The Impact of Education On Social Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Impact of Education On Social Change - Essay Example We are living in a mysterious world in which we do not know much. In fact what we know so far is negligible when we consider what we do not know yet. Even then it is better to know more about the knowledge which is revealed to the world because of the efforts of eminent scholars and scientists. Education is the only way to achieve knowledge about the unknown world. Knowing more about a particular thing will help a person to fine tune his personality and attitude. For example, earlier we thought that the diseases were the curses of God. Later we identified that the diseases were caused by some germs or viruses and this knowledge helped us to find out medicines suitable to kill these germs or viruses. In other words, our attitude towards diseases has been changed a lot because of the advancements in medical science. In short, education helps us to change our established perceptions and attitudes or it helps us to polish our knowledge. â€Å"The traditional education was meant for an u nchanging static society not marked by any change. But today education aims at imparting knowledge. Education was associated with religion†(Education and Social Change, 2010). Religions and religious beliefs influence the education process very much. A child is entering this world, not as a free person, but as a person born in a particular region. In other words, religious beliefs are the first knowledge a child is getting in his/her life. All other streams of knowledge came only at the secondary place. Most of the new scientific knowledge entering this world has questioned some of the established beliefs or teachings of the religions and hence many of the religions are not much keen in encouraging education. However, it is difficult for the religions... This report stresses that modern management principles were implemented in the Bangladeshi educational system in order to manage the educational process more effectively. Educational system has been perceived as an organization at present and at each level, different educational managers are managing the educational functions. Another major reformation process undertaken in the Bangladeshi educational system was the training and development of teachers. Bangladesh has realized that only the development of teachers is important in the development of educational system in Bangladesh. Knowledge is bursting from all the corners rapidly at present and the teachers should have their knowledge updated in order to excel in their profession. The above awareness motivated Bangladesh to implement a comprehensive teacher training and development program. Bangladeshi educational curriculum was outdated earlier. This essay makes a conclusion that Islamic community at some parts of the world is witnessing tremendous advancements in the educational sector. India and Bangladesh are two best examples, in which the Islamic community have developed a lot as a result of the educational modernization and reformation happened in the Islamic institutions and educational systems in these countries. Based on these changes in the educational sector, Islamic societies in these countries were also undergone drastic reformation process. The outlooks of Muslims in these countries are entirely different from that of some other fundamental Muslim societies in the world.

Lost Treasures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lost Treasures - Essay Example The Mayan civilization is another group who would have been a great influence to more modern societies had their literature been available to us today. Mayans are believed to have been an outstanding group of people in Central America during the Spanish era of conquests. Despite having no skill or knowledge of the wheel or metal tools, they were able to build temples and pyramids. Artifacts also reveal a system of writing, mathematics and astrology which can be considered advanced for the Mayans during that time. The PopulVuh is a sample of Mayan literature. It is a book believed to have been used by the Mayans to answer questions regarding creation and the earth. Unfortunately, it is only one of three Mayan books that is believed to exist and survive the test of time. Because of this, insight on the Mayan’s systems are hard to understand. Before the invention of the dawn of printing, literary pieces were handwritten. Ancient studies reveal that the early men used to depict th eir lives on cave walls, rocks or leaves. As such, these works of our ancestors risk being damaged or lost due to natural or man-made disasters. Other reasons for the loss may also be theft and the author’s own doing. One example of this is the destruction of the library in Alexandria where it is believed, thousands upon thousands of ancient writings were destroyed. The city in Egypt was founded by Alexander the Great while the Museum or Royal Library of Alexandria was founded by Alexander’s successor, Ptolomy II Soter in 283 BC. (Chesser)... Because of this, insight on the Mayan’s systems are hard to understand. Before the invention of the dawn of printing, literary pieces were handwritten. Ancient studies reveal that the early men used to depict their lives on cave walls, rocks or leaves. As such, these works of our ancestors risk being damaged or lost due to natural or man-made disasters. Other reasons for the loss may also be theft and the author’s own doing. One example of this is the destruction of the library in Alexandria where it is believed, thousands upon thousands of ancient writings were destroyed. The city in Egypt was founded by Alexander the Great while the Museum or Royal Library of Alexandria was founded by Alexander’s successor, Ptolomy II Soter in 283 BC. (Chesser) It is believed that the Royal Library of Alexandria contained literature from Assyria, Greece, Persia, Egypt, India and other places (Chesser) and so there is great disappointment and regret as to its destruction. Until today, unfortunately, there are just speculations based on existing literary works that refer to the library and the reason why it was destroyed. Historians refer to a few incidents in ancient times that may have caused the loss of literary work in Alexandria. One of these was a fire during the reign of Julius Ceasar. It is said that Ceasar had ordered a fire on the enemy Egyptian fleet at Alexandria’s harbor. Sadly, the part of the city where the Library was located accidentally got caught in the flames and burned down. Another reason was supposedly the conversion of the Library into a Christian Church during Theophilus’ reign of Alexandria. Moslem Caliph Omar was also blamed for the destruction of the Library when the Moslems conquered Alexandria in 640

Neural Network Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Neural Network - Essay Example Last line means to say that if the letters are placed in some tilted position, then also algorithm must tackle this problem. Pattern Recognition or Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a pipelined process consisting of several stages in proper sequence. They are shown in figure 2. Each character is represented as a combination of pixels. All pixels together make a huge feature vector. Total number of pixels is equal to wh where w is the number of pixel in width side and h is the pixels present in height. Figure 3 depicts the way pixel forms one particular character. xi is the fraction of ink in pixel i. Classifier must be adaptive (generalize) in nature so that it can be able to recognize patterns encountering first time. A typical character image is 6464 pixels large and for each such pixel 256 grey values are required making feature space large. For training a recognizer hence, requires huge amount of data to fill this vast space. In order to reduce the dimension space Principal Component Analysis is mostly used which transforms into lower dimension space (Yeung & Ruzzu, 2001). OCR also should make a distinguishing between ‘O’ and ‘6’. Figure 4 shows one case example. If t/b comes smaller that means letter is ‘O’ otherwise ‘6’. A good algorithm must define the tolerance level (T) adequately. Other examples of such cases are letter ‘q’ and digit ‘9’. First identify the maximum rotation number whether it is 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6. Then check any mirror is present or not (m). Is there any indecomposable glide reflection (g)? And finally whether there is any rotation axis on the mirror present or not. Other than this Genetic Algorithm also works as PR. Selection of patterns play an important role in PR process as it determines the accuracy of algorithm, its learning time, and the necessary number of samples. Best selection of feature plays important

The Impact of Education On Social Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Impact of Education On Social Change - Essay Example We are living in a mysterious world in which we do not know much. In fact what we know so far is negligible when we consider what we do not know yet. Even then it is better to know more about the knowledge which is revealed to the world because of the efforts of eminent scholars and scientists. Education is the only way to achieve knowledge about the unknown world. Knowing more about a particular thing will help a person to fine tune his personality and attitude. For example, earlier we thought that the diseases were the curses of God. Later we identified that the diseases were caused by some germs or viruses and this knowledge helped us to find out medicines suitable to kill these germs or viruses. In other words, our attitude towards diseases has been changed a lot because of the advancements in medical science. In short, education helps us to change our established perceptions and attitudes or it helps us to polish our knowledge. â€Å"The traditional education was meant for an u nchanging static society not marked by any change. But today education aims at imparting knowledge. Education was associated with religion†(Education and Social Change, 2010). Religions and religious beliefs influence the education process very much. A child is entering this world, not as a free person, but as a person born in a particular region. In other words, religious beliefs are the first knowledge a child is getting in his/her life. All other streams of knowledge came only at the secondary place. Most of the new scientific knowledge entering this world has questioned some of the established beliefs or teachings of the religions and hence many of the religions are not much keen in encouraging education. However, it is difficult for the religions... This report stresses that modern management principles were implemented in the Bangladeshi educational system in order to manage the educational process more effectively. Educational system has been perceived as an organization at present and at each level, different educational managers are managing the educational functions. Another major reformation process undertaken in the Bangladeshi educational system was the training and development of teachers. Bangladesh has realized that only the development of teachers is important in the development of educational system in Bangladesh. Knowledge is bursting from all the corners rapidly at present and the teachers should have their knowledge updated in order to excel in their profession. The above awareness motivated Bangladesh to implement a comprehensive teacher training and development program. Bangladeshi educational curriculum was outdated earlier. This essay makes a conclusion that Islamic community at some parts of the world is witnessing tremendous advancements in the educational sector. India and Bangladesh are two best examples, in which the Islamic community have developed a lot as a result of the educational modernization and reformation happened in the Islamic institutions and educational systems in these countries. Based on these changes in the educational sector, Islamic societies in these countries were also undergone drastic reformation process. The outlooks of Muslims in these countries are entirely different from that of some other fundamental Muslim societies in the world.

Neural Network Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Neural Network - Essay Example Last line means to say that if the letters are placed in some tilted position, then also algorithm must tackle this problem. Pattern Recognition or Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a pipelined process consisting of several stages in proper sequence. They are shown in figure 2. Each character is represented as a combination of pixels. All pixels together make a huge feature vector. Total number of pixels is equal to wh where w is the number of pixel in width side and h is the pixels present in height. Figure 3 depicts the way pixel forms one particular character. xi is the fraction of ink in pixel i. Classifier must be adaptive (generalize) in nature so that it can be able to recognize patterns encountering first time. A typical character image is 6464 pixels large and for each such pixel 256 grey values are required making feature space large. For training a recognizer hence, requires huge amount of data to fill this vast space. In order to reduce the dimension space Principal Component Analysis is mostly used which transforms into lower dimension space (Yeung & Ruzzu, 2001). OCR also should make a distinguishing between ‘O’ and ‘6’. Figure 4 shows one case example. If t/b comes smaller that means letter is ‘O’ otherwise ‘6’. A good algorithm must define the tolerance level (T) adequately. Other examples of such cases are letter ‘q’ and digit ‘9’. First identify the maximum rotation number whether it is 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6. Then check any mirror is present or not (m). Is there any indecomposable glide reflection (g)? And finally whether there is any rotation axis on the mirror present or not. Other than this Genetic Algorithm also works as PR. Selection of patterns play an important role in PR process as it determines the accuracy of algorithm, its learning time, and the necessary number of samples. Best selection of feature plays important

Hilton Hotels Corporation Marketing Analysis Essay Example for Free

Hilton Hotels Corporation Marketing Analysis Essay The marketing issues addressed here are focused on how to draw more consumers from other gambling casinos, and how to make Hilton a resort destination. Two-thirds of Hiltons total operating earnings in the early 1990s were derived from the four casinos they owned in Las Vegas, Nevada. Expanding on this idea will ensure the hotel chain firmly plants its feet in the entertainment and resort business (Hilton Case Study). By investing massive amounts of revenue into developing their gaming division, the Hilton will become a destination resort that would encompass of all the guests needs to keep them interested staying within the confines of the resort. Some considerations include how Hilton would get its market share of the billions of dollars in casino revenues. The percentage of gambling versus side attractions will influence the profit margins, depending on how much focus is placed on each area. The hotel chain can also strive to increase its overall occupancy rate of seventy percent while continuing to set the industry benchmark (Hilton Case Study). In researching how to improve marketing to attract customers, we must first look at where the Hilton stands today. Second, we must analyze what has worked in the past and see if we can apply past practices into the current market. Third, we shall look at how the competitors are more effective by looking at their gaming plans, marketing structure, customers spending habits and dollar/cost value based on guest surveys. Hilton entered the gaming market as an attempt to compete with the other big hotels for the gambling dollar. Investments in renovation and expansion caused Hilton to over- extend. Although the investments were needed to compete, the hotel chain felt it needed to lure big money to its locations, and extend credit more than usual. Heavy hitters receive this same courtesy from other hotels, but this puts a strain on the operating cash flow, as chasing bad credit costs money, and slows up cash flow. Gaming revenue was already down, which was attributable in part to renovation and more so to extended credit that had been difficult to reclaim. In todays market, families are a prime target. Big beautiful hotels are  catering to families all along the Las Vegas strip. Gambling is still the main focus, but todays gambler is more inclined to visit the Casino Resort, a place that the kids can stay, have a good time and be entertained. Meanwhile, the parents can drop next months mortgage money at the casino. This type of package appeals to the whole family. As far as quality of service, no one does it better than Hilton, because they create an environment that the customer, family or non-family guests will remember and to which they will want to return. The focus on entertainment is important, but Las Vegas is still sin-city. Three point six billion dollars have been spent in packaging entertainment; focus on the family is important, but a balance of adult-only and child-friendly entertainment is required. Gambling is the central purpose for casinos to exist. Continue to market the standard tables of chance, card tables, slot machines, and lavish floor shows, with headliners people recognize, and the main source of revenue will continue to flow. Have shopping, kids activities, and outdoor recreation available, but not as the focus of why travelers should visit, and that will provide entertainment for the rest of the family. Hilton should pull back the extended credit. By doing so, they may lose a few customers, but the resulting loss of risk will increase bottom-line profit. By changing the focus to families, the customers that discontinue patronizing the hotel for credit line reasons are not the desired target anymore. The chain should pay more attention to the middle-market segment, conventions, and sporting events such as youth tournaments and professional venues. In volume, the more people that move through the doors, the more money there is to be made. With this said, room rates must stay within the $100.00 a night rate with weekend promotions of Thursday through Sunday at a lower rate; perhaps 25% to 35% lower. This would be a novel concept, as the industry generally promotes lower room rates Monday through Thursday. The food and beverage structure should remain the same, as it has proven to be more than adequate and very popular. The increase in competition can be dealt with through better values in room rates, childrens activities, slot machines that pay off more frequently and the most important aspect of the business, service. Hilton could offer something that the other hotels do not: ensuring the employee responses to each customers needs are met with enthusiasm and expedience. People are paying for an experience along with the opportunity to break the house; give them what they are looking for. Word of mouth is far more powerful than any media advertisement. Hilton has entered the gaming industry. Gaming must focus on gambling and hotel must focus on hotel amenities and service. It would be the hotels responsibility to insure the entertainment, promotions and accommodations were settled; leaving the gaming operations to generate gaming interest. Advertising would be a joint effort, but casino operations would focus on the age 21 and older market. The two operations would report to the Chief Executive Officer and his staffs to ensure all objectives are met. It would be the CEO and staffs responsibility to ensure both lines were working hand-in-hand, while maintaining separate operations. The purpose for this suggestion is to keep revenues separate so one function does not bear the full brunt of any losses that may occur. The casino will always show a bigger profit than the hotel, but by having separate bottom lines, profit and losses are easier to control. The hotel/casino is one business, but must have two different mindsets as the casino and hotel does, and will operate much differently. Situational AnalysisThe U.S. based Hilton Hotels Corporation is a multi-billion dollar corporation and a leading brand in the hotel and gaming industry. Conrad Hilton started the company in 1919 with his first hotel purchase. Since then the company has grown to over 2,000 hotels globally, with several brand name acquisitions, including Ballys, Hampton Inn, Doubletree Suites and Homewood Inn. Besides standard hotel service, the Hilton Corporation runs casinos, vacation ownership businesses and luxury hotels, like the Conrad Line. The Hilton Hotels Corporation earned in excess  of $3.8 billion in fiscal year 2003 (Datamonitor, p. 4). External FactorsAccording to the Datamonitor report, the Marriott and Hyatt Corporations are the Hilton Hotel Corporations biggest competitors. Las Vegas is a gaming town, thus every hotel is expected to have gambling casinos within. The Las Vegas Hilton website shows that they also provide live entertainment, including comics and headline musical acts, as well as hosting a million-dollar Blackjack tournament. These factors, along with the attractive room packages and gambling activities, should be enough to maintain the occupancy rate and keep the gambling action constant. According to its website, the Las Vegas Marriott is a hotel with 278 rooms. The Hyatt franchise is located 17 miles away from the Las Vegas strip on Lake Las Vegas, but is a resort, casino and spa. While the Hyatt is a luxury hotel chain, the Marriott is a corporation more in line with Hilton. The Marriott made over $9 billion in fiscal year 2003; more than three times the Hilton Hotel Corporation (Marriott Datamonitor report). To contend with a company of this magnitude is not an easy job for any of their competitors. Hilton Hotels Corporation is an enormous company as mentioned above; so sizable that they had to split the corporation into six main divisions, totaling approximately 100,000 employees worldwide. Hilton Hotels Corporation has been very successful since they were established in 1946. Their diversification profile is significant and ambitious; no matter where you go, there are Hilton hotels there. In addition, Hilton Corporation has been leading in customer service and efficient staffing by utilizing a call center to help them maintain their reputation for hospitality. Hilton Reservations Worldwide handles reservations and information requests for thousands of hotel properties, under their various brands, positioning the company on the top of: †¢ Accurate intraday forecasts†¢ Reduced management costs†¢ Excellent customer service †¢ An edge over the competitionA companys strength does not solely lie in the size of the company but in the management of the company, the employees and their commitment to their customers. Hiltons management promoted brand relevancy within minority markets. Their sales team strategic initiatives are to target the multicultural market. In relation to their employees, Hiltons are some of the finest. They are trained to do their jobs with care and make sure the customers are comfortable and happy. The customer personal profile allows the Hilton employees to treat each customer as a unique and special individual. WeaknessEvery company has weaknesses; Hilton Hotels weakness lied in its inability to recover quickly from the attacks on America in 2001. Although Hilton Hotels is a large company in many locations across the country, they had to reduce their manpower due to the decline in business. Matthew J. Hart (president and CEO) said; we have had a lot of job losses about 2,500 full-time equivalent jobs out of a worldwide workforce of 100,000. But we have no plans for any more, unless business gets worse (Finch, 2001, p.1). The September 11th attacks left the whole nation in awe, in grief, and for many New Yorkers, jobless. The attacks left the airline and hotel industry to recover from lost sales. Another weakness the hotel industry is facing is the evident decline in supply. The below chart shows how the demand to occupy the Hilton hotels has been a declining behavior during the last years:A closer examination of the demand cycle for economy hotels during the past several years reveals a pattern that is not consistent with other hotels. The rate of demand growth in this segment began declining during mid-2000, about nine months before a similar effect was felt industry-wide. In addition, as the industrys demand recovery has begun to accelerate the rate of demand growth, the economy segment has plateaud. Of even more concern is that the number of rooms currently being purchased in this segment is still declining when compared to previous-years levels. (Look Smart Articles, 2004, p.1)OpportunitiesAs mentioned earlier, Hilton Hotels Corporation is known worldwide; with this notoriety their reputation will carry them to expand their hotel empire even further. Their opportunity lies in the growing international market. The company is expecting 4-5% fee growth in 2004 within; new management contracts in Austin, Houston, Omaha and Conrad Miami. The company market overview reveals that recent trends in major markets are:†¢ Strong in New York, D.C., Hawaii†¢ Stable in New Orleans, Boston†¢ Weak in San Francisco, ChicagoThere will always be a demand for hotels and resorts. Currently, Hilton Hotels are working on more room availability; 80% of rooms have been renovated within last five years, and they are expanding into new markets. They also have Best Rates. Guaranteed, Internet easy access with a success rate of utilization from the customers:†¢ 13% of all reservations†¢ 85% through proprietary websites†¢ Self-service kiosksThis kind of service assists in making the experience convenient for the customer. Along with the convenience, Hilton Corporation and their six divisions take pride in making every building fee l like home and ensuring the customer is satisfied and pleased with their accommodations (Hilton Hotels Corporation, 2003, s.3-5). ThreatsA few of the threats for The Hilton are competition, and a declining economy. The competition for The Hilton is not only other hotel companies, but restaurants and other service centers as well. Marriott is the main competitor of The Hilton amongst other hospitality companies. Because Hilton is so grand and reputable, they have more room for error, which also makes them vulnerable. As time passes, the Hilton Hotels continue to strive for excellence and perfection. They make each new hotel or resort better than the last. Because of the continuous growth of this company, it has dealt  with its competition head on (Nairn, 2001, p.3). The second threat is the economic decline of this century. Since the September 11th attacks in New York City, the American economy has been declining in all service industry areas. There was an ominous fear of flying and for quite some time, many people chose not to travel for vacations or long-distance business trips. This reaction to the events of 2001 hurt the hospitality industry, and made difficult rebuilding what they lost in revenue. Fortunately, this trend has started to change and the industry will soon recover from their losses. This is an area that still needs close monitoring from the executives of the corporation. References Datamonitor Hilton Hotels Company Overview August 2004. Datamonitor Marriott International Inc. Overview August 2004. Finch, J. (2001, November 16). Hilton reports impact of September 11. Retrieved October 26, 2004, http://www.union-network.org/unitourism.nsf/2c89b80c011f2519c1256b06002163c2?OpenDocumentHotels Hilton Hotels Corporation. (1998, Fall 1998). Corporate History. Retrieved October 26, 2004, Http://hiltonworldwide.hilton.com/en/ww/company-_info/corporate_history.jhtml;jsessionid=FGTDSXUCGXCGSCSGBIX222QKIYFCXUUCHilton Case Study. https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp Retrieved October 23, 2004. Hilton Hotels Corporation (2003, July). Hilton: Great Brands and a Balanced Business Model (presentation). Retrieved October 26, 2004, http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/NYS/HLT/Hilton%20Presentation%20February%202004/tsld002.htmhttp://www.lakelasvegas.com/http://www.lv-hilton.com/http://www.vacationclub.com/en-us/vc/about/marriottworld/lasvegas.asp?cookies=trueLook Smart Articles (2004, January 14). Economy segment lags industry in key performance measures Trends Stats. Retrieved October 26, 2004,

Psychological Models of Health

Psychological Models of Health Module Title: Sociology and Psychology and Public Health Part 1 Literature Review Health behaviour can be described as behaviour aimed to prevent or detect disease (Kasl and Cob, 1966). Models of health behaviour have been developed to understand how people make decisions about their health and predict the likelihood that health behaviour change will occur. This essay will aim to review a number of established health behaviour models focusing on Cognition Models, Social Cognition Models and Stage Models in relation to public health and health promotion interventions. Cognition Models The Health Belief Model (HBM) is a cognition model originally developed by Hochbaum in the 1950’s with later versions of the model being added in the 70’s (Rosenstock 1966; 1974) (cited by Conner and Norman, 2008/2005). The HBM is based on the probability that individuals are influenced by a threatened disease or illness based on a belief that they are vulnerable to a condition; there would be consequences of the condition if no action was taken; that they can prevent a condition developing by taking action; or the benefits of reducing risk of developing a condition are greater than the cost of taking action (add reference). This model was originally developed to predict the participation in screening tests and vaccination programmes with the focus on single preventative behaviours, more recently it has been used in areas of lifestyle behaviours which may sometimes involve life-long behaviours (Baranowski, Cullen, Nicklas, Thompson, Baranowski, 2003) various studies su ch as Abraham and Sheeran (1994) have questioned the appropriateness of using the HBM as a perceived threat to motivate behaviour with some groups, for example, groups of children and adolescent who assume they will live forever (Baranowski et al., 2003). Other critiscisms of the HBM are that it is too focused on the individual and does not consider social, economic and emotional factors (Strecher et al, 1997). In response to criticism the HBM has been adapted to include self-efficacy and health motivation (Ogden, 2012). The Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) developed by Rogers 1975/1985 (cited in Ogden, 2012 pg 50), expands on the Health Belief Model with the addition of emotional factors such as, introducing an element of fear. The framework of PMT is based on using the appeal of fear to influence attitudes and behaviours. The research for the model was centered on the fear-drive model which sees fear as a force by which to motivate trial and error behaviour (Conner Norman, 2008/2005). A study (Wu, Stanton, Li, Galbraith, Cole, 2005) that used PMT to establish health motivation and risk involvement, was successful in using PMT to predict behavioural intention in a variety of behavioural areas such as, smoking cessation, exercise and diet, cancer prevention and condom protection to name but a few. PMT has not received the same level of criticism as HBM however, many criticisms of the HBM also relate to PMT, largely in that it does not allow for social and environmental factors (Ogden 2012, pg 52) Social Cognition Models The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) (Fishbein and Ajken, 1975) or in its extended form Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) (Ajken, 1988) are formed based on the idea that the greatest predictor of behaviour is of behavioural intention (Ogden, 2012). The TPB model is used widely in health fields (Armitage and Conner 2001; Taylor et al. 2007). In addition to attitudes, for example, exercise is fun and will improve my health, the TRA added subjective norms, using the perception of social pressure to perform a behaviour, for example, a desire to please others and gain approval. The TPB adapted the TRA model by adding a concept of perceived behavioural control, which is the individuals perception as to whether the behaviour will be easy or difficult, the concept is similar to Bandura’s (1982) concept of self-efficacy (Conner and Norman, 2008/2005). Both models are used in many areas of health promotion in relation to behaviour change, in current UK policy setting they can be found in exercise intentions; weight gain prevention and eating behaviour; addiction related behaviours; HIV prevention and condom use (Taylor, 2006). The TRA model has been used to show patterns of behaviours such as fat, salt and milk intake whereas the TPB model was used to give details of attitudes and beliefs about starchy foods in the UK (Stubenitsky Mela, 2000). The TPB and TRA differ from the HBM and PMT models in that they have added an element of social and environmental factors by including normative beliefs. Criticisms of the TPB and TRA focus on methods used to test theory and the extent at which they can predict behaviour (Ogden, 2012). Stage Models Transtheoretical Stages of Change Model and Precaution Adoption Process Model The Transtheoretical model (TTM) was developed in the 1980’s by a group of researchers at the University of Rhode Island. TTM was first used in smoking cessation in studies carried out by DiClemente and Prochaska (1982), and is often referred to as simply the stages of change model. The model suggests that health related behaviour change occurs through five stages know as: Pre-contemplation; contemplation; preparation; action and maintenance (Conner and Norman, 2008/2005). Movement or transition through the stages is driven by self-efficacy (the confidence in oneself to change behaviour) and decisional balance (weighing up the costs or benefits to the behaviour), relapsing backward and forwards through the stages is also common (Morris, Marzano, Dandy and O’Brien, 2012). Since 1985 application of the TTM has influenced service planning, provision and training agendas at local, regional and national levels (Bunton, Baldwin, Flynn, Whitelaw, 2000). Bunton et.al, (2000) r emarks on the rise in popularity of the TTM. Examples of areas where TTM has been used include studies in the area of dietary changes, exercise and activity promotion, sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy prevention (cited in Morris, Marzano, Dandy and O’Brien, 2012). Limitations of the model have been suggested by Conner and Norman (2008, pg 247) in that fundamental problems with the definition and measurement of the stages are present. Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM) First suggested by Weinstein (1988) and further refined by Weinstein and Sandman (1992) the Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM) specifies seven stages ranging from ignorance to maintenance of the behaviour. The first stage is, unawareness of issue; second, unengaged by issue; third, deciding about acting; fourth, deciding not to act; fifth, decided to act; sixth, acting; and finally seventh, the maintenance stage. Although similar in some ways, the difference between the PAPM and the TTM is the extra stages, PAPM has 2 additional stages which includes the decided not to act stage which makes a clear distinction between having never thought about adopting a precaution before and having thought about it but deciding not to act (Conner Norman, 2008/2005). Other advantages of the PAPM are that it allows for messages to be tailored at each stage of the model which is helpful in situations where resistance to change is high and its simple questioning method makes it suitable for both individual and group settings, Weinstein Sandman (2002), (The Free Library, 2014). In summary each model has its own unique aspects References Abraham, C., Sheeran, P. (1994). Modelling and modifying young heterosexuals HIV-preventive behaviour; a review of theories, findings and educational implications. Patient Education and Counseling, 23(3), 173-186. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0738-3991(94)90033-7 Armitage, E, C.J. Conner, M. (2001). Efficacy of the Theory of Planned Behaviour: a meta-analytic review. British Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 471-99. Baranowski, T., Cullen, K. W., Nicklas, T., Thompson, D., Baranowski, J. (2003). Are Current Health Behavioral Change Models Helpful in Guiding Prevention of Weight Gain Efforts? Obesity Research, 11(S10), 23S-43S. doi: 10.1038/oby.2003.222 Becker MH. The health belief model and personal health behavior. Health Education Monographs. 1974;2:324-473. Bunton, R., Baldwin, S., Flynn, D., Whitelaw, S. (2000). The ‘stages of change’ model in health promotion: Science and Ideology. Critical Public Health, 10(1), 55-70. doi: 10.1080/713658223 Morris, J., Marzano, M., Dandy, N. O’Brien, L. (2012). Theories and models of behaviour and behaviour change. Forest Research, Theories: Behaviour Change Report Rosenstock IM. The health belief model: explaining health behavior through expectancies In: Glanz K, Lewis FM, Rimer BK, eds. Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice. Stretcher, V., Rosenstock, I.M. (1997). The Health Belief Model. In K. Glanz, F.M. Lewis, B.K. Rimer (Eds.) Health Behaviour and Health Education: Theory, Research and Practice (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Stubenitsky K, Mela DJ (2000) UK consumer perceptions of starchy foods. British Journal of Nutrition 83: 277-285. Taylor, D., Bury, M., Campling, N., Carter, S., Garfield, S., Newbould, J. Rennie, T. (2007). A Review of the use of the Health Belief Model (HBM), the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM) to study and predict health related behaviour change. Taylor, D., (2006). Review of the use of the Health Belief Model (HBM), the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM) to study and predict health related behaviour change. The Department of Practice and Policy. The School of Pharmacy, University of London The Free Library, Precaution Adoption Process Model: need for experimentation in alcohol and drug education.. (n.d.) >The Free Library. (2014). Retrieved Jan 15 2015 from:http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Precaution+Adoption+Process+Model%3a+need+for+experimentation+in-a0169677077 Wu, Y., Stanton, B. F., Li, X., Galbraith, J., Cole, M. L. (2005). Protection Motivation Theory and Adolescent Drug Trafficking: Relationship Between Health Motivation and Longitudinal Risk Involvement. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 30(2), 127-137. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsi001 Part 2 Case Study This case study is based on Chris, a 40 year old man. Chris is aware he has some health issues. However, recent marital breakdown has resulted in a disruption to his home and family life and he is lacking the motivation and self confidence to make positive changes which he knows will benefit his health. I will look at how applying health psychology can be used to motivate and change Chris’s behaviour. The notion of motivation and self-efficacy can be found in most models of health behaviour (Ogden, 2012). Since Chris is already aware of his health situation and has made some steps i.e. visiting the doctor, to discuss his symptoms and circumstances, therefore, the Transtheoretical Stages of Change Model will be what I am focusing on during this case study. Based on the five stages of change of the Transtheoretical change model Chris would be between stage 1 Pre-contemplation and stage 2 Contemplation. The main aim will be to get Chris from the Contemplation stage to the Preparation stage and beyond. At this Pre-contemplation-Contemplation stage motivational interviewing may be helpful. Chris has children whom he sees at the weekend, children are a great excuse for exercise. Talk about the health behaviours that impact the children exercise/diet, they have a sedentary lifestyle when they visit, this would be an ideal time to engage with Chris and get him to address the lack of exercise, poor diet by using the time he spends at the weekend with the children. Questions such as, what other activities would you and the children enjoy? Encourage and motivate through listening to Chris’s own motivations for change. By working through decisional balance, helping Chris to see how the pros of lifestyle behaviour change can outweigh the cons. With each stage self-efficacy will improve helping to motivate Chris to abstain from unhealthy patterns. What needs to be changed? Setting the agenda – there are several factors that Chris faces, many which could be improved by diet, exercise and smoking, but social and emotional factors must be taken into consideration. Through motivational interviewing Chris can identify what his priorities are. This is also a good time to provide advice based on health statistics, for instance combining smoking with a healthier diet and more exercise will reduce his risk of coronary heart disease (NHS Choices). Adopting an exercise pattern into daily life can reduce blood pressure, (Blood Pressure UK) easier to start off with small exercise sessions and build up gradually. Areas for management Plan to include: Exercise: Suggest exercise plan which includes family activities, swimming, cycling (NHS.UK/livewell/fitness), (NHS.uk/letsgetmoving) Diet: Cut down on takeaways, suggest alternative treats to replace the usual weekend takeaway food, and cooking together with the children a great way to learn and motivate, provide nutritional information/guidelines for salt, fat and sugar intake and suggest ways to set achievable targets Smoking: Cutting down on smoking to reduce major health risks Social: To join fitness clubs based on interests and ability References Blood Pressure UK http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Yourlifestyle/Beingactive NHS Choices. Coronary Heart Disease Prevention http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Coronary-heart-disease/Pages/Prevention.aspx 1