Case study and observation research methods

Case study and observation research methods This essay will look at difference between to research methods; Case Study and Observation. Case study is the understanding of the complex issues or can extend experience or add strength to what is already known through previous research. It is an in-depth study of an individual, group, incident or community. Case studies emphasize on the detailed analysis of the event or conditions and their relationship. Sometimes researchers use the case study method for real life situations and use sources of evidence to prove their study. First step to take in case study is to collect all data about the case and should be organised to draw attention to important points in the case. The case studys questions are most likely to be information questions why and How therefore these questions are helpful to focus on the studys goal. In case study researchers gather facts from different sources and conclusions is made of these facts. Here is a case study of the Davids behaviour, David, 13 year old who has been admitted to a detention facility in California. Police reports indicate that he and another boy were arrested for breaking and entering into a private residence. David grew up in an upper middle class section of California. Davids father is a professor at a college, and his mother, is a dentist who works for a health care group. Even as a small child, David seemed unable to restrain himself. He would bound around the house, crashing into walls and objects, frequently breaking items or destroying house plants. David entered puberty at the age of 11, and at that time, his behaviours became more destructive. He frequently got in fights with his classmates, and would verbally assault teachers. His parents suspect that he may have tried smoking cigarettes and may have experimented with sniffing glue. After his arrest for breaking and entering, David began to cry and told his parents that he felt badly for what he had done. He added that he was unable to control himself. In Davids case study which took long time to study Davids behaviour from his childhood to his teenage and in different circumstances Davids behaviour had changed and resources have been used to prove his behaviour such as his parents or police. Another example for case study research; its Freuds little Hans case study, Freud used a case study method to investigate little Hans Phobia however the case study was actually carried out by the boys father who was a friend of Freud. Freud probably only met the boy once. The father reported to Freud via correspondence and Freud gave directions as how to deal with the situation based on his interpretations of his fathers reports. Freud noted that it was the special relationship between Hans and his father that allowed the analysis to progress and for the discussions with the boy to be so detailed and so intimate. The first reports of Hans are when he was 3 years old. When Hans was almost 5, Hans father wrote to Freud explaining his concerns about Hans. He described the main problem as follows: he is afraid of horse will bite him in the street, at age 19 the not so little Hans appeared at Freuds consulting room having read his case history. Freud believed that the findings from the ca se little Hans supported his theories of child development. Observation involves looking and listening to the object very carefully. Researchers in observation study an individual or group in their natural settings without being informed of the observation in advance. Observational data is usually detailed information about the particular person, groups or situations and revealing changes. In a non- participant observation researchers observe behaviour of the subject without interacting with the subject whereas in participant observation the researchers put themselves in the subjects position, so the researchers become part of the world of the subject meanwhile focusing on their study and in direct observation, people know that you are watching them, and there is concern that sometimes individuals change their actions while not showing what you are looking for or what they are really look like. A research which led by Charlton, studied the effect of television on childrens behaviour when it was introduced for the first time to an island of St Helena in mid-1990s, The researchers focused specifically on pro- and anti- social behaviour. Using video recording, they found that, compared with play ground observation on three to eight years olds made four months before television started, five year after its introduction there were 5 out of 64 measures showing a decrease in pro- social behaviour. However for boys, only there were significant increase on two pro-social measures and significant decrease on two anti-social measures. In other words, for boys at least there was almost as much positive as negative effect. The research led by Charlton was a naturalistic observation which is used to collect behavioural data in real life situations. The data gathering device in this research was video recording, which taped the childrens interaction daily. There is another example of Whyte studies about Italian gang for Observation research study, Whyte studied an Italian street gang in Chicago by joining it. It was obvious Whyte was not a normal gang member. His cover was that he was writing a book about the area. He made the famous statement that I began as a non-participating observer. As I became accepted into the community, I found myself becoming almost a non-observing participant' Whyte research study was undisclosed participant observation. Whyte as an observer kept hidden his study about the gang from gang members; Whyte aimed the understanding of the gang by putting himself in their position and observed gang members in their natural setting, as they were busy in their everyday lives. Two ethical issues Consent and Deception, both are very important issues to concentrate on before deciding for a psychological research. Consent should be obtained in an early time of research; this would involves informing the participant about the grounds for the research and their role in the research however there are some cases where this is not required if the research is something in public where they would normally expect to be observed, they would need permission to be observed on the other side in deception, participants should never be deceived about any aspect of the study they are taking part in. Same as consent participants should be provided with sufficient information at the earliest stage. Other ethical issues are, introduction where both sides confidence is needed between the researcher and the participants, and the data protection act protects participants in the research, therefore confidentiality and privacy is important to be agreed on both sides except in situation where the human life is in danger. And participants must be informed of their right to withdraw from the research at any stage of the research. After debriefing, participants have the right to ask for their details in the study to be destroyed in their presence. Participants should not be asked to risk their life in any circumstances during the study. Publication is another important part of the ethical issues, its the responsibility of the researcher to publish is his research, this is because if the research is failed which has costs lot of time and money someone else might have the same idea and might invest lots of time and money, which would be wasted. Its the researcher responsibility to monitor his colleagues in a research to ensure that code is being followed and if the researcher becomes aware of the participants problems in the study, so the researcher should refer them to someone qualified to advise them on the issue if the participants wish to. In Zimbardos Stanford prison experiment, participants were deceived and were physically harmed, they have not been informed properly about all that took place later in the research, therefore deception is not allowed in any circumstances and all that are going to take place in a research should be told to participant in a earlier stage. And the participants consent was not obtained before the research and participants have not been informed of the reason of the study This involves informing the participant of the reasons for the study and what is expected of them. There are few cases where this is not required: if someone is doing something in public where they would normally expect to be observed, they are giving permission to be observed. Bibliography http://www.holah.karoo.net/freud.htm

Mindful Wonders of Temple Grandin Essay

The mind is an endless space of possibilities that people usually take for granted. But this was definitely not the case for Temple Grandin. Despite her learning disability, Temple discovered her own exceptional way of thinking. The movie shows us all the different examples in which Temple uses her unique mind for the better. By describing Temple’s appearance and persona, we can try to better understand how looks and character of a person won’t change their intellect. Through discussion of her distinctive ways of learning, I will be able to relate them to my own learning styles which are similar to Temple’s. The movie â€Å"Temple Grandin,† begins with Temple on her way to visit her aunt for the summer where she will be working with the horses and cows in their ranch. Since the beginning, the film had been showing Temple’s interest in animals. While observing the ranch, she notices a machine that hugs the cows and calms their nerves. Then, one day Temple had a panic attack; Temple thinks of the â€Å"hugging device† and places herself in the machine. To her surprise, it instantly calms her. Since she was young, she always felt uncomfortable with any human contact, including her own mother’s touch and affection. From there on out, the device substitutes as a human â€Å"hug† for Temple. After that summer, It was time for Temple to go to college, in which she hesitantly and nervously agreed to her mother’s request. When Temple arrived at her dorm, she had another panic attack. Her mother immediately knew that she had to give her some space and so she went outside. A recollection appeared, revealing Temple’s diagnosis of autism when she was younger. During the diagnosis at the doctor’s office, the mother was in disbelief when the doctor explained that it was her cold and distant actions towards Temple which caused her to be this way. The doctor also suggested placing Temple in a mental institution, which enraged the mother even more and decided to take care of Temple herself which led to where they were now. Temple decided to stay in college despite her anxiety. She remembers the device that calmed her back at the ranch and decided to build one for herself. With the machine at hand, Temple was able to cope with the stresses of college life. Even with all the benefits it gave Temple, the school forced her to get rid of it. For some reason, the school board thought it was used for a sexual purpose. After a short break from school, her aunt decided to help her persuade the school to let her keep the machine. To prove the real usage of her machine, Temple surveyed several students. She asked them to try out the machine and tell her how they felt using it. Temple did eventually prove that the machine was and is only used for personal calming purposes; the school then allowed her to keep it in her dorm. With that, Temple is now able to function well in school. Afterward, the film shows Temple’s old high school where she didn’t really seem to fit in. Just when most of the teachers felt hopeless for Temple, a teacher named Dr. Carlock saw something in Temple and decided to help her. Little by little, Dr. Carlock discovers Temple’s unique abilities and notices her strong interest in science. With encouragement from Dr. Carlock and her family, Temple finally graduated from college and started working at a ranch. She notices all the pros and cons of the ranch’s current routine working with the cattle. With Temple’s unique mind, she tries to change the slaughterhouse so that it would be more efficient and humane. During her efforts in doing so, she receives several gender discriminations from her fellow ranchers. Such as banning her from the ranch, spoiling her vehicle with cattle meat, and even just ignoring her altogether. But, with her strong will, she chose to ignore these nuisances and kept trying until someone notices. Some men finally studied her plans and considered her intentions. All her efforts paid off when they built one of her blueprints and tried it with the cattle. The success of the experiment opened up more opportunities to her, like being in a well-known local magazine and soon, being known in the whole ranch/cattle world as well. By the end of the movie, Temple and her mother attends a gathering of all the people who are affected by autism. Temple tells people how she overcame her own difficulties with school and with life in general. Everyone was so amazed by her situation that they coached her into talking in front of the whole audience. Temple Grandin is definitely not just your average cowgirl. She certainly shows a higher way of thinking than most of us could even imagine. Striking people with her average appearance, nobody would even have a clue of what her mind is really capable of. Temple has thick, curly, reddish-brown hair which goes fine with her well-structured and all American facial structure. She is also average in height, which might be between the lines of 5’3 to 5’6. As far as clothing goes, Temple has her own interesting sense of style. She definitely carries the cowboy shirt, tie, and a pair of the typical blue jeans very well. This regular outfit of hers definitely goes with her relaxed and cowboy persona; this ended up being her signature look as well. Temple is a very sweet and well-mannered girl. Although, she did not like being touched, even by her own mother, she shows how she cares for others by talking in her relaxed and reassuring tone. Another admiring trait that she has is her strong sense of will. She trained herself to be good at something and worked really hard at it. Her goal is to sell her work, rather than selling herself. Temple’s imaginative and detail-oriented mind allowed her to think of things other people would not. Being a visual thinker that she is, she sorts things into different specific categories, so this allows her to see each and every detail that would and would not work logically for a specific system. An example of this would be the times in the movie where she tries to feel and experience what cattle are going through. One amazing power that Temple’s mind possesses is the ability to remember every single detail of every single thing she encounters every single day. Basically, Temple doesn’t think how most of us usually do; we mostly overgeneralize, which is thinking top to bottom. Temple, on the other hand, thinks from the bottom to the top. Temple Grandin’s appearance never hindered her descriptive ability when it comes to learning and working with animals. A descriptive portrayal of a person, in this case, of Temple Grandin, can never outweigh a person’s capabilities and outlook of his/her life. The themes of the movie are very distinct. Since the beginning of the film, we notice Temple’s anxieties from one thing to another. Starting with her fear of new places and situations, such as the time when she first got to her aunt’s ranch, the first time she got to her college dorm, and opening doors to new and unfamiliar places. Fear is a big part of Temple’s story because it shows the different ways she overcame them. At first, she thought of change negatively. She assumed that new things would inflict more stress and anxiety in her. Due to this, she created the â€Å"hugging machine† that she once observed being used in her aunt’s ranch. Meeting Dr. Carlock dramatically changed Temple’s view of new things. He taught her that every door opens to new opportunities and that she just had to go through them. Ever since then, Temple built up all the courage she could gain and did as she was told. As a result, she went through a number of doors which led her to amazing opportunities such as meeting people who had connections to slaughterhouse owners and the beginning of her long-awaited future. Another factor that led Temple to endure and overcome her fears is the amount of perseverance she had within her. Her determination to get things done is unbelievable. It almost seemed like giving up was never the choice for Temple. Even at times, where she didn’t have a choice she made ways. For instance, Temple was cruelly discriminated for being a female working in a â€Å"male environment† by spoiling her truck with bull testicles and eventually banning her from entering the ranch. However, with Temple’s brilliant mind she came up with the best ideas to make the ranch allow her back in. She observed all the people that were allowed in that particular ranch and noticed that they only permitted the stereotypical â€Å"ranch men† and â€Å"special personnel† to come inside. With that in mind, she traded her car with a pickup truck, in which she purposely ruined, changed her wardrobe into a more male-friendly style and convinced the local newspaper to give her a badge. To her surprise, the ranch let her in without the slightest suspicion that she was actually a female. Another example would be the time where she needed a blueprint made, but the draftsman was very busy and she didn’t have time to wait. As determined as she was, Temple knew what her mind can do so she observed the draftsman working on other blueprints. She watched closely as he carefully drew them with great precision. Soon after that, she found herself making her own blueprints accurately enough that later on, a meeting of slaughterhouse officials gathered around her self-made blueprints and were practically stunned with what she had in store for them. Temple’s ways of overcoming her fears and willpower despite her autism only broadened my admiration for her. With her unique way of thinking, Temple discovered a new way of learning despite her condition. She discovered that visual thinking is what works best for her. Thinking of my own learning experiences, I realized that Temple and I have a number of similarities when it comes to learning. For me, I always knew that visual learning is the most effective way, as well. Since I was young, colors and movement catches my attention every time; while reading and listening always seemed to bore me after a certain amount of time. This is probably why English isn’t really my forte. Among my family, I am known to be the crafty and creative one. I noticed that I think well when it involves something visual. When participating in presentations, projects, and experiments, I always go over a little more than what is really needed because for some reason it helps me learn the material in more depth. The proof is all in my report card; my grades soared when it came to art and sciences. The diagrams and examples that were given are the ones that always get stuck in my head. I am also a very keen observer. I am one of those students who stand to the side and just watch. So it when comes to me trying it for myself, I get it done. Connecting my experience to Temple’s, I remember the time when I was younger and very curious about computers. My parents didn’t want to teach me how to use them because they thought I was too young. But as I watched my dad use the computer, I noticed all the buttons he pressed and the functions they served. Until one day, I decided that it was time for me to get my hands on the machine. My dad told me that I knew exactly what button to press to turn it on and where to move the mouse to get to the games. Temple’s abilities will never be close to what I am able to do with my mind. But our similarities of being visual learners made me realize that being unique with your own learning style would be best. Also, the weaknesses that you possess shouldn’t hold you back from achieving your plans and goals. The mind is the most powerful weapon a human possesses. Despite Temple Grandin’s learning disability, she learned a different way to make her mind work wonders by thinking in more visual terms rather than thinking logically. Seeing how Temple uses this technique for the better during the film, I realize that my own learning technique is very similar to hers. Temple’s rather average, yet unique persona allowed her to be known as an individual full of hope and perseverance for a lot of people today, including myself. Temple established the idea of self-perseverance and almost suggests the small power of generalized gender roles in society. As of today, she continues her influence in our world in terms of animal treatments and in the world of autism.

Marry, Queen of Scots

Marry, Queen of Scots Do you know the story about the queen of scots who suddenly become a prisoner of England? Maybe some of you dont know yet about this story, maybe you can take a look at google or other site. This book raised the real story that summarized information based on events that occurred both in Scotland, England, Spain, and France. This story begins in 1561 when Scotland was still a free country. The main character this true story is Marry. She was Queen of France, but she was also Queen of Scots. Her first husband Francis was the King of the France state, while the title of queen of Scots was born earned a degree from after his father died as King of Scotland. After that, Mary was married to Henry Darnley, her second husband who is a character that is not good like the drunk and philandering love to another woman, and is jealous. This story has a sad climax as long as 20 years in prison even though England didnt visit her son in prison when he was a close friend of the Queen Elizabeth. To improve relations with the Queen Marry with her son, James. Marry before he died, then write a letter that explains the real story about what had happened with his father, Henry Darnley. A letter was entrusted to Bess Curle. Mary is very sincere in accepting the decision of the Queen Elizabeth which will execute him. And he’s very sure of the religion which he believes is a Catholic. until the end of her life. The lessons can we learn from this series is a true story of a Queen’s determination to keep his faith and take back what he owned, and the sense of high responsibility. This is evidenced by a letter written to James. In our lives should not be influenced by other people, it is much less negative impact that could endanger others. These books must be read by all people, like student, general people because it is not age restricted. Structure of sentence aranged with systematically and used vocabulary that allows us to understand and translate a sentence per sentence contained in Book story. In reading this story is not boring because the plot strung together in sequence. Reza Yusuf Haryono 20100140003

What Is Software Engineering

Software engineers and computer programmers both develop software applications needed by working computers. The difference between the two positions lies in the responsibilities and the approach to the job. Software engineers use well-defined scientific principles and procedures to deliver an efficient and reliable software product. Software Engineering   Software engineering treats the approach to developing software as a formal process  much like that found in traditional engineering.  Software engineers begin by analyzing user needs. They design software, deploy, test it for quality and maintain it. They instruct computer programmers how to write the code they need. Software engineers may or may not write any of the code themselves, but they need strong programming skills to communicate with the programmers and are frequently fluent in several programming languages. Software engineers design and develop computer games, business applications, network control systems, and software operating systems. They are experts in the theory of computing software and the limitations of the hardware they design for.   Computer-Aided Software Engineering The whole software design process has to be formally managed long before the first line of code is written. Software engineers produce lengthy design documents using computer-aided software engineering tools. The software engineer then converts the design documents into design specification documents, which are used to design code. The process is organized and efficient. There is no off-the-cuff programming going on. Paperwork One distinguishing feature of software engineering is the paper trail that it produces. Designs are signed off by managers and technical authorities, and the role of quality assurance is to check the paper trail. Many software engineers admit that their job is 70% paperwork and 30% code. Its a costly but responsible way to write software, which is one reason why avionics in modern aircraft are so expensive. Software Engineering Challenges Manufacturers cannot build complex life-critical systems like aircraft, nuclear reactor controls, and medical systems and expect the software to be thrown together. They require the whole process to be thoroughly managed by software engineers  so that budgets can be estimated, staff recruited and the risk of failure or expensive mistakes minimized. In safety-critical areas such as aviation, space, nuclear power plants, medicine, fire detection systems, and roller coaster rides, the cost of software failure can be enormous because lives are at risk. The ability of the software engineer to anticipate problems and eliminate them before they happen is critical. Certification and Education In some parts of the world and in most U.S. states, you cannot call yourself a software engineer without formal education  or certification. Several of the large software companies, including as Microsoft, Oracle and Red Hat offer courses toward certifications. Many colleges and universities offer degrees  in software engineering. Aspiring software engineers may major in computer science, software engineering, mathematics or computer information systems. Computer Programmers Programmers write code to the specifications given to them by software engineers. They are experts in the major computer programming languages. Although they arent usually involved in the early design stages, they may be involved in testing, modifying, updating and repairing the code. They write code in one or more of the in-demand programming languages, including: SQLJavaScriptJavaC#PythonPHPRuby on RailsSwiftObjective-CPHP Engineers vs. Programmers Software engineering is a team activity.  Programming is primarily a solitary activity.  A software engineer is involved in the complete process.  Programming is one aspect of software development.  A software engineer works on components with other engineers to build a system.  A programmer writes a complete program.