Methods for Increased Discernment of Deception

Methods for Increased Discernment of Deception Getting to the Truth A Review of Information Gathering for the Purpose of Establishing the  Veracity of Certain Events with Recommendations for Application In consideration of the not simply punishing the guilty but in addition, for the purpose of the prevention of further crime, law enforcement officials have a significant need for information from witnesses and suspects. This information must, above all, be accurate and it must be gained by a legal means in a means that can be implemented often without extensive personnel or expense in a timely manner. Interestingly enough, despite the general regard of being regarded as â€Å"experts† and â€Å"professionals† in the information gathering business and despite varying degrees of training or experience, numerous studies have demonstrated than nearly all police officers perform at nearly the same levels as untrained civilians as they both tend to hover only slightly above that of a pure chance of 50/50. Though these studies produce somewhat varying rates, it is important to not that there is little consistent validity that certain populations are demonstrably better at dete cting deception than untrained or chance selections (Vrij 2004, p. 159; Vrij, et al. 2004, p. 283; Kassin Gudjonsson 2004, p. 37; Mann, et al. 2004, p. 137). In gathering information, the label of â€Å"interrogation† is attached to processes if the person being questioned is viewed as a primary suspect while the more benign term of â€Å"interview† attaches to those viewed as simply a witness, potential witness or other information gathering purpose. In light of this, one might rightly assume that the chief difference in this labeling of process is the presumptions of the interviewer or interrogator. In the process of interrogation, there is generally an assumption of guilt or at least culpable knowledge for which it is quite possible for induced interviewer bias to play a significant role in the outcome (Wright Allison 2004, p. 138; Gudjonsson 1992, p. 14). This bias is evident through the reply of one police officer in regards to this issue that, â€Å"†¦ we don’t interrogate innocent people† (Kassin Gudjonsson 2004, p. 36). Though it could be called an off-the-cuff remark, this is fairly typical of t he extent of bias that would likely result in a false-positive type error stemming from the subsequent behaviors such as attempts at â€Å"forcing† the subject to â€Å"talk† by not necessarily physical means (Memom, et al. 2003, pp. 57-58). Why People Lie To answer such a question, we might just as well ask, â€Å"Why do people tell the truth†? While these are simply two sides of the same coin, the question brings us no closer to the answer except that there are a potential myriad reasons yet by viewing it in this manner, some insight is possible. For example, in teaching values to groups to young people, one method to force the consideration of ethics is to ask the question, â€Å"Why one should not steal?† This purposefully leading question generally gets responses that either indicates an element of fundamental morality such as, â€Å"Because it is wrong†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or, alternatively, some variant of a fear of getting caught and the ensuing punishment. Similar to this, in consideration of the question of â€Å"why people lie†, the same tenets likely apply, that is they do so to escape punishment or other consequences or perhaps they do so based on the idea similar to the proposition of â€Å"the lesser of t wo evils† as might be the case when one tells an altruistic lie to protect another or to save a relationship (Memom, et al. 2003, pp. 10-11). In studies on lying, aside from the fact that it occurs more than one might think, there seem to be, in the minds of those who tell a lie, different types or degrees of lying depending on the stakes, the outcome and the person(s) deceived (Memom, et al. 2003, pp. 10-11). For example, if a â€Å"good thing† such as a job comes from a lie, it is more acceptable than a theft that occurs by deception. While this is likely how many people think, it is nonetheless a very slippery slope and the â€Å"good† done to one and the â€Å"harm† to another is quite debatable, depending on if one is the victim or the perpetrator. On method of gaining insight into the decision to tell a lie that assumes rationality, that is a conscious decision that a lie is in their calculated best interest, is to utilize the combined approach of motivation theory with the same type of payout ratio analysis used in decision risk modeling. With regards to motivation, one applicable model is that of Vroom’s Expectancy Theory in which the willingness of a person to perform some action is mediated by the interaction three variables (Dreher Dougherty 2002, pp. 34 – 36): Valence – The degree to which the outcome is desired. Instrumentality – The extent to which successful performance would result in the desired outcome. Expectancy – The likelihood of being able to perform a given task. In evaluating business decisions, companies will often construct a formal payout analysis in which the likelihood of positive outcome is weighed against the payout of success and the payout of failure. For example, the company that has a 50% chance of striking gold in a certain mine whose value is $10M but costs $1M to discover, regardless of success should rationally pursue this option which has a projected payoff of $4M (.5 x $10M less $1M expense). While this process of decision-making is easily illustrated utilizing financial examples, the fact that a decision has value to an individual is appropriate. Thus, when a person chooses to lie, they have consciously or not, evaluated their options and, from their perspective made a choice that lie outweighs the payoff of truth against the two possible â€Å"costs† of lying, that of the lie not being believed and that of being caught not telling the truth (Gonjonsson 1992, p. 21). Thus, by seeking to understand â€Å"why† a nd â€Å"how†, one can effectively understand â€Å"who† which aids the investigator to get inside the head of the person being questioned (Douglas Olshaker 1999, p. 17). The Problems of Confessions As indicated previously, the situational context of the interrogation process combined with the fact that police officers most likely have some degree of training in conjunction with the experience of dealing with deception extensively in their daily work yield the predictable result of â€Å"disbelieving people who are innocent with a great deal of confidence† (Kassin Gudjonsson 2004, p. 33). The well-documented presence of interviewer bias creates this situation in which only statements that support the interviewers already held beliefs (Wright Allison 2004, p. 139). This process, in an estimated 30% of the roughly 60% of cases that in which someone confesses, leads to an eventual confession of â€Å"something† culpable (Loftus 2004, p. I; Gudjonsson 1992, p. 50; Pearse, et al. 1998, pp. 1 – 2). Like the variance in the studies citing the ability to detect a lie, there are variance indications of the extent to which false confessions are given with the true n umber difficult to measure (Memom, et al. 2003, p. 76). Despite the problems in getting a true assessment of the problem, there is agreement that certain types of people are much more likely to confess than other groups. For example, youth or those who suffer from some mental disorder or diminished capacity are â€Å"prone†¦ to provide information which is unrelable, misleading or self-incriminating† (Pearse, et al. 1998, p. 2). In data collected on real-life police interviews with the accompanying real-life consequences, research revealed four generally applicable predictors of the likelihood of a confession (Pearse, et al. 1998, pp. 9 – 13): Age – 60% of confessors in this inquiry were under 25 while 60% of deniers were over 25. Drug Use within the last 24 hours was just over 3x as likely to confess. The presence of counsel reduced the rate of confessions by  ¼ the rate as when no counsel was present. Prison or previous documented criminal experience decreased the odds of a confession by  ½ as naà ¯ve subjects. With this information, it is possible to implement practices and procedures by which the pursuit of truth by managing situations in which false confessions due the subjects succumbing to perceived pressure to come up with something that will be â€Å"rewarded† is possible. These practices should likely include (Memom, et al. 2003, pp. 82 85): Using more information gathering-type approaches rather than â€Å"tricky techniques† designed to elicit a confession. Record all interviews and interrogations. Include legal counsel that do more than simply point out administrative issues but act in the interest of the client. Identify and require an â€Å"audit† of particularly at-risk persons. Require additional evidence to corroborate a confession. Discernment Techniques: Raising the Odds of Detection Perhaps most striking about the detection of deception is that there is no standard â€Å"Pinnochio’s nose† or nonverbal behavior that exists to signal an intent to deceive (Vrij 2004, p. 160; Memom, et al. 2003, pp. 11 – 12). This fallacy is one in which people superimpose how they might feel with how they think another should feel and, with this in mind, other indicators of deception will be examined Most people are somewhat familiar with the typical lie detector which utilizes subtle changes in autonomic measures such as galvanic skin responses, heart rate, blood pressure and respiration as correlates of an emotional response to a specific stimulus indicated the subject is concealing knowledge. Under controlled conditions, with a trained operator and a voluntary subject, accuracy rates as high as 95% have been claimed, this apparatus in no longer acceptable in court a a sole source for conviction (Gilbert 2004, pp. 138 – 140; Memom, et al. 2003, pp. 21 – 25; Bennett Hess 2001, pp. 160 – 161). The use of polygraphs as well as electroencephalograms (EEG) to record the autonomic responses to questioning have made to the detection of deception, specifically the attempt to hide specific knowledge, much more difficult. As the brain is very much an organ characterized by the transmission of electrical impulses, its activity is correlated to the conscious and unconscious information it processes. One very specific component of the brainwave, upon stimulation by a question or picture, evokes an excitation in brain wave patterns to the degree that a novel meaningful stimulus can be discerned by the researcher, regardless of what the subject claims. This component, dubbed the â€Å"P300† as it is positive in direction and it occurs 300 milliseconds after stimulation, can be defeated through specific means but for the usual criminal type that does not read journals of physiopsychology, it is a very reliable detector of cognitive effort to deceive (Rosenfeld, et al. 2004, pp. 2 05 – 206). This insight is somewhat complimentary to a less equipment-intensive method in which the interviewer pays close attention to the level of cognitive effort the subject is using. This is based on the reasonable assumption that a liar, in keeping their story straight, must work harder to construct a believable falsehood (Kassin Gudjonsson 2004, p. 39; Bennett Hess 2001, p. 160). In a truthful recollection, it is possible that details may be remembered at one point and omitted in another but the story retains the same essence. This is especially observable when the subject is questioned in a way that takes the elements out of sequential order; the difficulty in getting the details consistent takes considerable effort and is not always successful. This method of deception detection is dubbed â€Å"implicit† as one is considering the element of cognitive effort required to â€Å"keep the story straight† rather than simply if they are lying or not in order to determine the v eracity of the statement(s) made (Vrij 2004, p. 172). Complimentary to this and working in the investigator’s favor is that the subject in most likely not aware of what the police know and is thus at a significant disadvantage with regards to knowing how much information to disclose and how much to withhold (Vrij 2004, p. 170). Similarly, the focal point of the investigation should be upon what the subjects says and, to the degree possible, what the subject does not say through apparent efforts to conceal knowledge. In conclusion, as a result of both seeking to understand the â€Å"how† and â€Å"why†, a law enforcement official can better determine the ultimate culpability for a crime. In consideration of this information the following are presented as suggested methods for increased discernment of deception: Keep an open mind – As indicated, the common view that subjects are lying only â€Å"when their lips are moving† is strong evidence of interrogator bias and is likely to find exactly what the interrogator is looking for†¦ regardless of the truth. You are not interrogating Pinocchio – A belief that liars fidget may or may not hold. The subject may be nervous as this could be their first questioning. They may have been drinking†¦ ad infinitem. Do not interrupt, do not release information unless necessary – The fact that they do not know what you know is a very good thing. This information asymmetry works to both gather more information and better evaluate it. Do not look at the person’s face Facial clues are unreliable, person to person, and a layer of misleading data upon the real focus, the content of the interview. Though nonverbal clues may be present, research indicates that content issues such as omissions or inconsistencies are most likely where clues reside. Consider the amount of effort the subject is using – By using the implicit method of deception detection, more reliable, valid assessments are possible than simply trying to determine if the subject is lying. Record the interview – This is recommended not just for later review and protection of all involved but such as step allows the interview to focus on the content. Works Consulted Bennett, W.W., and Hess, K.M. (2001). Criminal Investigation, 6th edition. Stamford, Connecticut: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Douglas, J. and Olshaker, M. (1999). The Anatomy of Motive. New York, New York: Pocket Books. Dreher, G.F., and Dougherty, T.W. (2002). Human Resource Strategy: A Behavioral Perspective for the General Manager. Boston, Massachusetts: McGraw–Hill Irwin. Gilbert, J.N. (2004). Criminal Investigation, 6th edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice-Hall. Gudjonsson, G. (1992). The Psychology of Interrogations, Confessions and Testimony. Chichester, UK: Wiley Sons. Kassin, S.M. and Gudjonsson, G.H. (2004). â€Å"The Psychology of Confessions: A Review of the Literature and Issues†. Psychological Science in the Public Interest (5)2, pp. 33 – 67. Loftus, E. (2004). â€Å"The Devil in Confessions†. Psychological Science in the Public Interest (5)2, pp. i – ii. Memon, A. Vrij, A. Bull, R. (2003). Psychology and Law, 2nd Edition. Chichester, UK: Wiley Sons. Pearse, J., Gudjonsson, G.H., Clare, I.C.H., and Rutter, S. (1998). â€Å"Police Interviewing and Psychological Vulnerabilities: Predicting the Likelihood of a Confession†. Journal of Community Applied Psycholog, 8, pp. 1 – 21. Rosenfeld, J.P., Soskins, M., Bosh, G., and Ryan, A. (2004). â€Å"Simple, effective countermeasures to P300-based tests of detection of concealed information†. Psychopysiology, 41, pp. 205 – 219. Vrij, A., Evans, H., Akehurst, L., and Mann, S. ( 2004). â€Å"Rapid Judgements in Assessing Verbal and Nonverbal Cues: Their Potential for Deception Researchers and Lie Detection†. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 18, pp. 283 – 296. Vrij, A. (2004). â€Å"Why Professionals Fail to Catch Liars and How they Can Improve†. Legal and Criminal Psychology, 9, pp. 159 – 181.

Journal of a Titanic Passenger Essay -- Journal Diary entry titanic Es

Journal of a Titanic Passenger I am writing my first entry aboard this incredible vessel today, primarily because I have been spending the last three days exploring the sections open to my fellow third-class passengers and I. What I have seen is extraordinary, especially when first boarding the ship. The halls and staircases of the first class section were like nothing I had ever seen before in my life. They were blanketed in luxury from end to end. The first class passengers I had managed to see wore their best garments boarding the ship and were conversing with each other about their rich lives back home. I believe I even saw Mr. John Jacob Astor, a man I had heard much about for his contributions to the American fur trade. I had heard that he would be aboard for the maiden voyage of ...

Infertility and In Vitro Fertilization Essays -- genetics, embryos, ch

The thought of having a child or children usually begins either before marriage or shortly thereafter for most couples. Many couples begin to ask each other how many children they would like to have together; whether they will be boys or girls; where will they go to school; will they become active in sports; and many other questions. For some couples these dreams begin to diminish over time when they do not conceive a child. They try for many years – following the ovulation cycle of the wife, but conception is never achieved from their efforts. Some of these couples turn to specialists in infertility to help them realize their dreams of a family. Infertility doctors often use various forms of Assisted Reproductive Techniques â€Å"ART† to bring hope back to many infertile couples. In vitro fertilization â€Å"IVF† is one form of ART that can aid those in need and fulfill the dream of parenthood for many couples (IVF). When people begin to think of IVF, they conjure images of a mad scientist performing outrageous experiments upon his test-subjects. They also begin to think of Hollywood movies of cloned people creating societies that completely lack human emotion and compassion (â€Å"IVF.net†). Unfortunately, these images and fictitious movies have tarnished this medical practice severely. If someone were to step back and leave their cultural norms and preconceived perceptions aside – they would understand that IVF is merely medical procedure utilized to help a couple conceive a child. The process of IVF begins with many tests to determine the quality of the reproductive organs of the woman (IVF - the risks). Next, the woman is given a prescription of four different type’s medicines to be administered via varying sizes of needles. This medic... ...://missandrae.blogspot.com/2009/01/ethics-of-ivf.html>. Unite Kingdom. General Medical Council. Personal beliefs and medical practice - guidance for doctors. London, UK: General Medical Council, 2008. Web. . Spears, Nick. "Twenty years since the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act receives Royal Assent." Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. HFEA, 01 Nov 2010. Web. 17 Oct 2013. . Wahrman, Miryam. "Assisted Reproduction and Judaism." Jewish Virtual Library. The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2011. Web. 18 Oct 2013. . "Cloning, Genetic Engineering, and IVF." Valley Bible Church. www.valleybible.net, Feb 2008. Web. 20 Oct 2013. .

Legal Aspect of Contract

If organizations want to become more innovative and productive by encouraging and rewarding their workforce to share, collaborate and build collective intelligence they must do more than grant permission for people to build relationships and share their experience inside and outside the organization. They must take incentives for this new way of working into their policies, management systems and training programs. As I’ve discussed elsewhere (â€Å"Social Business 101? ), becoming a social business is much more about changing culture than it is about technology or tools.And changing human behavior or organizational habits is among the tallest of orders. Right now, many businesses don’t have the kind of social (business) contract with workers they need, and may even be discouraging sharing. Some companies forbid or restrict external social sharing, largely because they don’t have the systems, controls or guidelines to make these efforts constructive rather than the productivity drain they may perceive them to be. And most aren’t set up to measure and reward how well individual workers or teams share internally, cooperate or contribute to organizational intelligence and expertise development.Contract law †¢General rules about contracts †¢Warranties implied in building contracts †¢Breach of contract by the builder scenario †¢Breaches by the subcontractor †¢Liability of the builder Print page Email page link Having a contract with the people you engage to build your house or do other work around your home is extremely important. Some general rules about contracts and what to do if there is a breach. General rules about contracts There are some general rules about contracts which are legally understood and apply to any type of contract.The important thing about any contract, whether it is to buy a section or engage a designer or tradesperson, is to enter into a proper agreement that covers all the possible aspec ts of the arrangement and that you get it in writing. Legally, contracts relating to the sale of land, disposition of any interest in land (including leases) and charges or mortgages over land, must be in writing and signed by the parties to the contract. Warranties implied in building contracts In the Building Act 2004, certain warranties are implied in all building contracts, whether specified in the contract or not.These include the expectation that the work will be done competently and using suitable materials. Breach of contract by the builder scenario Suppose your builder has substituted cheaper wallboard than that stipulated in the specifications, without getting a variation [define] signed by you, as required in the contract. This is a breach of contract. What can you do about it? In reality, there are almost always differences between products and by substituting the wallboard the builder is essentially making a design decision and any responsibility the designer has for th e performance of the wallboard passes to the builder.So, if you are not happy with its final ‘fitness for purpose’ you could apply to the Courts for an award of damages. If you have already paid the builder, you could sue for the difference in cost, or for the cost of ripping out and replacing the substituted wallboard. You must be able to satisfy the Court that you have suffered loss and you will be required to quantify that loss. If you haven’t yet paid you will be in a stronger position. You could refuse to pay the difference between the cost of the wallboard you asked for and the savings the builder made by using a cheaper product.Or you could negotiate for the builder to replace the wallboard before you pay up. Breaches by the subcontractor What happens when you think a subcontractor, say the roofer, has done a poor job? You should approach the main contractor, usually the builder. This is essentially a breach of the builder’s contract with you. Donâ €™t go directly to the subcontractor. If things aren’t fixed to your satisfaction you could sue the builder who could, in turn, sue the roofer for breach of their contract. What happens if your main contractor has gone into liquidation? Can you seek redress from the roofer directly?There is no contract between you and the roofer, so you can’t take action for breach of contract. But you may be able to sue for negligence. And you may be able to take action under the Consumer Guarantees Act. To be successful in a claim for negligence you would have to prove that the roofer owed you a duty of care to do the work to a satisfactory standard, which they breached, and as a consequence you suffered some loss (which was not too remote). For example, you may have needed to pay someone else to fix the problems. Whether the subcontractor does owe you a duty of care depends on the facts which will be decided by the Court.Liability of the builder The liability of the builder was discussed in the Courts in the case of Riddell v Porteous (1999). The Riddells built a house hiring a builder, Mr Porteous, under a labour-only contract. The Riddells later sold the house to the Bagleys who discovered rot in the deck due to leaking. It was found that the deck had not been built according to the building permit. The Bagleys sued the Riddells for the expense of fixing the problem. The Riddells sued the builder for breach of his contractual obligation to build the house in compliance with the permit and fit for its intended purpose.The Riddells also sued the council for negligence in not carrying out the final inspection. The Court held that the builder was in breach of his contractual obligations to the Riddels, therefore Mr Porteous was liable for the cost of the remedial work that the Bagleys were claiming from the Riddells. He was entirely in charge of the building contract despite the fact he was being paid on a labour-only basis. In relation to the council, the C ourt held the council was liable to the Riddells for negligence in not carrying out the final inspection.

Home (Business Overview)

Name of Company is the industry specialist in allowing your business to mobilize and globalize its payment options. We consistently maintain and challenge industry standards in the management of mWallet transactions by offering the widest range of solutions for your business. We offer fully integrative software that places your company on the cutting edge of financial management technology, and gives you the power to access a wider consumer base. Our mWallet software solutions allow full integration with internet and mobile services, so that your clients will be satisfied and secure in the knowledge of your company’s availability twenty-four/seven.mWallet is a new financial phenomenon that allows the consumer to link a mobile phone account to his/her bank account or credit card and perform financial transactions, such as making payments, transferring money, and receiving payments via their phone. Businesses that are able to offer this service attract more customers because of their ability to provide a flexible and convenient dimension of payment. Like internet financial transactions, mWallet eliminates the hassle of waiting in lines or in long phone queues in order to make purchases. Yet, mWallet also adds an extra dimension of convenience, in that is allows customers to make these transactions without access to a computer or to the internet.Name of Company offers the following services:mWallet  Equip your business with the versatility of accepting credit card and other payments via mobile phone  Online Transactions  mWallet still gives your business the ability to participate in a number of online E-Commerce Transactions.  In-Person Transactions, or online  The safe, fast and reliable method of in-person money transfer is still available with mWallet.Fraud ProtectionWe guarantee the safety of all the transactions made through our system. Our watchdogs are on the job night and day to protect against system hacks and other methods of informatio n theft.UpdatesWe continually update you with industry changes, new features, and financial news that might affect or improve your company’s ability to process mWallet transactions locally or worldwide.ServicesmWalletEquip your business with the versatility of accepting credit card and other payments via mobile phone. This is an alternative payment processing method that will ensure that you remain on the cutting edge of transaction processing technology, enabling you to attract a wider variety of clientele. Integrate your business’s financial transaction software interface with a mobile application making it easy for clients to bank on the go. Plus, the flexibility that this method offers your clients in being able to pay from almost anywhere in the world, with or without a computer, will ensure that you keep money flowing into your business at all times. Plus mWallet saves you more in payment transaction costs than other methods, such as reverse billing and premium S MS.With mWallet, give your customers the ability toØ   Check balanceØ   Transfer moneyØ   Make paymentsØ   Log into a secure serverØ   Bank or pay with easeOnlinemWallet still gives your business the ability to participate in a number of online E-Commerce Transactions and integrates credit card processing and other non-traditional payment methods with your online business. Plus we connect you to global financial transfer services such as PayPal. Your clients simply link their bank accounts, credit cards, or PayPal accounts to their mWallet accounts and you begin processing transactions.In PersonThe safe, fast and reliable method of in-person money transfer is still available with mWallet as an excellent solution for processing payments and other transactions. Offer your clients the ability to direct such transfers straight to your account or simply to facilitate the making and pick-up of payments more convenient to do in person.Fraud ProtectionWe also give y ou fraud protection, as our Watchdogs are consistently on the job to ensure the security of all transactions made through our interfaces, so you may offer your clients 100% guaranteed information safety. Plus, the inherent security of GSM networks as well as the built-in user authentication capability of mobile phones makes mWallet the secure option for monetary transactionsContact UsWe exceed the industry standard with our highly acclaimed customer service, which pinpoints the precise requirement of every potential client and tailors solutions specifically to fit their business. Our representatives are eager to place you on a path that dramatically increases the availability of your services to a wider range of clients. Our customer service is client-specific, based on intimate knowledge of the financial and commercial industry and the intelligent methods of integrating technology to simplify all its processes. You can always reach us immediately by phone and you will always receiv e consultation in a pleasant and information-rich atmosphere.Call our 24-hour customer service lines at ####The benefits we offer are immediately recognizable in the ease with which your business will be able to attract clients and make the appropriate financial transactions that will simplify the process for both parties. As with everything, we provide a wide variety of contact solutions to make it easy for your business to branch out on the mWallet path. If simplicity, speed, reliability, and security are high on your list of preferences for global transaction management, then be sure to contact us via the methods below. And if you would like a call back, we are ready to offer that service to you as well.Visit our offices atADDRESS(ES)Or email us at email address to get a precise and client-specific response within 24 hoursSign UpWe know that time is money, and lengthy methods of negotiating transaction management solutions are not conducive to the imperative and progressive natur e of your business. Our activation methods are designed with this in mind and have been engineered integrate speed with comprehensiveness so that your mWallet capabilities will be up and running in no time.Simply fill out the form below with specific information regarding your business, and our representatives will use this information to provide you with the most inclusive package options that will fit the needs of your company.1. What is mWallet?mWallet is a specific method of Mobile Money Transfer. This new financial phenomenon is a method that allows the consumer to link a mobile phone account to his/her bank account or credit card and perform financial transactions, such as making payments, transferring money, and receiving payments via their mobile phone2. What are the benefits of mWallet?mWallet allows the consumer to make payments directly from their bank accounts or credit cards without having to get in touch directly with a human vendor. Like internet financial transaction s, it eliminates the need to wait in lines or in long phone queues in order to make purchases. It also adds an extra dimension of convenience, in that is allows these transactions to be made without access to a computer or the internet.3. How can mWallet benefit my business?mWallet attracts clients as it offers a flexible and convenient dimension of payment. It removes many of the burdens connected with performing transactions, such as long waits in queues, and makes the products consumers want to buy much easier to obtain. mWallet also grants the ability to do money transfers internationally. Therefore, given the option, many consumers would choose to do business with a vendor that offers mWallet as an alternative payment/transaction method.4. How popular is the Mobile Money Transfer Service?According to the World Bank, the market for global remittances is a multi-billion dollar industry, and this excludes the informal methods people use to make transactions because of the lack of convenience of other methods. mWallet taps into an already booming industry, but one which demonstrates capacity for growth in the area of mobile phone technology.5. How will mWallet improve the transfer experience for businesses?mWallet is much cheaper for business to offer as a service. The cost to the business is significantly lower than reverse billing, premium SMS, and other similar methods.6. How will mWallet improve the transfer experience for the customer?Ø   Decreasing the cost of performing money transfers, especially for lower monetary denominationsØ   Speeding up the money transfer processØ   Offering improved security methods through the inherently secure GSM networks and the high level of user authentication provided through mobile handsetsØ   Increasing ease of access by integrating the software for transactions with the already existing global mobile phone networks

Donating Blood

Imagine that your father had just suffered a heart attack, and has to go through open-heart surgery in order to repair the damage that happened to his heart. Imagine your little nephew or niece was born with a rare heart defect and had to have a daily transfusion of blood in order to have a chance to wake up the next day. Imagine that your best friend went to the doctor and had just been diagnosed with leukemia, a disease requiring regular platelet transfusions. These aren't very nice things to imagine about, are they?It is very sad and unfortunate, but these things happen all the time, you or someone you know may have experienced something like that already. People experience something like this every day. Most people would probably just expect that the hospital would have enough types of blood to give to the people who need it so that they can get better. But that is not the case. In these sad cases most people would feel or want to do anything that they can to help. There is one w ay everyone can help and that is by donating blood.Red blood cells, platelets, and plasma are some of the things people can donate and they are also very important to a person who needs them. These can help the person return to good health. Some of the types of people who would need a blood transfusion are patients that have gone through surgery, burn victims, accident victims, anemics, hemophiliacs, babies that are very sick, and people suffering from leukemia, cancer, kidney disease, and liver disease. Some really interesting facts about the blood donations and the need for blood is that about every three seconds there is someone in the world who needs blood.That’s more than forty thousand people who need blood every day. The demand for blood is constantly rising and sometimes a certain type of blood can be in short supply which can put lots of peoples lives in danger. Even if you just donate once, that will be enough to save several people. I myself have gone to a blood do nation clinic, but unfortunately I couldn't donate any blood because my temperature was too high, but I won't let that discourage me from re-scheduling another appointment at the American Red Cross blood.The set up that they had there was not what I had expected it to be. There have been a few blood drives at my school but I never donated blood. American red cross came about two times each school year around the middle of every semester. Everything was set up inside the gym with around a couple dozen of beds, where they make you lie down while they take your blood, spread around the basketball court. Sometimes they even brought the little camping trailers where you can go inside of it and they'll take your blood.The day before I had made my appointment online at 4:00 PM to donate platelets. When I walked in the American Red Cross clinic I thought it was going to be much bigger like the ones that were at my school gym but instead there were only about a dozen beds in a little area to the left of the entrance. I Started walking towards the area where everyone was donating at, but then I was stopped. A short Latino man with black hair around his forties came up to me and asked â€Å"Can I help you? †.Since it was my first time going somewhere to donate blood, I didn't know what to do. I thought that since I made an appointment at four that I would just be able to walk in, confirm that I was the one that had made the appointment, lie down on the bed, and they will take my blood, but I was gravely mistaken. As I was just standing there not knowing what to do I said to the man â€Å"Ummm yeah. I made an appointment online to donate platelets. † He asked me if I had a donors card and i replied no.Then after explaining to him that i have never given blood before so this was all new to me, he gave me a look like he finally understood why I was so clueless. Now that we were finally on the same page, the man asked for my drivers license so that I could prov e I am who I say I am. When i gave him my drivers license he went somewhere to another room. While he went to go do his thing, I was instructed to sit down and read a binder that looked at least 6 inches thick.I grabbed the binder from the table and just sat there looking at the front cover thinking to myself â€Å"They expect me to read everything thats in this huge binder? †. But when I opened it up, I was relieved to see only a few pages. As I finished reading about donating blood and the requirements, the man came back with my drivers license attached to a folder with a paper clip. I was asked if I was ready and I said yes. I was taken to this really small square room that almost made me feel closterfobic and then I was told to sit down.I took a seat and then he also sat down in a small desk in the corner of the room next to me. I was asked a few questions like my social security number, where I lived, do I have any diseases, my age, a whole bunch of questions. It felt li ke I was being interrogated. As he finally got done asking me all those questions, he told me that he needed to poke a little needle in my finger and get a small blood sample. As I was sitting there with my finger sticking out I saw him grab what looked like a small clicking pen.Then he started to put the end on the top of my finger. Suddenly he just clicked the pen, and I felt a little poke and my finger started bleeding. He wiped my finger with a small cotton ball and then grabbed a little square piece of glass and put in on my finger to get a small blood sample. After he told me I had enough iron in my blood to donate, now he had to take my temperature. I had to put a thermometer under my tongue for a few seconds until he grabbed it. One of the requirements for donating blood is you cannot donate if your temperature is over 99.5 F. When my temperature was taken I was only 2 percent away from meeting the requirements, which means my temperature was 99. 7 F. I was told I couldn't d onate which made me a little disappointed. I told him I would reschedule again some other time. In my one day that I went to the American red cross building I learned a lot of new things and how I can help save peoples lives. I will definitely be making another appointment soon and ill keep making an appointment as much as I can.

Analysis of Staged of Transformational Learning and Their Roles

Analysis of Staged of Transformational Learning and Their Roles Transformational learning is a deep form of learning. Whenever there is a change or problem in your life; such as having a child or going back to school, you go through a learning phase with hard trials. The outcome has a big impact on your life and in the end you will have grown as a person. Upon reading I discovered that there are 7 phases of transformational learning: Dilemma, self-assessment, important evaluation of beliefs, realization that others have similar dilemma, exploring a process, creating a plan of action and finally, reintegration. In July 2007 I found out I was pregnant. I was 20 years old and still hadn’t graduated high school. I was shocked, nervous but mostly excited and realized had to take a long hard look at my life and the life I wanted my child to have. From the day I found out about my pregnancy I started planning and thinking of our future. I enrolled in night classes to get my High School Diploma and also started to get our house in order for a baby. I think I even read every pregnancy book ever published. I had to change everything about my life; my eating habits, my education, my home, relationships and my social habits. Some things were hard to change but in my heart I knew it would be best for my child. I got through all the obstacles standing in my way and by the time my son arrived, I had organized my life for the two of us. I graduated high school when my son was 3 months old, and it was a great feeling. Mezirow’s 7 stages of transformational learning defiantly applied to this huge transformation in my life. I believe the 2 most important stages were self-assessment and formulating a plan of action. I had to look at every aspect of my life and decide what needed changing and what didn’t. Once I decided what needed to change I had to come up with a plan on how to change it to make a better life for my child as well as myself. One huge change was obtaining my high school diploma. I had to call around to the local school districts and find one that offered adult night classes to finish up the credits I needed to graduate. Once I found the school I had to go for one semester. I had my son the last few weeks of class, but continued to go; I ended up finishing and graduating. I devised a plan and stuck to it because I knew how important it was for my family. We are defiantly in a good place now, my son is 3 years old and I am glad I stayed focused and driven to create an adeq uate environment for him to grow up in, he is my world.