Beauty Advertisements Psychology Essay

Beauty Advertisements Psychology Essay Beauty Advertisements Psychology Essay Example Beauty Advertisements Psychology Essay Example In the contemporary world, the mass media, specifically advertisements in magazines and newspapers, greatly influence the everyday lives of people. The most dangerous effect of the mass media is that it imposes societal beauty ideals. In most cases, beauty advertisements negatively affect young girls and women. In fact, such type of advertisement may undermine mental and physical health of a person, thereby lowering their self-esteem and developing depression. Moreover, the mass media can distort womens understanding of beauty. While many celebrities are perceived as role models by the consumers, the latter may take radical measures such as plastic surgery in order to be like their ideals. In this respect, victims of beauty advertisements, specifically teenagers, can hardly differentiate reality from fantasy. Media Imagined Beauty For Us Thus, commercials greatly manipulate people’s consciousness, forcing them to waste their money and purchase unnecessary products. Although there are some examples of beauty advertisements that do not humiliate or control women’s minds, there still exists a possibility of harm they may cause. Therefore, while advertising creates unreachable beauty standards that appeal to womens consciousness and affect their choices, this issue has to be addressed due to the harmful impact commercials make on womens lives. Today, media marketing impacts the consumers in many different ways. For example, beauty commercials cause harm to mental and physical health. Thus, advertisements may undermine persons self-esteem and, in turn, cause depression and feeling of insecurity. While advertisements usually create unrealistic images of beauty, many women tend to become anxious about their bodies and appearance. Apparently, the popular media created the trend of a thin body as an excellent example for women to follow (â€Å"Technology and media,† n.d.). Consequently, looking at advertisements in the modern media where most models are thin, young girls and women who do not fit this ideal may torture themselves by diets and even suffer from hunger in order to be like their idols. Furthermore, such commercials support formation of low self-confidence as well as low self-esteem in many women (Britton, 2012). The reason is that while contemplating magazine models or celebrities with perfect bodies, teenage girls try to emulate them. According to Grabe, Hyde, and Ward (2008), â€Å"Approximately 50% of girls and undergraduate women report being dissatisfied with their bodies† (p. 460). In this respect, women are more focused on the fact how they look than on their occupations and character. In fact, beauty commercials are strongly connected with the creation of insecurity. For example, when young girls or women are shown images of models advertising products such as clothes, shoes, cosmetics, and perfume, there is likelihood that they will be dissatisfied with their bodies as well as find themselves less attractive (Trampe, Stapel, Siero, 2011). Therefore, beauty advertisements negatively influence womens vision of themselves. At the same time, commercials may cause development of depression as well as anorexia nervosa. When women see thin bodies on the screen, they take these fictitious images as role models. In fact, a major target of such advertisements is young girls because they are inexperienced consumers. The reason is that the adolescents only start learning their values and roles, as well as developing their self-esteem. While all adolescents are likely to be influenced by the messages that advertisements send, the products provide them with what they want. Thus, a cigarette or a can of beer is a symbol of independence, while a pair of jeans or fashionable shoes represent status (Kilbourne, 1999, p. 129). When young girls see images of women, usually in unreal scopes, they perceive it as a standard, which they should reach when they will mature. According to the report provided by the American Psychological Association, girls are greatly exposed to images shown in advertisements, and thus they are more susceptible to depression, low self-evaluation, and eating disorders (Aneja, 2014, p. 25). From the early years, girls risk becoming victims of many illnesses, and one of them is anorexia (Frisby, 2004, p. 330). According to Harrison and Cantor (1997), anorexia nervosa is a dangerous disorder that threatens human life (p. 45). It is described by the refusal to consume food in order to maintain appropriate body weight. Talking about people who suffer from anorexia, they tend to be afraid of gaining weight that, in turn, may cause depression. Swinson (2011) stated that â€Å"one in four people is depressed about their body, and almost half of girls in a recent survey think the pressure to look good is the worst part of being female†. Thus, a beauty advertisement triggers the development of illnesses in young girls and women. Moreover, beauty commercials mislead women and provide them with false images of beauty, forcing them to be perfect. Britton (2012) stated that in 2007, 11.7 million of cosmetic surgical products depicted in beauty advertisements greatly raised the number of cosmetic surgeries. The obsession with perfect models bodies, skin, and hair evokes the desire of consumers to search for a quick fix of their imperfections. As a result, paying great attention to appearance, many women do cosmetic surgeries in order to look younger and more sexually attractive (Kilbourne, 1999, p. 72). More importantly, these advertisements influence the way women perceive themselves. Commercials make consumers feel that they are not attractive enough compared to the advertised ideal images. Thus, advertisements create role models for women that usually remain unreachable. Consequently, women are not confident and happy with their appearance and body because every day in beauty commercials they are told that the y do not fit the established idea of beauty. The idealized shape and size make women feel miserable and abandoned. Furthermore, older women are under pressure from beauty commercials when young and thin 20-years-old models are presented. Unfortunately, women can hardly comprehend that models in advertisements are photoshopped in order to possess stereotypical norms of beauty. Thus, women make futile efforts to follow the role model portrayed in the advertisement, ignoring the natural beauty of their years (Aneja, 2014, p. 22). While advertisements increase the interest of consumers in beauty products, they lower their self-evaluations, forcing to perform ill-considered and risky acts. In fact, beauty advertisements manipulate human consciousness, making people buy unnecessary products. Apparently, commercials affect peoples preferences, choices, as well as perceived needs. Frequency of beauty advertisements on TV and in magazines has formed peoples conception of the particular product. Moreover, advertisements force consumers to better remember and recognize brands. As a result, even if a woman does need one more lipstick or sweater, she will probably purchase it because of the images created by the advertisement in her head. In most cases, commercials do not simply show rational arguments in favor of a product, but rather attempt to affect womens emotions. Being guided by emotions, women are more likely to make unnecessary purchases. According to Beauty at Any Cost (2008), â€Å"The YWMCA reported that $7 billion is spent each year on cosmetics† (as cited in Britton, 2012). In most beauty advertisements, female bodies, sexuality, and seductive images are u sed in order to draw mens attention to the products. In addition, sexually depicted celebrities and models in advertisement are viewed as unattainable ideals for young girls. Hereby, such commercials promote the need for women to look sexy. To look more attractive, women waste their money on goods they actually do not need. Thus, impacting womens thoughts and attitudes, the advertisement achieves its main target that is to earn more money by selling a particular product. Although the above-mentioned arguments show that advertisements have a harmful impact on womens mental and physical health, there can be found counterarguments to prove their beneficial effect. For example, there is a thought that advertising helps to improve the economy. Nowadays, people meet advertisements everywhere, namely on the streets, in movies and magazines, and on the Internet. Thus, the more successful advertising industry is, the more money to the economy of the country it may bring. Moreover, advertisements make some products cheaper as well as provide specific ideas and information about them (Plumer, 2012). On the contrary, too much beauty advertisements in newspapers and magazines can be very dangerous. While advertisements promote images, values, vision of wealth and beauty as well as concepts of love and sexuality, they might be very harmful. Thus, beauty commercials show people how they should look like and what they have to wear in order to be accepted by the mode rn world. In some cases, advertisements may trigger addictions that, in turn, bring many problems to the consumers. Moreover, people pay a lot of money for advertisements as well as risk their health. At the same time, the income of advertising companies has grown during the last years (Kilbourne, n.d.). Commercials provide billions of dollars for different companies across the world (Kilbourne, n.d.). Although advertisements inform people about a particular product, the majority of them can be harmful. Watching too many advertisements, people tend to want excessive amounts of things that they do not need or even can hardly afford (Samson, 2013). Ide (2011) noted that too much beauty commercials might make people feel inadequate when they do not have something they want. While the advertisement brings economical success to the industry, it has a harmful impact on its audience. At the same time, there are advertisements which depict average size women. For example, â€Å"Dove Real Beauty† Campaign that has been conducted almost ten years ago portrays women of all races and sizes to demonstrate female beauty. The particular advertisement does not have any hint on pressure or manipulation that the other commercials usually have. In fact, there are no digitally manipulated images of extremely thin models, making women feel unattractive or fat. Thus, the aim of the campaign is to let consumers feel confident. The advertisement depicts women with the average size, natural faces, and of different age, who are satisfied with their appearance. The rebuttal of this counterargument is the fact that this campaign might be more harmful to women and girls than any regular advertisement. While advertising has taught women to compare themselves to the ideal images they recently saw, this potentially might lead them to make comparisons with the images of real women (Celebre Denton, 2014). In this regard, â€Å"Dove Real Beauty† Campaign as well as its audience remains in a risk zone. Therefore, in one way or another, the advertisement influences self-esteem of women, forcing them to compare themselves with the presented women’s body or appearance. Therefore, an advertisement creates an unreal and dreamlike world where all people are thin, beautiful, and perfect. Beauty commercials depict the way in which humans should look, causing many problems to them. The ideals imposed by beauty advertisements surround young girls and women every day. Advertisements create the entire world view, pressing women to take actions that they would never do under other circumstances. To gain a profit for their products, companies refer to advertisements that constantly affect womens self-esteem in a harmful way. Commercials make women feel that they are not attractive enough, pushing them to make plastic surgeries, torture themselves by diets, and spend a lot of money on unnecessary products. Moreover, young girl and women risk suffering from depression and stress due to their appearance. Although there are some advertisements aimed at exposing the falseness of stereotypical views on beauty, they do not forbid their consumers to follow the images they represent. Therefore, beauty advertisements have a negative impact on womens perception of themselves, body, health, and self-esteem.

How Should You Spend the Night Before the SAT

How Should You Spend the Night Before the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The night before the SAT can be stressful, to say the least. Maybe you’re not sure about the best way to prepare yourself during these final hours - all you know is that you want to do the best you can on the exam. Well, we’ve made it easy (and stress-free) for you to do what you need to do the night before the test. Here, I’ll lay out everything you should and shouldn’t do before you head to bed in order to ensure your best possible score. Follow these tips - including everything from logistical concerns to exam prep strategies - to wake up confident, refreshed, and ready. Let’s get started! Take Care of Logistics You don’t want to wake up the morning of the SAT only to stress yourself out over some silly detail. Squaring away these logistical issues the night before the test serves two purposes: You save yourself time, hassle, and stress the next morning. You can distract yourself from any anxieties the night before by focusing on getting organized. Logistical Details to Take Care of the Night Before the SAT Know what time the test is and when you need to be there. Plan on getting there 15-20 minutes early to account for any unforeseen timing issues. If you’re not sure when the test is, double-check your College Board account. Know where the test is, how to get there, and how long it’ll take you to get there.You can double-check the location on your exam ticket or at your College Board account.I’d encourage you to use Google Maps to plan out the fastest route. Enter your arrive by time for the next morning in addition to the testing center address and your starting point- Google Maps will tell you when to leave! Set multiple alarms, especially if you’re prone to oversleeping. Give yourself 10-15 extra minutes to get ready in the morning - you don’t want to feel rushed. If possible, have a family member (preferably a morning person) agree to check in on you to make sure you’re up Gather everything you should bring for test day. There are only a few items you have to bring, but there are several other items that would be smart to have for the test: Your admission ticket (mandatory) Acceptable photo ID(mandatory) Several sharpened #2 pencils (mandatory) A couple of erasers An approved calculator + extra batteries A watch (without an audible alarm) A bottle of water and snacks to eat during breaks. These may have to stay in your bag, locker, or up at the test administrator’s desk and will have to be consumed outside of the testing room. Know what you shouldn’t bring on test day. If you bring any forbidden items, it could lead to delays and hassles. Here’s a list of items you should leave at home: Anything electronic device aside from your calculator and watch (and no, you can’t wear a smart watch). If you’re caught with a computing or recording device - even if it’s accidental - you could jeopardize your scores. Any writing utensils or tools aside from your #2 pencils. This includes things like rulers, protractors, colored pens and pencils, and highlighters. Any pamphlets or papers. There are only two places you can write on during the test: the test booklet (which is not graded) and your answer sheet. Dictionaries or other books. A note about cell phones: If you don’t have to bring your phone, then don’t. If you must bring your phone, make sure to turn it offwell before the start of the test. Your proctor will confiscate the phone and immediately cancel your scores if it makes any noise, or if you access the phone at any point during the test. Set out all your clothes for the next morning. Pick comfortable clothes that you’d be okay sitting around in for a few hours. An example of what you definitely don't want to be doing while you're taking the SAT Take Care ofYourself Now that we have all of the logistical stuff out of the way, we can get to the fun stuff: self-care! Students sometimes forget that the best thing you can do before a big test is to relax. If you’re tired, hungry, and stressed out the morning of an exam, chances are you won’t do so well no matter how hard you studied. Here, I’ll go over the things you should do and the things you should avoid doing the night before the SAT. What You Should Do Eat a satisfying and healthy dinner - ideally something with produce, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Your brain needs fuel! On that note,plan your breakfast for the next morning. Something quick, easy, and filling should do the trick, like whole-grain cereal or a bowl of oatmeal. Get in bed earlier than usual -maybe 30-60 minutes before your normal bedtime. This gives you a bit more time to fall asleep if you’re having trouble. If you can't get to sleep, here are some things you can try: Do some light, gentle stretches. Anything more strenuous than that might keep you awake. Listen to some relaxing music. Take a warm bath. Drink a cup of herbal tea (just make sure to stay away from caffeine). Take a shower to save time the next morning.This may also help you relax and get to sleep. If your normal routine is to shower in the morning, though, then skip this step. What You Shouldn't Do Play video games, surf the internet, or play on your phone for 2-3 hours before you go to bed. The light from the screens and monitors can keep you from falling asleep. Disrupt your normal bedtime routine.If you do certain things before bed every night, follow through with your normal rituals. Take any medications to help you go to sleep.Unless sleep medications are part of your normal bedtime routine, avoid any sleep aids. They could negatively affect you through the next morning, making you groggy and slow. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! Prepare for the Exam Obviously, you should be cramming as much as possible for the test the next morning. Everyone knows that the best way to do well is to stress yourself out, stay up really late, and work on as many practice problems as possible. Just kidding... that’s a terrible idea. Each student is unique, and as such may have different feelings about reviewing material the night before the SAT. Here are a couple of different strategies you can take, and the pros and cons of each: Strategy #1: Don't Review Anything This strategy is my personal favorite. If you’ve prepared well for the test (and even if you haven’t!), I don’t think you can process and retain much more useful information in the hours before the SAT. That being said, some students might get nervous if they’re missing out on time to review concepts or practice problems. Good SAT prep happens through long-term practice - it’s not a test where you can memorize a bunch of factoids and then brain-dump everything you’ve learned the next morning. Last-minute prep tends to stress me out, so I avoid it. If you feel the same way, this is probably the strategy for you. Strategy #2:Review Key Concepts and/or Problem Areas Some students may find it stressful to â€Å"force† themselves to relax by avoiding all SAT materials. If this sounds like you, you may want to take some time (say, 45 minutes - 1 hour) to briefly review key concepts. The most effective way to do this is toreview any notes you may have before working on a few practice problems. Stay away from screens while you do this - try to keep everything on paper. Keep the difficulty level of practice problems easy-intermediate. Working on difficult problems can stress you out for the next morning, and could prevent you from falling asleep. The Morning of the SAT: Tackling the Test If you've followed thetips and strategies listed so far, you'll hopefully wake up refreshed, confident, and ready for the SAT. Here are some thingsto do the morning of the test to help you be as successful as possible: You know that breakfast you set out for yourself last night? Eat it! Some people get nervousstomachsthe morning of the test, andeating just a little something can help. Also, a satisfied stomach will help you stay more focused and alert while you're working on the SAT. The most important meal of the day is extra important the day of the SAT Try to avoid caffeine.It can make you feel nervous and jittery, especially if you aren't a regular coffee-drinker. Since it's a diuretic, it can also send you to the bathroom more often during the test. That being said, definitely do notavoid caffeine ifit's part of your normal morning routine. Stay in the moment.It's easy to get overwhelmed at the prospect of finishing the whole SAT test. But remember, you don't have to do that all at once - you work on one problem at a time, and you finish one section at a time. Once a section is finished, it's finished- your responsibility to it is over, and your focus should be completely on the work you're currently doing. After you've finished with the exam, reward yourself for your hard work! Even though you're sitting for the whole test, you may find yourself surprisingly burnt out after the SAT is over.After sitting around for a test like the SAT, I like to go for a run or grab a nice lunch. The hard part - actually prepping for the exam - is over. Try to think of the test as an opportunity to use what you've learnedthus far. My final pieces of advice:take a deep breath, andtrust your own knowledge and skills. You've got this! What's Next? Not quite ready to take the SAT? Not to worry - we have a ton of great articles to check out if you want to work on prepping for the test. Start with our complete guide to the SAT - this will give you a good run-down of the test and its contents. If already spent some time familiarizing yourself with the old SAT, read about why the changes to the exam aren't as revolutionary as you might think. If your scheduled test is quickly approaching, we have resources for you too! Check out our guides to last-minute study tips and prep strategies.Use these tips to get the best scores possible. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

How Should You Spend the Night Before the SAT

How Should You Spend the Night Before the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The night before the SAT can be stressful, to say the least. Maybe you’re not sure about the best way to prepare yourself during these final hours - all you know is that you want to do the best you can on the exam. Well, we’ve made it easy (and stress-free) for you to do what you need to do the night before the test. Here, I’ll lay out everything you should and shouldn’t do before you head to bed in order to ensure your best possible score. Follow these tips - including everything from logistical concerns to exam prep strategies - to wake up confident, refreshed, and ready. Let’s get started! Take Care of Logistics You don’t want to wake up the morning of the SAT only to stress yourself out over some silly detail. Squaring away these logistical issues the night before the test serves two purposes: You save yourself time, hassle, and stress the next morning. You can distract yourself from any anxieties the night before by focusing on getting organized. Logistical Details to Take Care of the Night Before the SAT Know what time the test is and when you need to be there. Plan on getting there 15-20 minutes early to account for any unforeseen timing issues. If you’re not sure when the test is, double-check your College Board account. Know where the test is, how to get there, and how long it’ll take you to get there.You can double-check the location on your exam ticket or at your College Board account.I’d encourage you to use Google Maps to plan out the fastest route. Enter your arrive by time for the next morning in addition to the testing center address and your starting point- Google Maps will tell you when to leave! Set multiple alarms, especially if you’re prone to oversleeping. Give yourself 10-15 extra minutes to get ready in the morning - you don’t want to feel rushed. If possible, have a family member (preferably a morning person) agree to check in on you to make sure you’re up Gather everything you should bring for test day. There are only a few items you have to bring, but there are several other items that would be smart to have for the test: Your admission ticket (mandatory) Acceptable photo ID(mandatory) Several sharpened #2 pencils (mandatory) A couple of erasers An approved calculator + extra batteries A watch (without an audible alarm) A bottle of water and snacks to eat during breaks. These may have to stay in your bag, locker, or up at the test administrator’s desk and will have to be consumed outside of the testing room. Know what you shouldn’t bring on test day. If you bring any forbidden items, it could lead to delays and hassles. Here’s a list of items you should leave at home: Anything electronic device aside from your calculator and watch (and no, you can’t wear a smart watch). If you’re caught with a computing or recording device - even if it’s accidental - you could jeopardize your scores. Any writing utensils or tools aside from your #2 pencils. This includes things like rulers, protractors, colored pens and pencils, and highlighters. Any pamphlets or papers. There are only two places you can write on during the test: the test booklet (which is not graded) and your answer sheet. Dictionaries or other books. A note about cell phones: If you don’t have to bring your phone, then don’t. If you must bring your phone, make sure to turn it offwell before the start of the test. Your proctor will confiscate the phone and immediately cancel your scores if it makes any noise, or if you access the phone at any point during the test. Set out all your clothes for the next morning. Pick comfortable clothes that you’d be okay sitting around in for a few hours. An example of what you definitely don't want to be doing while you're taking the SAT Take Care ofYourself Now that we have all of the logistical stuff out of the way, we can get to the fun stuff: self-care! Students sometimes forget that the best thing you can do before a big test is to relax. If you’re tired, hungry, and stressed out the morning of an exam, chances are you won’t do so well no matter how hard you studied. Here, I’ll go over the things you should do and the things you should avoid doing the night before the SAT. What You Should Do Eat a satisfying and healthy dinner - ideally something with produce, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Your brain needs fuel! On that note,plan your breakfast for the next morning. Something quick, easy, and filling should do the trick, like whole-grain cereal or a bowl of oatmeal. Get in bed earlier than usual -maybe 30-60 minutes before your normal bedtime. This gives you a bit more time to fall asleep if you’re having trouble. If you can't get to sleep, here are some things you can try: Do some light, gentle stretches. Anything more strenuous than that might keep you awake. Listen to some relaxing music. Take a warm bath. Drink a cup of herbal tea (just make sure to stay away from caffeine). Take a shower to save time the next morning.This may also help you relax and get to sleep. If your normal routine is to shower in the morning, though, then skip this step. What You Shouldn't Do Play video games, surf the internet, or play on your phone for 2-3 hours before you go to bed. The light from the screens and monitors can keep you from falling asleep. Disrupt your normal bedtime routine.If you do certain things before bed every night, follow through with your normal rituals. Take any medications to help you go to sleep.Unless sleep medications are part of your normal bedtime routine, avoid any sleep aids. They could negatively affect you through the next morning, making you groggy and slow. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! Prepare for the Exam Obviously, you should be cramming as much as possible for the test the next morning. Everyone knows that the best way to do well is to stress yourself out, stay up really late, and work on as many practice problems as possible. Just kidding... that’s a terrible idea. Each student is unique, and as such may have different feelings about reviewing material the night before the SAT. Here are a couple of different strategies you can take, and the pros and cons of each: Strategy #1: Don't Review Anything This strategy is my personal favorite. If you’ve prepared well for the test (and even if you haven’t!), I don’t think you can process and retain much more useful information in the hours before the SAT. That being said, some students might get nervous if they’re missing out on time to review concepts or practice problems. Good SAT prep happens through long-term practice - it’s not a test where you can memorize a bunch of factoids and then brain-dump everything you’ve learned the next morning. Last-minute prep tends to stress me out, so I avoid it. If you feel the same way, this is probably the strategy for you. Strategy #2:Review Key Concepts and/or Problem Areas Some students may find it stressful to â€Å"force† themselves to relax by avoiding all SAT materials. If this sounds like you, you may want to take some time (say, 45 minutes - 1 hour) to briefly review key concepts. The most effective way to do this is toreview any notes you may have before working on a few practice problems. Stay away from screens while you do this - try to keep everything on paper. Keep the difficulty level of practice problems easy-intermediate. Working on difficult problems can stress you out for the next morning, and could prevent you from falling asleep. The Morning of the SAT: Tackling the Test If you've followed thetips and strategies listed so far, you'll hopefully wake up refreshed, confident, and ready for the SAT. Here are some thingsto do the morning of the test to help you be as successful as possible: You know that breakfast you set out for yourself last night? Eat it! Some people get nervousstomachsthe morning of the test, andeating just a little something can help. Also, a satisfied stomach will help you stay more focused and alert while you're working on the SAT. The most important meal of the day is extra important the day of the SAT Try to avoid caffeine.It can make you feel nervous and jittery, especially if you aren't a regular coffee-drinker. Since it's a diuretic, it can also send you to the bathroom more often during the test. That being said, definitely do notavoid caffeine ifit's part of your normal morning routine. Stay in the moment.It's easy to get overwhelmed at the prospect of finishing the whole SAT test. But remember, you don't have to do that all at once - you work on one problem at a time, and you finish one section at a time. Once a section is finished, it's finished- your responsibility to it is over, and your focus should be completely on the work you're currently doing. After you've finished with the exam, reward yourself for your hard work! Even though you're sitting for the whole test, you may find yourself surprisingly burnt out after the SAT is over.After sitting around for a test like the SAT, I like to go for a run or grab a nice lunch. The hard part - actually prepping for the exam - is over. Try to think of the test as an opportunity to use what you've learnedthus far. My final pieces of advice:take a deep breath, andtrust your own knowledge and skills. You've got this! What's Next? Not quite ready to take the SAT? Not to worry - we have a ton of great articles to check out if you want to work on prepping for the test. Start with our complete guide to the SAT - this will give you a good run-down of the test and its contents. If already spent some time familiarizing yourself with the old SAT, read about why the changes to the exam aren't as revolutionary as you might think. If your scheduled test is quickly approaching, we have resources for you too! Check out our guides to last-minute study tips and prep strategies.Use these tips to get the best scores possible. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

STRATEGIC ANALYSIS assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

STRATEGIC ANALYSIS - Assignment Example Though the amount posted by Dollar General for the merger was far better, the lack of compliance on the company’s part saw the deal being snatched away from the palm of their hands by Dollar Tree. The major requirement for the Dollar General- Family Dollar merger to come to fruition was that the former should sell at least 3500 overlapping stores as this would pose a problem with antitrust regulators. Dollar General was reluctant as the number was too high for it to divest. Family Dollar and Dollar Tree merger will be forced to part ways with 300 stores only. Therefore, the shareholders made a plausible choice by voting for Dollar Tree despite a lower initial amount that the company brought forth. Dollar General’s inability to divest more than 3500 stores meant that the merger would have faced problems with the antitrust regulators. Furthermore, the number of stores that were to be divested in the Dollar General- Family Dollar merger was very high and would cost the shareholders millions of dollars. On the other hand, Dollar Tree- Family Dollar merger would lead to loss of 300 stores that can be easily recovered in the near future. Merced, Michael. Family Dollar Shareholders Approve $8.5 Billion Deal with Dollar Tree. The New York Times, Jan. 22, 2015. Web. Feb. 7, 2015.

Are DNA Databases crossing the Line Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Are DNA Databases crossing the Line - Essay Example 122). Initially, DNA samples were only collected from criminals arrested in connection of felonious nature, but the courts now target DNA collection from every arrested citizen connected with any federal crime commission. Furthermore, more DNA samples will be collected from all immigrants who are under the custody of federal authorities. When this gets fully affected, these genetic identifiers will be increased at a rate of one million persons per year to the already culturing DNA database held by the various law enforcement organs of the federal jurisdiction (Kaye, 2006, pp. 74). As a result of this broad based approach, many contentions and disagreements have been raised and it seems this is just the beginning of a much larger scheme intended to privately scrutinize people without their prior knowledge. This paper therefore endeavors to make an insight into these fundamental factors among other issues revolving around the question of DNA databanks to find out their relevance or irreleva nce in relation to human and constitution rights’ protection guidelines. United Kingdom was the first government to set up a national government database in April 1995 using the SGM- Second Generation Multiplex DNA profiling system and from 1998 adopted the SGM+ system. By the end of 2005, the database had accumulated more than 3.1 million profiles, of which about 585,000 belonged to children below 16 years of age (Leigh, 2004, pp. 23). Towards the end of 2006, the database contained over 4 million records, becoming the largest DNA database in the world at the time. Furthermore, it is estimated that this figure is increasing at a rate of thirty thousand DNA samples every month. Most of these samples are accrued from scenes of crimes as well as those collected by police from arrested suspect. This was followed by New Zealand and in 1998 France set its

Wal-Mart Essay Example for Free

Wal-Mart Essay Wal-mart is the world’s largest retailer. The company employs some 1. 8million people,operates3,900 stores in the united states and 2,700 in the rest of the world, and generated sales of $345 billion in the fiscal year ending january31,2007. some $77billion of these sales wrer generated in 15 nations out side of the united states. Facing a slowdown in growth in the united states, wal-mart began its international expansion in the early 1900s when it entered mexico, teaming up in a joint venture with cifra, mexico’s largest retailer, to open series of super-centers that sell both groceris and general merchandise. Initially the retailer hit some headwinds in mexico. It quickly discovered that shopping habits wewe different. Most people prefered to buy fresh produce at local stores, particularly items like meat, tortillas , and pan dulce, which didn’t keep well overnight. Many consumers also lacked cars, and did not buy in large volumes as in the united states. Wal-mart adjusted its strategy to meet the local conditions, hiring local managers who understood mexican culture, letting those managers control merchandising strategy, building smaller stores that people could walk to, and offering more fresh produce, at the same time, the company beliveed that it could gradually change the shopping culture in mexico, educating consumers by showing them the benefits of its american merchandising culture. After all, wal-mart’s managers reasoned, people once shopped at small stores in the united states, but starting in the 1950s they increasingly gravidistribution systems in mexico, wal-mart was able to lower its own costes, which it passed on to mexico’s largest retailer, and the country is widely considered to be the companys most successful foreign venture.

Nuclear Fusion Essay -- physics nuclear fusion

The Industrial Revolution sparked a need for large sources of energy. Human and animal labor could not provide the power necessary to power industrial machinery, railroads, and ships. The steam engine and later the internal combustion engine provided the bulk of the energy required by the industrial age. Today most nations are still heavily reliant on energy that comes from combustion. Usually coal, petrolium, and natural gas are used. Some hydroelectric, wind power, and nuclear fission sources are used, but in the US they accounted for less than 20% of the total energy consumption in 1997 (1). Many experts are worried that natural resources such as coal and petrolium are being depleted faster than they are being replenished, which could result in an energy crisis. Nuclear fission produces highly radioactive waste that is expensive to dispose of properly. Nuclear fusion reactors would produce much less radioactive waste and would be more efficient than nuclear fission, but to date th ere have been no nuclear fusion reactors that have generated usable energy output. Why is fusion power, which could be very beneficial, so hard to come by? Nuclear fusion occurs when two atomic nuclei collide with enough energy to bind together to form one nucleus. Nuclear fusion occurs in the core of our sun, and is the source of its tremendous heat. In the sun hydrogen nuclei, single protons, fuse together and form a new nucleus. In the conversion, a small amount of mass is converted into energy. It is this energy that heats the sun. For nuclear fusion to occur, nuclei must have very high kinetic energies that will exceed the electrostatic repulsion between the nuclei. The extremely high temperature of the sun causes electrons to be stripped o... ... Power from nuclear fusion reactors would be a welcome achievement for the 21st century, and at the current rate of progress it seems likely that before the end of the new century energy will be available from nuclear fusion. It is estimated that it will take over a decade from the time a sustainable fusion reaction is achieved before fusion power will be available for use. But the attention being devoted to research is strong, the experiments are coming closer to fruition, and we are coming closer to having an almost limitless supply of energy. Bibliography 1) United States Department of Energy web site: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/sep/us/pecg.html (Accessed 11-22-2000) 2) Fundamentals of Physics Extended: Fifth Edition. David Hanley, Robert Resnick, Jearl Walker. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc, New York, Chichester, Brisbane, Toronto, Singapore. 1997.

Plant Imagery Throughout the Scarlet Letter

Honors American Lit. B The Scarlet Letter Pathway Paper – 694 wordsApril 23, 2013 Throughout The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne uses vegetation imagery in correlation with his ideas about sinful nature and god. When describing the prison in the very beginning of the novel, Hawthorne writes, â€Å"a grass-plot, much overgrown with†¦ such unsightly vegetation, which evidently found something congenial in the soil that had so early borne the black flower of civilized society, a prison† (45-46).Hawthorne uses the imagery of a black flower to depict the sinful nature of humans as it was inevitable that even in this new flourishing society the people there saw the need to build a prison. This vivid image also relates to the Puritan’s harsh view on sin in the community. Throughout the novel Hawthorne frequently criticizes the Puritan society, this being another example, â€Å"but the proprietor appeared already to have relinquished, as hopeless, the effort to perpetuate on this side of the Atlantic, in a hard soil and amid the close struggle for subsistence, the native English taste for ornamental gardening† (97).The description of the Governor’s ornamental garden shows the garden failing, as if the person caring for it had given up and realized that it was impossible to have the ornamental garden in Boston the way it was in England. This parallels Hawthorne’s beliefs about Puritan society in that their abstruse beliefs would not sustain in the new world they were creating, for god is depicted through nature demonstrating how Hawthorne feels god is looking down on the materialistic and frivolous ways of the Puritans.Later in the novel Chillingworth says, â€Å"wherefore not, since all the powers of nature call so earnestly for the confession of sin, that these black weeds have sprung up out of a buried heart, to make manifest an unspoken crime? † (119). Nature is being associated with god in this passage theref ore Hawthorne is saying that god calls for the confession of sin and goes on to say that god disapproves of a person that does not confess, thus the black weeds, mirroring sin, grow on the graves of those who cling to secrets.This idea is also repeated later in the novel, â€Å"and all this time, perchance, when poor Mr. Dimmesdale was thinking of his grave, he questioned with himself whether the grass would ever grow on it, because an accursed thing must there be buried! † (130). Sin is again depicted as lifelessness in this passage, for Dimmesdale has sinned, and not confessed; therefore he is concerned that god will reject him. Hawthorne clearly writes with a style of dark romanticism epitomized through his description of sin in the beginning of the novel as inexorable in every society.Hawthorne also reflects his religious views and those of his times period in the way he sees god and nature as one, similar to the ideas of Pantheism, a belief in the manifestation of god th rough nature. Hawthorne frequently links god to nature as seen when Hester calls to nature, as if calling to god, for forgiveness, â€Å"’Thou shalt forgive me! ’ cried Hester, flinging herself on the fallen leaves beside him† (175). While nature symbolizes sin, it also symbolizes the comforting and forgiving appearance of god.In relation to the bible, â€Å"†¦the yellow leaves will show no vestige of the white man’s tread† (178), the yellow leaves reference the scripture Isaiah 43:25, which reads, â€Å"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more† displaying the tie between nature and god both covering and forgetting sins; also tying into Hawthorne’s religious perspective in his writing. Nathaniel Hawthorne articulates his views on sin and god through his use of vegetation imagery throughout the scarlet letter; he continually uses dead and â€Å"black† imagery to al lude to sin and secrets.His use of dead vegetation implies that he believes confession is the relief of the burden of sin and the necessary action to obtain god’s approval and forgiveness. Hawthorne also represents god’s forgiveness through plant imagery; connecting god’s washing away of sin to the forest and nature washing away of sin. Fundamentally Hawthorne uses vegetation to convey his ideas on divinity and human sinful nature in The Scarlet Letter.

Holiday Decision Making

Name: Luong Thanh Long Class: FB3A CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND HOLIDAY I- Holiday decision-making is different from the traditional problem-solving model of consumer decision-making: 1) The traditional problem-solving model of consumer decision-making: * Behind the visible act of making a purchase lies a decision process that must be investigated. * The purchase decision process is the stages a buyer passes through in making choices about which products and services to buy. * Five Stages of Consumer Behavior: A. Problem Recognition: Perceiving a Need: Perceiving a difference between a person's ideal and actual situations big enough to trigger a decision. * Can be as simple as noticing an empty milk carton or it can be activated by marketing efforts. B. Information Search: Seeking Value Two steps of information search| Internal search| External search| * Scanning one’s memory to recall previous experiences with products or brands. * Often sufficient for frequently purchased products. * When past experience or knowledge is insufficient * The risk of making a wrong purchase decision is high * The cost of gathering information is low. * Personal sources, such as friends and family. * Public sources, including various product-rating organizations such as Consumer Reports. * Marketer-dominated sources, such as advertising, company websites, and salespeople| C. Alternative Evaluation: Assessing Value * The information search clarifies the problem for the consumer by: (1) Suggesting criteria to use for the purchase. (2) Yielding brand names that might meet the criteria. (3) Developing consumer value perception. * A consumer's evaluative criteria represent both The objective attributes of a brand (such as locate speed on a portable CD player) * The subjective factors (such as prestige). * These criteria establish a consumer's evoked set * The group of brands that a consumer would consider acceptable from among all the brands in the product class of which he or she is a ware. D. Purchase Decision: Buying Value Three possibilities| From whom to buy| When to buy| Do not buy| which depends on such considerations * Terms of sale * Past experience buying from the seller * Return policy. which can be influenced by * Store atmosphere * Time pressure * a sale * Pleasantness of the shopping experience. | | E. Postpurchase Behavior: Value in Consumption or Use * After buying a product, the consumer compares it with expectations and is either satisfied or dissatisfied. * Satisfaction or dissatisfaction affects * Consumer value perceptions * Consumer communications * Repeat-purchase behavior. * Many firms work to produce positive postpurchase communications among consumers and contribute to relationship building between sellers and buyers. Cognitive Dissonance: The feelings of postpurchase psychological tension or anxiety a consumer often experiences * Firms often use ads or follow-up calls from salespeople in this postpurchase stage to try to convince buyers that they made the right decision. In short, in the traditional problem-solving model of consumer decision-making, people tend to consider and investigate all the needs and desires of a product carefully through a range of steps. There are both internal and external factors affect on the decision-making of consumer. ) Holiday decision-making, as described in the case: * The genetic decision about whether or not to go on holiday was not always the starting point; and sometimes this genetic decision was irrelevant. * â€Å"People have a limited capacity for analysis, and this leads them to break down complex decisions into hierarchical processes and take into consideration a small number of critical variables at each level to make the decision-making process more manageable†. * â€Å"When confronted by a complex problem, the human brain ‘satisfies’ more than it ‘optimises’,† explains Nicolau. In this situation, â€Å"the individual will try to choose an option that is sufficiently satisfying, regardless of whether or not it is the best choice†. 2 * Final decision and bookings are often made very late. * Informants often expressed post-decision regret, which people strove to reduce. * Searching for holiday information tends to be affected by external factors. II- Compare the information search process, as it is described here, with the search process that consumers might follow for one other product category: Holiday information search process| Consumer search process for one product| * Information collection for a holiday tends to be stopped when the holiday has been booked * Real information are collected during the holiday * Consumer will get more conflicted conscious of information. * People do not prepare their trip in much detail. In contrast, they want to discover unexpected things. * Incidental learning seems to play a bigger role than internal learning. * For only one product, consumer will take more time to collect information of a product and analysis in more details and intensive from lots of sources. * Information collection lasts till they ensure that this information is correct and they can make a comparison with other products. * Consumer tries to avoid unexpected situation. * Information search information tends to be stimulus-based (external)| III- The implications of the findings for managers marketing and promoting holidays: 4P principle plays important role in the man agers marketing. Holidaymaker should make a holiday that meets the needs of customer. If we don't provide a holiday special or offer that helps them with those goals, we are doing them and your business a grave disservice. We also need to survey clients and customers from the current year to see how they can improve in the future. Think about how your channels work together and which channels reach your target customer. Offer a free gift or holiday discount to customers who take the time to complete your survey and do not forget to keep contact with your customer. Customer surplus is a very important area in Marketing mix. Only the marginal consumer is willing to pay just the market price in typical supply and demand equilibrium. The consumers would be willing to pay more than the market price is what makes the demand curve slope downward. The amount that these consumers would be willing to pay, but do not have to pay is known as the consumer surplus. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. 2 The magazine Tourism Management, Juan Luis Nicolau and Francisco Mas analysed data from 2,491 people gathered by the CIS http://www-rohan. sdsu. edu/~renglish/370/notes/chapt05/

Oxford Scandal Shakes up the Education World Essays

Oxford Scandal Shakes up the Education World Essays Oxford Scandal Shakes up the Education World Essay Oxford Scandal Shakes up the Education World Essay Oxford is thought to be the pioneer of education all over the world and it comes as an inherent disappointment when a scandal like this comes to the fore. The newest scandal against the ancient university is that of taking students in accordance with their wealth, reports The Guardian. The news, revealed just this week, shocked students and parents across the world because of the inherent knack of meritocracy that Oxford was so well renowned for. This is the reason why many students were rejected to be a part of Oxford last year, since they had to prove that they had a substantial amount of wealth. Not only did that form an elitist society, but also did not give any chances to students from smaller backgrounds who deserved to study at the university. The court proceedings took place this week whereby officials from the Admissions Office had to apologize for their unmentioned criterion. Their claim was that most universities followed the same pattern and it only made sense if Oxford did not miss out. However, coupled with the low acceptance rate and the fee bracket, the judge felt that the argument only made so much sense. However, this practice, it was found, was only limited to postgraduate programs. This raised much hue and cry in the House of Commons where the University Minister, David Willets stayed mum on the issue and simply commented that he knew of the lack of transparency prevalent in the admission process and how that was hindering the talents of several students. The director of graduate admissions, was therefore, made to apologize in court for wrongly depriving students of their right to be able to study in the institution. Jane Elizabeth Sherwood’s apology was then reiterated back to her as it was found that despite her claims and suggestions, college policy was twisted to suit officials as opposed to students. This not only severely disturbed students’ faith in Oxford, but also kept poor students from even applying this year. Officials were disappointed by the precedent that had been broken because of these practices and promised an action to stop this. The college being sued is St. Hugh’s. In addition to thirteen thousand pounds asked of students, they were also to pay for their accommodation costs therein, making it impossible for them to afford Oxford. The latest update is that Elizabeth was not incriminated along with several others, because she purported, she had continuously fought for admissions to be made on the ground of meritocracy. It is imperative that education be provided to the best of its extent by college officials and if universities like Oxford have started going on money based agenda, then it is only a matter of time before the rest of UK’s universities decide to flare up their fees and not let poor students attend college courses. It is that kind of attitude that keeps most from achieving what they truly deserve in life.

An Introduction to Socioeconomic Status

An Introduction to Socioeconomic Status Socioeconomic status (SES) is a term used by sociologists, economists, and other social scientists to describe the class standing of an individual  or group. It is measured by a number of factors, including income, occupation, and education, and it can have either a positive or negative impact on a persons life.   Who Uses SES? Socioeconomic data is gathered and analyzed by a wide range of organizations and institutions. Federal, state, and local governments all use such data to determine everything from tax rates to political representation. The U.S. Census is one of the best-known means of collecting SES data. Nongovernmental organizations and institutions like the Pew Research Center also collect and analyze such data, as do private companies like Google. But in general, when SES is discussed, its in the context of social science. Primary Factors There are three main factors that social scientists use to calculate socioeconomic status: Income: This is how much a person earns, including wages and salaries, as well as other forms of income such as investments and savings. The definition of income is sometimes expanded to include inherited wealth and intangible assets as well.Education: A persons level of education has a direct impact on their earning ability, with higher earning power leading to more educational opportunities that in turn increase future income potential.Occupation: This factor is more difficult to assess because of its subjective nature. White-collar professions that require a high degree of skilled training, such as physicians or lawyers, tend to require more education and thus return more income than many blue-collar jobs. This data is used to determine the level of ones SES, usually classified as low, middle, and high. But a persons true socioeconomic status doesnt necessarily reflect how a person sees him or herself. Although most Americans would describe themselves as middle class, regardless of their actual income, data from the Pew Research Center shows that only about half of all Americans are truly middle class. Impact The SES of an individual or group can have a profound influence on peoples lives. Researchers have pinpointed several factors that can be affected, including: Physical health: Communities with low socioeconomic status in the U.S. have higher rates of infant mortality, obesity, and cardiovascular health issues.  Mental health: Along with poor physical health, communities with low SES report more cases of depression, suicide, drug abuse, behavioral and developmental issues.General health and welfare: Along with the impact on an individuals well being, socioeconomic status can also have an impact on communities, including rates of crime and poverty. Oftentimes, communities of racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. feel the effects of low socioeconomic status most directly. People who have physical or mental disabilities, as well as the elderly, are also particularly vulnerable populations. Resources and Further Reading Children, Youth, Families and Socioeconomic Status.  American Psychological Association. Accessed 22 Nov. 2017. Fry, Richard, and Kochhar, Rakesh. Are You in the American Middle Class? Find Out with Our Income Calculator. PewResearch.org. 11 May 2016. Tepper, Fabien. What is Your Social Class? Take Our Quiz to Find Out! The Christian Science Monitor. 17 Oct. 2013.

Video summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Video summary - Essay Example E.g. if they would breed with the normal salmon. However, the company that is involved has argued that these fish are sterile. The FDA is yet to decide if the genetically modified fish will carry a special label. Farmers in Arkansas are facing huge losses because their crops have been infested with a type of weed known as the ‘pigweed’. The weed is native to North America. Farmers have over the years been able to fight the weed using special chemicals. However, the chemicals have suddenly stopped working. The weed has adapted to the herbicides that were being used to kill them. The weed grows 3 inches a day and kills crops and destroys farm machinery like combine harvesters and cotton pickers. The farmers have now resulted to the traditional way of dealing with weed (using manual labor) which is slow and expensive. Scientists believe that the weed is now resistant to the herbicides used to kill it and a new herbicide needs to be developed. This might take close to seven