Influence of Brand Loyalty on Consumer Sportswear free essay sample

We owe a debt of gratitude to (professors name), for the vision and foresight which inspired us to conceive this research project on topic Influence of Brand Loyalty on Consumer Sportswear as for providing necessary information regarding the project also for her support in completing the project. We would like to express our gratitude towards member of (institute name) for their kind co-operation and encouragement which help us in completion of this project. Our thanks and appreciation also goes to all the respondents who took time to fill the questionnaires and helped us out with their abilities. INDEX S. NO CONTENTS PAGE NO. 1 Statement of the problem 4 2 Background of the Problem 5 3 Purpose of the Study 6 4 Setting for the Study 6 5 Research Questions 7 6 Definition of Terms 7 7 Factors of Brand Loyalty 8 8 Grass roots marketing 11 9 Hypotheses 12 10 Methodology 12 11 Hypothesis Test 13 12 Sample Questionnaire 14 13 Respondents’ Information 16 14 Graphs 18 15 Analysis 20 16 Research Questions Analysis 20 17 Conclusion 21 Statement of the Problem This study focuses on various aspects of building brand loyalty towards youth consumers and how current marketing strategies in the clothing company industry are used. We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of Brand Loyalty on Consumer Sportswear or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Typically marketing and public relations professionals have used branding and mass media as a way to increase visibility of a brand allowing them to stand out and create loyalty to said brand. Brand is an identifiable product, service, person or place augmented in such a way that the buyer or user perceives relevant, unique added values, which match their needs most closely. Furthermore, its success results from being able to sustain these added values in the face of competition. Brand awareness is the ability to identify the brand under different conditions and it consists of brand recognition and brand recall. It is important as it can increase the likelihood of the brand being part of, and selected from, a consideration set and ultimately strengthens brand associations and the resultant brand image. A wide variety of programs have been developed and implemented to increase customer loyalty. The majority of these programs target customers functional and economic benefits (e. g. price-discounts, coupons, mileage programs, etc. ). However, these types of loyalty programs are necessary but not a sufficient condition to simultaneously increase multifaceted customer loyalty. Increasing customer loyalty entirely requires a customized marketing strategy that varies by each different type of loyalty. By using a type of grass roots consumer marketing as opposed to mass media marketing a longer lasting brand loyalty can be built with youth consumers. Background of the Problem The existing literature regarding grass roots marketing in regards to brand loyalty is relatively minimal. It mainly focuses on the benefits of branding through the use of mass media marketing. The literature is also lacking in the area of targeting youth consumers with grass roots marketing efforts and the benefits that are possible in creating brand loyalty. The importance of reaching children at a young age with specific tactics to build brand loyalty is huge. It is suggested that decision-making skills emerge throughout childhood and that brand reliance is firmly established in children as young as two years old. Brands provide firms with an opportunity to distinguish their product offerings and provide consumers with information about the product, particularly quality and self-identity. Youth consumers are searching to build their self-identity and brands can capitalize on that. Although significant research into adult buying behaviour and branding does exist, it is not appropriate to assume that this can be applied to younger consumers. Purpose of the Study According to current trends in the field of lifestyle clothing and marketing, mass media is the chosen route. The influence of grass roots marketing to build brand loyalty is down played as a strategy to reach consumers effectively. Shifts in culture have proved that response to mass media marketing is declining and there are other alternatives to build your brand. Lifestyle clothing companies have started to implement strategies to reach youth consumer markets in a personalized way. Through the use of grass roots consumer marketing brands can capitalize on the growing field of youth consumers to build brand loyalty and create returning customers for life. By investigating the current strategies used to market clothing brands to youth it will benefit marketing, public relations, and clothing companies who consistently develop and manage brands. Setting for the Study This study was done in colleges and in shopping malls with sports brands showrooms. Questionnaires were filled by 50 respondents which includes males and females of different age groups between 20 to 30 and with different occupations. Research Questions The study used following research questions that were designed to answer fundamental gaps in the existing literature on the topic development and evaluation of grass roots marketing towards youth consumers to build brand loyalty. Each question was created after investigating the existing information on the topic in order to acquire additional pertinent and necessary data from professionals in the fields of marketing, public relations, and clothing for the study. 1. How does one create loyalty through the use of branding? 2. How do product-branding efforts affect different aged demographics? 3. How does branding in sports goods affect younger consumers? 4. Why is brand loyalty incorporated in the grass roots marketing of sports goods? 5. What is the success of grass roots marketing in sustaining youth consumer loyalty to the established brand? Definition of Terms The following terms are defined to clarify several of the terms on the topic and assist the reader and provide context to the remainder of the study. Brand: An identifiable product, service, person or place augmented in such a way that the buyer or user perceives relevant, unique added values, which match their needs most closely. Furthermore, its success results from being able to sustain these added values in the face of competition. Brand Community: defined in terms of the relationships in which the customer is situated, including relationships between the customer and the brand, between the customer and the company, between the customer and the product in use, and among fellow customers. Brand communities create loyalty, causing the consumer to intend to keep the relationship and ultimately repurchase your product. Brand awareness: the ability to identify a brand under different conditions, it consists of brand recognition and brand recall. Brand awareness is important as it can increase the likelihood of the brand being part of, and selected from, a consideration set and ultimately strengthens brand associations and the resultant brand image. Brand Alliance: the short-or-long term association of both tangible and intangible qualities associated with brand partners in order to increase visibility of one or both brands. Brand Loyalty: the increased profits or benefits of a branded product, corporation or person compared to those with no brand name attached. Factors of Brand Loyalty Brand Name Famous brand names can disseminate product benefits and lead to higher recall of advertised benefits than non-famous brand names. There are many unfamiliar brand names and alternatives available in the market place. Consumers may prefer to trust major famous brand names. These prestigious brand names and their images attract consumers to purchase the brand and bring about repeat purchasing behaviour and reduce price related switching behaviours. Furthermore, brand personality provides links to the brand’s emotional and self-expressive benefits for differentiation. This is important for brands which have only minor physical differences and are consumed in a social setting where the brand can create a visible image about the consumer itself. On other hand, fashion magazines and fashion press elaborate on the designer’s collections to the full extent and thus reinforce better images to facilitate consumer recognition. Consumers are usually able to evaluate each of the products and brand name attributes. It is noteworthy that this information is essential for marketing managers to make informed decisions concerning product positioning, repositioning and differential advantages. Brand name is the creation of an image or the development of a brand identity and is an expensive and time consuming process. The development of a brand name is an essential part of the process since the name is the basis of a brand’s image. Brand name is important for the firm to attract customers to purchase the product and influence repeat purchasing behaviour. Consumers tend to perceive the products from an overall perspective, associating with the brand name all the attributes and satisfaction experienced by the purchase and use of the product. Product Quality Product Quality encompasses the features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs. In other words, product quality is defined as â€Å"fitness for use† or ‘conformance to requirement†. Consumers may repeat the purchase of single brands or switch around several brands due to the tangible quality of the product sold. The components of product quality of fashion merchandise include size measurement, cutting or fitting, material, colour, function and the performance of the merchandise. Fitting is a crucial aspect in garment selection because some fitted garments such as swimsuits and aerobic wear can ideally enhance the consumers’ general appearance. Material is important in product quality because it affects the hand feel, texture and other performance aspects of the product. Further, consumers relate personally to colour, and could select or reject a fashion because of colour. If the colour does not appeal to them or flatter their own colour, they will reject the fashion. Functional attributes in sportswear include quick-dry, breathable, waterproof, odour-resistant, lightweight, and antimicrobial and finally, durability which is the use life of garments. For instance, some consumers wear their sportswear for heavy work and some for leisure and sports, as they need a lot of movement, while durability is an important consideration in purchasing sportswear. Perfectionist or quality consciousness is defined as an awareness of and desire for high quality products, and the need to make the best or perfect choice versus buying the first product or brand available. This indicates that quality characteristics are also related to performance. Price Price is probably the most important consideration for the average consumer. Consumers with high brand loyalty are willing to pay a premium price for their favoured brand, so, their purchase intention is not easily affected by price. In addition, customers have a strong belief in the price and value of their favourite brands so much so that they would compare and evaluate prices with alternative brands. Consumers’ satisfaction can also be built by comparing price with perceived costs and values. If the perceived values of the product are greater than cost, it is observed that consumers will purchase that product. Loyal customers are willing to pay a premium even if the price has increased because the perceived risk is very high and they prefer to pay a higher price to avoid the risk of any change. Basically, long-term relationships of service loyalty make loyal customers more price tolerant, since loyalty discourages customers from making price comparison with other products by shopping around. Price has increasingly become a focal point in consumers’ judgments of offer value as well as their overall assessment of the retailer. Price significantly influences consumer choice and incidence of purchase. He emphasized that discount pricing makes households switch brands and buy products earlier than needed. Price is described as the quantity of payment or compensation for something. It indicates price as an exchange ratio between goods that pay for each other. Price also communicates to the market the company’s intended value positioning of its product or brand. Price consciousness is defined as finding the best value, buying at sale prices or the lowest price choice. Additionally, consumers generally evaluated market price against an internal reference price, before they decide on the attractiveness of the retail price. Style Style is visual appearance, which includes line, silhouette and details affecting consumer perception towards a brand. A composite list of apparel attributes has been generated and one of the conceptual categories is style. Consumers’ judgment depends on the consumers’ level of fashion consciousness, so judgment will be conditioned by their opinion of what is currently fashionable. Brands that supply stylish sportswear attract loyal consumers who are fashion conscious. Fashion leaders or followers usually purchase or continue to repeatedly purchase their fashion garments in stores that are highly fashionable. They gain satisfaction from wearing the latest fashion and style which also satisfies their ego. A research investigated the niche market in women’s sportswear results showed that sportswear shoppers were becoming more fashion conscious and were demanding products with more style; furthermore, consumers have a tendency to wear different attires for different occasions. Fashion consciousness is generally defined as an awareness of new styles, changing fashions, and attractive styling, as well as the desire to buy something exciting and trendy. Store Environment The store environment is the single most important factor in retail marketing success and store longevity. Positive attributes of the store, which include store location, store layout, and in-store stimuli, affect brand loyalty to some extent. Store location and number of outlets are crucial in altering consumer shopping and purchasing patterns. If consumers find the store to be highly accessible during their shopping trip and are satisfied with the store’s assortment and services, these consumers may become loyal afterwards. Thus, a store’s atmosphere is one of the factors that could influence consumer’s decision making. The stimuli in the store, such as the characteristic of other shoppers and salespeople, store layout, noises, smells, temperature, shelf space and displays, sign, colours, and merchandise, affect consumers and serve as elements of apparel attributes, which may in turn, affect consumer decision making and satisfaction with the brand. On the other hand, background music played in the stores affects attitudes and behaviour. The slow-beat musical selection leads to higher sales volume as consumers spend more time and money in a conducive environment. There are many advantages to retailers having loyal customers. Customer loyalty could yield a favourable operating cost advantage for retailers. Furthermore, they stressed that obtaining new customers cost five to six times as much as retaining current customers. Loyal customers can increase their purchase spending, they are low cost for retailers as compared to obtaining new customers; they accept price premiums and they have customer longevity. The channel convenience of the brands had significant influence on buying behaviour. This means that the accessibility to this product/brand in the store is important when purchasing low involvement products. Consumers will not go to another store just to find the brand. Instead, they will stay put and choose another brand. Promotion Promotion is a marketing mix component which is a kind of communication with consumers. Promotion includes the use of advertising, sales promotions, personal selling and publicity. Advertising is a non-personal presentation of information in mass media about a product, brand, company or store. It greatly affects consumers’ images, beliefs and attitudes towards products and brands, and in turn, influences their purchase behaviours. This shows that promotion, especially through advertising, can help establish ideas or perceptions in the consumers’ minds as well as help differentiate products against other brands. Promotion is an important element of a firm’s marketing strategy. Promotion is used to communicate with customers with respect to product offerings, and it is also a way to encourage purchase or sales of a product or service. Sales promotion tools are used by most organisations in support of advertising and public relations activities, and they are targeted toward consumers as final users. Promotion has a key role in determining profitability and market success and is one of the key elements of the marketing mix which includes advertising; direct marketing; sales promotion; public relations and publicity; personal selling and sponsorship. Service Quality A common definition of service quality is that the service should correspond to the customers’ expectations and satisfy their needs and requirements. Service quality is a kind of personal selling, and involves direct interactions between salespeople and potential buyers. Consumers like to shop at specific stores because they like the services provided and are assured of certain service privileges. The impact of salespeople-consumer relationships will generally result in long term orientation of consumers towards the store or brand. Trust in salespeople appears to relate to overall perceptions of the store’s service quality, and results in the consumer being totally satisfied with the stores in the end. Additionally, personalisation (i. e. reliability, responsiveness, personalization and tangibles) significantly influence consumers’ experience and evaluation of service, and in turn, affects the brand loyalty of consumers (To and Leung, 2001). The quality of a service as perceived by customers had three dimensions: functional (or process) dimension, technical (or outcome) dimension, and image. Utilising only functional quality attributes to explain and/or predict consumers’ behaviour might be a misspecification of service quality and had low predictive validity. Grass roots marketing Brand loyalty incorporated in the grass roots marketing of lifestyle fashion. Grass roots marketing approaches are about reaching customers on a more personal level. Example of successful grass roots marketing campaign for sustaining youth consumer loyalty to established brands. First of all, it is clear that a companys brand community marketing activities have the power to influence the strength of the relationships among community participants, the brand, and the company. Accordingly, companies recognizing the important role of brand community should make every effort to actively manage a brand community. Second, the provision of a space in which customers can directly participate would be very effective in enhancing customers loyalty toward a brand. Brand communities are useful spaces where consumers get involved, exchange relevant information among members, and broaden their understanding about brands. Since customers participation often leads to brand loyalty activities, brand communities should be considered as a tool to improve marketing effectiveness. Third, the noted importance of brand communities offers new insights for customer relationship management and related marketing activities. Following the trend of companies making the most of customers positive word-of-mouth in their marketing strategies, suggestions on ways to increase community commitment should make valuable contributions to companies customer relationship marketing. Fourth, it is suggested that trust and affect are vital factors in enhancing customers brand community commitment, raising the question as to how a company might increase trust and affect in the minds of its brand community users. Brand community managers should help users to develop an emotional bond with the brand community and the brand. Sustained efforts to make users feel pleasure and enjoyment will enhance the affective atmosphere of the brand community. In addition, brand community mangers should engage in careful knowledge management to ensure that all the available information is trustworthy. Considering that trust is more influential than affect on brand community commitment and loyalty behaviours, as identified in this study, brand community managers should take precautions to enhance the level of trust toward the brand community. Likewise, the brand community website and community user activity should be designed to facilitate the enhancement of trust and affect toward the brand community. Hypotheses This article focuses on the factors that influence consumers’ brand loyalty towards a particular brand. Based on the factors that influence brand loyalty, the following hypotheses are derived. H1: There is a significant and positive relationship between brand name and brand loyalty on consumer sportswear. H2: There is a significant and positive relationship between product quality and brand loyalty on consumer sportswear. H3: There is a significant and positive relationship between price and brand loyalty on consumer sportswear. H4: There is a significant and positive relationship between style and brand loyalty on consumer sportswear. H5: There is a significant and positive relationship between promotion and brand loyalty on consumer sportswear. H6: There is a significant and positive relationship between service quality and brand loyalty on consumer sportswear. H7: There is a significant and positive relationship between store environment and brand loyalty on consumer sportswear. Methodology The Sample Respondents include 25 males and 25 females from different age groups between15 to 30. They are all students of Chandigarh. A total of 50 sets of questionnaires were distributed to respondents. Data collection method To conduct the study, primary data and secondary data are used by the researcher to analyse brand loyalty on sportswear. Primary data was collected by using self-administered questionnaires which were distributed to respondents who were briefed on the purpose of the study. The structure of the questionnaire is clear, easy to understand, and straightforward to ensure that the respondents could answer the questions with ease. Research Instrument A self-administered questionnaire in English was developed and divided into three sections: brand loyalty, consumer’s favourite sports brand and factors which influence brand loyalty. Hypothesis Test Brand name was found to have significant positive relationship with brand loyalty. The research results showed that consumers favoured brand image when they perceive positive benefits or function from the product. They would then recommend the brand, have positive reaction on the price premium and are willing to accept brand extensions to other product categories within the same brand. Product quality was shown to have positive relationship with brand loyalty. This finding indicates that product quality is significant in the consumer decision making process. The research findings showed that price and brand loyalty had a positive relationship. Price was an important consideration for the average consumer. However, consumers with high brand loyalty were less-price sensitive. The result suggested that as long as the respondents were satisfied with a particular brand, they would repurchase the product with the same brand name even if it was highly priced. However, the findings showed that there was no relationship between style and brand loyalty. From the seven variables identified, style was not considered an important factor for students to be loyal to particular sportswear brand. The results showed that promotion and brand loyalty were positively related. Promotion was considered as one of the most important factors in determining a consumers’ brand loyalty. It includes the use of advertising, sales promotion, personal selling and publicity. From the study conducted, it was seen that female respondents actually spent more time reading product labels before buying products. The finding also showed that service quality and brand loyalty had a positive relationship. Service quality was an important factor in influencing and encouraging consumers to patronise a store. The results indicated that the salesperson-consumer relationship will generally result in long-term orientation of consumers toward a store. At the same time, trust in the salesperson appeared to relate to the overall perception of the store’s service quality which resulted in the consumer’s total satisfaction with the store. Store environment was positively related to brand loyalty. The Store environment is considered one of the factors that can influence consumer brand loyalty. From this study, it is observed that consumers paid much attention to store attributes such as merchandise display, variety of selection, parking space, easily accessible by car and the reputation of the store in purchasing products. SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE Questionnaire On Brand Loyalty 1. Name___________________ 2. Sex____________________ 3. Age ___________________ 3. Occupation______________ 4. Income__________________ 1. Do you experiment with different brands? a) Yes b) No c) Sometimes 2. Please select the Brand you are loyal to? a) Adidas b) Puma c) Reebok d) Fila e) Nike f) Others 3. What do you look for in the product you choose? a) Price b) Quality c) Quantity d) Packaging e) Brand Image of the company f) Others_________________ 4. To what extent has the product been successful to meet your needs? a) To the fullest extent b) More than 80% c) 50% – 80% d) Less than 50% e) Can’t say 5. Please select the campaigns which will enhance your loyal to the brand? a) Sponsorship (e. g. sports event, sports-player) b) Customization (e. g. design your own product) c) Cross-over with fashion designer d) Specialization Function of Product e) Provide High Quality of Service f) Attractive Store Decoration and Location g) Advertising h) Attractive Price 6. How many times you purchased the sportswear last year? a) Maximum(10 and above) b) Average(5-10 times) c) Minimum(Below 5) 7. Do you switch to other Brands while buying? a) Yes b) No 8. The price of the Brand you prefer a) Is as per your expectations b) Is more than your expectations c) Is less than your expectations d) Can’t say 9. What are the sources of your product brand information? a) Friends b) Family c) TV ads d) Website e) Other__________________ 10. Rank the after sales service of the brand you chose (1= least and 5 = highest) a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4 e) 5 11. Can you list some areas of improvement of the branded product ? ___________________________________________________ Respondents’ Information NAME GENDER AGE OCCUPATION INCOME AAKANSHA VOHRA FEMALE 16 STUDENT 5000 ARSH KHARBANDA FEMALE 18 STUDENT 5000 CHAHAT SINGH FEMALE 15 STUDENT 5000 HARSH SURI MALE 26 STUDENT 10000 HEMANT KOHLI MALE 27 STUDENT 14000 VAIBHAV SHARMA MALE 22 STUDENT 8000 SIMRAN DHALIWAL FEMALE 21 STUDENT 9000 POONAM DEEP FEMALE 23 STUDENT 6000 VISHAL MAHINDRU MALE 21 STUDENT 7000 GURLEEN CHABBRA MALE 22 STUDENT 5000 ANKUSH JOLLY MALE 22 STUDENT 10000 RITAMBHRA KHANEJA FEMALE 21 STUDENT 8000 SHILPA SONDHI FEMALE 23 STUDENT 12000 SAMDISHA KOHLI FEMALE 29 STUDENT 15000 RAVNEET SHERGILL MALE 23 STUDENT 12500 NIDHI GILL FEMALE 30 STUDENT 10000 GAURAV SETHI MALE 28 STUDENT 17000 HARDIK KOHLI MALE 15 STUDENT 5000 REYAANSH SURI MALE 16 STUDENT 8000 AARAV SINGH MALE 16 STUDENT 7000 KANAV CHABBRA MALE 17 STUDENT 10000 KAASHVI JUNEJA FEMALE 16 STUDENT 5000 DIZA GILL FEMALE 15 STUDENT 8000 SONIA AARYA FEMALE 26 STUDENT 11000 PAARTH SONDHI MALE 25 STUDENT 12000 PALLAVI GUPTA FEMALE 23 STUDENT 18000 PANKURI SUNDRA FEMALE 29 STUDENT 10000 KAMAYANI JAIN FEMALE 24 STUDENT 7000 SARANSH CHOPRA MALE 23 STUDENT 13000 SURKHAAB ANJUMAN FEMALE 23 STUDENT 15000 HARLUVLEEN BOPARAI FEMALE 20 STUDENT 8000 ISHRAT GILL FEMALE 18 STUDENT 9000 TARANNUM CHAWLA FEMALE 16 STUDENT 5000 ANHAD SADANA MALE 20 STUDENT 6000 RISHAB GUPTA MALE 19 STUDENT 8000 KAMAKSHI PURI FEMALE 15 STUDENT 5000 LEISHA SINGH FEMALE 23 STUDENT 9000 SHIVI SAHNI FEMALE 28 STUDENT 10000 SWATI SURI FEMALE 25 STUDENT 6000 HITESH SINGH MALE 27 STUDENT 9000 NEHA JINDAL FEMALE 26 STUDENT 8000 SHILPA JOSHI FEMALE 21 STUDENT 5000 ANSH GARG MALE 22 STUDENT 7000 ANIMESH SAHNI MALE 29 STUDENT 10000 AARYAN AHUJA MALE 23 STUDENT 6500 ABHINAV SOOD MALE 27 STUDENT 7000 UDAY WARAICH MALE 26 STUDENT 9500 NISHANT GARG MALE 28 STUDENT 8000 SAKSHAM BHASIN MALE 25 STUDENT 8000 Graphs ANALYSIS ON THE BASIS OF GENDER GENDER NUMBER MALE 25 FEMALE 25 ANALYSIS ON THE BASIS OF INCOME INCOME NUMBER ABOVE 10000 10 5000-10000 40 ANALYSIS FOR MALES AGE NUMBER 15-20 6 21-30 19 ANALYSIS FOR FEMALES AGE NUMBER 15-20 8 21-30 17 Analysis Both males and females of 15-20 years category are experimental in nature as they keep on switching to different brands. This means that their loyalty factor varies from brand to brand because of various factors. Brand image and quality is the main criteria followed by them. Their purchase is irregular for different products of varied brands. The main sources of information for them are their friends and relatives followed by social media. They also rely on television advertisements. The monthly income of these youngsters range between 5000 to 10000. 21 to 30 years age group youngsters are not really that experimental in nature as compared to the people falling in 15 to 20 age group category. In spite of having a moderately good income they like to be loyal to a particular product of a specific brand quality and price is the main focus for these people followed by brand image. As they are loyal so specific brand for a particular product they are all satisfied with the quality, price and other schemes provided by that brand they are loyal to. That is the sole reason that they are not experimental in nature and do not switch brands. Research Questions Analysis For this project, the following five research questions were designed to answer fundamental gaps in the existing literature on the topic development and evaluation of grass roots marketing towards youth consumers to build brand loyalty. Each question was created after investigating the existing information on the topic in order to acquire additional pertinent and necessary data from professionals in the fields of marketing and public relations. Research question 1: How does one create loyalty through the use of branding? Increasing customer loyalty entirely requires a customized marketing strategy that varies by each different type of loyalty. Research question 2: How do product-branding efforts affect different aged demographics? The age at which brand importance becomes significant to young consumers is the keystone for marketers as it allows them to better predict the evaluative judgments and purchase decisions made and influenced by children when they become adults. Although significant research into adult buying behaviour and branding exists, it is not appropriate to assume that this can be applied to younger consumers. Research question 3: How does branding in sports goods affect younger consumers? Customers express themselves through the brands they like, and they are favourable and attached to brands having higher congruity with their self-image. As a result, they are highly likely to repurchase such brands consistently. A positive attitude toward a brand is formed when consumers self-image and brand image are congruous. Research question 4: Why is brand loyalty incorporated in the grass roots marketing of sports goods? Commitment as a psychological attachment leads to customers proactive behaviour, such as positive word-of-mouth. Specifically, when customers are affectively committed to a service company, they identify themselves with the companys vision and value, and in turn they are interested in the growth of the company. As a result, they demonstrate proactive behaviours such as positive word-of-mouth In short, customers sense of unity with a brand community leads to their active word-of-mouth. Research question 5: What is the success of grass roots marketing in sustaining youth consumer loyalty to the established brand? Grass roots marketing is a successful tool. Total creative expression is a defining quality of a brand and remains paramount in the execution of the tours. In the same fashion, this is how the tours began, incubated by passion, creativity and a straightforward approach. CONCLUSION The purpose of this research is to investigate how the respondents are influenced by factors of brand loyalty towards sportswear brands. Brand loyalty is important for an organisation to ensure that its product is kept in the minds of consumers and prevent them from switching to other brands. The research showed that it was not easy to obtain and maintain consumer loyalty for a company’s product because there were many forces drawing consumers away such as competition, consumers’ thirst for variety, etc. From the analysis of this study, it was shown that there are six factors of brand loyalty that were appropriate in the Indian environment which are, the brand name, product quality, price, promotion, service quality and store environment. The findings revealed that product quality plays a significant role in influencing consumers to be brand loyal customers. Interestingly, it is noted that this factor of product quality also plays a vital role. Additionally, the overall findings of this study also show that amongst others youngsters prefer brand name, product quality, price, promotion, store environment and service quality as relevant factors attributable to brand loyalty. All these factors showed positive relationships with brand loyalty except style which had no relationship. Undeniably, the sportswear industry is one area which offers vast potential in the consumer market where there is increase in sporting activities. More reliable and positive findings on this topic would impact on consumers, marketers and policy makers.

Voting Rights Background for Students

Voting Rights Background for Students In any presidential election year, the months before the election afford middle and high school teachers a great opportunity to engage students in the new  The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards  (C3s)These new frameworks  center on guiding students in activities so that they can see how citizens apply civic virtues and democratic principles and have the opportunity to see actual civic engagement in the democratic process. Principles such as equality, freedom, liberty, respect for individual rights, and deliberation [that] apply to both official institutions and informal interactions among citizens. What Do Students Already Know About Voting in the United States? Before launching an election unit, poll students to see what they already know about the voting process. This can be done as a KWL,  or a chart that outlines what students already Know, Want to know, and what they Learned  after the unit is completed. Using this outline,  students can prepare to research a topic and use it to track information gathered along the way: â€Å"What do you already ‘know’ about this topic?†Ã‚   â€Å"What things do you ‘want’ to learn about the topic, so you can focus your research?† and   â€Å"What did you ‘learn’ from doing your research?† An Overview of K-W-L This KWL begins as a brainstorming activity. This can be done individually or in groups of three to five students. Generally, 5 to 10 minutes individually or 10 to 15 minutes for group work is appropriate. In asking for responses, set aside enough time to hear all responses. Some questions could be (answers below): How old must you be to vote?  What requirements are there for voting other than age?  When did citizens get the right to voteWhat are your state’s voting requirements?  Why do you think people vote?  Why do you think people choose not to vote? Teachers should not correct the responses if they are wrong; include any conflicting or multiple responses.  Review the list of responses and note any discrepancies which will let the teacher know where more information is needed. Tell the class that they will be referring back to their responses later in this and in upcoming lessons. History of Voting Timeline: Pre-Constitution Inform students that the highest law of the land, the Constitution, mentioned nothing about voting qualifications at the time of its adoption. This omission left voting qualifications up to each individual state and resulted in widely varying voting qualifications. In studying the election, students should learn the definition of the word  suffrage: Suffrage (n) the  right  to  vote,  especially  in  a  political  election. A timeline  of the history of voting rights is also helpful to share with students in explaining how the right to vote has been connected to citizenship and civil rights in America. For example: 1776: Only people who own land can vote when the Declaration of Independence signed.1787: No federal voting standard states decide who can vote when the U.S. Constitution is adopted. Voting Rights Timeline: Constitutional Amendments In preparation for any presidential election, students can review the following highlights that show how voting rights have been extended to different groups of citizens through six (6) suffrage amendments to the Constitution: 1868: 14th Amendment:  Citizenship is defined and granted to former slaves, but voters are explicitly defined as male.1870: 15th Amendment:  The right to vote cannot be denied by the federal or state governments based on race.1920: 19th Amendment:  Women have the right to vote in both state and federal elections.  1961: 23rd Amendment:  Citizens of Washington, D.C. have the right to vote for U.S. president.  1964: 24th Amendment:  The right to vote in federal elections will not be denied for failure to pay any tax.1971: 26th Amendment:  18-year-olds are allowed to vote. Timeline for Laws on Voting Rights 1857: In the landmark case Dred Scott v. Sandford, the US Supreme Court rules that â€Å"a black man has no rights a white man is bound to respect.† African Americans are further deprived of the right to citizenship and, by extension, the right to vote.1882: Congress passes the Chinese Exclusion Act, which establishes restrictions and quotas on Chinese immigration while legally excluding Chinese persons from citizenship and voting.  1924: The Indian Citizenship Act declares all non-citizen Native Americans born in the USA to be citizens with the right to vote.1965: The Voting Rights Act is signed into law, prohibiting any election practice that denies the right to vote to citizens on the basis of race and forces jurisdictions with histories of voter discrimination to  submit any changes to its election laws to the government for federal approval prior to taking effect.1993: The National Voter Registration Act requires states to permit mail-in registration, and make registr ation services available at DMVs, unemployment offices, and other state agencies. Questions About Researching Voting Rights Once students are familiar with the timeline of the Constitutional Amendments and the laws that provided the right to vote to different citizens, students can research the following questions: What were ways states denied certain people the right to vote?Why was each of the different laws on voting rights created?Why were specific Constitutional Amendments on voting necessary?Why do you think it took so many years for women to attain the right to vote?Which historical events contributed to each of the Constitutional Amendments?Are there any other qualifications necessary to vote?Are there citizens today that are denied the right to vote? Terms Associated With Voting Rights Students should become familiar with some of the terms associated with the history of voting rights and the language of the Constitutional Amendments: poll tax:  A poll or head tax is one imposed equally on all adults at the time of voting and is not affected by property ownership or income.literacy test: Literacy tests were used to keep people of color and, sometimes, poor whites from voting, and they were administered at the discretion of the officials in charge of voter registration.grandfather clause:  (or grandfather policy) A provision in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations while a new rule will apply to all future cases.  residency: Voting residence is within the state of legal residence or domicile. It is the true, fixed address that is considered a permanent home and a physical presence.  Jim Crow Laws:  The segregation and disenfranchisement laws known as Jim Crow represented a formal, codified system of racial apartheid that dominated the American South for three-quarters of a century beginning in the 1890s.  Equal Rights Amendment: (ERA) a proposed amendment to  the  United   States  Constitution  designed to guarantee  equal rights for women.   In 1978, a joint resolution of Congress extended the ratification deadline to June 30, 1982, but no further states ratified the amendment. Several organizations continue to work for the adoption of the ERA. New Questions for Students Teachers should have students return to their KWL charts and make any necessary corrections. Teachers can then have students use their research on laws and specific Constitutional Amendments to answer the following new questions: How does your new knowledge of suffrage amendments change or support your earlier answers?After nearly 150 years of voting rights being added to the Constitution, can you think of any other group that has not been considered?What questions do you still have about voting? Review Founding Documents The new C3 Frameworks encourage teachers to look for civic principles in texts such as the founding documents of the United States. In reading these important documents, teachers can help students understand different interpretations of these documents and their meanings: What claims are made?What evidence is used?  What language (words, phrases, images,  Ã‚  symbols) is used to persuade  the documents audienceHow does the documents language indicate  a particular point of view?   The following links will take students to founding documents associated with voting and citizenship. Declaration of Independence: July 4, 1776.  Ã‚  The Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall), approved this document  severing the colonies ties to the British Crown. United States Constitution: The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the source of all government powers, and also provides important limitations on the government that protect the fundamental rights of United States citizens.  Delaware was the first state to ratify, December 7, 1787; the Confederation Congress established March 9, 1789, as the date to begin operating under the Constitution.   14th Amendment:  Passed by Congress June 13, 1866, and ratified July 9, 1868,   extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to former slaves. 15th Amendment:  Passed by Congress February 26, 1869, and ratified February 3, 1870,   granted African American men the right to vote. 19th Amendment:  Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920,   granted women the right to vote. Voting Rights Act:  This act was signed into law on August 6, 1965, by President Lyndon Johnson. It outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, including literacy tests as a prerequisite to voting. 23th Amendment:  Passed by Congress June 16, 1960. Ratified March 29, 1961;  giving residents of the District of Columbia (DC) the right to have their votes counted in presidential elections. 24th Amendment:  ratified on January 23, 1964, was passed to address the poll tax, a state fee on voting. Student Answers to Questions Above How old must you be to vote?   In the United States,  twenty-one states permit 17-year-olds to vote in  primary elections  and caucuses if they will be 18 by election day.   What  requirements  are there for voting other than age?   You are a U.S. citizen.You meet your state’s residency requirements. When did citizens get the right to vote? The  United States Constitution  did not originally define who was eligible to vote; Amendments have extended rights to various groups. Student answers will vary on the following questions: What are your state’s voting requirements?  Why do you think people vote?  Why do you think people choose not to vote?

Understanding What an Expository Essay Is

Understanding What an Expository Essay Is If you search the Internet for a definition of an expository essay, you might become confused. Some books and websites define them as how to essays, while others give a long and confusing definition that seems to include every possible essay type out there. Expository essays are simply essays that explain something with facts, as opposed to using opinion to inform the reader. Sample styles for expository essays may include: Papers that described how to do something (how to essay).Papers that analyze events, ideas, objects, or written works.Papers that describe a process (step by step essay).Papers that explain/describe a historical event (descriptive essay). Expository essays are often written in response to a prompt that asks the writer to expose or explain a specific topic. Essay questions on tests are normally written to prompt an essay in this very style, and may look like the following: Explain the events leading up to the Revolutionary War.Explain how to balance a checkbook.Describe the composition and function of a chickens egg.Explain the process of changing a tire. An expository essay should have the same basic structure as any typical essay, with an introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and a summary or conclusion. The length of your essay can vary, according to context. The introductory paragraph will contain the thesis sentence, and the topic of the thesis should be grounded in fact. A concluding essay will provide a summary of your main points and re-statement of your goal or thesis.

Problem Statement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problem Statement - Assignment Example Rewards technique improves performance of teachers through extrinsic and intrinsic aspects. Extrinsic rewards are given to individuals; for instance, bonuses, trophies, and compliments. Intrinsic rewards involve internal satisfaction; for instance, sense of accomplishment. Education instructors are also motivated through participation in the decision making process of elementary schools and other education institutions. Proper work-life balance is also instrumental in improving academic performance standards of teachers. Personal and family time should be adequately balanced with work efforts, so as to realize minimal conflict. Work-life programs involve; flextime, workplace wellness, telecommuting, and family support (Skemp, 2007). Elementary schools entail education institutions where children aged between five and eleven years, pursue education. In United States the elementary schools starts form grade kindergarten up to the second grade (K-2). At this education level, learning comprises both physical aspects and academic aspects. The elementary education sector in America experiences challenges like underperformance. This is due to inadequate efforts of education instructors at the level of education. Public education institutions are particularly affected by the underperformance issue. The key underperformance issues entails; low self confidence among the teaching staffs, low success expectations, inadequate interest in education matters at elementary level, achievement anxiety, and fear or fear which results in low work confidence. This specific research question illustrates focus and also the design of the research study. The question enables easy identification of the variables of the study; the dependent and the independent variables. The specific research question also identifies the national sector that will be covered during the study. According to the question, the main subject under discussion is the performance of elementary

Able Corporation's Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Able Corporation's Strategy - Essay Example On the other hand, it should implement new technology for the main product line. For an â€Å"ill patient†, high spirit and motivation are the main driven forces which help to recover. The case study shows that â€Å"as a result of years of declining sales and layoffs, a culture of pessimism and failure exists†. The belief system approach will help increase mutual understanding between managers and employees, encouraged and improved two-way communication, and resulted in better working relationships. Improved organizational culture and morale will help sales and branch managers to ease stress and tension at work and convert troubled relationships into more productive ones. At a time when employee morale and job satisfaction would be expected to increase, and employees be expected to feel better about their organization than they did before the change took place and more confident in the abilities of their managers to lead them. The new communication patterns should be d esigned to measure overall levels of job satisfaction also showed major gains. Just as the negative emotions associated poor organizational performance can often go undetected and unaddressed, the motivation and performance problems that cause them frequently remain hidden and unresolved. This strategy is chosen because without good morale and positive atmosphere Able Corporation will not be able to implement new processes and technology, introduce new methods of management and production. Declining sales also triggered intense feelings of anxiety and inadequacy. To achieve greater efficiencies, new methods and procedures have to be developed to replace established work practices, but this meant that some people have to learn their job all over again or master an entirely new position (Armstrong 2001). The main problem is that most employees lack clear expectations. Previous management, tended to issue broad-brush directives regarding organizational change, without going into detail about how they should be carried out. Some of subordinates saw this as a lack of clear expectations. Improved corporate morale and culture will improve teamwork significantly, not just up and down the chain of command, but horizontally as well. And because managers and their direct reports are beginning to understand each other better, conflicts, both real and potential, are able to be resolved at lower levels, before they become entrenched (Chase, Jacobs 2003). This is not to say that every motivation and performance problem can be solved quickly and easily. Some solutions that employees propose may not be available to managers, especially during times of change. If an employee is dissatisfied with his job because his workload has suddenly increased, a manager can hire additional help (when budgets permit) or eliminate certain requirements may provide an easy solution. The proposed strategy will help to prepare employees to the second step and reduce their resistance to change (Armstrong 2001). The second strategy is a technological change. When morale and spirit of an "ill patient" is high, it is possible to 'make the first step'. This strategy is crucial because "plants are so old and have been so badly maintained that some investment must be made in them just in order to remain in business at all". Organizational actions should be involved in the change of a particular technology which takes place simultaneously in multiple environments. In the same spirit, experimentation as a problem-solving activity can take place across organizational units or even across organizational boundaries. This suggests that experimentation, as organizational action, has a double meaning in the development of technology. In addition to viewing technological cha

Conducting Forensic Assessments

Conducting Forensic Assessments This study discusses different aspects of forensic psychology in relation to juvenile suspects by assessing an individual in the case study portrayed in the documentary Murder on a Sunday Morning. This paper provides the brief descriptions of the following: The case study in the documentary, including a description of the individual and his forensic population. The potential role(s) of a forensic psychologist in relation to the case study. The forensic assessment principles that apply to the case study. Any third party information that may be necessary to collect for the forensic assessment of the case study. Ethical and/or multicultural issues and/or considerations related to the case study. An analysis of how a forensic psychologist might best address each of the ethical and/or multicultural issues and/or considerations that are described. What a forensic psychologist might think important to consider and/or determine when conducting a forensic assessment of the individual in this case study. What the courts might think important to consider and/or determine from a forensic assessment of the individual in this case study. At least two forensic assessment instruments and/or tools that might be used in relation to this case study, with an explanation of why. The elements that would be included in a forensic assessment report based on this case study. Which elements from a forensic assessment report based on this case study would be relevant for testimony, and why. The implications that the assessment may have for the outcome of the case Murder on a Sunday Morning This case study is based upon the forensic assessment of the accused individual in the documentary Murder on a Sunday Morning (2001). The crime scene in the documentary portrays Mr. James Stevens witnessing his wife being shot and murdered by a young black male who was robbing her at the gun point. The assailant committing this crime has been characterized as a six feet tall skinny black male of age in between 20 and 25 years. The police arrested Brenton Butler as a suspect who is a 15 year old black male although he is much shorter and younger than the actual assailant that the police was looking for. Nevertheless, Butler was suspected of the murder as he was the only black found near the crime scene at that time and being identified by the victims husband as the assailant who attacked his wife. He was then interrogated in the police station in the absence of his parents and was even denied of getting any legal help. Detective Glover interrogated the young man and attempted to make him confess the crime and pressurized him to locate the murder weapon. The detective took Butler to an area of woods close to the crime scene and hit him once on the face and twice in the stomach as he was unable to extract any information from the suspect. After which, another detective with the name Dwayne Darnell came to work on this case who made Butler sign a pre-written confession that became a prime evidence for the trial. The case was then picked up by Ann Finnell and Patrick Mc Guinness as public defenders against the state of Florida, who systematically proved the prosecution wrong on account of insufficient evidence produced for the trial. They proved that the police tortured Butler both psychologically and physically to obtain the written confession from him and that Butler had no motive for the crime, no forensic evidence and no murder weapon were found and neither do Butler have any criminal record in the past nor he had any history of risk factors such as poor parenting, poverty, mental disorders, etc., normally observed in criminals (Bartol Bartol, 2011 Burkhead, 2006). Hence, the jury set Butler free as he was not found guilty of the crime after just 45 minutes of discussion although Butler had already spent 6 months of imprisonment during the proceedings of the trial. Butler and his family settled for a compensation of 7.75 million dollars when they actually sued for 8.5 million dollars on account of civil rights violations while the lawyer was punished by the District Judge John H, Moore for not pleading the case appropriately (Schoettler Pinkham, 2002). Later, the real criminal was arrested, trialed and convicted for the crime. Although Butler received justice in the end, however, he would have not passed 6 months in prison if some aspects of forensic psychology had been considered earlier in the trial. Forensic psychological assessment would have been done to determine Butlers competency to stand trial. Moreover, Butler should have been given the instruments of Dr. Grisso to understand, assess and appreciate Miranda Rights so that he would have understood the meaning of waiving his rights and possibly would not have made the false confession under pressure (Goldstein, Condie, Kalbeitzer, Osman Geier, 2003). Role of a Forensic Psychologists There are just two aspects of forensic psychology that are applicable to the Butler case, which are: first to assess the ability of the young suspect (Butler) to waive his Miranda rights and the second to determine Butlers competency to stand trial. Assessment Principles The important question is that whether or not to apply different standards to assess the competency of a juvenile? Numerous studies along with this documentary Murder on a Sunday Morning have deduced that juveniles should better be assessed and trialed on the basis of their maturity level rather than just following the Dusky Standard for their assessment since their cognitive and reasoning abilities have not been fully developed as compared to those of the adults. Nevertheless, this issue is still in debate in the circles of the legal system (Ryba, Cooper Zapf, 2003, p500). The forensic psychologists should assess the juvenile suspect irrespective of the standards being followed such that his/her level of understanding the legal proceedings and his/her cognitive mental abilities are measured accurately. I consider that in this case study of the documentary Murder on a Sunday Morning if Butler was found incompetent to stand trial earlier in the proceedings then this would not have been much in favor of Butler since such a person is usually sent for treatment until he/she is able to stand trial which may even take several years. As, generally, the court proceedings would still hold while the suspected juvenile is treated through an outpatient method in order to gain competency to stand trial. Since Butler was innocent in the first place therefore keeping the trial on hold until he becomes competent to stand trial after treatment would have been a great injustice to him (Viljoen Roesch, 2008), perhaps the competency analysis was not done in the documentary due to this reason. Another problematic element of forensic psychology is the issue that who is the client. In general, the person whom the psychologist is treating or assessing is his/her client. Nevertheless, in legal matters as the one portrayed in the documentary Murder on a Sunday Morning, the psychologist is working in collaboration with the legal team to find out the mental level of the suspect and not for the diagnosis or treatment of the suspects problem. Hence, the final report written by the psychologist in this regard could be greatly biased depending upon the legal-team with which he/she is working and the type of the assessment being conducted. This further signifies that if the psychologist is working with the prosecution then he/she would emphasize over the violent behavior of the suspect in his/her assessment report and thereby, would recommend moving the juvenile suspect to the adult court so that the concentration is applied only to the punishment aspects of the law. On the other hand , if the psychologist is working with the defense counsel then he/she would like to keep the juvenile suspect in the juvenile court system so as to assure the provision of proper assistance and treatment for him/her. Third Party Information The third party information is also very important for a forensic psychologist although most of the information will be acquired from the individual under assessment. The public defenders in the case of Butler used his mother as a source for determining the personality and habits of her son due to which, the prosecution case was weakened. As for instance, Butlers mother refuted the statement of Glover (the primary interrogator) that Butler stood up to hug him and said he was glad to see him when he (the detective) entered in to the room, as she reveals that her son is very reserved and normally never hugs strangers. Although this information could have also been acquired from a psychologist however its impact was more when the mother herself presented it in front of the jury (de Lestrade, 2001). This further indicates that often vital information can be acquired from the third party instead of being available from the client. As the mother pointed out that Butler was very quiet and r eserved, hence his short replies to the questions allowed the forensic examiner to extract very little information from him to present to the court. Further, a doctor certified in front of the jury that the wounds on Butlers body were caused while he was in police custody. Although a forensic psychologist could report this information to the jury as third party information however, in accordance to the 4 Cs of testimony, a psychologist does not have a clinical knowledge about the wounds where as a medical doctor does, therefore the testimony of a medical doctor in this regard would be considered as the stronger evidence. Moreover, a medical doctor could testify that how the wounds were acquired by Butler while a forensic psychologist could not. Thus, the testimony of a medical doctor would pose a better impact on the trial along with ensuring adherence to the 4 Cs of testimony: Clarity, Certainty, Case Specificity and Clinical Knowledge (Kwartner Boccaccini, 2008). Multicultural Since Butler became the victim of racial profiling being the only young black male spotted in the area near to the crime scene, this point can be accounted as the only multicultural issue in this forensic study. Although Butler was younger and shorter than the prime suspect of the case but still the police picked him up for scrutiny. This point could be best utilized by the defense attorney but the forensic psychologist could endorse it, by ensuring that this sort of racial profiling is happening quite commonly across the United States, through various case studies. Forensic Considerations According to the juvenile court rules, the juveniles caught for committing violent crimes can be easily transferred to an adult court for prosecution, after which they will be confined in adult prisons if found guilty (Brannen et al., 2006). However, there is no provision for trialing a juvenile directly in to the adult court system. In the case of Butler, he was automatically prosecuted in an adult court without being prosecuted in and referred by the juvenile court. It is ambiguous that whether or not the necessary measures were followed for transferring him to the adult court system. Court Considerations In this case, the court has to take in to account the age of the accused and the outcome of his interrogation. At the age of 15 years, Butler does not possess the cognitive abilities of a mature person. He was also unaware of the interrogation procedures of the police and his rights in this regard. Since Butler got involved in a legal problem for the first time, he was totally unfamiliar with the Miranda rights due to which the police took advantage of him. Moreover, the medical testimony proving that the police physically abused Butler in order to make him sign the pre-written confession which was actually written by the police instead of Butler. The court would have to look in to the details of all the above considerations prior to affirming to Butlers confession. Forensic Assessments In this case study of Butler, the following forensic assessments would be considered to make a strong case against the prosecution counsel of Butler: Butlers ability to waive Miranda rights. Butlers direct trial in the adult court system. Butlers competency to stand the trial. Butlers psychological evaluation for any deviant behavior or mental problem. Forensic Elements The most important element that the forensic psychologist assigned in this case should consider is that the accused is a juvenile and not all analytical methods are designed for juveniles. Moreover, there is considerable ambiguity in the rights that are given to a juvenile in the proceedings of an adult court system. It is assumed that a juvenile being transferred to the adult court has the same rights and rules as those of an adult provided that such a juvenile bears the same cognitive abilities and understanding of the legal system as those possessed by an adult, which is usually negative. Since the eye witness testimony constitutes a vital evidence in this case, the forensic psychologist would have to prove that how and why testimony of the eye witness (victims husband) was inaccurate as Hugo Munsterberg (1908) showed in his book On the Witness Stand that the testimony of the eye witness can be often deceiving in the proceedings of the court. Ability to waive Miranda rights The Instruments of Dr. Grisso to assess, understand and appreciate Miranda Rights would have been extremely beneficial for Butlers defense in this case. The forensic psychologist should utilize this assessment in analyzing the ability of a juvenile in understanding and waiving his/her Miranda rights in a legal matter (Oberlander Goldstein, 2001). This assessment instrument was developed in the 1970s and then amended in the year 2003 to cater the changes made in the legal systems. The most important characteristic of this assessment instrument that is applicable to the Butlers case is the right of a person arrested to not give answers to the police interrogation until he/she is provided legal assistance of the lawyer by the police (Goldstein, et al., 2003). If this assessment was utilized in the Butlers case then he would not have been exposed to police torture and never would have agreed to the false confession under duress. In this case, the police mislead Butler by assuring him th at they would try to get an attorney for him but never clarified that he had the right to demand for an attorney and remain silent until he has been provided with his legal help. Forensic Report Although the law is absolutely clear in the elements to be included in a forensic report presented in the courts however no standards have been set as yet to carry out a competency analysis on juvenile. Various studies have investigated different methods to evaluate competency and those methods have been used extensively in practice which have been found to be most effective and accurate (Christy, Douglas, Otto Petrila, 2004). Since no standards have been set for assessing competency, hence the studies have observed vast discrepancies in forensic reports. There has been no indication of requesting or completing any forensic reports in the Butlers case. The proceedings of this case should have included an assessment of Butlers competency to stand trial and his ability as a juvenile to waive off his Miranda rights. Implications of the Report In case of the forensic report being completed and presented to the court in relation to Butlers ability to waive off his Miranda rights being a juvenile and his competency to stand trial, the court would have taken Butlers age and unawareness of the legal system in to account before trialing him in the adult court system on charge of a murder. The forensic report would have also enabled the court to assess Butlers understanding of his Miranda rights and his signing to the false confession under duress and thereby, affirming his innocence in this case. Conclusion The Butlers case properly illustrates that why a forensic psychologist should be included in the proceedings of the court, particularly in those involving a juvenile since the juveniles being immature and unaware require more legal protection and different assessment methods than those applicable to adults. In case of being trialed in the adult system, it should be ensured that the system does not exploit the juvenile on trial. Butler was saved from a severe punishment by the public defense attorneys who managed to point out the loopholes in the prosecution case and the violations made by the police interrogators.

Pill Bug Behaviors Lab

Pill Bug Behaviors Patricia Full Tiana Crosby P. D. 4-5 9/20/2012 Introduction The pill bug is the only crustaceans that can spend its entire life on land. Their shells look like armor and they are known for their ability to roll into a ball. Sometimes children call them roly-polies. Most pill bugs live for up to two years. They are most active at night. Pill bugs do not bite, sting or transmit diseases. They are perfectly safe to handle and are the perfect specimens for this experiment. This experiment is to test the reactions and behaviors of pill bugs when put in different environments and environmental situations.In the test it was tested how they reacted when 2 different sources of food that were put into the environment which was the choice chambers. The 2 foods we used were an apple and a piece of celery. I concluded by previous observations that the pill bugs would prefer the apple which is sweet over the bitter celery. Materials and procedure * 10-20 potato bugs * 1 choice c hamber * 1 petri dish * 1 apple * 1 stick of celery * Stop watch 1. Get a choice chamber and collect the bugs 2. Cut up the apple and celery and set them in the opposite sides of the chambers 3. Put 5 potato bugs in one chamber 5 in another 4.Observe noting the data for 10 minutes recording every half a minute(30 seconds) Conclusion In this experiment we studied the behavior of pill bugs in different situations. In the situation we put 2 different food sources in the choice chamber and let the bugs decide. The data supported my hypothesis that the bugs would prefer the sweet apple over the bitter celery. At the beginning we put 5 in each chamber and let them decide which they wanted. It showed that by the end of the test all or most of the bugs were in the apple chamber eating the apple. It proves my hypothesis as valid. ( For questions see attachment)