Hobbes State of Nature

Hobbes State of Nature Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) who is considered by some to be the greatest English political philosopher defended the need for an absolute sovereign, a ruler who would have unlimited powers of rule and punishment, he based his belief by imagining what life in the state of nature would be like and he supposed that life in this state would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short .Hobbes based this idea on his theory of human nature, he believed that all human beings seek to satisfy their desires moreover since there is no sum mum bonum or highest good for men but rather a constant succession of appetites, what each human being most wants is not any particular thing but the generalized capacity to satisfy new desires as they emerge: to assure forever, the way of his future desire (Leviathan:47). Conflict can arise from any attempt by humans to satisfy their desires for they may go to any lengths to do so and in the state of nature there are no moral limits to mens action: The notions of Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice have there no place and they may kill another for anything they deem necessary to their life. Dawkins (1989) tends to agree with Hobbes, he also sees human nature as selfish, and he claims that selfishness is contained in every gene even though everyone has distinctive genes. Dawkins goes on to say that competitive behavior is programmed biologically. Nevertheless Dawkins differs from Hobbes because he stresses that it makes more sense if people join forces for mutual benefit. However just because a gene contains a selfishness streak does not mean that the individual will be selfish. Hobbes (Cited in Hampsher-Monk (1992) claims that the only naturally occurring authority that exists is that of a mother over her child and this link only prospers because the child is much weaker than the mother and its survival depends on the mother. This type of connection does not exist between adult human beings, although Hobbes does accept that some human beings possess more strength than others, although every human being has the ablity to kill another. Even the strongest must sleep ; even the weakest might persuade others to help him to kill another (Leviathan, xiii.1-2) furthermore because adults are equal in this capacity to threaten each others lives, Hobbes claims that there is no natural source of authority to order their lives together. Hobbes main argument for an absolute sovereign was that any type of government is better than the State of Nature, a condition where people are forced into contact with each other in the absence of a superior authority. A condition of war of every man against every man (Leviathan, ch. 13). Hobbes gave three explanations why life in a state of nature would mean a state of war, where people would always be in a continual readiness to fight. Firstly there would be no production and this in turn would mean there would be limited resources; people would have to take by force the possessions they require from others. Secondly people would attack first as a way of defending themselves. Lastly people would just attack others just to gain a reputation for being strong so as to put off others. The result of all this would be hostility between people and there would be no trust. Underlying the state of nature is the struggle for survival and fear of death and to counter these conditions people must use the dictates of reason and voluntarily join together forming a collective union supported by a social contract. Hobbes places great weight on contracts and he often speaks of covenants, by which he means a contract where one person performs his part of the agreement later than the other. In a state of nature such arrangements would not work because only the weakest will have good reason to fulfill the second part of a covenant and then only if the stronger person is watching over them. One opposition to this is that are people not able to behave in a fair and honest way? Even where there is no government giving laws. This objection assumes that people possess a basic sense of morality and believes that all this would overcome the greed, attacks and defensive fighting that Hobbes talks about. Hobbes makes two declarations the first is to do with our duties in the state of nature that is the right of nature, the second involves the risks posed by peoples differing beliefs of what is right and wrong. Hobbes definition of the right of nature is the entitlement to save our own lives by any means possible, he goes on to say that the most terrible thing that can befall us is a brutal death caused by others. Hobbes continues by saying that we have a right to decide what will save our lives. He goes further by saying that in a state of nature we have a right to everything even to one anothers body (Leviathan, xiv.4). His argument seems to be a bit extreme at this point, but if a person decides that they require something for example the death of another person or their labor to make sure that they can survive, in a state of nature there exists no influence to judge these actions as right or wrong. However Hobbes believes that human beings are able to adhere to some principles whi ch are not found in religion but can in some ways be paired with religion. In (Leviathan,xiv.4) the first law commands that every man ought to endeavour peace, as far as he has hope of obtaining it and when he cannot obtain it he may seek and use all helps and advantages of war. The second law says that a man be willing, when others are so too as far-forth as for peace and defense of him he shall think it necessary to lay down this right to all things and be contented with so much liberty against other men, as he would allow other men against himself. (Leviathan, xiv.5) Hobbes thinks that people should act as if they have made a contract with others in a society, however this does not include the sovereign authority. With Hobbes social contract all people give up their right to all things (Leviathan, xiv.5) although the sovereign does not give up this right. In this agreement, people agree to only retain the right to protect their lives in cases of direct peril, but the decision of what poses an immediate threat depends on judgment, nevertheless it does allow us to retaliate if the sovereign attempts to take our lives. There are practical reasons for the sovereign not participating in contracts with their subjects, firstly it is not practical for the sovereign to make a covenant with everyone individually and it is not possible to make a covenant with the population as a whole because while the sovereign is being created, people are still in a state of nature and do not trust each other. One of the roles of the sovereign is to punish those who have acted unjustly but it is also the sovereigns right because people have forfeited their rights to the sovereign who is not held responsible for the possible injury or death of subjects. The most important role of the sovereign according to Hobbes is to prescribe the rules, whereby every man may know what goods he may enjoy, and what actions he may do, without being molested by any of his fellow-subjects. This role protects against the inevitable competition that will arise between people over scarce resources. However Hobbes theory gives way for criticism if the sovereign is unjust, but Hobbes counters this by stating that the sovereign cannot be unjust and ultimately Hobbes believed that government was more preferable than social chaos, especially under an absolute sovereign. Another key aspect of sovereignty is the right of making war and peace with other nations and commonwealths which reflects the obligation of the sovereign to protect their subjects. The sovereign however retain s their right of nature although Hobbes does concede that there are moral limits on what sovereigns should do. Hobbes arguments have been contested by many among which is John Locke ([1690] 1965) who was concerned that an absolute sovereign with absolute power would be even more of a hazard to us than life in a state of nature. After all, how could we have faith in the sovereign to act in the citizens interests rather than his or her own? So Locke argued that even though we could do with a sovereign to straighten out disputes and dispense justice, we must also lay down constitutional limits to the sovereigns rule and in addition we also have a right to fight back if the sovereign abuses our faith. Hobbes argument has weakness in that it has the tendency of legitimate monarchs to quietly slide over into being despots; (Fukuyama,1989:157-158) with no institutional devices like elections for finding out popular consent, it would be difficult to know whether a particular monarch had the kind of sanction Hobbes himself had in mind(Fukuyama, 1989:157-158). Fukuyama then makes it clear that it was relatively easy for John Locke to change Hobbes principal of monarchical sovereignty into one of parliamentary or legislative sovereignty based on majority rule. Lockes alternate to the Hobessian dilemma is not absolute monarchy but restricted government which consists of a constitutional government providing protection for the citizens basic rights and whose authority is resulted from the consent of the people(Fukuyama, 1989). It is clear that Locke views Hobbes right to preservation of ones life as meaning a right to revolution against a tyrant who used his power unjustly against the inte rests of the people (Fukuyama, 1989:158). Lockes offers a perfect solution to the classic question: Who would guard the guardians? Hobbes deduces that an absolute sovereign is a highest power, an earthly God, who has been called upon to protect people from each other. The absolute sovereign is given various powers through which they can institute and keep peace to prevent reverting back into the state of nature. Hobbes main argument for the need for an absolute sovereign is that a state of war would be horrific for everyone but that very same reason will mean that we carry on living in such a state. The only probable way to escape a state of war is through the formation of an influence that can intimidate the people and force them to live in peace with each other. On the other hand, Hobbes fails to prove that we have an almost unlimited obligation to do what the sovereign tells us to do, furthermore his arguments that sovereignty which includes the power to moderate moral and political matter and put in force those judgments cannot be separated, are not only weak but they are clearly opposed by the somewhat succ essful division of powers in modern liberal societies. The shocking crimes of twentieth century perpetrated by dictatorships make obvious to us beyond doubt that verdicts about what is right or wrong cannot be a problem only for our political leaders, it also has to be a question for us as individuals. So although Hobbes does justify the need for an absolute sovereign with his arguments, they have been refuted by some thinkers like Locke ([1690] 1965) and Rousseau ([1762] 1913) who have proposed having a sovereign whose power is limited so as to prevent tyranny.

Animal Farm: Comparison of the Animal Characters with Their Human Counterparts

Animal Farm: Comparison of Animal Characters with Human characters Animal Farm by George Orwell is a political story concerning the concept of Leninist Marxism, written from an animal’s perspective. It is a story of dreams; dreams of freedom and equality that are dashed into pieces by greed and avarice for power and comfort. Basically, Orwell has incorporated his own political views in this book regarding Marxism and simultaneously he has spotlighted the major flaws in Marxist philosophy which he illustrates throughout the story. I first want to emphasize that the events in Animal Farm are comparable to the Russian Revolution of 1917. The book illustrates the ideals of the revolution and how the masses were maltreated by corrupt leaders and the false promises of a Utopian socialistic society. This goal of equality was what the animals sought, and despite their sacrifices and hard work, their leaders betrayed them. Animal Farm is essentially a harsh criticism of totalitarianism. Orwell is portraying the noble goals of Marxism which were corrupted by a dictator’s avarice for power. As he notes in his study, â€Å"The book is not only a parody of Stalin’s Russia but also intends to show that Russia was not a true democratic Socialist country. †(1) Despite the apparent criticism, Orwell shares the viewpoints of Marxism as far as worldwide revolution was concerned. However, in the book, a utopian future seemed highly unlikely from the start. The idea of Animalism was a theory created by Old Major in his dream. Old Major was a highly respected and venerable boar. He managed to assemble the farm animals where he told all of them his dream of a revolution. As Major said, â€Å"our lives are miserable, laborious and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies and for those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant our usefulness has come to an end, we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. †(pg 7) This is particularly typical of what the Russian people faced during the Czarist days of Russia. The Bourgeoisie, or the rich, had full control over the Proletariats, who were the poor workers. The workers were treated poorly and they lived in utter poverty and misery. They were exploited and mistreated by the rich and lived a harsh life where even basic sustenance was impossible to find. It was through their labor that the Czar and the rich existed. Karl Marx noticed this problem and he wrote The Communist Manifesto, where he suggested that the workers of the world should unite and overthrow the tyrannical capitalist countries. Marx wanted the proletariat class to start a revolution and change the social structure and distribute the wealth among the masses. Old Major represented Karl Marx. They both were visionaries who called upon the tormented masses to rise up against their bourgeoisie masters, in Animal Farm’s case, Man. Yet, unfortunately both Marx and Major would never see their revolution commence. Old Major dies in three days after speaking to the animals and Marx died before the Russian Revolution began. There were only two capable leaders left on the farm who could start the revolution. Snowball was a young, intelligent and a vivacious pig with a brilliant talent for speaking. Whenever he spoke, he placed an incredible amount of emotion into his voice that pulled the animals toward him. Snowball’s objective was to carry out the last wishes of Old Major and to make life better for the animals. Snowball could be compared to Leon Trotsky who was a devout follower of Marxism and he wanted to improve the lives of the Russian people. Both Snowball and Trotsky were thrown out of power by their supposed comrades. Napoleon, a Berkshire boar, did not possess the skill and acumen of Snowball. However, Napoleon made up for this weak point by being ruthless, cruel, devious, and corrupt. His ambition was to have full control and power over Animal farm. If anyone stopped him, he would destroy the opponent. Napoleon used his dogs to intimidate the other animals and to kill any animal that opposed him. He also used Squealer, a garrulous pig who could convince any animal with doubts about the greatness of Napoleon and that it was Napoleon who thought up the revolution. Basically, Squealor was a propaganda spokesman. Old Major, before his death, had spoken out a list of seven commandments that all animals had to follow. The commandments were concerned with animal-human relations. Squealor changed and manipulated the seven commandments to suit Napoleon and the pigs. You may have noticed by now that the character names all have a symbolic meaning to them. The name Napolean refers to the legendary emperor of France. He was ruthless and he killed anyone who opposed him. Squealor, by his contemptuous actions, implied that he was a spy and he informed Napoleon about any activity against him. Napoleon could be compared to Josef Stalin, the madman of Russia. He was not as educated or convincing as Trotsky. Yet Stalin was a brutal man who craved power. He killed millions of people and used the KGB (indoctrinated dogs) to punish dissenters. Napoleon also used Moses, the tame raven, to control the animals. Moses represented the Church where he constantly babbled about Sugar Land Mountain. This heavenly abode is where all animals go when they died and they forever lived in peace and tranquility with good food and lots of rest. The animals believed in Moses because their lives were already full of misery. Surely there had to be a better place where the animals could go and be content. Moses was a tool for Napoleon. He said all this jargon in order to make the tired animals work hard and not complain and Moses was paid with bread soaked in beer. On the topic of religion, Marx considered it the, â€Å"Opiate of the people. † (2) Orwell however said that people will always turn to religion for answers and places where they could go for an easier existence. In addition, Orwell refused to approve of a society where leaders like Napoleon or Stalin distorted the true meaning of Socialism and instilled fear and tyranny over their own people. As Orwell said, â€Å"To accept Orthodoxy, is always to inherit unresolved contradictions. †(3) This makes sense because the animals had jumped out of the frying pan (Mr. Jones’ reign) and into the fire (Napoleon’s dictatorship). Either way you see the result, it is the same. The animals continued to suffer. What did Animalism accomplish? What were the goals, what were the dreams and what were the results? The basic idea was to share power and to stop the tyrant Mr. Jones (who represented the Czar). The goals of the newly established government was to declare all animals equal, that they would get more food, more sleep, respect, rules to protect animals from oppression, and technology-in the form of windmill to make life better for all. The animals owned the farm. Everything was to be equally shared. Humans were the enemy and no animals should deal with Man and no one could act like Man. As Major said, â€Å".. in fighting Man, we must not come to resemble him. Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices. †(pg 12) The seven commandments were made for the protection of the animals and their rights. Leaders and workers will work together and education is available to all. These were the hopes and dreams of all animals so that they may be free from the bonds of slavery and live in happiness and equality. However, when Napoleon claimed power, the entire basis of the revolution crumbled into dust. The goals of the government were stripped to suit the Pigs. As the rule said, â€Å"some animals are more equal than others. † Rather than motivating animals to work, they are forced to work otherwise they would not receive their ration of food. The Seven commandments were changed to Pig Laws. Pigs became more powerful and thus they controlled every aspect of the farm. What I note, and Orwell also notes, is that how could the proletariats trust the self-proclaimed leaders and their intentions? As Orwell wrote, â€Å"The main weakness of Marxism is the failure of human motives†(4) and â€Å"It is impossible to have an intuitive understanding of men’s motives and therefore impossible to predict their actions. †(5) It’s difficult to fathom why the animals didn’t recognize the pig’s treachery and why they didn’t rebel. Maybe the fierce dogs were too intimidating or maybe the animals were just content with their nationalistic pride of their farm. An example of their pride can be seen when the animals march past their flag and the disinterred skull of Old Major. They have a feeling of joy and contentment because their farm is run by the animals and not humans. However as Orwell writes, â€Å"the proletariat is too easily swayed by its leaders as well as its guiding ideologies. †(6) For example in Animal Farm, the animals fail to realize that all their rights and the seven commandments are being stripped and changed before their very eyes. The knowledge that all the animals are illiterate is very useful to Napoleon and he freely changes all the laws according to his tastes without worry. Yet the animals should have said something when the â€Å"Beasts of England,† the revolutionary song taught by Old Major, is changed to â€Å"Animal Farm. † Take Boxer the horse for example. He was a devout follower of Napoleon and he gave his life for his brethren. He sacrificed himself day and night in the construction of the windmill so that the dreams of heat and electricity would come true and that all the animals could reap the benefits. Boxer always said, â€Å"Napoleon is always right. † It is all Boxer can do whenever he had doubts. Had Boxer materialized his doubts into action, Napoleon would never have succeeded in gaining total power. That’s why I believe Boxer is attacked by the three dogs after he develops doubts about Snowball being a traitor. Luckily he is strong enough to stop the dogs. Boxer represented a communist or Animalist supporter. He was a dedicated and hard worker but the crafty Squealer and Napoleon used him where Boxer was eventually betrayed by the leaders he so willingly followed and helped. Orwell understood the significance of Marxism and shared many of its beliefs but Animalism was not an extreme political goal. The basic concept was equality, sharing, and working together for the betterment of all. Yet the system was so badly twisted by the leaders that the animals were in limbo. The animals became oppressed slaves to the pigs who became no different than the human masters. They were even crueler to the animals than Jones and the Revolution became a cruel joke. What changes had occurred? Absolutely nothing except that instead of humans ruling over animals, animals came to rule over animals. The final line in the book summarizes it all, â€Å"The creatures outside looked from pig to man and man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. †(pg 155)

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A Review of Oxidative Stress Brain Aging - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 13 Words: 3797 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Biology Essay Type Research paper Level High school Did you like this example? A Review of Oxidative Stress Brain Aging The human brain is the main source of nerve function in the body. It is the epicentre of the nervous system and controls all of the main neural functions of the human body (Lewiset al, 1998, 479-483). When assessing brain function, there are many different areas that are addressed, but one main area of concern is the actual aging of the brain. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Review of Oxidative Stress Brain Aging" essay for you Create order As the brain ages, the functions that it performs are broken down and degraded. The nerves become slower and the motor functions are less precise. Short term and long term memory is negatively affected and the overall brain function is broken down. Many people attribute all of these detrimental effects to old age and poor health, when in reality oxidative stress and free radicals are the main causes of loss of brain function. Throughout this paper, actual brain function patterns will be examined, followed by some common reasons for brain function degradation. Then oxidative stress and its effects on the human brain will be looked at, along with a few of the common diseases and health problems that are associated with brain aging and loss of brain function. The Brain: an Overview The human brain is a mass of nerve tissue, synaptic gaps, and nerves (Lewis et al, 1998, 479-483). All of these parts work together to form what is known as the human brain. The brain is the main centre of nerve function in the body. The nervous system is controlled solely by the brain itself, which works as a kind of packaging centre for the messages that are delivered to each nerve cell by the body. However, the brain would not function properly if it were not for the job performed by each cell and its consequent parts. A cell is made up of the nerve cell itself, the synapse, and dendrite. Each dendrite is connected to the next dendrite by a small opening that allows the passage of chemicals such as Potassium and in order for proper neural functioning. The chemicals move along the dendritic pathway and form a gradient at the synaptic gap. The gradient then allows the chemical to trickle across the gap, which then causes the nerve to deliver its message (usually a message fo r a muscle to contract). If a gradient does not exist, then the message is not sent and the function is not performed properly. If a problem arises in the nervous system then it is usually due to the fact that the chemical gradient is incorrect at a particular synaptic gap, creating either a muscle seizure or some other undesirable reaction. The main nerve cord of the body, known as the spinal column, is made up of layer upon layer of nerve cells. This mass of nerves serves as the pathway for all of the major neural messages of the body. It allows the chemical messages packaged by the brain to be transported to various parts of the body, and vice versa. All of the neural messages of the human body are delivered in a matter of seconds, that is why it does not seem as if there is along delay in between a particular stimuli and the consequent reaction. Branching out from the spinal cord itself are the various nervous pathways of the body. There are nerves that stretch all of t he way to the fingertips and toes, but they all return to the spinal cord to deliver various stimulus messages. Each of the various nervous pathways is also made up of layers of nerve cells. All of the nerve cells of the body work together to form messages that are interpreted by the brain. The brain is able to decide what priority is needed to be appropriately assigned to each task and then takes action to perform those actions. Brain Function There are basically three main functions of the brain: memory, interpretation of data, and motor function control. Not only is the brain a packaging and interpretation centre for the neural messages of the human body, but it is also a storage bank for information. The brain stores information from everyday life using chemical reactions in the cerebrum to create memories. This information is then available for the rest of the brains life, regardless of whether a person can actually pull the information up to examine it. The brain serves its main purpose of data interpretation by deciphering the messages and stimulus information that the human body encounters every day. Each and every piece of information that the body comes into contact with is sent through the brain to either store the information, cause a reaction to a stimulus, or to disregard it. This interpretation process is very exact, yet extremely fast. The entire process seems instantaneous, from the introduction of the information all the way to the interpretation results/stimuli reaction. Finally, the brain controls all of the muscles of the body and consequently all motor control of the human body. Every movement, be it voluntary or involuntary is controlled by the brain. Each function of the muscles is perfectly coordinated and timed so that the abducting muscles work perfectly with the adducting muscles to produce useful movement. The brain coordinates each twitch of any muscle in the entire musculature system so that no energy is wasted in useless movement. Because the body is constantly in a delicate balance, it is necessary for the brain to be even more precise than the worlds most sophisticated computer when dealing with the bodys homeostasis. The body has many involuntary muscle movements that are necessary for life, but need not be thought about to be performed each time. A couple of these movements are such things as the contraction and expansion of the diaphragm in the stomach to allow respiration and the beating of the heart. However, other muscles and functions are also controlled by the brain, such as the movement in walking, swimming, or running. The contraction of the bladder and other voluntary, yet unthought of muscle contractions are also controlled by the brain. Stressors of the Brain In every cell of the body, there are what are known as redox reactions (OXIS Research, 2003, 2). Basically, a redox reaction is an oxidation-reduction chemical reaction in which one compound is oxidized (loses electrons) and another compound is reduced (gains electrons) (Zumdahl, 1991,216-220). Redox reactions are essential for survival and for the proper function of various organ systems in the body. While redox reactions may be essential for survival, they can produce what are known as free radicals (OXIS Research, 2003, 2). A free radical is defined as any type of chemical existence that can stand alone and survive on its own without the need for any other chemicals to continue the life of the chemical (OXIS Research, 2003, 2). Free radicals contain unpaired electrons, which make the chemical very unstable (OXIS Research, 2003, 2). The unpaired electrons tend to try to pair with any other free electrons to achieve a stable outer electron ring (usually eight electrons). T herefore, the unstable free radicals are always trying to pair up with any and all organic chemicals that they come into contact with. Free radicals can be increased in the body by exercise and environmental stresses. They tend to be stored in the fat cells of the body and are released when fat is burned. The free radicals are then spread all throughout the body where they can then react with other organic substrates (OXIS Research, 2003, 1). These organic substrates include DNA and various proteins as well (OXIS Research, 2003, 1). The oxidation of these molecules can damage them and cause a great number of diseases (OXIS Research, 2003, 1). There are several different organ systems that are predisposed to free radical damage. These organ systems include the circulatory system, the pulmonary system, the eye, the reproductive system, and the brain (OXIS Research, 2003, 2). While it is true that every organ system could be examined and an oxidative stress Achilles heel could be found, the brain is especially susceptible to free radical damage (OXIS Research, 2003,2). Oxidative stress is a term that is used when dealing with a build up of ROS chemicals (OXIS Research, 2003, 2). ROS stands for Reactive Oxygen Species and refers to many chemical oxygen derivatives (OXIS Research, 2003, 2). The build up of these chemicals can cause an imbalance of oxidant activity in the system (i.e. the brain) and can lead to several negative health effects including premature aging of the system and any number of diseases (OXIS Research, 2003, 2). The oxidative reactions that take place in the body and especially the brain are regulated by a system known as the Antioxidant Defence System, or ADS for short (OXIS Research, 2003, 2). This system is a conglomerate of many different approaches to keeping free radical production and collection to a minimum in the body. The ADS contains antioxidant chemicals as well as a number of enzymes that can not only limit and con trol the overall production of oxidative reactions, but actually target damaged molecules for the purpose of replacement or repair (OXIS Research, 2003, 2).The actual antioxidants are either internally synthesized or are ingested by the organism via various fruits, vegetables, and grains (OXIS Research, 2003,2). Antioxidants are categorized into two different categories: Scavenger oxidants and prevention antioxidants (OXIS Research, 2003, 2). Scavenger antioxidants remove the ROS molecules from the body and include both small antioxidants (Vitamin C and glutamine) and large antioxidants that need to be synthesized by cells in the body before they can be used to protect the organ systems (OXIS Research, 2003, 2). Prevention antioxidants such as ferritin and myoglobin are designed to prevent the formation of new oxidants and free radicals (OXIS Research, 2003, 2). They work by binding to the various free radicals to protect the proteins that are essential in the organ system (O XIS Research, 2003, 2). This group includes such chemicals as metallothionine, albumin, and transferrin (OXIS Research, 2003, 2). It is obvious that free radicals are at least a necessary evil in the body when it comes to the completion of certain processes. In order for proper functioning of the various life systems of the human body, it is necessary to have the by products of the processes (generally free radicals)present in the system. However, this does not mean that free radicals are safe or needed. Most of the time the bodys systems of removal (ADS, etc.) will take care of the overabundance of free radicals, however at times it is possible for even the ADS system to be overpowered by a great influx of free radicals. This phenomenon can be due to the production of energy by mitochondria or some other natural process, but in most cases this large influx of free radicals is caused either by environmental stresses or from being near various industrial processes. It is a g reat concern of researchers today that there are more free radicals being released into the environment by industrialactivities and other forms of pollution. These free radicals are easily bound to various food products that are produced by humans and have a detrimental health effect on both animals and humans. If more free radicals are present in the environment than in past historical records, there is a high risk of ingesting enough oxidants to produce an imbalance of free radicals that could lead to the ADS system not being able to handle the extra oxidant load. This would then result in a large epidemic of environmentally caused free radical damage and disease. Degradation and the Effects on Brain Function Due to the importance of the brain function to the body, it can be seen why it is imperative that the brain be kept in good working order so to speak. If the brain is allowed to degrade to the point that motor functions and memory is affected, then there could be long term health effects that can cause more problems than just brain functioning. If the brain is allowed to degrade to a point at which everyday muscular functions and other physiological functions begin to become harder to perform then there is a possibility that other more serious side effects could be on the horizon. Certain diseases are caused by brain degradation or are causation factors in brain aging and degradation itself. One such disease is Alzheimers Disease. Alzheimers disease is a brain disorder that has many symptoms and causes the loss of memory, the ability to learn, and the ability to carry out everyday activities. Towards the end of the disease progression, Alzheimers can cause personality chang es and even cause hallucinations and paranoia (Alzheimers Association, 2005, 2). Alzheimers is a form of dementia: a category of diseases that cause the systematic destruction of brain cells and lead to a decline in brain function and quality (Alzheimers Association, 2005, 2). It has many stages and eventually leads to the complete breakdown of the brain to the point of death (Alzheimers Association, 2005,2). A person who has a dementia disease will eventually need full-time care because of the loss of a large portion of the brain function (Alzheimers Association, 2005, 2). While Alzheimers and dementia are not the only neural disorders that have a progressive effect on brain function, they are two of the main problems that are faced in countries such as the United States and England. Researchers have not yet identified a known cause of Alzheimers disease, however the field has progressed great strides in the past few years. As of right now, the disease is linked to a genetic predisposition to the disease and generally bad aging habits (Alzheimers Association, 2005, 2). But there is still some value to the school of thought adopted by a few doctors that believe that diseases like Alzheimers, dementia, and Parkinsons disease are all due to not only genetic factors but also to environmental stresses which would include the introduction of free radicals into the body. Free radicals can cause great disruption in the brain function mainly because the neurotransmitters and neurons that are present in the brain are very delicate and can be destroyed easily. The free radicals can bind to the various proteins that are used to transmit messages and perform repairs in the brain tissues, preventing them from performing their duties and causing a weakened brain state. Proteins are themselves very specific concerning binding properties and will only function correctly if they bind with the correct substrate (Staines et al, 1993, 130). Therefore, if the active s ite of the protein is disrupted by a free radical, then that protein is completely changed and will not perform as it was intended. Brain Aging: An uphill battle Many diseases are linked to free radicals and other types of oxidants, however another factor of brain function needs to be examined to get the entire picture concerning brain functions and memory. This factor is, of course, brain aging. It is what some call an unfortunate fact of life, but we all grow older. From the time of our birth all the way to our death, our body is in a constant state of degradation and repair (Ebbing and Gammon, 2002, 809). This is true for every part of the body including the brain and carries great consequences for overall brain function and health. The brain is a delicate organ that stores the information that runs the rest of the bodys functions. If it is allowed to age past a certain point and it is not in good health, then it is possible for bodily functions and memory to be detrimentally affected. As the brain ages, it becomes slightly more sluggish and tends to lose its edge so to speak. Because of the complexity of the brain itself, aging te nds to have a harsh effect on its ability to function correctly. A major factor in the development of diseases such as dementia and other neural system diseases is often the aging of the brain. The older the brain is, the less it functions correctly. As of now, there is not a particular treatment or cure for dementia. The best that we can do is to simply make the patient comfortable and to try to make their lives as easy as possible when dealing with everyday life functions. It is the hope of researchers of brain aging that by forging new paths in the field of neural aging, that a cure will be found for such diseases as dementia and Alzheimers. For years it has been common practice to believe that brain and neural diseases were caused either by environmental stresses or from brain aging. Today, however the tide is swaying more towards the middle than to either extreme. Researchers are starting to realize that the environment as well as brain aging could be factors in the de velopment of certain diseases and disorders. Not only can both environmental factors and the age of the brain itself work together to cause stress on the brain, but some environmental factors can actually cause the brain to age prematurely as well. This premature aging is actually a worse form of aging than the actual aging process of the human body itself. Premature aging means that the brain is aging faster than it would naturally; in other words a brain that is supposed to only be five years old would look and function as if it were ten years old or older. The implications of this type of aging process are obvious. As the brain ages, neurons and neurotransmitters die and do not function as well as when the brain was younger, leading to memory loss and slower reaction time. Brain aging is caused by many factors including environmental factors, industrial processes, and of course the passage of time. Two of these factors can be regulated: environmental factors and industri al processes. By regulating certain chemicals and industrial processes, it is possible to cut down on the amount of premature aging that occurs in the brain (Sharon, 1998,167). Certain industrial processes such as the metallurgic processes used in alloy formation as well as welding are known causes of brain degradation and causation factors in such diseases as Parkinsons and manganism (Landis and Yu,1999, 213-217). Certain chemicals that are present in these various processes are able to penetrate through the blood brain barrier and contact the brain tissue directly. This can lead to tumours and neuron death that then causes cognitive problems as well as body function problems. The only good way to prevent such contamination is to completely negate contact with these chemicals at all. Researchers know this and that is why environmental laws are being put into place that allow for the prevention of release of these chemicals. Aging of the brain occurs whether or not there ar e external environmental stressors present in the persons surroundings. It occurs throughout the entire lifespan of the organism. Earlier in history it was believed that the aging of the brain caused the degradation of neurons no matter the circumstances, however it is the common belief today that as long as a few guidelines concerning lifestyle choices are followed, it is possible for the neurons of the brain to stay completely healthy and fully functional all the way until death. Brain aging is defined as the breakdown of the brain itself. The grooves in the brain tissue will grow wider and the actual weight of the brain material will decrease dramatically. New studies are showing that the plaques and neural tangles that were previously believed to have been the culprits of Alzheimers disease may actually not be the main disease causing factors after all (Brady et al, 2000, 864). It is a growing school of thought that the actual cause of dementia type diseases is actually re sult of complex chemical reactions in the brain (Brady et al, 2000, 864). This information is very important to neural researchers because it can completely change the focus of their research and hopefully eventually lead to a cure for dementia and other diseases of this type. Conclusions It is apparent that the aging of the brain is a major concern, especially to researchers studying the effects of specific kinds of neural diseases. It is believed that these diseases could have a myriad of causes, but brain aging may be a contributing factor in several or all of them. The overall aging of the brain is coming to the forefront of modern medicine because not much is known about it. It is becoming evident that what was thought to be facts concerning brain aging before was little more than just educated guesses. Now however, the technology is available that will allow the actual study of the brain and its functions to try to give a better picture of the breakdown of the organ. Once a specific timeline is established that shows the breakdown of a healthy brain, it will be possible to quantitatively measure the degradation of a diseased brain. While this may not seem very important, it is actually very useful information. This information can be used to explain to p atients what they should expect to experience at specific time periods of their disease and could help prepare them for what is to come. Brain aging information can also be of use to the doctors that are administering treatment, in as much that it would allow the doctor to determine at what stage the aging was in, and therefore what type of treatment to administer. Oxidative brain stress is a completely different matter than brain aging as far as research is concerned. While it is true that more is known about free radicals and their effects on the brain than the aging process, it is important to understand why research of this kind needs to be continued. The world is constantly changing and the chemicals and different kinds of pollutants that are released are in a continuous state of advancement. Because of this it is necessary to continually be studying the physiological and biological effects of each new chemical that is developed and put onto the market. By performing this kind of research early on in the development process, it is possible to determine if there are any harmful effects of using the new chemicals. The early research performed as a preliminary study could lead to less disease and fewer health problems later on. Overall, oxidative stress along with brain aging is newly emerging field that has the job of trying to answer age old questions that are concerned with brain and neural health. It is important to continue research in both of these areas so that advancements in modern medicine can be pursued. Society owes a great debt to the researchers who have and will spend their entire lives studying the effects of brain aging and oxidative stress on the functioning of the brain. Hopefully in the near future there will be great advancements made in the field of neural medicine to allow for better and more effective treatment of certain nervous system diseases.

Symptoms And Treatment Of Mental Health Disorders

Unit 9 Assignment Ms. A is a 28-year-old married, executive who sees the clinician for symptoms over the last three months. Ms. A experiences trouble sleeping and nervousness. Ms. A states she is in good health and used to use substances, but has not used any substances in the last five years. She has had a 15-pound weight loss and fatigue. She has worrisome thoughts that her husband will leave her after his last business trip. She is irritable and restless, and states that even when she is in a relationship, she has feelings of emptiness. (The case study, n.d.). Mental Health Disorders Ms. A’s diagnosis is most likely Borderline Personality Disorder. Ms. A meets the criteria for real or imagines abandonment as she is afraid her husband will leave her. She has a pattern of unstable and intense personal relationships and states that her past relationships are intense. Ms. A meets the criteria for impulsivity since she used to take substances in the past. She has also shown the criteria for affective instability due to marked reactivity of mood with her feelings of irritability. She also experiences chronic feelings of emptiness. Ms. A also seems to have depression. She has experienced weight loss, sleep disturbance with insomnia, fatigue, and states she feels empty (DSM 5, 2013). Pharmacotherapy Early research with medications for Borderline Personality Disorder was first generation antipsychotics. Different medications were compared: alprazolam, carbamazepine,Show MoreRelatedSymptoms And Treatment Of Mental Health Disorders2023 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction Depression, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders are common major mental health disorders which occasionally consist of a combination of affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual components.1,2 The history of treatment of mental health disorders consists in a development through years in using pharmacological interventions or psychological therapies. 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Scheduling Manufacturing Operations Free Essays

string(73) " important to understand the distinction between planning and execution\." ABSTRACT Without true finite capacity scheduling, any implementation for manufacturing execution, whether it is ERP, SCM, or MES, cannot realize the goal of enterprise efficiency and agility. All aspects of OM for manufacturing execution fall behind the lead of FCS, which is the bridge between planning and execution. Real tangible return on assets rests with FCS. We will write a custom essay sample on Scheduling Manufacturing Operations or any similar topic only for you Order Now INTRODUCTION Integrating a diverse collection of resources to accomplish a goal is an issue that has faced humankind since the first city arose and food and services needed to be provided to the populace. The modern challenge for operations management (OM) is the speed and volume that data is presented to OM systems. This explosion of data holds the promise of efficiency and agility unrealized in the past, but it forces the attention of analysts and engineers to convert the flood of data into a useable form to move from planning to action. All the systems such as MES, SCM, and ERP are information hungry beasts that must be fed with the right information at the right time to direct enterprise resources. OM requires a well-coordinated dispatch of its resources to realize efficiency and agility. This paper addresses the need to look at OM from an information-centric perspective as a necessary complement to emerging process-centric views. This discussion moves to the execution systems, also treated from an information-centric perspective, and concludes with a discussion as to why finite capacity scheduling (FCS) is the key to OM for manufacturing execution. WHEN DATA BECOMES INFORMATION Despite the advances in information technology, notably object-oriented software, systems continue to be defined by functional decomposition. Functional decomposition creates complex definitions with fragile coupling and cohesion that are on one side of a great chasm from the reality of the methods that are used to build modern information systems. Information itself is an under designed component of modern systems. Information is a series of objects made from atoms of data. Data becomes information only through context and inferences derived from context. A good example is the use of spreadsheets to attempt to understand data rather than the use of application software designed to with the operational context in mind. Figure 1: Hierarchy of Data Fusion Inferences Figure 1 shows the hierarchy of inferences through a process called data fusion. Data fusion simulates the cognitive processes used by humans to continuously integrate data from their senses to make inferences about the external world. Information systems collect data though sensors and other assets, and in the hierarchy of data processing, multiple data sources are combined to approximate or estimate the condition of some aspect of the enterprise operation. This is the first translation of data to a level of inference. Parametric data is processed to begin specific identification of a situation. As more parametric data are collected, different aspects of the situation come together to allow a contextual analysis of an increasingly complex set of conditions. Once integrated, the situation can be compared to the goals or desired state of the system. Parallel to the types of data processing are the types of inference. With raw data an inference can be made of the general condition. While this level of inference rarely points to a specific correction action, it does begin to isolate what subsystems require attention. The next level of inference will reveal a specific characteristic behavior of the system. With more integrated data, the identity of an operational system or process is revealed. The next inference is the behavior of a process, which then leads to an assessment of a situation. At the highest levels of inference, the performance is assessed to determine the deviation from the performance goals, acceptable risks, or desired state. Data fusion is not a new concept, having its origins in simple scouting, but has come into its own since WWII. The use of data fusion systems as an information springboard for systems design places execution aspects of OM firmly into a modern framework of information systems engineering. WHAT WAS OLD IS NEW AGAIN As mentioned in the introduction, operations management has been, and remains, one of the greatest organizational challenges throughout history. OM arises from the need to coordinate diverse resources to meet the needs of a complex system. The concept of the plan-execute-control model, a â€Å"discovery† made by analysts in the late 1990’s, appears in the historical records of systems management, one of the earliest mentions circa 4th century BC in China. One of the more versatile models in modern systems management appeared in 1977 as a result of a joint effort between Dr J. S. Lawson of the Naval Electronic Systems Command and Dr. Paul Moore of the Naval Postgraduate School. Figure 2 shows the Lawson-Moore model, adapted by the author for general resource management. SENSE is the collection of raw data or other collateral information about the observed environment. PROCESS takes the data through the inference hierarchy, integrating data within the context of the tasks required of the managed resources. The situation as best can be determined with the resources is then compared to the DESIRED STATE. The DESIRED STATE is the result of planning, which drives the allocation of resources to tasks. The plan exists in generalities, except for enterprises where goals are achieved with simple tasks assigned to few or uncomplicated resources. DECIDE is the point where the comparison of the situation to the goals will dictate what corrective actions are needed to bring the performance of the enterprise in line with the plan. ACT is the direct management of resources to alter enterprise performance to close the gap between the current state and the DESIRED STATE. The Lawson-Moore model is a closed-loop execution model, continuously integrating data, making inferences about the environment, and managing resources to meet goals of the plan. The Lawson-Moore model does not address planning, but it does unite planning and execution. To develop an execution system, it is important to understand the distinction between planning and execution. You read "Scheduling Manufacturing Operations" in category "Papers" Figure 2: Lawson-Moore Model (aka Lawson Model) PLANNING AND EXECUTION Planning and execution are related, but not one and the same. Planning does not occur during execution; the plan should be formulated to allow for variations and alternate execution strategies. Business (or manufacturing or service) processes are set in place, serving as doctrine that unites actions within the enterprise. Processes should be compiled for all resource management, and serve as a set of procedures designed to achieve the best results from a united enterprise, while allowing for inspired actions and initiatives. The enterprise doctrine exists so that laborious planning for each individual operation need not repeated with every new plan. The more complex or unstable composition of enterprise resource, the greater the need for standardized procedures. This becomes the foundation of repeatable performance, reducing human variations to the least contributor of performance variations. Planning cannot deviate greatly from doctrine, and execution will fail without doctrine. It is possible that execution will look so different from the plan that the uninitiated will see no similarity, but if the goals of the plan are achieved, then the execution is successful. The next section will unite the inference model with the Lawson-Moore model to develop an information-centric execution model. DATA FUSION AS OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Figure 3 shows the execution system that arises from merging inference and the Lawson-Moore model. For main components exist in this system: information collection, execution environment, human-machine interface (HMI), and evaluation. Information collection includes sensors and all other information gathering, and is a critical component to the resources managed by the OM system. The HMI is the primary means by which operators interact with the OM system. Evaluation is the component that applies performance measurements and other measures of effectiveness to determine the degree to which the execution system is meeting the goals of the plan. The execution system performs the data fusion, situation definition, and resource management. Figure 3: Data Fusion as Execution Environment Data flows from sensors contained in resources through data filtering to begin building inferences. Filtered data enters three levels of information processing. Level 1 processing aligns data in time, insures consistent units of measure, and accounts for any other physical aspects of the data. Data from different sources are aligned or correlated in order to develop meaningful inferences (e. g the color of the box has little to do with its volume, but its height, length, and width has a direct bearing on computing volume). The final function of Level 1 is identifying the situation for further processing in Levels 2 and 3. Level 2 assesses the situation within the context of the fusion process in use and available information from Level 1. Level 2 may require algorithms to augment sparse or missing data. Level 3 evaluates the situation and may direct actions to modify the use of resources to minimize deviations from plan goals. The communications between the three processing levels is continuous, forming an information loop within the execution environment to adapt to changes in the external environment. Short term and long term (historical) databases form the decision support system for the OM system. Corrective action can be automatic or require operator intervention as dictated by operation procedures. THE COMMON DENOMINATOR The integrated systems view for the enterprise is emerging as analysts focus on process-centric models and away from product- and information-centric models. Evidence is the REPAC model from AMR, shown in Figure 4. Recognizing the shortcomings of the functions intense MES and SCOR models, AMR developed a model that is focused on the business processes while supporting component assembly. Comparing that process-centric model with the information-centric model, common elements emerge. The main theme in REPAC COORDINATE is the need to schedule detailed activities from PLAN, utilizing feedbacks from EXECUTE and ANALYZE. These are the same themes addressed by the Lawson-Moore model. In both models, the key element is the ability to manage resources at the individual operations to achieve the goals set by the plan. This level of resource management is achieved by dynamic capacitated scheduling, supported by the real-time data from the environment and comparisons to the desired state established by the plan. Figure 4: AMR REPAC Model FCS: THE KEY TO OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Whether OM is approached from a process- or information-centric model, finite capacity scheduling drives how resources are deployed to perform the tasks required to achieve the goals of the plan. The sequence of operations, the materials and labor required for operations, and the output of the operations all require supporting resources to act in sync with the business of implementing the plan. Finite capacity scheduling with the ability to account for multiple resource constraints and complex scheduling goals will be scalable to schedule both the lowest level of operation and the supporting resources. Planning is at best an approximation of the resource needs because planning cannot develop a precise quantification of labor, material, or time to meet the goals. Execution cannot begin until the set of actions, well matched to the available resources, is developed to load the operations and develop a timeline for the actions. Execution cannot continue unless the scheduling component can receive the feedback from the resources and develop alternative sets of actions that will best meet the goals of the plan. Only true finite capacity scheduling, design for real-time use, can integrate the planning and execution together to meet the enterprise objectives. CONCLUSION For manufacturing OM to achieve the goals of efficiency and agility, all aspect of planning, execution, and control are necessary to create an effective system. The bridge from the plan to the actions of the organization is dynamic resource management. For an organization with any degree of complexity, procedures need to be in place to establish the general guidelines of operations. In this imperfect world, the plan and procedures must be flexible enough to adapt. The control side provides data and accepts corrective action, but a dynamic element must exist in the OM system that allows for accepting a situation assessment and rapid response to degrading performance. The planning side requires feedback from the OM layer to create future plans. The baseline provided by planning drives the selection of enterprise operations, but the synchronization of these operations, and the alternative actions needed when the exceptions arise, comes from the power of true finite capacity scheduling. FCS is the means by which OM for manufacturing execution becomes a reality. How to cite Scheduling Manufacturing Operations, Papers

Consumer Behaviour Assessment-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Consumer Behaviour. Answer: Introduction Consumer behaviour is a discipline of management through which marketers try to assess the consumer buying decisions(Ammi, 2013). Consumer behaviour assessment assists in judging customer needs so that organisations can fulfil them accurately. Background of the task Overall purchase behaviour of a consumer differs depending upon the involvement level of the products that consumer purchases(Blythe, 2013). An assessment of the consumer buyer behaviour helps organisations in devising marketing strategies to target consumers based on their decision making process(Armstrong, 2012) Therefore, analysis of buyer behaviour is very important to business organisations. Study of consumer behaviour classifies products as high and low involvement products (Close, 2012). Low involvement products are generally less expensive and frequently purchased products. The time spent on decision making of purchase of such products is low(East Wright, 2013). However, high involvement products are expensive and seldom bought products. The time and attention spent on such products is high(Hoyer, 2012). Therefore, consumer purchase decision and behaviour varies depending on involvement level of the product. Purpose of the report The purpose of this report is to assess the overall decision making process of high and low involvement products purchased by a customer during a particular week. This report also intends to assess the process involved in purchase decision of a high involvement product. Furthermore, the report will try to compare and contrast the difference in purchase decision of high and low involvement products. Format of the report The Report follows business format. A single customer is described through this report The report then discusses the low and high involvement purchase decisions of this single customer. In continuation, the purchase decision of high and low involvement products is compared. Further, insights gathered from the discussion are listed. Finally conclusions are drawn based on the findings. Description of the consumer Understanding of consumer behaviour is based on understanding of consumers traits and background(Kardes, 2014). Consumers are affected by their pear group, personal habits and other personal traits(Lantos, 2012). Therefore, it is important to understand the customer to understand further purchase decisions(Lantos, 2012) Following is the description of the consumer whose purchase decision analysis has been conducted in this report. The consumers age, habits and traits have an important role to play in consumer decision making process. Description of the customer Age 29 Gender Female Marital Status Single Family Living with Parent Education Level MBA Generational Cohort Adults born between 1961 and 1981) GEN Y Value segment Real Conservatism Conventional Family Life Psychographics Concerned with health and appearance Wants and enjoys a healthy lifestyle but is limited by time Finds fulfilment in family and career Prefers the radio over the TV Loves spending any time available with her daughter Does not enjoy shopping activities without a purpose Prefers to save than spend Personality Traits Loves people and society, altruistic, supports and cares Tidy and willing to help No problem to adapt to the majority, avoids controversy Respects authority Seeks contact with other people Likes control over environment Strongly oriented to reality and presence Looks for meaningful activities Table-1 Source: Made by Author (2016( Adapted from (Armstrong, 2012) The above description shows that consumer is a female belonging to the young generation. Hence, her purchase decisions may be youth centric. She may buy products that appeal to youth like fast food, fitness services and smartphones. Consumer is traditional by nature and believes in family values. Therefore, family oriented and traditional products may also appeal to her. Consumer behaviour insight Consumer insight mapping is required by business organisations to understand the exact nature of consumer demand and the purchasing pattern of the consumer(O'Shaughnessy, 2012). Consumer insight helps in creating a proper marketing message. Through consumer insight, the marketers can communicate in a way that can be understood by the people(Samli, 2012). Consumer insight involves understanding the customer needs and aspirations so that those products can be made available to them which they desire. The consumer matrix shows that the chosen consumer purchases grocery, food and health and fitness related items on a weekly basis. The customer is a young, single, female, student who purchases food and grocery items on a daily or weekly basis. Pear group is a major influencing factor for the customer. Additionally, items are also purchased based on past experience. The consumer believes in family values and has great concerns for health. The consumer goals include spending more time with family, live a healthy lifestyle and purchase value for money products so that money can be saved. Spending more than needed is a major fear of the customer while shopping. Therefore, priority areas of the customer are value for money shopping and healthy lifestyle. Analysis of decision making process of weekly purchases Weekly purchases are generally repeat purchases which satisfy basic and daily needs(Schmitt, 2010). These are also known as low involvement purchases. The customers weekly shopping items consists of food, grocery and health and fitness related products. Bread is a weekly purchased item as per the consumer matrix. Customer also purchases fruit , vegetable and chicken once a week. Customer spends on yoga and health supplements once a week. Most of these products like fruits, bread, burger, car petrol etc. are repeat purchases and low involvement products. Low involvement products are the products which are purchased without much time given to decision making process(Schiffman, 2013). During the purchase of low involvement products, customer purchases as per convenience and habit. Mostly these purchases occur due to influence from peers, parents or personal choices and same choices are repeated multiple time. Customer has purchased most of these items based on own experience and some li ke coffee on a colleagues suggestion. A few items on the consumers weekly shopping list can also be termed as moderate involvement. Moderate involvement products are those which are not extremely frequent but they are also not so expensive that consumer will spend a very long time deciding about them(Wells, 2012). Mostly moderate involvement products are purchased after a brief search and simple decision making(Baines, 2013). Peer group is the major influencing factor in moderate involvement products(Kotler, et al., 2015). Products like Yoga closes and Airline tickets were purchased by consumer after brief search and discussion with friends and family. However, too much time was not spent on information search and the products were purchased through a simple decision making process. Following chart throws light on low and medium involvement products. Low and Moderate Involvement Products Figure1: Source: Made by Author (2017) Based on (Kotler, et al., 2015) On analysis of the customers purchase matrix for the week, it can be observed that the weekly purchases involves basic needs fulfilling products like bread, noodles and coffee. These products are not very expensive; therefore, consumer does not pay too much attention to the nature of the product. The products are bought through convenient mediums like nearby caf and fast food restaurants. Additionally, there is not much analysis of the product after consumption. Therefore, the customer may continuously keep buying from the same place due to habit and convenience. For an organisation to bring about a change in this type of buying pattern, there is a need for extensive and dedicated marketing communication, so that the organisation can break through the habitual buying pattern of the consumer(Baker, 2012) .These are low involvement products; therefore, the customer does not spend time on deciding and does not actively look for product features. Therefore, marketing communication needs to be frequent and interesting to catch the consumers attention(Blakeman, 2014). Following chart shows the decision making process followed during purchase decision of low and moderate involvement products Purchase Decision process Low involvement Products Figure 2: Source: Made by Author(2017) Based on (Szmigin, 2014) The above process is followed by customer during every purchase(Armstrong, 2012). However, for small purchases and basic needs the problem identification is a continuous and frequent process(Sethna Blythe, 2016). According to the customer purchase matrix, a need was identified by the customer for certain basis need products like bread, burger, fruits and vegetables. Additionally, need was also identified for certain moderate involvement products like airline tickets. The customer did not do much information search for low involvement products and purchased them from the nearest market. There was not much evaluation of alternatives and customer purchased the bread and other basic needs items based on convenience and time saving. Customer was also aware of the quality of these items from previous purchases. As the customer was habitual of purchasing these products, not much post-purchase evaluation was done. Therefore, daily low involvement products were bought by the customer based on habit, convenience, less time criteria and low attention span(Blythe, 2013). Major influencers in purchase decision of customer in case of low involvement products were peer group and parents along with own past purchase experience. The consumer purchase matrix also has certain moderate involvement products like Yoga classes and airline tickets. These items were bought after limited information search and discussion with peer group. However, the consumer was not overly involved in the purchase and made a decision after a short search. Post purchase evaluation was not too extensive and very strong opinion was not formed about the product. Therefore, less attention span and less information search are the features of low and moderate involvement products Analysis of purchase of high involvement product In contrast to low involvement products, high involvement products are more expensive; therefore, more time is spent on searching about such products(Armstrong, 2012). Additionally, the need for such products is an advanced need. Such needs arise from need for comfort or luxury(Ammi, 2013). High involvement product which the customer recently purchased is IPhone 7 Plus. This is a high end smartphone for heavy users(Ammi, 2013). Customer was looking for a brand switch as she was not satisfies with the earlier smart phone, Samsung Note. Customer had issues with android operating system as well. Therefore, past purchase was not satisfactory. Hence, customer felt a need for replacement of the phone. As the customer was not satisfied with android operating system, the next available option of IOS was opted for by her. The customer asked friends and also searched on the internet regarding good IOS phones. IPhone 7 plus appealed to the customer due to its good reviews, colour and shape. Additionally, a friend also influenced the customers choice. After information search and getting convinced about this new phone the customer made the purchase decision. It can be deduced from the above that IPhone 7 Plus was purchased after an extensive information search. As this was an expensive high involvement product, there was an extensive evaluation of the product and the customer found the product satisfactory. Therefore, in case of high involvement products, more attention is given to the product and customer is highly involved in the purchase decision. Comparison between the purchase decision of high and low involvement products Consumer purchase decision is dependent on many varying factors(Armstrong, 2012). Some consumers are able to make quicker decisions based on their knowledge and experience(Armstrong, 2012). However, decision making can be divided into two broad categories; High involvement decision making and low involvement decision making. Following chart makes a comparison between low and high involvement decision making. High involvement Vs Low Involvement purchase decesion Figure 3: Source: Made by Author (2017) Adapted from (Armstrong, 2012) Consumer purchased daily need products like food, health and fitness services throughout the week. These were low to moderate involvement products as they were relatively cheaper, were a part of habitual baying and did not feature on high attention span list of the customer. Consumer made the decision of purchasing these products based on past purchase experience, experience of a friend and parents. Convenience and easy availably were also factors which influenced this decision making. Low involvement purchases are purchased frequently. For example, the purchase of bread and burger which the customer purchased in this week may get repeated next week as well. following is the process followed during low involvement product purchase Low Involvement Products Purchase Decision Process Figure 4: Source: Made by Author (2017) Adapted from (Ammi, 2013) Therefore, in case of low involvement products, decision making is simple and based on fast satisfaction of needs and convenience. In the case of the customer being analysed, the purchase was based on low involvement, quick decision making based on past purchase and advice from peer group. For example, the customer bought bread from the shop that had supplied the bread in the past to the customer. Customer did not do much information search. Additionally, not much past purchase evaluation was done. Adjustment was made based on experience and repeat purchase was made based on habit or adjustments made as per past purchase. Even if the customer gets dissatisfied ,she would just shift to another product without giving too much attention to the dissatisfaction. On the other hand, in case of high involvement products, decision making process is longer. Customer is greatly impacted by the decision because the products are expensive. In the case of this customer, there was dissonance with proviso product hence, there was even more caution in purchase decision. The customer did extensive information search and then chose the product which suited the requirements in the best possible manner. The basic difference between the process of high and low involvement products is that the information search is more intensive in these products. The reason is that these products are very expensive and are purchased once in a while. Following is the process followed by the customer to make the purchase decision. High Involvement Products- Purchase Decision Process Figure 5: Source: Made by Author, Adapted from (Ammi, 2013) As propounded by this process, the customer identified a need for a new high end smart phone. Additionally, as the customer was not satisfied with past purchase experience, she was even more cautious in making the new decision. Unlike the low involvement products, customer indulged in extensive information search. Information was gathered from internet, friends and product reviews in magazines and newspapers. Ultimately, based on the dissonance of the past purchase, the customer decided not to buy android devices and buy Iphone7 plus instead, which is an IOS operated device. A lot of time was given to the decision making process and many different aspects regarding the product was debated upon by the customer. Unlike low involvement purchase, the decision was not quick or based on convenience and availably. Lot of evaluation was done post purchase and strong opinions about the product were formed by the customer based on purchase experience. Therefore, a lot of difference exists in approach towards purchase of high and low involvement products. Key Insights as observed from the purchase behaviour of the customer Following are the key insights which came out of the analysis of the customer buying decision- Low involvement purchases are the weekly purchases which the customer makes for satisfaction of basic needs, Customer does not spend too much time on these purchases and makes decisions which are based on convenience or easy availability. Influence of friends, parents or past purchases have a great role to play in such purchases. The justification for low involvement in basic needs products is that they are inexpensive and purchased frequently. Hence, any mistake in purchase can be rectified in the next purchase. Strong opinions about the products are not made and the customer cans easily shift to other products in case of dissatisfaction. The reason for this type of behaviour is inexpensive and frequently bought product. Therefore, customer does not spend too much time to look out for information on these products. Such products need frequent and repetitive advertisement to make a place in the customers mind On the other hand, high involvement products are expensive and are brought once in a while. A mistake in the purchase cannot be rectified. Therefore, customers spend a large amount of time to look for such products and follow extensive information search. They learn from experience of friend, family and their own past experience. As a lot of money is involved, customers make the decision after taking into account all features of the product. Additionally, post purchase evaluation is also extensive and the customer makes strong opinion about the product. 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