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Free Essays on Maternal Depression And Its Association With Insecurely Attached Infants; A Review Of The Research

Maternal Depression 1 Running Head: DEPRESSION ASSOCIATED WITH ATTACHMENT Maternal Depression’s Affects on the Infant’s Quality of Attachment Maternal Depression 2 Abstract The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that maternal depression and quality of attachment are associated in children ranging from infancy to 7 years of age. Based on a power analysis 40 mother-infant dyads will be recruited and put into two groups, one of depressed mothers and their infants, and then the non-depressed mothers and their infants. The dyads will be recruited from the NY metropolitan area by posting fliers in grocery stores and places where baby supplies are sold, advertising in newspapers and radio ads, and in therapist’s offices. Maternal depression will be measured by Beck’s Depression Inventory which is a self-report. A score of 17 or above indicates a need for professional treatment of depression. Mothers will also be evaluated for depression by DSM-IV criteria which is comprised of having an episode of depression lasting at least two weeks with symptoms severe enough to upset daily routine, impair work, or interfere with relationship s. The quality of attachment would be measured through the observational method; Strange Situation and either one of the four attachment styles would be attributed to the infants. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that maternal depression will be associated with infant’s quality of attachment such that those who are depressed will be more likely to have insecurely attached infants than mothers who are not depressed. Maternal Depression 3 The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that maternal depression and quality of attachment are associated in children ranging from infancy to 7 years of age. Significance According to the National Mental Health Association (2000) women experience depre... Free Essays on Maternal Depression And Its Association With Insecurely Attached Infants; A Review Of The Research Free Essays on Maternal Depression And Its Association With Insecurely Attached Infants; A Review Of The Research Maternal Depression 1 Running Head: DEPRESSION ASSOCIATED WITH ATTACHMENT Maternal Depression’s Affects on the Infant’s Quality of Attachment Maternal Depression 2 Abstract The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that maternal depression and quality of attachment are associated in children ranging from infancy to 7 years of age. Based on a power analysis 40 mother-infant dyads will be recruited and put into two groups, one of depressed mothers and their infants, and then the non-depressed mothers and their infants. The dyads will be recruited from the NY metropolitan area by posting fliers in grocery stores and places where baby supplies are sold, advertising in newspapers and radio ads, and in therapist’s offices. Maternal depression will be measured by Beck’s Depression Inventory which is a self-report. A score of 17 or above indicates a need for professional treatment of depression. Mothers will also be evaluated for depression by DSM-IV criteria which is comprised of having an episode of depression lasting at least two weeks with symptoms severe enough to upset daily routine, impair work, or interfere with relationship s. The quality of attachment would be measured through the observational method; Strange Situation and either one of the four attachment styles would be attributed to the infants. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that maternal depression will be associated with infant’s quality of attachment such that those who are depressed will be more likely to have insecurely attached infants than mothers who are not depressed. Maternal Depression 3 The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that maternal depression and quality of attachment are associated in children ranging from infancy to 7 years of age. Significance According to the National Mental Health Association (2000) women experience depre...

Cryptosporidium parvum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cryptosporidium parvum - Essay Example The parasite is adapted to harsh way of survival. This is due to its outer layer that allows it to withstand harsh environment (CDC, 2013). This conveys it some resistance once it is exposed to chlorine disinfection. The organism exists in nature and causes disease. The organism is transmitted in different ways. However, water acts as the most common way of transmission (CDC, 2013). Such water may be for drinking or recreational facilities. The mode of transmission is through fecal-oral route (Health Canada, 2001). This may be from person to person, animal to person, or food and waterborne transmission (Health Canada, 2001). The organism prevalence has been on the rise in United States. For example, from 2009 to 2010 the number of cases of cryptosporidiosis has been on the rise (Yoder, T et al. (2012). Cases were most prevalent on children aged 1-9 years and adults in a category of 25-29 years (Yoder, T et al. (2012). Moreover, the number of waterborne diseases has been on the rise in the country. A number of factors contribute to the spread of the organism. However, there are factors that majorly contribute to the spread of the organism. They include accidental swallowing something that encounters the stool of an infected person (CDC, 2013). It may also be through drinking recreational water contaminated with Crypto (CDC, 2013). One may also be infected through eating of poorly cooked food contaminated with the organism. Likewise, one may get infected by touching of mouth with contaminated hand (CDC, 2013). It may also be spread in a laboratory by naturally and experimentally infected animals (Health Canada,

Christology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Christology - Essay Example In accordance with the Jewish norm, Jesus went to Jerusalem with His parents and siblings for the annual festivals and offerings. He was baptized in much water by John the Baptist in River Jordan. Before going into full fledged ministry, He sat in the temple with the elders and argued from the scripture. The bible declares that he grew in wisdom and stature and found favor with man and God. In the course of His ministry, He traversed many nations preaching the gospel and healing the sick. He ate with His disciples and went through temptations just like any other human did. The bible records that He â€Å"learnt obedience through what He suffered† (Elwell, 240). He was betrayed by Judas, crucified and was buried in human form. Jesus was also deity thereby prompting Him to assert that Him and the Father are one. Elwell researched and found that most Christians pray in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (244). On His last day, He prayed that the Father’s w ill be done. Elwell confirms that this was after confirming to the disciples that He would not leave them alone when He was gone, but would send them a helper, the Holy Spirit who would tell them all the will of God. This confirms that Christ is deity (583). Jesus was man and God at the same time. The word of God which was God Himself became flesh and dwelt amongst men.

Workplace counselling and therapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Workplace counselling and therapy - Essay Example Personal problem contributing to poor job performance are usually complex and multi-faceted. They often include issues that few supervisors are trained to handle - complicated issues like; Besides reducing cost associated with employee's personal problems, Nyack Hospital employee assistance program provides training for managers and supervisors to help then develop skill and confidence in resolving employee's performance issues. The program also offers additional training modules for management and staff on issues such as sexual harassment, promoting a drug-free work place, stress management, parenting and many other human resources development topics. The employee assistance program enhances existing benefit program and demonstrates company's commitment to and concern for its employees well being. Dollar for dollar Nyack Hospital's employee assistance program is one of the best investments an organization can make. Having a program like this one can help your organization contain cost in many important ways including; As above stated employees assistance program (EAP) is undertaken by few supervisors or specialists who are trained to handle complicated issues. These complicated issues are problems that employees undergo while working. They may arise from their homes or within their workplace. ... These complicated issues are problems that employees undergo while working. They may arise from their homes or within their workplace. The problem should be solved so that they don't interfere with an employee's. This is another reason why Nyack Hospital has endeavoured to provide this program for its employees. In this regard employees' assistance program addresses the following problems as stated above and explained in detail below. Stress at work. Stress means arousal o stimulus. This is a condition where an employee is disturbed by other factors either within workplace or external problems (An introduction to workplace counselling, J. McLeod, 2001) This condition does not allow the employee to concentrate in his work as his or her mind is divided. The condition affects both the employee and the organization. While in this state he or she being unable to perform affects the organization in terms of productivity. The general perception has been that stress in an organization occurs to middle level and junior employees. However, it starts right from the top. Senior managers are not superwomen or supermen; they also undergo stress at work. However, they learn the art of delegation by the time they read at the top. They have secretaries and assistants who help them The assumption that death, divorce and moving house are the three biggest causes of stress has been overtaken by office as the principal focus for stress. The biggest contributing factors to stress are: - Pressure to perform Fear of redundancy/job uncertainty Recession Change/pace of change Personal/home life Increased job load Excessive hours Maintaining quality. In general, organizations are

Interference On Automatic And Controlled Cognitive Processing Tasks Psychology Essay

Interference On Automatic And Controlled Cognitive Processing Tasks Psychology Essay The effect of interference was explored during a modified Stroop experiment. This paper reports a study of the response times taken to complete a variation of the Stroop test; to determine whether automatic cognitive processes associated with reading interfere with controlled processes associated with colour naming tasks. It was found that naming ink colour was slower for a list of colour-related words than when neutral words were used, showing that interference does occur during an interaction of automatic and controlled cognitive processes. These findings are concurrent with previous empirical research which has shown that performance decreases when completing more than one task at a time. INTRODUCTION The senses receive a phenomenal amount of information from stimuli but it is understood that the brain has a limited capacity of resources available to process this information (Kahneman, cited by Edgar 2007). Attention is the fundamental cognitive process that mediates between what is sensed and perceived, this incorporates the selection and processing of some information and the disregard of. An important concept to consider is that by understanding cognitive processes such as attention and perception, inferences can be made about how behaviour may be affected (Edgar 2007). Within the attentional information processing framework, two distinct modes of cognitive functioning exist; controlled processing and automatic processing (Gross 2005, Edgar 2007). Schneider and Shiffrin (cited by Edgar 2007) distinguished several characteristics between controlled and automatic processing. Controlled processing demands heavily on attentional resources, is capacity-limited, slower and involves conscious directing of attention towards a task. In contrast, automatic processing makes little or no demands on attentional resources, is relatively fast, unaffected by capacity limitation and is not subject to conscious awareness (Gross 2005, Edgar 2007). The ability to perform tasks automatically is advantageous as it means there are still resources available for the processing of other tasks. Everyday experiences and laboratory experiments indicate that it is possible to perform two or more tasks simultaneously and efficiently (Edgar 2007), e.g. holding a conversation while cooking or driving. However Kahneman highlighted disadvantages, claiming that interference can occur when attempting more than one task at a time; each task is thought to compete for resources from a central processer (cited by Edgar 2007). For example it is not possible to read and hold a conversation at the same time. Posner and Boies also observed that despite simplification, performance may decrease when people perform more than one task at a time (cited by Edgar 2007). To explain, when a task such as reading is well learned and practised, it becomes automatic. The automaticity of reading is so powerful that it is difficult to avoid or change and this can interfere with ability to respond to other tasks such as naming colours (Edgar 2007). This is clearly demonstrated by the Stroop effect, a classic and robust phenomenon associated with cognition and reaction time (cited by Edgar 2007). In 1935 Stroop revealed that if a colour word was written in a conflicting colour (such as blue being written in red) participants would find it difficult to name the colour the words were written in (Gross 2005, Edgar 2007). The above research into automatic and controlled processing provides the motivation for conducting this experiment. The aim is to test whether interference will intrude on the cognitive processing during a variation of the Stroop Test. The words used in this experiment are manipulated to include a colour-related list (instead of actual colour words used by Stroop) and a neutral list. The research hypothesis is that it will take longer for participants to name the ink colour of the list of colour-related words than to name the ink colour of neutral words. This is a one-tailed hypothesis. The null hypothesis is that there will be no difference in the time that it takes for participants to name the ink colour for the lists of colour-related and neutral words. METHOD Design The experiment was conducted using a within-participants design. The independent variable comprised 2 conditions, a list of colour-related words (the experimental condition) and a list of neutral words (the control condition). The words were printed in different coloured ink, and each participant was required to name the ink colour of each word in both conditions. The dependant variable was the time taken to name the ink colour of the words in each condition. Response times for each condition were measured by the researcher using a stopwatch, and recorded to the nearest second. All participants were read the same standard instructions, and the conditions used were identical except for the manipulated variable; the actual words printed (colour-related/neutral words). To counterbalance for order effects the participants were given a number from 1 to 20, the odd numbered participants completed condition 1 followed by condition 2, and the even numbered participants completed condition 2 and then 1. Participants The sample included 20 participants; 16 were recruited by staff at The Open University and were colleagues, friends or family members. The remaining 4 were opportunistically recruited by the researcher; they were family members who volunteered. There were 10 males and 10 females ranging from 30 to 60 years old. All participants were naive to the hypothesis of the experiment but were briefed beforehand, signed a consent form, and were debriefed afterwards. Each participant had normal or corrected to normal vision, ability to distinguish colours, and ability to read and speak English. Materials The stimuli presented in each condition consisted of a list of 30 words, printed in two columns on a sheet of A4 paper. The experimental condition consisted of the following colour-related words; BLOOD, LEMON, GRASS, CARROT, PLUM and SKY, printed in a colour incongruent with the word (e.g. BLOOD was not printed in red ink, SKY was not printed in blue). The control condition consisted of the following neutral words; BLAME, LEDGE, GRADE, CAREER, PLAN and STY. Each word was printed five times in a random order; both conditions matched for corresponding words, and were printed in same ink colours, size, font and order (see Appendix 1 for both stimuli). Standard written instructions were used (see Appendix 2), and a consent form was completed by each participant (see Appendix 3). A digital stopwatch was used to measure response times, and all data collected were recorded on a response/data sheet (Appendix 4). Procedure Each participant was approached and asked to take part in an experiment, on the understanding that it was associated with naming ink colour of lists of words, as part of an investigation into cognitive processing, and to provide data for the researchers assignment. The participants were asked if they had any knowledge of the Stroop effect to determine naivety of the hypothesis. Once it was ascertained that those who agreed to participate were suitable for the experiment (with normal or corrected to normal vision, and ability to read and speak English, and distinguish colours), their written consent was obtained. Participants were tested individually; demographic data was recorded including age and sex, before the standard instructions in Appendix 2 were read out verbatim. These told the participant that they would be presented with a list of words, in two columns, that they should work through saying aloud the colour of ink each word is printed with. They were told to complete the ta sk as quickly as possible. An example was given and once each individual confirmed that they understood what they had to do, the first stimuli was placed face down on a desk. When the participant was ready it was turned over and the experimenter started the stopwatch. On completion of the last word the stopwatch was stopped and the time it took to complete the task was recorded to the nearest second on the response sheet. The second stimuli was then placed face down immediately and the procedure was repeated. The odd numbered participants completed Condition 1 then 2 and the even numbered participants completed Condition 2 then 1. After the response time was recorded for the second task, the participant was debriefed. They were informed about the nature of the Stroop effect and the differences between the two conditions. They were also given the opportunity to ask any questions, their anonymity was reiterated and they were thanked for their contribution. RESULTS The research hypothesis was that it will take longer for participants to name the ink colour of the words on the colour-related list than to name the ink colour of the list of neutral words. The time it took for each participant to complete the task was measured in seconds and recorded on a data sheet (see Appendix 4). Table 1 below shows the differences between mean response times and standard deviation for both conditions. The colour-related words condition took 2.9 seconds longer, on average, to complete than the neutral words condition. The standard deviation indicates that there is a greater dispersion of response times (in relation to the mean) in condition 1 than in condition 2. Further SPSS Descriptive Statistics output can be seen in Appendix 5. Table 1. Mean Response Time (in seconds) For Each Condition Condition Mean Response Time (in seconds) Standard Deviation Colour-related words (Condition 1) 24.15 5.304 Neutral words (Condition 2) 21.20 5.180 Inferential statistical analysis was conducted on the data, including a paired samples t-test (t (19) = 3.276; p = .002; d = 0.553), which showed that the differences between conditions were statistically significant and not due to sampling error (see Appendix 6 for SPSS inferential analysis output). As the effect size shows a difference of 0.5 standard deviation points, it was considered to be a medium sized effect (Cohen cited by DSE212 Course Team 2007, p172). Based on this analysis, the hypothesis was accepted and the null hypothesis was rejected. DISCUSSION The results of this experiment showed that there was a significant increase in the time taken to name the ink colour of the list of colour-related words compared with the list of neutral words. This was consistent with the Stroop effect and supports the experimental hypothesis of the study. Intrusion that resulted from interference is consistent with Kahnemans model, suggesting that if tasks compete for a single pool of resources interference occurs. It is also consistent with Schneider and Shiffrins descriptions of automatic processes and controlled processes (cited by Edgar 2007). As reading the colour-related words is automatic and unavoidable, controlled processing is required to remove the automatic colour-related word response and replace it with the correct verbal ink colour response. This takes extra processing time and explains the greater response times measured for the colour-related task. Automatic processing is relatively quick, and requires less mental effort than controlled processes that are comparatively slower and require greater conscious effort. This explains why reading is processed before the colour naming response is processed and verbalised. It was observed that the even-numbered participants who completed condition 2 first, had a very small mean difference in response times between both conditions compared with those who completed condition 1 first (this is graphically presented in Appendix 7). This shows that counterbalancing for order effects was an effective design. It would be interesting to explore this effect in a repeated but larger study of the same design; it is possible the participants completing the neutral word list first had developed a strategy for naming ink colours during the second condition, such as focusing on the first letter of a word, rather than reading the colour-related word automatically. This could be explored further in future. There were several limitations to the methodology of the experiment. Although the number of participants used for this study was effective in showing the predicted Stroop effect (for the population tested), the sample size was small and so there cannot be widespread comparison or generalisations. Also, the experiment itself was an unnatural situation and people are unlikely to find themselves in real life situations where they have to read out lists of words or colours. The experiment therefore also lacks ecological validity. Two of the researchers participants made mistakes by naming the wrong ink colour, of which they were unaware. Data was not collected during the experiment in relation to numbers of errors that occurred, but this could be considered in future, noting whether errors are corrected or not. A failure of conscious or controlled attention to notice errors has potential consequences in real life situations. The automaticity of reading has been a focal point of this experiment, but an alternative study could incorporate the use of printed numbers, instead of words to see if similar effects of interference occur with automaticity of recognising numbers as opposed to reading words. Also, while this experiment clearly demonstrates the effects of interference that Kahneman described, it offers no explanation for how tasks performed simultaneously can be done so effectively this is another area that could be explored in future research through dual-task experiments.

Understanding Stroke Essay -- health

Understanding Stroke Diagnosis and Clinical Features of Stroke Several researchers have attempted to determine the general public's knowledge about stroke risk factors and warning signs. The most commonly cited risk factors were hypertension and stress; the most frequently identified warning signs were dizziness, severe headaches, and unspecified weakness. Knowledge about warning signs may prompt early recognition of strokes and, hence increase the speed and aggressiveness with which people seek medical attention. The five stroke warning signs identified by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and stroke include: (a) sudden weakness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body; (b) sudden dimness or loss of vision particularly in one eye; (c) sudden difficulty speaking or trouble understanding speech; (d)sudden severe headache with no known cause; and (e) unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness, or sudden falls. These symptoms are seen especially in conjunction with other warning signs. Facts about Stroke Strokes are the most common cause of disability and leading cause of death in the United States. Estimates of the number of stroke survivors in the United States exceed 3 million, and nearly 150,000 Americans died from stroke in 1995. The frequency with which strokes occur and the devastating effects they can have on survivors and their families make provision of general information about prevention and management an essential element of public health education. Previous researchers have found that between 14% and 40% of adults cannot name a single risk factor associated with stroke. This is reason for concern among the medical community. Neuropathology/Neurochemically speaking Ischaemic str... ...rain. Glutamate antagonists have been successful in treating various animal models of epilepsy and by effectively protecting against epilepsy brain damage. Works Cited Albers, MD, Gregory W. (1997). Rationale for Early Intervention in Acute Stroke. The American Journal of Cardiology. 80:4(3); 4D-10D. Atkinson, R. P.; & DeLemos, C. (2000). Acute Ischemic Stroke Management. Thrombosis Research. 98:3; 97-111. Koroshetz, W. J.; & Moskowitz, M. A. (1996). Emerging treatments for stroke in humans. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. 17:6 (Jun); 227-233. Lees, K.R. (1991). Therapeutic interventions in acute stroke. Brit J Clin Pharmacol. 34; 486-493. Rothman, S.M.; & Olney, J.W. (1986). Glutamate and the pathophysiology of Hypoxic-Ischemic brain damage. Ann Neurol. 19; 105-111. For information Stroke: http://www.caregiver.org/factsheets/stroke.html