The Stroop Effect Essay Example for Free

The Stroop Effect Essay The aim of the study was to investigate the extent that automatic tasks have an effect on the speed of saying the words. It was assumed that participants will take significantly longer to say colour words in a different colour to what the word is on a word list then when the colour word is in the same colour because reading a word has become an automatic process. The method of this study used a repeated measures and matched pairs design and involved giving participants a selection of six lists; three inconsistent with colour and the word and three consistently worded. The sampling method was opportunity sampling taken from a sampling body of 16-19 year old students at Richmond Upon Thames College. Results were tested using the Wilcoxon matched pairs signed ranks test; this showed that there is a significant difference in the mean time taken to say the inconsistent list in comparison to the consistent list. However, environmental factors such as the noise of the surroundings have not been taken into account adding a major limitation to this study. Introduction The topic area I am going to study is attention, looking more specifically into automatic processing. Automatic processing is a concept in the area of attention that states that some tasks can be processed without the awareness of the person and dont interfere with the ability to process other tasks, for example someone who can type and talk to someone at the same time. This person can type without thinking about it; it has become an automatic process. Schiffrin and Schneider (1977) pioneered research in this area. They found that automatic processes are inflexible and hard to change i. e. once they are learnt it is difficult to alter them. Norman and Schallice (1986) argue that automatic tasks are preformed through schemas (a way of organising and storing knowledge, creates a framework for future understanding) and that when an action is preformed the relevant schema has to be used and the other, similar schema controlled using contention scheduling to stop similar schemas being activated. An example of this is if someone goes into a kitchen to make tea then the other schemas relevant to the kitchen, for example a toast making schema must be controlled using contention scheduling. Norman and Schallice also identified a supervisory attentional system which is when someone is controlling themselves consciously to override an automatic process. An example of this is when someone usually leaves their house and turns left to go to college but due to an appointment they have to turn right. Stroop (1935) also conducted research into automatic processes. He gave participants two lists and asked them to say the name of the colour the words were printed in one list was colour words in the same colour and the second was colour words in a different colour. Stroop found that when the colour words were in different colours the participant would take longer to read the colour of the word this is because the automatic process of reading is completed faster then the controlled process of identifying the colour. This research is being conducted to identify if it applied to students as because they are studying they may be more aware of the colour or the tasks at hand they in a performance mode. Aim: To investigate the effects of two similar tasks i. e. reading different coloured words on the speed of saying the words. Hypothesis-directional: Participants will take significantly longer to say colour words in a different colour to what the word is on a word list then when the colour word is in the same colour. Hypothesis-null: There will be no difference in the time taken for participants to say colour words in a different colour to what the word is on a word list then when the colour word is in the same colour. Methods Design The research will be carried out in a repeated measures design; participants will be exposed to both the conditions, each variable will be tested on the participant three times. This design however, suffers from order effects; once a participant has finished one list they will be ready or rehearsed for the next ergo be better at the next list. With this in mind, this research will be counter balanced, for example if participant A reads list 1 first then participant B will read list 2 first and so on. To ensure more valid results the participant will receive three lists from the inconsistent condition and three lists from the consistent condition. Investigator effects will be avoided by creating a set of standardised instructions; this will ensure that the researchers do not treat each participant differently creating less demand characteristics. This research could be considered unethical as the participant doesnt know what they are doing but this will be dealt with by a debriefing; after the experiment the participant will be told what the experiment is for the lack of informed consent will only cause minimal psychological harm. The hypothesis will only be accepted if the results show a level of significance over 5%; this has been chosen to make the results more generalisable and to avoid anomalies.

Waterland by Graham Swift Essay -- narrative, history, tom crick

History is the study of past events. In his novel Waterland, Graham Swift entwines the past with the present to create a cyclical rhythm, which flows through the narrative. The narrative explores the notion of temporality and explains that instead of time following a linear pattern, it is, in fact, a circle, which moves in into itself, representing the past, the present, and the future. Chapters often end in the middle of a sentence, then picked up at the beginning of the following chapter, suggesting not only the continuity of the story, but the course of history. This style reinforces the content of Waterland and embodies the theme of history being continuous. Waterland features a history teacher and narrator, Tom Crick, who has been urged to take an early retirement on account of his wife stealing a baby from Safeway, after god told her to (15). To try to understand the present, Tom takes a look into his past and decides to use his experiences as a history lesson, and instea d of using the syllabus completely, he begins telling his class—his-story. He does not believe in progression, man takes â€Å"one step forward, one step back† throughout history. Through Tom’s personal stories and the juxtaposition of the historical facts, the reader infers that the narrative of Waterland believes that history travels in circles. Swift uses specific symbols to also represent the cycle by which things occur in nature. At the center of the novel lies a river called the Ouse, which reinforces the circular movement of history. When the narrator describes the flow of the Ouse River he says, â€Å"So that while the Ouse flows to the sea, it flows in reality, like all rivers, only back to itself, to its own source; and that impression that a riv... ...-linear. What happens in the past does not stay in the past. Water comes back when land is reclaimed, eels reproduce via a circular journey, traits of parents are transferred to their children, and decisions affect the future. Throughout the novel, Tom explains how history â€Å"goes backwards as it goes forward. It loops. It takes detours,† and it does the same with his style of his narrative (155). The stories communicated by Tom shows how, â€Å"[History] repeats itself, how it goes back on itself, no matter how we try to straighten it out. How it twists and turns. How it goes in circles and brings us back to the same place† (162). The narrative embodies the circular progression of time showing that history is never gone, but rather, it manifests itself in the present and somehow repeats. Works Cited Swift, Graham. Waterland. New York: Vintage, 1992. Epub.

Chinese Civil Service Examination

The Imperial Examination System in Ancient China Abstract: Imperial examination in ancient China was developing based on the nine-rank system. From Sui and Tang dynasties to Guangxu year, Qing dynasty, it took more than 1300 years to evolve. The Imperial Examination is officially called Keju Examination in China, which was an important part of education system of feudal society in ancient China. In the mean time, it was a kind of officer-selecting system as well. It played a significant role in cultivating, selecting, and making use of talents.Modern examination system also takes example by the imperial examinations in ancient China. So we should attach importance to researching and studying it due to its enlightenment to the innovation of education system. Have you ever wondered why there is an examination this kind of stuff which makes students â€Å"suffer† a lot and how it comes about? What is its origin? And how did it develop? Actually, China has a long history in examin ation system. So, I will talk about the imperial examination system in China which has a far-reaching impact to other Asian countries. The establishment of the nine-rank system A certain system cannot be created without foundation and time, it must have an origin, and before the establishment of the system, there must have been a predecessor originating gradually† ——Ch’ ien Mu? Imperial examination did not arise suddenly. Before the imperial examination was created, the nine-rank system was considered to be the precursor of it. According to Ci Hai dictionary, the explanation of the word â€Å"nine-rank system†: At the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, Cao Cao was in power, he advocated â€Å"Wei Cai Shi Ju†, which means everyone has an opportunity to be an official as long as he is outstanding enough.In the year 220, Cao Pi adopted Ministry of Personnel, Chen Qun’s suggestion that every prefecture could elect a reputable man to be the â €Å"Zhongzheng† (a kind of official), and the government classified them as nine ranks according to their capability. Cao Pi maintained Cao Cao’s principle that pedigree will not be the prerequisite. According to baike. baidu. com, at the beginning when nine-rank system was established, the criterion for estimating candidates was focused on extraction, morality, and ability. However, with the development of nine-rank system, extraction became the prerequisite, event the sole touchstone.When it came to Western Jin Dynasty, there had been a situation that first-class positions only admitted aristocrats and inferior-class positions only admitted people who didn’t have eminent background. Until the Northern Dynasty, national minority was in charge of the government. So the nine-rank system couldn’t efficiently work as before and became formalistic. Finally, it was abolished because of the lapse of aristocrats by Sui Dynasty. The establishment of Keju System ( The Imperial Examination System) Sui Dynasty: In 589, Sui Wendi (the emperor) set up two subjects of Xiu Cai and Ming Jing.In 606, Sui Yangdi (the next emperor) started to add another subject of Jin Shi. Therefore, it became the mark of the establishment of Keju System. Tang Dynasty: Tang Dynasty carried forward the system from Sui Dynasty practicing Keju System which used the subject of Jin Shi as the dominative way to select dedicates to upper level. Those who hoped to be the officials of the bureaucracy should compete in the Jin Shi exams, which tested their knowledge about the Five Confucian Classics. They are: Title (English)| Title (Chinese)| Brief Description| Classic of Poetry| A collection of 305 poems divided into 160 folk songs, 105 festal songs sung at court ceremonies, and 40 hymns and eulogies sung at sacrifices to gods and ancestral spirits of the royal house. | Book of Documents| | A collection of documents and speeches alleged to have been written by rulers and of ficials of the early Zhou period and before. It is possibly the oldest Chinese narrative, and may date from the 6th century BC. It includes examples of early Chinese prose. | Book of Rites| | Describes ancient rites, social forms and court ceremonies.The version studied today is a re-worked version compiled by scholars in the third century BC rather than the original text, which is said to have been edited by Confucius himself. | Classic of Changes| | Also known as  I Ching  or  Book of Changes. The book contains a  divination  system comparable to Western  geomancy  or the West African system. In  Western  cultures and modern East Asia, it is still widely used for this purpose. | Spring and Autumn Annals| | Also known as  Lin Jing  ( ), a historical record of the state of Lu, Confucius's native state, 722–481 BC, compiled by himself, with mplied condemnation of usurpations, murder, incest, etc. | Graph from Wikipedia.? By the end of Tang Dynasty, the old aristocracy had been supplanted by the scholar-gentry. Song Dynasty: during the Song Dynasty, there were several reformations and the Keju System became more and more mature and consummate. It had reached its summit. The government expanded admission quota and established Provincial Examination, Metropolitan Examination, and Final Imperial Examination. Those exams would be hold triennially. Song Dynasty changed the situation that merchant were discriminated in Sui and Tang Dynasties.Thanks to this policy, many people who were born miserably could have a fair access to higher level of bureaucracy. Ming and Qing Dynasty: The Imperial Examination System reached its final form under Ming Dynasty, and was adopted almost intact by the succeeding Qing dynasty. Metropolitan Examination was holding every three years in Jing Cheng (Beijing), and officials were rotated every three years in order to prevent them from building up a power base. The admission criterion was divided into three levels. The top level included three quotas: Zhuang Yuan, Bang Yan, and Tan Hua.The other levels would enroll several examinees. The subject matter of the examinations was about the Four Books and Five Confucian Classics. The form for an examination paper became the stylized â€Å"eight-legged essay† (Ba Gu Wen), which had eight main headings, used 700 characters or less, and dealt with topics according to a certain set manner. According to www. Newworldencyclopedia. org. ? By 1370, the examinations lasted between 24 and 72 hours, and were conducted in spare, isolated examination rooms; sometimes, however, it was held in cubicles.The small rooms featured two boards which could be placed together to form a bed, or placed on different levels to serve as a desk and chair. In order to obtain objectivity in evaluation, candidates were identified by number rather than name, and examination answers were recopied by a third person before being evaluated to prevent the candidate's han dwriting from being recognized. The examinations were often criticized because the ability to do well on the examination did not necessarily reflect the ability to govern well, and because they gave precedence to style over content and originality of thought.The exam system was abolished in 1905. The rulers realized that in order for the country to survive in the 20th century, they had to abandon the Confucian-classics-based education system, and adopt a Western-type, science-and-technology-based system. How many types of degrees could people get? What were the sorts of those degrees? The sort of degrees can reflect the completeness of Chinese Imperial Examination System. Types of Degree Level 1: District Level First you had to pass the district level exam. There was no degree at this level.The people who passed the district level exam would have the title of Tong Sheng( ). Then you have the qualification to take the prefectural level exam. Level 2a: Prefectural Level People who pas s the prefectural level exam achieved Sheng Yuan( ) degree. The exam was held two times every three years at the capital of the local prefecture. The most outstanding Sheng Yuan could directly be given the Gong Sheng( ) degree. Level 2b With time going on, the government became corrupt and allowed people to buy a Jian Sheng( ) degree.Wealthy people who were too lazy to study or who failed the prefectural level exam bought these degrees to improve their social status. These Jian Sheng had the same qualification to take next level examination. Level 3: Provincial Level People who passed the provincial level exam were awarded the Ju Ren( ) degree. The exam was held at the provincial capital every three years. Very few of the population had this degree. These people where considered upper gentry. Level 4: Metropolitan Level People who passed the metropolitan level exam were awarded the Gong Sheng( )degree.Soon after passing the metropolitan test, the candidate would take the Palace Exam ination and be conferred the Jin Shi( ) degree. The exam was given at Beijing once every three years. What kind of influence does it have? Is it beneficial or detrimental for the social development? The Imperial Examination System was more like a double-edged sword, since it brings the uniformity to the country but reluctance to innovate and change. The advantageous and disadvantageous influence Positive impact * Keju System facilitates traditional Confucian culture popularized and made the society generate a lively, critical, academic environment. From Song dynasty, no matter how humbly the examinees were, they had the equal opportunity to enter a high position in government as other aristocrats had. So this system not only expanded the scope of selecting talents, but also played an important part in maintaining the stability of society. During Ming and Qing dynasty, about half of Jin Shi was born in poor families. * The strict system provided impartial chances to commoners so that government had a good reputation at that time. * As the country who invented examination system, China has been known by other countries in the world.The Keju System is regarded as a cornerstone of other exam patterns. It has a far-reaching impact to East Asia and Western world. From 8th to 10th century, Japan had imitated the Keju System, and so as Korea and Vietnam. In 1855, the civil official examination system was officially established in Britain. â€Å"It is widely acknowledged by Western scholars today that China's imperial examination system exerted direct influence on the modern civil service examination system in the West,† said Li Shiyu, a guest-visitor to the exhibition and researcher with the Institute of History under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.?Negative impact  · Keju system didn’t radically solve the problem that public officials appointed people by favouritism. With strengthen of centralization of authority, Keju System was gradually con trolled by monarch or high-level officials. And the number of enrollees was not enough at all so that people who had relationships with officials could easily slip through and pass the examination. * Keju system cannot help enhance administrative efficiency in its original sense. Because of the complicated bureaucracy set, people who passed the examinations could not adapt the complicacy and put knowledge into practice. It caused people to have a rigescent thought. Most people took the Keju examination just in order to change their family financial condition instead to change the decayed political condition. What they learned could not match the reality well and help a lot so that executive system verged to conservative and closed. With time going on, China gradually lost many chances to innovate. * Many multitudes gave up their jobs, many young males lay their farm land wasted so that they could have plenty of time to prepare for the examinations.To some extent, the crop yield took a hit because of a large number of strong adults wanted to be an official instead of a farmer. Purpose of Imperial Examination System In ancient China, most people lived at the bottom of the society, the only way they could change their destiny was to take Imperial Exams. Since the process of studying for the examination was time-consuming, most male adults had to do farming work during the daytime, but those wealthy land-owning gentries could have plenty of spare time to study. So they became the main candidates for high-ranking government officials.The examination system distributed its prizes according to provincial and prefectural quotas, which meant that imperial officials were recruited from the whole country, in numbers roughly proportional to each province's population. Elite individuals all over China, even in the disadvantaged peripheral regions, had a chance at succeeding in the examinations and achieving the rewards of holding office. In earlier period, it was a fair me thod for commoners to change their social status, however, under some late dynasties the imperial bureaucracy became corrupt, examinations were abolished and official posts were either sold or given as rewards.At these times, the public morale diminished, and some type of reform was often introduced to restore traditional Confucian values in the government. The uniformity of the content of the examinations helped maintain the basic cultural values. Even only few people could pass the exam and finally get title, the preparation for and the hope of eventual success on a subsequent examination sustained the interest of those who took them. Those who failed to pass—most of the andidates at any single examination did not lose wealth or local social standing; as dedicated believers in Confucian orthodoxy, they served, without the benefit of state appointments, as teachers, patrons of the arts, and managers of local projects, such as irrigation works, schools, or charitable foundati ons. With the Imperial examination, the society was in a dense academic atmosphere. After Qing Dynasty collapsed, what is the examination system like? What is its difference or similarity between Western countries and China?The Examination System After 1912 After 1912, soon the Chinese revolutionary league was established. It was led by Sun Zhongshan( considered as the Father of Republic of China). Sun had been studied abroad in Japan and had a very progressive thought. He adopted a lot of excellent western ideas and devoted himself to reform and innovation. Not only in political and economic aspects, but also in education. He zealously sparkplugs western-style education system. A lot of public schools were built. Ordinary people could afford their children to get education.It was a good start in New China. Today, Chinese Communists studying capitalist civil service systems have been making a similar point. Deng Xiaoping has said, in reference to economic reforms, â€Å"It doesn't matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice. † The current Chinese civil service reform (CSR) is an adjunct to the economic reforms begun in 1978. Regional and city governments, as well as a few national ministries, began experimenting with Western civil service techniques (particularly the use of examinations for selection).With the improvement of the education system, the quality of common people is also promoted. With United Nations' help (United Nations Development Program, 1987, 1989), the Chinese have been bringing foreign personnel experts to China and sending Chinese administrators abroad to study Western personnel technology. Although they are studying foreign systems, in the end, they insist that they will adopt a system with distinct â€Å"Chinese characteristics. † If I have more time, I would like explore the western countries’ comments onChinese civil examination and advises; the problems that current Chinese education system has and methods to solve it; the education system in capitalist countries and make a comparison. Work cited: ? Chi’en Mu. Zhong Guo Zheng Zhi Li Dai De Shi. Sheng Huo ·Du Shu ·Xin Zhi San Lian Bookstore Press. 2005. ISBN: 9787108015280 ? http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Four_Books_and_Five_Classics ? http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/entry/Imperial_Examinations_(Keju) ? Ancient Imperial Exams with Modern Relevance, China. org. cn. Retrieved on August 24, 2007. ? Monique Nagel-Angermann. 2012, Exam time.Calliope, 22, 24-27. ProQuest Research Library. 27 Oct. 2012. ? Miyazaki, Ichisada. China's Examination Hell: The Civil Service Examinations of Imperial China. [1976] reprint 1981. 18 Nov. 2012 ? http://www. kwanfamily. info. Web. 21 Nov, 2012. Site creation date July 6, 2002. ? Nagel-Angermann, Monique. â€Å"Exam Time. † Calliope 2012: 24-7. ProQuest Research Library. 22 Nov. 2012. ? Aufrecht, Steven E. , and Li Siu Bun. â€Å"Reform with Chinese Characteristics: T he Context of Chinese Civil Service Reform. † Public administration review 55. 2 (1995): 175-. ABI/INFORM Complete; ProQuest Research Library. 27 Nov. 2012 .

Berdache - 961 Words

Berdache and present day Trans individuals, A comparison of Valentine’s amp; Gutià ©rrez’s views on establishing gender covenants. In comparing Warfare, homosexuality, gender status among native American Indian men in the southwest by Gutierrez and I know what I am by Valentine one is struck by the apparent differences that both authors have on multiple levels despite their agreement on gender identity as a product of society and culture. Through discrepancies in tone and evidence selection light can be shed on these aforementioned points of contestation. Gutierrez’s main point of: â€Å"Gender is a role not a status† (Gutierrez pg 29) Permeates his argument in a strong tonal sense through its fatalistic and impersonal attributes.†¦show more content†¦Utilizing transference immediately and preserving the seeming normalization of the traditional dualistic view of gender roles. In turn reinforced by a somewhat insightful but mystical account of the spiritual and power bases of each gender within the society (Gutierrez 28). In a sense it seems he is avoiding the idea of transgender all together, the unwritten implication being that our current notion of transgendered is nothing but that, a notion developed by ours culture in our present. Valentine on the other hand in seeking out so many conflicted and widespread views of gender and self creates enough fragmentation of gender labels for his argument of individualism and self-identity to shine out. In presenting the reader with individuals such as Mona(Valentine 116) plagued with alternating bouts of confusion and zealous certainty regarding herself and labels, Valentine practically invites the reader to conclude that certain gender bound labels cannot be on good faith placed by the reader on such individuals. Additionally in interviewing Sheryl who is not part of the typical subjects found at the meat market, the argument on its own is lent credibility by further enlarging the representation of the gender queer segment to both drag queens and individuals from different ethnic and financialShow MoreRelatedEssay The Berdache of Early American Conquest3448 Words   |  14 PagesThe Berdache of Early American Conquest Methodological Introduction This paper attempts to link the facet of queer theory that explains gender and sexuality as culturally constructed identities, with the presence of the berdache in the New World at the time of the Spanish conquest. By analyzing the construction of gender and sexuality among the native peoples, in contrast to the ideologies of the Spanish, I found a clash arose which explained, in some sense, the incompatibility of the twoRead MoreAnalysis Of Travesti s Travesti Essay1318 Words   |  6 Pagescan have a penis and still get men to want them. 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When Europeans discovered the existence of the Native Americans, they called the two spirit people â€Å"berdaches,† a word that means male prostitute, and thought of them as homosexuals. More examples of additional genders include the â€Å"bissu of South Sulawesi†, who were thought to help with the fertility of rulers, the â€Å"mahus of Polynesia†, who preformed women’s