The Scourging of Christ, Giulio Cesare Procaccini free essay sample

Upon walking into Gallery 250 of Bostons Museum of Fine Arts, one will find on the wall a particularly eye-catching piece of art. The piece, set high on the corner of the wall encompassed by pictures depicting scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, is Giulio Cesare Procaccinis The Scourging of Christ. In this piece, Procaccinis masterful use of light and shadows in a technique called chiaroscuro dramatically portray the torturing of Christ, and it is this very application of chiaroscuro that immediately caught my eye. Through his masterful rendition of value, Procaccini successfully evoked within me a crushing sensation of agony. While I did not initially realize that the piece was one of Christ, research enabled me to witness how daring and bold Procaccini was in being one of the few to depict the agony of Christ. We will write a custom essay sample on The Scourging of Christ, Giulio Cesare Procaccini or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Procaccinis The Scourging of Christ is important in its excellent display of the evocative powers of art, and also in its depiction of the seldom-explored topic of the agony of Christ. To understand the significance of a piece of art, one must first come to understand what the piece of art is. Procaccinis The Scourging of Christ is a piece that dates from the early 17th Century. Being an Italian piece from this period, it is clear that the piece was created in a time that featured Baroque art as its main movement. As is common of the age, Procaccini creates a sense of space and depth not through linear and aerial perspective, but rather through varying light and shadow. This is one of the traits of Baroque art, as innovated by Annibale Carracci. To further establish the pieces deep roots in the Baroque movement of 17th Century Italy, Procaccinis use of light and shadow is much like the use of light and shadow by one of the poster boys of the Baroque movement – Caravaggio. In Caravaggios Calling of Saint Matthew, the lighting becomes one of the many points of discussion. That is because the lighting in this piece is cleverly used to draw the focus to the main characters in play – those being Christ and Saint Matthew. Shadow is used to obscure those without much significance in the piece, and thus the use of chiaroscuro in the piece can be said to have a highlighting effect, bringing forth those important and obscuring those trivial. Very similar to this is the use of light and shadow in Procaccinis The Scourging of Christ. In it, the main figure, the body of Christ, is basked in a light that draws him forth from the background. Behind him are the people scourging him, and these people are only acknowledged with a bit of light here and there to indicate their presence. A majority of the figures are concealed by the strong contrast and shadows in the piece while the main figure is brought forth by light, making the use of chiaroscuro in this piece very reminiscent of the Baroque style. With a firm understanding of the piece, the significance of the piece becomes much easier to comprehend. One of the main reasons why Procaccinis The Scourging of Christ is important is due to its display of the evocative powers of art. One of the most striking traits of this piece lies in its use of chiaroscuro. Through the use of dramatic lighting, Procaccini is able to evoke within the audience a clear sense of the pain and agony of Christ. This sensation is further augmented by the ominous faces that lurk behind Christ, and Christs expression of extreme agony. Even for somebody like myself, who did not at once recognize it as a piece about Christ, it was inevitable to understand that the piece depicted some form of extreme torture, and to feel a sense of helplessness and pain. The companion plaque for the piece found in the MFA could not have put it better. â€Å"Procaccinis shallow, claustrophobic composition – with threatening faces half hidden in the shadows confront viewers with Christs suffering and inspire emotion. † Seeing as the piece was originally meant to inspire emotion and devotion, it can only be seen as amazing that the piece has such a timeless ability to inspire emotions. In containing such a timeless quality and being such a masterful example of how much emotion a piece of art is able to evoke, Procaccinis The Scourging of Christ is greatly significant. Procaccinis piece is also significant for being one of the few to have such a unique subject matter. Asides from its technique being considerably significant, the subject matter of the piece is also one that is rarely portrayed of in art. While at face value, the subject matter is the commonly-seen scourging of Christ, it is rare for a piece to truly depict Christ in pure agony. As one who did not immediately identify the man as Christ, I was able to notice the pain the character portrayed was in when I first saw the piece. The presence of agony is significant because, in Christian and Catholic paintings, Christ is rarely portrayed as being in unbearable agony due to the fact that his sacrifice was an act out of his affection and compassion for the world. Ergo, in deviating from the norm and being one of the rare pieces existent to portray Christ in pure agony, the piece is significant. Art is powerful in it ability to bring forth emotions and influence its audience. This ability to draw forth emotions is what constituted the success of artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso, and it is also this very ability that pervades Giulio Cesare Procaccinis The Scourging of Christ and makes it so haunting. Procaccinis The Scourging of Christ is important not only in its timeless ability to evoke strong emotions, but also in its existence as one of the few pieces ever made to depict the genuine suffering and agony of Christ. Indeed, in being both masterfully created and one of a kind, Giulio Cesare Procaccinis The Scourging of Christ is extremely significant in the history of art.

Four Kinds of Morpheme

Four Kinds of Morpheme Four Kinds of Morpheme Four Kinds of Morpheme By Maeve Maddox A useful definition of morphemegood enough for most purposesis â€Å"a minimal and indivisible morphological unit that cannot be analyzed into smaller units.† This broad definition is adequate for most general discussions, but it’s possible to get more specific. Just for fun, here are four different kinds of morpheme. allomorph or morph: any part of a word we want to talk about. A morph can be a whole word, like dog, a meaningful affix, like un- or -ness, or a part that has no meaning, but is separable, like the o in kissogram (a telegram delivered with a kiss, intended to amuse or embarrass the recipient.) portmanteau morph: a single form which consists of two or more morphemes, but which cannot be divided neatly. For example, the verb crashed can be separated into the morphemes crash and -ed, but a word like sang, which consists of the stem sing and a past tense marker (the changed vowel), cannot be so divided. empty morph: a piece of a word that does not contribute to its meaning, but is necessary to make it easily pronounceable. For example, the o in kissogram. (Linguists argue about something called a â€Å"null morpheme,† but as I’m not writing for linguists, I won’t go there.) cranberry morpheme: a morpheme that occurs in only one word, like the cran in cranberry, the twi in twilight, and the -art in braggart. Note on cran-, twi-, and -art: cran- The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association explains the cran in cranberry this way: The name cranberry derives from the Pilgrim name for the fruit, craneberry, so called because the small, pink blossoms that appear in the spring resemble the head and bill of a Sandhill crane. The OED entry tells us that the word cranberry was unknown to herbalists writing in the 16th and 17th centuries. They knew about cranberries, but they called them other names, such as marsh-whorts and fen-berries. The North American cranberry growers may have adopted the name from German immigrants. Low German has the forms krà ´nbere, krones- or kronsbere, krà ´nsbr, kranebere; all translate as â€Å"crane-berry.† British speakers adopted the word cranberry in the 18th century. twi- This allomorph may also derive from German. Both High German and Low German have words that mean what twilight does. Middle High German has zwischenliecht, â€Å"tweenlight†; Low German has twà ªdustern, twà ªdunkern, literally â€Å"twi-dark.† -art This affix belongs to class of suffixes that turn a verb into a noun doer of the action. The spelling s of words in which –ard conveys the discreditable connotation include drunkard, laggard, and sluggard. Braggart is the only -art survivor in common use. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar 101 category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive AtWhenever vs. When EverEpidemic vs. Pandemic vs. Endemic

Using digital marketing and outdoor Ads for SMEs Essay

Using digital marketing and outdoor Ads for SMEs - Essay Example This makes marketing a key characteristic that may determine the success of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). This relationship between marketing and small businesses is a concern of many researchers. Mc Cartan-Quinn and Carson (2003) were perhaps pioneers in investigating this relationship. Much of their work (1995, 2003) focused on the role of digital marketing and traditional marketing (with one of this tools is outdoor advertising) for SMEs. Their studies, which were conducted in Ireland, concentrated on examining which issues impact upon marketing in the small businesses (Cartan-Quinn and Carson,2003: p202). However, according to Nahas (2009), marketing and information support and availability are the main obstacles confronted by small and medium enterprises. Many subsequent researchers (e.g., OShea 1998, Motwani, Jiang and Kumar 1998, and Evans and Moutinho 1999) were believed that small businesses tend to be far more creative and innovative than the larger organizatio ns. Moreover, according to (Zartmam, 1978 p29) the factor for SMEs success is the ability to take advantage of modern business techniques. In order to be successful, SMEs must attempt to use modern business techniques, procedures and efficient equipment where available (Kuratko & Hodgetts, 1995). When businesses use modern business techniques, they are virtually guarantees to remain competitive and efficient in their respective markets. This is particularly important for SMEs (Ghose & Yang, 2010 p18). As result, SMEs should consider at digital marketing and outdoor advertising as one of these techniques. It is, therefore, necessary to look for the features of marketing in SME, mainly the digital marketing and outdoor advertising management functions and capabilities with a view to assisting SMEs through the critical stages to permanence. The following is a research proposal with an aim of creating an outline to assist in preparation of final research project that will

Child Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Child Psychology - Essay Example There are numerous theories, studies and researches that are focused on the development of children and their psychology. This paper would study the behavior of Amy, a 5 year old girl, and would correlate her behavior to various concepts and theories. The behavior would be linked to the cognitive, language and emotional perspectives of child psychology. Discussion Human development is the science of studying how a human develops physically, psychologically as well as socially with the passage of time. It is a branch of psychology that studies the behavioral changes that come within people as they grow older (Meggitt, 2006). The subject that I observed is my niece, Amy. She is currently five years old and would turning six after one month. Amy is the eldest child and has one younger brother who is three. Both her parents are working; her mother is a lecturer in a college while her father works for a company. Amy lives in a joint family where her paternal grandparents live with them. B eing the eldest child, and being on her on most of the time, Amy is more mature than other children of her age. According to the periods of development, Amy is presently in her early childhood stage, but soon she will enter middle childhood when she turns six years old. Erik Erikson was a development psychologist and psychoanalyst who had worked extensively to develop his theories on social development. The most significant development among the works of Eric Erikson was the innovation to have eight stages of human life span instead of five. Erikson had eight life stage virtues that are helpful in understanding the lifespan model these virtues include hope, will, purpose, competence, fidelity, love, caring and wisdom (Berk, 2000). According to the stages of Erickson's development model, Amy would be right in the middle of the play age (3 to 5 years) and School age (6 to 12 years). As she created play situations based on her imagination and is developing a social stage where is she m aking new friends. The bioecological model of development of Bronfenbrenner is focused upon child development with respect to the relationships that form his or her environment. Bronfenbrenner defines layers of environment that influence the development process such as family, school, religion, society and culture. The layers of environment form the Microsystems which are the direct interactions, Mesosystems which are the linkages between Microsystems, Exosystems which encompasses the experiences which are gained and also Macrosystem and Chronosystem (McCormick, 2011). According to the environment, I have come to notice that Amy is very independent, she does not rely on attention and is more focused in what ever she does. This is because of the family environement. As both the parents are working and Amy's mother is also doing her post-graduate degree, Amy has seen a studious environment in her house and this has inculcated in her, an interest in reading books, writing and drawing. Cognitive Development Cognitive development is referred to the development with respect to a childs ability to process information, grasp concepts, develop perceptual skills and other aspects of brain development. Piaget is the most prominent psychologist in the field of cognitive development with principles that stand true through the development phases (Berk, 2008). When interacting with Amy, I observed that she had some ideas related to things as she perceives them. This could relate

Historical Development of Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Historical Development of Policing - Essay Example When the first Europeans arrived in this Promised Land, they found themselves face to face with a place that was not only richly abundant and magnanimously bountiful in terms of resources and opportunities but also replete with inhabitants and natural agencies that were not friendly towards their presence. Hence, early policing in the United States of America was a collective initiative, where every able-bodied person, be it the young or the adults, who could wield a weapon was expected to protect and defend the early communities. The early American immigrants did everything that they could to protect themselves and their families and neighbors. During the colonial times, America adapted to the English style watch system. This adopted watch system became more organized and professional with the passage of time. Shire-reeves soon evolved into sheriffs (Lecture, 2012). The towns were protected by constables who were responsible for organizing and managing an assortment of watchmen (Lec ture, 2012). The watchmen further strengthened the system by recruiting volunteers from the local citizenry. The mayors depended a lot on marshals or constables for managing the local law and order issues and challenges. However, it does need to be mentioned that in the meantime the English were abandoning their watch systems to opt for more professional and specialized means of policing. The night watch system started in Boston in 1631, comprising some constables, night watchmen and citizen volunteers, which was perhaps the first organized policing system in the USA (Lecture, 2012). The 19th century ushered in widespread social and economic changes in the United States. Industrial unrest and riots started to become a common feature all across the United States. During these times the policing system in the cities was under the local municipalities. The city administrators tried to respond to this industrial unrest through the already existing night watch machinery (Gaines & Miller, 2010). However, they soon realized that the old night watch system was inadequate to deal with these emerging social realities. Beginning with New York, very soon many of the American cities started to opt for paid full-time police personnel that were uniformed and armed with weapons and the requisite authority to manage the novel law and order challenges (Gaines & Miller, 2010). This era also saw the emergence of state and federal police agencies (Gaines & Miller, 2010). During the initial decades of the 20th century, the policing system in America evinced a marked shift in the sense that policing began to be perceived as a vocation that required as much of brain and psychological understanding as arms and authority. In that sense it certainly was a progressive era in the American policing. This led to policing becoming more organized and focused, dealing primarily with the law and order issues, instead of a plethora of general civic problems (Gaines & Miller, 2010). The citizenry pushed the political class to make the police force more professional by making laws aimed at discouraging corruption and nepotism in the police system. The twentieth century also witnessed the emergence of police unions dedicated to highlight the rights and privileges requisite to the police force (Gaines & Miller, 2010). The mid-20th century was marked by economic slowdown and large-scale unemployment leading to the

Touch And Relationship Satisfaction In Romantic Relationships Psychology Essay

Touch And Relationship Satisfaction In Romantic Relationships Psychology Essay Although touch behaviors have been examined in many different contexts, little research has been done on the gender differences in the expectations of touch behaviors in nonmarital, romantic relationships. Touch has been defined as being an important nonverbal communicator in romantic relationships and plays a vital role in establishing the status and current nature of a relationship. Using the nonverbal expectancy violations theory as well as past research, this work proposes a new avenue of research that has not previously been adequately connected. Specifically, this work proposes the examination of the gender differences in the expectations of touch and how expectancy violations of touch may alter relationship satisfaction for individuals in romantic relationships. Nonverbal behaviors are essential in establishing and maintaining romantic relationships. They have the power to alter the feelings, perceptions, and emotions towards another individual in significant ways. Guerrero and Floyd (2006) state that, relationships sometimes suffer when people send conflicting nonverbal messages, express negativity through nonverbal cues, or misinterpret one anothers behaviors (p.1-2). Also, if a relational partner is not receiving nonverbal expressions of liking and affection from their significant other, this can cause the partner to feel unvalued and can increase uncertainty about the state of their relationship (Floyd Burgoon, 1999). Nonverbal cues are, therefore, relied on for attitudinal information in order to understand what a romantic partner is implying and meaning (Le Poire, Duggan, Shepard Burgoon, 2002). These behaviors are used to show the nature and status of a relationship to one another, as well as others around them. In romantic relationships, touch is one of the most important displays of affection (Floyd Burgoon, 1999). This particular nonverbal communicator has been labeled the cue that influences the nature and quality of the relationship (Guerrero Andersen, 1994, p.137-138). Couples rely on touch in order to initiate, resume, or end an intimate encounter (Mohen, 1993). Two behaviors that are associated with touch, first kiss and first sex, have been noted as important events for partners to show commitment in their relationship (Manusov, Docan-Morgan, Harvey, 2008). In addition, evidence has shown that people touch and expect to be touched more in close relationships (Burgoon, Walther, Baesler, 1992). Because touch is such an important nonverbal communicator in romantic relationships, it is necessary to examine how touch defines an interpersonal relationship. Are there gender differences in the expected use of touch in romantic relationships? This article intends to shed light on the expectations of touch in romantic relationships and how violations of these expectations can affect relationship satisfaction. This article will extend the current knowledge of the nonverbal expectancy violations model to touch behaviors and relationship satisfaction in romantic relationships. According to Floyd and Burgoon (1999), in established romantic relationships affectionate behavior should be more expected than it is among strangers. In these types of relationships, two individuals develop person-specific expectancies for their partner (Burgoon Hale, 1988). Nonverbal expectancies are acts that are seen as appropriate, desired, preferred, and most typical. These personal expectancies are based on an individuals intimate knowledge of their partner, their relational history, and their experiences with that person. Attached to nonverbal behaviors are different relational messages, which are the communicative means by which romantic dyads define their interpersonal relationship (Burgoon Le Poire, 1999). Burgoon and Hale (1984) concluded that there are as many as twelve nonorthogonal relational message dimensions that can be simplified into four categories: intimacy, dominance, composure, and formality. A single nonverbal behavior can have several different relational meanings, however, a few nonverbal behaviors, like touch, have consistently been used to only express liking, affection, and intimacy (Burgoon Le Poire, 1999). The way in which an individual evaluates the behaviors from their partner may have an effect on relationship satisfaction. Relationship satisfaction is an individuals evaluation of a relationship which is based on their attitude and overall happiness in the relationship. Relational Messages In association with four relational messages of intimacy, dominance, composure, and formality are sub dimensions of nonverbal involvement. Coker and Burgoon (1987) found nonverbal cues of immediacy, expressivity, altercentrism, conversation management, and relaxation to be applicable to the construct of conversational involvement. To breakdown interpersonal constructs into finer-grained constituents, positivity is also added to the preceding five sub dimensions. Immediacy includes nonverbal behaviors that establish a sense of psychological closeness or distance (Burgoon Le Poire, 1999, p.108), such as touch and proximity. Expressivity includes vocal variety, facial expressions, or any such behavior that makes a communication style more animated. Behaviors that signal attentiveness to another individual are related to altercentrism, and behaviors of conversation management promote smooth communication. Relaxation includes postural asymmetry, absence of adaptor gestures, and absence o f nervous vocalizations (Burgoon Le Poire, 1999, p.108) and lastly, smiling, nodding, and facial pleasantness are behaviors of positivity (Burgoon Le Poire, 1999). The relational messages of intimacy, dominance, composure, and formality frame the nonverbal cues that a partner sends. Burgoon and Le Poire (1999) state that these messages make an impact on current and future interpersonal judgments of a romantic partner, including judgments of rapport, likeability, honesty, and power. Relational messages of intimacy include themes of affection, immediacy, trust, receptivity, depth, and similarity or their opposites toward a relational partner. Intimacy is greatly associated with nonverbal cues of positivity, which express messages of warmth, affiliation, and rapport. Dominance is a composite of conversational control, assertiveness, power, and persuasiveness or their opposites, such as submissiveness and modesty. It can be expressed by both highly immediate and nonimmediate behaviors, as well as holding the conversational floor for a longer period of time and frequently interrupting another individual. Composure includes expressions of arousal and tension or relaxation, as well as composure that are tied to the relationship. For greater composure, behaviors of high immediacy, positivity, and relaxation are used. Finally, formality includes maintaining a polite and formal demeanor or allowing casualness into the relationship. Greater formality is expressed through nonimmediacy, inexpressivity, nonrelaxation, and absence of positivity (Burgoon Le Poire, 1999, p.109). In a study conducted for better understanding individuals perceptions of relational messages, Burgoon and Le Poire (1999) found that higher perceived intimacy was associated with higher immediacy, greater expressivity, greater proxemic involvement, better conversation management, moderate relaxation, and higher positivity. Greater dominance was expressed by higher immediacy, greater expressivity, greater proxemic involvement, more fluent speech, greater relaxation, and greater positivity. Composure was associated with greater immediacy, greater expressivity, greater proxemic involvement, fluent speech, greater relaxation, and higher positivity. Finally, higher formality was conveyed through less immediacy, reduced expressivity, less proxemic involvement, less fluent speech, less relaxation, and less positivity. Past research suggests that romantic partners expect their interactions with their partners to be more involved and pleasant, and thus the behaviors are more positively valenced (Guerrero Jones, 2000). So what happens to relationship satisfaction when that expectation is violated? Willis and Briggs (1992) have noted that when only one relational partner engages in touch, the other individual is perceived as being nonintimate and cold. This negative perception of the other individual, which is the result of a nonimmediacy violation, could cause partner satisfaction to decrease. Comparatively, Burgoon and Hale (1988) found that nonimmediacy violations for friends produced lower ratings on competence, character, sociability, and also produced lower ratings on attractiveness of the other individual. Also, it has been shown that as relational satisfaction decreased, the behaviors are seen as more controllable, stable, and intentional (Manusov, 1990). Therefore, it is apparent that this c ould be the same result for individuals in romantic relationships, and that this perception of the other individual could lead to a change in relationship satisfaction. Nonverbals in Intimate Relationships Guerrero and Jones (2000) suggest that when behaviors deviate so far from what is expected, they become unacceptable and result in large behavioral changes. These changes lead to substantial arousal change, dislike, and avoidance. Obviously, these behavioral changes in response to a relational partner would be detrimental to maintaining the relationship. In addition, the researchers found that romantic couples generally reciprocate the behaviors of their partners for both increases and decreases in intimacy. Therefore, if a partner is showing behaviors of less intimacy by not using touch, the other partner would use less touch behaviors as well. Overtime, the increase in the use of negative nonverbal behaviors, or the lack of using expected nonverbal behaviors, could alter each partners relationship satisfaction. Similar research has been done on touch behaviors in romantic dyads. However, very few studies have focused on the expectations of touch and how touch expectancy violations affect relationship satisfaction for romantic relationships. Past research has included age differences, contextual differences, and gender differences for touch. Research has also focused on relationship-stage differences, with a focus mainly on marital relationships. Studies have shown that married couples rely on nonverbal cues when communicating intimately and sexually. Also, differences in expressing affection between premarital and marital period suggest that affection becomes less physical (Mohen, 1993). However, in serious, dating, and marital relationships, it was found that touch increases as the relationship develops and progresses (Guerrero Andersen, 1994). Gender Differences in Nonverbal Communication Inevitably, various gender differences have been studied in nonverbal communication. Many studies find similar results, but there are mixed findings. Studies have shown that males and females differ in their use of nonverbal behaviors when comforting another individual (Dolin Booth-Butterfield, 1993). Researchers have shown that women rate items concerning nonverbal communication higher than men, that nonverbal communication is perceived as more important for more long lasting relationships, and that individuals in casual-dating relationships perceive nonverbal behavior as not important (Prinsen Punyanunt-Cater, 2009). Nguyen et al. (1975) found that unmarried men and women have different reactions to touch, however Hanzal et al (2008) have shown that men and women in marital relationships have comparable reactions to intimate touch. They also found that married women have more positive reactions to intimate touch than married men, and the trend reverses for unmarried couples. Beca use of the mixed research, it is necessary to take a closer look at the gender differences in the use of and response to touch behaviors in romantic relationships. Sex differences in the perception, expectancy, and use of touch behaviors could be a main cause for nonverbal expectancy violations and inaccurate decoding of nonverbal cues. Women associated more touch with sexual desire and considered it less pleasant or indicative of warmth and love. Men also associated more touch with sexual desire, but viewed the behavior as more pleasant, playful, and indicative of warmth and love. The fact that both genders hold contradictory views on intimate touch could mean that both genders have differing expectations of touch for one another. This could lead to expectancy violations between the partners, which could alter relationship satisfaction. In fact, Hanzal et al. (2007) suggest that it is possible that sex differences in reactions to touch are reflective of differences in feelings about the significant other, or relationship in general (p.32). Decoding Nonverbal Behaviors Floyd and Burgoon (1999) state that negatively misinterpreted nonverbal behaviors are also valenced negatively. This means that errors in decoding the cues can play a major role in determining how a person perceives his or her romantic relationship. For example, if an individual in a romantic relationship does not hold his partners hand as often as he used to, the partner might think he is being distant and cold. The detachment that is now associated with the others behavior could cause the partners satisfaction to decrease. Carton at al. (1999) found that couples who make errors in decoding certain nonverbal cues reported a less well-being of the relationship. Relationship Satisfaction It is obvious that nonverbal behaviors are important for understanding the actual meaning of a partners message. The evaluations of these behaviors are linked to relationship satisfaction. Previous studies have shown that individuals in dating relationships are more aware of the nonverbal cues of others (Fichten, Tagalakis, Judd, Wright, Amsel, 1992). Thus, if individuals are so aware of the nonverbal behaviors of their partners, the way the individual decodes their messages will influence their relationship satisfaction. Manusov et al. (2008) suggested that how positively or negatively one feels about their relationship may influence their evaluation of a behavior. For married couples, studies have shown that accuracy in decoding nonverbal affect was associated with a partners marital satisfaction (Koerner Fitzpatrick, 2002). Therefore, when the intended meaning of a message is accurately decoded, then the relationship has a more positive context. Likewise, Koerner and Fitzpatrick (2002) found that high satisfying relationships provide a framework for more accurate understanding and decoding of nonverbal cues. On the other hand, a decrease in relationship satisfaction can affect the way individuals decode nonverbal cues. Noller and Feeney (1994) found that relationship dissatisfaction in marital relationships leads to distorted perceptions of a partners message. Relationship Turning Points Manusov et al. (2008) argue that the ways one person interprets a nonverbal behavior can cause turning points in a relationship. These turning points are a product of an individuals interpretation that may not have occurred if a different analysis of the nonverbal behavior was made. Graham (1997) defines turning points as changes that happen in a relationship that trigger a reinterpretation of what the relationship means to [the] participants. These new meanings can influence the perceived importance of and justification for continued investment in the relationship (p. 351). This supports the idea that the decoding nonverbal of cues plays a vital role in establishing the current nature of a relationship. For example, interpreting a nonverbal cue positively could cause a relationship to become more serious and intimate, and thus increase relationship satisfaction. However, if one decodes the cue oppositely, it could possibly send the relationship in the opposite direction. They have a lso shown that touch is one of the most frequent nonverbal cues that have been reported as triggers for relationship change (Manusov, Docan-Morgan, Harvey, 2008). This further verifies that touch has a powerful impact on romantic relationships, as well as relationship satisfaction. Many of their findings reflect how behaviors work to shift an individuals view of their relationship with another person. Participants were asked to self report on a nonverbal behavior that they felt altered a relationship for them. After coding the entries, the researchers concluded that each participants recollected nonverbal behavior altered how they defined and viewed their relationship with the other individual. Their findings show that nonverbal behaviors are capable of altering relationship satisfaction. In addition, the results show that touch is one of the main causes for a perceptual shift of another person, as well as a main cause for relationship change (Manusov, Docan-Morgan, Harvey, 2008). Nonverbal Expectancy Violations Theory In order to examine the expectations of touch in romantic relationships, the nonverbal expectancy violations theory is applied to this study. The model states that people hold expectations and preferences about the nonverbal behaviors of other individuals. This is especially so in close, interpersonal relationships because of the known idiosyncrasies of the other individual. Based on the knowledge of the individual, a person will anticipate how the other will behave during interactions and will evaluate the others behaviors. This evaluation, or valence, is the persons approval or disapproval of the others nonverbal behaviors (Burgoon Hale, 1988). For example, if a person expects their romantic partner to hold their hand and the partner performs that behavior, then the nonverbal behavior is positively valenced. In addition, the model is used to predict and explain terminal communication consequences. If the actual (violation) behavior is more positively valenced than the expected behavior(s), a positive violation occurs and should produce more favorable communication outcomes than conforming to the expected (normative) pattern. Conversely, if the actual behavior is more negatively valenced than the expected behavior, a negative violation is said to occur and should yield more negative consequences than conforming to expectations (Burgoon Hale, 1988, p.65). Violations committed by a well-liked person, such as a relational partner, are upheld to higher standards than behaviors used by a stranger. During interactions with their significant other, romantic couples assume that their partners will act differently and more satisfyingly than how they would interact with another person. Therefore, if a relational partner avoids using an expected nonverbal behavior, it could cause the other partner to evaluate the behavior as a more serious negative violation. Also, by simply conforming to social norms, an individual may see that their relational partner has also committed a small, negative violation (Burgoon Hale, 1988). The accumulated research that has been done on this theory has supported a variety of conclusions. Evidence has supported that interactants will develop expectations about the distancing and immediacy behaviors of others, communicator behaviors and characteristics that contribute to interpersonal rewards mediate communication outcomes, and that violations are arousing and distracting. In addition, rewarding communicators frequently increase the most favorable communication outcomes by violating expectancies, and nonrewarding communicators frequently increase their optimal communication outcomes by conforming to distance expectancies for conversational distance. Finally, for eye gaze, evidence has supported that rewarding communicators achieve greatest attraction, credibility, and endorsement by engaging in nearly continuous gaze or normal gaze, while gaze aversion produces negative consequences (Burgoon Hale, 1988). The nonverbal expectancy violations theory has also been used in co mparison with other theories, such as the interaction adaptation theory (Le Poire Yoshimura, 1999) and has been extended to immediacy violations and to interactions among strangers and friends (Burgoon Hale, 1988). Overall, this review has shown that touch is an important nonverbal communicator in romantic relationships and is essential for displaying ones level of affection. Past research has shown that various gender differences exist in the use of, response to, and the perception of touch behaviors. Research has also found that the misinterpretation of nonverbal behaviors causes a decrease in relationship satisfaction. However, research has mainly focused on married couples and has not focused on the expectations of touch in romantic relationships. The expectancy violations model advocates that when our expectations are met, the other persons behavior is judged positively and when our expectations are not met, the behaviors are judged negatively. Because of this model, the examination of how the violations of the expectations affect an individuals perception of relationship satisfaction is necessary. Logical reasoning would be to address the gender differences in the expectations of touch in romantic relationships as well as its affect on relationship satisfaction because of the past findings. This study will examine how the violations of the expectations affect an individuals perception of relationship satisfaction. The following research questions are posed: Findings have shown that touch is an important nonverbal communicator in romantic relationships. It is known that various gender differences exist in the use and perception of touch behaviors. However, research has not examined the differences in the expectations of touch in romantic relationships. Because past research has focused mainly on the use of touch in marital relationships, it is necessary to observe the use of touch in dating relationships. The proposed research study will add to our understanding of how expectancy violations can alter relationship satisfaction for individuals in romantic relationships. Examining the gender differences in the expectations of touch will allow individuals to be more understanding of their partners behaviors.

Oil In America Essays -- essays research papers

Oil in America America has many problems with it's environment. The facts are clear that most corporations won't take the blame for them. These companies try to find ways out by stating that they are not the ones responsible for these problems. They try to protect themselves from the mistakes they made in the oil industry and the country. The facts are clear that there have been disasters in the oil field industry in the past ten years and they stand out in history. The article "Myths We Wouldn't Miss", by the Mobil Corporation, states that there hasn't been a major off shore oil disaster in past years. That may be true and it tries to get Mobil out of a jam but the underlying fact is that there have been oil spills and pollutants put into the environment and that cannot be excused. There have been facts which prove that there have been decreases in the fish population and in the aquatic life in the regions where the oil companies have been. The negligence of these companies can be shown in different fields. There have been many incidents in the oil field industry dating back to January 28 1969, in Santa Barbara. This may have been a long time ago but this was a disaster this country has never seen. On the 28 a well burst on the Santa Barbara Channel. It "raged for ten days and killed 3 crewmen".(Easton,10) There were major problems stopping this rig and no matter what happened there was already enough damage done. On February 23, the well erupted again. The environmental consequences were evident. As the oil spilled down towards the south the numbers were staggering of how much oil actually was pouring out into the ocean. By the month of march 3,000,000 gallons of oil escaped into the ocean.(Easton,251) Here is where the story is corrupted by the oil companies. Union Oil, the company responsible for this stated that their facts "only showed 250,000 gallons".(Easton,256) There were presidential tests and discovered the oil company was wrong. The most damaging evidence to theses oil companies was the discovery that was made when the government sent a diver under the spill to investigate the well. The source showed that more oil leaked than the oil co... ...panies realize the impact they have on the public and realize they all need the business of the American public. The companies act irresponsibly and do not use the appropriate machinery which is not up to standard. In my own opinion these companies know the consequences of using what they have. There is no excuse for the problems that they have. Human error is not calculated right and there is a disaster. We know the kind of damage that is done in the marine life. Why do we insist on doing this then? Is there any other way to get the oil here and back? Why do the oil companies also try to cover up for the damage that they have done? The Mobil Corporation states it's facts well. Every company shows that their facts make sense and gets them out of any trouble that they might be in. They have cited sources in research books and in the article mentioned in the beginning. These sources are all well and good and they dug up these facts to protect themselves from the truth. It is not something we can pull out of by excuses, but by facing it head on and making it easier on our planet and those who will be there for years to come.