Children appear capable of using lexical information to resolve Essay

Children appear capable of using lexical information to resolve syntactic ambiguities, but their ability to use referential information is questionable. Discuss - Essay Example gely thought to have acquired the linguistic facts of their language, the focus of adult psycholinguistic research has been on how they process language as they hear or use it. On the other hand, the focus of child language research has been on the documentation of children’s knowledge states at various points in development; with very little emphasis on how they process their language. This appears to be an area needing further investigation as, logically, children need also apply a meaningful analysis to their inputs in order to learn language. That is, acquisition necessarily implies that parser. This paper examines the aspect of difficulties and limitations encountered by children in using referential information while they deploy with ease lexical information to resolve syntactic ambiguities. 5 The main emphasis of the Psycholinguistic research has been on comprehending as to how adults interpret language in real time. Several authors (Trueswell & Tanenhaus, 1991; Tanenhaus, Spivey-Knowlton, Eberhard & Sedivy, 1995;Altmann & Steedman, 1988; Britt, 1994) have uncovered ,within this domain of examination a complex and interactive language 6 processing system capable of swift and almost instantaneous coordination of linguistic characteristics of the message with contextual or scene specific information. Trueswell et al (1999) investigated the moment by moment language learning process in children using a technique that involved recording eye movements, done deploying a head-mounted eye-tracking system to monitor eye movements, as participants responded to spoken instructions. This research found that,† systematic differences in how children and adults process spoken language: Five Year Olds did not take into account relevant discourse/pragmatic principles when resolving temporary syntactic ambiguities, and showed little or no ability to revise initial parsing commitments. Adults showed sensitivity to these discourse constraints at the earliest

Risk factors for depression Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Risk factors for depression - Research Paper Example The best treatment options are said to be the combination of both medications and psychotherapy, but electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is also an option when others do not work. Depression: Evidences of Risk Factors, Signs and Symptoms, and Treatment Methods Introduction The human experience of sadness and gloom is normal among individuals, but it may be different once it becomes chronic and interferes with activities of daily living. Depression is one of the common causes in seeking professional psychologic help, and timely interventions could greatly help the depressed individual. Although depression may appear to be merely preoccupations of negative emotions, it can lead to dreadful effects, including suicide, once neglected. The diagnosis of depression may also be co-existing with other illnesses as well. It comes in different types with several signs and symptoms, and may be caused by a variety of elements, of which the present text will explore the risk factors associated with th e condition using recent studies as evidences. Risk factors Numerous researches have been published to study risk factors of depression. In a 7-year longitudinal population study, Lorant et al. (2007) determined if longitudinal change in socio-economic factors affect change of depression level. Low socio-economic status, especially in the context of material standards of living, has constantly been associated with increased incidence of depression. Results gathered show that a decline in socio-economic status is consequent to increased risks of depression, looking also into ceasing cohabitation with a partner and unemployment. Ceasing cohabitation with a partner increased risk levels of depression particularly among women; and unemployment did not influence the level or risk of depression, in contrast to other cited studies, but with considerations of the research design and methods (p. 296). It is also seen that generally, the negative effects of worsening socio-economic conditions were greater than the positive effects when these conditions improved (p. 296). This study presents that socio-economic factors, including income, poverty, unemployment, education, and social relationships, are linked to prevalence of depression, where both have an inversely proportional relationship. Netterstrom et al. (2008) focus on work-related psychosocial stressors in relation to the development of depression. Using several models, the authors review previous researches to assess such relationship, basing on either psychiatric scales, scales with with diagnostic classifications, or antidepressant prescription, or depression measured with a questionnaire (p. 121). According to the review, occupational psychosocial factors were associated with the development of depression, especially in instances where there are high psychological demands and low degree of social support (p. 126). Demands would, however, vary according to the job and the work setting. This review, in accordanc e to the studies looked into, implies that an individual’s work, especially job satisfaction and social support in such occupation, is linked to depression. When an individual feels satisfied and fulfilled with his or her job and receives positive reinforcement, there are lesser chances for depression, and vice versa.

Hartleys novel Essay Example for Free

Hartleys novel Essay Although appearing to have a cynical view of love in the poem Larkin does in fact not doubt love, but the expectations that we have of it. In the words of Andrew Swarbrick, Larkin expresses not feelings of bitterness or pessimism but of pathos, of a tender sympathy for the widow who recalls dreams knowing they are best forgotten. Though sometimes pleasurable reminiscing can reveal hopes that were unfulfilled, dreams never lived out, good times we can never experience again. Therefore what we perceive to be pessimism in Larkin is, in this instance, simply realism, an understanding of the illusions contained in the world, making him less deceived as a result. He once remarked, Poetry is an affair of sanity, of seeing things as they really are it was for him a way of being honest, not overestimating the value of things. Nonetheless, in the final poem of The Whitsun Weddings, An Arundel Tomb, Larkin hints at his belief in love. Despite not having a successful love life himself he still implies that he has faith in its existence, the ultimate word of the anthology being the abstract noun, love. This line is a testament to its endurance and strength, What will survive of us is love. John Saunders likens these lines containing the prove/love rhyme to Shakespeares attempt to define true love in Sonnet 73, Larkins concluding line echoing the rhyming couplet, If this be error, and upon me proved I never wrote, nor no man ever loved. An Arundel Tomb concentrates on the historical aspect of the past. The persona in the poem, which is in fact Larkin, examines the concept of artifacts, how something set in stone can withstand the test of time regardless of whether it actually existed in the first place. Visiting a Sussex churchyard Larkin sees an example of love that both moves and intrigues him, had it not been for the incongruity of two linked hands displayed on the tomb he would have walked by. It is a gesture small yet touching but the cynic in Larkin questions its validity presuming it to be a case of a sculptors sweet commissioned grace rather than a symbol of a long and devoted marriage. Together in death the couples faces blurred but the husband is still holding her hand. Over time their features have been weathered but their effigy remains as a reminder of their lives, a monument to their love. Archaic language is used to complement the subject matter of the poem, capturing a bygone time so unlike todays unarmorial age. Further manipulation of syntax is evident with the effective juxtaposition of the adjectives sharp and tender, conveying simply but perfectly Larkins confused and mixed reaction to the union of the stone hands. There is debate over Larkins true feelings towards the real meaning of the faithfulness in effigy. Whether or not he again intended the pun with the use of the verb lie just as lovers were lying together in bed is unclear. As Brother Anthony (An Sonjae) points out in his paper Without Metaphysics there is a huge diversity in the interpretations of Larkins intended meaning in his work, it is up to the reader to determine their own response which is good for the reader, but a challenge too. Does the poet believe that love survives not only in stone? Or as Andrew Swarbrick quite rightly points out does he almost believe it as the penultimate line suggests? Our almost-instinct almost true therefore cancels out the optimism of the following statement. Here we witness Larkin lowering his defenses, allowing himself to hope for the best, to want love to be that much mentioned brilliance but he cannot do so completely for fear of it being an illusion. Although hinting at what he truly believes it is as though he will not allow himself to trust it in case he is mistaken. Yet whether love survives or not it lives on in Arundel where only an attitude remains. This is also true of Larkins poetry, and in fact to the whole genre. Whereas fictional characters and places from novels are lost, forgotten, poetry allows thoughts to survive as art long after the death of the artist. Larkin wrote of this inspiring philosophy in 1955, contained in a statement to D. J. Enright he explained, I write poems to preserve things I have seen/thought/felt I think the impulse to preserve lies at the bottom of all art. Yet as mentioned previously the meaning of Larkins literature is not always clear, just like he could only assume the significance of the joined hands we can only guess at the thoughts of Philip Larkin which are contained and live on in his verse. The poem Dockery and Son relates the events and emotions that occur when Philip Larkin revisits his old college, steps back into the past only to be disappointed with what he finds there. An outsider there, he no longer belongs and finds himself a stranger in his own past, as well as physically being unable to enter his past residence the door of where (he) used to live is also locked metaphorically. However, the most disturbing thing for Larkin is the news that one of his peers now has at son at Oxford: Dockery unlike Larkin with no son, no wife, no house or land is a success story. The door to fatherhood is therefore also locked for Larkin. By starting with dialogue the poem is made more authentic as it adds an injection of reality to the verse. It also alerts Larkin to the fact that he is no longer part of that world, of public school boys and ranks, he, unlike Dockery, has no reason to revisit that part of his life. He feels ignored. As in The Whitsun Weddings Larkin philosophizes whilst on a train which is not only a vehicle in the normal sense of the noun but a vehicle for his thoughts and also a metaphor for direction, moving forward in life. The simplistic repetition in the third stanza How much How little conveys Larkins disappointment in himself as he contemplates his own achievements in comparison with those of Dockery. Whereas Leo Colston benefited from his nostalgic visit to the past it has been a negative experience for Larkin who should never have returned. Both Larkin and Hartley present philosophies on the past in two contrasting but equally effective genres, which themselves give insight into the pasts of the authors. The past is, as both pieces of literature show, inevitably significant to us all. How we are affected by it however, either negatively or positively, is to some extent in our own hands. Even a god cannot change the past (Agathon 445 BC) yet we can move on, learn from our experiences and in the future be less deceived. L. P. Hartleys novel is a message to us all that we should not dwell on what has come before, but concentrate on living the present, Leo recognized that he should not be sitting alone before it was too late. In reality the past does not fully exist; in the words of Larkin it is a love song that can never sound the same, a locked door which we can never be reopened, only an attitude that lives on in our minds. We may try to capture moments and emotions in stone, or in verse yet the only place where they truly exist is in our memory. We have the ability to dictate the significance the past holds for us. And so whilst we cannot change our pasts, we have the ability to change our future; Shakespeare declared that Whats past is prologue yet we can determine what is contained in the epilogue.

Prisoners Of War In Japan Ww2 History Essay

Prisoners Of War In Japan Ww2 History Essay The Japanese attack against the United States in Pearl Harbor happened so quickly that most Americans were captured in the opening weeks of World War II. The Japanese captured a total of 140,000 American soldiers and held them in Japanese camps from 1942-1945. These prisoners were treated cruelly and inhumanely by their captors. In fact, more prisoners died in Japanese camps than did in German war camps. To prevent enemy soldiers from returning to their troops, the Japanese held prisoners of war in horrible camps throughout Japan, forced them to work in horrendous conditions, and treated them inhumanely. The living conditions the prisoners had to endure on the way to the camps was truly awful. When transported, the men were crammed into rusty old freighters and spent several nights in these hell ships (The POW Camps). The men on the ships had no room to move, were ill with dysentery and had very little food. Sometimes they were transported from one hell ship to another on their journeys to work camps. The camps were surrounded by barbed wire and closely guarded by Japanese soldiers (Wukovits 37). Prisoners of war slept in crowed barracks on mats (World War Two Japanese) and slept eight to thirteen prisoners to a room (Wukovits 37). Because the living conditions were so bad, the health conditions in the camps were also horrendous. In 1942, the Japanese decided that each prisoner would get fifteen ounces of rice or barley, a few vegetables and sometimes a few bits of meat each day (Wukovits 39). They suffered from starvation, malnutrition, ulcers and cholera (World War Two Japanese). 1-in-3 prisoners died from starvation, work, or diseases (World War Two Japanese). More prisoners died from disease and illness than from torture. The Japanese took no pity on the sick. If they were incapable of doing their assigned task because of their illness, they were made to do other jobs and their allotment of food was cut in half. Many men died because they were starved to death. One structure in each camp was known as the Zero Ward, because men who entered the ward with illness did not leave it alive (Wukovits 63). The prisoners of war were treated as slaves by the Japanese. In May 1942, the Japanese Prime Minister announced a no work- no food policy (Wukovits 39). They were forced to work in mines, fields, shipyards and factories (World War Two Japanese). Prisoners had to build bridges, dig ditches, garden and raise chickens. One of the most famous work assignments was the Burma-Thailand Railroad. Prisoners of war were forced to work side-by-side with Asian laborers to build the 260 mile railroad by hand. They worked from dawn until dusk moving earth and building bridges for 10 days straight (World War Two Japanese). They worked 16- hour days in 50-man teams cutting down trees, building roads and laying ties for the railroad (The POW Camps). Prisoners did not remain in the same areas for long. They were shipped off to various camps throughout Asia. A camp near Changi was the most notorious POW camp where prisoners who did not work were not fed (Trueman). In the beginning, the prisoners of Ch angi were not asked to do much and had plenty of food. However, in Easter of 1942 the Japanese changed their minds and formed work parties providing the men with very little food (Trueman). Many of the prisoners jobs were in conflict with the rules established by the Geneva Convention, but the Japanese did not care (La Forte, Marcello, and Himmel 115). The Japanese believed in Extreme Measures and treated the prisoners of war inhumanely. Japanese soldiers lived under the code of Bushido which involved complete obedience, bravery, honor and ultimate loyalty (Wukovits 14). The worst offense a Japanese soldier could commit was to surrender in battle. By this action he shamed his action and village, and his name would be removed from the towns registry (Wukovits 14). Therefore, American soldiers who surrendered were considered to have dishonored their country and were treated with contempt. Prisoners who tried to escape were killed either in groups or individually (Gevinson). The aim was to not allow a single escape, but to annihilate them all and not leave a single trace (Gevinson). One of the many difficulties the prisoners of war were faced with was the language barrier. The Japanese guards spoke very little English and prisoners were forced to learn Japanese to follow commands (World War Two Japanese). Those who did not follow com mands were beaten (Gevinson). Annelex Hofstra Layson in her memoirs of life in a World War II Japanese prison camp as a little girl said, The soldiers did a lot of arm waving and yellingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ When we couldnt understand what they wanted us to do, the guards became angry. Their facial expressions would change, and they would start hitting and shoving people around. Even though no guard ever hurt me, I lived in constant fear that one would (41). Prisoners of war suffered horribly in Japanese camps during World War II. The living conditions were barbaric, because soldiers were forced to live in crowded barracks on mats. They suffered from starvation, diseases and malnutrition not only because of their living conditions, but because they were given very little to eat each day. Prisoners of war were forced to work side by side building a 260-mile railroad in 16 hour days doing hard labor with very little food (World War Two Japanese). Injured and sick prisoners were still made to work, but their food was restricted even more. The Japanese believed in a no work no food policy (Wukovits 39). The working conditions violated the laws of the Geneva Convention. Extreme measures were used by the Japanese with the prisoners of war, because they believed the soldiers were dishonoring their country by surrendering or being captured. The aim of the Japanese was not to allow any prisoners to escape. Their main goal was to eliminate all p risoners and not leave any traces of their existence. The Japanese did not speak any English and the soldiers spoke no Japanese, therefore they had difficulty following the commands and were beaten because of this. In conclusion, during World War II Japanese prisoners of war were held in appalling conditions, forced to work as slaves, and were treated inhumanely to prevent their return to their troops and to punish them for abandoning their country. Prisoners of War in Japan WW2

An Attempt At Understanding Dreams Essay -- essays research papers

An Attempt At Understanding Dreams   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A few months ago I watched a movie called â€Å"The Candyman†. It was a horror movie about this psychotic woman who massacres people around her but has no idea what she's doing. An imaginary creature called â€Å"The Candyman† is appearing to her and talking to her, and she actually thinks that he's the one who is doing the murdering. Anyway, it was a scary movie and I had a bit of fun freaking out my mother that night by telling her that â€Å"The Candyman† will appear to her in her dreams (although I didn't think about the consequences if he really appeared to her and she killed all of us while we were sleeping!). Fortunately for my mother (and the rest of us), she didn't dream about him that night. A few weeks later, I did, though! However, I didn't get very scared in my dream because thanks to a certain technique that I developed a few years ago, I can somehow avoid any dangers in my dreams by knowing that I'm dreaming and that nothing bad can happen to me. This helped me in a lot of annoying dreams before because when I'm in trouble I sometimes just â€Å"fly away† in certain situations in the dream or I just ignore it and tell the bad guy that he can't hurt me because I know it's just a dream. I have no idea until today how I'm able to do that, but it really makes me wonder. I also don't know why I had that dream a few weeks after the movie and not the same night I watched it, especially that I had completely forgotten about it until the night of the dream, at least consciously. Anyway, I decided to use the chance of having to write a paper for Psychology 201 and I almost instantly knew that I was going to explore the world of dreams and the process of dreaming. Before I go any further though, I think I know from the start that no matter how much material I gather or people I interview, I will not be able to explain the process of dreaming because I believe that it is so complex and mysterious that no man can claim to really understand it. The maximum that I wish to achieve is just to admire this incredible phenomenon and to at least try to clarify some of the little details surrounding it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some questions come to my mind immediately when I think about dreams: What causes dreams? Does everybody dream? Do dreams have significant meanings in reality? Why do some dreams seem so weird and out of ... ...echnology. The main problem is the great diversity of the issue and the difficulty of conducting physical experiments and analysis on such a phenomenon. It is a phenomenon that defies the laws of physics and society, and the limits of dreams are stretched as far as the human imagination goes. The best we can do is to give limited explanations that we think might work with us, but the true secrets of dreaming will never be uncovered. We can just share our dreams and try to understand some events that happen to dreamers all around the world, which makes us appreciate dreams more and more. Works Cited Abdel Hamid, Ranya, 22 yrs., Mechanical Engineering major at State University. Aristotle, â€Å"On Dreams†, 350 B.C. Atkinson, Rita L., â€Å"Introduction To Psychology†, 1993. Dreams Interpretation Services & Resources, â€Å"http://www1.rider.edu/~ ~suler/dreams.html†, 1996. Farrag, Mariam, 20 yrs., Political Science major at State University. Ghaleb, Teymour, 23 yrs., Marketing Analyst at Daewoo Co. Hassan, Farouk, Dr., Practicing Psychiatrist. Rafik, Nadine, 17 yrs., student at State University. Shawky, Safinaz, 21 yrs., Economics major at State University.

Ghosts in The Women Warrior Essay -- Literary Analysis

Envision yourself as encircled by strange, yet terrifying and evil spirits that trouble you in your worst nightmares. The spirits could desire something from you. In fact, they could aid you in locale of frightening you. Should you attend to them? What do you contemplate they are trying to notify you? In one of the inquiries above, notice the ironical use of the word â€Å"fact† that endeavors to obscure the fictitious nature of ghosts. It displays that the meaning of the word â€Å"ghost† is equivocal. In supplementary words, the word â€Å"ghost† is multivalued, that way that ghosts can purpose in extra than one way. The word â€Å"ghost† originates from the Aged English word â€Å"gast,† and its synonyms are â€Å"soul, spirit [good or bad spirit], existence, breath,† and â€Å"demon† (etymonline.com). In the book, The Woman Warrior, that is, ironically, subtitled as Memoirs of a Girlhood Amid Ghosts, the author, Maxine Hong Kingston, uses the word â€Å"ghost† as a metaphor to typify her confusion concerning discovering a difference amid reality and unreality – the difference that divides her American present that prefers and her Chinese past that her mother, Valiant Orchid, filters into her mind across talk-stories that steadily daunt her to cross her established bounds. Ghosts, in the book, change reliant on point of view. Anybody whose deeds deviates from what is satisfactory in one area is a ghost according to the associates of that society. To Chinese people, like Valiant Orchid, Americans are ghosts. On the supplementary hand, Chinese are ghos ts according to Chinese-Americans (including Kingston, who finds her past loaded alongside frightening Chinese ghosts). For Kingston, Ghosts, however, are not always scary; in fact, a little of them enthuse... ...Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts. Random House, Inc, 1976. Print Bucci, Diane Todd. "Chinese Americans and the Borderland Experience on Golden Mountain: The Development of a Chinese American Identity in The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts." Ethnic Studies Review 30.1/2 (2007): 1-11. Ethnic NewsWatch. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. . Paman, Alex G. "Asian Ghost Stories." Yolk 31 Dec. 2000. Ethnic NewsWatch. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. . Rector, Monica. "Cross-Cultural Understanding: The American Ghost." Semioticon.com. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. . Online Etymology Dictionary. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. .

Instruction on how to Write an Essay (Two Possible Career Choices)

In this assignment, students will analyze two possible career choices of their choosing, and then write a formal analytical report effectively presenting a recommendation to pursue one of the careers. This project has two parts: Part one, the Table of Contents and Introductory Section, is due at the end of week 6. Part two, the report in its entirety, is due at the end of week 8. Students are encouraged to begin work on this project no later than week 5, reading the project directions, reading Chapters 13, 14, and 15, and, if time permits, doing preliminary research.Formal Report Topic This assignment is based on you choosing two possible career choices you would recommend to an employee, client or professional contact. Here’s the situation: You are to choose two possible career choices. Your report should include the following: Information and background about your two career choices. Research from at least six credible sources to inform your audience and to support the recom mendation(s) APA citations for all researched information (in-text parenthetical citations and a reference list at the end of the report) Formal report formattingYou will need to conduct outside research and cite your sources using APA citations. Conclude the formal report by making recommendations to your audience. Your report MUST be formatted as a formal report.Part One (Due Week 6) Table of Contents and Introduction Your assignment this week is to write your formal report’s table of contents and introduction, using formal formatting. To complete this assignment, you will need to have a good plan in place for your formal report. I encourage you to use the three-step process we’ve been studying this session. (The  formal report is due in its entirety at the end of week 8. In week 6, only the table of contents and introduction are due.)In week 6, your assignment should include the following:A table of contents using formal report formatting. (Note that page numbers are not necessary this week, as you will not have written the actual report yet. Page numbers should be added next week, though, when you complete the report.) The table of contents should include first- and second-level headings, like the example on page 437 in chapter 15. Include an introductory section featuring the following four parts (see page 439 in chapter 15 for an example.IntroductionPurpose, Scope, and Limitations Sources and Methods Report Organization Identify at least six credible sources you will use in your proposal in the â€Å"Sources and Methods† section. Use formal report formatting. Be free of grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.Part Two (Due Week 8) Formal Report in Full In week 6, you planned the formal report and wrote the Table of Contents and Introduction. In week 8, you will complete the formal report. (You may need to revise the Table of Contents and Introduction, based on the feedback you receive from your instructor.) In week 8, your assign ment should contain the following:Be formatted as a formal report, following the guidelines for formal reports in the text (including the guidelines for headings and subheadings found on pages 435-448); Include appropriate prefatory, text, and supplemental parts (The formal report should contain appropriate prefatory, text, and supplemental parts, including the following: a cover and/or title page; a letter of transmittal; a table of contents; the four-part Introductory Section from week 6; appropriately labeled body sections; and appendices, such as the client interview and list of references. Your report does not  need to contain all of these parts, but should contain most of them.); Fully answer the question of what career would you recommend to an employee, client or professional contact.The word count for the intro, body, and conclusion should be 1250-1750 words); Use at least six credible researched sources appropriately and effectively; Include proper documentation using AP A style (both in-text and end-of-text citations–please check your work using turnitin.com); and Be free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.Note: Visual aids are entirely appropriate for this kind of report, but they are not required. If you decide to use visual aids, be certain to adhere to the standards we have studied previously in this course.How the Formal Report Assignment is Graded The Formal Report Assignment will be graded according to the criteria set forth in the Rubrics for weeks 6 and 7/8, located in Doc Sharing.