Critical Review of Henkel (2014)

Critical Review of Henkel (2014) Review of â€Å"Point and shoot memories: The influence of taking photos on memory for a museum tour† by Henkel Introduction In psychology, it is important to review literature critically. Questions require to be asked of all research, both prior and subsequent to publishing. Matters such as justification for the research, the approach taken to carry out the research, the results of the research and its generalizability all require to be examined in order to establish whether the findings are worthwhile and reliable. This essay will take such an approach and critically analyse a recent study carried out by Henkel (2014). The article, published in Psychological Science, will be reviewed with any shortcomings addressed and suggestions made for improvement. Overview of paper Henkel (2014)suggests that photography is a common pastime, with more than three billion photographs having been taken in 2012. Citing a variety of evidence, Henkel (2014) suggests that the review of photographs can assist with the retrieval and activation of memories. This applies to both healthy individuals (Hodges, Berry, Wood, 2011) as well as people with specific pathologies (Berry et al., 2007; Loveday Conway, 2011). With the foregoing in mind, it is proposed that research to date has not elucidated how the conscious taking of a photograph affects the subsequent memory of what has been captured. The hypothesis proposed is two-tailed and suggests that memory performance following the taking of a photograph will either be improved, or impaired. In order to investigate this question, Henkel carried out two relatively simple experiments in which participants were required to carry out a visit to a museum. In the first experiment, participants were divided into two separate groups and requested to either view or take photographs of specific objects in the museum, such that all objects were both viewed and photographed once. Subsequent to the visit, participants were given an assessment of their memory for both the location of the objects and the objects themselves by means of a free recall test, followed by a recall test based on a list of object names. In addition to the object name recall test, participants were required to indicate their confidence in the accuracy of their responses. Finally, a recall test was administered to participants based on photographs of objects. Across all recall tests, participants were required to indicate whether the object in question had been observed, photographed or had not been part of the tour. Results suggest that photographing an object has a negative impact on a person’s memory for that object, although participants could remember whether an object had been photographed or viewed at better than chance levels. Participants were, however, better at remembering objects from a photographic cue, as opposed to a name cue. Following the first experiment, some further questions were raised in connection with the procedure and a second experiment took place with a view to clarifying these. The procedure in the second experiment was broadly similar, although objects on the tour were split into three groups requiring them to be photographed in full, in part, or viewed, such that all objects were photographed in full, in part and viewed once. The post-visit memory tests administered to participants were similar, with the exception that participants did not participate in the free recall test. In the name recall test, participants were required to answer two questions about the object and in the event that a specific part of the object had been photographed, a question was asked about that part, as well as a more general question about the object. Results replicated those of the first experiment, in that there was an impairment effect of taking a photograph generally, as well as the previous observation that memory for whether an object had been photographed or viewed was better than chance. In contrast, when an object had a specific part photographed, memory for that part , as well as the object more generally, was improved. Methodological comments Participants In experiment 1, it is noted that two thirds of participants had indicated a previous visit to the museum in question, although not within the month prior to the experiment. No such note is made in respect of the participants in experiment 2. This may be an oversight, or it may be that all of the participants in experiment 2 are, in fact, naà ¯ve participants. In the event that this is an oversight, the simplest resolution would have been to insert a line in the original manuscript to identify how many participants in experiment 2 had previously visited the museum. In the event that all participants in experiment 2 were naà ¯ve, it may prove problematic when comparing the two experiments. Ideally, all participants in this sort of experiment should be naà ¯ve, as a previous visit to the museum may give those participants a memory advantage over those who have not visited. It is unclear how this may have affected the results of the experiments, but future experiments of this nature may look to deal with participants with a previous experience by using a quasi-experimental design (Bryman, 2008). Such a design would allow for participants’ previous experience to be catered for, although the negative impact of such a design is that causality cannot be fully inferred from the results (Bryman, 2008). Method of recording accuracy of memory recall When recording participants’ responses in experiment 1, a free recall test was used initially, followed by tests to measure recall prompted by a name or a photograph. The photograph prompt recall task is well explained in the paper and does not require attention here. Unfortunately, detail relating to the free recall task is slightly less clear. Participants were requested to recall the names of objects on the museum tour, indicating whether they had been observed or photographed. Where an object name could not be remembered, participants were requested to write a brief description of the object. The major issue with this particular aspect of the experiment is that no detail is provided in respect of how the descriptive element of this task was assessed. In the circumstances, it may have been a better option to have only graded responses dichotomously, ensuring that responses where the participant cannot remember the object are graded as such. This appears to be how the data h as been coded here, although no information is provided in respect of a cut off point for remembered or forgotten where the name cannot be remembered by the participant. In respect of the named recall task, there appears to be no requirement for participants to grade their confidence in the accuracy of their responses, as this data is neither referred to anywhere else in the paper, nor statistically analysed. It is unclear why this particular task was required as the paper makes no reference to participants’ confidence in their memories. As the task does not appear to be completed in experiment 2, one could ponder whether it was actually necessary for experiment 1. Suitability of statistical tests It is well documented that the ANOVA omnibus test is not suitable for data which are proportional in nature due to the fact that the data is restricted by fixed boundaries of 0 and 1 and the error does not follow a normal distribution, amongst other reasons (Crawley, 2005; Field, 2009). In Henkel’s (2014) study, the data in both experiments is measured by way of response frequency which is subsequently converted to proportions. It would appear that an ANOVA is therefore not the most appropriate statistical test. In order to rectify this issue, there are three possibilities. The first possibility is to transform the data, using a procedure such as the arc sine transformation, which has the effect of normalising the error distribution (Crawley, 2005). Transforming the data makes it more appropriate for use in an ANOVA, although care still requires to be taken with interpretation of results. It is not clear from Henkel’s (2014) article whether a transformation has been car ried out on the data and on the basis that it is not noted in the article, it must be assumed that no such transformation has been completed. In the event that a transformation has been carried out on the data, the article should have a note to this effect in order to avoid confusion for the reader. A second proposal to deal with the data would be to carry out a logistic regression, which is a suitable method to use on binomially distributed data, such as proportional data (Crawley, 2005; Field, 2009). Using a logistic regression would allow the researched to make predictions about the impact of taking photographs on subsequent memory, however it would not allow inferences of causality to be drawn. In addition, problems with generalisability of results would also arise, as a logistic regression is not assumed to be valid for predictions which do not apply to the dataset (Crawley, 2005; Field, 2009). The final suggestion for rectification of the problems with statistical procedure is to avoid using proportional data altogether and measure simple response frequencies. This would require a change in the statistical test used for the experiments to the chi-squared test for independence (Pearson, 1900). Again, the main issue with this course of action is that it would no longer be po ssible for the experiment to indicate causality, as the chi-squared test is correlational in nature. Nonetheless, this may be an appropriate course of action with a view to prompting further research in relation to memory for items which have been photographed and the causal effect of taking such photographs. General comments Introduction The introduction is concise and follows a clear, coherent structure. The reasons for the research question and subsequent experiment are clearly detailed. Experiment 1 Aside from the issues identified in the previous section, the methods section is clear, coherent and concise. Whilst not everything required for a replication is included, with some minor additions, the relevant information would be available. At the foot of the results and discussion section (p.398), results of a Source x Retrieval Cue ANOVA are reported without any statistics quoted. The statistics are reported in respect of an interaction, but not for the main effects. It may be that the main effects are not statistically significant, however, for the purposes of clarity, it would be better for them to be reported here. Experiment 2 The rationale behind experiment 2 follows on from experiment 1. The background is clearly and concisely laid out and seems logical. Other than the issues noted previously in respect of methodology, no further problems are noted in respect of the methods applied in the experiment. General discussion In the final paragraph of the general discussion (p. 401) the results are discussed outwith the parameters of the experiments in, one would assume, an attempt to generalise the results more widely. The final sentence appears to make a claim relating to interacting with photos and the effect of interaction on memory. Whilst previous evidence is referred to, it is not clear how this assertion can be made from the results of this experiment, as no attempts were made to show the effect of interaction with photographs on memory. It may be that this conclusion should be revised in order to make a better fit with the results of the experiment. Conclusion In summary, this study appears to be novel and timely, following from and adding to recent research findings. There is a defined gap in the literature in relation to the focus of the study which could be addressed by it. In addition the study may provoke future research into photographs and memory in the social environment, outwith the scenario of a museum visit, which will allow further generalisation of the findings. Despite the issues identified in relation to methodology, the article is well written and the research generally well designed. With a few minor tweaks in relation to statistical tests and provision of further information for the purposes of replication, the article could be improved further. Nonetheless, this series of experiments is novel, appropriate, timely, and adds to the current understanding of memory in relation to photographs more generally. References Berry, E., Kapur, N., Williams, L., Hodges, S., Watson, P., Smyth, G., †¦ Wood, K. (2007). The use of a wearable camera, SenseCam, as a pictorial diary to improve autobiographical memory in a patient with limbic encephalitis: A preliminary report. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 17, 582–601. Bryman, A. (2008). Social Research Methods (3rd Ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Crawley, M. J. (2005). Statistics: An Introduction Using R. Chichester: Wiley. Field, A. (2009). Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (3rd Ed.). London: Sage. Henkel, L. A. (2014). Point-and-shoot memories: the influence of taking photos on memory for a museum tour. Psychological Science, 25, 396–402. Hodges, S., Berry, E., Wood, K. (2011). SenseCamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¯: A wearable camera which stimulates and rehabilitates autobiographical memory. Memory, 19, 685–696. Loveday, C., Conway, M. A. (2011). Using SenseCam with an amnesic patient: Accessing inaccessible everyday memories. Memory, 19, 697–704. Pearson, K. (1900). On the criterion that a given system of deviations from the probable in the case of a correlated system of variables is such that it can be reasonably supposed to have arisen from random sampling. Philosophical Magazine, 50(5), 157–175.

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Same-sex Marriage Laws Violate Gay R

Laws Violate Gay Rights When I was in third grade, I learned that there are certain "inalienable rights"-- the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- all of which the United States government is committed to protecting for every human. Last week, I learned this government feels that these human rights are limited to some people, based on how they choose to practice sex. In two separate legislations last week, the United States Senate sanctioned discrimination against homosexual Americans. The issue recently surfaced in Hawaii when the state denied marriage privileges to a lesbian couple. In May 1993, the State Supreme Court ruled in a 3-1 decision that the state's exclusion of same-sex marriage was sexual discrimination and thus unconstitutional unless there was "compelling evidence" for it. In 1995, a governor's commission recommended the state grant marital rights to homosexuals. The "full faith and credit" clause of the U.S. Constitution says that states must accord reciprocity to laws (and contracts) of other states. Thus a couple could get married in Hawaii, move to another state and demand that the state recognize their marriage contract unless laws in the new state conflict directly with laws in the former state. This led the House to pass the Defense of Marriage Act (DoMA) this July with the Senate concurring on Sept. 10. Social Security, Veter-an's and other federal benefits such as married tax status will simply be denied to Americans who do not conform to a sexual pattern preferred by others in society. I don't know where in the Constitution Congress is permitted to legislate the morality that a man must marry a woman. Furthermore, DoMA permits states to... ... other may make some people uncomfortable. But their union does not infringe on anyone else's life, liberty or pursuit of happiness, and they have a claim to pursue their human rights and marry each other. What has Congress to gain by passing this restrictive law? It is only election-year politics to woo the radical right. The United States government is unfairly discriminating against a portion of the United States population and we should not stand for this public "gay bashing." Discrimination is still legal because the measure failed 50-49. Senator Pryor (D-Ark.) was attending his son's cancer surgery; otherwise, he would have supported the bill. Vice President Al Gore had promised to break the tie in support of the bill, but the motion failed. Now it is legally OK to not hire someone based on his or her sexual preference.

Poetic Analysis

THEME 1# Genesis In Mark McWatt's anthology â€Å"The Journey to Le Repentir† McWatt examine various aspects of beginnings. McWatt skillfully uses a poetic device called imagery to emphasize the beginning of new life and sublime genesis. McWatt also makes use of a particular structure which is patterned by poets who dominated the early modern English period of poetry, called blank verses. However, by gracefully imbed images to illustrated diverse aspects of birth and creation of infinite potential.This image of infinite potential is illustrated by a few personas in â€Å"The Journey to Le Repentir† and also various aspects of birth. In the poem â€Å"Universe† we see the persona expressing two separate themes of genesis, the first is the birth is one of the universe when he states â€Å"a place and a mined inter – / penetrated through a membrane of wonder (4)† [My footnote indicator]. This suggests that the persona â€Å"a mind interpenetrated thro ugh a membrane of wonder† to illustrate that mind overwhelms the membrane that constricts it from endless potential.The second theme of the genesis is seen when this persona states â€Å"competitive learning, of the sensuous adventure of knowledge that has never let me go†. The persona uses words like â€Å"competitive†, â€Å"learning†, â€Å"knowledge† and â€Å"Adventure† to create an image similar to the first birth, in that, â€Å"sensuous adventure† like â€Å"a membrane of wonder (4)† represents a gamble for unknown futures and prospect. However, the only variation between the two is that the genesis of the first stanza takes place physically and the other takes place in the mind of an individual.Another poem in which we can see a transformation and genesis by an individual mentally is in the poem â€Å"Anatomical†. This persona creates an image of firstly the presence of innocence in himself, with the use of adjec tival words like â€Å"mysteriously†, â€Å"smiling curiosity† â€Å"me in shock of the sudden transformation† giving a generalized understanding on his lack of knowledge. And it is in the final stanza the persona gives us a contrary image of the initiation of his â€Å"sensuous world of anatomical wonder†.However, the way in he physically structure the poems with blank verse, gives us a psychological metaphor of beginnings. The poets use of iambic pentameters present us with metaphoric genesis and infinite potential as something that can not be predicted – in contrary to most poems that contain a chronological structure of rhyme and rhythm. This skill was used by world renowned poets of the early modern English period like William Shakespeare, John Donnie and John Milton who are poets who played an important part in the renaissance poetry.Mark McWatt also makes use of the blank verse maybe to emphasize that like the renascence – also known to the French as â€Å"rebirth† – has some significance to the genesis he creates within his poems. While poet Mark McWatt uses metaphor on the blank verses to examine how new beginnings can originate from bad endings like the renaissance, the image of mental genesis and physical genesis can both be stepping stones.Since each persona entails a theme that gravitates around both the mental and physical aspects of genesis, then it is only fitting to conclude that genesis takes both a physical and a mental shape. The poet Mark McWatt incorporates the use of metaphor and images to establish a concrete theme of genesis. And by using the Iambic pentameter he solidifies the metaphor of the renaissance period to maybe state that like the renaissance, new beginnings could be made in submission to please you either physically or mentally. Poetic Analysis THEME 1# Genesis In Mark McWatt's anthology â€Å"The Journey to Le Repentir† McWatt examine various aspects of beginnings. McWatt skillfully uses a poetic device called imagery to emphasize the beginning of new life and sublime genesis. McWatt also makes use of a particular structure which is patterned by poets who dominated the early modern English period of poetry, called blank verses. However, by gracefully imbed images to illustrated diverse aspects of birth and creation of infinite potential.This image of infinite potential is illustrated by a few personas in â€Å"The Journey to Le Repentir† and also various aspects of birth. In the poem â€Å"Universe† we see the persona expressing two separate themes of genesis, the first is the birth is one of the universe when he states â€Å"a place and a mined inter – / penetrated through a membrane of wonder (4)† [My footnote indicator]. This suggests that the persona â€Å"a mind interpenetrated thro ugh a membrane of wonder† to illustrate that mind overwhelms the membrane that constricts it from endless potential.The second theme of the genesis is seen when this persona states â€Å"competitive learning, of the sensuous adventure of knowledge that has never let me go†. The persona uses words like â€Å"competitive†, â€Å"learning†, â€Å"knowledge† and â€Å"Adventure† to create an image similar to the first birth, in that, â€Å"sensuous adventure† like â€Å"a membrane of wonder (4)† represents a gamble for unknown futures and prospect. However, the only variation between the two is that the genesis of the first stanza takes place physically and the other takes place in the mind of an individual.Another poem in which we can see a transformation and genesis by an individual mentally is in the poem â€Å"Anatomical†. This persona creates an image of firstly the presence of innocence in himself, with the use of adjec tival words like â€Å"mysteriously†, â€Å"smiling curiosity† â€Å"me in shock of the sudden transformation† giving a generalized understanding on his lack of knowledge. And it is in the final stanza the persona gives us a contrary image of the initiation of his â€Å"sensuous world of anatomical wonder†.However, the way in he physically structure the poems with blank verse, gives us a psychological metaphor of beginnings. The poets use of iambic pentameters present us with metaphoric genesis and infinite potential as something that can not be predicted – in contrary to most poems that contain a chronological structure of rhyme and rhythm. This skill was used by world renowned poets of the early modern English period like William Shakespeare, John Donnie and John Milton who are poets who played an important part in the renaissance poetry.Mark McWatt also makes use of the blank verse maybe to emphasize that like the renascence – also known to the French as â€Å"rebirth† – has some significance to the genesis he creates within his poems. While poet Mark McWatt uses metaphor on the blank verses to examine how new beginnings can originate from bad endings like the renaissance, the image of mental genesis and physical genesis can both be stepping stones.Since each persona entails a theme that gravitates around both the mental and physical aspects of genesis, then it is only fitting to conclude that genesis takes both a physical and a mental shape. The poet Mark McWatt incorporates the use of metaphor and images to establish a concrete theme of genesis. And by using the Iambic pentameter he solidifies the metaphor of the renaissance period to maybe state that like the renaissance, new beginnings could be made in submission to please you either physically or mentally.

Geore Orwell essays

Geore Orwell essays The True meaning behind the Killing of the Elephant An elephant has been shot and killed. Wt a mere act of violence or does it go beyond that? In this situation, the killing of the elephant goes far behind self-defense and security. Its taken to a personal level, which leads to difficult complications. George Orwell is overwhelmed with what is expected from him, than what he knows is morally correct. Even though he knew emotionally that it was wrong to shoot and kill the elephant; it was more important to him how others perceived him over what he though about himself. George had very sour feelings towards the Burmans. Theoretically he was both, for and against the Burmans. He was for them because they were oppressed, and against them due to emotional experiences. Theoretically-and secretly, of course-I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British. As for the job I was doing, I hated it more bitterly than I can perhaps make clear (Orwell 725). He felt as if he had to portray a certain character, in order for him to feel superior to them. It was a way for him to feel accepted and to feel comfortable with his surroundings. What Orwell wasnt aware of was the fact that he was portraying someone he really wasnt. By doing that he was lying to himself. Orwell was there representing the Britih; the last thing he would want to do is make himself look like a fool, in front of the Burmans. It would merely give them more reasons to laugh and taunt the British officers Going to another country, and having the responsibility of an officer, wasnt an easy task for Orwell. It was more like going thorough a maze with traps. Not knowing if the people want you there, and not being familiar with your surroundings. Orwell was there for a reason; he was there for the people. But it made his job more difficult knowing he disliked the people he was protecting ...

Ethics in the Energy Industry essays

Ethics in the Energy Industry essays The purpose of this paper is to examine the ethical issues faced by the energy industry before, during, and after the deregulation of the energy market in California. Part one will explain the ethical issues and how they came about. Part two will look at how several of the players in this industry have addressed these issues. In part three, I will critique the appropriateness of how the issues were addressed. In my analysis of these issues, I will focus on the following measurements: whether the industries initial approach to the issue was appropriate, whether the industry followed through appropriately as the issue developed; whether it industry has taken the necessary steps to avoid similar problems in the future. The story of the California energy crisis is the story of a deregulation nightmare made worse by the unethical actions of several very powerful companies. This story is fraught with perils such as planning lapses, serious policy blunders, and warnings that came too late. The overall effects of the energy crisis in California have been devastating. Johnson (2001) reported that the experiment in deregulation has come at a staggering cost: $40 billion. That number includes the $23 billion already paid by customers when rates were frozen at artificially high levels, and the $7.5 billion in bonds financing consumers' own rate reduction. (p. 1A) The central issue is whether the major players in the California energy market acted ethically before, during, and after the deregulation of that market. Shaw and Barry (2004) define business ethics as the study of what constitutes right and wrong, or good and bad, human conduct in a business context (Shaw The road ...

Diversity Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diversity Management - Essay Example As argued by scholars, workforce diversity is an issue among people, which focuses mainly on the similarities and differences brought by people in the organization. Therefore, success of organization and workforce diversity are inseparable. Despite the role played by affirmative action policies and equal rights legislations in assisting marginalized groups to access various employment opportunities previously closed to them, the exclusion of such employees from influential work organization circles hinders them from fully benefiting and contributing to the overall objective of the organization. Diversity management programs and policies create an embracing environment for these groups that lacked access to employment, and particularly to jobs that are more lucrative (Thomas, 2004:20). One of the multinational corporations that value diversity is International Business Machines (IBM) and Google. Workforce diversity at IBM has been in existence even before the equal employment opportun ity and affirmative action policies became legal. Implementation of this has seen IBM record a notable positive progress for many years (Young, 2003:43). In support to this argument, the provision of information technology during this time when technology is ever evolving has challenged many and big organizations. Therefore, it is arguable that IBM’s ability to understand and implement workforce diversity is the core factor behind the large market share won by the company over competitors (Young, 2003:21). For instance, the organization employed its first female worker in 1899, long before women suffrage movements in the US. Moreover, the organization also hired a disabled employee in 1914, some 76 years before enactment of the disabilities act in the US (Thomas, 2004:20). Moreover, the organization had black employees nearly two decades even before the Civil Right Act came into play. Currently, IBM administration and design of benefit plans comply with all local, state, and federal laws on equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, as well as accommodating reasonable religious observances. Managers and executives in the company are responsible for ensuring that the working environment is free from harassment and discrimination of all forms. The company also carries out outreach and human resource programs to ensure opportunity and compensation for development and growth. Moreover, it adheres to the amended 1974 Veterans Readjustment Act (Thomas, 2004:20). IBM ranks workforce diversity among the top strategic objectives of the company. The current diversity policies were set rolling by Tom Watson Jr. during his tenure at the company. He sought to lead the company by his personal values and beliefs, acknowledging that an organization has to change all things except the basic beliefs in the corporate world if it seeks to meet and overcome the challenges of the changing business environment. He identified three basic beliefs that remain as the pi llars of the company’s business and diversity management approaches, which include respect for individuals, service to customer, and excellence as a way of life. Today, these values form the three tenets of diversity at IBM: equal employment, affirmative action, and work/life. The most prominent among the three is equal opportunity, which offers access to the harassment-free workplace that provides the tools for eliminating disadvantages and that appreciates the work/ life balance, enabling employees to be productive (Thomas, 2004:20). The current policies of IMB on diversity management were the result of eight tasks forces commissioned by CEO Sam Palmisano to understand the different groups

Human Anatomy The body in movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Anatomy The body in movement - Essay Example There are 206 bones in the human body which have roughly 700 muscles pulling on them. This paper aims at using daily human activities to discuss human and anatomy and the body in movement. Skeletal muscles can be said to be the only voluntary tissue in the human body. Every movement that a human being initiates voluntarily cannot take place in the absence of the skeletal muscles. Skeletal muscles perform the function of contracting in order to make various parts of the body to move closer to the bone they are attached to. Most skeletal bone served two adjustment bones that are connected via joints. Therefore, skeletal muscles can be said to be for the purpose of moving parts of these adjacent body bones close to each other. As a result of this involvement it can be said that skeletal muscles are vital for the movement in human beings. This is because most movements in the bodies of human beings always involve movement of bone joints (Palastanga, Field, and Soames 77). Skeletal muscles are not only essential for voluntary movements, but the involuntary ones too. In most cases, skeletal muscles do not manage to make the human body by themselves. The most common occurrence is that they work together in order to make human bodies move in certain ways. When a muscle initiates a certain movement in the human body, it is always referred to as the prime mover. The prime mover always works together with an opposing muscle that has the main responsibility of availing an opposite effect on the same bones. For instance, the biceps brachii muscle flexes the human hand at the elbow, while the triceps brachii muscle opposes these forces at the same point (Palastanga, Field, and Soames 89). However, there are some muscles that act in support of the body movement initiated by another muscle. Such muscles are referred to as Synergists and have the main purpose of stabilizing the body movement. For this