The Impact Of Advertising On Consumer Price Sensitivity Marketing Essay

The Impact Of Advertising On Consumer Price Sensitivity Marketing Essay Selling things are the focus of any business and to sell a product marketing is a key factor and main step to make people buy the product. In addition, the foremost thing under marketing is advertising, which is the only way with which you can change the perspective of the product in peoples mind. It is actually a form of communication intended to persuade and audience (viewers, listeners or readers) to purchase the product. The intention of actually enlightening on advertising is to know whether advertising has any impact on consumer price sensitivity or not. It does affect the consumer and their buying behavior but to what extent what are the variables and how this is effecting consumers sensitivity toward purchasing a certain product is been elaborated below. H0: Advertising Have an Impact on Willingness to Pay by a Consumer It is relevant to my article because of using demand curve to gather the impacts of advertising on consumer price sensitivity. In this paper The Impact of Advertising on Consumer Price Sensitivity in Experienced Goods Markets written by Tullen Erdem, Michael Keane, Baohong Son (2007), four categories of consumer goods are considered to examine how TV advertising and other marketing activities affect the demand curve facing a brand. Advertising affects consumer demand in many different ways. The authors observed in this article, that advertising is a reason to fall consumers price sensitivity for a particular brand. To understand how advertising effects price sensitivity one needs to estimate how it shifts the shape of the demand curve, which means estimating a demand system for all brands. Estimation of demand among four products, resulting one had a different response in WTP and that is because of focusing on one distinctive feature of the product. The effects of advertising on the shape of the demand curve depend on vertically or horizontally differentiated (attributes) of the product. Advertising stresses on vertical (claims marginal consumers) and horizontal characteristics (a brand perceived as having an advantage) will increase WTP most for those infra-marginal consumers. A supermarket scanner data used on four product categories to examine how advertising use experience, price, promotional activity in the determination of demand. Advertising affect the price elasticity of demand in two different ways: Firstly, advertising affect the limits of the demand functions of individual consumers more or less price sensitive, secondly advertising may affect the number of the set of consumers. The toothpaste and toothbrush panels cover 157 weeks including households in Chicago and Atlanta while ketchup and detergent panels cover 130 weeks included households in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Springfield. Weekly advertising intensity measures gross saving points for each brand in the market and 60% of households linked to TV ads for last 51 weeks restricted only who bought 3 times over the period. The toothpaste panel contains 345 households who made 2880 purchases, toothbrush panel contains 167 households who made 621 purchases; detergent panels contains 581 households who made 3419 purchase and ketchup panel contains 135 households who made 1045 purchases. Advertising provides more soft information in the ketchup category (differentiated horizontally e.g. thickness in Heinz) and more hard information (vertically differentiated like quality, such as cavity fighting power in toothpaste, removal of plaque in toothbrush and cleansing power in detergent) and is obvious that nat ure of ad varies according to product. Advertising is more likely to increase price sensitivity and lead to more pro- competitive effects when the hard information is in advertising (e.g. relative quality information) rather than soft (e.g. image oriented). All products observed by different brands of same category by market share, mean price, ad frequency, display frequency, feature frequency and mean coupon availability. The statistics are in this way that there are three kinds of variables, like percentage of purchases (covers brand loyalty), ad viewing habits, and willingness to pay with reference to prices that offered. For all 18 brands, advertising reduces price sensitive but increases the prices. Advertising is not profitable because it lowers the elasticity of demand, but lifts the level of demand. The more the noisy signs of product attributes in advertisements have lower variance alternative and have greater WTP while non-risky consumers have higher variance even for the same features. This relates to the view that non-price advertising affect differently due to consumers diverse tastes. Advertising raises the level of demand by increasing the equilibrium price elasticity and decreasing the equilibrium price. Price advertising and non-price advertising affects the demand curves by costs of gaining information related to price, types of consumers and consumers tastes that visits the stores. People who are less sensitive to price are uncertain about attributes. Price advertising affects stores demand curves differently if consumers have different costs of acquiring price information, and differe nt types of consumers visit each store. It means that advertising is complimentary to consumption and is consistent with models where advertising increases WTP for a brand by producing artificial differentiation and conveying information about brand attributes Variables: Brand choice, Information and market power, Quality of the brand, Existence of the brand, Heterogeneity of consumers tastes, Attributes of the brand, Awareness of substitutes, Ad design, Brand differentiation, Barriers to entry and Experience. H0: consumer price sensitivity moderated by brand credibility This article How Advertising Influences Brand Credibility and Consumer Price Sensitivity written by Tulin Erdem, Joffre Swait, Jordan Louviere (2001), connects with my topic in this way that it explains the implication brand credibility of an advertised brand on consumer price sensitivity. Every brand has different affects on consumers on various stages on their decision of choices of a brand. It passes through different utility functions. The paper enlightens the fact, brand effects with information economics depth to analyze whether consumer price sensitivity, consumer valuation of a products overall attractiveness or utility, has an impact by brand credibility, after making a choice of a brand by advertising. The impact of brand credibility on consumer price sensitivity across class that absorbs different levels of consumer ambiguity, four different types of products utility analyzed which are Frozen concentrated juice (Dole, Minute Maid, Sunkist, Tropicana and Welshs); Jeans (Cal vin Klein, Gap, Lee, Levis, Wranglers); Shampoos (Clairol, Herbal Essence, Pantene Pro- V, Pert Plus, Salon Selective) and Personal computers (Apple, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, IBM) Two types of data relevant the hypothesis; firstly, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to obtain brand credibility of the most advertised brands at individual level in each of the four categories; and secondly, by price manipulations of the same brand to know the credibility. Subjects rated all five brands individually to estimate the credibility by them and completed a simple pricing choice experiment involving 17 choice sets in each of two product categories in addition to this, there was a distracter task that includes questions regarding their personal values to minimize the chances of linking two tasks. These four products chosen subjects could relate to them. They asked to assess how confident they would feel measuring new products in 21 different product categories before trial, after one trial and after a year of use (using 7- point agree/disagree scales) These results suggested that, as a group, the subjects viewed frozen juice concentrate more as a search good, jeans and shampoo as more short- to medium-term experience goods, and a PC as a longer-term experience good. Subjects in the pre-test (n = 31), main and supplementary (n = 170) surveys were undergraduate students at two major North American universities. Final sample sizes for the main survey were, respectively, 221, 232, 217 and 198 for juice, jeans, shampoo and PCs. The main survey took approximately 35-40 minutes to complete. Brand credibility decreases price sensitivity but the intensity of the consumers choices differs with products. The emphasis is on the product category factors that could affect the impact of brand credibility on price sensitivity. Consumer characteristics also might determine the level of impact of brand credibility and price sensitivity. Observed results suggest that the interaction between brand price and credibility is heterogeneous, which suggests that it is likely to be associated with consumer specific characteristics and the level of advertisement occur in certain period. These types differ in consumer uncertainty about product attributes plus in specific features in categories that affect sensitivity to uncertainty. It argues on the impact of price on consumption of a credible brand when there is asymmetric information through advertising. Economic framework suggests that brand credibility moderates price sensitivity under uncertainty. In high latent risk and high involvement categories, in which consumer purchase decisions may be quite complicated, the predicted effect was bigger. Price effects strongly recommend that credibility offer number of consumer benefits, which decreases price sensitivity. Variables: Brand credibility (trustworthiness, expertise, usage), Brand choice, Product category, Product attributes, Brand name and Consumer benefits. H0: online medium effects consumer price sensitivity more than offline medium To see the impact of online advertisement on advertising price sensitivity is the reason behind choosing this article. According to article The online medium and consumer price sensitivity written by Venkatesh Shankar, Arvind Rangaswamy, Michael Pusater (1999), paper explains a logical framework regarding the assumption that internet increases price sensitivity and intensify price competition and factors characterizing the online medium, consumers and intermediaries to explain the main reasonable effects of the online medium in price sensitivity. The articles inspect two main aspects of price sensitivity, the intensity of customer attaches to price relative to other attributes (Price importance and price search). About 1/4th of revenues in online shopping industry come from travel services, data set 1comprises of both medium but specified only to Marriott international and a same with data set 2 for making different hotel reservation but for any hotel chose by the respondent with same questionnaires. They asked questions regarding most recent online reservation and most recent offline reservations. Investigation in data set 1extends from the brand level to the product category level and overcomes problems due to self- selection bias in data set 1, to reduce impartiality, the differences in the frequency of shopping between the samples accounted for analysis. For data set 1 primary data collected for the customers of Marriott international and comparing the attitudes and behavior demographically to the population that differ in the medium usage, examine the online medium moderation on price sensitivity and lastly stresses the effects of website factors on price sensitivity. For offline medium consumers questionnaires mailed to customers through Marriott international customers data while for online customers, the survey posted on Marriotts website with a new tag. Only 214 form online and 306 from offline usable recipients (15%) enabled to respond. Data set 2 had to go through a test provided by hospitality sales and marketing association international and customers chose on the basis of using both online and offline medium, Receiving 144 responses from a sample of 2000 customers randomly selected from the list, who chose hotel both online and offline (a response rate of 7.2%) Talking about online medium factors interactivity and perceived depth of the message helps dampen price importance but at the same time ease of price search increases price importance, content and information interactivity does not give any significant result. Using an intermediary and product/price bundling increases price comparison and price importance. Brand loyalty and time value reduces online price search. Looking at offline medium, the perceived range of option does not diminish price importance or price search; but price search reduce because of product/price bundling by an intermediary. Price comparisons using intermediaries has a much stronger impact on price search offline than online. For both sets, the result is consistent as the online and offline models are similar. Online medium effects price importance more because Highlights the range of product options and price bundling by an intermediary to diminish the price importance then it put emphasis on brand loyalty which decreases price search and the effect of price comparison by an intermediary and lastly it is easier to search for price information which reduces the search cost and time as well. Price/product bundling proves to be a strategic advantage for the firms, more online than offline. The price comparison using intermediaries will be more beneficial if online intermediaries are used and provide proper service/ good description with prices and get it linked to the other sites as well. Variables: Price search, Price importance, Price information, Non-pricing advertising, Web-site design, Targeting distribution, Brand loyalty, value of time, frequency of shopping, Alliance strategies, Online attributes price importance influence by medium- product category, demographics. H0: Advertising Effects Evaluates In Three-Dimensional Space of Product (Experience, Affect, Cognition) This paper named How Advertising Works written Demetrios Vakratsas, Tim Ambler (1999) by related to my topic in this way that it talks about the impacts of advertising on consumers which helps observe what features of ads influences consumer behavior or changing their buying behavior. The authors gather the information about how advertising affects the consumer. Advertising effects classified into intermediate effects, for example, on consumer beliefs and attitudes, and behavioral effects, which relate to purchasing behavior, for example, on brand choice. The authors propose that advertising effects studied in a space, with affect, cognition, and experience as the three dimensions. The EAC Space adjusted according to the context: product category, competitive environment, other marketing mix components, stage of the product life cycle, and target audience. The article has reviewed former research of intermediate and behavioral effects of advertising using models from market response. Advertising can be estimate in a three-dimensional space using the dimensions of experience, affect, and cognition (the EAC Space). The coordinates of the three dimensions can verify the importance of a specific advertising promotion. The article have classified and reconsider preceding research of intermediate and behavioral effects of advertising using a arrangement of models preliminary from market response and ending with integrative and nonhierarchical models. The principal overview concerned the persuasive hierarchy (CA) category of models of advertising effects. Although such models dynamically engaged for 100 years but still flawed on two bases: the concept of hierarchy on which its origin cannot empirically sustained, and have eliminated experience effects. The article suggest that behavioral (brand choice, market share) and cognitive and affective (beliefs, attitudes, awareness) directed industry to analyze the edge of context, intermediate effects, and long- and short-term behavior. In this attempt, determination of affective reactions from cognitive partiality evaluated and this is especially important for low-involvement products for which habit and affect are much more important than cognition. On the contrary, it is safe to say that effects of advertising can calculated by (EAC) space of any product but the dimensions can vary from product to product and hence the importance of dimensions as well. Variables: Consumers beliefs, Consumers attitudes, Purchasing behavior, Brand choice, Ads goal diversity, Product category, Competition, Stage of product cycle, Target market, Market share and Awareness H0: Price Advertising Positioning Tactics Increases Brand Equity, Price Importance and Consumer Price Sensitivity H1: Non-Price Advertising Positioning Tactics Decreases Brand Equity, Price Importance and Consumer Price Sensitivity The article The impact of advertising positioning strategies on consumer price sensitivity written by Ajay Kalra and Ronald C. Goodstein (1998) examines the relationship of brands positioning strategies through advertising with consumer price sensitivity. The authors examine the link between advertising and price effects and that this bond depends on the definite advertising positioning strategies. The advertising has different objective, depending on the competitive perspective of the brand and others positioned to narrow the supposed difference between brands. The authors recognize that price- oriented advertising raises sensitivity while non-price oriented advertising decreases sensitivity. Non-price advertising examines two tactics that fail to increase brand price equity: value-oriented positioning, attribute (meaningless) differentiation, while comparative tactics increase price importance and sensitivity at the category level. In addition, findings bring about that advertising effectiveness measured at both the brand and category levels. The hypothesis tested in two experiments transversely different product categories, entailing that advertising effectiveness must extend other than brand rate related to attitude. Testing of how non-price advertising positioning strategies affect brand equity, price importance, and category price sensitivity. Opposing to the accepted vision, numerous types of non-price positioning tactics can diminish equity and increase price sensitivity. Ninety graduate students at a major west coast university volunteered to contribute in experiment carry out in one of four experimental surroundings and as an incentive for $100 lottery given. They asked to analyze a rough advertisement for a new product and under high-involvement, circumstances and advertising positioning varied without the alteration in the brand attribute information in the advertising copy. The experiment designed within one factor and four level of advertisement positioning. An advertisement can have particularly dissimilar effects at each level like at comparative level will be beneficial for minor brands but not for premium brands, because it will increase price sensitivity for whole product category. The results also suggest that brand equity and advertising effects must assess in terms of both attitudes and behavioral manifestation. Pricing effects happen because of advertising, when attitudes extracted from the analysis. Nevertheless, the case is different in low involvement where meaningless attribute positioning and celebrity endorsements could significantly affect brand equity and category price sensitivity. Emotional appeals and fear appeals as attitudinal effects also influence advertisements in a cognitive manner. On this note, the conclusion made that non-price advertising positioning strategies affect brand equity, price importance, and price sensitivity and promotional price advertising increases price sensitivity, whereas non-price advertising decreases price sensitivity. Several types of non-price positioning tactics can decrease equity and increase price sensitivity and brand equity measures extend beyond attitudes and include the ability to demand a premium price. Variables: Advertising- positioning strategies, Brand equity, Celebrity endorses positioning, Meaningless attribute differentiation, unique features positioning, Brand comparison and Value positioning H0: Price Sensitivity is Measureable The paper Price Sensitivity Measurement written by Robert C. Lewis and Stowe Shoemaker (1997) elaborates on the measurement of price sensitivity through hospitality industry, to see the determinants of price sensitivity are the reason of choosing this article. Instead of using price methods on trial basis and error to determine the right price for products or services, a hotel or restaurant operator can use a relatively simple survey tool to measure customers price sensitivity. The prices for services faces at least three complicating factors: Customers often have inaccurate or limited reference prices (i.e. right prices) for services, they use price as a key signal for quality and monetary price is the only cost for service customers. Reference prices have complicated the different needs of customers in two ways: The interpretation of price (value based) on the buyers view and the relationship between price and value. A price sensitivity measurement determines how consumers percepti ons of the value affected by the interaction of price and quantity. A study conducted in which consumers asked to state the highest and lowest prices to which they purchase selected inexpensive items, showed that price act as a quality indication but not an absolute barrier to purchase. Actually, the price sensitivity measurement examines price perceptions by determining levels of customers resistance as they relate to perceived quality and the market range of acceptable prices for a specific product or services. Authors examined the application of the price sensitivity measurement model (PSM) to the association meeting market. The five components of our hypothesis are as follows: firstly, a point at which hotel room rates considered cheap or expensive; the price considered too cheap and quality questioned; no matter what the quality and price is, it is too expensive and purchase is beyond consideration and lastly a way to measure the above points. In addition, these are the questions to analyze the value of a product or service. The last two questions are actually to measure the optimal price point. Room rates are a definite factor in the meeting planners purchase decision. The hypothetical situation considered was to plan an annual convention for organization to hold in Des Monte with expected attendance of 300- 500 attendance, which will last four days, and hosted in first class hotel. Rooms single occupied and participants will stay at the same hotel and the chosen (four) hotels without a ny prior experience. Final decision based on four questions and the design made with two objectives in mind: to minimize the intervening variables that might enter into the situation, thereby affecting their respondents and expect respondents to projects their associations needs and into the situation. Survey to send to a random sample of 443 association-meeting planners and received 115 usable responses (constituting 33% response rate). The study has indicated the existence of a range of acceptable prices for meeting planners. it can be helpful in determining to compare the perception of specific brands, the competition and variables within a product line. The result showed that the price sensitivity measurement technique could most likely apply to the hotel industry though there is no basis for interpreting the results. It could give the indifferent point, an indifference percentage, and an optimum pricing point, a stress level and a range of acceptable prices on lodging industry benchmarks with which to compare those values. In addition, the conclusion made that some meeting planners have in mind threshold prices outside of which price will inhibit their decisions to purchase. The degree to which they are price sensitive (respondents) is difficult to determine. Variables: Quality, Product features, and consumers perception of value H0: An increase in non-price advertising leads to lower price sensitivity among consumers H1: The use of price advertising leads to lower prices H2: An increase in price advertising leads to higher price sensitivity among consumers The paper Empirical Generalizations about the Impact of Advertising on Price Sensitivity and Pricewritten by Anil Kaul and Dick R. Wittink (1995), is linked to my topic in this way that this paper have made generalization statements which works as a medium for measuring the impact of advertising on consumer price sensitivity. The term empirical generalizations suggest the same results comes out in different circumstances and are gathered on outcomes from varied marketing strategies and the result will help estimating the price insensitivities and making a strategic decision about market segmentation, price-marketing activities and competitive market strategies. Two types of advertising are Non-price advertising (national advertising) gives the information about the brand positioning and its intentions to communicate about the characteristics (unique) of the brand and Price advertising (local characteristics) gives the information related to price and availability of the brand. A chan ge in price sensitivity is measured either by Researchers employing experiments (interaction between advertising and price) or by econometric researchers (use price elasticity). It generates a set of three empirical generalizations after studying the previous marketing methods: The approach is to analyze the characteristics and results of previous studies providing explanations on the relevance of these generalizations means the relationship between advertising and price sensitivity observed by an overview of 18 studies. The observations made from a large set of products e.g., new products, mature products, consumer (non-durables) and durables, services with identification the type of product, the number of brands, the type of advertising, the measure of advertising and price sensitivity, and the type of interaction (result). Three implications considered to assess the link between advertising and price sensitivity: Firstly, the difference between price sensitivity of current consumers from additional consumers attracted by increased advertising. Secondly, the measurement of price sensitivity whether aggregate (price elasticity) or disaggregate (brand choice to price) data. Third consideration is about target market. If market were highly price-sensitive, t hen the ceiling effect would be a partial effect of price advertising on sensitivity but if it is of price-insensitive, non-price advertising will slightly influence the price receptiveness. The results specify that in nine studies price sensitivity increases with higher advertising, in seven studies it decreases with higher advertising, and in two cases both effects are attained. Considering only those cases where at least three studies have provided the same result. Focus is on the area of price advertising as moderators such as market share, similarity of brands characteristics or benefits, product life cycle, and the number of competitors, in affecting this relationship and is large enough to alter the brand choice. Moreover, creates variation on price sensitivity due to increase advertising from 20% to 180%. Considering this fact that product-related and other factors that affect the amount of change in price sensitivity in such situations, the conclusion is that non-price advertising reduces the price sensitivity( accepts H0 ) and falsifies H1 and H2. Variables: Brand positioning, Product information, Product differentiation, Brand loyalty, Brand choice, Product market level, Type of product (new products, mature products, consumer nondurables and durables, services), Advertising content, Market share, Similarity of brands characteristics or benefits, Product life cycle and Number of competitors. H0: Advertising Builds Market Power Similar to above article this article Price Sensitivity and Television Exposures written by Vinay Kanetkar, Charles B. Weinberg, Doyle L. Weiss (1992) elaborates the contradictory findings with regard to increases in brand advertising activities lead to increase /decrease in price sensitivity. Mentioning the lack of data to measure the revelation of ones households to advertisements and to restrain competitive activities has been a major limitation to date. This paper finds in high-level of publicity of the product, house- holds brands choice and price sensitivity can decrease for two frequently purchased products though it says that increased advertising linked with increase households brand choice and price sensitivity as well. For a number of decades researchers have been attempting to understand the impact of marketing mix variables (price and advertising) on sales (or market share) of purchased goods. However, the interaction of price and advertising has not completely measured. Set of models designed to examine the effects of advertisings on price sensitivity. Dry dog food accounts for about 60% of total consumer expenditures and eighteen of the 39 brands have large differences in advertising intensity with only one brand had a market share greater than 10%, there were 186 unique brand available to consumers. Because of so many brand choices, minor brands combined into aggregate brand categories. In addition, brand-sizes ignored for three reasons. First, television advertising focuses on brand benefits and does not deal with package size. Second, the package size decision is likely, not a purchase-to-purchase decision. Finally, for the sample households, more than 70% of the dog food purchases were for a package size of five pounds. To reduce the number of alternatives to a manageable size, brands grouped into aggregate categories according to the size of their market share of 5% and brands advertised and not advertised, so the number of alternative comes down to 11. All brands attributes compared to each other as alternative of others. A similar procedure applied to the aluminum foil data. The aluminum foil market (in the test city) was aggregated to consist of three brands or choice alternatives, one major brand, private brands, and generic brands. Only the major brand advertised on television and the results were similar of that dog food. The results are steady with the point of view that increased advertising is associated with increased brand choice and price sensitivity. In light of the effect of advertising on sales, several points noted. Firstly, the purchases vary in buying behavior of households and reflect only short run effects for advertising and the other mix variables. Price sensitivity effects are generally short-lived. In addition, results show that the indirect effects of advertising have an important effect on price sensitivity; usually that the immediate impact of advertising is still low as compared to that of other variables. In turn, the hypothesis is constant with the confirmation that the information conveyed to consumers may not be underpinned the distinct traits and attributes of a brand. Rather, advertising may be increasing consumers brand awareness, strengthen resemblance with other brands, and increasing price competition at the retail level. The interpretation of this means that good advertising that builds market power is difficult to develop and maintain. Variables: Brand choice, Market share, preferred brands, Direct competition, Awareness among consumers, Search costs, Brand equity, Display activities, and Brand loyalty. H0: Advertising diminishes the effect of Consumer Price Sensitivity The article The Effects of Advertising on Co

Human Development and Behaviour Case Study

Human Development and Behaviour Case Study Kaitlyn Elliot In this essay I will look at the different stages of some of the care service users in the case study and identify their aspects of development and their influences. I will also look at their life experiences and how a care worker could understand the behaviour of a care service user in the case study. Seamus who is at his older adulthood stage has multiple sclerosis and has been very ill for some time. It is important to find meaning of life instead of not wanting to do anything because you are old and feel like you should not be doing certain things. Physically Seamus reaction time is slowing down because of the loss of brain connections that break down as he gets older. He will find a gradual loss in muscle strength and mobility. Having strong muscles is important as they provide the force and strength to move the body so this will affect his posture and walk, and lead to slower movement. Having Multiple sclerosis also influences his physical development such as his vision, balance and can cause dizziness. This will make it harder for him to do the things he normally does in life or he maybe has to ask Marie to do it for him. Emotionally Seamus will be feeling more dependent on others and this could be making him upset or even depressed. He will be feeling worthless and helpless . These emotions could be influenced by the psychological reaction to MS or the side effects of the drugs he is having to take. He just wants to be treated the same way he was when he wasnt in the older adulthood stage. Stress is a normal part of life for most people and Seamus might be feeling stressed and upset about his daughter be depressed and trying to take her own life, but in addition people with MS have to deal with the pressure the condition itself causes. Seamus grandchildren visiting often would be a great pleasure for him and make him happy however they have been moved to residential units so he wont get to see them. Socialising in the older adulthood stage is important for the stimulation and motivation and may be more confident and experience a social life since he has more free time. However, he might struggle to go out because of his condition. Contact with his own children is important however his daughter is in hospital so he might find this hard to keep in contac t with her. Cognitive development is also important in the older adulthood as they dont want to feel useless. However, Seamus might take in new information slower than he used to. MS can also cause memory and thinking problems. He might also be unable to find the right word that he is thinking about. Celebrating familiar culture traditions can be comforting for Seamus and maybe make him happier. Having a sense of belonging to a community is important for him and may help him feel useful in a way and also wanted. John is at his adolescence stage in life and is going through a lot of development stages. Physically he is rapidly increasing in growth and weight and he is just starting to hit puberty this means his voice is deepening and has a large increase in muscle strength. Peers are very important at this stage and they might be influencing him at school to not be doing his homework as they dont think its cool enough for them. However because John is staying with his grandparents due to changes in family circumstances they do not allow him to have any friends over to socialize with, so this could be effecting his social development in a way that he feels lonely. John is having a lot of conflict with his grandparents as they do not like loud music and are becoming intolerant of having the children living with them. Emotionally John will be feeling upset and not knowing how to cope with the death of his father or the way his mum is. We can also see he is angry when his sister is put in a diffe rent residential unit 50 miles away from the one he is at and that she starts to make new friends and he has already absconded twice. Johns cognitive development is strongly noticed when he questions the views of his grandfather and starts to argue with him when he is trying to help him do his homework. Johns father Fred wanted his children to be doctors but John questions this when his grandfather is pushing him to be one when all he cares about is footballs. Being a part of peer culture is important for john at his age however with his grandparents being strict and not allowing him to do so is affecting his cultural development. Ola has had a few life experiences in her time one of these being the road accident where she lost her husband and had to give up working because of her injuries and depression from the accident. The Kubler Ross Grief cycle is a theory which allows us to understand how grief can impact on Olas life. Ola is currently in the denial and depression stage of the cycle as she is refusing to accept the facts and reality of the crash and she is also avoiding her own children and family as she may be feeling overwhelmed and helplessness after being admitted to hospital after trying to take her own life. A care worker could understand Johns behaviour by looking at the Carol Rodgers theory, as he believes that people can only fulfil their potential for growth if they have a positive view about their self and this can only happen if they are valued and respected by those around them. We can see that John doesnt feel valued or respected by his grandparents as they are not allowing him to have any friends over or even have a social life and just want him to do homework so he does well at school as his dad wanted his kids to be doctors when all John really cares about is football so this shows us he is not able to fulfil his potential for growth. Another theory the care worker could use is Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. This theory is similar to Rodgers as they both believe that all humans are motivated towards achieving their full potential. Maslow stated that People are motivated to achieve certain needs and that some needs take precedence over others. Our most basic need is for physical s urvival, and this will be the first thing that motivates our behaviour. Frustrated and unmet needs can lead to dysfunctional behaviour. John isnt achieving the belongingness and love needs as he has lost his dad, his mum is refusing to see him and his grandparents are struggling to cope with him and his sister so moved them to residential units which has angered john and caused him to lash out. So this could be another way a care user could try to understand why johns behaviour is the way it is and help support him through his difficulties. References: SFEU (2007) National Qualifications Phycology for Care Intermediate 2 www.simplypyschology.org

Virginia Woolf’s Orlando Essay -- Literary

Virginia Woolf’s Orlando Born in the late nineteenth century, Virginia Woolf’s visionary mind emerged in a social climate that did not cultivate the intellectual development of women. In England’s waning Victorian era, the upper classes of women were encouraged to become nothing more than obedient wives, self-effacing mothers, servile hostesses, and cheerful, chattering tea-drinkers, expectations that Virginia Woolf shunned, renounced, and ultimately denounced in her writings. Beside being born into a patriarchal culture, Virginia Woolf was also born into a family headed by a man who made it clear that he "expected more from his sons than his daughters" (Bazin 4). Although he considered Virginia as "the darling, the pet" (70) of the family, after the death of his second wife, her father Leslie Stephen fell into a deep depression that commanded "demands upon his children for pity and devotion [that] were almost unbearable" (4). Woolf herself wrote in her diary that she would never have been able to produce as much work as she did had her father not died fairly early in her life: "His life would have entirely ended mine. What would have happened? No writing, no books:-- inconceivable" (Gilbert and Gubar 192). Although he "allowed" Virginia to read and write, Leslie Stephen can be attributed with only a little more than genetic contribution to his daughter’s genius. Orlando is the paragon of Virginia Woolf’s literary genius. Published in 1928, the novel is a fictional biography of Woolf’s friend Vita Sackville-West. The novel is dedicated to Vita and "has been called ‘the longest and most charming love letter in literature’" (Meese 469). This crucial biographical context is often overlooked, a displacement which hinders the f... ...a Woolf. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. 223-230. Marder, Herbert. Feminism & Art: A Study of Virginia Woolf. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1968. Meese, Elizabeth. "When Virginia Looked at Vita, What Did She See; or, Lesbian: Feminist: Woman- What’s the Differ(e/a)nce?" Feminisms: An Anthology of Literary Theory and Criticism. Ed. Robyn R. Warhol and Diane Price Herndl. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1997. Moi, Toril. Sexual/Textual Politics: Feminist Literary Theory. New York: Routledge, 1985. Walker, Nancy A. Feminist Alternatives: Irony and Fantasy in the Contemporary Novel by Women. Jackson: UP of Mississippi, 1990. West, Paul. "Enigmas of Imagination: Orlando Through the Looking Glass." Virginia Woolf. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1986. 83-100. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography. 1928. New York: Penguin Books, 1946.

Essay Considering Gertrude of Shakespeares Hamlet -- GCSE English Lit

Gertrude of Hamlet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Hamlet, Gertrude is a woman who means no harm but whose poor judgment contributes greatly to the terrible events that occur. There are only two female characters in the play, and neither one--Gertrude or Ophelia--is assertive. But the decisions Gertrude does make eventually lead to her death and the downfall of others as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We first realize in Act I, Scene 2 that poor judgment is her major character flaw. As the mother of a grieving son, Gertrude should have been more sensitive to Hamlet's feelings. Instead, less than two months after King Hamlet's death, Gertrude remarries Claudius, her dead husband's own brother. Gertrude should have realized how humiliated Hamlet would feel as a result, because at that time it was considered incestuous for a widow to marry her husband's brother. There is also jealousy on the part of a son, who feels that his mother should be giving him more attention during the mourning period. Gertrude is not in touch with her own son's feelings to see why he is angry. Hamlet expresses this outrage during his first soliloquy: O, most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! (I.ii 156-157) Gertrude is shown to be a loving mother but a parent who cannot read into her sons's behavior. When answering Hamlet, she says that it is common for all men to die, but this is not just any man who has died, she should realize; it's Hamlet's own father! Also, when Gertrude asks Hamlet:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If it be, Why seems it so particular with thee? (I.ii 74-75) she means to calm him down, but the word "seems" only makes Hamlet more suspicious. She fails to realize that in his sensitive mood, the word "seems" will give Hamlet the ... ... him! But she finally has to admit to herself that Claudius is guilty of murdering old Hamlet and of trying to murder Hamlet. When she warns Hamlet not to drink the wine, she again is showing compassion for her son and her wish to protect him from danger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In other words, the play's last scene summarizes Gertrude's two sides. As a mother, she means well and does have concern for her son but her bad decisions and failure to judge people correctly are a major cause of the tragedy. If Gertrude had been a different kind of person, many of the deaths might not have happened.    List of Works Cited Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean Tragedy. New York, 1965. Cohen, Michael. "Hamlet" in My Mind's Eye. Athens (Georgia), 1980. Coyle, Martin, ed. New Casebooks: Hamlet. New York, 1992. King, Walter N. Hamlet's Search for Meaning. Athens (Georgia), 1982-.

Clothes Make a Man

It is said that we can judge a man’s character from his dress; But it’s not always so. Dress can only help us to a certain extent in knowing the broad facts of a man’s character. A man who wears a costly dress is necessarily a man of lavish habits. On the other hand, a man who wears tattered clothes is not necessarily a man of miserly habits. He may be do so only due to his financial limitations. Yet it is true that in some cases dressserves as a useful index to the character of a man. Some common examples, from which we can get some idea of a man’s character from his dress, are given below. We daily come across such persons as put on clothes of loud colours. We find them dressed in gaudy colours. They wear bushshirts printed withThe faces factors and actresses. So, is the case with their shoes. Shoes withdifferent designs on them are liked by them. We can easily know thecharacter of such people by looking at the way in which they dress. Suchpeople, if we carefully observe them, are very fond of show and ostentation. They lack the maturity of taste. They do not have sober habits. We can know this by their dress. Many people even if they are given costly and decent clothes, will maketheir appearance shabby and ineffective. They will put on the shirt or thecoat, but will not button it up. The laces of their shoes will remain untied. If they use the tie they will not put the knot properly. They never botherwhether their clothes are pressed or not. As these people are with theirclothes, so they are with their habits. They behave carelessly in other matters also. They are slovenly in their dress, living, reading and other ways also. So in this way, dress reflects their character. Besides this, we find people wearing very simple dress. A white ‘kurta’,‘dhoti’, and a white cap on the head and simple ‘chappals’ are all that they dress themselves in. But their clothes are always very neat and clean. Though they do not waste much of their valuable time in dressing, yet they do not use their dress carelessly. Such people show that they are thefollowers of the principle, â€Å"Simple living and high thinking†. They do notbelieve in ostentation. Mostly such people are intellectual. Broadly speaking, the dress of a man helps us to know his character. But atthe same time it may also be added that the dress should not be regarded as the sole index to the character of a man. Many saints and Sadhuscompletely neglect their dress. But it does not mean that they are very low either in their mental or emotional standard. On the contrary, they raise themselves so high from the level of such worldly considerations that dress becomes quite meaningless to them. In the present age, Mahatma Gandhiused to wear only a loin cloth. But he was the man before whom the entire world bowed its head. So in judging the character of a man dress can kelp us only to a certain extent. It can never be the sole guide. We should alsotake other factors into consideration in judging a man.

College: A Sound Investment Essay

Cost is always about loss. When we consider opportunity cost, we consider what losses an opportunity brings us. One of the most enduring â€Å"opportunities† individuals receive is education. Society is immersed in messages about the benefits of education, but what about the costs? Any important decision should involve a sound cost-benefit analysis. Do the benefits outweigh the costs? This is the basic question of decision-making—of investment. Is college worth the investment? In consideration of this question, I would first need an estimate of the cost of college. First, I would tally the basic, overt costs. Tuition, books, room and board, travel expenses (for commuters): each of these components would subtracts from my finances. Suppose all of these expenses add up to roughly fifteen thousand dollars per year. Now, if I subtracted around five thousand dollars for scholarship, I would be left with a net debt of ten thousand dollars per year. At the end of my college experience, the cost of college would be around forty thousand dollars, correct? Incorrect—I have failed to consider the â€Å"hidden† costs of college. Namely, I have not aken into account the wages I have lost because I chose to be in the classroom rather than in the workforce. With a high school education, I might have expected a job that pays perhaps fifteen thousand dollars a year. Four years of this wage would leave me with a gross profit of sixty thousand dollars. So, what is my overall cost of college now?†¦ 100,000 dollars. What was I thinking? For one, I was thinking that without a higher education I could have expected my wages to rise by at most five thousand dollars, if I was being generous. No advancement in my nowledge or skill sets would have corresponded with no job growth opportunities and thus no significant income growth. Therefore, short of winning the lottery, my wages would remain relatively stagnant. I was also thinking that with a college degree as my backing, I would have the leverage to position myself into an entry-level job that would pay at the very minimum twenty-thousand to twenty-five thousand dollars. Further, I was thinking that entry-level positions lead to advancement. Entry-level positions lead to opportunity. With a decade of strong ork ethic, I have a respectable chance of cracking the forty to fifty thousand dollar barrier, if not more. With just two years of such a salary, I would compensate for the one hundred thousand dollar investment I made to ensure my career. I was thinking that I would much rather retire with a net worth of in the hundreds of thousands rather than the prospect of a retirement where the number 100,000 is still as magical and elusive as that winning lottery number. Most important, I was thinking that I would gladly pay the â€Å"opportunity cost† today to realize the â€Å"opportunity†Ã¢â‚¬â€for myself and for my future family—tomorrow.

Justice In “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee Essay

â€Å"†¦in this country our courts are the great levellers, and in our courts all men are created equal.† Describe and explain how justice and injustice are represented through events and characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. Justice, what is right and fair by all of society’s standards and morals, is represented, along with injustice, through events and characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. â€Å"†¦in this country our courts are the great levellers, and in our courts all men are created equal.† (Atticus, pg227). One type of justice is the legal kind, the kind in our courts, where men are found guilty or innocent. The other is any right or just act. â€Å"The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.† (Atticus, pg116). In To Kill a Mockingbird these justices and injustices are represented through Atticus, Tom Robinson, Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley, and through the prejudices of people. In To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch represents the epitome of justice, through his belief in equality. He has a great belief in the legal system, and a belief that it will be fair and equal to all. â€Å"Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levellers, and in our courts all men are created equal. ‘I’m no idealist to believe in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system – that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality.† (Atticus, pgs 226-227). Atticus Finch, a lawyer by profession, has a deep rooted belief that the court system will be just and fair, as that is what it stands for. Atticus is also just in that he is not prejudice; he does not think himself above another man based on skin colour. â€Å"‘The handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White Only; the handful of people who say a fair trial is for everyone, not just us; the handful of people with enough humility to think, when they look at a negro, there but for the Lord’s kindness am I.'† (Miss Maudie, pg261). Miss Maudie shared the same beliefs as Atticus, the belief that everyone is equal. Through Atticus there is also an injustice shown, not in how he treats others, but by how he is treated. â€Å"‘Mr Cunningham is basically a good man,’ he [Atticus] said, ‘he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us.’ Jem spoke. ‘Don’t call that a blind spot. He’da killed you last night when he first went there.'†Ã‚  (pg173). Because of his belief that Tom Robinson deserved a fair trial, he was a target for anger, which is an instance of injustice. Atticus shows that treating everyone equally is the right thing to do, and that is justice. On the other hand, Tom Robinson is a perfect example of injustice. He had a good character, and was a kind-hearted person who got accused, and convicted, of rape because of the basis that he was black. He tried to help Mayella Ewell, but was looked down upon because of this. â€Å"‘Yes suh. I felt sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ’em -‘ ‘You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?’ Mr Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling.† (pg218). It was unheard of in the 1930’s white society that this book was set in to have a black man feel sorry for a white woman, and this added to the reason why Tom got convicted. â€Å"‘Given,’ said Atticus. ‘Tom Robinson’s a coloured man, Jem. No jury in this part of the world’s going to say, â€Å"We think you’re guilty, but not very,† on a charge like that. It was either straight acquittal or nothing.'† (pg242). Tom was found guilty on the sole account of him being black. As a result of this conviction, Tom gave up hope and lost all reason to live. â€Å"Atticus leaned against the refrigerator, pushed up his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. ‘We had such a good chance,’ he said. ‘I told him what I thought, but I couldn’t in truth say that we had more than a good chance. I guess Tom was tired of white men’s chances and preferred to take his own.'† (pg260). Tom couldn’t live with being found guilty of a crime he was innocent of solely based on the fact that he was black, so he decided to try escaping, ultimately resulting in his death. That is one of the greatest injustices shown in To Kill a Mockingbird. Prejudice, a main theme of To Kill a Mockingbird, is another representation of injustice in the novel. Racism is the most obvious type of prejudice, and this is shown through the trial and the outcome of it. â€Å"Well, coming out of the court-house that night Miss Gates was – she was goin’ down the steps in front of us, you musta not seen her – she was talking to Miss Stephanie Crawford. I heard her say that it’s time somebody taught ’em a lesson, they were getting way above themselves, an’ the next thing they think they can do is marry us. Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an’ then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home – ?† (Scout, pg272). In the 1930’s, being  racist was seen as normal. Atticus, for example, was seen as unusual because he thought that whites weren’t above blacks. â€Å"‘Cry about the simple hell people give other people – without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give coloured folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people too.'† (Dolphus Raymond, pg222). The prejudice of racism is shown throughout the book, and because of Atticus’ views, Scout begins to see it as unfair and unjust. Another type of prejudice that is briefly touched upon is that of sexual discrimination. â€Å"For one thing, Miss Maudie can’t serve on a jury because she’s a woman.’ ‘You mean women in Alabama can’t – ?’ I was indignant.† (Atticus and Scout, pg244). Like racism, sexual discrimination is seen as common practice. The third type of prejudice is the most basic kind, the kind where one has formed an opinion of something or someone before knowing all the facts, such as what happened with Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley. â€Å"Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom. People said he existed but Jem and I had never seen him. People said he went out at night and when the moon was high, and peeped in windows.† (pg9). Jem and Scout had a preconceived idea of what Arthur was like because of what they had heard from other people, but they had never themselves met, or even seen him. The way in which he was seen was unjust; most people would not have accepted him because of their preconceptions. In the end, however, Scout and Jem realise what kind of person Arthur really is. â€Å"Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.† (pg308). Whether or not Arthur getting away with killing Bob Ewell is justice or not is a debatable one. On one hand, Boo was protecting the children, so it was a right deed. â€Å"‘I never heard tell that’s against the law for a citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he did,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Heck Tate, pg 304). Arthur is also a solitary creature, so if the fact that he killed Bob Ewell came into light, he would be in the limelight. â€Å"To my way of thinkin’, Mr Finch, taking the one man [Arthur] who’s done you and this town a great service an’ dragging him with his shy ways into the limelight – to me, that’s a sin. It’s a sin and I’m not about  to have it on my head. If it were any other man it’d be different. But not this man, Mr Finch.'† (Heck Tate, pg 304). Even Scout seems to understand Heck Tate’s arguments. â€Å"‘Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?'† (Scout, pg304). On the other hand, Boo did kill a man, and according to the law he committed murder, even if it was in self-defence. â€Å"†¦it’s my duty to tell the town all about it and not hush it up.† (Heck Tate, pg304). In either case, the murder of Bob Ewell, and Arthur Radley being let off for it, is an example of justice, whether it is for the good of justice, or for injustice’s sake. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus, Tom Robinson, his trial and subsequent death, the treatment of Arthur Radley and Bob Ewell’s death, and the prejudice of people, whether it be racial, sexual, or a misconception show the issues of justice, injustice, and how they are represented throughout the novel.