Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Adult Attachment Styles and Romantic Relationships Essay

In 1987, the Attachment Theory extended to include the bonds between adults and their romantic partners; the extension includes the concept of the secure, the anxious-preoccupied, the dismissive-avoidant, and the fearful-avoidant attachment styles. Current research, in the form of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, predicts adults exhibit attachment styles during the forming, maintenance, and separation process. The research utilized the experiences in close relationships inventory and the relationship maintenance questionnaire to find their conclusion. The findings concluded the association among the adult attachment features like closeness, safe haven, and secure base develop over time during the forming, maintenance, and separation process. In addition, the conclusion display the effectiveness of both clinical and non clinical exposure treatments in the growth and preservation of the secure attachment style behaviors utilized in romantic relationships. Keywords: attachment styles, romantic relationships, partners, adults, secure, insecure Adult Attachment Styles and Romantic Relationships More than half of the world’s adults are involved in a romantic relationship. The most common romantic relationship includes the sexual dating relationship, the domestic partnership, or the marriage. The adults or partners involved in these relationships inevitably reach a point of conflict. How the relationship partners react to the conflict displays whether the partners are acting as a securely attached person or an insecurely attached person. The securely attached adult portrays a happy person when dealing with relationship issues. Whereas, an insecurely attached adult is an unhappy person when dealing with relationship issues. Adults should strive for the secure attachment style for the best satisfaction level, commitment level, and ability to adapt to change in their romantic relationship. Background In 1952, John Bowlby originally designed the Attachment Theory to explain the bond between a child and people serving in the caregiver capacity (Feldman, 2011). Many theorists began noticing attachment influences the entire human experience. In 1987, Cindy Hazan and Philip Shaver officially applied  Bowlby’s views on attachment to include the bonds between adults and their romantic partners (Nudson-martin, 2012). Hazan and Shaver viewed attachment in adult romantic relationships as a powerful part of an adult’s emotional life, and many of the most secure and insecure behaviors arise during the maintenance of the romantic relationship. Hazan and Shaver noticed the behavioral patterns between a child and its caregiver was similar to the behavioral pattern between an adult and its romantic partner. Similarities like a desire to be close to the attachment figure and using the relationship as a safe haven to explore the world; consequently, Hazan and Shaver used Bowlbyâ₠¬â„¢s concept of attachment styles to categorize the behavioral patterns adults display in different stages of their romantic relationships (Pittman, 2012). Hazan and Shaver developed four adult attachment styles, secure and three insecure types. The adult attachment styles they developed are the secure, the anxious-preoccupied, the dismissive-avoidant, and the fearful-avoidant. The first attachment style is the secure type which corresponds with the secure attachment style in children. The secure adult is warm a responsive in their interactions with their romantic relationship partner. Secure attached adults tend to have positive views of themselves, their partner, and their relationship. The securely attached adult fells comfortable with intimacy and independence. Their relationships are characterized by greater longevity, satisfaction, trust, commitment, and interdependence (Mikulincer *& Shaver, 2012) Secure adults have a tendency to be more satisfied in their relationships than insecure adults. The first insecure attachment style is the anxious-preoccupied, which corresponds to the anxious-ambivalent attachment style in children. The anxious-preoccupied adult seeks high levels of intimacy, approval, and responsiveness from their romantic relationship partner. The anxious-preoccupied adult values intimacy so much they become overly dependent on their relationship partners. They do not value themselves, and blame themselves for their partner’s lack of resp onsiveness. People who are anxious or preoccupied with attachment may exhibit high levels of emotional expressiveness, worry, and impulsiveness in their relationships (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2012). The anxious-preoccupied person is clingy and has low self esteem. Low self esteem and impulsiveness is likely to lead to depression or suicide. The second insecure attachment style is  the dismissive-avoidant, which corresponds to the avoidant attachment style in children. The dismissive-avoidant adult desires a high level of independence from themselves and their relationship partner. They view themselves as self-sufficient, invulnerable to feelings associated with being closely attached to their partner, and close relationships as relatively unimportant. The dismissive-avoidant adult tends to avoid intimacy because their partner is less important. An adult with a dismissive-avoidant attachment style tends to suppress and hide their feelings (Juhl, Sands, & Routledge, 2012). The dismissive-avoidant style is characteristic of young male adults in the dating stage (Poulsen, Holman, Busby, & Carroll, 2013); the young male experiences the lack of responsiveness and the carelessness of other’s feelings. The dismissive-avoidant adult lacks responsiveness and is an ego-maniac. Being, an ego-maniac is likely to lead to dissatisfaction with everyone else. The third insecure attachment style is the fearful-avoidant, which also corresponds to the avoidant attachment style in children. The fearful-avoidant adult usually has experienced some type of emotional or physical abuse, and in turn do not trust their romantic relationship partners. The fearful-avoidant adult experiences mixed feelings. On one hand, they desire to have emotionally close relationships. On the other hand, they tend to feel uncomfortable with emotional closeness. These mixed feelings are combined with, an unconscious view of themselves as unworthy of responsiveness and trust from their partner, and the reverse is true (Juhl et al, 2012). The fearful-avoidant attachment style is also typical of the adults in the remarriage stage (Ehrenberg, Roberts & Pringle, 2012); the divorcee experiences the mixed feelings and the lack of trust. A mix of the other two insecure attachment styles, the fearful-avoidant adult has low self esteem and lacks responsiveness. Discussion The secure, anxious-preoccupied, dismissive-avoidant and fearful-avoidant attachment styles share both commonalities and differences. The issue of desiring a romantic relationship is common in the secure, anxious-preoccupied, and sometimes in the fearful-avoidant attachment styles, this meaning these attachment styles lend toward satisfaction in romantic relationships. While the dismissive-avoidant attached adult does  not have the same feelings. Also, the desire to be in a relationship leads to the adult wanting to commit and faces; the adults desires to be in a relationship no matter what happens in the future. The issue of having low self esteem is a common problem in the anxious –preoccupied and fearful-avoidant attachment styles. The low self esteem arises when the adult feels there are unworthy of their partner’s intimacy. Due to this fact, the adults displaying these styles are less sociable. In this case, the adults with low self esteem have low satisfaction w ith themselves, which in turn leads to low satisfaction in their romantic relationship. The low self esteem adult can not fully commit, and can not endure changes. Their own issues lead to them not trusting the commitment and changes displayed by their partner. Additionally, there are commonalities in the issue of responsiveness or responding to the partner when they feel anxiety. The responsiveness issues are a part of all the attachment styles, however responsiveness can range from zero percent to one hundred percent. The zero percent is the dismissive-avoidant attachment style, and the one hundred percent is the secure attachment style. The lack of responsiveness leads to the adult not caring about the outcome or commitment level of the romantic relationship. In addition, the adult that lacks responsiveness does not care about the changes that are likely to arise. A way for researchers to find an adult’s desire to be in a relationship, self esteem, and responsiveness is the strange situation. The strange situation is an observational technique to judge the partners attachment style (Selcuk, Zayas, & Hazan, 2010). The strange situation looks at the secure base and the safe haven. The partner and the relationship are the secure base and safe haven, respectively. The strange situation technique can also be used to change an insecure adult to a secure adult, once they are aware of their attachment style. Adults who appear secure in the strange situation, for example, tend to have a partner who is responsive to them. On the other hand, adults that display one of the insecure attachment styles in the strange situation has a partner who is insensitive to their needs, or inconsistent or rejecting in the love they provide (Edenfield, Adams, & Briihl, 2012). Essentially during the strange situation, the adult asks themselves the following fundamental question: Is the partner nearby, accessible, and attentive? If the answer is â€Å"yes,† he or she feels loved, secure, and confident. Behaviorally, the adult is likely to leave their secure base and be sociable with their partner and others. However, the answer is â€Å"no,† the adult experiences anxiety, visual searching , active following, and vocal signaling .These behaviors continue until either the adult is able to reestablish a desirable level of physical or psychological proximity to the partner , or until the adult whines down. The anxiety behavior displayed is similar to those experienced during separation or loss (Heffernan, Fraley, Vickary & Brumbaugh, 2012). Similar questioning to the strange situation is asked in the experiences in close relationships inventory (ECR), and the relationship maintenance questionnaire (RM). Questions about the desire to be in a romantic relationship, and the likely behaviors displayed in that relationship marks the inventory and questionnaire) Edenfield et al, 2012). The ECR and the RM can be used to predict whether the relationship partner is securely attached or i nsecurely attached. The research findings from the strange situation, the ECR, and the RM combined with the finding closeness, safe haven, and secure base occur over time developed effective clinical and non clinical exposure treatments. In this case, the insecurely attached adult can choose to be treated in a clinic or in the home close to the safe haven. In either case the use of adaptive skills will be utilized. Additionally, using adaptive skills will move an insecurely attached adult to and securely attached adult. Adaptive skills are skills a romantic partner uses in reaction to their partner’s behaviors. Adaptive skills promote emotionally available and appropriately responsive partners, as well as a partner capable of regulating both his and her positive and negative emotions (Feldman, 2011). The insecurely attach adult will utilize adaptive skills to counter act the other partner’s insecure behavior, in a way to exhibit secure attachment. Conclusion and future directions In conclusion, most adults are in a romantic relationship, and behave and react in the relationship. Due to this fact, the adult gains either secure or insecure attachment to their romantic partner. The securely attached adult is warm and responsive to the ideals of commitment and their ability to adapt well to changes they will face in a romantic relationship. Additionally, the securely attached person displays increased levels of satisfaction in their romantic relationship. Romantic relationships having  one or both partners exhibiting insecure attachment style, will find moving to a secure attachment beneficial to their romantic relationship. Especially, in the areas of satisfaction, commitment, and the different changes. The insecurely attached partners will find using adaptive skills in both clinical and non clinical exposure treatments helpful in developing a secure attachment. The most useful is experiencing long-tern exposure to the secure attachment style in the home. In t he future, the concept can be applied to the area of work and higher education. Adults experience long term relationships with colleagues and professors. References Edenfield, J. L., Adams, K. S., & Briihl, D. S. (2012) Relationship Maintenance Strategy Used by Romantic Attachment style. North American Journal of Psychology, 14)1), pp 149. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.co,m.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/927903917 Ehrenberg, M. F., Roberts, M., & Pringle, J. (2012). Attachment Style and Marital Commitment in the Context of Remarriage. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 53(3), pp 204-219. doi: 10. 1080/10502556.2012.663270 Feldman, R. S. (2011). Development across the Lifespan. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: McGraw-Hill. Heffernan, M. E., Fraley, R. C., Vicary, A. M., & Brumbaugh, C. C. (2012). Attachment Features and Functions in Adult Relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 29(5), pp 671-693. doi: 10.1177/0265407512443435 Juhl, J., Sand, E. C., & Routledge, C. (2012). the Effects of Nostalgia and Avoidant Attachment on Relationship Satisfaction and Relationship Motives. Journal of Social and Personal Relationship s, 29(5), pp 661-670. doi: 10.1177/0265407512443433 Mikulincer, M & Shaver, P. R. (2012). Adult Attachment Orientations and Relationship Processes. Journal of Family Theory and Review, 4(4), pp 259-274. doi: 10. 1111/j. 1756-2589.2012.00142.x Nudson-Martin, C. (2012). Attachment in Adult Relationships: a Feminist Perspective. Journal of Family Theory and Review, 4(4), pp. 299-305. doi: 10. 1111/j.1756-2589.2012.00141.x Pittman, J. F. (2012). Attachment Orientations: A Boon to Family Theory and Review. Journal of Family Theory and Review, 4(4), pp 306-310. doi: 10.1111/j.1756-2589.2012.00133.x Poulsen, F. O., Holman, T. B., Busby, D. M., & Carroll, J. S. (2013). Physical Attraction, Attachment Styles, and Dating Development. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 30(3), pp 301-319. doi: 10.1177/0265407512456673 Selcuk, E., Zayas, V.., & Hazan, C. (2010). Marital Satisfaction: The Role of Attachment in Marital Function. Journal of Family Theory and Review, 2(4), pp 258-259. doi: 10. 1111/j.1756-2589.2010.00061.x

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Older People And Rehabilitation Health And Social Care Essay

The chosen articles for this assignment are articles written by Wallin, et Al ( 2006 ) published by The Journal of Ageing and Society. 27, 147-164 ; Cott, ( 2004 ) published by The Journal of Disability and Rehabilitation. 26. 24 pp1411-1422 ; Trappes-Lomax ( 2006 ) published by the Journal of Health and Social Care 14 ( 1 ) , 49-62 and Cunliffe et Al ( 2004 ) 33: pp246 -252. See appendix 1 Parahoo ( 2006 ) defines a literature reappraisal as an appraising study of information found in literature relate to a chosen capable country. These literature reappraisals are concerned with the significance ‘older people attach to their rehabilitation ‘ . The reappraisal describe, summarise, evaluate and clear up cardinal findings of available literatures. Rehabilitation is concerned with decreasing the impact of disenabling conditions. These are peculiarly common in older people and considerable wellness addition can be achieved by their successful rehabilitation. Physical rehabilitation in the context of long-run attention can better physical and mental province, and be of benefit to those with dementedness ( Forster, 2009 ) .Rationale for pick of subject:This subject country was chosen as it is felt that this is a topic that warrants more probe into its effectivity and the deduction it has on the lives of the aged people. With the altering population demographics, t here is an increasing age mortality which consequences in a greater figure of old people and although this age group is non the lone group affected by the inquiry of intending attached to rehabilitation but the increasing age tends to rise how it is related to the older people. In pursuit of updating the writer ‘s cognition in the significance of older peoples ‘ authorization in geriatric rehabilitation, a batch of literatures were reviewed. Extensive manual and electronic hunts of literatures were conducted for the intent of placing reappraisals and articles related specifically to the chosen subject. The undermentioned databases were searched: Cinahl, PubMed, Ovid, Cochrane library, Blackwell synergism, The Swetwise, the Journal of Aging and Society, the Journal of Disability and Rehabilitation, Clinical Rehabilitation, The Journal of Nursing Philosophy, Health and Social Care in the Community and a batch of books. Literatures were besides accessed from local libraries, nursing places intranet and the cyberspace. Search footings used include: older people ; frail aged ; long-run attention ; rehabilitation ; significance ; interview ; qualitative ; quality of life ; life satisfaction, cogency, and hunts were limited in English Language. Amongst the articles reviewed are: Client – centred rehabilitation: client positions ( Cott, 2004 ) ; Buying Time 1: a prospective, controlled test of a joint wellness / societal attention residential rehabilitation unit for older people on discharge from infirmary ( Trappes-Lomax, 2006 ) ; Rehabilitation and Older Peoples ( Wade, 2003 ) ; Sooner and Healthier: RCT and Interview survey of early discharge rehabilitation service for older people ( Cunliffe et al, 2004 ) . These chosen articles are of great involvement to the writer due to its subjective rating of the participants. From the writer ‘s personal experience and my engagement in the attention of the aged, most aged people perceived rehabilitation as control and as an act of containment. Cl ients ‘ position tantrums in with clients – centred attacks and some of the research highlighted client centeredness, in footings of determination devising. It is imperative for research to be critique in order to measure its scientific unity, that is placing strengthens and failings, the pertinence and transferability of it recommendations ( Cormack, 2000 ) . This assignment aims to critically measure scope of surveies / policy paperss surveies which examines â€Å" The Meaning Older People gives to their Rehabilitation Experience † . An effort will be made to analyze the cogency of the studies utilizing the faculty usher as a model which provide measure – measure attack utilizing systematic headers from the chosen articles aim to analyze the information. The rubric, abstract, writer, debut, methodological analysis, trying consequences, cultural issues will be critique. In all, it transferability will be discussed and decision drawn. Though, the rubric is concise and enlightening, it does non reflect vividly to the full aged population standby, since the mark ages were between 65 – 93 old ages but non all the older people. The rubric includes the cardinal word of the articles, since many retrieval systems depend on the rubric for seeking or indexing ( Denscombe, 2003 ) . The rubric attracts my attending to the country standby, its short words and has the research inquiry being inexplicit in it ( Hollaway and Wheeler, 2002 ) .About the Writers:A brief question into the writers ‘ background in respect to their academic, professional making and their experiences are of import to find, it worth as this can act upon the result or consequence of the survey ( Cormack, 2000 and Bell, 2005 ) . In the first article, Talvitie and Wallin are both with the Department of Health Science, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland ; Catta with the Centre for Health Promotion Research, Leeds University and some of her work will be referred to in this assignment Catta et Al ( 2003 ) . And Karppi is with Research Department, Social Insurance Institute of Finland ( SII ) , which funded the survey under review. Burns and Grove ( 2006 ) stated that a funded survey has to be reviewed and be recognised for it scientific and societal virtue by the organic structure funding it. However, working within the funded administration one can easy be influenced. The writers participated in the survey ( Polit et al, 2001 ) . However, their several makings were non provided in the article to find their credibleness in research ( Cormack, 2000 ) .Cott, C.A ( 2004 ) is of the Department of Physical Therapy and Graduate Department of rehabilitation Science, University of Toronto, Canada. Trappes-Lomax, et Al ( 2006 ) are all based within the Department of Public Health & A ; Epidemiology, University of Birmingham UK ; and Cunliffe and co-workers are all of the Department of Health, Determining the Future NHS, Long Term Planning for Hospital and Related Services, London.Reviews / Subjects:Many research workers ( Cormack, 2000 ; Burns and Grove, 2003 ) have insisted that debut should place the research purpose, the principle underpinning the statement of intent and importance of the survey. The general purpose of the articles was stated as to advance older people ‘s liberty and to heighten their ability to populate near independent lives which is important to nursing pattern. However, the writers in all the four articles failed to province the intent of their surveies explicitly in the debut. They have made mentions to assorted related plants established in the field standby ( Cormack, 2000 ) . The principle for any restraints such as the being and significance of a cognition spread, have been clearly stated. The subjects for article written by Wallin et Al ( 2007 ) is that the older grownup perceived rehabilitation as a agency of acquiring off normal life and basking themselves ; as sense of holiday and as a letdown because they had small opportunity to take part in the planning of the rehabilitation programme. The article by Cott ( 2004 ) findings was to show that client – centred rehabilitation embraces much more than end scene and determination devising between single clients and the professionals. The article by Cunlifte et Al, ( ( 2004 ) was to measure an early discharge and rehabilitation service for the older people. The reappraisal was presented as an built-in portion of the debut ( Denscombe, 2003 ) . Reviewing literature is to derive wide background apprehension of the capable affair to back up the research purpose and how the current survey was informed and built from old work ( Cormack, 2000 and Moore, 2006 ) . There is a superb indicant within the articles and the mention list a batch of primary and secondary beginnings of background reading have been done ( Berry, 2004 and Kumar, 2005 ) . The writers have built on the bing cognition by associating it to both recent and old publications on the topic in their literature reappraisal ( 1994-2006 ) ( Cutcliffe and Ward, 2003 ) . They were able to contrast the old plants on effects of institutionalisation and rehabilitation to older people. They have been influenced by past plants in the rehabilitation of the older people as physical recovery orientated instead than societal engagement, as it was the position and thought of some older people but non many surveies had been explored into the older people ‘s experiences and perceptual experience. They have been able to make more extended research on the range of the survey.Methodology:This is defined as the theory and analysis of how the survey should continue. It regulations the pick of method, the techniques or process used to garner and analyze informations ( Parahoo, 2006 ) .This involves roll uping informations of different signifiers from the same topics ( Porter, 2000 ) . Triangulation of different informations beginnings can besides help proof ( Parahoo, 2006 ) . By utilizing two different methods of research, the research workers may derive a different position of the subject under probe and the consequences from any one method can be confirmed, ( Couchman and Dawson, 1995 ) . Research workers need to be cognizant that utilizing both qualitative and quantitative attacks in the same survey will non needfully supply the whole image, findings may be contradictory. This can heighten apprehension of research methodological analysis and the phenomenon being surveies ( Parahoo, 2006 ) . Within the survey a qualitative method of research will let a focal point upon the position of the clients, ( Couchman and Dawson, 1996 ) . This will let their positions to be valued. Emphasis can so be placed upon significances, descriptions and experiences of the clients, ( Coolican, 1994 ) Qualitative research allows us to understand human behavior, by happening out the readings of events through the eyes of the participants instead than trusting on mensurating concrete facts. To cognize the significance of rehabilitation as per aged people, one should analyze it from the position of the persons ; hence qualitative attacks can be described as holistic instead than reductionist. Qualitative research chiefly concentrates on written words, or address, and aims to understand the motives and readings of people instead than explicating why something happens. It may be exercised where the research worker seeks a deeper truth, taking to do sense of or construe phenomena in footings of peo ple ‘s belief, attitudes, experiences, behavior and interactions which generate non- numerical informations ( Denzin, 2005 ) . A common attack in the qualitative research is phenomenological attack which focuses on depicting how the single experiences this development, ( Patton, 2002 ) . This appears to be appropriate for this survey as the purpose and aim of the survey was to obtain a deeper apprehension of older peoples ‘ significances, which could non hold been adequately be addressed as quantitative attack. In any instance, a little degree quantitative informations ( descriptive statistics ) was incorporated, in all the articles to back up the description the research workers were trying to explicate. A unfavorable judgment of utilizing the qualitative attack is that it is anecdotal, unscientific and produces findings that are non general ( Punch, 2000 ) .Sampling:Sampling is the procedure of choosing people or units from a population of involvement, so that by analy zing the sample, the research workers may reasonably generalize their consequences back to the population from which they were chosen. The research workers in this instance used a purposive method in enrolling clients which is a judgemental sample of persons chosen by certain pre-determined standards relevant to the research inquiry ( Robson, 2002 ) . This method is chiefly used when the research workers is seeking to lend to the apprehension of phenomena but non to generalizing the findings to the mark population and is hard to measure the preciseness of the research worker ‘s opinion, ( Parahoo, 2006 ) . This appears to be appropriate in this research since it has the possible to supply rich informations ( Morse, 1994 ) . Patton ( 1990 ) suggested that no guidelines exist for sample size in qualitative surveies, but the sample size was purposively recruited from the indiscriminately selected sample from the chief survey, which is really good for the survey, more informations will be collected before impregnation is reached and have three research workers to work on them ( Holloway and Wheeler, 2002 ) , the age scope ( between 65 and 93 ) , the figure of scenes ( 7 ) , the periods and the exclusion standards strategy, nevertheless they failed to warrant the standards ( Cormack, 2000 ) .Data Collection:The authors specified how the information for the survey was collected. Two semi- structured interviews were conducted for 15 to 45 proceedingss and 45 to about 2 hours in the scene and in the participants several places and audio tape were used. The acceptance of qualitative methodological analysis and the usage of semi-structured interviews allowed manner for cross checking so that incompatibilities in callback could be identified and probed ( Cutsliffe and Ward, 2003 ) . The semi-structured interviews are believable in this survey in the sense that the sources can be verbally be assisted to understand the inquiries and the interviewers can inquire any i nquiry for elucidations, investigation further for responses every bit good as being able to detect organic structure linguistic communication, which can non be gained when utilizing questionnaires ( Munhall, 2001 ) . However, by interview, it can non be guaranteed that interviewees are being honest as they may non understand the inquiry or they may falsify the truth or withhold critical information and face to confront interviews may compromise the namelessness of the interviewees ( Parahoo, 2006 ) . However, one to one interviews, usage of tape recording can be utile to look into the original diction of any statement one might desire to cite, or maintain to do certain that what one ‘s write is accurate, it helps if one is trying any signifier of content analysis and demand to listen several times in order to place classs and allows one to code, summarise and to observe a peculiar remark ( Bell, 2005 ) . Audio taped information enhances dependability and writer triangulation adopted for cogency ( Burns and Grove, 2005 ) . The notes taken and short diary kept during the interviews guarantee trustiness and supply accurate representations of the participants ‘ experiences such as gestures and facial look. The brooding journal maintained throughout the survey shows clearly their ideas, engagement in the informations and reading of the informations. The six months interval between the interviews may assist to retest any theories developed in the composing up phase ( Cormack, 2000 ) . The writers nevertheless failed to advert any interruptions during the interview, since it is ethically appropriate for this client group ( Holloway and Wheeler, 2002 ) . They every bit failed to enter any restrictions such as reflexiveness that might hold influenced the procedure of the informations aggregation. Reflexivity is a uninterrupted procedure of contemplation by research workers of how their ain values, behavior, perceptual experiences or presence and those of the respondents may impact the information they collect ( Parahoo, 2006 ) . In the absence of statistical trials for cogency and dependability, this kind of reflexiveness is important to qualitative survey if it is to be persuasive ( Cormack, 2000 ) . The writers gave a brief description of the guiding subjects and some of the specific inquiries that were asked, provided the informa tion for the survey, but they failed to advert any inquiries that appeared uncomfortable to reply by the interviewees and they failed to bespeak their single functions within the survey.Ethical motives:Though, qualitative research is non physically invasive but it may ensue in an invasion of the head of the participants ( Bryman, 2005 ) . The articles were approved by their several ethical commissions. The written text of the interview informations amongst themselves ensures the namelessness of the clients ( Sullivan, 1998 ) . An informed consent is an on-going procedure in a qualitative survey but the authors of the articles failed to recognize this and kept silent of the older people who were or may non be competent to subscribe their ain signifiers ( Denscombe, 2003 ) . There was no record of obtaining permission before entering the interviews and what would be done to the informations after the written text.Datas Analysis:The procedure of analyzing informations in qualitative re search is ongoing, get downing during informations aggregation, with the research worker processing informations and doing opinions about facets of it, as it is received ( Parahoo, 2006 ) . Once all informations from the taped interviews has been collected, it will be transcribed, which will take about three times every bit long as each interview ( Couchman and Dawson, 1995 ) . The consequences were represented in a clear, elaborate description and in simple linguistic communication which makes the text easy to read and understood ( Ogier, 1999 ) . A consideration associating to rigour is credibleness ; the writers returned the interview reading back to the participants so that they can look into for any disagreement ( May and Hope, 2000 ) . It appears that the writers adapted equal strict techniques in the analysis. The usage of writer triangulations enhances cogency, and direct citations, when showing deepness and acknowledgment of single experiences. The identified subjects and a pplicable citations by and large provide a clear image of how the subjects emerged from the informations. They explained the cryptography ( Polit et al, 2001 ) , which makes it easier for the readers to measure the cogency of the emergent subjects based on the quality and measure of citations provided. Bringing citations from clients, therefore let the reader to carry on his ain significance of the look to the participants. It will besides assist the readers of the research, who may non understand clearly the purpose, nonsubjective and procedure of the research, and to judge its truth and pertinence consequently. In any instance, they fail to advert the model used in the cryptography and the analysis. The cardinal findings that came out from the saturated subjects shows that the clients have different and changing demands and outlooks of rehabilitation programme, which were categorized into three. They were – the sense of assurance with mundane life ; which they perceived as facilitating mundane life at place ; as sense of holiday ; and it was besides seen as a agency of acquiring off from normal life and basking themselves and eventually as a sense of letdown and defeat with the limited chances to take part in the planning of their rehabilitation programme. There was no proper integrating of the participants since they were grouped on conformity to their geographical beginnings during most of the periods. And they failed to advert any consequence of the abrasion on the consequence.Discussion:The authors have addressed the research as set out at the beginning of the research about their treatments, findings and the important of the survey have been a sense of assurance with mundane life ; ‘ a sense of holiday ‘ and a sense of letdown. The result of the survey was besides compared with that of the old plants of the literature such as Hinck, 2004 ; Cattan et Al, 2005 in the literature reappraisal. They acknowledged a mistake in their sampling and have suggested a comparative survey of sub-geriatric clients in order to light the contract ( Cormack, 2000 ) . A recommendation was made about advancing a patient – centred and partnership in attention, which entails a holistic attack. However, the suggestion made by the writers about professional communicating accomplishments can non be justified within the context of their research, since there were no professionals incorporated in their survey. However, safeguard has to be taken, if these findings are to be replicated across the brotherhood, since significances to a phenomenon alterations with permeating cultural and sub-cultures ( Hammersley, 1992 ) and it is improbable that older people in Finland have the same civilization to older people in United Kingdom ( UK ) . Transfering the findings to UK will hold different impact due to different wellness attention system such as the function of permeant and perceived institutionalized engagement, different professional regulative organic structures and discrepancy in the instruction and preparation, and the function of mental wellness professionals. The overpowering feeling from the positions reported in UK is that rehabilitation scenes are driven by an property of control and containment instead than authorization ( Parry-Crooke, 1999 ) . In the article by Cunliffe et Al ( 2004 ) it was shown that rehabilitation improves the degrees of activity and the psychological wellbeing of the aged. That individual – centred manner of attention helps to better the result of older people ‘s deficiency of assurance, and may take to better wellness results. All the articles have demonstrated that there is demand for rehabilitation for these client group.Decision:It can be seen that the purpose of this literature reappraisal has been achieved in researching the significance of rehabilitation to the aged people. The survey reveals that different people attach different significance to rehabilitation. It has brought an interesting cognition into pattern ; an consciousness of the participants holding changing significances to it concept. Promotion of older peoples ‘ liberty in the community entails a holistic attack which should hold included sociological issues and the scenes should hold been in the clients ‘ places. An empowerment attack appears to be preferred to medical attack adopted. Though, the overall findings has been biased toward reasonably fit older people, who were get bying at place with a degree of support, the age differences besides might convey approximately different wellness issues, such as mental wellness. Furthermore, clients were non given pick to organize groups during Sessionss, and the groupings were biased towards geographical beginnings. However, the recommendations made – patient – centred and partnership in attention are of great importance. In the NMC ‘s codification of professional behavior ( 2004 ) , great accent is placed on the duty nurses have in guaranting that clients possess the best up – to – day of the month grounds based cognition and accomplishments to present attention possible. Therefore, improved cognition through instruction and research will be the footing of grounds based practiced for alteration and betterment.MentionBell, J. ( 2005 ) Making Your Research Undertaking. A usher for first clip Researchers in Education and Social Sciences. Buckingham: Open University Press Bryman, A. ( 2005 ) Social Research Methods Oxford: Oxford University Press Nathan birnbaums, N. and Grove, S. ( 2006 ) Understanding Nursing Research. Philadelphia: Saunders Nathan birnbaums, N. and Grove, S. ( 2005 ) The Practice of Nursing Research Conduct Critique and Utilization. Philadelphia: Saunders Coolican, H. ( 1994 ) Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology. Great Britain: Hodder and Stoughton Cormack, D. ( 2002 ) The Research Process in Nursing. 4th erectile dysfunction. Oxford: Blackwell Science Couchman, W. and Dawson, J. ( 1995 ) Nursing and Health Care Research. London: Bailliere Tindall Denscombe, M. ( 2003 ) The Research Guide for little – graduated table Research Project. Buckingham: Open University Forster, A. ; Lambly, R. And Handy, J. ( 2009 ) Rehabilitation for Older Peoples in Long Care: Cochrane database of Systematic Review. Hek, G. , Judd, M. and Moule, P. ( 2002 ) Making Sense of Research: An debut for Nurses. 2nd erectile dysfunction. London: Cassell Holloway, I. and Wheeler, S. ( 2002 ) Qualitative Research for Nurses. 2nd erectile dysfunction. Oxford: Blackwell Science Kumar, R. ( 2005 ) Research Methodology. A Measure by Step Guide for Beginners. London: Sage Publication Munhall, P. ( 2001 ) Institutional reappraisal of qualitative research proposals: a undertaking of no little effects. In Morse, J.M. Qualitative Nursing Research: A modern-day Dialoque. London: Sage Publication Ogier, M. ( 1999 ) Reading Research. London: Bailliere Tindall Parahoo, K. ( 2006 ) Nursing Research Principles, Process and Issues. 2nd erectile dysfunction. Hampshire, England: Palgrave Macmillian Parry-Crooke, ( 1999 ) Consultation with Women in High Secure Settings: Preliminary Findingss. London: University of North London. Patton, M ( 2002 ) Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods. Newburgh Park: Sage Publication Patton, M. ( 1990 ) Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods. Newburge Park: Sage publication Polit, D. and Hungler, B. ( 2001 ) Nursing Research Principles and Methods. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Porter, S. ( 2000 ) Qualitative Research. I Cormack, D. The Research Process in Nursing: London: Blackwell Science Punch, K. ( 2000 ) Developing Effective Research Proposals. London: Sage Publication Robson, C. ( 2002 ) Real World Research. A resource for Social Scientists and Practitioners. Oxford: Blackwell

Monday, July 29, 2019

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example Many enterprises jumped in on this opportunity and took on local manufacturing of e-bikes, importation and selling of e-bikes and other related industries. The challenge for these businesses is how they will stay afloat as the number of competition rises. In venturing into a business, one must first do a strategic planning and come up with a feasibility study or business plan so as to guide the direction of the business and so that the proprietor can easily remove or dodge certain barricades that may impede in the establishment and growth of the business. One major component of the business plan is to get to know your target market and that can only be accomplished through the analysis of consumer behaviour (Gundlach, 2007). For a business to grow and rise above its competition it needs to occupy a unique niche in the hierarchy of consumer needs that only they can provide – may it be the quality, quantity, or kind of service, quality, quantity, or kind of products or both. ... In the rest of this paper, we will be evaluating the two typologies so as to ascertain which among the two models is better to use in creating a market research tool for e-bike consumer behaviour. I. The Values, Attitudes, and Lifestyle Systems Typology (VALS) With today’s ever increasing product standardization, it gets harder and harder for companies to create unique products that are essentially different from the competition’s products. In this case, the difference only lies on how the company markets their products and the psychological differences the consumer associates with their product compared to the rest. (Evans, Jamal, and Foxall, 2009) The VALS typology is a psychographic means of segmenting the whole consumer populace in to different classes based on AIOD – Activities, Interests, Opinions and Demographics, the factors that for this model shapes how the consumers choose to spend. Being a psychographic consumer segmentation system, it classifies the consumers into 8 basic lifestyle groups on the basis of resources and self-orientation which is the determinants of how the consumer may be able to see the product when it is marketed (Businessdictionary.com, 2013). The resources that are taken into consideration in creating the different lifestyle classes include but are not limited to education, income, intelligence, health, energy level and eagerness to purchase resources that in general, increase from youth to middle age then decrease afterwards (Values and Lifestyles, 2013). On the other hand, the components for determining self-orientation are divided into 3 parts: (1) Principle Oriented: keeping a permanent value system, (2) Status Oriented: influenced by other’s perception of one’s self, and (3) Action Oriented: the propensity to

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Best Practice Articles Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Best Practice Articles Report - Essay Example They form the informed generation. They can move with ease on the changes in technology. Therefore, they better understand the social market. However, they should not be allowed to lead because they lack the qualifications needed. Companies, just like people, promote their friends. Therefore, B-to-B marketers need to create relationships with their customers to make sales. They should also treat each client as unique individuals so that they can satisfy their needs. B-to-B marketers should focus on making a personal impression rather than a business impression to customers because despite the efforts put in promoting a product, people buy out of their emotional needs more than logic. It is easier for companies to manage the feedback of their clients when there is a standardized method of gathering such information. However, the response should be spontaneous because a uniform approach makes the response less effective. The articles give a brief summary of the B-to-B market as well as business. They tackle the mistakes that the business makes in trying to increase sales. The internal setback would be choosing conservative methods. Businesses should be at the front in innovation, especially since the nature of the operations is dynamic. They should also popularise their brand, taking full advantage of the SEO tools. The business course teaches how to deal with customers because they will determine whether a business makes profits or not. The topic on organisation buyer behaviour reflects on the various articles. An example is the article on ‘How Personal Emotions Feed B-to-B Purchases’. It teaches on what one should focus on when they try to make sales. The articles describe how businesses can expand their market opportunities; a topic that is vital in the course. The online site navigates online shoppers and when properly used it can increase sales. The younger generation who are more acquainted to the social media can be excellent

Changing the Scene of the Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Changing the Scene of the Society - Assignment Example The consequences of the cultural practice are that women will remain in their current position if they do not get empowered and strive to get equal positions with men. The consequence of the strife to be equal with men is that the female gender will be endangered. With the current trend where women strive to be equal with men, the role of the woman will be erased. Women are required to be submissive and do tasks that are considered to be feminine. This is no longer the case as women are now striving to do tasks that have been a preserve of only men. This is changing the scene of the society. There is a new definition of the terms female and male. Â  The definition of women is changing and no longer based on the biological differences. This is because of education and financial empowerment. Women have been known to be gentle in their undertakings and less aggressive when compared with men. This is changing and women are now seen to be aggressive and taking challenges that are considered manly. The struggle for many American women to be equal to men has been evident. Although women are fragile, they are seen to want to fight for battles that are fit for men. The woman gender is fast changing and is being erased by the struggle to gain equality. Women are now working and men are the ones being left at home to take care of domestic affairs. This is the norm as the career woman strives to achieve her ambitions. They no longer value the family values that have been sought and valued from time immemorial. Â  There are relationships that exist between Beauvoir’s truths and those of the readings that we had in class.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Order vs. Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Order vs. Justice - Essay Example Hence, it is significant to re-assess the alternatives regularly. Bull envisions elements of war, transnational loyalties, and conflict posing a challenge to the stability of the international society. In effect, war can cause anarchy in the international relations. Similarly, transnational loyalties and conflicts can affect the degree of interaction among the states with shared interests and values. Bull points out that common rules and institutions should govern and guide countries in their pursuit of the international order. States have an obligation to respect the claims of independence of other nations. Respect for the nations’ independence is a fundamental principle for the formation of the international societies (1977). According to Bull, shared rules and institutions should inform the dealings among nations with an international agenda. The pillars of the international relations order encompass diplomacy, balance of power, and international law. It is important for the nations to embrace communication, enforcement, adaptation, and safeguarding of mutually shared and understood law. In my opinion, policy and regime change can affect the international relation order. Although shared rules, as well, as the institutions exist to preserve the order, policy can result in the different interpretation global relations. Notably, Bull does not take into account the role th e justice plays in the international relation

Friday, July 26, 2019

Process Document Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Process Document - Research Paper Example This will alleviate possible injury while you are mowing. Be on the look out for toys, dog bones, branches that have fallen from the trees, cans, snack bags and so forth. Get any of these things out of the way so that you will not run over them when mowing. If there are natural obstacles like rocks that are half buried in your lawn or sewer pipes or anything that is naturally in your lawn, you will want to make a note of where they are or mark them so you do not run into them when mowing. than one yank of the string. On an electric mower, you will have a different kind of start switch that may or may not need a key. You can locate how to start your mower by using the booklet that comes with your mower. 8. Start mowing your lawn. In order to make it look good, it is a good idea to mow it in with even lines. Moving from one end of the yard to the other in an even pattern that is either horizontal or vertical. It is a good idea to choose one way or the other so that your lawn will get used to the pattern that you choose. 9. Move at a good clip. You do not want to move too fast or too slowly. If you move too fast, you will miss spots. If you move too slowly, grass can get clogged in the blades of your lawnmower and this can stall out your lawnmower. 11. After you are finished mowing, it is a good idea to take a rake and clean up your glass clippings if you have not used a bag on your mower. Also, use your hose to spray the undercarriage of the lawn mower to free the blades of any excess grass. Note: You will also want to follow the manufacturers guidelines for cleaning your mower if you have an electric or gas powered lawnmower. 4. If part or all of your lawn is on a slop, mow across it instead of mowing vertically. However, if you are using a riding lawnmower, mowing up and down is best so that you do not tip over while

Thursday, July 25, 2019

The Complicated roots of modernity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Complicated roots of modernity - Essay Example It is also critical to note that with rapid modernization, cultures became fluid and mass migration to urban areas created an atmosphere where people were ready to leave their old cultural values and practices to adapt to the new ways of living. Thus, modernism started to emerge out of the economic and social necessities of the individuals. The fastest growth of the urban areas as well as the rapid industrial progress gave economic power to the nations too. Thus, nationalism emerged as a result of the better economic power and a strong sense of association with the new cultural identity developed as a result of the economic progress. Nationalism, therefore, is another form of a concept which relates people with the origin. Similarly, liberalism as well as socialism also depicts a particular form of philosophical forms which are based upon modern thinking and a perception of the progressive development of the human societies. This paper will discuss and argue that nationalism, liberal ism, and socialism have roots in modern thinking, their connection to the French Revolution and how they expose the dark side of morality. Liberalism, Nationalism, and Socialism The French Revolution proved as a starting point for much of the later development of the modern thinking. ... idered as a step towards nationalism because it clearly made an attempt to reduce the influence of Church on the modern society and gave rise to a new concept of the collective identity to be developed under the banner of nationalism. What is also critical to note that the French Revolution was also a result of the failure of the monarchs to develop a modern and liberal society with the freedom of thought and expression. Liberalism as a philosophy actually opposes any form of oppression, be it from the state or some other entities. It advocates human freedom and suggests that humans and human societies should be free from any oppression or external force which can restrict the freedom. Liberal thought, though is relatively older than the French Revolution, however, culminated into a practical reality with the French Revolution. It is also critical to note that the French revolution brought to an end a restrictive economic system which was run under the control of the government which decided different aspects of economic life of masses. The emergence of nationalism, however, provided a uniform platform for the masses to develop their collective identity based upon different aspects of life. One of the key variables on the basis of which nationalism started to take its roots was the economic power. Nations, however, did not rely upon the economic power as the military power was considered as necessary too. Nations which became successful in amassing economic capital as well as the modern military forces, however, started to develop colonies and, hence, became an oppressive force. The wars between England and France, the occupation of various colonies across the whole globe exposed the darker side of the morality of the nationalism and nationalist thoughts. As Cortes

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Entrepreneurial ventures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Entrepreneurial ventures - Essay Example Business finance is a wide area and an exhaustive examination of each is not possible. However, the essay will bring out the disadvantages of each method of financing (Galloway 382). The bias may lie on the start-ups given that the initial stages of the business are the most difficult to finance since the risk is usually highest. There are two broad categories of business finance: debt financing and equity financing. These are ways of sourcing the capital that a business requires either to start operating, continue its day to day operation operating, or to attain a given strategic objective. Debt financing has the characteristic that the business or the entrepreneur has to repay with interest. The debt capital is a liability. Equity financing is the investment of the entrepreneur and other owners into the business (Krulikowski 245). This is risk capital. The distinction between debt and equity is that debt is a "loan" to the business while equity represents the extent to which one "owns" the venture. This leads to the issue of ownership and control of a business venture which complicates many startups. Debt financing maintains ownership while equity financing cedes some percentage ownership of the business venture. This is a significant consideration when choosing the type of financing for the business. There is no shortage of investors in the world, but there is a shortage of successful entrepreneurs. However, regardless of the source of financing, the entrepreneur must carefully evaluate the type of financing that the business requires (Krulikowski 267). This will depend on several factors. Firstly, there is a distinction on whether it is a startup or an established business. The size of operations will also determine the financing. The entrepreneur must have a business plan for the particular venture he or she plans to undertake. This means that

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Discussion Board criminal justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discussion Board criminal justice - Essay Example It is well known that most people tend to retain more of what they see than what they hear. This lends to what some see as an advantage for the prosecution, but demonstrative evidence must pass several tests before admission in a trial. First, there are specific rules pertaining to each type of demonstrative evidence. For instance, if presenting a police sketch as evidence, there is a possibility that it may not be admissible because it is ruled to be hearsay. Second, there are rules for demonstrative evidence in general. For instance, an accident reconstruction chart presented as evidence must be necessary in order to demonstrate another piece of evidence, such as oral testimony. According to an internet article about evidence, (â€Å"Demonstrative Evidence†, n.d.) foundation rules for demonstrative evidence involve authentication, representational accuracy and identification. The article also states that demonstrative evidence â€Å"must pass the ‘three hurdles’ of admissibility: relevancy; materiality; and competency.† (â€Å"Demonstrative Evidence†, n.d.) Documentary evidence is another form of evidence used in many trials. It can be described as any evidence presented through a written document. In most cases, this involves a contract or confession. Some of the rules an attorney must consider when using documentary evidence are the rules of parol evidence, best evidence, authentication, and hearsay. The best evidence rule deals with the originality of the document being offered for admission. If the document being presented for evidence is not the original, in most cases it will not be allowed as evidence. Courts do not usually allow a copy of a document as evidence. According to an internet encyclopedia, â€Å"the best evidence rule states that when the contents of a written document are offered in evidence, the court will not accept a copy

Monday, July 22, 2019

Organising a Discursive Essay about Car Use Essay Example for Free

Organising a Discursive Essay about Car Use Essay

Memo - Investment Recommendation for Centagenetix Essay Example for Free

Memo Investment Recommendation for Centagenetix Essay After looking over the material regarding Centagenetix, I have a recommendation as to whether or not MPM should invest in Centagenetix. I realize that we have spent a great deal of time and resources on this project already, and that Harvard Medical School is anticipating that this deal will go forward. I also realize that backing out of the deal now could reflect badly upon MPM and upon you, but my recommendation is that MPM invest in Centagenetix at this point. The main reason is that if Centagenetix is actually able to create a product to increase human longevity, there are some major questions and concerns about first getting this product to market, as well as what conditions this product might carry for measurable efficacy and if the market will be willing to accept them. I will discuss other considerations shortly but I think that is itself a potential deal-breaker. Let us first consider the New England Centenarian Study (NECS). While it is a worthwhile and interesting study, with good correlations between family members and a sample pool large enough to provide preliminary findings, it still has some weaknesses. The two major ones being how geographically centric it is and the size of it. Scientists who study aging have long argued that environment and lifestyle play the largest role in longevity, but Centagenetix is setting out to see if that is incorrect: if there is in fact a heritable gene (or genes) for longevity. It would seem t hat in order to provide a strong argument that the study reaches beyond environment, there should be more samples from areas beyond the eight towns around Boston that the NECS used. It could also be a problem that the majority of the centenarians used had no history of smoking or obesity and were generally small in stature. Granted that using these samples, they found a linkage on chromosome 4, but this does not seem to match the homologous zones for longevity in the previously studied model organisms. There are possible correlations on other chromosomes that track with those model organisms, but the patent that they filed is for the 10 million base pair region on chromosome 4. I am also concerned that the first attempt to scale the study to a larger population resulted in a noteworthy decrease of the linkage’s strength. Scaling it up further restored the statistical strength of the linkage, but the overall strength and valuation of the IP remains in question. We also need to consider the possibility that this 10M bp region will contain genes that other groups are already studying and that the patent is not strong enough to survive a challenge. It is possible that these longevity genes will be related to insulin receptors or free radical management: two areas that several groups or companies are already studying. How strong will the IP remain when there is competition for these hypothetical genes? If that is the case, the company’s major resource will be its SNP datab ase of centenarians, which will cost at least another $10 million to get to a functional state, plus more money to expand and maintain it. I have not seen any market analysis as to how much companies will pay for access to such a database. While Millennium has a somewhat similar model, they are much more pro-active in what they offer their clients, and that is what arguably drives their profits. The database will be valuable, but just how valuable is an important question. We need to know what the likelihood is that building such a SNP database will turn a profit, who specifically would be interested in paying for its use, and how much they would pay. In addition, would Centagenetix receive any royalties or payments for products based off findings from that SNP database? These are important considerations, especially if the possibility exists that the SNP database will have to support the company for any protracted amount of time. There remains a conflict-of-interest issue with Tom Perls and Harvard. If he can be enticed away from Harvard, the study that the company is based on will potentially no longer be available. Perls will be a key founding member of Centagenetix, and is expected be motivated and incentivized to work hard. Without a stake in the company, it remains unclear if that will happen. We also need to consider that if Perls does leave Harvard, will BIDMC still allow Centagenetix the use of the NECS, or should we re-consider the proposal from Whitehead to buy them out? The value of the IP revolves strongly around the NECS and Dr. Perls’ work. There needs to be a much clearer sense as to if or how these issues will be resolved, or else MPM might own a major stake in a company that will require a much larger investment to restore the IP we have assumed they already have. Finally, I want to return to my main point: Aside from a SNP database, what is at the end of the Centagenetix pipeline? Let us assume that they do find a gene or several genes that directly relate to longevity and are not in conflict with another group or company, that they can find the function of these genes, and eventually develop a product built on that discovery. Presumably, the function of this product would be to increase longevity in humans. How would they run clinical trials for this, and how long would they take? If the measure of success is how long someone lives, might not the trials take far longer than is feasible for us to provide funding? Assume that they get past pre-clinical trials; will the FDA even allow such a product to be tested? I th ink that we need to know more about how the FDA would approach such a product, as it seems like the regulatory hurdles for this will not be what most pharmaceutical companies are accustomed to. They are not trying to treat or effect a disease state, but rather to increase longevity. Granted that Ponce de Leà ³n spent much of his life searching Florida for the Fountain of Youth, and that a product like this will appeal to the general public, there is likely to be some serious regulatory and clinical trial hurdles to get it there. We also need to consider how the medical community and public will react to such a product. It seems likely that, given how many of the subjects from the NECS lived relatively healthy lives, the product will have some stipulations about health for maximum efficacy. If the public is required to not smoke, or be obese before this product will work for them then that will significantly affect adoption. In addition, how would the medical community respond to so mething with claims of increasing longevity? I think it would be highly skeptical and cynical. There will be difficulty in both convincing doctors to prescribe it, as well as getting payers to compensate for it. This will presumably be a product that patients will take for the rest of their lives, meaning there will likely be a struggle for both adoption and compliance. The only real gauge of such a product will be how long someone lives, and it will be challenging to demonstrate proof that any increase in longevity is a direct result of Centagenetix’s product. Significant market research needs to be done that considers the varying scenarios for adoption and lifestyle changes, to see if the market size is as big as one would expect it to be. In closing, I acknowledge that other products may come out of Centagenetix that are related to actual disease states or physiological processes. It is possible that they will develop an impressive and profitable drug that is related to the longevity of the patients of the NECS and be yond. Heck, they may even discover the cure for cancer. Even so, there are far too many unknowns and uncertainties in this proposal. The strength of the IP is in question. The availability of the NECS and even Dr. Perl is uncertain. What an end product looks like and what sort of market exists for it. How much more money it will take if they need to build a SNP database to remain in business, or if they have to do another NECS-like study of their own. The risks and uncertainties are sizeable, and the question about actual market size is significant. I do not think that MPM should invest in Centagenetix at this point.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Evolution of Investment Banking

Evolution of Investment Banking INTRODUCTION At a very macro level, ‘Investment Banking as term suggests, is concerned with the primary function of assisting the capital market in its function of capital intermediation, i.e., the movement of financial resources from those who have them (the Investors), to those who need to make use of them for generating GDP (the Issuers). Banking and financial institution on the one hand and the capital market on the other are the two broad platforms of institutional that investment for capital flows in economy. Therefore, it could be inferred that investment banks are those institutions that are counterparts of banks in the capital markets in the function of intermediation in the resource allocation. Nevertheless, it would be unfair to conclude so, as that would confine investment banking to very narrow sphere of its activities in the modern world of high finance. Over the decades, backed by evolution and also fuelled by recent technologies developments, an investment banking has transf ormed repeatedly to suit the needs of the finance community and thus become one of the most vibrant and exciting segment of financial services. Investment bankers have always enjoyed celebrity status, but at times, they have paid the price for the price for excessive flamboyance as well. To continue from the above words of John F. Marshall and M.E. Eills, ‘investment banking is what investment banks do . This definition can be explained in the context of how investment banks have evolved in their functionality and how history and regulatory intervention have shaped such an evolution. Much of investment banking in its present form, thus owes its origins to the financial markets in USA, due o which, American investment banks have banks have been leaders in the American and Euro markets as well. Therefore, the term ‘investment banking can arguably be said to be of American origin. Their counterparts in UK were termed as ‘merchants banks since they had confined themselves to capital market intermediation until the US investments banks entered the UK and European markets and extended the scope of such businesses. Investment banks help companies and governments and their agencies to raise money by issuing and selling acquisitions and other types of financial transactions. Investment banks also act as intermediaries in trading for clients. Investment banks differ from stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. However some firms operate as both brokerages and investment banks; this includes some of the best known financial services firms in the world. More commonly used today to characterize what was traditionally termed† investment banking† is â€Å"sells side. This is trading securities for cash or securities (i.e., facilitating transactions, market-making), or the promotion of securities (i.e. underwriting,research, etc.). The buy side constitutes the hedge funds, and the investing public who consume the products and services of the sell-side in order to maximize their return on investment. Many firms have both buy and sell side components. Definition An individual or institution, which acts as an underwriter or agent for corporations and municipalities issuing securities. Most also maintain broker/dealer operations, maintain markets for previously issued securities, and offer advisory services to investors. Investment banks also have a large role in facilitating mergers and acquisitions, private equity placements and corporate restructuring. Unlike traditional banks, investment banks do not accept deposits from and provide loans to individuals. Also called investment banker. Who needs an Investment Bank? Any firm contemplating a significant transaction can benefit from the advice of an investment bank. Although large corporations often have sophisticated finance and corporate development departments provide objectivity, a valuable contact network, allows for efficient use of client personnel, and is vitally interested in seeing the transaction close. Most small to medium sized companies do not have a large in-house staff, and in a financial transaction may be at a disadvantage versus larger competitors. A quality investment banking firm can provide the services required to initiate and execute a major transaction, thereby empowering small to medium sized companies with financial and transaction experience without the addition of permanent overhead, an investment bank provides objectivity, a valuable contact network, allows for efficient use of client personnel, and is vitally interested in seeing the transaction close. Most small to medium sized companies do not have a large in-house staff, and in a financial transaction may be at a disadvantage versus larger competitors. A quality investment-banking firm can provide the services The main activities and units The primary function of an investment bank is buying and selling products both on behalf of the banks clients and also for the bank itself. Banks undertake risk through proprietary trading, done by a special set of traders who do not interface with clients and through Principal Risk, risk undertaken by a trader after he or she buys or sells a product to a client and does not hedge his or her total exposure. Banks seek to maximize profitability for a given amount of risk on their balance sheet An investment bank is split into the so-called Front Office Middle Office and Back Office. The individual activities are described below: Front Office Investment Banking is the traditional aspect of investment banks which involves helping customers raise Corporate Finance (often pronounced corpfin). mutual funds) . Research and Structuring. Sales desks then communicate their clients orders to the appropriate trading desks, which can price and execute trades, or structure new products that fit a specific need. Research is the division which reviews companies and writes reports about their prospects, often with buy or sell ratings. While the research division generates no revenue, its resources are used to assist traders in trading, the sales force in suggesting ideas to customers, and investment bankers by covering their clients. In recent years the relationship between investment banking and research has become highly regulated, reducing its importance to the investment bank. Structuring has been a relatively recent division as derivatives have come into play, with highly technical and numerate employees working on creating complex structured products which typically offer much greater margins and returns than underlying cash securities. Middle Office * operational risk and the assurance Middle Offices provide now include measures to address this risk. When this assurance is not in place, market and credit risk analysis can be unreliable and open to deliberate manipulation. Back Office Operations involve data-checking trades that have been conducted, ensuring that they are not erroneous, and transacting the required transfers. While it provides the greatest job security of the divisions within an investment bank, it is a critical part of the bank that involves managing the financial information of the bank and ensures efficient capital markets through the financial reporting function. The staff in these areas are often highly qualified and need to understand in depth the deals and transactions that occur across all the divisions of the bank. New products Investment banking is one of the most global industries and is hence continuously challenged to respond to new developments and innovation in the global financial markets. Throughout the history of investment banking, many have theorized that all investment banking products and services would be copyrighted, they are very often copied quickly by competing banks, pushing down trading margins. For example, OTC contract has to be uniquely structured and could involve complex pay-off and risk profiles. Listed option contracts are traded through major exchanges, such as the CBOE, and are almost as commoditized as general equity securities. In addition, while many products have been commoditized, an increasing amount of profit within investment banks has come from proprietary trading, where size creates a positive network benefit (since the more trades an investment bank does, the more it knows about the market flow, allowing it to theoretically make better trades and pass on better guidance to clients). Potential conflicts of interest may arise between different parts of a bank, creating the potential for financial movements that could be market manipulation. Authorities that regulate investment banking (the Chinese wall which prohibits communication between investment banking on one side and research and equities on the other. Some of the conflicts of interest that can be found in investment banking are listed here: Historically, equity research firms were founded and owned by investment banks. One common practice is for equity analysts to initiate coverage on a company in order to develop relationships that lead to highly profitable investment banking business. In the 1990s, many equity researchers allegedly traded positive stock ratings directly for investment banking business. On the flip side of the coin: companies would threaten to divert investment banking business to competitors unless their stock was rated favorably. Politicians acted to pass laws to criminalize such acts. Increased pressure from regulators and a series of lawsuits, settlements, and prosecutions curbed this business to a large extent following the 2001 stock market tumble Many investment banks also own retail brokerages. Also during the 1990s, some retail brokerages sold consumers securities which did not meet their stated risk profile. This behavior may have led to investment banking business or even sales of surplus shares during a public offering to keep public perception of the stock favorable. Since investment banks engage heavily in trading for their own account, there is always the temptation or possibility that they might engage in some form of front running. Types of investment banks underwrite (guarantee the sale of) stock and bond issues, trade for their own accounts, make markets, and advise corporations on capital markets activities such as mergers and acquisitions Merchant banks were traditionally banks which engaged in trade financing. The modern definition, however, refers to banks which provide capital to firms in the form of shares rather than loans. Unlike Venture ca pital firms, they tend not to invest in new companies. Investment banks provide four primary types of services: Raising capital, advising in mergers and acquisitions, executing securities sales and trading, and performing general advisory services. Most of the major Wall Street firms are active in each of these categories. Smaller investment banks may specialize in two or three of these categories. Raising Capital An investment bank can assist a firm in raising funds to achieve a variety of objectives, such as to acquire another company, reduce its debt load, expand existing operations, or for specific project financing. Capital can include some combination of debt, common equity, preferred equity, and hybrid securities such as convertible debt or debt with warrants. Although many people associate raising capital with public stock offerings, a great deal of capital is actually raised through private placements with institutions, specialized investment funds, and private individuals. The investment bank will work with the client to structure the transaction to meet specific objectives while being attractive to investors. Mergers and Acquisitions Investment banks often represent firms in mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Example projects include the acquisition of a specific firm, the sale of a company or a subsidiary of the company, and assistance in identifying, structuring, and executing a merger or joint venture. In each case, the investment bank should provide a thorough analysis of the entity bought or sold, as well as a valuation range and recommended structure. Sales and Trading These services are primarily relevant only to publicly traded firms, or firms, which plan to go public in the near future. Specific functions include making a market in a stock, placing new offerings, and publishing research reports. General Advisory Services: Advisory services include assignments such as strategic planning, business valuations, assisting in financial restructurings, and providing an opinion as to the fairness of a proposed transaction. Terms Related To Investment Bank Buying and Selling Buying Deciding on the proper time to purchase a security that you would like to add to your holdings can be a daunting task. If the price drops immediately after you buy, it may seem as if you missed out on a better buying opportunity. If the price jumps right before you make your move, you may feel as if you paid too much. As it turns out, you should not let these small fluctuations influence your decision too much. As long as the fundamentals that led you to decide on the purchase have not changed, a few points in either direction should not have a large impact on the long-term value of your investment. Similarly, the fact that an investment has been increasing in value of late is not a sufficient reason for you to purchase it. Momentum can be very fickle, and recent movement is not necessarily an indicator of future movement. Therefore, buying decisions should be based on sound and thorough research geared toward discerning the future value of a security relative to its current price. This analysis will probably not touch upon price movement in the very recent past. As you learn more about investing youll get better at deciding when to buy, but most experts recommend that beginners avoid trying to time the market, and just get in as soon as they can and stay in for the long haul. The proper time to buy a security is quite simply when it is available for less than its actual value. These undervalued securities are actually not as rare as they sound. However, the problem is simply that they are never sure bets. The value of a security includes estimates of the future performance of factors underlying the value of the security. For stocks, these factors include things like earnings growth and market share. Changes can be predicted to a degree, but they are subject to fluctuation due to forces both within and beyond the control of the company. The overall economic climate, changes in the industry or even bad decisions by management can all cause a security poised to ascend in value to become an under performer. Therefore, it is essential to practice your analysis before putting your money into action. Make some mock purchases based on your personal analysis technique and track the results. Not all of your decisions will lead to the results you were expecting, but if most of your choices turn out to be good and there are mitigating factors that you can learn from to explain your missteps, then you may be ready to put your analysis technique and investing strategy into action. At this point, the need to continuously monitor your investments does not disappear. Both under performers and overachievers should be studied carefully to fine-tune your strategy. You should also regularly look at your securities to make sure that the fundamentals for success that led you to buy in the first place are intact. If not, you may need to prepare to cash in and start looking for the next opportunity. One way to avoid the hassles of deciding when to buy altogether is to practice dollar-cost averaging. This strategy advocates investing a fixed dollar amount at regular intervals. The price when you first invest is relatively unimportant (as long as the fundamentals are sound) because you will be purchasing shares at a different price each time you buy. The success of your investment then lies not with short-term fluctuations, but with the long-term movement of the value of the security. Selling: There comes a time when investments must be liquidated and converted back into cash. In a perfect world, selling would only be necessary when investment goals have been reached or time horizons have expired, but, in reality, decisions about selling can be much more difficult. For one thing, it can be just as hard to decide when to sell as it can be to decide when to buy. No one wishes to miss out on gains by selling too soon, but, at the same time, no one wishes to watch an investment peak in value and then begin to decline. Investors often seek to sell investments that have dropped in value in the short-term. However, if conditions have not changed significantly, drops in price may actually represent an opportunity to buy at a better price. If the initial research, which led to the purchase, was sound, a temporary decline does not preclude the success that was originally predicted. Of course, things change, and if the security no longer meets the criteria that led to its purchase, selling may in fact be the best option. Selling may also become necessary if investment goals change over time. You may need to reduce the amount of risk in your portfolio or you may have the opportunity to seek out greater returns. Additionally, a security may have increased in value to the point that it is overvalued. This creates an excellent opportunity to cash in and seek out new undervalued investments. Often you will need to make this type of sale in the course of rebalancing a portfolio necessitated by gains and losses in different areas. Selling can be especially difficult when an under performing stock must be dumped. Some investors let their emotions dictate their actions and hold on to stocks that have fallen in value rather than to sell, thinking that selling at a loss is like admitting that they made a mistake. However, realizing the loss and moving on to better investments is often preferable to continuing to hold onto a loser in the hopes that it will somehow rebound. When considering any sale, you must factor in the costs of the sale itself. Fees and taxes will eat into profits, so they must be subtracted from any increases in value to understand the true impact of the transaction. Capital gains taxes are higher for gains on investments held less than one year, so its often wise to invest for the long term rather than to buy and sell quickly. On the other hand, it can be dangerous to hold an investment longer than you want to, simply to reduce the tax burden. It is essential to remember that just because an investment increases in value after it has been sold does not necessarily mean that it was sold prematurely. Managing risk and diversification are often more important than capitalizing on short-term gains in a particular security. Keeping in mind the initial goals for the investment and adjusting them to fit your present goals will allow you to make smarter decisions about selling. Principles of Investing 1. Start Investing Now We say this not just to discourage procrastination, but because an early start can make all the difference. In general, every six years you wait doubles the required monthly savings to reach the same level of retirement income. Another motivational statistic: If you contributed some amount each month for the next nine years, and then nothing afterwards, or if you contributed nothing for the first nine years, then contributed the same amount each month for the next 41 years, you would have about the same amount. Compounding is a beautiful thing. 2. Know Yourself The right course of action depends on your current situation, your future goals, and your personality. If you dont take a close look at these, and make them explicit, you might be headed in the wrong direction. Current Situation: How healthy are you, financially? Whats your net worth right now? Whats your monthly income? What are your expenses (and where could they be reduced)? How much debt are you carrying? At what rate of interest? How much are you saving? How are you investing it? What are your returns? What are your expenses? Goals: What are your financial goals? How much will you need to achieve them? Are you on the right track? Risk Tolerance: How much risk are you willing and able to accept in pursuit of your objectives? The appropriate level of risk is determined by your personality, age, job security, health, net worth, amount of cash you have to cover emergencies, and the length of your investing horizon. 3. Get Your Financial House In Order Even though investing may be more fun than personal finance, it makes more sense to get started on them in the reverse order. If you dont know where the money goes each month, you shouldnt be thinking about investing yet. Tracking your spending habits is the first step toward improving them. If youre carrying debt at a high rate of interest (especially credit card debt), you should unburden yourself before you begin investing. If you dont know how much you save each month and how much youll need to save to reach your goals, theres no way to know what investments are right for you. If youve transitioned from a debt situation to paycheck-to-paycheck situation to a saving some money every month situation, youre ready to begin investing what you save. You should start by amassing enough to cover three to six months of expenses, and keep this money in a very safe investment like a money market account, so youre prepared in the event of an emergency. Once youve saved up this emergency reserve, you can progress to higher risk (and higher return) investments: bonds for money that you expect to need in the next few years, and stocks or stock mutual funds for the rest. Use dollar cost averaging, by investing about the same amount each month. This is always a good idea, but even more so with the dramatic fluctuations in the market in the past 10 years. Dollar cost averaging will make it easier to stomach the inevitable dips. And remember; never invest in anything you dont understand. 4. Develop A Long Term Plan Now that you know your current situation, goals, and personality, you should have a pretty good idea of what your long-term plan should be. It should detail where the money will go: cars, houses, college, and retirement. It should also detail where the money will come from. Hopefully the numbers will be about the same. Dont try to time the market. Get in and stay in. We dont know what direction the next 10% move will be, but we do know what direction the next100% move will be. Review your plan periodically, and whenever your needs or circumstances change. If you are not confident that your plan makes sense, talk to an investment advisor or someone you trust. 5. Buy Stocks Now that youve got a long term view, you can more safely invest in riskier investments, which the market rewards (in general). This requires patience and discipline, but it increases returns. This approach reduces the entire universe of investment vehicles to two choices: stocks and stock mutual funds. In the long run, theyre the winners: In this century, stocks beat bonds 8 out of 9 decades, and theyre well in the lead again. According to Ibbotsons Stocks, Bonds, Bills and Inflation 1995 Yearbook, here are the average annual returns from 1926 to 1994 (before inflation): Stocks: 10.2% (and small company stocks were 12.1%) Intermediate term treasury bonds: 5.1% 30-day T-bills: 3.7% But is it really worth the additional risk just for a few percentage points? The answer is yes. 10% a year for 20 years is 570%, but 7% a year for 20 years is only 280%. Compounding is Gods gift to long-term planners. If you buy outstanding companies, and hold them through the markets gyrations, you will be rewarded. If you arent good at selecting stocks, select some mutual funds. If you arent good at selecting mutual funds, go with an index fund (like the Vanguard SP 500). 6. Investigate Before You Invest Always do your homework. The more you know, the better off you are. This requires that you keep learning, and pay attention to events that might affect you. Understand personal finance matters that could affect you (for example, proposed tax changes). Understand how each of your investments fits in with the rest of your portfolio and with your overall strategy. Understand the risks associated with each investment. Gather unbiased, objective information. Get a second opinion, a third opinion, etc. Be cautious when evaluating the advice of anyone with a vested interest. If youre going to invest in stocks, learn as much as you can about the companies youre considering. Understand before you invest. Research, research, Read books. Consider joining an investment club or an organization like the American Association of Individual Investors. Experiment with various strategies before you put your own money on the line. Examine historical data or participate in a stock market simulation. Try a momentum portfolio, a technical analysis portfolio, a bottom fisher portfolio, a dividend portfolio, a price/earnings growth portfolio, an intuition portfolio, a mega trends portfolio, and any others you think of. In the process youll find out which ones work best for you. Learn from your own mistakes, and learn from the mistakes of others. If you dont have time for all this work consider mutual funds, especially index funds. 7. Develop the Right Attitude The following personality traits will help you achieve financial success: Discipline: Develop a plan, and stick with it. As you continue to learn, youll become more confident that youre on the right track. Alter your asset allocation based on changes in your personal situation, not because of some short-term market fluctuation. Confidence: Let your intelligence, not your emotions; make your decisions for you. Understand that you will make mistakes and take losses; even the best investors do. Re-evaluate your strategy from time to time, but dont second-guess it. Patience: Dont let your emotions be ruled by todays performance. In most cases, you shouldnt even be watching the day-to-day performance, unless you like to. Also, dont ever feel like its now or never. Dont be pressured into an investment you dont yet understand or feel comfortable with. The following personality traits will hurt your chances of financial success: Fear: If you are unwilling to take any risk, you will be stuck with investments that barely beat inflation. Greed: As an investment class, get rich quick schemes have the worst returns. If your expectations are unrealistically high, youll go for the big scores, which usually dont work. It is generally a good idea to avoid making financial decisions based on emotional factors. 8. Get Help If You Need It The do-it-yourself approach isnt for everyone. If you try it and its not working, or youre afraid to try it at all, or you just dont have the time or desire, theres nothing wrong with seeking professional assistance. If you want others to handle your financial affairs for you, you will nevertheless want to remain involved to some degree, to make sure your money is being spent wisely. Initial Public Offerings Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) are the first time a company sells its stock to the public. Sometimes IPOs are associated with huge first-day gains; other times, when the market is cold, they flop. Its often difficult for an individual investor to realize the huge gains, since in most cases only institutional investors have access to the stock at the offering price. By the time the general public can trade the stock, most of its first-day gains have already been made. However, a savvy and informed investor should still watch the IPO market, because this is the first opportunity to buy these stocks. Reasons for an IPO When a privately held corporation needs to raise additional capital, it can either take on debt or sell partial ownership. If the corporation chooses to sell ownership to the public, it engages in an IPO. Corporations choose to go public instead of issuing debt securities for several reasons. The most common reason is that capital raised through an IPO does not have to be repaid, whereas debt securities such as bonds must be repaid with interest. Despite this apparent benefit, there are also many drawbacks to an IPO. A large drawback to going public is that the current owners of the privately held corporation lose a part of their ownership. Corporations weigh the costs and benefits of an IPO carefully before performing an IPO. Going Public If a corporation decides that it is going to perform an IPO, it will first hire an investment bank to facilitate the sale of its shares to the public. This process is commonly called underwriting; the banks role as the underwriter varies according to the method of underwriting agreed upon, but its primary function remains the same. In accordance with the Securities Act of 1933, the corporation will file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The registration statement must fully disclose all material information to the SEC, including a description of the corporation, detailed financial statements, biographical information on insiders, and the number of shares owned by each insider. After filing, the corporation must wait for the SEC to investigate the registration statement and approve of the full disclosure. During this period while the SEC investigates the corporations filings, the underwriter will try to increase demand for the corporations stock. Many investment banks will print tombstone advertisements that offer bare-bones information to prospective investors. The underwriter will also issue a preliminary prospectus, or red herring, to potential investors. These red herrings include much of the information contained in the registration statement, but are incomplete and subject to change. An official summary of the corporation, or prospectus, must be issued either before or along with the actual stock offering. After the SEC approves of the corporations full disclosure, the corporation and the underwriter decide on the price and date of the IPO; the IPO is then conducted on the determined date. IPOs are sometimes postponed or even withdrawn in poor market conditions. Performance The aftermarket performance of an IPO is how the stock price behaves after the day of its offering on the secondary market (such as the NYSE or the NASDAQ). Investors can use this information to judge the likelihood that an IPO in a specific industry or from a specific lead underwriter will perform well in the days (or months) following its offering. The first-day gains of some IPOs have made investors all too aware of the money to be had in IPO investing. Unfortunately, for the small individual investor, realizing those much-publicized gains is nearly impossible. The crux of the problem is that individual investors are just too small to get in on the IPO market before the jump. Those large first-day returns are made over the offering price of the stock, at which only large, institutional investors can buy in. The system is one o

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Objections to Charles Peirces Article, A Neglected Argument for the Re

Objections to Charles Peirce's Article, A Neglected Argument for the Reality of God ABSTRACT: Charles S. Peirce sketches "a nest of three arguments for the Reality of God" in his article "A Neglected Argument for the Reality of God." I provide careful analysis and explication of Peirce's argument, along with consideration of some objections. I argue that (1) there are significant differences between Peirce's neglected argument and the traditional arguments for God's existence; (2) Peirce's analysis of the neglected argument into three arguments is misleading; (3) there are two distinct levels of argument that Peirce does not recognize; and (4) it is doubtful whether the argument meets all the criteria set by Peirce himself. Charles S. Peirce published in the Hibbert Journal in 1908 an article titled, "A Neglected Argument for the Reality of God." The article sketches what Peirce calls, in a later comment, "a nest of three arguments for the Reality of God" (6.486). (1) I provide an analysis of Peirce's argument and his interpretation of it along with a consideration of some objections. I shall argue: (1) that there are significant differences between Peirce's neglected argument and the traditional arguments for God's existence; (2) that Peirce's own analysis of the neglected argument into three arguments is misleading; (3) that there are two distinct levels of argument that Peirce does not acknowledge, and (4) that it is doubtful the argument meets all the criteria Peirce himself establishes. I trust that your response to what I have to say will not mirror the response Michael Raposa reports he received from a "prominent American philosophical theologian," when he gave a presentation on this topic; that... ... 77-78. Also, if we follow Karl Barth. s interpretation of Anselm. s ontological argument, then the prayerful context in which Anselm offers his argument gives it a more religious cast. However, whatever similarities may exist I think it vital to recognize the differences otherwise one will expect to find yet another bit of metaphysical argumentation about God and be disappointed at not finding it. (5) It must, however, be admitted that if everyone who mused reached the same conclusion, this rather impressive fact would cry out for some explanation. (6) C.F. Delany, "Peirce on the Hypothesis of God," op. cit., p. 735. (7) Donna Orange, Peirce's Conception of God. op. cit., p. 86. (8) Michael L. Raposa, Peirce's Philosophy of Religion. op. cit., p. 128. (9) John E. Smith, "The Tension Between Direct Experience and Argument in Religion." op. cit., p. 497.