean, published in the book â€Å"Contemporary and Classic Arguments: A portable Anthology†, the areas where the bible asks for the death penalty are clearly outlined. Prejean outlines theses areas in a list like this â€Å"Contempt of parents (Exodus 21:15, 17; Leviticus 24:17); Trespass upon sacred ground (Exodus 19:12-13; Numbers 1:51; 18:7); Sorcery (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:207); Bestiality (Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 20:15-16); Sacrifice to foreign gods (Exodus 22:20; Deuteronomy 13:1-9); Profaning the Sabbath (Exodus 31:14) Adultery (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22-24); Incest (Leviticus 20:11-13); Homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13); And prostitution (Leviticus 21:19; Deuteronomy 22:13-21).† I believe in the bible whole heartedly. However, when it comes to the death penalty yo... ...e he was hit by a giant stone and was absolutely floored. Later, because of the surviving brother who knew the people who killed his brothers, the murderers were caught and sentenced to death. Till this day, I don’t know if they have been put to death or not, but what I do know is that’s not what their brother or my father wanted. What they wanted was to have them suffer in prison for the rest of their lives as they are now still suffering from the loss of their brothers. My father and their brother believed that it was the only fit punishment, because they believed in what Gandhi said which is â€Å"if we lived eye for an eye the whole world would be blind.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the end it must be understood that killing someone who has killed is not going to solve our problems. Making those who end the lives of others suffer until their own death is the my personal answer to the problem. I know and understand fully that I may be alone in my beliefs, but I still stand by them strongly. Killing in the name of punishment is a shame, especially today when we should all understand that our worst punishment, as humans, is to live our lives thinking and regretting our mistakes.

A Borderless World Does Not Preclude the Idea of a Home

A Borderless World Does Not Preclude the Idea of a Home The speech given by Patricia Evangelista was mainly about nationalism. According to her, a borderless world does not preclude or rule out one’s idea of a home. It is about being proud and appreciating our own country and appreciating even ourselves. A â€Å"borderless world† refers to an open world which can bring influences upon people. It may bring about changes in their culture, beliefs, traditions and others. There are many reasons why people, especially Filipinos, migrate to other countries. One of them is poverty. Most Filipinos think that if they go to other countries, they will have a happy and comfortable life. Many Filipinos are working abroad instead of working in the Philippines, their own country. There are a lot of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) especially in the Middle East. There are also others serving as domestic helpers, care givers, nurses, etc. The main cause for this is probably because the salary offered in other countries is higher compared to that in the Philippines. In spite of these, there are also Filipinos who became successful in other countries that are still here in the Philippines. Some may have been famous in the field of science and sports. Others may have been popular singers and actors or actresses. I was just like the speaker when I was little. I usually imagine myself being white and blonde; similar to what I see when I watch the television. While I grow older, I slowly learned to appreciate and be contented of myself. I also learned to love and be used of the country’s traditions and beliefs. I am proud to be a Filipino, and I am a true Filipino at heart.