Nature or Nurture: Case for an Integrated Life-Span Approach

Nature or Nurture: Case for an Integrated Life-Span Approach There has been a debate raging, sometimes quietly, sometimes not, in regards to why individuals are the way they are. Most now realize that there is a tremendous interaction between the expression of the genes that we are given and the environment that forms the context for growth and development. Consider identical twins, separated at birth, that grow up with no contact yet are remarkably similar (Santrock 1999, p. 65). Alternatively, consider children who have experienced extended separation from parents and where placed in a orphanage. Though they tested as being developmentally retarded, depending, if the were adopted prior to six years of age, they showed remarkable recovery while those remaining â€Å"institutionalized† never functioned ‘normally’ (Cole Cole 1989, pp. 251-252). Clearly, it is not an ‘all-or-none’ proposition. Even within a paradigm of an interactive process, the early theorists tended to believe that development happened in childhood and one’s adult years simply played out the development of one’s youth. While there is virtually universal agreement that the developmental foundation laid during infancy, childhood and adolescence cannot be understated in importance, in the last 30-40 years, there is a growing widespread recognition that development is lifelong process. Termed the â€Å"life-span approach†, it explicitly recognizes a four-fold approach to understanding both development and psychology, considering biological, environmental, social and cultural factors (Cole Cole, 1989, p. 11). The case of David, Ruth, Mei Ling and Mrs. Brown represents a situation which virtually demands the application of such an approach. One the following pages are tables which presents each person, their developmental issues by perspective and a psychology summary utilizing varying t heorists to ‘explain’ their current dilemma. In addition to the primary consideration of David and Ruth, Mei Ling is also presented to her pivotal role in the dynamics of David and Ruth’s situation. The life-span approach, by virtue of its multiple perspectives, takes into consideration that biology and environmental consideration are only valid in the context of cultural and social frameworks. With this approach, it is possible to begin reconciliation of otherwise often competing theories. A further contribution of this method is that is recognized as having seven very relevant characteristics (Santrock 1999, pp.9-11): Lifelong in nature – Unlike some paradigms, the life-span approach considers development to be ongoing throughout life, not just a childhood process. Multidimensional – There are often multiple factors for any given outcome or behavior. Just as David expresses unresolved anxiety from his ‘abandonment’, he is also frustrated by work pressures and the demands of his new family role(s). Multidirectional – Elements of one’s development do not always improve with age. For example, one’s physical abilities improve until early-adulthood and then begin to decrease. This is a key element in this case for Mrs. Brown who, due to a recent illness, has become suddenly much more aware of her gradually increasing dependence on others to perform tasks for which she recently needed no assistance. Plastic – In opposition to a pure â€Å"nature† approach, development is not fixed though one should keep in mind that, no matter how hard one tries, ‘a pig cannot be taught to sing’. Clearly, biology gives one certain potentialities that are expressed by environmental or other stimulation. Historically Embedded – Development is contingent upon the broader environmental context of history. For example, a child in the 1950’s is different in many respects that a child of this decade, despite experiencing many of the same psychodynamic issues and stages. Multi-Disciplinary – One cannot be a biologist and fully understand human development though this perspective is essential. In the same way, one cannot be a pure behaviorist and expect to account for the width and breadth of development. Contextual – Biology acts upon and with social, cultural and psychological factors. Similarly, the experiences one has shapes the expression of biological elements of development. While most any aspect of David and Ruth’s current situation can be explained by the application of one or more theoretical perspectives, it is the life-span approach that allows them to come together in one cohesive â€Å"story†. Unfortunately, it is only in retrospect, in most cases, that development can be full understood. To illustrate, consider the figure below. One can easily explain the â€Å"path† from E to A with the benefit of the perspective of looking back. However, consider that one would only have a 1/256 chance at arriving at E given the choices that present themselves at each â€Å"juncture of life† (Cole Cole 1989, p. 263). In explaining any given situation, the lifespan approach seeks to take advantage of all available information from both sides of the nature/nurture debate. While no method can approach the accuracy of hindsight, the insight offered by the recognition that people are ever developing and are not so easily understood by a single school of thought gives tremendous power to the ability of psychology to make meaningful contributions to those in the midst of the struggles of life. Works Consulted Santrock, J. (1999). Life-Span Development, 7th Edition. McGraw-Hill College: Boston, Massachusetts. Cole, M. and Cole. S. (1989). The Development of Children. Scientific American Books: New York, New York. Gleitman, H.(1986). Psychology, 2nd Edition. W.W. Norton Company: New York, New York.

Grandma’s Treats E-Commerce Security Options Essay

There are both advantages and disadvantages to providing an overly secure environment for e-commerce. The biggest advantage is consumer and business privacy. Grandma’s Treats needs to provide a secure environment so that unauthorized users are unable to see details of the consumer’s transactions, and purchases in particular. In this way consumers using Grandma’s Treats website will know they can make multiple purchases using their stored information and retain a sense of security regarding their transactions. To ensure this privacy for the consumer, encryption software installed on the server is necessary. A further advantage to a secure environment is consumer trust. When customers decide to make a purchase using their account with a password, they can trust that the security standards of the company are up to par with other, larger organizations. This type of secure environment would work best at serving the needs of wholesale and corporate accounts. A disadvantage of providing an overly secure e-commerce environment is if the company decides to use public key infrastructure, or PKI (Brayton, Finneman, Turajski, Wiltsey, 2006). In this instance, Grandma’s Treats would only be able to transmit a small amount of information. A second disadvantage to this overly secure environment is if Grandma’s Treats requires a user to log in to view its offerings, it may be considered an annoyance and a hindrance to purchasing. A final disadvantage is that this technology tends to slow down customer service. The time required to check out the online shopping cart will necessitate verification, which will make the purchasing process longer. Should this take too long, a customer may decide to log off and leave the website without finalizing a purchase. There are also advantages and disadvantages to providing an open, insecure e-commerce environment. Some advantages of setting up an open, insecure environment are quick browsing of products, easy navigation of the website, and the inexpensive cost of implementing it. To browse through the website of Grandma’s Treats, a customer wouldn’t first have to login and use a password. Consumers will also have the option of browsing through the offered products with ease. Providing an open, insecure environment is also an inexpensive option. The company will not need any specialized hardware or software to ensure security in its e-commerce environment. There are several disadvantages of setting up an open, insecure environment as well. The threat of hackers breaking into the server, and malware infecting the site, are two disadvantages of not providing proper security (CNET News.com Staff, 2008). An experienced hacker could easily gain access to customer information, financial transactions, and any other important information stored on the server. A variety of malware could cause a major problem for Grandma’s Treats and its website with the likely outcome of a system crash or possible infection of customers’ computers. While the damage could most likely be reversed, it would take time to repair and create distrust with the company’s customers. In light of these advantages and disadvantages as discussed, it is recommended that Grandma’s Treats employs a more middle of the road option. For certain purposes, such as making a purchase online, there should be security measures in place, such as requiring a customer to create an account and log in with a password. However, there should also be a selection of â€Å"front end† pages which are easily accessible to anyone browsing products. In this way Grandma’s Treats can best serve the needs of both valued customers and casual web browsers. References Brayton, J., Finneman, A., Turajski, N., Wiltsey, S., (October 10, 2006). â€Å"What is PKI?† Retrieved March 4, 2008, from the TechTarget Website: http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid14_gci214299,00.html CNET News.com Staff (February 11, 2008). â€Å"Security Bites Podcast: Nonpersistent Web Threats†. Retrieved March 4, 2008 from the CNET News.com Website: http://www.news.com/Security-Bites-Podcast-Nonpersistent-Web-threats/2324-12640_3-6230144.html?tag=item.

Beowulf - Pagan or Christian Epic Essay - 1069 Words

Beowulf Pagan or Christian Epic Beowulf: Pagan or Christian Epic? Although the story of Beowulf is filled with references to religion and faith, many discrepancies occur throughout the story that suggest that Beowulf is not a Christian epic. The character of Beowulf frequently speaks to God and obviously believes in His existence. However, pagan practices are mentioned in several places. Beowulf often refers to another being rather than the Christian God. Pagan practices of cremation and blood-drinking are included in the epic. There are also frequent allusions to the power of fate, the motive of blood revenge, and praise of worldly glory. All of these aspects make Beowulf a pagan tale with a few Christian elements.†¦show more content†¦Instead of praying to the Christian God for support, they make sacrifices to pagan idols. A second pagan reference concerns the monster Grendel. Grendel is a fierce and loathsome creature who roams the moors and despises all people and their pleasures. He is the enemy of everything pure and true. The mons ter is known for his taste for human flesh and for drinking the blood of his victims. â€Å"That frightful fiend drank down his [Beowulf’s] war-comrade’s blood and then devoured him piece by blood-smeared piece† (p. 394). In the Christian belief system, the drinking of any type of blood of any kind is specifically forbidden. â€Å"Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood--I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people†. Beowulf is more troubled by Grendel’s larger actions of destruction rather than the breaking of this Christian belief. Although it is the evil force rather than the good and pure hero that participates in the drinking of blood, the inclusion of the practice adds to the pagan undertones of the story. Thirdly, Christian tradition holds that human bodies are to be buried rather than cremated. Although there is no direct ban against cremation, the Bible speaks clearly about â€Å"ashes to ashes, dust to dust.† Christian tradition states that God created man from dirt and so the body will return to the earth. The Bible states: â€Å"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, tillShow MoreRelatedBeowulf : Christian Or Pagan Epic?865 Words   |  4 PagesMichael Smith Waterman English 12 24 September 2015 Beowulf: Christian or Pagan Epic? Believe it or not, Thor was not just a fictional superhero that appeared in comics created by Marvel. Ultimately stemming from Proto-Indo-European religion, Thor is a prominently mentioned god throughout the recorded history of Germanic mythology and paganism. Pagans, a member of a community observing a polytheistic religion, dominated Southern Europe society and literature until Christianity slowly drove out paganismRead MoreBeowulf: the Pagan Christian Epic Hero1569 Words   |  7 PagesBeowulf has both pagan and Christian influences. 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These types of elements are what define the heroic warrior in the epic Beowulf(Vengeance the Pagan and Christian Inspiration).Read MoreTheme Of Paganism In Beowulf1179 Words   |  5 PagesThe longest epic poem ever written in the genre of Old English is â€Å"Beowulf†, it has been composed in the native language as spoken during the Anglo-Saxon reign in England, preceding the Norman Conquest. Beowulf is regarded as a classic tale which relates the defeat of evil and triumph of good. The poem is divided into three acts. Christian and Pagan Influences in Beowulf: The Pagan deities, rituals as well as pagan ideas influenced Beowulf, when it was being created, though the passing down ofRead MoreChristianity And Paganism In Beowulf1005 Words   |  5 Pagesstrength? Have you ever wanted to be a savior? Well, that is every day for one epic hero named Beowulf. Beowulf is an epic poem about good versus evil written by an anonymous Christian monk. Paganism was the Geats first religion, and once Christianity became introduced, the religion slowly shifted from paganism to Christianity. Beowulf has successfully exhibited the transition from paganism to Christianity. The epic poem has a shift from Christianity to paganism throughout the poem. There are manyRead More Beowulf: Christian Vs Pagan Influence Essay1652 Words   |  7 Pages The European epic, Beowulf, was written sometime in the eighth century in England. This time period provides us with an idea for the mixture of Christian and pagan elements because of an English society that was in the process of converting from Paganism to Christianity. Examples of Pagan and Christian traditions are presented all throughout literature. Many of the influences deal with what it going on in the world, when the piece is written. When Beowulf was written, St. Augustine had just comeRead MoreEssay about Pagan Aspects in Beowulf1573 Words   |  7 Pages Scholars have argued about the religious stance of the epic poem Beowulf for centuries. Although the man who put the poem down on paper, known as the Beowulf poet, was a devout Christian, the actual poem itself is pagan. There are many clues in the epic that lead us to this conclusion such as the numerous references to pagan symbols, namely the symbol of fate. Also, the central idea of revenge in the poem opposes the ideas of Christianity. The poem also contains many breaches of the TenRead MoreBeowulf: Christian vs Pagan Influence Term Paper1665 Words   |  7 PagesThe European epic, Beowulf, was written sometime in the eighth century in England. This time period provides us with an idea for the mixture of Christian and pagan elements because of an English society that was in the process of converting from Paganism to Christianity. 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Throughout literature there have been countless parallels and references to the story of Christ as written in the Bible. Even in such unexpected places as in seemingly pagan poems of ancient Danes and Geats- an epic with dragons and monsters- one still finds similar biblical allusions. In just such an unexpected place, the epic Beowulf, its title hero and his circumstance, become an allegory for the story of Christ. In this sense, Beowulf can be seen as a Christian

Analysis Of The Voice You Hear When You Read Silently

In the poem, â€Å"The Voice You Hear When You Read Silently,† Thomas Lux uses the idea that the voice that resides in every readers head is extremely important to establishing what a piece of written text means. The first information that we get from the poem is that fact that the voice that someone hears when they read silently, isn’t actually silent at all. When a person reads something silently there is a voice inside their head that actually speaks inside the depths of their mind. The reader may be reading the authors words so it could be considered that it’s their voice in a literary sense, but the words are being read in the readers own voice. This voice may not be the voice that someone uses every day to speak to people, but it is†¦show more content†¦This is also a metaphor that is used to help create the image in the readers head. A constellation is a group of stars that when viewed together make an unmistakable image in the sky. This is exactl y what these sensory words that were listed after do. They create an image in in the readers mind. Alone they are just another word in the English language, but when someone reads them all together then they become an unmistakable picture in one’s mind. When someone is reading some type of written work, just one word can bring back all these memories, experiences, and thoughts. The next symbol is the â€Å"barn† (17-33). Now a barn is just simply a structure on the farm, but the speaker uses it to show that there are often deeper meanings in writing or even words. The deeper meanings are all of the little memories an thoughts that are brought to mind. Another important part that Thomas Lux uses in his poem is imagery. As well as the ones already mentioned, the speaker uses the image â€Å"the sound of a tape played back† (10). This poem was written when cassette tapes were really big. Now days its not as easy because this generation does not have the image of th e cassette tape but the people still, for the most part, know what a cassette tape. The older generation will be able to see this image more clearly because cassette tapes were a newer thing for that generation, and a lot of people used them quite a bit. The biggest imagery occurs in the sensoryShow MoreRelatedPersonal Note On Core Value1361 Words   |  6 Pagescore value is about being able to demonstrate in your writing that you are able to take others feedback and use their feedback to revise your own essay, which I used throughout my first essay and the other two as well. While writing my essays the feedback from others has helped me make my essays better and more interesting. Without peer-editing my essays would have never became stronger and more well written. 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