Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Raymond Carvers What We Talk About When We Talk About Love - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1343 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/09/20 Category Education Essay Type Argumentative essay Tags: Relationship Essay Short Story Essay Did you like this example? Love is undoubtedly one of the most frequently explored subjects in the literary world. Whether the focus is a confession of love, criticism of love, tale of love, or simply a tale about what love is, such literary pieces force readers to question the true meaning and value of love. Raymond Carver accomplishes this in his short story â€Å"What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. †As the unadorned setting and the personality of each character unfold, the reader realizes that Carver is making a grave comment on the existence of love. Carver utilizes strong contrast, imagery, and diction to ultimately suggest that love cannot be defined concretely and therefore cannot be defined in words, and because of this, it is better off unexplored. As the story opens, the reader is introduced to two couples. Nick and Laura epitomize the stereotypical â€Å"newlywed†relationship, meaning that they are still too fresh in love to realize each other’s shortcomings and question their love. Mel and Terri, on the other hand, have been together for five years, and though they still claim to love one another, a mutual underlying resentment for the other becomes evident as the story progresses. Knowing this, Nick and Laura are characterized as the young â€Å"fools in love†, and therefore, their opinions of love are not realistic. Despite Nick being the narrator, he only speaks up a few times to suggest that love is absolute. With such an outspoken narrator, Carver creates a unique situation in which Nick is overpowered in the conversation. This suggests that Nick is inexperienced with love and that his belief in his perfect loving relationship with Laura is just an illusion. Ironically enough, Mel dominates the dialogue of the story, yet he seems to be the most confused about the definition of love. His wife, Terri, speaks about her abusive ex-husband, Ed, and Mel claims that that relationship was not built on love. Several times, Me l scoffs, â€Å"If you call that love, you can have it†(174). However, it is eventually made clear that Mel knows more of what love isn’t than what love truly is. On page 178, Mel states, â€Å"†¦And it ought to make us feel ashamed when we talk like we know what we’re talking about when we talk about love. †In short, Mel is suggesting that none of the characters understand love, and those who think they do (Nick and Laura) are temporarily disillusioned. Additionally, Carver invalidates Nick and Laura’s comments on love by categorizing them as new fools in love, meaning that Nick’s comment about love being absolute is far from true. The contrast of the two couples relationships suggests that there are many forms and stages of love, which further disproves its absoluteness. In conclusion, the contrast of all four characters’ views questions both the existence and the verbal definition of true love. As the story unfolds fur ther, Mel continues to lead the group’s conversation. Carver incorporates significant imagery through this drunken character. First of all, Mel speaks of his wishes to be a knight so that he could have a suit of armor, which is a form of protection. However, on page 181 Nick states, â€Å"I read somewhere that they’d fall off their horses and not be able to get up because they were too tired to stand with all that armor on them. They got trampled by their own horses sometimes. †This is an analogy in the sense that the armor represents â€Å"walls†that people put up to protect and separate themselves from others. The horse represents the creature in which the man confides the most trust, which could also represent a person’s romantic partner. Therefore this image means that people who build â€Å"walls†(represented by the armor) around them actually hurt themselves in the end. In other words, even the animal that is most cared for in th e man’s life may end up killing him, which is the ultimate act of hatred. The horse killing the knight can also be interpreted as Carver explaining that love, whether it be between a knight and his horse or a married couple, is imperfect and does not last. This idea is suggested once more on the final pages of the story when Mel is hatefully talking about his ex-wife, Marjorie. On page 176, Mel admits, â€Å"But sometimes I have a hard time accounting for the fact that I must have loved my first wife too. But I did, I know I did. †However, Mel maliciously speaks of wishing to unleash a swarm of bees on her on pages 184 and 185. Mel’s hateful attitude toward Marjorie, the woman that he once loved, further proves that love is neither absolute nor eternal, and its’ beginning and end cannot be logically explained. In addition to Carver’s use of contrast and imagery, â€Å"What We Talk About When We Talk About Love†is written strategicall y with simplicity in both the diction and plot. As most of the action in the story revolves around drinking and replenishing the gin, a mental image of four characters drowning their sorrows and confusion concerning love is formed (yet this is never admitted). Nick, the narrator, limits his comments to physical movement and appearance of the characters, which at first glance suggests a skin-deep story about two couples; yet with a deeper analysis, it actually adds mood and overall importance to the meaning of Carver’s story. The setting is described at the beginning of the story very plainly. On page 170, Nick describes the scene as, â€Å"The four of us were sitting around his kitchen table drinking gin. †The simplicity found in Nick’s descriptions is reflected in all aspects of the story, as the setting remains still and static throughout. The lack of movement or excitement among the characters suggests that their love is also stagnant, or will soon be lifeless in Nick and Laura’s case. The combination of the lack of movement and the continuous intake of alcohol create a melancholy and creepy mood at the conclusion of the story. By the time the gin is polished off, the upbeat conversation in the first few pages has died down to an awkward, lonely silence. On page 185, Nick says, â€Å"Eat or not eat. Or keep drinking. I could head right on out into the sunset. This line illustrates a sudden loss of motivation and want- not only for food, but also for love itself. After hearing Mel and Terri’s gloomy stories about love, it seems that Nick and Laura silently realize that their destiny as a couple is doomed and that their infatuating love will not and cannot last. Mel and Terri are also immersed in this silent, drunken, and dispirited mindset, as if realizing that they are stuck in this rut of â€Å"love†that, at its core, is lacking passion. Also, on page 185, Nick narrates, â€Å"I could hear my heart beatin g. I could hear everyone’s heart. I could hear the human noise we sat there making, not one of us moving, not even when the room went dark. †Carver’s powerful use of diction in this closing line creates an idea for the whole story. Ironically, Nick mentions the heart of each one of them. Since the heart is the body part most associated with love, Nick hearing the characters’ hearts in the dark is a reflection of his emotions; Nick understands that each person can love, yet in the dark, the definition of love cannot been seen or understood. The diction in this line also ends the story ironically in that the characters are more confused and hopeless about love than they were in the beginning. With this understanding, Carver is implying that love is not absolute, and it should not be defined or analyzed. In conclusion, Carver’s â€Å"What We Talk About When We Talk About Love†insinuates that the individual is better off embracing love wi th his/her heart rather than mind, as the mind will only spoil any potential true beauty that love may offer. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Raymond Carvers What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" essay for you Create order
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Persuasive Essay About Homelessness - 1126 Words
magine feeling lost and misplaced in this huge world around you. Each night you end up on a bench or in a dark alley; a place you call your bed. You wake up each morning deciding which public place you’ll go in to clean up. When you get hungry, you’ll have to beg people for cash. For the rest of the day, you sit in the city hoping people will notice you and help out. Knowing that you are not judged by who you are but what you are, you realize that most people in society don t understand homelessness, and wonder if the circumstances in homelessness will ever change. Being homeless is a shock to many. It depicts someone just like us that lack the minimum necessities that we take for granted. According to statistics of a particular day in†¦show more content†¦American people want to be greater, richer, and more powerful than everyone else. When one sees a homeless person sitting on the street, he may ask you for money to buy food. As ignorant as most Americans are today, we question will they really spend that money on food, but some of us are generous enough to give a donation anyway. Others would tell them to get a job. As I walk down Grace Street to get to class some days, I get asked by multiple homeless people if I could â€Å"help them out.†In Richmond, VA, Phil Riggan, did an interview with several of homeless people. He found out that they are just like the rest of us. Homeless people aren’t usually viewed as people; they’re commonly just known as â€Å"homeless†. They are viewed as â€Å"worthless, nuisances, waste of space, crazy, drug addicts, drunkards, criminals, liars, bums, and burdens of society†(Riggan 6). P hil’s study was to â€Å"prevent, reduce and end homelessness by facilitating creative solutions through the collaboration, coordination and cooperation of regional resources and services†(Riggan 8). Homeless people are still human. As we all need shelter, food, and emotional support, so do they. The Homeless Homes Project was started by Gregory Kloehn, an artist, that turned trash into mobile homes. The Homeless Homes Project was to diminish money’s use in building homes for the homeless population. TheShow MoreRelatedEssay about Persuasive Speech: We Must Fight Homelessness 972 Words  | 4 Pages      Specific Purpose:           To persuade my audience to help fight homelessness           Central Idea:           With more help for the homeless we can make America better for everyone      Attention      I. Imagine for a moment that youre not in this classroom. A. Instead your outside, but you not walking to class or your dorm, your living there.           B. Imagine for a moment that you yourself are homeless.                1. You have no shelter                2. When itRead MoreAnalysis Of The Box Man1242 Words  | 5 PagesHumanity of the Homeless The Box Man is an essay written by Barbara Ascher that addresses and criticizes how American society does not give homeless people the respect they deserve. In the essay, Ascher describes a night of the life of an average homeless man. Ascher accomplishes this by using her character the Box Man to represent the homeless people of America and to display how society sees the homeless. Barbara Ascher’s The Box Man utilizes thoughtfully chosen diction, preciseRead MorePersuasive Essay : The Negative Effects Of Gentrification : Causes And Crimes958 Words  | 4 PagesFelicia Anane English Composition 1 Persuasive Essay 12 October 2017 Effects of Gentrification Dear Editor: Some people attracted to living a long time in their communities. As a youth, I’m scared to see one day our cities will be full of homeless people, armed robbers, jobless citizen etc. All this is in the name of gentrification. 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Therefore I chose the topic of term paper Marketing Plan of entrepreneur. The aim is to study and development of methodological principles of management of marketing activities, identifying weaknesses, analyses and design. The objectRead MoreJurisprudential Theories on IPR13115 Words  | 53 Pagesrelation to labor and merit. As for the quote, I believe that every individual deserves to have a taste from their own labor. Needless to say, there should be an individual distribution of rights especially if it was from their own labor. It is just all about having equal rights and relating it to the advancement of technology then translates itself to the intellectual property. A less frequently discussed trend is that historically recognized but nonetheless atypical forms of property, such as intellectualRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words  | 1617 Pages372 7 MANAGING CONFLICT 373 SKILL ASSESSMENT 374 Diagnostic Surveys for Managing Conflict 374 Managing Interpersonal Conflict 374 Strategies for Handling Conflict 375 SKILL LEARNING 376 Interpersonal Conflict Management 376 Mixed Feelings About Conflict 376 Diagnosing the Type of Interpersonal Conflict 378 Conflict Focus 378 Conflict Source 380 Selecting the Appropriate Conflict Management Approach 383 Comparing Conflict Management and Negotiation Strategies 386 Selection Factors 386 Resolving
Monday, December 9, 2019
HIV in Malaysia Ministry of Health
Question: Discuss about the HIV in Malaysiafor Ministry of Health. Answer: HIV/AIDS has remained a global epidemic since its discovery in the late 20th century. Although some regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa have been severely affected, there has been a promising battle to combat this epidemic(United Nations, 2015). Globally, there are more than 34 million people with HIV and another two million who die of AIDS(Ministry of Health, 2011). The decrease in new infections across the globe is a sign of the commitment in most countries to combat HIV. Malaysia has not been an exception in the spread and preventive measures to fight this epidemic. Since the diagnosis of the first case of HIV in 1986, countless efforts have been put in place to contain it(UNICEF, 2009). The government and other non-governmental organizations have continuously shown their concern in combating the spread of HIV in Malaysia, with a particular focus on the most at-risk population(Ministry of Health, 2011). Consequently, the number of new infections has been on a steady decline since 2002. As at 2010, there were ten new reported cases of HIV daily with a ratio of two females for every eight males(Ministry of Health, 2011). As a contemporary health issue, HIV affects Malaysians differently based on the determinants of health. This analysis focuses on how HIV has impacted the health of Islamic males aged between 15 and 24 years. The efforts to prevent HIV infections among people aged between 15 and 24 years has shown moderate progress. As far as HIV is concerned, various determinants have affected these efforts, most of which revolve around the Health Belief Model. The Health Belief Model involves an assumption that individuals take preventive action when they are susceptible to a disease and acknowledge the consequences as severe(Lanz Becker, 2016). Therefore, it is based on the conviction that the acquired information about a disease reduces the threat of acquiring the disease(Lanz Becker, 2016). There are many variables allied to the Health Belief Model such as the demographic and socio-psychological variables of the target group. Narrowing down to the specifics, culture is one of the demographic variables. The youth are known for their adventurous nature because of peer pressure or the feeling of a first-hand experience. However, most of these risky behaviors such as premarital sex are not guided by an existing knowledge capable of weighing the risks against the perceived benefits(World Health Organization, 2012). In a study conducted by the Ministry of Health in Malaysia, it was found that 5.2% of the youth aged between 17 and 24 already had more than a single sexual partner, and 50% had engaged in sex before marriage(World Health Organization, 2012). In a different survey conducted among school-going respondents, it was found males were two times more sexually active than their female counterparts(World Health Organization, 2012). These statistics point towards some of th e reasons why these target groups are particularly vulnerable. These risky behaviors can be attributed to the youthful culture and explain the disparities in the prevalence of HIV in Malaysia. The majority of new HIV transmissions in Malaysia are attributed to heterosexual transmissions followed by bisexual transmission and injection drug use(42%, 36% and 17% respectively)(Malaysia AIDS Council, 2015). This information shows the rapid rate of change since a different report by IAS in 2013 had shown that injecting drug user was the leading cause of HIV. Most of the injecting drug users are males, and this explains why this gender has constantly represented the majority of cumulative HIV cases in Malaysia. In all these reported infections, those aged between 13 to 19 years account for approximately 2%. Unfortunately, females lead among those infected through heterosexual intercourse and this explains why the number of housewives and sex workers is one the rise(UNICEF, 2009). Religion is the other health determinant that has affected the target group. Islam is the official state religion, and it has certain religious and cultural norms that have affected the spread of HIV in Malaysia(Sern Zanuddin, 2014). To date, most of the people associate HIV/AIDS with immorality, dangerous lifestyle, and illegal drug use. Religion comes in handy with these myths and misconceptions because of its role in teaching morality and clarifying any doubts that might lead to the discrimination towards those infected and affected by the disease. For instance, some people might refuse to share utensils, greet, or hug people with HIV because of the misconception that any form of contact can spread the virus. Such kinds of discrimination negatively affect people with HIV. Therefore, any loophole from the religious perspective can be a major blow, more so among countries with an official state religion like Malaysia. The sharing of information about sexuality remains a private subject and a taboo among the Muslims(Sern Zanuddin, 2014). The positive side of this culture is the overemphasis on chastity and the sinful nature of sexual intercourse outside marriage and homosexuality(Sern Zanuddin, 2014). Malaysia is an open economy, and with the infiltration of new communities, the rampant enculturation affects the religiosity of most Malays despite having organizations like JAKIM which mobilize the development and progress of Muslims in Malaysia(Sern Zanuddin, 2014).Consequently, most of the adolescents have ended up dating and engaging in unsafe sexual intercourse despite the domination of conservative and traditional values in Malaysia(Wong, Chin, Low, 2010). Education is also a health determinant that has shaped the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the youth globally and in Malaysia. In Sub-Saharan African countries with available data, only 30% of young women and 37% of young men had comprehensive knowledge of HIV in 2014(United Nations, 2015). This shows that most of the developing countries have not invested as much as the developed countries mainly due to budgetary constraints. Education is related to the occupation which has been a good indicator for the variations among different gender. At the start of the new millennium, the ratio of HIV positive men to women in Malaysia was 10:1. In 2015, a new study showed that the ratio had decreased to approximately 8:1(89%: 11%)(Malaysia AIDS Council, 2015). The decrease has been attributed to the certain occupations dominated by women like sex work, low levels of knowledge and the submissive nature of women which men misuse to coerce them into unprotected sex that increases their infection rate (UNICEF, 2009). The Millennium Development Goals report in 2015 showed that income and location affect the disparity in the knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Focusing on income, the disparity among between rich and poor households was 17% vs 35% for young women and 25% vs 48% for young men globally(United Nations, 2015). In addition, the high prevalence of HIV in developing countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa (approximately 70% of total infections) compared to the rest of the world (30% of HIV infections) shows that the low income is a risk factor(World Health Organization, 2012). Based on location, the global disparity between rural and urban households was 23% vs 36% for young women and 32% vs 46% for young men(United Nations, 2015).The level of knowledge is connected to other problems such as stigmatization and discrimination towards people with HIV enacted from such societies(Balagun, 2010). In addition, a low level of understanding and the misconception that HIV is associated with the immoral people contr ibutes to risky sexual behaviors. This trend which is a reflection of Malaysias case can be attributed to the overemphasis on traditional values in rural villages which limit the sharing of explicit content about sex and HIV/AIDS(Ng Kamal, 2012). Education is closely related to the environment as a health determinant. In some rural areas, inequalities in HIV transmission have mainly been affected by the inadequacy of reproductive health services(Balagun, 2010). Most of the organizations providing these services focus on the urban population, leaving the rural areas prone to more infections. The rural population has also experienced an increase in new HIV infections due to fewer HIV awareness programs(Ng Kamal, 2012). Therefore, the best way to combat the rising numeber of infections in rural areas is through increasinh health awareness and initiating programs like couple testing which JAKIM has tried to do(Sern Zanuddin, 2014). However, there are some states such as Kelantan have constantly recorded the highest rates of HIV due to their location close to the borders with Sungai Golok and Hat Yai, and men easily acquire the virus from the neighbouring countries(UNICEF, 2009). These geographical distinctions affirm that the e nvironment plays a significant role in the HIV epidemic. The youth aged between 15 and 24 years contribute a significant proportion of the Malaysian population. This means that any factor that severely affects the health of this population has an impact on the country. The effects of HIV among the youth is an example of a situation that various stakeholders have to solve if the country is aimed at progressing. One of the areas that need attention is increasing the level of knowledge about the disease(Sern Zanuddin, 2014). However, it should also be noted that knowledge alone may not necessarily be protective against contacting the disease since there are those who might have all the knowledge but still chose to involve in risky sexual behavior(Wong, Chin, Low, 2010) There has to be an initiative to live what they are taught. In such cases, gender differences in perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes, particularly with regards to sexual behavior are other crucial factors worth considering. Therefore, the solution to the existing HIV menace a mong the youth can be tackled when all these determinants of health are incorporated in the proposed strategies. References Balagun, A. (2010). Islamic perspectives on HIV/AIDS and antiretroviral treatment: The case of Nigeria. African Journal of AIDS Research, 9(4): 459-466. IAS. (2013). Factsheet: HIV and AIDS in Malaysia. 7th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment, and Prevention (pp. 1-5). Kuala Lumpur: IAS. Lanz, N., Becker, M. (2016). Health Belief Model: A Decade Later. Sage Journals, 44(3): 94-127. Malaysia AIDS Council. (2015). Snapshot of HIV and AIDS in Malaysia 2015. Malaysia AIDS Council. Ministry of Health. (2011). Malaysia National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS 2011-2015. Ministry of Health. Ng, C., Kamal, S. (2012). Bridging the gap between adolescent sexuality and HIV risk: the urban Malaysian perspective. Singapore Medical Journal, 47:482-490. Sern, T. J., Zanuddin, H. (2014). Affirmative Religious Response Culture to HIV and AIDS: Understanding the Public Relations Role of JAKIM in Curbing the Epidemic among Young Muslim Couples in Malaysia. Asian Social Science, 10(3): 1-8. UNICEF. (2009). HIV and AIDS in Malaysia. UNICEF. United Nations. (2015). The Millennium Development Goals 2015 . New York: United Nations. Wong, L.-P., Chin, C.-K. L., Low, W.-Y. (2010). HIV/AIDS-Related Knowledge Among Malaysian Young Adults: Findings From a Nationwide Survey. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 10: 148-157. World Health Organization. (2012). Health of Adolescents in Malaysia. World Health Organization Western Pacific Region.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Mental Imagery as a Form of Mental Rehearsal
Introduction – What is Mental Imagery Mental imagery can be defined as a form of mental rehearsal wherein an individual visualizes an action or an event and then subsequently practices the motions within his/her mind in order to better understand how to perform that type of action within a given situation, all of this in absence of actual physical exertion (Menzies, 2004).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Mental Imagery as a Form of Mental Rehearsal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The practice of mental imagery has made several claims over the past few years which consist of supposed improvements in performance, energy, technique, motivation and the overall enjoyment that an athlete can derive from the sport that they are in (Eddy. 2003). Advocates of the technique claim that given enough time and practice, an athlete will be able to determine what mistakes he/she has made in previous games and, a s a result, can practice within his/her own mind in order to determine what to do right next time (Sargent, 2002). Skeptics of mental imagery argue that while understanding what is needed to be done during a performance is important as well as avoiding past mistakes the fact remains that the same results claimed by mental imagery can be achieved through physical exertion and training without the necessity of visualization in order to achieve a particular action. For such individuals, actually performing an action repeatedly is far better than thinking about it visually since through repeated physical action, muscle memory comes into play resulting in the almost â€Å"instinctive†rapid fire actions that players can accomplish during the heat of the moment of a game wherein split second decision making is necessary. Such a level of game play it is argued can only be achieved through constant and repetitive physical practice and it has been proven through solid, observable and measurable scientific data that such a method is an effective means of improving and boosting athletic performance. In the case of mental imagery, one of the primary arguments against it is the fact that there have been no conclusive studies which have showed solid evidence regarding its positive attributes since it is impossible to truly derive statistical data at the present from the thoughts of athletes and whether mental imagery actually results in better performance rates as compared to merely just practicing continuously.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mental Imagery and Athletic Performance One of the main problems in resolving the debate regarding the impact of mental imagery on athletic performance is the fact that no conclusive studies can actually be created that can measure the impact â€Å"visualization†has on completing a set of actions since humanity has yet to develop the technology to be able to read the human thought process. It is based on this that when trying to determine the worth of visualization the following examination will utilize anecdotal evidence derived from a variety of studies and accounts that should provide a sufficient overview as to whether mental imagery is worthless or is actually an effective means of boosting athletic performance. One of the first theoretical guides in examining the worth of mental imagery is neuromuscular theory which specifically states that the neuromuscular pattern associated with a particular movement in a sport can actually be â€Å"excited†or rather activated through imagery as well thus facilitating the process of trial and error that comes with repeated practice of a specific skill. The basis of this particular theory can be seen in studies such as those by Knà ¤uper (2009) which show that the activation of neurotransmitters associated with a particular action do not n ecessarily need to rely on performing an action but can actually be accomplished by thinking of the action itself (Knà ¤uper, 2009). As such, it is theorized that the act of constant visualization would be the same as training those very same neurotransmitters as if the athlete was performing the actions using his/her body. The inherent problem with this particular theory is that while it does indicate that the same neurotransmitters are activated during periods of visualization such studies neglect to determine the transmission level. Transmission levels can be indicative of the amount of â€Å"activity†within a particular neural cluster; while it may be true that the transmitters are active if there is little in the way of actual neural activity this is indicative of an inferior means of training which would have little to no impact on actual performance during an event. Another way of looking at the supposed â€Å"benefits†of mental imagery can be seen in the att ention arousal theory presented in studies such as those by Ozel (2004). Ozel (2004) indicates that prior to a particular sporting event athletes who use mental imagery can â€Å"psyche themselves up†so to speak in terms of achieving an appropriate level of readiness for a particular event (Ozel, 2004).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Mental Imagery as a Form of Mental Rehearsal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This can involve mentally preparing themselves for the event by envisioning the steps they must do, the actions they have to accomplish and how they are to do so. What must be understood is that a variety of studies, such as those by Gregg (2007), indicate that one of the primary problems associated with athletic performance prior to an event is when they develop a case of nervousness (Gregg, 2007). In such instances, this particular mental state actually freezes up muscles resulting in d ecreased performance. If an athlete is able to achieve an astounding degree of performance within a controlled environment yet is unable to perform to such a degree within a competitive setting, then for all intents and purposes, such an athlete is considered subpar since statistics mean nothing if victory cannot be achieved. As such, advocates of mental imagery state that by helping an athlete ease into an event by helping them imagine what needs to be done and how to accomplish it this in effect boosts an athlete’s performance since it gets rid of the associated feelings related to nervousness. Krendl (2012) gives a more detailed account of this particular phenomena by explaining that an individual’s performance during a sporting event is at times dictated not through physical ability alone but the attitude they bring to the game (Krendl, 2012). This is in line with the self efficacy theory which states that through self imagery, an athlete is able to subsequently vi sualize victory and as a result brings a positive degree of performance to the game through a certain degree of confidence in being able to win. While all of these accounts have so far shown the positive effects of mental imagery in athletic performance the fact remains that they are in fact considered anecdotal and inconsequential in the face of sustained scientific inquiry due to the fact that all of the data acquired based on the theories presented is in fact through the verbal accounts of athletes which in itself is an insufficient method of deriving a conclusion from an examination that is meant to measure performance levels and not the way in which athletes can describe them. What is needed are cold hard facts that can be examined statistically, unfortunately, such data cannot be provided since the supposed â€Å"positive†effects of mental imagery are in the thoughts of the athlete which at the present cannot be accessed or measured.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Muscle Memory One of the views against the effectiveness of mental imagery are those focusing on the concept of muscle memory and how such a process produces a measurable and above all effective response in athletes as compared to the purely mental process that is mental imagery. Muscle memory can be described as a form of movement that has been repeated over and over again by the body that the end result is no longer a long and protracted effort by the mind in communicating what needs to be done when it comes to a particular bodily set of actions rather the result is the creation of an immediate response mechanism wherein the action follows through smoothly based on environmental data and how the body was taught to respond to a particular set of â€Å"triggers†. By developing this particular set of ingrained muscular movements, this creates a far faster response mechanism which creates an observable and measurable performance increase in athletes that participate in particul ar sporting events. This is one of the reasons why studies such as those by Young (n.d.) indicate that the constant practicing conducted by coaches is not just a means of getting an individual or team to anticipate the possible strategies that the opposing team will attempt but it acts as a means of further enhancing the muscle memory associated with such activities which would enable an athlete to not only perform to an adequate set of standards but exceed them since they can think of possible counter strategies while in the â€Å"heat of the moment†instead of merely concentrating on how to perform a particular action (Young, N.D.). In fact, the study of LeBoutillier (2003) considers the process of mental imagery during practice sessions to actually be detrimental towards athletic performance since it creates a habit of constant visualization which would get in the way of actual performance (LeBoutillier, 2003). What must be understood is that muscle performance is just one facet of the way in which the body adapts to certain actions, events and stressors. Cox (2010) explains that the body and the mind has a habit of internalizing certain actions and making them into habits which become so ingrained into a person’s daily routine and way of thinking that it becomes almost impossible to extricate such an action from an individual’s daily processes (Cox, 2010). For example, a person may develop the daily habit of drinking coffee in the morning, exercising in the afternoon, or pausing to consider what to say while having a conversation. Such habits are not limited to daily nuances but actually extend into an athlete’s method of performing a particular action such as a player developing the ingrained habit of dodging to the left every time someone comes to tackle him due to repetitive instructions to always dodge towards the left during practice. Unfortunately, not all ingrained habitual behavior can be considered positive and, in the case of mental imagery, it was seen that the constant reference to visualization before performing an action actually resulted in a continued ingrained habit which affected athletic performance. What must be understood is that the main purpose of developing muscle memory is so that an athlete will react automatically to a plethora of given situations without actually thinking. Studies such as those by Salka Jr. (2010) reveal that higher level critical thinking associated with imagination, visualization and interpretation actually has a significant â€Å"lag period†between thinking of a particular action and the body actually performing it (Salka Jr.,2010). While it may be true that higher level cognitive processes are an effective means of devising strategies and interpreting the actions that are occurring at the present within a game, the fact remains that there is an inherent limit in the ability of the mind and body to develop the information, process it and then translat e it into an effective physical motion. As such, lower level automatic processes (i.e. the commands related to walking, eating, moving etc.) that govern muscle memory are far more effective when it comes to sporting events since the mind doesn’t necessarily need to â€Å"think†to accomplish a certain set of actions that have become so ingrained into the muscle memory that they do not even have to be thought at all in order to be completed. As such, it based on this particular example that it can be seen that mental imagery when compared to the muscle memory can be considered as nothing more than an ineffective form of interference that would cause performance issues during a match since their habit of visualization would interfere with the process of automatic motion based on muscle memory. Mental imagery does indeed have its place in terms of a method of helping players visualize an action however it should not be utilized as a secondary means of training due to the possibility of subsequent interference with the necessity of transforming the responses of athletes into those based on muscle memory due to the greater efficiency and speed by which such responses reflect onto actual game play. Mental Imagery – Worthless or Effective? Based on the data presented in this paper, it can be argued that mental imagery is in a way worthless since without sufficient studies to back up its supposed effectiveness it cannot really be stated that the practice is at all effective. There have been many successful athletes in the past who have claimed that success can be achieved through hard work and practice and have never really attributed any of their achievements through the use of mental imagery. While some of today’s successful athletes claim that mental imagery was one of the reasons behind their success, who says that they would not have achieved the same level of success without it? It is based on this that due to the lack of sufficient e vidence to state otherwise, mental imagery should be relegated as being nothing more than a practice that some individuals utilize due to their own personal beliefs regarding its effectiveness rather than ascribing to it any sort of official acknowledgement regarding its ability to produce tangible and effective results. Reference List Cox, R. (2010). Predicting Subjective Athletic Performance from Psychological Skills after Controlling for Sex and Sport. Journal Of Sport Behavior, 33(2), 129. Eddy, K. D. (2003). Mental Imagery in Athletes With Visual Impairments. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 20(4), 347. Gregg, M. (2007). Perceived Effectiveness of Heptathletes’ Mental Imagery. Journal Of Sport Behavior, 30(4), 398. Knà ¤uper, B. H. (2009). Using Mental Imagery to Enhance the Effectiveness of Implementation Intentions. Current Psychology, 28(3), 181. Krendl, A. (2012). The Effects of Stereotypes and Observer Pressure on Athletic Performance. Journal Of Sport E xercise Psychology, 34(1), 3. LeBoutillier, N. F. (2003). Mental imagery and creativity: A meta-analytic review study. British Journal Of Psychology, 94(1), 29. Menzies, V. (2004). The Idea of Imagination: An Analysis of â€Å"Imagery†. Advances In Mind-Body Medicine, 20(2), 4. Ozel, S. (2004). Relation Between Sport and Spatial Imagery: Comparison of Three Group of Participants. Journal Of Psychology, 138(1), 49. Salka Jr., J. J. (2010). Muscle Memory. Firehouse, 35(10), 102. Sargent, G. (2002). The power of Mental Imagery. Sports Coach, 25(2), 18. Young, M. (n.d). Muscle Memory. (cover story). Massage Magazine, (127), 66. This research paper on Mental Imagery as a Form of Mental Rehearsal was written and submitted by user Damion Rivera to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.
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