Dealing With Guilt in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essays

Dealing With Guilt in The Scarlet Letter    Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne attempted to expose the varying ways in which different people deal with lingering guilt from sins they have perpetrated. The contrasting characters of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale ideally exemplified the differences in thought and behavior people have for guilt. Although they were both guilty of committing the same crime, these two individuals differed in that one punished themselves with physical and mental torture and the other chose to continue on with their life, devoting it to those less fortunate than they.    In order to show this difference in the two main characters, they both had to be put on relatively same grounds. Hawthorne achieved this by making them both involved in the same offense: adultery. Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale both resided in the same town and both knew the same people in the settlement. However, despite this effort for equality, it was impossible to make both characters play on the same level. For development and in...

Exploring Reliability and Validity Essay

The Values and Motives Questionnaire, also known as the Values and Motives Inventory, is designed to examine a person’s motivation in relation to his values and activities. In order to ensure a comprehensive understanding of values, the VMQ assess three distinct areas, including: interpersonal, intrinsic, and extrinsic. Interpersonal values, according to the VMQ refer to one’s relationships with others. Intrinsic values contain one’s personal beliefs and attitudes. Finally, extrinsic values are one’s motivating factors at the workplace. Each of these three areas contain twelve topics addressed during the test. While the VMQ can be used for a variety of reasons, it is typically used in the workplace as a guidance tool. When exploring the Values and Motives Questionnaire, it is important to understand its reliability and validity. This paper will address the measurement’s reliability and validity, including its coefficients, strengths, and weaknesses. Type of Reliability and Validity According to Whiston (2013), â€Å"reliability refers to the consistency of such measurements when the testing procedure is repeated on a population of individuals or groups† (pg. 40). In its simplest form, reliability refers examines the dependability of the scores. It also measures the standard error of measurement (SEM) within the instrument. The SEM is a hypothesis of what the scores would be if someone took the test more than once. Whiston (2013) continues on to explain the various types of reliability, including: test-retest, alternate or parallel forms, and internal consistency measures. The designers and authors of the Values and Motives Questionnaire explain that the measurement used internal consistency reliability with the sample (Values and Motives Questionnaire, n.d). Internal consistency of reliability simply means that the test is divided into different sections. The scores are than correlated. This form of reliability assess the measurement internally to determ ine its reliability (Whiston, 2013). Another important area of the measurement to understand is validity. Whiston (2013) argues that validity addresses â€Å"what an instrument measures and how well it does that task† (pg. 58). Whiston (2013) explains that historically, validity has been separated into three distinct types: content-related validity, criterion-related validity, and construct validity. The first, content-related validity, addressed the degree to which the results of the test adequately represented the specific behavior. In order for a measurement to be valid, it must be appropriate for its intended use (Whiston, 2013). This form of validity is evident in the VMQ, because the data is comparable to other instruments that measure both motivational and values factors (Values and Motives Questionnaire, n.d). Next, criterion-related validity focuses mainly on the degree to which the measurement predicted the specific criterion (Whiston, 2013). The correlations within the VMQ appear to be average and independent of one another (Values and Motives Questionnaire, n.d). Finally, construct validity is concerned with the degree to which the test measures the intended behavior or construct. This entails that the instrument is appropriate for the test taker (Whiston, 2013). The Values and Motives Questionnaire accurately measures motivating factors and values among individuals. It appears the test provides the validity for both content and construct but not for criterion-related validity (Values and Motives Questionnaire, n.d). Areas of Strength and Concern The Values and Motives Questionnaire gave us internal consistency reliability and SEM. The internal consistency of this measurement used the coefficient alpha. The coefficients were all over .5, but they each had various ranges. Because the scale had such varying ranges, one could wonder if this could indicate a problem with errors? The VMQ shows an overall internal dependability and a low level of SEM. The internal consistency does surpass the requirements for a reliable instrument. According to authors of the VMQ (n.d), â€Å"†¦the scales approximate or exceed acceptable levels of internal consistency† (pg. 16). However, it is important to note that the scores of this test are not normally distributed, which impacts the standard deviations of the scores. While the deviation of the scores is acceptable, the test results did not have an extremely high correlation. The VMQ also  demonstrated the validity scales having lower correlations (Values and Motives Questionnaire, n.d). One weakness of the reliability to consider is that the test was only compared to other tests that examined values. It did not compare values to those of other countries/cultures. Specific cultures and/or family systems have specific values that are instilled in them throughout the years. It would be beneficial to use this instrument in comparison to different demographic backgrounds. In doing this, one will be able to gain insight into how these differences can affect the results and ensure all persons are adequately represented. Sample Size and Nature of Population The Values and Motives Questionnaire studied a specific population. It consisted of 159 MBA and psychology students (Values and Motives Questionnaire, n.d). While research does need to start somewhere, this limited population will not produce results that represent the population as a whole. Using this specific population may lead to skewed results, specifically in the areas of achievement considering the total population that was studied were all continuing their education. Clearly, not everyone in the general population has had the chance to pursue a college degree, let alone and MBA. This high level of achievement would certainly skew the results. It is important to note that the sample size was relatively small and well over one third of the small sample was psychology students. These variables need to be taken into consideration when assessing the results of the Values and Motives Questionnaire. Personal Opinion Overall, I found the Values and Motives Questionnaire to be very interesting. Assessing one’s subjective feelings and value systems is not easily empirically proven. However, the idea of the test seems beneficial. However, I do believe the designers of the VMQ would gain more insight if they were to compare the results to various cultures’ values. Using the results from varying cultures will have totally different results than a small group of 159 college students. I do believe further research is needed to provide more concrete information on the topics of the VMQ. Although the instrument proved to be both reliable and valid, it is pertinent that further research be conducted to find higher correlations. References Values and motive questionnaire: The technical manual. (n.d). Bedfordshire, UK: Psytech International. Whiston, S (2013). Principles and applications of assessment in counseling. (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Eco 561 Week 3 Quiz Essay - 4408 Words

ECO561 Week 3 †¦FREE†¦Quiz with Answers†¦ ** I see a lot of views , but no comments : ( Roguephoenix FaceB**K PLEASE COMMENT TO LET ME KNOW THAT THIS IS HELPING MY FELLOW PHOENIX. 1. A purely- or perfectly-competitive firm would be characterized by which of the following? Hint : The different types of firms include pure competition, pure monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly. A. Large number of firms, price taker, free entry and exit, and standardized product B. Large number of firms, price maker, free entry and exit, and a differentiated product C. Small number of firms, price maker, limited entry and exit, and a standardized product D. One firm, price maker, limited entry and exit, and a†¦show more content†¦6. In a monopolistic competition industry, if one firm appreciably increased its price from the existing equilibrium price, which of the following outcomes would most likely ensue? Hint : Typically, in a monopolistic competition industry, if one company increases price, the other company also increases their price to make more revenue in the long term. A. It would likely suffer a significant decrease in its market share, because its competitors would be unlikely to deviate from the established equilibrium price. B. The firm would stand to gain much additional revenue if its competitors did not follow suit by raising their prices. C. Any gain or loss in the firms revenue from increasing its price would depend on the price elasticity of demand: The more elastic the demand, the higher the revenue potential from a price increase. D. It would probably see no change in its revenue position as its competitors would raise their prices accordingly. In a monopolistically competitive industry, the goods sold, while not perfect substitutes, can be viewed as acceptable substitutes by most people. As a result, if Firm A raised the price of its good substantially, consumers would decrease the quantity demanded from Firm A and would move to other firms selling similar products. As a result, Firm A would sell few units at the new higher price. As the quantity a firm sells falls, so does its percentage of sales in the industry, alsoShow MoreRelatedEco 561 Week 4 Quiz Free Essay1015 Words   |  5 PagesECO 561 Week 4 Quiz ------------------------------------------------- ** Important ** †¦ ECO 561 Week 4 â€Å"FREE† Quiz w/ correct answers WELL , †¦ ALMOST FREE †¦. The Cost - $ = â€Å"Thank you† I see a lot of views , but no one comments †¦.. : ( PLEASE COMMENT here or to ROGUEPHOENIX ACEB**K , and LET ME KNOW THAT THIS IS HELPING MY FELLOW PHOENIX. If no comments are made †¦. I will stop posting. ------------------------------------------------- 1. Business cyclesRead MoreEco 561 Week 5 Quiz Free1832 Words   |  8 PagesECO 561 Week 5 Quiz ------------------------------------------------- ** Important ** †¦ ECO 561 Week 5 â€Å"FREE† Quiz w/ answers I see lots of views , but no one comments †¦.. : ( PLEASE COMMENT(add notes) at this site or .. go to ROGUEPHOENIX.39 fAcEb**K , and LET ME KNOW THAT THIS IS HELPING you . If no comments are made †¦. This will be my last post . ------------------------------------------------- Good luck †¦. 1. The Classical Theory of Asset Prices assumes whichRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pages658.3—dc23 2011038674 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN 10: 0-13-283487-1 ISBN 13: 978-0-13-283487-2 Brief Contents Preface xxii 1 2 Introduction 1 What Is Organizational Behavior? 3 The Individual 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Diversity in Organizations 39 Attitudes and Job Satisfaction 69 Emotions and Moods 97 Personality and Values 131 Perception and Individual Decision Making 165 Motivation Concepts 201 Motivation: From Concepts to Applications 239 3 The Group 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 FoundationsRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 PagesLibrary and information center management / Robert D. Stueart and Barbara B. Moran. — 7th ed. p. cm. — (Library and information science text series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–1–59158–408–7 (alk. paper) ISBN 978–1–59158–406–3 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Library administration—United States. 2. Information services— United States—Management. I. Moran, Barbara B. II. Title. Z678.S799 2007 025.1—dc22 2007007922 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright