Steroid Use In Professional Sports Sport Essay

Steroid Use In Professional Sports Sport Essay Steroid use in professional sports: are the punishments fair? Introduction Anabolic steroids are continually used by sporting professionals though major sporting organizations have banned their usage due to the negative attributes and effects associated with continued usage. Many nations are troubled by the increasing occurrences of usage of performance enhancing drugs exhibited by the sports people. Professional athletes and baseball players have been in the limelight especially during the summer and American Olympic Games. According to recent survey both old and seasoned sportspeople and athletes use steroids to enhance their performance. Teenagers also admit to have used the steroids at some point of their life (Paterson, 1998). A recent poll on US, about 43% of Americans believe that almost half of the athletic professionals and American Olympics athletes in the country use steroids. Since non medical usage of steroids is illegal, amendments have been advanced in the Anabolic steroid control regulations to make possessions of these drugs a federal crime. Anabolic steroids which are testosterone derivatives enable the body to quickly metabolize the ingested proteins thereby enabling quick synthesis and formation of skeletal muscle. Primarily, sports personalities have continually used the steroids in order to delay the feelings of fatigue and ultimately enabling a feeling of euphoria be exhibited. This boosts their performance levels. This document will highlight the prevalence of the vice amongst the sporting personalities and the kind of punishment advanced to the falters of the rules. With evidence from the Anabolic steroids governing bodies and major sports associations like the Olympics, NFL, NHL and the NBA, a critical analysis of the rules and penalties will be advanced. An agency referred to as World Anti- Doping has consistently maintained a list of steroids which are deemed to enhance performance like Dianabol, Anadrol, winstrol and oxandrin. Literature review Commonly abused steroids There are generally three types of steroids which are commonly abused by sports professionals. Anabolic, Cortico and androgenic steroids are available in the market though the US Government has banned their usage. Anabolic and androgenic steroids have growth and thickening effects on the users skeletal muscles, larynx, vocal chords as well as the bones while affecting a considerable loss in body fat. When taken a remarkable transformation in the body of the user is exhibited due to increased muscle bulk and general body strength. This is primarily the reason why many sports people opt to use the anabolic steroids due to increased strength and agility exhibited after continued usage (Rogak, 1992). Without a valid prescription usage and possession of anabolic steroids is illegal. The Cortico steroids are made in such a way that they mimic the function of the naturally occurring cortisone in the human body. Cortisone deals with injuries in the body by regulating inflammation in the body . The Cortico steroids are used in treatment of such illnesses as asthma, allergies and kidney diseases. Common street names advanced for these steroids include pumpers, weight trainers, Arnolds amongst others. Erythropoietin is commonly used by endurance athletes in a bid to improve on their performance. The drug works to increase the amount of red blood cells present in the body by stimulating the production and release of the red blood cells from the bone marrow. So when there are many red blood cells available in the body, a lot of oxygen is circulated in the body thereby increasing performance. Steroid use in sports The prevalence of steroid usage in sporting arena is high and stiff penalties have been advanced to the sports people found taking the drugs. Most athletes who take steroids do so in a bid to push the performance of their bodies past the limit thereby acquire a competitive advantage ahead of their opponents. Continued usage of steroids results to remarkable increase in muscle mass and strength thus giving the user a competitive edge over his opponents. Common usage of steroids is exhibited in those sporting activities which largely require a lot of strength and large size like football, baseball or wrestling as well as those requiring a lot of endurance like swimming and track athletes (Rogak, 1992). Body builders as well as individuals who fancy developed muscles largely fall prey in taking steroids. Except for the increased body strength and mass exhibited after continued usage of steroids, skill and performance of a player is not increased. It is such factors as the body size, age , diet and the frequency of training which determines the general performance of a sportsperson. Testing and Punishment procedures Every sporting agency has different procedures through which it administers testing and punishments to the players so as to determine whether they are under the influence of steroids. Though a lot of politics exists regarding the ways to administer testing of players, all stakeholders in the sporting arena acknowledge the need to test and make public the results thereby reduce the skepticisms associated with usage of steroids (Rogak, 1992). Challenges exist though, especially when players claim that a move to undertake testing will interfere with their privacy and the results may be maliciously influenced through falsely accusing the players of using steroids. Different sports have their testing procedures which they undertake. The minor league baseball players are tested for cocaine, marijuana, steroids as well as androstenedione. The first time offenders undergo education, counseling and treatment and are constantly subjected to random tests. Suspension from the league is affected to repeat offenders. NFL players are tested during the preseason with random tests being done throughout the season and offseason. A first time offender earns a four game suspension, a second offence earns six games suspension while a third offence earns a complete expulsion. For NBA, the rookies are tested four times each year with penalties of suspensions without pay being advanced to the falters. The US Olympic team has stringent testing procedures with such activities as blood doping, stimulants, alcohol, marijuana as well as mimetic being prohibited. Penalties differ depending on the substance used. Primarily the penalties range from public warnings to suspensions ranging from two to five years. Benefits of punishing steroid usage Since the inception of the Steroid control act many sports personalities involved in steroid usage have been stripped off their titles, medals and records held. Thus through the enforcement of the legislations regarding steroid usage issues of cheating as well as hollow victories have been minimized (Paterson, 1998). By not permitting the steroid users sports personalities to compete with the drug free sportspersons is a show of fairness as no competitor is given a competitive advantage over the other players. Sanctity is reverted to the sporting industry since no pressure is advanced to the drug free sportspeople to use steroids in order to continually remain competitive in their field. Constant drug testing need be upheld by all sporting bodies in order to completely deter sports people from taking the steroids while instilling stiff penalties to people found taking the drugs. Curbing Trafficking of steroids Steroids can be obtained from pharmaceutical companies without prescription. Due to the negative effects associated with the drugs most governments have banned their usage and stiff penalties are advanced to the users as well as anyone found in possession of the drugs. There are several proponents of criminalization of individuals found in possession of the drugs. Many people contend that through putting in place stiff penalties, trafficking of the steroids will be deterred (Roberts, 2005). Monitoring the internet selling sources of the steroids will help in reducing instances of influx of the drugs into the market. Relevant Government agencies need monitor such selling avenue so as to determine their source and destination. Strict controls which limit the substances produced by pharmaceutical companies will ensure that destructive drugs like steroids are not undertaken. The control act states that any individual involved in the manufacturing, distribution and dispensation of controlled substances should always register with the attorney general office (Paterson, 1998). Although this move helps in curbing the manufacture and distribution of the steroids, the booming trade of counterfeit labs which mimic the legitimate pharmaceutical companies has resulted. The black market of the steroid drugs which are substandardly manufactured has continually frustrated the Governments efforts to kick out steroids from the reach of the users. Steroids side effects Anabolic steroids are deadly drugs with massive side effects. Since the sporting personalities self administer the drugs without prescription from the physicians, damage caused on the body of a user cannot be underestimated since the right dosage and duration of medication is not adhered to (Roberts, 2005). The side effects exhibited differ between individuals depending on the length of usage, the type of drug taken, individual sensitivity as well as the dosage administered. â€Å"Roid rage â€Å"is particularly common amongst the steroid users where they portray uncontrollable behavior which is spontaneous and overly aggressive especially after they cease to use the drugs. The function of the liver is inhibited by oral use of AS. Liver Lesions have been exhibited by users of nortesterone as well as testosterone esters. The hospitalized patients of steroids have other illnesses like anemia, impotence and renal insufficiency. Usage of steroids with the 17- alpha- alkyl group cause liver turmoil (Roberts, 2005). More often than not the abnormalities are asymptomatic especially because peliosis as well as the liver tumors do not cause blood abnormalities. Continued use of steroids elicits structural changes in the formation of the heart while after discontinued usage ischemic tolerance remarkably decreases. Steroid users are at a greater risk of contracting prostrate cancer and susceptibility to getting skin infections. Since the AS is derived from testosterone, negative side effects are exhibited in the reproductive system. Decreased fertility, formation of breasts in men, irregularities in ovulation and menstrual cycle amongst women is exhibited. Thus through continued usage, males develop female characteristics whereas the females develop female characteristics. Growing children demonstrate viriliza tion, stunted growth and gynecomastia. Steroid usage affects the cardiovascular system resulting to increased blood pressure. The immune system is also affected resulting to decreased productivity of the immune system. Some less serious side effects of acne include acne, rosccea, hair loss and increased fat excretion. Instances of glucose tolerance decrease in the bodies of seasoned steroid users while the levels of insulin in the body considerably increase thus symptoms of type 2 diabetes will be exhibited. Findings and discussions Issue 1: Marion Jones imprisonment and stripping of records, medal and prizes won after 2000, September. She was an award winning track field athlete who admitted to taking performance enhancing steroids. Initially Marion Jones had denied ant involvement with drugs to the press, sports agencies and grand juries. In October, 2007 it was confirmed that Marion Jones returned the five medals she worn during the 2000 summer Olympics as was determined by the Anti doping agency of the U.S. Tim Montgomery was stripped his records after being found guilty of using steroids. He retired from sports immediately after the results were made public. The USA anti doping agency found him guilty of using the steroids as well as human growth hormones. A four year ban was imposed on him in December 2005 and consequently stripped him all the awards and records held since 2001. In 2008, Tim admitted that he took testosterone during the Sydney relay hence the reason why his team clinched the gold medal. Rule1: According to the 1990 Anabolic steroid control act, it is a criminal offence to use steroids by sports person in order to enhance athletic and cosmetic performance. Suspension and imprisonment is the ultimate punishment for the defaulters of the rule. Analysis1: The Anabolic steroid control act has placed the usage of steroids in the same class as such drugs as ketamine, LSD precursors as well as barbiturates. According to this act, Mariah Jones is guilty of possessing and using the steroids especially because she was involved in major competition events hence the reason why arrests, persecution and imprisonment was done. Tim Montgomery public admission that he used performance enhancers is a clear demonstration that the vice is deep-rooted amongst the athletes who wish to remain competitive in their various sports. The enforcement of the stipulated penalties serves to warn the users of the drugs against continued usage of steroids when undertaking major competitions. Conclusion1: it is vital that the kind of punishment advanced to sports personalities implicated in steroids use is stepped up in order to show other athletes who are already practicing and those aspiring that usage of steroids is totally unacceptable. Throughout the entire career of Marion Jones, accusations that she was involved in the usage of steroids existed but she always denied until the tests were done in 2007. Thus Marion Jones return of all awards won when she was competing under grand violation of the laid down rules. Issue 2: Ben Johnson, a well known Canadian sprinter enjoyed intense moments of fame in the 1980s especially after winning two bronze medals and a gold medal during the Olympics. During the 1987 world athletics championships and the 1988 summer Olympics he set world records for the 100m race. When traces of Stanozolol were discovered, he was disqualified thus loosing both records and the Olympic title. He was suspended from the field until 1991. After his comeback, he was again found guilty of doping with high levels of testosterone after which he was banned completely from athletics by the IAAF. Rule 2: The world Anti doping agency undertakes testing of blood samples as well as urine samples. Testing is a random and unannounced. A penalty for any offence is a two year ban from athletics competitions. Analysis 2: After the tests done at Seoul, Ben Johnson is reportedly to have denied ever doping. During the 1989 Durbin inquiry, he admitted that indeed he used the steroids under the guidance of his coach Charlie Francis who said that Johnson had always been using the steroids since 1981. Conclusion 2: The usage of steroids need be put on hold especially with the practicing athletes. If usage of steroids is to be continued, then the legitimacy of athletics will be questioned because the results produced are not naturally acquired. Since testing is random, enforcement of the laws becomes easy. Professional leagues which exhibit mysteries will be minimized and the credibility of professional leagues will not be questioned. Issue 3: Barry Bonds who was an acclaimed baseball player was implicated in steroid usage. Through association with steroid usage Barry Bonds awards and achievement in baseball were tainted. He had worn seven MVP awards and numerous homeruns and All-Stars. BALCO regulations completely withhold the usage of steroids thus the reason why Barry Bonds was not reassigned to the San Francisco giants during the 2008 baseball season. He played with the Pittsburgh pirates where his prowess was manifested without being revealed he was under the influence of steroids. Ken Caminiti is another baseball player who publicly admitted to the use of anabolic steroids. He played in the team Atlanta braves and worn three awards of Golden Gloves and the coveted 1996 MVP. His admission to the use of the steroids tainted completely the baseball profession where a common belief is held that all baseball players are indeed involved in the vice. Rule 3: Baseball players who test positive for amphetamines will be automatically tested for the second time with a second offence eliciting 25 game suspension while a third offence will elicit 80 games suspension. Analysis 3: A controversial career life of Barry Bonds was exhibited as he is notably amongst the major baseball players implicated in the usage of steroids. In the 2007, he was indicted for the evils of perjury especially since he obstructed justice when the case to determine investigation of the case and the outcome of the implications of the case. The case is still ongoing even now and its unlikely that he will be reinstated in the national team. Suspicions are high regarding the baseball players as most people believe that the players are souped with steroids in order to build on their muscles. Baseball players admit that a lot of pressure exists which forces them to take steroids especially in order to compete in the majors. Conclusion 3: Washingtons baseball commissioner has advanced several stringent measures in a bid to counter steroids. Players who fail the steroid tests will be required to miss more than a third of the seasons of the match. Due to the threat of legislations which have been spurred, players who use steroids have been put up for stiffer penalties. Stiff penalties are advanced to the players so as to limit occurrence of instances of steroid usage (Yesalis, 2000). The current penalties which are in existence include a 10 day suspension for the first offensive occurrence ,30 days for the second offence and in case of a third offence 60 days suspension is advanced. Most baseball clubs ensure that they test players during the spring training sessions with random training sessions being advanced throughout the seasons in order to ensure that players do not fall prey to the vice (Taylor, 2002). Off season testing is also advanced to the players. Several bills have been advanced in a bid to i ntensify punishments for baseball players who use steroids. Issue 4: An alleged East coast distributor of steroids was arrested with a huge stockpile of anabolic steroids. Rule 4: Non medical possession of anabolic steroids with the intention of personal use or resale is illegal. A first time possession of steroids attracts a punishment of imprisonment period of more than one year with an option of a minimum fine of $1,000. Possession with previous conviction of drugs will attract a 15 day to two years imprisonment or a fine of $2,500. People with more than two instances of charges of steroids will attract an imprisonment term of not less than 90 days and a fine of $5,000.A distributor of steroids attracts a $250,000 to $1,000,000 with an imprisonment option of up to 5 years. Analysis 4: The mere possession of steroids is punishable by law. Steroids users need be wary of the usage of the drugs because once police investigations are undertaken and athletes are found in possession of the steroids, stiff penalties are advanced. Legal penalties associate with the vice are massive as they incorporate jail terms of not less than two years. Sports people who self administer the steroids need to have a clue on the possible consequences associated with possession of the drugs. Conclusion 4: Anyone involved in the usage or in selling of steroids need to reconsider association with the drugs as this is the best way to go about it both medically and legally. The different types of steroids available in the market today do not contribute to improved performance of a sportsperson (Yesalis, 2000). Health side effects will no doubt result hence the reason stringent measures have been advanced to curb continued usage of the drugs. Conclusion The sports figures who are constantly using anabolic steroids to improve their athletic prowess encounter several side effects which ultimately shorten their lives and careers. Thus strict punishments as advanced so curb the vice especially amongst the teenagers who admit to have use the steroids at one point of their training so as to mimic the elite athletes. While many users admit increased body muscles and strength, an alarming increase in injury levels is exhibited (Taylor, 2002). Tendon and ligament injuries erupt due to the massive stress advanced by the overdeveloped muscles owing to the continue usage of steroids. Baseball players attest to the fact that rotator cuff injuries are on the increase due to the usage of steroids. In order to save the legacy of the sporting industries governments and sporting bodies need uphold the strict punishments in the sporting industry. Players need be sensitized on the dangers associated with taking the drugs as well as undertaking regular testing as its not a violation of the constitutional rights but a guard against unethical behavior of steroids abuse. Strategies like healthy nutrition as well as strength training programs need be devised to as to prevent the use of steroids amongst the sporting personalities. References Paterson, E (1998) Anabolic steroids and sports and drug testing, New York, U.S.A: Whitston Pub. Roberts, A (2005) Anabolic steroids. New York, U.S.A: Anabolic Information, LLC. Rogak, L (1992) Steroids: dangerous game. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications Taylor, W (2002) Anabolic steroids and the athlete. North Carolina, U.S.A: McFarland, Yesalis, C (2000) Anabolic steroids in sport and exercise .New York, U.S.A: Human Kinetics.

How Far Does Behavioral Sink Go? :: Animals Environmental Wildlife Essays

How Far Does Behavioral Sink Go? If you ask any American what behavioral sink is, they more than likely won’t be able to define the term. It seems that everyone has become subject to this mysterious term, in once sense or another. Behavioral Sink, as described by the author, Tom Wolfe in the excerpt â€Å"O Rotten Gotham† from â€Å"A Forest of Voices†, is the study of how animals relate to their environment. In one of Wolfe’s studies he speaks of this behavioral sink in New York City. He talks about how overcrowding causes this. As observed by Wolfe, New Yorkers tended to be more aggressive and cold towards one another. When driving they were found to be screaming at each other because of traffic, speeding through a crowd getting aggravated and not really knowing why. They all seemed to be greatly stressed with a tendency to foster ulcers. He also studied the effects of overcrowding in Sika deer and rats. They all showed changes in behavior, even when there was plenty of food, water, and shelter due to this lack of personal space. When an autopsy was performed on the animals, it showed that their thyroids seem to enlarge, while their bodies looked genuinely healthy. The deer seemed to die of an adrenaline shock from their thyroids, due to the stress of no personal space. Wolfe seemed to think that if you did an autopsy on the deceased people in New York City, they would show the same general signs of thyroid enlargement. The interesting connection that humans have to rats is the grouping they exhibit. The leader-rats seem to take their own groups and then the average to below average rats gather together. Human aristocrats and wealthier people, like the leader rats, tend to live in suburbs and live in quieter, nicer places. The other people, like the average to below average rats, seemed to live in smaller apartments and much more crowded, less healthy areas like the slums. The average rats showed signs of violence, aggravation, homo and bi-sexuality, and all showed increasing signs of cancer and other diseases. The interesting connection here is that by my own observations, the same things seem to be happening in the world today. How Far Does Behavioral Sink Go? :: Animals Environmental Wildlife Essays How Far Does Behavioral Sink Go? If you ask any American what behavioral sink is, they more than likely won’t be able to define the term. It seems that everyone has become subject to this mysterious term, in once sense or another. Behavioral Sink, as described by the author, Tom Wolfe in the excerpt â€Å"O Rotten Gotham† from â€Å"A Forest of Voices†, is the study of how animals relate to their environment. In one of Wolfe’s studies he speaks of this behavioral sink in New York City. He talks about how overcrowding causes this. As observed by Wolfe, New Yorkers tended to be more aggressive and cold towards one another. When driving they were found to be screaming at each other because of traffic, speeding through a crowd getting aggravated and not really knowing why. They all seemed to be greatly stressed with a tendency to foster ulcers. He also studied the effects of overcrowding in Sika deer and rats. They all showed changes in behavior, even when there was plenty of food, water, and shelter due to this lack of personal space. When an autopsy was performed on the animals, it showed that their thyroids seem to enlarge, while their bodies looked genuinely healthy. The deer seemed to die of an adrenaline shock from their thyroids, due to the stress of no personal space. Wolfe seemed to think that if you did an autopsy on the deceased people in New York City, they would show the same general signs of thyroid enlargement. The interesting connection that humans have to rats is the grouping they exhibit. The leader-rats seem to take their own groups and then the average to below average rats gather together. Human aristocrats and wealthier people, like the leader rats, tend to live in suburbs and live in quieter, nicer places. The other people, like the average to below average rats, seemed to live in smaller apartments and much more crowded, less healthy areas like the slums. The average rats showed signs of violence, aggravation, homo and bi-sexuality, and all showed increasing signs of cancer and other diseases. The interesting connection here is that by my own observations, the same things seem to be happening in the world today.

English Speech Against Physical Punishment of Children :: Papers

English Speech Against Physical Punishment of Children Good Morning/Afternoon ladies, gentlemen and chairperson. I am also arguing against the motion that states, this house believes that physical punishment including smacking young children is wrong. I am a firm believer that a short, sharp smack can keep children under control. This doesn’t mean they should be beaten up or even marked, but strict and fair punishment will benefit a child in the long run. Please picture this scene: a young child of around 3 years is having a temper tantrum in the middle of a busy high street because his mum won’t buy him a toy car. He tries to run away from his mother, screaming and shouting at the same time. To stop the noise the mother gives in a buys the toy car. Now ask yourself who is in charge here, the mother or the child? After all, the child gets his own way and now knows exactly what to do next time he wants something. In these circumstances, parents may have to resort to a smack to one, get the child listening and doing what they are told, two, stop the noise and temper tantrum and finally, for the child’s benefit and own safety. Also, what or who is going to stop an out of control child running out into the middle of a busy road? A quick smack is a lot less pain full then getting knocked down by a car or even a bus! There are many in favour of the government leaving the law as it stands that parents have the right to smack their children. Groups such as Family and Youth Concern feel politicians should let parents get on with bringing up their children as they see fit, and warn that any change in the law would risk turning thousands of parents into criminals. They also feel a ban on smacking would be impossible to enforce. The opposition may argue that there are other forms of punishment which are just as effective as smacking. For example, ignoring the

Understanding Internet Taxation :: E-Commerce Web Sales Tax Essays

Understanding Internet Taxation Internet taxation means that there are taxes that are applied to things purchased on the internet and fees that are linked to Internet access. They call sales that are made over the internet â€Å"E-commerce†. This topic is very important because as the internet grows so does the taxes and the overall cost of doing business via the internet. If this issue goes out of control and things get too expensive the world isn’t going to want to pay the heavy fees to buy merchandise. The internet taxation problem came about in 1998 when the internet was just starting to warm up. Eventually, this topic of internet taxation is going to affect everybody either directly or through business or simply by trying to obtain internet access within their home.† In 1998, the federal government passed the Internet Tax Freedom Act as a part of the 1998 budget bill.† (House Research, 1998) Well, this was decided on in 1998 to have it be a tax free issue but that was only for three y ears. President Bill Clinton passes this bill right when the internet and e-commerce was taking off. (csg.org) all this bill did was make it so there wasn’t any tax for three years. It couldn’t have lasted forever. Now taxation on the internet has become an issue that is decided on from state to state. Only ten states in the country tax internet access in 1998. They are North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico, Texas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, and Delaware. (House Research 1998) The other remaining states either don’t have state tax in general or they do not tax internet access. In 1999, the committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) had a meeting and decided to go ahead and have local taxation of telecommunications and e-commerce. They said that this was due to the need for it for it locally and because there was so many rapid changes with technology and the competitiveness of e-commerce that was developing. Now let’s fast forward to 2004. â€Å"On June 28th, Michigan became the 21st state to enact legislation to comply with the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement.† (See Figure 1)What the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement does is it â€Å"provides the states with a blueprint to create a simplified sal es and use tax collection system that removes the burden and cost from sellers and thus allows justification for Congress to overturn other decisions.

Hypothesis and Conclusion

Running Heading: hypothesis and conclusion Unit 4 Short Paper: Hypothesis and Conclusion Kaplan University Ashley Gramma CJ499: Bachelors Capstone in Criminal Justice Professor Christopher Elg March 12, 2013 Science proceeds by a continuous, incremental process that involves generating hypotheses, collecting evidence, testing hypotheses, reaching evidence based conclusions. (Michael, 2002). The scientific process typically involves making observations, asking questions, forming hypotheses and testing hypotheses by way of well-structured experiments. Science in Action’s Science Fair Projects & More, 2010-2011). The scientific method is steps used by many to find answers to questions they want to know. The scientific method is an approach to acquiring knowledge that contains many elements of the methods, and it tries to avoid pitfalls of any individual method used by itself. (Rybarova, 2006). Methods of inquiry are ways in which a person can know things or discover answers to th e questions. (Rybarova, 2006). What are the five scientific methods of research inquiry and how they are defined?Explain how it is applied to the research project and provide examples. Develop a hypothesis focused on the professional practices of criminal justice practitioners. Then select two methods of inquiries and how you would apply them to your hypothesis to reach a conclusion. The five scientific methods of research inquiry are question, hypothesis, experiment, data analysis, and conclusion. The question process is what I want to learn, which in this process you will decide what variables you want to change and how. Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2003-2012). Ask yourself, is it testable or non-testable? Those variables will be dependent and independent variables. A characteristic whose value may change, vary, or respond when manipulated experimentally is called a dependent variable. (Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2003-2012). Conversely, something that affec ts the characteristic of interest is called an independent variable. (Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2003-2012). The dependent variable is what you will study. Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2003-2012). Hypothesis is your thought on why it is or an educated guess. It is a possible explanation that is intended to be tested and critically evaluated. (Rybarova, 2006). Hypotheses clarify the question being addressed in an experiment, help direct the design of the experiment, and help the experimenters maintain their objectivity. (Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2003-2012). You are generating a testable prediction. (Rybarova, 2006). A method is replication or sample size, constant conditions, and control. Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2003-2012). You are evaluating the prediction by making systematic, planned observation, which involves research and data collection. (Rybarova, 2006). Then, the results, which is describing and understanding the results of an experiment are critical aspects of science. (Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2003-2012). Once you are at this step you can decide if the original hypothesis was true or false. You can use this observation to support refute, or refine the original hypothesis. (Rybarova, 2006).Finally, the conclusion which is the results you got from the research compared to the question. Did your question get the answer it want, and why or why not. Understanding and applying it to your scientific inquiry will give you a good if not the best chance to arrive at reliable, objective and credible scientific findings. (Science in Action’s Science Fair Projects & More, 2010-2011). My question is has airline safety gone to the extreme since 9/11. This question is testable. My hypothesis or prediction is that airline safety has gone to extreme since 9/11.So how will I test this theory? I would do a telephone survey with 500 customers at use at least one of the four major airports. The qu estions will evolve around the customers experience with the airline security and safety issue since 9/11. In an article written by Bill McGee in the USA TODAY stated that, â€Å"while the Transportation Security Administration's effectiveness has been hotly debated, there's no denying that the â€Å"hassle factor† of flying commercially has soured many Americans on traveling by air. † (McGee, 2012).Although the heightened airport security procedures do not directly affect airline operations, the new process has caused a noticeable subset of airline passengers who opt for different modes of transportation or skip travel entirely. (Logan, 2004). An economic study from Cornell University in 2007 showed that federal baggage screenings brought about a 6 percent reduction in passenger volume across the board, with a 9 percent reduction in the nation's busiest airports, totaling a nearly $1 billion loss for the airline industry. (Logan, 2004). Has the airlines safety gone to extreme since 9/11?Yes, they have gone to the extreme to most of the passengers whom were use the airlines. Since they have change the airline security policy they have lost quite a few passengers. These passengers have chosen to take a different travel alterative. My results have shown they that passengers have stop using the airlines as much, but does not state exactly why they do not use the airlines. References: Logan, G. (2004). The Effects of 9/11 on the Airline Industry. USA TODAY. http://traveltips. usatoday. com/effects-911-airline-industry-63890. html McGee, B. (2012).Five most significant changes in air travel since 9/11. USA TODAY. Travel. http://travel. usatoday. com/experts/mcgee/story/2012-06-27/Five-most-significant-changes-in-air-travel-since-911/55841424/1 Michael, R. (2002). Strategies for Educational Inquiry: Inquiry ; Scientific Method. Fall 2002 — Y520: 5982 http://www. indiana. edu/~educy520/sec5982/week_1/inquiry_sci_method02. pdf Regents of the Unive rsity of Minnesota. (2003-2012). The Scientific Method. http://www. monarchlab. org/mitc/Resources/StudentResearch/ScientificMethod. aspx Rybarova, D. (2006).Introduction Acquiring Knowledge, and the Scientific Method. http://www. google. com/url? sa=t;rct=j;q=;esrc=s;frm=1;source=web;cd=9;cad=rja;ved=0CGIQFjAI;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. u. arizona. edu%2F~dusana%2Fpsych290Bpresession06%2Fnotes%2FCh1%2520Introduction%2C%2520Inquiry%2C%2520and%2520the%2520Scientific%2520method. ppt;ei=TeA_UaGqD8vZyQHD-4GQAg;usg=AFQjCNEbxy8umFWok015d60lu9H6Y8t0qw. Science in Action’s Science Fair Projects ; More. (2010-2011). The Scientific Method: The Method in the Madness! http://www. science-fair-projects-and-more. com/scientific-method. html

Careers in Psychology Essay

In Psychology there are so many different careers that have gained my interest because I love learning how people function, behave, and how the brain works. The first career that truly gained my full interest is Neuropsychologist. Neuropsychologists are the ones that explore not only the brain system but they also explore behavior and the relationship between the two. This is something that interests me more than I can put into words. One of the reasons I have so much interest in this type of career is because I myself have fetal alcohol syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as learning disorder. Being able to study the cognitive functions of the brain such as attention, language and memory I believe will eventually help me to understand more of my disabilities and how to work past them. A  Neuropsychologist is also able to evaluate people who have various types of nervous system disorders. They work closely with doctors including neurologists. Illnesses, injuries, and diseases of the brain and nervous system can affect the way a person feels, thinks, and behaves and some of the symptoms may call for a neuropsychologist. Those symptoms are memory difficulties, mood disturbances, learning difficulties as well as nervous system dysfunction. If other doctors are unable to identify the cause of a condition then they bring a neuropsychologist into help determine the diagnosis. In order to become a Neuropsychologist you have to obtain many different skills such as reading comprehension, active listening, critical thinking, social perceptiveness, complex problem solving, writing, speaking, science, active learning, judgement and decision making, instructing, service orientation, learning strategies, monitoring, system analysis, systems evaluation, time management, coordination and persuasion. Each and every one of these skills is just as important as one or the other. By having all these skills it will help To become successful in helping your clients. There is a lot of education involved in becoming an aspiring neuropsychologist. The first step is to earn a bachelors degree which is four years long, after that you complete a masters degree of another two years, then the last and final step is to earn a PHD or PsyD which can take another two to four years. So overall you are looking at spending 8-10 years in college if your heart is truly set on becoming a neuropsychologist. The duties and responsibilities of a neuropsychologist may vary depending on their specialties. Some Neuropsychologists, for instance work primarily as researchers. This might involve studying both healthy humans as well as animals, and those with brain injuries and or illnesses. Neuropsychologists might also work in clinical settings as well. This typically involves assessing and diagnosing patients. This can be done by observing symptoms and using sophisticated technology, such as brain scans. After successfully diagnosing a neurological problem, they can then often recommend a course of treatment which can include therapy, medication or even surgery. The neuropsychologists that are primarily concerned with research might work in private or government research facilities. Some universities might also hire  these professionals to conduct research as well as teac h a class or two. Clinical neuropsychologists might work in a number of different healthcare settings. This can include hospitals, clinics, and physicians offices. Some neuropsychologists might also choose to open private practices and treat patients in their offices or work as consultants. The second career in Psychology which really grabbed my attention more and more as I researched it and read what they do is Rehabilitation Psychologists. Rehabilitation psychologists work with stroke and accident victims and people with mental retardation and those with developmental disabilities caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy and autism. I once worked with a gentleman who had a severe case of cerebral palsy and could not do anything for himself. I was always helping him from the time he woke up in the morning to the time he laid down in bed at night. The sad thing is that from one day to the next I wasn’t sure if he was going to remember me or not. If he didn’t remember me then he would lock me out of his house and he wouldn’t let me back in so most of the time I had to crawl through a tiny window. I believe I would be very good as a Rehabilitation Psychologist for many different reasons. The first reason is that those with disabilities have a soft spot in my heart because I know what its like to be looked at differently for one and for two the willingness to work past the disability is outrageous. Some people with disabilities you cannot even tell they have one because they have learned how to work past it and not let it show. This type of career works closely with public health programs to prevent disabilities including those caused by violence and substance abuse. Rehabilitiation Psychologists testify in court as expert witnesses about the causes and effects of a disability and a persons rehabilitation needs. Rehabilitation Psychologists are uniquely trained and specialized to engage in a broad range of activities including clinical practice, consultation, program development, service provision, and teaching and education training, amongst many others. I am always looking out for everyone else and trying to figure out how I can help them or do something for them to make their lives a little easier on them. In order to become a Rehabilitation Psychologist  you need to have to same type of skills as you would if you were a Neuropsychologist as well as the same path of education. This goes for many of the careers in Psychology. As for where a Rehabilitation Psychologist can work, they can open up their ow n practices, work in healthcare facilities, or in government buildings.

Sleep Deprivation of College Students

Sleep Deprivation of college students It is 11:30 in the morning and the lecture started half an hour ago. The classroom is still half empty. Although half of the class is here, they don’t look like awake. Most of them look like zombies. The above scenario is a common condition taken place in colleges. A research done by Tsui,YY, et al (2009) shows that two thirds of the participating students reported sleep deprivation. The poor sleep quality results in their zombie looks and poor attendants in lectures. Causes of Sleep deprivationDeprival of sleep strongly affects college students’ studies and personal life. Why would students have sleep deprivation? There are two main causes. Change in lifestyle First of all, the change in lifestyle strongly deranges one’s sleeping pattern. When students in Hong Kong transit from secondary school to college, they are happy about not being controlled by their parents anymore. Since in secondary school, students have a lot of pr essure from public exams and their worried parents. The parents force them to maintain a healthy lifestyle.However, after they become college students, especially for those who are living in residence halls, they would be excited to get rid of the healthy lifestyle and doing whatever they like at night time. They can hang out with friends at midnight and have parties all night long. However, before the deadlines of assignments, students would burn the midnight oil, spending several nights to finish the assignments. When their work is done, they would use the whole day for sleeping to remedy the seized sleeping hours. The upsetting schedule of sleep would induce a strong negative influence in students’ sleep-wake pattern.Once the pattern is disrupted, it will cause varies of problems towards one’s life. Pressure Another main cause of this issue is pressure. With no doubt, stress can easily keep students awake at night. College students in Hong Kong are engaged with sort s of activities, including competitions, extra-curriculum activities and part-time jobs. They want to make everything prefect, which would definitely elicit stress. It would undoubtedly make them awake at night, or even worse, they may suddenly wake up in the midnight for several times.Some of my university friends are suffering from sleep deprivation because of stress. Sometimes, they are afraid of cannot wake up on time in the morning for examinations, resulting in them cannot fall asleep even after two hours of staying on bed. Effects of sleep deprivation Sleep deprivation affects college students in many aspects. Two main effects are health problems and poor work performance. Health problem Sleep deprived has a strong influence in health. Some of the students would try to take drugs or use alcohol to help them inducing sleep. It would be likely to have a risk of addiction.Moreover, this sleeping problem will easily drive to have increasing blood pressure tremors, aching muscles, headaches, memory loss and the like. Furthermore, Melnick (2010) stated that â€Å"Researchers found that for each hour of lost sleep, levels of psychological distress rose by 5% in nearly 3,000 17-to-24-year-olds who were followed for 12 to 18 months. Overall, short sleepers were 14% more likely to report symptoms of psychological distress on a standard test, compared with people who got adequate sleep. â€Å"Most of the students would use coffee to help them stay awake at night so that they can study hard. However, it is not a wise choice.Although caffeine could be helpful for keeping people energetic during days and nights, it would cause long term impacts to their health. Poor work performance Withholding of sleep also leads to a poor work performance, it will seriously affect the performance of tests and part-time work. During sleeping, brain would review and organize the memories, it also allows body to take a rest. However, if students deprive their sleeping, it would not allow their brain to have proper re-organizing, which would conduct poor performance. What is more, a sleep deprived student will easily have delay in reaction and tendencies to make mistakes.On the contrary, according to Dean, Lowry and Manders (2010),† College students mindful of the importance of healthy sleep patterns may be able to improve their GPAs. † (P. 16). Students would definitely feel better and maximum your brain functions if they had a nice quality of sleep. Way to reduce sleep deprivation Sleep deprivation brings college students dozens of severe negative impacts. How can we get rid of it? The method is easy, change your lifestyle! It is suggested that adults should have seven to nine hours of sleep for a day. Students should avoid staying up all the night and have better planning for their time.Time management is vital for everyone, not only students. It is understood that going to college probably is the first time students will be in charge of their sl eep habits. According to Sheehan, Unseth and Xiong (2010), â€Å"Try to go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time every day. A regular sleep pattern increases your alertness during the day. † (P. 3). Going to college would be a very good chance for students to learn to control their life and time. Apart from this, some students may have trouble sleeping. Nonetheless, this is not an excuse to become an all-nighter.The suggestion for them to have a nice night sleep is relax! If there is a lot in their mind, including school works, relationships, jobs and the like, it is hard to fall asleep. Students can jot down the things on their mind and then forget about it! If there is a noise problem, students may try to use a white-noise machine to block the noise from the resident hall. â€Å"Sleep helps repair your body, reduce stress, improve memory, and keep you healthy. Lack of sleep can literally affect every aspect of your life. â€Å" (Sheehan, Unseth and Xiong, 2010 , P. 2) After knowing all those bad impacts f sleep deprivation, students should get away your bad habit of staying up late and oversleeping considering having a better health. Let’s change the lifestyle and maintain a healthy life! References Dean, K. , Lowry, M. , Manders, K. (2010). The link between sleep quantity and academic performance for the college student. Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota. Retrieved from https://www. psych. umn. edu/sentience/files/Lowry_2010. pdf Melnick, M. (2010, September 2). Lack of sleep linked with depression, weight gain and even  death. Times. Retrieved from http://healthland. ime. com/2010/09/02/lack-of-sleep-can-cause-depression-weight-gain-and-even-death/ Sheehan, E. , Unseth, T. , Xiong, M. (2010). Sleep deprivation of college students in western. Retrieved from http://www. westerntc. edu/writingcenter/pdf/samples/Business%20and%20Technical/SheehanEtAl. pdf Song, S. (2011). Sleeping your way to the top. College Writin g Skills with Readings, 8, 729-731. Tsui, YY. , Et al. (2009). A study on the sleep patterns and problems of university business students in Hong Kong. Pubmed gov. Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/m/pubmed/198926541