ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The health-related behaviors of a person can have a significant influence on his or her health. Diet, exercise, hygiene, and tobacco, as well as alcohol consumption, are all capable of causing severe conditions if not appropriately addressed. As such, ensuring that the population’s attitudes and practices related to health are conducive to good health. Identification of the current situation and potential issues is an essential part of this task, as it helps medical workers know what issues should be addressed. This essay will address reasons for measuring health behaviors, identify smoking assessment methods, and support the use of the practice. Reasons for Measuring Behaviors Educational programs for the population, conducted through a variety of methods and media, are among the most frequently used approaches to health behavior change. However, as the range of various possible issues and the corresponding measures is broad, it is impractical to conduct education for them all at once continuously. As such, health behavior measurement plays an essential role in determining what aspects require attention at the moment. By determining which areas are problematic, healthcare workers can set a direction for their efforts that will lead to the best results. The adjusted programs will incur lower costs while possibly achieving better effects than broader, less focused ones. Furthermore, health behavior measurement can help workers determine the effects of a program. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that the evaluation of a specific initiative can give rise to a variety of questions, all of which require statistical data. According to Mokdad and Remington , its collection requires a more precise evaluation than an assessment of the prevalence of a specific habit would. However, if a program proves itself effective at reducing the prevalence of a specific unhealthy practice, it may deserve implementation elsewhere. As such, successful interventions will spread throughout the country and potentially worldwide, improving global population well-being. Adolescent Smoking Behavior Assessment The primary method used to assess the prevalence of behavior, such as smoking, in a community is to ask its members. However, adolescents are unlikely to admit to cigarette use in an interview, as the practice is generally seen as socially unacceptable for minors. Mokdad and Remington suggest that parties that would decline a personal interview or refuse to answer specific questions may feel more inclined to do so in a format such as a telephone, mail, or Web interview. The last option, in particular, is attractive, as, with proper implementation, it can guarantee complete anonymity to the participant, making them more likely to answer truthfully. Nevertheless, it can be challenging to engage the target population in any form of the interview due to the rebellious traits typical of adolescence. Chriqui et al. make use
Introduction The topic of engaged citizenship can be listed among the popular research problems in sociology and psychology. The term in question can be understood as citizens’ readiness to take an active part in political life, support positive change, and engage in self-directed learning to enrich their knowledge of political processes. The goal of this essay is to place engaged citizenship in the context of Mills’s sociological imagination that involves being able to link one’s personal experiences to processes taking place in wider society. Engaged Citizenship The emergence of engaged citizenship has to deal with changes in values and attitudes to political life. Modern scholars associate popularization and normalization of the so-called engaged citizenship with the spread of such values as self-expression and individual freedom during the post-modernization period (Hooghe & Oser, 2015). Engaged citizenship and being an active participant within society involves demonstrating sensitivity to issues affecting others, such as human rights violations (Hooghe & Oser, 2015). Importantly, engaged citizenship takes the duty-based understanding of being a citizen to the next level. Duty-based citizenship emphasizes reliability as a taxpayer and political participation to observe formalities but does not involve being active and assertive. In general, it is possible to regard sociological imagination as a tool that enables a person to move beyond the threadbare and oversimplified ways of understanding individual experiences and what they reveal about life. In his work originally published in 1959, Mills (2000) introduces the term “sociological imagination” to make fragmented knowledge related to the role of historical events in social processes a well-recognized problem. As he argues, it is not surprising that ordinary people “cannot understand the meaning of their epoch for their own lives” (Mills, 2000, p. 5). Basically, to possess this sociological imagination means to be able to reflect on individual and collective experiences without getting lost in disparate and sometimes conflicting facts (Ritzer & Wiedenhoft Murphy, 2019). More precisely, it allows people to “understand the larger historical scene” and its influences on particular individuals, as well as to anatomize societies to grasp their inner structures (Mills, 2000, p. 5). With that in mind, this type of imagination enab
The first attempts to analyze and explain the actions of economic agents from the psychological perspective were made in the 18th century. Since then, this field of study has advanced substantially. The ideas on behavioral economics can be found in the works of the representatives of the different schools. Many of them are devoted to the specific field of study, Behavioral Finance. Economics is the sphere of study, which is mostly based on the model ignoring the psychological aspects of the economic agents’ behavior. In contrast, Behavioral Economics recognizes the importance of cognitive biases in the context of economic decision-making (Thaler & Mullainathan n.pag.). “As long ago as 1841, Charles Mackay in his influential book Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions described the famous tulipmania in Holland in the 1630s, a speculative bubble in tulip flower bulbs” (Shiller 91-92). At that time, the market fell drastically and never rose again to the previous levels after the bubble burst. Behavioral Finance is the major field of Behavioral Economics focus. The scholars specializing in this field try to explain the dynamics of the financial markets from the standpoint of the investors’ moods and perceptions, and their influence on the overall market trend. The specialists in the Behavioral Finance claim that the investors dislike losses more than they like the returns. That is, their risk aversion is asymmetrical. This idea makes the Behavioral Finance theory substantially different from the postulates of the traditional economic theory. Also, the new theory is closely related to the Efficient Markets Hypothesis proposed by Eugene Fama. “The EMH does not assume that all investors are rational, but it does assume that markets are rational” (Ritter n.pag.). The irrationality of the investors’ decisions is one of the main postulates of Behavioral Finance. In contrast to the efficient market theory, it claims that the marker inefficiencies exist due to the irrational behavior of the investors, and, thus, the abnormal economic profits can be earned. In summary, Behavioral Finance is the modern branch of the economic theory, which explains the market situation based on the investors’ behavior. I think that the postulates of the theory are supported by an adequate scientific background. In my opinion, it is valid for economic decision making. At the same time, it should be used together with other investment analysis applications to have a broader vision of the examined market trends. The Extra Credit Option Daniel Kahneman was the Noble Prize winner in Economics in 2002 (“Speakers Daniel Kahneman” n.pag.). He was awarded the Prize for the achievements in the field of Behavioral Economics. The works of Kahneman are devoted to the problems of the economic agents’ behavior with the particular focus on their cognitive biases leading to irrational decisions. Kahneman was awarded the Prize together with his co-author Twerski, who died before their work won the
How the dimensions of natural and artificial beauty are represented in modern Korean culture? In Korean popular culture and 200 Pounds Beauty , in particular, appearance is represented as an important component for success. The main heroine of the film Han-na could not succeed in life despite her musical talents ( Minyeo-Neun Goerowo ). She decided that she could improve her body, and normally reasonable aspiration for self-perfection is a positive factor (Halliwell and Dittmar 105). However, the film shows what a radical level that aspiration can reach in Korean modern culture. The thin body image is considered a somewhat standard of beauty in many cultures, but the main heroine did not just lose weight. She went through a string of plastic surgeries. Moreover, she did not think deeply about it, and the film shows how uncomfortable she was at first in her new image. The worrying thing is that supposedly she could not be successful in her job without looking as she was expected. However, interestingly, the discussion between the fictional producers displayed that the concept of natural beauty begins to gain popularity, even though now there are many artificial elements to the concept. What is the attitude towards plastic surgery in modern Korean culture? 200 Pounds Beauty expands on the topic of how common plastic surgeries have become in modern Korean culture (Yang par.7). The general attitude towards them is acceptance; they are considered as something more like a form of art than medical necessity (Park par.1). On the one hand, it is quite a special phenomenon, and it is a way of giving people the freedom to create their image themselves. On the other hand, there is a danger that people who are satisfied with the way they look might be forced by public opinion into changing something about their appearance. In some way, both Han-na and her best friend were affected by this issue. However, the film finds a way to present the attitude towards plastic surgery in a very ironic and funny way. How does the film 200 Pounds Beauty show the standard of beauty in modern Koran culture? 200 Pounds Beauty depicts how one-sided the beauty standards sometimes can be in popular culture. For example, when meeting with producers, Han-na, who already had many plastic surgeries is told that she needs her eyes to be made wider and her nose to be pushed up ( Minyeo-Neun Goerowo ). Another standard is slimness that is a controversial standard of appearance at the cross-cultural level (Jung and Seung 353). The stereotyped standards of how to affect people on many levels, including their self-esteem and relationships (Ko and Chang 783). The problem occurs when people are desperate to achieve the desired body image, or their talent is not recognized because of the way they look. It would be a worrying message from 200 Pounds Beauty although the film tries to show how today the standards are at least beginning to change for the better. Works Cited Halliwell, Emma, and Helga Dittmar. “Does size matter? The impact of model’s body size on women’s body-focused anxiety and adverti
Strategic Analysis In view of the problems experienced at Alibaba Group, multiple, viable and non-viable solutions could be used to pursue the strategic goals and objectives of the company to continue in its best practices and avoid causing problems related to its offerings of knocked off products. Alternative solutions The alternative solutions proposed by Raa (2009) include integrating an effective content management strategy, portfolio restructuring, and unique selling propositions. Besides, the company can decide to adopt a “ do-nothing” strategy that could be evaluated as an alternative solution to the four pillars of competitiveness. Competitiveness is based on the ability to optimize the strengths and opportunities while strategizing to overcome its weaknesses and threats and be consistent with its mission and vision statements. The goal is to focus on a competitive strategy that could allow for diversification, combination, growth, and expansion. Content management Evans (2013) notes that the company could create a content management program for identifying and listing alternative products with similar buyer appeals to genuine products (Evans, 2013). However, the option could allow for the inclusion of original products if clear restrictions are imposed on the suppliers of the original products and the penalties resulting from counterfeiting their products. Weights and ratings could be assigned to original products depending on the external and internal evaluation mechanisms to determine the effects on counterfeits, distribution channels, competition, and lawsuits. David (2005) argues that such alternatives might not evoke negative responses from competitors but could directly appeal to stakeholders and especially those at the low-end market to develop positive attitudes. The rationale is to base the company’s product offerings on a PESTEL analysis that could enable the company to identify the supply chains of counterfeit products. A SWOT analysis of the internal and external business environments could enable the company to define a competitive strategy without going out of the market once the consequences of implementing the solutions start showing an impact on the company’s business operations (Raa, 2009). The ultimate effects could be on both the internal and external strategic positions of the company. Besides, it could positively contribute to the return on investment, cash flow, liquidity, demand variability, price elasticity, and use of technology could leverage the company’s position in trying to reach the low-end market. Content management is not a one-stop fool proof solution, but it provides the management with the ability to monitor and control its product portfolio. Portfolio restructuring Raa (2009) notes that the company could invest in portfolio restructuring by defining the firm’s scope of operations based on the PESTEL. David (2005) notes that restructuring includes increased conservatism, aggressiveness, and enhanced competitiveness. The company could thus take advantage o
Background Information and the Stakeholders The background for this case is as follows. The company under focus is the investment fund named “GL Beyond Income Fund” (further referred to as the Fund). The management of the Fund was provided by Daniel Thibeault and his registered investment advisory company, GL Capital Partners LLC (further referred to as GL Capital). Another stakeholder is the accounting firm BBD. It is represented by two auditors, Kouser and Dougherty, who were supposed to perform an audit of the Fund for the fiscal year 2014. By the time of the audit, Kouser was an engagement partner at BBD and was in charge of the Fund’s audit for the 2014 fiscal year. Dougherty was an audit manager at BBD, with responsibilities including executing the audit program, audit planning, and staff supervising within the limits of the audit. A further company involved in the case was TAFT Financial Services (TAFT), which was also under the control of Thibeault. The key issue that needs to be taken into consideration in the case of this audit was the fact that Thibeault and GL Capital committed fraudulent acts on The Fund and financiers involved in the company. The fraud lasted for at least two years, from 2013 through to late 2014. A minimum of $16 million of the Fund’s money was stolen. During this period, Thibeault was creating fabricated loans and misappropriating the money of the investors. The loans were redirected to his bank accounts. As Thibeault could not use his personal data for fictitious loans, he used those of his friends and acquaintances without informing them and without permission. He marked these loans in the records and books of the Fund with a special code TA, which meant that TAFT was involved with these loans. The Causes for the AAER The major reason for the AAER was the violation of auditing standards accepted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. However, there were other causes that led to the problem. First of all, Kouser and Dougherty did not have any experience in auditing funds involved in consumer loans. Also, neither of them had worked with factoring transactions in the LAOH Notes, which were necessary for the audit process. There were many delays because data about the LAOH Notes could not be confirmed on time. This resulted in further delays in the audit report, which was issued almost four months later than the audit finished. Besides, only Kouser managed to meet Thibeault during the audit; Dougherty never met him. Still, the failure to follow the auditing standards accepted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) became the main cause for the AAER. PCAOB standards require an understanding of peculiarities of the functioning of the entity which is audited.
Introduction Social psychology is a special branch of mentality study because it deals with how we think, believe, and act. Indeed, many beliefs have been propagated by some individuals in matters of intimate relationships. Few of the beliefs are right, but innumerable of such principles may emerge as insufficient in countless ways. For instance, there is a popular belief among diverse writers and some psychologists that love is a requirement for stable intimate relationships such as marriage (Daniel, 2020). To such individuals, it is love that brings two people together in such a way that they feel the exigency to commit to each other for an eternity. In addition, the affection itself is used as a measure of the strength of the marital relationship (Daniel, 2020). The existing emotional disposition at the beginning of the marriage sets the expectations for both couples so high that when trouble rocks their future marital life, stability becomes problematic (Daniel, 2020). Without a doubt, people who believe in love as a precondition for marriage have no regard for arranged marriages. Critique of the ‘Significance of Romantic Love for Marriage’ In the article “The significance of romantic love for marriage,” research was conducted to establish the relationship between love and marriage. The study was conducted on 605 subjects who were grouped as married or single, stable or divorced partners, among many other aspects (Willi, 1997, p.171). The author continues to explain why he was inspired to do the investigation. He writes, “It continues to be mysterious why certain marriages are successful and others are not” (Willi, 1997, p.171). The author summarizes the context particulars with key hypotheses that his exploration intended to address. Analytically, the details presented by the writer gives are clear and devoid of ambiguity that some researches on relationship science may contain (Miller, 2018). In essence, the introductory facts that the author has provided are specified and give any reader who is not a psychologist a rough idea of what the research is all about. The article has also elaborated on the research method that was used to achieve its main objective. Specifically, questionnaires are used in the research, and each questionnaire consists of fifty-eight questions, which are subdivided into four distinctive parts (Willi, 1997, p.171). Sociodemographic statements are extracted from the subjects and their partners. Respondents’ extent of happiness and satisfaction in eleven areas of their relationships is then explored (Willi, 1997). The ratings for satisfaction in all the areas are given at a scale of between 1 to 7, with 1 denoting the lowest level and 7 – the highest. The most important aspect is then investigated by the respondents, on when they did fall in love with their current par
The infamous Great Witch Hunt is usually met with various interpretations, most of which are gender-based. A witch-hunt is a process that involves the search for witches proving their witchcraft. In the past, this process was often authorized and it was accompanied by official formal trials that were common in Early Modern Europe. However, the most significant areas where witch-hunting was mostly spread are southern and central Germany. At first, the witch hunts were more common in Switzerland and also in France in the fifteenth and fourteenth centuries. Historians say that the hunts were most frequent around the mid-sixteenth century to the mid-seventeenth century. The typical era of a witch hunt in North America and Europe falls into the Early Modern Era, which spans between the turmoil of the Reformation and the 30 year war. Most people are unanimous about the fact that the result of this process is the execution of thousands of people. The witch craze stretched across all Europe and to a majority of its colonies, in general. This essay will discuss the extent to which gender-based interpretations of the witch craze explain the persecutions that occurred throughout Europe and its colonies from the 1400s to late 17th century. Most authors argued that women were more likely to fall into the devil’s temptations. Using this argument they convicted women underlying the fact that women would most likely become witches. Some of the witches hunt targeted only women. Most people today view this event and such an attitude as malicious because the majority of Christians view every member of their congregation as having equal spiritual abilities regardless of their gender. Such an abusive view in regards to women can, therefore, only be seen as ignorant and primitive. The reason why women were largely targeted could be due to the fact that society was dominated by males at that time. Women were not allowed to take part in the judicial process except for the cases when they were witnesses or victims. There was an incident in Massachusetts, America which is being actively discussed nowadays though it occurred about half a century before the Salem trials. The story goes like this, a wife and a husband are said to have accused each other of witchcraft. Both are found innocent of practising witchcraft, but, this was the wife who is found guilty of killing her son and is sentenced to hanging. Most people doubted the credibility of the trial due to the way witch trials used to be conducted taking into the account the fact that gender bias was common during such trials, where the ratio of men to women found guilty of witchcraft in New England was always higher than that of men. Some witch hunts currently taking place in sub-Saharan Africa can also be used to give an insight on how grave the witch craze in Europe used to be in the past. Specialists referred witch-finders to the ones, who identify suspects being often killed by the mob. This happens episodically as a result of people’s terror of witches. Incidents that involved executing of children were on