Attention Deficit Disorder :: essays research papers fc

Attention Deficit Disorder   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For centuries children have been grounded, beaten, or even killed for ignoring the rules or not listening to what they're told. In the past it was thought these †bad† kids were the products of bad parenting, bad environment, or simply being stubborn, however it is now known that many of these children may have had Attention Deficit Disorder, or A. D. D., and could've been helped. A. D. D. is a syndrome that affects millions of children and adults in the United States and is a very frustrating and confusing syndrome that often goes undiagnosed. While there is no clear-cut definition of A. D. D., it's known that it's a genetic disorder that affects males more often than females, in a 3:1 ratio, and is marked by a classic triad of symptoms, which are impulsivity, distractibility, and hyperactivity (Hallowell 6). There are two general types of A. D. D., the stereotypical, high-energy, hyperactive group, and the less known underactive ones that often daydream and are never mentally present anywhere. Typically, people with A. D. D. are very likable and are usually very emphatic, intuitive, and compassionate, however they have very unstable moods that can range from an extreme high to an extreme low instantly, for no apparent reason. Usually, they procrastinate often and have trouble finishing projects, while conversely, they can hyperfocus at times and accomplish tasks more quickly and efficiently than a normal person could. Often they have short tempers and lack the impulse to stop themselves from blowing up over minor details (Hallowell 10). Although A. D. D. has just recently been discovered and there is still relatively little known about it, it has an interesting history. In 1902, George Frederic Still first thought that the dilemma of problem children was a biological defect inherited from an injury at birth and not the result of bad parenting. In the 1930's and '40's stimulant drugs were first used to successfully treat many behavior problems due partly to Still's hypothesis. In 1960, Stella Chess further boosted research in the field by writing about the â€Å" hyperactive child syndrome.† She stated that the behavior problems weren't a product of injury at birth, but instead were inherited genetically. Finally, in 1980, the syndrome was named A. D. D., due in large part to Virginia Douglas' work to find accurate ways to diagnose it (Hallowell 12). Formally, A. D. D. comes in two types: A. D. D. with hyperactivity and A. D. D. without hyperactivity (Hallowell 9). However there are several other subtypes that are used to diagnose the syndrome and aren't formally recognized.

Behavioral study of obedience

This article represents a detailed account of the research carried out by Stanley Miligram at Yale University. The study was set to investigate the negative / destructive side of obedience. It involved more than 40 grown-up American volunteers representing diverse professions that ranged from laborers to great scholars. They were briefed on the research main objectives and selected to either play the role of experimenter, subject (teacher) or victim (learner).The experiment carried out in Yale’s laboratory required a naive subject to administer electric â€Å"shock† gradually as a form of punishment to a victim each time the victim answered wrongly to a question. The shock generator was graded in intervals of 15 volts with thirty such grades. Each time the victim answered wrongly the subject was under instructions from the experimenter to press a button that connected to the graduated shock generator system that increased the voltage by a margin of 15 volts. The purpose of the study as explained by Milgram was to investigate how human beings respond to authority (power).Though naturally it is difficult for immorally upright person to administer electric shock to another innocent person, it was interesting when milligram’s subjects went on to administer fatal shocks to the victims. This confirms that human beings are powerless and are likely to succumb to authority by obeying its orders even if they are against the fundamental moral standards. Answers to reflection question about the study. The Milgram experiment consisted of three key players i. e. the experimenter, the subject, and the victim.Out of these three players it is the subject who plays the core part of the experiment. The subjects’ behavior is what Milgram was looking for in his bid to study the behavior of human obedience. For instance, if a subject chooses to obey the experimenters’ orders and go on with administering the electric shock then he or she is being ob edient but if not he or she is defying orders.According to (psychology 101, chapter 8, section 3) on obedience and power Milgram’s subjects behaved obediently because of the force of following the legitimate power i. e. they are under authority from the experimenter to administer electric shocks to their victims. Therefore when compared to Nazi’s extermination of Jews in death camps and gas chambers during the holocaust, their behavior is certainly not different.They both knew that it is against the basic human morals to apply electric shock, or murder people by gassing but they play obedient to authority. Ethically any act that brings suffering/ uncomfortability to a human being is considered inhuman; however, this was not the case with Milgram’s experiment.It would have been unethical if the subjects were in the first place forced to take part in the experiment, secondly the subjects were initially briefed on the authenticity of the electric shock –the shocks could not cause permanent tissue damage. Again, though the experiment was painful its discomfort was momentary compared with its worthy scientific gains. The subjects although paid to participate in the experiment, they were assured that the money was just for their coming to the laboratory and not what they did afterwards.This research though carried out before establishment of Ethics Review Committees it drew numerous questions regarding its effects to the basic ethics and morals of human beings. But going by the previous brutal actions committed to people out of blind adherence to orders, a controlled study was needed to investigate the reasons as to why German police cops contrary to their conscience murdered millions of Jews under the command of Hitler. The research was purely based on willing volunteer basis; the participants were briefed on the effects of the electric shock to the victims.It is therefore inclined to the advancement of worthwhile knowledge about learnin g and memory. It was conducted by reputable personnel (Yale University). The selection of participants was done fairly, and lastly the study was concluded by â€Å"debriefing† the participants in order to iron out any feelings of hatred on the part of the subjects and their victims. On the other hand the study had its dark side, the fact that subjects were ordered to administer electric shock to their victims which to them was morally degrading is one of the reasons many Ethics Review Committees would give out in trying to bar such an experiment.Again, the screams and groans made by victims due to extreme tension are another reason these committees would give out. The research was most successful because the participants were deceived into believing that the selection of who plays subject or victim was fairly done. This was one of Milgram’s trump cards of making sure that the naive participants play the part of the subject in order to increase the credibility of the fi ndings. Further the shock generator was not a real one; it was designed to cheat the public that indeed the victims were being shocked.However the experiment can be conducted in a more â€Å"real† way in order to eradicate any element of doubt. This research could have been made real by using real teachers and real learners; a teacher is required to first give out strict instructions to the learners on the real consequences of answering wrongly to the given quiz. Real punishment (real electric shock or any other ethically acceptable punishment) may be administered to any wrong answer given, by doing that the learners will therefore try to obey (answer correctly or else get punished).The act of â€Å"debriefing† after the experiment was necessary to eradicate any ill feelings towards the subjects. They were made to believe that no real shock was administered to the victims. However this was an exercise in futility because the subjects were free to discontinue with the s hock administering, if they felt it was against their morals but the majority continued with the exercise. Therefore making them believe they had not administered real shocks was adding more psychological stress because they had already broken their morals and hence it was meaningless to convince them into believing.According to (Sojourners magazine, by MacNutt, Francis 2004) also based on Milgram’s experiment, many ordinary people are afraid of being disapproved and therefore carry out acts which are incompatible with the basic moral standards. Therefore the chances of any subject defying experimenter’s orders are slim and therefore if I were one of the experimenters I would not hesitate but would have carried on with the electric shocking business. A more solid explanation to this is the case a confident businessman who almost succumbed to tension went ahead and executed all the experimenter’s orders.Psychology generally deals with people’s behavior; so me extreme behaviors were exhibited by morally upright people e. g. the perpetration of mass slaughter of Jews during the holocaust, the Hoffling hospital case whereby nurses ejected lethal doses of a â€Å"fictional† drug to their patients (Hofling C. K et al, 1966). Such behaviors needed to be studied in order to arrive at a generalization, therefore Milgram’s study was fundamental to social psychology, a study that investigates how people influence the beliefs, feelings, and behaviors of others.The study findings gave a basis to many generalizations that makes up the core pillars of psychology. Again, the findings of this study are of great relevance to today’s human beings actions; other studies continue to be done with great reference to this study. For instance, obedience and power – a sub section of greater social psychology branch of psychology, draws its relevance from Milgram’s findings (psychology 101, chapter 8, section 3).This carefull y executed study send a very loaded message to numerous questions asked by people of sound reasoning on morals on why German corps unquestioningly obeyed Hitler’s orders by gassing millions of Jews, whether Germans are different from other people, why catholic bishops stressed obedience to Caesar and Christ among other questions. The answer to these questions was that human being are bound to behave obediently to orders given by people whom they identify with, and whom they perceive to hold a legitimate position higher than them.Conclusions Milgram’s research on obedience to power is a milestone to the general study of psychology; however the study was purely based on a volunteer and wiling basis. This serves to discredit the study’s credibility, because the experimenters, subjects and victims are under no imminent consequence should they choose to defy the orders. For instance 14 subjects defied orders after their victims literally refused to respond to questio ns.However, the major objective of the research was adequately achieved, although those participants who failed to play obedience negatively affected the full achievement of those objectives. Further deceiving the participants was not a strong point towards the overall credibility of the study; Milgram could have provided a more â€Å"real’ study with a morally acceptable punishment e. g. the case of Hoffling hospital (Hofling C. K et al, 1966).ReferencesPsychology 101, Obedience and power, available at: http://allpsych. com/psychology101/obedience_power. html, accessed on October 17, 2008Sojourners magazine, by MacNutt, Francis 2004, available at; http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qa4010/is_200410/ai_n9441346, accessed on October 17, 2008.Behavior Study of obedience, by Milgram, Stanley, available at; http://www. wadsworth. com/psychology_d/templates/student_resources/0155060678_rathus/ps/ps01. html, accessed on October 17, 2008.Hofling CK et al. (1966) â€Å"An Exper imental study of Nurse-Physician Relationships†. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 141:171-180.

President John F. Kennedy - 1731 Words

Chancellor Kohl, Governing Mayor Diepgen, ladies and gentlemen: Twenty-four years ago, President John F. Kennedy visited Berlin, speaking to the people of this city and the world at the City Hall. Well, since then two other presidents have come, each in his turn, to Berlin. And today I, myself, make my second visit to your city. We come to Berlin, we American presidents, because it s our duty to speak, in this place, of freedom. But I must confess, we re drawn here by other things as well: by the feeling of history in this city, more than 500 years older than our own nation; by the beauty of the Grunewald and the Tiergarten; most of all, by your courage and determination. Perhaps the composer Paul Lincke understood something about American presidents. You see, like so many presidents before me, I come here today because wherever I go, whatever I do: Ich hab noch einen Koffer in Berlin. [I still have a suitcase in Berlin.] Our gathering today is being broadcast throughout Western Europe and North America. I understand that it is being seen and heard as well in the East. To those listening throughout Eastern Europe, a special word: Although I cannot be with you, I address my remarks to you just as surely as to those standing here before me. For I join you, as I join your fellow countrymen in the West, in this firm, this unalterable belief: Es gibt nur ein Berlin. [There is only one Berlin.] Behind me stands a wall that encircles the free sectors of this city, part of aShow MoreRelatedPresident John F. Kennedy1738 Words   |  7 Pages President John Fitzgerald Kennedy Our Nation’s 35th President Andrew Hogenson History 112 June 15, 2015 John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th President of the USA and served at that position only for three years as at the end of the third year he was assassinated in Texas. Even though his presidential term was not long, it was significant, mostly with the strong opposition against the USSR (in a person of its Prime Minister of that time, Nikita Khrushchev). President Kennedy’s name is associatedRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy1220 Words   |  5 PagesPresident John â€Å"Jack† Fitzgerald Kennedy was born May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts to Rose Kennedy and Joseph P. Kennedy. John F. Kennedy, also known as JFK, had three brothers and five sisters. Young John, â€Å"Jack† as he was known by, attended a boarding school for boys in Connecticut. Here he was active in football, golf, tennis, and basketball. Once Jack graduated Choate in 1936, he entered Harvard. It was while he was studying at Harvard that he injured his back while playing football,Read MorePr esident John F. Kennedy1608 Words   |  7 PagesEveryone has an opinion about the president. Whether they like the president or dislike the president, someone has an opinion. There are only a few good president in the history of America that people can actually say they liked and enjoyed where they lead this country. One of those few presidents was President John F. Kennedy. Elected in 1960 as the 35th president of the United States, Kennedy became the youngest and first Roman Catholic president. He won the hearts of many Americans with his youthfulnessRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy975 Words   |  4 PagesIn the words of President John F. Kennedy,† Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future†. (John F. Kennedy) JFK was a president during a tense time in American History. The Civil Rights movement during the 1960’s questioned the status quo. This motivated change that influences many decisions we have today. The relevancy of truth and what is certain ascertains our duty as a citizen of the United States. As a citizen, it is our job to discernRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy1675 Words   |  7 Pagesgo to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.† (Great Speeches Volume 27: John F. Kennedy, 2012). President John F. Kennedy delivered this infamous speech in the football stadium at Rice University in Houston, Texas on that very day. President Kennedy’s reason for his delivery of this speech was to address the state of our Nation’s Space Effort. The citizens of the United States of America were in quite a stateRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy1746 Words   |  7 PagesWhen a president is able to effectively use the power of rhetoric to move citizens to aspire to achieve the seemingly impossible, this president is able to transcend the limitations of the executive of fice itself. President John F Kennedy was masterful at this skill and the words he spoke and the dreams he invited us to share are as powerful today as they ever were. Our cultural memory of John F. Kennedy was shaped within a very narrow time frame. Kennedy, born in 1917, was only forty-six yearsRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy911 Words   |  4 Pages There are many theories on what happened on November 22, 1963. A president was assassinated while campaigning for re-election. Many people are skeptical about what happened and many theories have been formed. Though there is only one right answer to what really happened on this somber Friday, many people have formed their own beliefs. One theory is that there was more than one shooter. What, as close as can be collected from the existing reports, are the circumstances surrounding JFK s death toRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy968 Words   |  4 Pages On January 20, 1961, President John F. Kennedy was sworn into office and ma de one of the most famous inaugural addresses in our country’s history. In his inaugural address, Kennedy spoke of the United States making some sort change in the world. Kennedy not only called upon Americans, but also others from different nations asking for their support in joining in peace for mankind’s success. Kennedy encouraged citizens to defend their freedom and presented his ideals for presidency for a time of changeRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy1126 Words   |  5 Pages You know when you say something important or say you will make a change in life for the better, but sometimes you can’t follow through? Well with president John F. Kennedy he inspired much to people with all his speeches but never had the opportunity to follow through when he died so early. With Kennedy,they state that he was more talk than action. He traveled crazy with his wife to make his speeches for people to re-elect him because all the good things he could change in the U.S. He inspiredRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy883 Words   |  4 PagesToday was the day, today November 22, 1963 was the day I was going to meet my all-time favorite presidents John Fitzgerald Kennedy, better known by his initials, JFK. He was travelling west through the country speaking in nine different states, which include San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth and then onto Dallas and Austin, he was preparing for his next presidential campaign and his trip was mainly about natural resources and conservation efforts but it was also in a way to support his reelection