Why You Shouldnt Use a Period When Text Messaging

Have you ever ended up in a spat with someone after a text message conversation went awry? Has anyone ever accused your messages of being rude or insincere? Researchers have found that a surprising source may be the culprit: using a period to end a texted sentence could be the reason. Key Takeaways: Periods and Text Messaging Researchers have suggested that text messaging may resemble how people speak more closely than how people write.Over text, people often use emojis, punctuation, and the repetition of letters to communicate social cues.In one study, participants indicated that text messages ending with a period didn’t seem as sincere as those that left off the final period. Overview A team of psychologists at Binghamton University in New York conducted a study among the schools students and found that text message responses to questions that ended with a period were perceived as less sincere than those that did not. The study titled  Texting Insincerely: The Role of the Period in Text Messaging was published in  Computers in Human Behavior  in February 2016, and was led by Professor of Psychology Celia Klin. Previous studies and our own daily observations show that  most people do not include periods at the end of final sentences in text messages, even when they include them in the sentences that precede them. Klin and her team suggest that this occurs because  the rapid back-and-forth exchange enabled by texting resembles talking, so our use of the medium is closer to how we speak to each other than to how we write with each other. This means that when people communicate by text message they must use other methods to include the social cues that are included by default in spoken conversations, like  tone, physical gestures, facial and eye expressions, and the pauses we take between our words. (In sociology, we use the symbolic interaction perspective to analyze all the ways our daily interactions are loaded with communicated meaning.) How We Communicate Social Cues Over Text There are many ways that we add these social cues to our textual conversations. Most obvious among them are emojis, which have become such a common part of our daily communicative lives that Oxford English Dictionary named the Face with Tears of Joy emoji as its 2015 Word of the Year. We also use punctuation like asterisks and exclamation points to add emotional and social cues to our texted conversations. Repeating letters to add emphasis to a word, like sooooooo tired, is also commonly used to the same effect.​ Klin and her team suggest that these elements add pragmatic and social information to the literal meaning of typed words, and so have become useful and important elements of conversation in our digitized, twenty-first-century lives. But a period at the end of a final sentence stands alone. What Periods Communicate in Text Messaging In the context of texting, other linguistic researchers have  suggested that the period reads as final—as shutting down a conversation—and that it is more commonly used at the end of a sentence that is meant to convey unhappiness, anger, or frustration. But Klin and her team wondered if this was really the case, and so they conducted a study to test this theory. Study Methods Klin and her team had 126 students at their university rate the sincerity of a variety of exchanges,  presented as images of text messages on mobile phones. In each exchange, the first message contained a statement and a question, and the response contained an answer to the question. The researchers tested each set of messages with a response that ended with a period, and with one that did not.  One example  read, Dave gave me his extra tickets. Wanna come? followed by a response of Sure—punctuated with a period in some instances, and not in others. The study also contained twelve other exchanges using different forms of punctuation, so as to not lead participants on to the intent of the study. Participants rated the exchanges from very insincere (1) to very sincere (7). Study Results The results show that people find final sentences that end with a period to be less sincere than those that are ended without punctuation (3.85 on the scale of 1-7, versus 4.06). Klin and her team observed that the period has taken on a particular pragmatic and social meaning in texting because its use is optional in this form of communication. That participants in the study did not rate use of the period as indicating a less sincere handwritten message seems to back this up. Our interpretation of the period as signaling a not entirely sincere message is unique to texting. Why You Should Leave the Period Off Your Next Text Message Of course, these findings do not suggest that people are using periods intentionally to make the meaning of their messages less sincere. But, regardless of intent, receivers of such messages are interpreting them that way. Consider that during an in-person conversation, a similar lack of sincerity might be communicated by not looking up from a task or other object of focus while responding to a question. Such behavior signals a lack of interest in or engagement with the person asking the question. In the context of texting, the use of a period has taken on a similar meaning. So, if you want to ensure that your messages are received and understood with the level of sincerity you intend, leave the period off the final sentence. You might even consider upping the sincerity ante with an exclamation point. Grammar experts are likely to disagree with this recommendation, but its us social scientists who are more adept at understanding the shifting dynamics of interaction and communication. You can trust us on this, sincerely. References â€Å"Announcing the Oxford Dictionaries ‘Word’ of  the Year 2015.† Oxford Dictionaries, 17 Nov. 2015. https://languages.oup.com/press/news/2019/7/5/WOTYGunraj, Danielle N., et al. Texting Insincerely: The Role of the Period in Text Messaging.  Computers in Human Behavior  vol. 55, 2016, pp. 1067-1075. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.11.003

Slavery in the United States Free Essays

The problem of slavery in the territories created tensions that contributed to the breakup of the Union in 1860-61. The main explanation for the origins of the American Civil War is slavery, especially when it came to Southern anger. The Southern anger was based on the Northern attempts to avoid further slave expansion, which lead to numerous acts, and essentially caused the war against Mexico. We will write a custom essay sample on Slavery in the United States or any similar topic only for you Order Now The United States was a nation divided into two different regions separated by the Mason-Dixon Line. New England, the Northeast and the Midwest had a rapidly-growing economy based on family farms, industry, mining, commerce and transportation, with a large and rapidly growing urban population and no slavery north of the border-states. Its growth was fed by a high birth rate and large numbers of European immigrants, especially Irish, British and German. The South was dominated by a settled plantation system based on slavery. There was some rapid growth taking place in the Southwest, (i. e. Texas), based on high birth rates and high migration from the Southeast, but it had a much lower immigration rate from Europe. The South also had fewer large cities, and little manufacturing except in border areas (which were very influenced by the Northern region). Slave owners controlled politics and economics, though two-thirds of Southern whites owned no slaves and usually were engaged in subsistence agriculture The economic and social differences between the North and the South were two main f actors that caused tensions that contributed to the breakup of the Union. As stated earlier the South was dominated by a settled plantation system based on slavery. Unlike the North in which slavery was frown upon. The North? s economy was based in small farms, and industrial labor in the urban populated cities. As for the North that socially was shaped by European immigration, the South was very much isolated. The North was progressing as labor united various kinds of cultures achieving a society that sustain in each other, unlike the South who solely depended on the Slaves, even though most farms did not contain slaves the Southern society was moved by the richest plantation owners (which did solely depend on slavery). Some other factors that lead to tension leading to the separation of the Union are; States versus federal rights, the fight between Slave and Non-Slave State Proponents, Growth of the Abolition Movement, and finally the election of Abraham Lincoln. How to cite Slavery in the United States, Essay examples

Paper Addresses Various Aspects of Changing Workforce Composition

Question: Discuss Paper Addresses Various Aspects of Changing Workforce Composition? Answer: Introduction This paper addresses various aspects of changing workforce composition and its impact of employee engagement in a large organization. The world has witnessed a lot of changes socially and technologically and this has had impacts on the workforce composition as well as employee engagement. The companies, in response to these changes in the workforce composition has had to adapt accordingly in order to effectively achieves its organizational objectives Younger generation workforce Today many companies have youthful workforce of about 40 years and below. This means that the younger age groups such Millennials who are tech savvy and like more work flexibility command high percentage of workforce in many companies. The new generations are more conscious to work-life balance and like to work under contracts. This new composition has lead many companies adopting various strategies in order to attract and retain best talents at work. The management style has had to move from seniority based democratic and talented based. The leader nowadays is not about how many years youve spend at the company but how efficient and skilled you are at the company. If the company doesnt adopt this and stills maintain management on seniority grounds then it is likely to loose the young talents. The mode of communication has also changed from direct in person to email, text and social media. The companies have had to equally change in order to suit to the new composition of the workfor ce. (Post and DiTomaso, 2009) Work specialization The young generation also sees career as a contract and process as opposed to older generation which viewed career as a responsibility. The workforce is becoming more specialized viewing a job as task based not just being at office the whole day. The niche developed in terms of work specialization has seen the some companies hire an expert for specialized function on temporary basis once done the expert moves to the next company. Usually this kind of an arrangement involves a lot of money to pay for the services than it would if the expert was an in-house employee. (Christensen and Schneider, 2010) Technological advancement With the technological advancement across the world, like robotic advancements, the nature of the work has had to change and hence the composition of the workforce. The call centers are perfect example of how the technology has lead to change in the composition of the workforce. The call centers nowadays employ people to work from their homes as long as they are online to answer to customer queries and other work related tasks. The company only needs to invest in the technological infrastructure like websites and other online platforms to enable employees work remotely from home or any other place suitable to them. The few employees who the company keeps at its physical call centers are mainly for administrative purposes but the main tasks are carried out remotely. The companies have also been forced to invest in robots in place of human beings in a bid to become more efficient and faster in work deliveries. (The Changing Composition of the Workforce, 2012) Experts composition Due to various technologies needing various experts technological advancement has contributed to having heterogynous composition of the workforce at various companies. The various cultural and social differences within the workforce has lead to different approaches to issues such as smart conference facilities that enable each employee to speak in his or her official language and have the rest of the workforce understand her communication without language barrier. These teleconferencing facilities enable employees of the multinational organizations to have work- related meetings with colleagues in different countries. (Post and DiTomaso, 2009) Changes to workplace composition In the next 5-10 years there would a lot more demographic changes than it is now. The gap between men and women will continue getting narrower as more women become enlightened through affirmative action and other agents of social justice. The workforce will continue having young people and this percentage will only grow going forward. This means that a lot of the workforce will be more tech savvy and perhaps texts messages would get more use in terms of official communications. The reason for this is that with time people tend to look for convenient ways of doing things. Perhaps there is going to be more women at work than men given the rate at which the gap is closing. It is therefore hard to imagine that once the gap closes the increasing trend of women will stop. So the composition of workforce could be flipped on its head in the nest 5-10 years with more women in workforce than men. (Karoly and Panis, 2004) Workforce and managerial implications Workers will therefore need to be having basic learning in information technology in order to be marketable in the job market. Workers will not be having this certification in the next 5-10 years may experience challenges obtaining jobs because most jobs on offer will require basic IT knowledge. For example the secretary jobs is likely to move to remote working say at home where a secretary can respond to inquiries from clients through IT communication platforms. The need for physical secretary may no longer be necessary given the technological advancements. (Heler, 2014) For managers, they will need to more tolerant and consensus building as opposed to only providing directions. The managers will need to be more skilled people with basic qualifications on IT on the minimum to be able to lead by example. They would need to adopt a flexible working schedule in order to align itself with the workforce who will ne more interested in work-life balance than before. Therefore a good company now should start preparations of flexing its time table in preparation of the incoming workforce. The managers will want to attract best talents for their respective organizations and to achieve this work environment should be conducive for the younger workforce generation. (Heler, 2014) Conclusion In conclusion the world will continue witnessing unprecedented changes in the composition of the workforce in various companies. The ever present technological advancement and the need for more work-life balance will continue being major agents of the changes in the workforce composition. The companies will therefore be required to continue aligning themselves to these changes in order to remain competitive in the market and attract and retain best talents available. References Belloc, H. (1923). On. New York: George H. Doran Co. Christensen, K. and Schneider, B. (2010). Workplace flexibility. Ithaca: ILR Press. Heler, D. (2014). New Workforce: Changing Demographics' Impact on Electric and Gas Utilities: A Practitioner's Solution. Natural Gas Electricity, 30(11), pp.12-18. Karoly, L. and Panis, C. (2004). The 21st century at work. Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND. Ordun, G. and Akun, A. (2016). Personality Characteristics and Emotional Intelligence Levels of Millenials: A Study in Turkish Context. Journal of Economic and Social Studies, 6(1). PALLIATIVE CARE WORKFORCE: TEAM COMPOSITION ACROSS SETTINGS. (2015). The Gerontologist, 55(Suppl_2), pp.777-777. Post, C. and DiTomaso, N. (2009). Diversity in the work force. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. The Changing Composition of the Workforce. (2012). Springer Verlag

Digging Seamus Heaney Essay Example

Digging Seamus Heaney Essay The first theme of the poem â€Å"Digging† is one of Heaney looking back at his family’s history and tradition. Heaney’s ancestry includes both a farming Gaelic past and the modern Ulster industrial revolution, and this tension between the two sides of his past are demonstrated through this poem â€Å"digging†. This is a free verse poem containing eight stanzas and two couplets and it is written in the first person narrative, the free nature of this poem allows us to see Heaney expressing the turmoil he feels between the past the present. But it also demonstrates the love and respect he feels for his ancestors. The poem starts with an image of the poet’s hand â€Å"a squat pen rests; snug as gun. † In using this metaphor Heaney is expressing the power of the written word and the pen much like the power of the gun. Initially Heaney appears far removed from his family’s heritage and the idea that boys are expected to follow in their father’s footsteps. However, when you explore the poem further it becomes clear that Heaney is in fact reminiscing of his past and how he holds both his father and grandfather in great esteem. Whilst reflecting within the poem Heaney is disturbed â€Å"under my window, a clean rasping sound†. We will write a custom essay sample on Digging Seamus Heaney specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Digging Seamus Heaney specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Digging Seamus Heaney specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Heaney looks and sees his â€Å"father, digging. I look down† Whilst watching his father it suggests that he sees how natural his father is at digging and it invokes the memories he had as a child of both his father and grandfather. Heaney describes both men with a boyish admiration and of his father Heaney exclaims â€Å"By god, the old man could handle a spade. Just like his old man. † And of his grandfather â€Å"My grandfather cut more turf in a day than any other man on Toner’s bog. † a true local legend. This demonstrates how Heaney sees both men as working class heroes. The second theme of the poem has Heaney reflecting on himself, whom he considers to have less-admirable qualities compared to his honest and hardworking father and grandfather. Heaney wonders if his grandfather forever associated him with the bottle of milk that was â€Å"corked sloppily with paper†, as Heaney is not the traditional man that his grandfather was. Heaney then draws comparisons the sloppiness of the cork and the softness of the paper to the no-nonsense attitude of his grandfather as demonstrated when the states of this grandfather â€Å"He straightened up to drink it, and then fell right to way. This leads Heaney to believe that he will never measure up to his father and grandfather whose earthy physicality he so admires. The third theme is one of realisation about Heaney to himself â€Å"But I have no spade to follow men like them. †Heaney understands that whilst he is not the traditional man like his ancestors his ultimate accomplishment is in fact lett ing go of the guilt associated with not following in their footsteps and looking down upon the manual labour as mere pre modernist stages of human existence. Upon reflecting Heaney does uncover his connection to his past and realises he has modernity of his mother’s nature within him. Heaney realises he can express the traditional side of his character through the power of the pen and his writing and in the last stanza Heaney writes â€Å"Between my finger and my thumb the squat pen tests. I’ll dig with it. † Heaney will continue the traditions of his father by â€Å"digging† with the pen through his writing.

Antigone Essays (457 words) - Antigone, Civil Disobedience, Creon

Antigone Essays (457 words) - Antigone, Civil Disobedience, Creon Antigone Sophocles' trilogy of Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone is a powerful, tragic tale that examines the nature of human guilt, fate and punishment. Creon, Oedipus' uncle and brother-in-law, is the story's most dynamic character. His character experiences a drastic metamorphosis through the span of the three dramas. Creon's vision of a monarch's proper role, his concept of and respect for justice, as well as his respect for the design evolve considerably by the trilogy's tragic conclusion. In Oedipus the King (OK) , the audience is introduced to a Creon who seems to put loyalty to the king above all. He sympathizes with the tragic plight of King Oedipus and asserts no apparent ambition himself. His attitude toward the king is one of yielding and fulfilling reverence. Creon's notion of justice in OK stems directly from the divine. That which the gods have decreed must become law. It pains Creon to have Oedipus exiled, but he must do so as the gods have willed it. Creon's respect for divinity and prophecy seems to be his defining trait in OK. His attitude is one of unquestioning reverence. In Oedipus at Colonus (OC), one sees the beginning of Creon's decline. Creon has now come to occupy the throne that once belonged to Oedipus. It soon becomes apparent that his vision of the proper role of a king has changed to accommodate his new-found position. The emphasis shifts from that of a king who must rule wisely to one who must rule unyieldingly. The kingship becomes a selfserving instrument for Creon in his attempt to secure the return of Oedipus and the good fortune prophesied to accompany him. Creon's notion of justice is severely distorted in OC. He becomes monomaniacal - conducting his affairs with tyranny and belligerence. For example, he threatens to harm Oedipus' daughters if the blind beggar does not return to Thebes. His view of rightness and fairness is no longer in line with that of his subjects. In OC, Creon still retains some respect for divine prophecies. These have after all motivated his desire to return Oedipus to Thebes. Antigone reveals the ultimate extent to which Creon's character deteriorates. His transformation completes itself; he has become an unreasonable tyrant. Creon can no longer be called a king. He has become a despot. There is absolutely no justice to be found. Violence and threats of violence are the tools by which he rules. For example, his senseless threats to an innocent sentry reveal the true extent of his loss of reason. Creon has distorted the proclamation against Polyneices' burial, which was originally intended to foster Theban unity, into a display of rashness and incompetence. There is no mention of the gods and their intentions on Creon's behalf in Antigone. He has been so far destroyed by his own power as to dismiss the divine will that he originally thrived on.

Consumer Behaviour dissonance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consumer Behaviour dissonance - Essay Example In modern theories of consumer behaviour, much stress is given on this particular sequence of events of first knowing one's self and then proceeding to make a purchase. Experts believe "that people purchase a product or brand only if these things are consistent with, enhance, or in some way fit well with the conception they have of themselves" (Ross, 1971, p. 38). Thus, self-image, or self-concept has found a central place in the works of many modern consumer behaviour theorists. "Any bit of knowledge that a person has about himself or the environment is a "cognition," or "cognitive element."" (Wicklund, and Brehm 1976, 2). Self-cognition is not objective, but the sum total of subjective thoughts one has about one's self. It is taken as "the totality of the individual's thoughts and feelings having reference to him/her self as an object" (Rosenberg, 1979). Modern consumer behaviour theories postulate that a consumer who is not aware of his/her self, and fails to achieve "self-congruity" is bound to suffer in the act of purchasing a product from pre-choice anxiety, and/or post-choice regret arising from cognitive dissonance. In theories that attribute a "brand" with personality (Sirgy, 1985), the same principles can well apply to the development of the brand image of a product, as they apply to the consumer's path to proper purchase. Similar theorists hold that consumers select brands by the same process they select companions; "just as people take care in choosing friends who have a similar personality to themselves, so brands, which are symbolic of particular images, are chosen with the same concern" (De Chernatony and McDonald, 1997, p. 145). In today's marketing theories, products are assumed to have a personality that is not only determined by the product's physical characteristics (actual self), but also by the marketing mix promoting a brand image (ideal self) beyond the functionality of the product. In fact, according to many, self-image/brand-image congruity plays a key factor in driving consumer behaviour, and a brand image or product image, like the human self, can possess " a set of attribut es such as friendly, modern, youthful and traditional" (Sirgy, 1985, p.195). The concept of the self that a person holds has many dimensions, and includes both physical and psychological attributes. Self-concept bases itself upon human self-prototypes and moderates the psychological functioning of an individual to exhibit consistent behavioural patterns in the various social roles that a person has to play. Such self-prototypes or self-schemata control, organize, and influence the information processing function of a person that includes the processing of both self-related and other information (Markus, 1977). The selection, interpretation, filtration, and assimilation of incoming information depend upon the self-schemas possessed by each individual (Kihilstrom, 1981). Absorption, rejection, or alteration of new information is based upon its consistency with the existing self-structure (Snygg and Combs, 1949). Earlier research on measuring and analysing self-images was confined to the domain of psychologists who studied the differences that could be seen between the individual's perceptions of his/her real

DEVELOPING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DEVELOPING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE - Essay Example Nevertheless, one main issue remains to be satisfactorily resolved and it involves accurate measurement of the occurrence of plagiarism. Scholars have relied on student reporting of their own and their peers’ plagiarising behaviour in obtaining such measures. Although, scholars may obtain useful data this way, the method develops its paradox because it requires survey participants to offer honest reports regarding their dishonesty. Moreover, although self-reporting in any behaviour is problematic, self-reporting of dishonesty behaviour is extremely challenging and studies show that student responses are not congruent to their employed behaviours; nevertheless, the advent of plagiarism detection software made the task easier. The use of software that detect plagiarism by university lecturers enables the lecturers to perform what was previously difficult or impossible namely obtaining a clear picture of the extent of plagiarism in student assignments; moreover, the use of plagia rism software has deterrent effect on plagiarism. Despite the potential usefulness of the various plagiarism software and their unequivocally acceptance by the community of academicians, a backlash against their use seems to be underway as academicians consider the use of such software to control students. The scholar’s goal is to fill the gap between what students actually do instead of what they say they do with regard to plagiarism in assignments. The main strength in the research includes a collection of records on the form and extent of plagiarism over a period of five years in two main university assignments. However, the study had several limitations one of which is over reliance on Turnitin, which only matches material found on the internet. Materials of the university textbooks cannot be matched unless the material gets online in some form like through lodging a student’s assignment in the software’s database. Moreover, the database of Turnitin may be u nable to detect material within invisible web sources like password-protected databases or even customised assignments produced by writing companies. Another disadvantage is that the measurement process relied to a certain extent on the interpretation of the original report in conjunction with checking of the assignment script; hence, absolute objectivity cannot be claimed in the data. The disadvantage of the of a convenient sample like non-randomness and potential absenteeism in generalization are acknowledged; in addition, the study is limited to New Zealand where the data was derived and the findings indicate that they may not be generalised. The findings confirmed the established view that international students have high rate of plagiarism compared to domestic students because they not only topped in rates across students, but also were at the top of rating regarding verbatim plagiarism and were among students with high rate of extensive plagiarism. The notion that students wit hout experience are more prone to plagiarism was not fully supported in the study findings because students in year one submitted the smallest percentage of plagiarised script in the year of enrolment, while students in their fourth year of enrolment plagiarised extensively. From the present6ed data in the study, it is possible to develop a profile of