Classical and Operant Conditioning Essay Example for Free

Classical and Operant Conditioning Essay Behavioural therapies emerged in the 1950s. The main assumption of the behavioural view is that abnormal behaviour is acquired in the same way as normal behaviour, through the principles of Classical and Operant Conditioning. Behavioural therapy is usually targets at specific, well-delineated anxiety disorders such as phobias and compulsions.  One therapy that is used through Classical Conditioning is Systematic Desensitisation. Classical Conditioning is learning that occurs through association. Systematic Desensitisation is used for people with phobias as it de-conditions phobias using relaxation and gradual contact. Individuals might learn that their feared stimulus was not so fearful after all if they could only re-experience the feared stimulus but the anxiety it creates blocks such recovery. This is overcome by introducing the feared stimulus gradually. In this type of behavioural therapy, based on the principle of counter-conditioning, a fearful person imagines a series of progressively more fearsome situations while he or she is deeply relaxed. The responses of relaxation and fear are incompatible, and the fear is eventually dispelled. The use of Systematic Desensitisation was first developed by Wolpe in the 1950s. Systematic Desensitisation enables individuals to overcome their anxieties by learning to relax n the presence of stimuli that once made them unbearably nervous and afraid. Wolpes basic idea was to replace one response (fear) with another (relaxation). This is particularly useful for treating psychological problems in which anxiety is the main difficulty for example phobias, shyness etc. The mode of action of Systematic Desensitisation is that in the early days of Systematic Desensitisation, patients would learn to confront their feared situations. They would gradually overcome their fears by learning to relax in the presence of objects or images that would normally arouse anxiety. Today, this is not the case, the therapists ask the subject to imagine the presence of the feared stimulus rather than actually presenting it. Systematic Desensitisation typically involves steps. First, patients are taught how to relax their muscles. Then the therapist and patient construct a hierarchy, the patient gradually works their way up the hierarchy, visualising each anxiety-evoking event while engaging in the completing relaxation responses. Once one step is mastered they move to the next step, continuing up the hierarchy until they have mastered their feared situation. Research has found that Systematic Desensitisation is successful for a range of anxiety disorders e.g. about 75% of patients with phobias responded to this method of therapy (McGrath et al, 1990). However spontaneous recovery (recovery without treatment) from phobias has been found to be as high as 50-60% (McMorran et al, 2001). This shows that Systematic Desensitisation may contribute little to recovery. Systematic Desensitisation has also been used with OCD patients. The technique of exposure and response prevention has an effectiveness of 60-90% of adults with OCD (Albucher et al, 1998) this is where patients are exposed to the objects or situations that trigger obsessions and are then prohibited from engaging in their usual compulsive response. All behavioural therapies have their roots in learning theory, which has its own roots in experiments with non-human animals. Wolpes (1958) initial research was with cats. He created a phobia by placing them in cages and administering repeated electric shocks. He could then reduce their learned anxiety response by placing food near a cage that was similar to the original. The act of eating apparently diminished the anxiety response; the cats could gradually be placed in cages more and more similar to the original cages without symptoms of anxiety. Human anxiety may not always respond in the same way. Systematic Desensitisation did not cure the phobia of one woman treated for a fear of insects (Wolpe 1973). It turned out that her husband, with whom she had not been getting along with was nicknamed after an insect. Her fear was therefore not the result of conditioning but a means of representing her marital problems. Marital counselling was recommended to her, which succeeded where Systematic Desensitisation had failed.  One therapy that is used through Operant Conditioning is Token Economy. Operant Conditioning is making a conscious association with the consequences of a behaviour e.g. behaviour that is rewarded is more likely to be repeated. The use of Token Economy is a behaviour modification procedure in which patients are given tokens for socially positive behaviour, these being withheld when unwanted behaviours are exhibited. The tokens can then be exchanged for desirable items and activities such as sweets. Although Token Economy programmes were widespread in the 1970s, they became largely restricted to wards being prepared for transfer into the community. A particularly widespread use of Token Economy at the time was for changing the negative symptoms of schizophrenia poor motivation, poor attention and social withdrawal (McMonagle and Sultana, 2001). In educational setting, the Token Economy system is an important part of classroom management, where it is used to build up and maintain appropriate classroom performance and behaviour.

Adult Students: Recruitment and Retention :: Education Learning Essays

Adult Students: Recruitment and Retention How to attract and retain adult students is an enduring question for providers of adult education. Adult students must juggle competing demands on their time from study, family, work, and other commitments; their learning goals are often different from those of educational institutions and providers; and their needs and aspirations may change during the education process, sometimes as a result of it. This Brief reviews recent research related to adult student recruitment and retention and provides guidelines for recruiting and retaining adult learners. Adult Students and Persistence Adult students' participation and persistence in educational activities ranging from adult literacy to doctoral programs is a complex phenomenon involving an array of factors. Adults are often affected by situational factors beyond their control—job, health problems, financial problems, legal problems, personal or family problems (Belzer 1998). Likewise, dispositional factors such as expectations, self-esteem, level of family support, and past educational experience, can be barriers to participation (Hubble 2000). Institutional factors such as red tape, program fees, scheduling, and procedures can either help or hinder participation (Quigley 1998). In fact, adult students who drop out are often actually "stopping out"—that is, interrupting their studies but planning to return (Frank and Gaye 1997)—or attending other institutions (Hoffman and Elias 1999). Recruitment Adult participation is shaped by access to program information; recruitment should be viewed as a multistep process of drawing people into programs rather than motivating them to sign up for a single course (Bond, Merrill, and Smith 1997). That process begins with promotional information to prompt participant contact; it continues with a prompt response to initial contacts, providing details by phone or print, and inviting potential participants to a local information session. Follow-up on initial contact is crucial; one study of adults who contacted literacy programs found that the most common reason for not enrolling was not getting a call back (Long 2001). Promotional materials should be inexpensive and eye-catching. They should provide basic information that speaks to potential participants--for example, "It's fun, it's free, it's local and there's assistance with child care" (Bond, Merrill, and Smith 1997, p. 9); and they should stress the nonschool nature of programs. Program information can also be provided in face-to-face contacts-knocking on doors in local neighborhoods or staffing an information booth at a community fair (Lankard, Nixon-Ponder, and Imel 1995), on the shop floor (Hellman 1995), or in neighborhood churches, unions, or human services agencies (Gerardi and Smirni 1996). Adult Students: Recruitment and Retention :: Education Learning Essays Adult Students: Recruitment and Retention How to attract and retain adult students is an enduring question for providers of adult education. Adult students must juggle competing demands on their time from study, family, work, and other commitments; their learning goals are often different from those of educational institutions and providers; and their needs and aspirations may change during the education process, sometimes as a result of it. This Brief reviews recent research related to adult student recruitment and retention and provides guidelines for recruiting and retaining adult learners. Adult Students and Persistence Adult students' participation and persistence in educational activities ranging from adult literacy to doctoral programs is a complex phenomenon involving an array of factors. Adults are often affected by situational factors beyond their control—job, health problems, financial problems, legal problems, personal or family problems (Belzer 1998). Likewise, dispositional factors such as expectations, self-esteem, level of family support, and past educational experience, can be barriers to participation (Hubble 2000). Institutional factors such as red tape, program fees, scheduling, and procedures can either help or hinder participation (Quigley 1998). In fact, adult students who drop out are often actually "stopping out"—that is, interrupting their studies but planning to return (Frank and Gaye 1997)—or attending other institutions (Hoffman and Elias 1999). Recruitment Adult participation is shaped by access to program information; recruitment should be viewed as a multistep process of drawing people into programs rather than motivating them to sign up for a single course (Bond, Merrill, and Smith 1997). That process begins with promotional information to prompt participant contact; it continues with a prompt response to initial contacts, providing details by phone or print, and inviting potential participants to a local information session. Follow-up on initial contact is crucial; one study of adults who contacted literacy programs found that the most common reason for not enrolling was not getting a call back (Long 2001). Promotional materials should be inexpensive and eye-catching. They should provide basic information that speaks to potential participants--for example, "It's fun, it's free, it's local and there's assistance with child care" (Bond, Merrill, and Smith 1997, p. 9); and they should stress the nonschool nature of programs. Program information can also be provided in face-to-face contacts-knocking on doors in local neighborhoods or staffing an information booth at a community fair (Lankard, Nixon-Ponder, and Imel 1995), on the shop floor (Hellman 1995), or in neighborhood churches, unions, or human services agencies (Gerardi and Smirni 1996).

Ballet and Giselle

Giselle is considered one of the great Romantic ballets. Romantic era was late 18th and early 19th centuries. The period mainly does not follow rational movements but rather Romantic ideas in art influence the ballets. Ballets in Romantic period focus on the conflict between man and nature where as others try to bring difference to ballets from other nations. Ballerinas stand in the forefront compared to male dancers. Giselle is one of the most popular ballerinas of the period and separate identity of the scenarist from the choreographers is distinguishing feature of Giselle as being a Romantic ballet. Both the classical version of Giselle and contemporary has the same story but different interpretations, as I will analyze them in this paper. Giselle is a peasant girl who is betrayed by love. At the beginning nobleman Albrecht introduces himself as a farmer to Giselle and she falls in love with him. However she is unaware that Albrecht is the Duke. They flirt and she completely falls in love. Another guy Hilarion who is also in love with her warns her but she cant realize anything because of her love. They dance a duet and her feelings become more powerful. Also her mother warns her that she is sensitive. After realizing Duke has a fiance she goes mad with a broken heart. Giselle takes Albrecht's sword and her death is a result of her weak heart. She becomes a ghost and the second act is called ‘white act,’ which takes place in the mental institution. The ballet deals with the powerful sources of nature. There are full of emotions and at the end love wins betrayal and death. There are similar and distinguishing features between contemporary Giselle by Matz Ele and classic Giselle. Classical ballet is combination of all ballet dances. Ballet has slow and fluid motion. There are unique motions, precise and graceful movements. Their dance style is long reminding jazz music. However, contemporary ballet is more modern. The movements are rapid, energetic and dynamic. There are sharp and expressive gestures. Giselle shows her feelings very clearly and doesn’t hide them. Her body movements reflect her happiness, anger and love obviously. For instance, in the classical one Giselle is not dancing as close as in the contemporary one. They are more formal and their dance is more elegant. In the contemporary one Giselle and Albrecht dance very close and they touch each other. In one part even Giselle hugs her love as a woman. These clear expressions are not shown in the classical Giselle. Giselle is more like an adult. She doesn’t bend down when she is sad or she doesn’t jump on Albrecht like a child. She reflects the classical period’s formal characteristics. There aren’t close relationships like touching her love and jumping on him. The music is discriminative between two versions of Giselle. Compared to classical one in contemporary ballet music is very modern. Ballerinas dance figures are compatible with the music as well. Classical dancer Giselle dances at more extreme tempos and perform more technical feats. However, in contemporary Giselle doesn’t wear ballerina shoes and she dances barefoot. Her feats move more naturally. Also her hand gestures alter. She doesn’t bow her elbows and hands in classical dance. She dances in an order without extreme gestures. In the contemporary one she does man gestures, which is different than her friends as well. Her personality differs since she behaves like a boy and a child. Also the horns are altering in both versions. The applause is not with full energy in the contemporary one. So even though they are the same plotted ballets they represent a different period’s characteristics with the music and ballets expressions. Is Giselle an ideal beauty or is she more realistic? This dilemma is more obvious in the contemporary one because there isn’t beauty, especially in the second act. Giselle is devastated after learning Albrecht has a fiance. They wear all white and there isn’t excellence. She looses her consciousness. There comes the same music with the first act where she was dancing with joy. She is completely defeated to her destiny. Her happiness falls with the disappointment, which can be seen, from the change in music, costumes and dance in both classical and contemporary one. The coerdeau ballets have geometrical shapes in both but their movements differ. In classical one there is more elegance compared to the compared to the contemporary one. In addition Giselle as being a romantic ballet do not follow rationality. Both versions have altering points when the music, movements, costumes and relationship between man and woman are compared however; they have the same plot with different interpretation.

Art Appreciation Sandro Botticelli - 1393 Words

Kaitlyn Cooper Artist Paper Art Appreciation 14 November 2016 Sandro Botticelli In 1445, Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi Botticelli, was born in Florence, Italy (Sandro Botticelli Biography | artble.com, n.d.). When first reading the lengthy name, most may dismiss the artist as unrecognizable. However, the name the artist is most commonly referred to as is Sandro Botticelli. There are very limited facts about Botticelli and his personal life, although it is rumored that Botticelli had an attraction towards women he depicted through his paintings, especially towards Venus in his painting The Birth of Venus (Sandro Botticelli Biography | artble.com, n.d.). There are mixed feelings about this claim, but it is certain that the artist was accused and convicted for sodomy at one point in his life (Botticelli Biography, n.d.). The facts we know about his career and education are much more abundant and intriguing. To begin, Botticelli kicked off his career at the age of fourteen when he decided to aid the prominent Italian artist Fra Fillipo Lip po as his apprentice. Even though being an apprentice seemed like a small task at the time, many believe that Botticelli was much more fortunate than other artists because he was able to obtain a much higher education compared to other artists of the Renaissance (Botticelli Biography, n.d.). Because of his apprenticeship, Botticelli inherited much from Lippo artistically, and, thus, was able to work independently andShow MoreRelatedVenus and Andy Warhol Essay2165 Words   |  9 PagesBotticelli and Warhol’s Art Works of Venus Sandro Botticelli created the beautiful, captivating, and norm breaking Birth of Venus. It depicts the story of the goddess Venus, having emerged from the sea as a full grown woman arriving at the shore. Painted in 1486, and with the medium of tempera on canvas, The Birth of Venus hangs in the Uffizi gallery in Florence Italy. This renaissance painting is huge and is 67.9 inches tall by 109.6 inches wide. Andy Warhol’s screen print Venus was done isRead MoreBirth Of Venus By Botticelli And Child Enthroned With Saints By Duccio1680 Words   |  7 PagesArtist in the prehistoric and medieval periods used art to illustrate ideas and concepts affecting their prehistoric societies. Most of the artistic works of this time and their presentation had a cultural and stylistic significance. The arts portrayed a particular ideas concepts and themes. An example of this works includes, Birth of Venus by Botticelli and Child Enthroned with Saints by Duccio. The paper seeks to compare an d contrast these two works basing on the differences in artistic styles