Miller introduce them into the book Essay Example for Free

Miller introduce them into the book Essay This shows that the girls want some recognition and gain authority by accusing innocent people of witchcraft. The people of Salems biggest fear was the defiance of God and so when Abigail and her assemblage spoke out against witchcraft everybody heeded their words and gave them the attention that they wanted. By pretending to be doing Gods work the girls become more important than before and use their power to make people believe what they want. This is why they are believed and never themselves impugned. One of the most noticeable themes of the book is heroism. Throughout the book there are many examples of this theme. The two most obvious events in the book which display heroism, if not somewhat controversially, are the deaths of Giles Cory and John Proctor. Corys death was heroic but it is possible to see the hanging of Proctor from a different perspective. It could be said that it was not a heros action to die but that of a guilty and cowardly man. In the book Miller, as well as Proctor, openly tells us of the characters mistakes. The reason Proctor chooses to be hung is because he could not bear to have his reputation tarnished. It could also be said though that he just could not bear the embarrassment of pleading innocence in order to save his life. John Proctor can be perceived as either a hero or a coward. I think that Proctor was a hero in this book. The way the book talks of him leads me to think of him as a well respected and highly thought of individual. I think that his actions were extremely brave and heroic. It must take a huge amount of bravery to go to your death even though you can get out of it. Despite there being little symbolism in the play it is a definite symbolic representation of the McCarthy anti-communist trials of the 1950s. I have explained previously about these trials and how they led Arthur Miller writing the book so from this is it obvious that Miller had these trials in mind whilst writing The Crucible. Many people have said though that these two events are completely different in that there were (as far as we know) no actual witches in Salem yet there were definitely communists in 1950 America. In the book I noticed that Miller seemed to focus more on the unwillingness of the judges to believe that the accused townspeople were innocent and preferred to hang as many people as possible in order to improve their status and rank within the court. I think this because when Danforths judgement is questioned he informs the court of how many death warrants he has signed, this to me shows that Danforth thinks that the more people you have hung the more respected you become. It is made obvious to us that Danforth is an important character because when he enters everyone in the room goes silent. This could suggest that you are more important if you have signed a lot of death warrants. This use of silence is another dramatic device used by Miller to emphasise an entrance and to make the audience focus on the entering character. I personally dont know how the judges didnt see through the girls because when I watched the video I noticed a lot of things which prove the girls are lying. For example, in Act 3, Abigail claims that a cold wind blows and blames Mary Warren for sending out her spirit. During this performance, John Proctor claims that Abigail is a whore and that he has committed adultery with her. Abigail immediately stops acting and desperately informs Danforth that she is not a whore or a lecher. This could have been a major downfall for Abigail if someone had noticed this. I am particularly surprised that Proctor did not. If he had the trials could have ended there and then and would have prevented the deaths of many innocent people. In addition to themes Miller also introduces motifs. A motif is a recurring design, feature or melody. Accusation, Legal Proceedings and Confessions are major motifs of The Crucible. These appear regularly throughout the book and are the centre of action in the play. This created a series of indictments even before Hale arrived (Sparknotes. com) and a reason for these people to turn on one another (revenge). The only way that the witches could be found was through the accusations and confessions. The trials only continue as a result of accusations. John Proctor attempts to discontinue the courts proceedings by confessing to adultery in a desperate bid to expose Abigail yet it all goes horribly wrong and Proctor himself is accused of witchcraft! Proctors final courageous decision to die rather than confess to a crime he did not commit makes the judges rethink the whole case and decide to stop the trials before any one else died. Michael Day 10GO Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.

Exercise and Appetite Regulation versus Adipokines Essay Example for Free

Exercise and Appetite Regulation versus Adipokines Essay Adipose tissue has long been considered a storage organ for triacylglycerol, but it is now known, that adipose tissue also produces and releases a variety of signaling molecules – †adipokines† or â€Å"adipocytokines†. Some of these adipokines are well described as regarding plasma concentration and in vitro gene transcription, secretion and effect on various cell types, but only little is known about in vivo regulation of adipokine secretion [XLAB 2008]. Adipokines may mediate insulin resistance or modulate the likelihood that obesity results in the development of type 2 diabetes [CARE 2003]. Obesity is strongly associated with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (Depres J-P 1990). There are recent studies that adipokines such as leptin and adiponectin suppresses the development of atherosclerosis which is a cardiovascular disease (Reilly MP 2004). Adipokine or fat can raise such insulin levels, which promote the growth of cancer cells [FHCR 2007]. And because of these risks in chronic diseases, exercise is very important to burn fat that causes these diseases. In order to reduce risk in chronic disease and strengthening the immune system, exercise is very important. Lack of exercise may contribute of having a chronic disease which may be long lasting or recurrent. A recent study showed that intensive workouts can not only slow the progress of coronary disease, but actually restore lost coronary function when the disease is still stable. For chronically ill individuals, the psychological as well as physical benefits of exercise can be profound. Even ten minutes of light exercise a day, can help most chronically ill patients feel more vibrant, energetic and alert [PREV c. 008]. Physical activity fights the intra-abdominal fat or Adipokine tissue that can fuel risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes [FHCR 2007]. Some people use anti-inflammatory drugs to regulate their metabolism and immune function such as Glucocortisoids. Regulation in the metabolism helps maintain the level of fat your body need. Whereas mineralocorticoids, it helps maintain blood volume and control renal excretion of electrolytes which are good for people with high blood pressures. While some anti-inflammatory drugs are just used to increase muscle and bone synthesis. Some anti-inflammatory drugs are used to stimulate secretion of hormones that burns fat. In addition to anti-inflammatory medical drugs, there are many herbs that have anti-inflammatory qualities. Some of these herbs are ginger, hyssop, Turmeric, Amica Montana and willow bark. Appetite regulation balances the food intake that results to stabling the fat that only the body needs. In appetite regulation, anti-inflammatory foods are sometimes being taken. These anti-inflammatory foods burns fat and sometimes stimulate hormones that make your brain think that you are not hungry even though you are not eating anything yet. Anti-inflammatory foods include most colorful fruits and vegetables, oily fish and certain nuts, seeds, herbs and spices such as ginger. Those following an anti-inflammatory diet will avoid refined oils and sugars, and show a preference for anti-inflammatory foods in their meal choices[Hyman M. 2006]. To regulate overall food intake, long-acting adiposity signals ultimately affect the number and size of individual meals. They, therefore, influence decisions regarding when to start and stop eating. The sense of fullness that contributes to meal termination results from mechanical, neural, and humoral signals that arise from the gut and are relayed to the brain primarily via the brainstem [AMER 2003]. Hormones that govern energy homeostasis—leptin and insulin—increase responsiveness to short-acting satiety signals (Schwartz MW 2000). Consequently, when fat stores diminish and leptin and insulin levels decrease, sensitivity to meal-related satiety signals is blunted, promoting increased meal size. Body adiposity indirectly modulates the efficacy of meal-related satiety signals from the gut, thereby influencing meal size [AMER 2003] Chronic disease may be prevented through these anti-inflammatory drugs or foods but not only anti-inflammatory drugs or foods but also accompanying these drugs with exercise and avoiding tobacco, because Exercise makes your heart stronger and improves the circulation of blood in your body. It also improves your body posture. I believe that in order to reduce the risk of developing certain common chronic diseases, regular physical exercise is an important step in taking care of your health and protecting yourself from health problems.

Consumers decisions: Product attributes and branding

Consumers decisions: Product attributes and branding In this research, instant coffee purchasing is selected to study the buying decision of consumers. Three blind taste tests are experimented and proofing that participant tended to choose the popular brand of coffee. Surprisingly, people made different choices in each of the test. The result tells us that without knowing the brand name, their buying decisions are different when comparing with knowing the brand name. In conclusion, brand has a strong influence in consumers decisions. To better understand the blind taste tests, we executed a questionnaire survey immediately. As a result, the survey tells us taste is the most important factor in affecting their buying decisions whereas their second consideration would be price, brand, and influenced by advertisement. This giving an idea that except for the brand and taste, there are many factors should affecting the consumers buying decision. Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Literature Review 2 2.1. Brand name 2 2.2. Brand Image 4 2.3. Linking brands to consumer perceptions of product 5 2.4. Consumer buying behavior and decision making 6 2.5. Customer satisfaction and loyalty 9 2.6. Product attributes 10 3. Research Methodology 12 3.1. Pilot study 15 4. Findings and discussions 16 4.1. Participants 16 4.2. Relationship of brand, taste and decision 17 4.3. Post-tests evaluation 20 4.4. Buying behavior 23 4.5. Discussions 26 5. Conclusion 28 5.1. Recommendations 28 5.2. Conclusion 29 6. References 30 7. Appendix 33 7.1. Annex: The Blind Test and Questionnaire 33 Lists of Tables and Diagrams Table 4.1 Years of being Nescafe supporters 16 Table 4.2 The participants preference of instant coffee in Test A 17 Table 4.3 The participants preference of instant coffee in Test B 18 Table 4.4 The participants preference of instant coffee in Test C 19 Table 4.5 The No. of people continuing to purchase Nescafe coffee after trying the blind taste tests 20 Table 4.6 The recommendation of coffee to friends after trying the blind taste tests 21 Table 4.7 Satisfaction of Nescafe before the blind taste tests 22 Table 4.8 Satisfaction of Nescafe after the blind taste tests 23 Table 4.9 The factors affecting consumers buying decision of instant coffee 24 Keywords Branding, Brand image, Brand equity, Consumer buying behavior, Consumer buying decision, Customer satisfaction and loyalty, Product attributes Introduction Over the past few decades, a considerable number of studies have been made on the relationship of branding and consumer buying behavior (Fournier, 1994; Keon, 1983), i.e. how the consumer buying behavior affected by branding. Many companies devote lots of money and manpower to build up images for their brands. That is the reason why many studies have focused on this field. In this research will be figured out which factor, brand name or product attributes, plays a critical role in affecting consumer buying decision. In the economists normal approach, price is used as the main tool to explain the consumer buying behavior (Becker, 1996). We carry out blind taste tests and also conduct a questionnaire to find out the impact of branding on consumers preferences. . Literature Review This literature review is going to analysis what has been done in investigating the relationship among brand, consumer buying decision and product attributes. Such information will be digested and modified to be applied to instant coffee purchasing in the Hong Kong market. Brand name In recognition of the growing coffee culture that is sweeping Hong Kong, different tastes of coffee have been rolled out on the market. For example, Nescafe has newly released a new series of coffee Latte in which the image is totally different from the original Nescafe coffee. Old Town coffee has introduced a new series called white coffee. Why do they give new brand names for the new products? Why do they have different images? Is there any advantage for them to do so? According to Armstrong and Kotler (1999), brands can be described as a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of these, which identifies the maker or seller of a product or service. Later, Olins (2000) gives a supplement to the definition of brand. He suggests that brand is a device that helps differentiating products from different sellers, without clear branding, in some fields, we literally could not tell one product or service from another. By using brand names, consumers can easily distinguish products from different sellers. Brand Image In the words of Keller (1998), marketers can build up an image for the product to draw customers attention so as to induce more sales (Keller, 1998). Randall (1997) says Brand image is the whole image of the brand existing in the minds of consumers. It is the total information that the consumers have received about the brand. Some scholars think that the brand image can influence consumers buying decisions. Furthermore, Ogilvy (1983) suggests that consumers do not buy products; rather they buy products with a personality. Ogilvy (1983) also suggests the fact that a brand can have a personality or image reflecting that people not only want the basic function offered by the product, but also psychological benefits. If a brand image matches with an individuals image, he/she will purchase that product and may stick to that brand in future (brand loyalty) (Levine, 2003). From the above statements, it seems that consumers are concerned more about the brand image rather than product attribu tes. In the research, we will use the product of instant coffee to test the validity of the above statements. After reviewing the sections of 2.1 and 2.2, we can say that there is an intimate relationship among brand name, brand image and the consumers. Linking brands to consumer perceptions of product In the research, we will investigate how consumers make buying decisions. Perception of a product is crucial in making the buying decision; therefore, it is necessary to find the linkage between brand and consumer perceptions. Olins (2000) suggests that people can have a relationship with a brand: they have an immense emotional content and inspire loyalty beyond reason. Besides, Keller (1998) suggests that what distinguishes a brand from its unbranded commodity is the sum of consumers perceptions and feelings about the products attributes and performance, brand name and what it stands for and the company associated with the brand. In the past, there were only a few instant coffee brands available in the market. In recent yeas, a lot of new instant coffee brands appear in the market, such as Indocafe and Old Town coffee. The traditional branding strategy which has emphasized on product offerings and associated functional and utilitarian benefits is no longer workable in the market. People are now paying more attention to the brand (Levine, 2003). Therefore, it is no wonder many companies create a strong and distinctive brand image for their products so as to differentiate himself from other competitors (Keller, 1998). Advertising is widely used by the companies to build up a brand image. In Hong Kong, many coffee brands have been advertised on TV and in magazine, such as Maxwell house, Nescafe and Mr. Brown. Most studies have found that there are inter-relationships among brand, advertisement and consumers buying decisions (MacKenzie et al., 1986). Besides, that the affective and cognitive-based attitudes towar ds the brand can affect the consumers buying decisions (Homer et al., 1992). Advertising is the primary device used to build the image of a brand and most of the customers usually rely on advertising messages when they make an infrequent purchase for an unfamiliar product (Dowling, 2001).Well-established brands attract increased preference and usage (East, 1997), produce greater emotional ties (Biel, 1993), and boost trust and loyalty (Fournier, 1994). If the statement is true, it indicates that customers perception of products derive from marketing effort such as brand images and brand differentiation in addition to the physical characteristics of the product. What about the product quality? Can product quality influence the perception of product? Consumer buying behavior and decision making In our study, consumer buying decision is our key focus. We will focus on how the consumers make their buying decisions in purchasing instant coffee. We want to know which factors, brand or product attributes, influences most in the process of buying decision making of consumers. Therefore, we must understand the consumer buying behavior and how they make the buying decisions. In the past, consumers were more concerned with a products function- efficiency, reliability, value-for-money, durability and convenience todays customers are prepared to pay more for a stylish product as they become more affluent and visually sophisticated (Henley Centre, 1989). It is no wonder companies put much effort on packaging, product design and advertising. In the words of Bayley (1989), the ambience, the layers of imagery, the texture, the decoding- all of these are vested interests leading to the only rationale: a purchase. Consumer buying behavior refers to the buying behavior of final consumers, individuals and households who buy goods and services for personal consumption (Armstrong et al., 1999). Consumers have to make decisions when there is more than one choice. However, how do the consumers make their buying decisions? Foxall (1980) suggests that consumers will make the buying decisions according to perception, personality, motivation and attitudes. He says that consumer behavior is a process of learning and it depends on how you perceive the product. The process is modified according to the customers past experience and the objectives he or she has set (Foxall, 1980). Besides, Foxall (1980) also suggests that consumers personality and self-image is important in studying consumer buying decision as he believes that consumers only choose products that are consistent with their perceptions of themselves. By using Foxalls (1980) idea, it is not difficult to understand the relationship between brand and consumer buying decision. Once the brand image and consumers image is matched, consumer will purchase that product. Besides, Foxall (1980) also claimed that consumer buying decision is motivated by something more than awareness. It depends on the consumers needs and drives, his tastes and aspirations, plus his attitudes, personality and social environment (Foxall, 1980). Furthermore, Foxall (1980) says that attitudes and buying decision are related and each may influence the other, however, they are not always entirely consistent. Customer satisfaction and loyalty Although our key focus of the research is how the consumers make buying decisions in purchasing coffee, customer satisfaction will also be investigated. In our study, satisfaction refers to the situation when consumers expectations are matched by perceived performance (Blackwell et al., 2001). After purchasing a product, consumers will have a post-purchase evaluation (Foxall, 1980). Consumers will continue to purchase the product if they are satisfied with it. It is called loyalty. Sometimes, they may recommend it to their relatives and friends. In the research, the blind tests will be used to find out how the consumers perceive the product, that is, to see if consumers can recognize the taste of the brand that they have chosen. Previous study has found that customer satisfaction has a positive effect on loyalty and they will repurchase the product again (Oliver, 1997; Mittal et al., 2001). If the consumers are satisfied with the taste of coffee in the blind tests but it is not the brand the consumers used to buy, we can say that brand influences consumers much and the consumers only loyal to the brand but not the product itself. Product attributes According to Armstrong and Kotler (1999), product attributes can be defined as something that can deliver the benefits offered by the product and can add value to the customers. In the words of Keller (1998), product attributes are the ingredients necessary for performing the product or service function sought by consumers. They refer to a products physical composition and are what determine the nature and level of product performance (Keller, 1998). It can be further characterized according to important and optional features, either necessary for a product to work or for allowing customization and more versatile personalized usage (Keller, 1998). In the research, we will focus on the study of instant coffee and we will regard taste as the most important attributes of coffee. Some studies have carried out in which consumers perceive the products they buy and the brands they regularly choose. Taste is used to determine the effect of brand identification on consumers reactions to and evaluations of products (Allison Uhl, 1964; Makens, 1961). The studies conclude that Participants in general did not appear to be able to discern the taste differences among the various brands, but apparently labels and their associations did influence their evaluations. To sum up the literature review, many studies (Allison Uhl, 1964; Keon, 1983; Makens, 1961) have shown that consumers are influenced by branding. However, to what extent will the consumers make their buying decisions according to product attributes? The research will find out the answer. Research Methodology I used the technique of triangulation (White, 2000) in my research in which two techniques, blind taste test and questionnaire, were used. Before conducting the actual survey, I randomly selected 82 people outside a supermarket in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong and asked them if they had the habit of buying instant coffee. 39 of them stated that they buy instant coffee regularly but 18 of them said that they do not drink instant coffee. In the 39 people, 33 (84.6%) of them said that they usually buy Nestlà ©s instant coffee, Nescafe. 4 (10.3%) of them buy Maxwell House instant coffee and 2 (5.1%) of them buy Old Town instant coffee. I invited the 33 Nescafe instant coffee buyers to do the blind taste test and questionnaire as they were the majority (84.6%) of the respondents. I believed choosing Nescafe instant coffee buyers to be the sample was more representative as they represent the majority of the coffee drinkers that I have asked. However, only 30 of them agreed to participate in the test. The 30 Nescafe instant coffee buyers were my sample population. The sample consisted of 8 males and 22 females who have the habit of buying instant coffee on their own. The blind taste test was carried out in order to find out how the consumers choose coffee. The test was divided into three parts and each part would have 10 participants. In the three blind taste tests, Tsit Wing instant coffee (TW), Maxwell House instant coffee (MH) and Nescafe instant coffee (NC) were used. I chose the three coffees as their price is more or less the same. Every participant had tried the Tsit Wing instant coffee (TW), Maxwell House instant coffee (MH) and Nescafe instant coffee (NC) before. In Test A, three cups of different coffee were given without brand labels. NC was the brand that the sample population used to buy. The participants were asked to taste the coffee and choose one that they would purchase. The data collected in the Test A would serve as a base reference. If the participants like the taste of NC, they will also choose the NC in the test. In Test B, three different cups of coffee were given. Each cup of coffee had a label showing the brand of coffee. The aim of the Test B was to see if there was any difference between Test A and Test B. If they really like the taste of NC, the results in the Test A and B would be consistent. If the results in the two tests are not consistent, it shows that brand influence consumers decision. Test C was carried out to determine if the consumer buying decision was independent of the brand name. The Test C was the same as Test B, except the name of the coffee brand were labeled wrongly. I labeled the cup of MH as TW, the cup of TW as NC and the cup of NC as MH. By comparing with the result obtained in the three tests, we hoped to find out which factors, brand or taste, has a greater influence on the consumers. If the data obtained in the Test A does not match with the data obtained in the Test B, it tells that brand has an influence on consumers decisions. The reason is in Test A, the participants only know the taste of the coffee and they can only choose the coffee according to the taste of coffee. In Test B, however, the participants know both the taste and brand. If their decisions are different, that means the brand affects their buying behavior. For the Test C, the three different coffees were used again. However, their brand names were labeled wrongly this time. Comparing the result obtained in this test to that of in the Test B, if the result has a big difference, that means the brand has a greater influence than the taste on the decision of participants. Besides, questionnaire (Annex 7.1) was also used to obtain data. The questionnaire, used immediately after the blind taste tests, consisted of five questions with choices given. Pilot study The pilot study made me realize that what I need is to observe their buying behavior which cannot be asked but observed. Therefore, I decided to do the blind taste tests and questionnaire instead of doing an interview which allowed me to focus on measuring the influence of brand and taste on the consumers decisions. Afterwards, I decided to carry a three blind taste tests with three groups of people. I enjoy to take this chance tend to do all blind taste test is they will remember the taste of the coffee in the test, and finally affect their choice in the next following tests. Findings and discussions Participants Of the total number of 30 respondents, 8 (26.7%) were males and 22 (73.3%) were females. All of them were NC consumers. More than a half people had 1 to 3 years NC purchasing experience and 70% of them had at least 1 year purchasing experience. From the data, we can assume that some participants are experienced in purchasing instant coffee and the results obtained from them are valuable to discuss and analyze. Relationship of brand, taste and decision In the research, blind taste tests were used to find out how the consumer made decisions regarding brand and taste in purchasing instant coffee. Three tests were carried out. In each test, participants were given three cups of different coffee. In Test A, three cups of coffee without brand name were given. In Test B, brand name was given to each cup of coffee. In Test C, brand names were given but placed wrongly on each coffee. In Test A, three cups of coffee without label were given to participants to taste. Surprisingly, the result was not consistent with our expectation. In other words, taste was the only reason for their choices in the Test A. The result told us that without knowing the brand name, their preferences were different when comparing with knowing the brand name. In this test, the result was changed because the participants knew the brand name when comparing with the result of the Test A. There was a 30% increase in the NC and a 30% decrease in the MH. The data showed that the brand really influenced participants when deciding the coffee. In Test C, the participants had to taste three cups of different coffee in which the brand labels were placed wrongly. The result was very close to that of Test A. That means they chose as if just chose by the taste only. It gave us a hint that with a different label on the cups, their choices were different. What we can conclude is that the brand plays an important role in affecting buying decision of participants. Post-tests evaluation After the three blind taste tests, the participants in Test A and C were told about the correct branding of the coffee they had tried. All the participants were asked if they would continue to purchase the NC after trying the tests. As shown in the Table 4 .5, only 30% of the participants would firmly say yes. Half of them had a second thought of their decisions. It told us that they started to think about their perceptions of NC coffee. It implies that the participants will also consider the taste when purchasing instant coffee. Participants were asked to choose one coffee to recommend to their friends after trying the blind taste tests. The result was shown in Table 4 .6. The result was very interesting that about half of them recommend NC to their friends while another half suggested MH, was most people voted due to the taste in the Test A. It implies that branding and taste also have a strong influence in consumers buying behavior. Participants were asked if they were satisfied with the NC. Before the blind taste test, over 40% of the participants were satisfied with the NC. However, after the blind taste tests, only 17% were satisfied with it and there was 13% of participants were dissatisfied. From the result in Fig. 4 .7 and Fig. 4 .8, we can see that the participants were influenced by the blind test. We can say that beside the factors related to the products, there are some other factors may affect our buying decision. Buying behavior In the research, participants were asked immediately after the blind taste tests about how they made the buying decision when purchasing instant coffee. Factors affecting buying decision In the research, the participants were asked to give factors they thought were influential in making the buying decision in the questionnaire. The answers were shown in the Table 4 .9. In Fig. 4 .9, it shows the most influential factor affecting buying decision. 63% of the participants regard Taste was the most influential (Table 8.1), 13% voted for Influenced by advertisement, 10% for Brand image, 7% for Price and 7% for Word-of-mouth. Nobody voted for brand in the questionnaire. Comparing to the results obtained in the blind tests, the results were inconsistent. In the blind tests, it was found that the influence of the brand was greater than the influence of the taste. In Fig. 4 .10, it shows the top three influential factors affecting buying decision regarding to instant coffee purchasing. Nearly one-third of the whole population voted for the Taste, the second one was Price (20%) and the third were Brand (13.3%) and Influenced by advertisement (13.3%). The Fig. 4 .10 shows that Price is also an important factor in making the buying decision. The data gives us an idea that beside brand and taste, there are many factors should be considered in making the buying decision. Discussions According to the three blind taste tests and the questionnaires done by the participants, we can see that the brand influence was strong to the participants. In the Test A, participants did not know the brand but the taste. They chose the coffee according to the taste. More than 50% of the NC buyers chose MH. However, when the brands were labeled on each cup of coffee in Test B, 50% of the NC buyers choose NC. In Test C, three cups of coffee were given with the wrong brand labels, the result showed that participants tend to choose coffee according to the brand name as 60% of the NC buyers chose MH which was labeled with a NC label. The three test results indicate that brand affects consumers decisions and which is supported by Olins (2000) and Keller (1998). Olins (2000) suggests that brand helps people to differentiate products from different sellers. Besides, Keller (1998) suggests that brand is an external aspect of product and it can affect the purchase or consumption procedure. Besides, the participants were asked if they were satisfied with the NC before and after the blind taste tests, Over 40% of the participants were satisfied with NC. However, after the blind taste tests, the number of satisfied people decreased and there was 13% of participants dissatisfied with the NC. From the results, we can see that the participants were influenced by the blind test and there are some other factors may affect our preferences. As we mentioned in the literature review, consumers will buy the product again if they are satisfied with the product (Foxall, 1980). From the results, we can see that the brand influences consumer buying decisions a lot. From the data in Table 4 .9, there were 63% of participants chose Taste as the most influential. However, nobody voted brand as the most important factor. Compared that to the results obtained in the blind taste tests, in which brand had a strong influence in consumers decisions, there is a contradiction. The inconsistency shows that people do not understand what influences their behavior very well. Conclusion Recommendations The result obtained from the tests and the questionnaire is not consistent in some way. If the answers from participants are truly reflecting their preferences, the obtained result should be consistent. So we should not trust the result given from the research and we should be critical in reading other research data in the future. Furthermore, if it is feasible, we may observe their actual buying behavior after trying the blind taste tests over a period of time in order to get an accurate result. Conclusion In this research, we carry out three blind taste tests and find out that participants tended to choose coffee according to the brand name. 60% of one of the instant coffee brand supporters chose another brand of coffee which is wrongly labeled as their favorite coffee brand by me. Surprisingly, 80% of them do not choose their favorite coffee brand in another test when the labels are gone. The only factor which affects their decisions if the labels are gone is the taste of the coffee. In other words, taste is the only reason for their choices if no labels are provided. The result tells us that without knowing the brand name, their buying decisions are different when comparing with knowing the brand name. The result shows us that brand had a strong influence in consumers decisions. I conduct a questionnaire immediately after the blind taste tests. The statistical result shows that taste is the most important factor affecting their buying decision while price, brand, and influenced by advertisement come second, third and fourth respectively. The data gives us an idea that beside brand and taste, there are many factors should be considered in making the buying decision. References Allison, R. I., Uhl, K. P. (1964). Influence of beer brand identification on taste perception. Journal of Marketing Research, 1, pp. 36-9. Armstrong, G.., Kotler, P. (1999). Marketing: an introduction (5nd ed.). Upper Saddle River. NJ: Prentice Hall. Bayley, R. (1989). Commerce and culture. London: Design Museum. Blackwell, R. D., Miniard, P. W., Engel, J. F. (2001). Consumer behavior (9th Ed.). Ohio: Thomson Learning. Biel, A. L. (1993). Converting image into equity in brand equity. In D. A. Aaker A. L. Biel (Eds.), Brand equity advertising: Advertisings role in building strong brands (pp. 67-82). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Dowling, G. (2001). Creating corporate reputations. Oxford: University Press. East, R. (1997). Consumer behavior: Advances and applications in marketing. New York : Prentice Hall. Fournier, S. (1994). A consum er-brand relationship framework for strategic brand management. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Florida. Foxall, G. R. (1980). Consumer behavior: a practical guide. New York: Wiley. Henley centre (1989, March 5). Planning for social change. Design Week ,31. Homer, P. M., Yoon, S. (1992). Message framing and the interrelationship among ad-based feelings, affect, and cognition. Journal of Advertising, 211, 19-33. Keller, K. L. (1998). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity. NJ: Prentice Hall Keon, J. W. (1983). Product positioning: TRINODAL mapping of brand images, ad images and consumer preference. Journal of Marketing Research, 20, 380-392. Levine, M. (2003). A branded world. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc. MacKenzie, S. B., Lutz, R. J., Belch, G. E. (1986). The role of attitude toward the ad as a mediator of advertising effectiveness: a test of competing explanations. Journal of Marketing Research, 23, pp.130-143. Makens, J. C. (1961). Effect of brand preference on consumers perceived taste of turkey meat. Journal of Applied Psychology, August 1961. Mittal, V., Kamakura, W. A. (2001). Satisfaction, repurchase intent, and repurchase behavior: Investigating the moderating effect of customer characteristics. Journal of Marketing Research, 38, pp. 131-42. Ogilvy, D. (1983). Ogilvy on advertising. London: Pan Books. Olins, W. (2000). How brands are taking over the corporation. In M. Schultz, M. J. Hatch, M. H. Larsen (Eds.). The expressive organization: Liking identity, reputation, and the corporate brand. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Oliver, R. L. (1997). Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Randall, G. (1997). Branding. London: Kogan Page White, B. (2000). Dissertation skills for business and management students. London : Cassell, 2000.

A comparative study of Sydney Carton in Dickens A Tale of Two Cities :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

A comparative study of Sydney Carton in Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities, and Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet in Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, requires the reader to analyze various aspects that the transforming effect love can have on a personality. As we study each character, it is relatively easy to see that no matter how painful love can be, it is usually to one’s betterment to have experienced it. Love affects each person differently. Some become more introspective, searching to better themselves for the sake of themselves or another. Others do not recognize what they are lacking in their lives until they find love. In either event, it permanently redirects the course of one’s life. Or causes one to end it in some cases. We see that all three characters learn to love themselves better, to love others anew and in the end, make the ultimate sacrifice for their love for another. Point A: Both author’s illustrate well, that a lack of love can have a profound effect on the behavior of a person. Whether a person has never experienced love by fortune or by design, the initial introduction of love into the personality can be intense. Dickens introduces Sydney Carton to us immediately after a trial, speaking to his client. It is at this point that we get a glimpse of the character of Carton, "†¦who smelled of port wine, and did not appear to be quite sober†¦" (Dickens, 100). Carton is so disillusioned with his own life, that he can’t even like his client [who looks like him], "Do you particularly like the man?’ He muttered, at his own image; ‘why should you particularly like a man who resembles you? There is nothing in you to like†¦" (Dickens 103). Romeo Montague is no less desultory, but youth is his excuse, while alcohol and lifelong disappointment are Carton’s. Shakespeare has Friar Lawrence state [about Romeo’s multiple infatuations], "Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes" (1.3.67-68). Having not experienced life yet, Romeo does not yet understand the nature of love. He still sees it as a physical reaction, rather than emotional, "For beauty, starved with her severity / cuts beauty off from all prosperity" (1.1.227-228). Juliet is so immature and unskilled in the ways of love, that she shares her youthful desperation with her nurse, "Go ask his name; if he is married / my grave is like to be my wedding bed" (1.

The Educational Value of Platos Early Socratic Dialogues Essay

The Educational Value of Plato's Early Socratic Dialogues ABSTRACT: When contemplating the origins of philosophical paideia one is tempted to think of Socrates, perhaps because we feel that Socrates has been a philosophical educator to us all. But it is Plato and his literary genius that we have to thank as his dialogues preserve not just Socratic philosophy, but also the Socratic educational experience. Educators would do well to better understand Plato's pedagogical objectives in the Socratic dialogues so that we may appreciate and utilize them in our own educational endeavors, and so that we may adapt the Socratic experience to new interactive educational technologies. Plato designed his Socratic dialogues to arm students for real world challenges and temptations. First, in both form and function the dialogues attempt to replicate the Socratic experience for their audience. They demand from their readers what Socrates demanded from his students: active learning, self-examination, and an appreciation for the complexity and importance of w isdom. Second, the dialogues challenge the conflation of professional and personal excellence, best exemplified by sophists such as Hippias, and exhort their reader to pursue personal aretà ª separately from and alongside practical and professional skills or technai. Third, they aim not to transmit some prepackaged formula for success, but to teach students to learn for themselves; that is to love and pursue wisdom. The Socratic dialogues, and philosophic dialogue itself, are educationally important in that they teach us to be philosophers in the literal sense. It is instructively ironic that scholars look immediately to the Republic when considering Plato's theory of education, yet most of... ...oral sense from being good at a particular skill . (3) I am here reminded of one of my own student's reaction to Socrates. A meek Vietnamese woman who said barely anything in class wrote, "Socrates gives me the courage to stand up for my belief and not to be afraid of others who tell me I'm wrong." (4) For this description I am indebted to Prof. Kostas Michaelides of the University of Cyprus. (5) This image is expressed eloquently in Socrates' elenchos of Agathon in Symposium [199c-201c] and of Menexenus in Lysis [216c-221d] (6) See, for example, Laches 192e ff. and Charmides 164bc. (7) I am indebted for this eloquent distinction to Prof. Gerhard A. Rauche, Professor Emeritus of the University of Durban-Westivile, South Africa. (8) These characteristics of the Platonic telos are advocated by Prof. Apostolos Pierris of the University of Patras, Greece

What Works in Reducing Recidivism Essay -- rehabilitate prisoners, Re-

A long-term study conducted by Bureau of Justice Statistics found that the average five-year recidivism rates of 404,638 prisoners released in 2005 is 76.6% among thirty states in America (Matthew, Alexia, & Howard, 2014, p. 1). In other words, most of the released prisoners did not escape the cycle of recidivism and were sent back to the prison after time. This indicates that the present American justice system, which focuses on punishment as Benson (2003) noted, fails to rehabilitate prisoners efficiently and is far from achieving the goal of reducing crime rates (p. 46). What is more, the recidivism of prisoners is becoming a great plague of society, because it not only imposes a threat to public safety but also places an enormous financial burden on taxpayers. According to a survey covering forty states in America, one prisoner would cost taxpayers 31,286 dollars each year on average (Henrichson & Delaney, 2012, p. 9). Thus, 76% of 404,638 prisoners, who re-offended in five years , mentioned in the study conducted by Bureau of Justice Statistics would cost approximately one billion dollars annually. Realizing the importance of rehabilitation, the Prison Fellowship International (PFI), founded by Charles Colson in 1979, provides various rehabilitation programs based on Christianity to offenders and ex-offenders in more than 125 countries all over the world (â€Å"Who we†, n.d.). This paper will evaluate and offer advice to three solutions provided by Prison Fellowship International to rehabilitate offenders: establishing communications between offenders and victims, providing offenders with re-entry program based on biblical education and visiting prisoners regularly. Sycamore Tree project offers opportunities for offenders to c... ..., S. (2011). Experiences of shame and empathy in violent and non-violent young offenders. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 22(4), 551-563. doi:10.1080/14789949.2011.602096 Pithers, W. D. (1999). Empathy: definition, enhancement, and relevance to the treatment of sexual abusers. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14(3), 257-284. Proeve, M., & Howells, K. (2002). Shame and Guilt in Child Sexual Offenders. International Journal of Offender Therapy & Comparative Criminology, 46(6), 657-667. Roys, D. T. (1997). Empirical and theoretical considerations of empathy in sex offenders. International Journal of Offender Therapy & Comparative Criminology, 41(1), 53. Who we are. Retrieved from https://pfi.org/who-we-are/ Wilkinson, R. A., & Unwin, T. (1999). Visiting in prison. Retrieved from http://www.drc.ohio.gov/web/Articles/Visiting%20in%20Prison.pdf

Globalization itself Essay

Globalization is not value free; rather, the pressures to conform to universal standards of conduct and competitive performance force organizations and individuals to assimilate new values, which may be in conflict with local cultural values and practices. This requires the individuals, organizations, and nations to build the necessary mind-set, competencies, capabilities, and capacities to manage the transformations associated with globalization. Globalization is founded on competitiveness. To remain competitive, actors must â€Å"continue to innovate† (Anton, 1995). Innovations are based on advancements in science, technology, and commercialization. It is, therefore, logical to add to the center the institutional actors involved in promoting science, technology, and innovation. This includes universities, research laboratories, startups, entrepreneurs, knowledge workers, venture capitalists, management experts, consulting firms, stock markets, shareholders, and corporate directors. The United States currently leads the world in investing in science, technology, and innovations and remains the most dominant actor at the center. A key lesson we learn from these experts is that globalization can and must be managed. Since globalization affects all nations, governments, businesses, communities, and individuals, the best we can do is fight back or respond in kind in order to take advantage of its opportunities and to minimize its potential adverse consequences. This requires a â€Å"strategic approach to globalization† (Fischer, 2000). Nations, governments, businesses, institutions, communities, and individuals should not see themselves as helpless victims of globalization; rather, they should actively take the initiative to understand the nature of globalization, its causes, and its consequences on the ground; assess their own opportunities, strengths, and limitations; and develop realistic goals and a plan of action for managing globalization. It is not easy, and there are no guarantees or shortcuts, but the strategic approach is better than isolation or surrender. Doing it in partnership with others increases the chances of success and mitigates against some of the negative consequences. The management literature is rich with descriptive materials on how businesses can become globally strategic and competitive in the twenty-first century. (Hirst, 1999) Nations, government institutions, communities, and individuals can draw on this body of knowledge to develop their own tailor-made strategic directions and action plans for managing globalization. In its 1999 Human Development Report on globalization with a human face, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), one of the U. N. specialized agencies doing extensive work in developing countries, provides a framework and guidelines for managing globalization. Recognizing that globalization is characterized by new markets, new tools, new actors, and new rules, the report challenges governments and the international community to find rules and institutions for stronger governance at the local, national, regional, and global levels. Globalization is multidimensional and, therefore, means different things to different people across time and space. Globalization is about transformational change with intended and unintended adverse effects. Since its dynamics and consequences are not fully predictable, some of its aspects may be emphasized or deemphasized at different times for different regions, countries, or societies. (Friedman, 2000) Yet, because the key drivers of globalization come from industrialized countries, individual developing countries have no realistic option but to participate in the globalization process. Many people are openly opposed to globalization: the concept, its practice, and its consequences. This is in spite of its actual and potential benefits to both rich and poor countries. This opposition, if left unchecked, threatens to push the world back to the dark days of protectionism and closed societies reminiscent of the Cold War. Many world leaders have, at one time or another, expressed doubt, apprehension, qualified support, or outright opposition to globalization and have questioned its moral justification. However, Globalization can be and in most cases has been, good for cultural diversity and development. By contributing to â€Å"liberalization, rising incomes, increased use of technology, better education, and global migration,† (Prakash & Hart, 1997) globalization helps to create multiple environments in support of cultural and interactive diversity. It allows people to experiment with alternative models of development, while at the same time borrowing ideas and practices from other cultures and institutions. It provides people with the opportunity to enjoy freedom for their own culture and, at the same time, be exposed to other cultures. It allows weaker and smaller cultures to coexist alongside the big and powerful cultures. It allows minor or provincial languages and remote cultures to connect with other cultures. As it presently exists in the world today, globalization is an asymmetrical and imperfect system. To be committed to globalization is to understand its lack of symmetry among the players and its inherent imperfections. Therefore, globalizing countries, governments, businesses, institutions, and communities must commit themselves to work toward its improvement. For developing countries, this means, among other things, not to promote globalization as a â€Å"panacea for all problems,† (Micklethwait, 2000) but to build the necessary institutional capacities and competencies for the defense and improvement of globalization for the greater benefit of all citizens. Resources Anton, D. J. 1995. Diversity, Globalization, and the Way of Nature. Ottawa: International Development Research Centre, 1995. Fischer, T. C. 2000. The United States, the European Union, and â€Å"Globalization† of World Trade: Allies or Adversaries? Westport, CT: Quorum. Hirst, P. , and G. Thompson. 1999. Questioning Globalization: The International Economy and the Possibilities of Governance. Cambridge: Polity Press. Friedman, T. L. 2000. The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization. New York: Anchor Books. Prakash, A. , and J. A. Hart. 1997. Globalization and Governance. London: Routledge. Micklethwait, J. , and A. Wooldridge. 2000. A Future Perfect: The Challenge and Hidden Promise of Globalization. New York: Random House.