Neurobiological Correlates of Mental Imagery to Sensory Perception :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Neurobiological Correlates of Mental Imagery to Sensory Perception Understanding the brain's function in the human body involves examining how inputs are processed and outputs are generated. On a reductionist, neuronal level it is often difficult to conceive how such processes lead to our experience of the world. While sensory perception and motor output can be directly traced along neuronal pathways, science is still struggling to understand the roots of such internal, intangible processes as thinking, memory, I function and ultimately consciousness. It seems possible that these phenomena emerge through the complex integration of lower level processes, but our knowledge is far from being able to comprehend how this might occur. Until recently, these abstract concepts have been the domain of cognitive psychology and philosophy. Relying on introspection to get at the nature of our experience, the early philosopher's excursions into these realms were necessarily highly subjective and were not concerned with biological or anatomical functionality. With the popularity of behaviorism in the early 1900's, mainstream psychologists avoided reference to such issues. The development of cognitive psychology pushed internal processes to the forefront, and examined them by utilizing behavioral indicators to theorize about the underlying concepts of thinking and consciousness (1). However, only in the last two decades have psychologists been able to take advantage of technology which reveals the activity of the brain during cognitive tasks. This new approach, dubbed cognitive neuroscience, has attempted to corroborate theories on mental processes with empirical evidence of brain activity (2) . These scientists are now beginning to understand how the brain is responsible for such processes. One of the prime candidates for neurobiological inspection is the phenomenon of mental imagery. Introspectively, this ability seems closely tied to perception, of which we have a firm biological grasp. Furthermore, mental imagery has implications regarding memory, thought, reasoning and emotion, which often seem intrinsically tied to imagery. Mental imagery is an interesting phenomenon because it blurs the line between inputs and outputs. On the one hand, imagery can be considered an input such as vision because we can observe elements of shape, size and color. On the other hand, we can actively manipulate mental imagery, which resembles a behavioral output of sorts. Either way, mental imagery is generated internally without any necessary external prime. Psychologists and philosophers have long pondered our ability to obtain, examine and manipulate a picture in our head without utilizing actual sensory input.

Do Stop and Searches Breach Our Privacy?

Since it was first introduced, the ‘stop and search' method of countering crime has sparked a fierce debate as to whether these searches are morally right. Happening almost daily, the practice continues to be very controversial, with many claiming that ‘stop and searches' breach our right to privacy. In the next couple of paragraphs, I shall attempt to answer the question â€Å"do stop and searches breach our privacy?† and learn a little more about the controversial topic. Depending on where in the UK one lives, one is likely to be stopped and searched at least once in their life by a police officer – it has become an inevitable fact. When told by an officer that they are going to be searched in public, a person is given a number of key rights and responsibilities. Both the former and the latter are obvious: the right to be told the officer's name and police station, the right to receive a ‘receipt' from the officer about the search, the right to not be strip searched in public, and the right to be searched by an officer of the same sex, as well as the responsibility to comply with the police, to not resist or abuse the officers, to take off all garments when asked to (only up to a jacket; never trousers or a shirt), and the responsibility to tell them your name and address. This fairly ordinary occurrence happens all the time, and is, for many, a regular procedure. It may seem like a harmless, if slightly annoying, chore. Unfortunately, when one looks a little deeper into the facts and statistics, there seems to be a racially-motivated reason why some social groups are more searched than others; black people are six times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people, and Asians are twice as likely. Most people are searched under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, which gives police officers the permission to perform the act randomly with anybody they suspect of carrying drugs or concealed weapons. The stubbornly high levels are shocking as it would seem that, according to members of the police force, people from ethnic minority groups are more likely to carry illegal drugs or items. This prejudice has led to more fierce debate and is, quite simply, unfair. Many people attack ‘stop and searches' due to this fact, claiming that this racially-motivated trend is ridiculously cruel, and out-dated for modern western society. Another argument against the ‘stop and search' procedure is one that criticises the lack of evidence that proves that ethnic minorities are more likely to be involved in crime; it is simply not justifiable for officers to base their ‘reasonable suspicion' on personal beliefs. A final argument is the low reduction of crime caused by the search, with crime rates dropping by only 0.2%. On the other hand, many claim that it is a necessary way to prevent crime, and is justifiable as an officer should know who is more likely to commit offenses. Some also believe that due to the large amount of crime possibly prevented by ‘stop and searches' (in 2009 14,700 people were arrested and 7,500 knives were recovered) the whole thing has helped to make society a safer place. In conclusion, it seems clear that the ‘stop and search' method is wrong and has little impact on criminals, and despite the amount of crime prevented, the whole procedure is unnecessary, unfair, bullying, and inefficient.

Case Study of Ikea - 1445 Words

Case Study of IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge In 1995, IKEA met a problem that its main supplier, Indian rugs, used the child labor to produce products, although they had signed an attachment of the contract to ban employing child labor. In addition, a German documentary maker was about to broadcast the problem of child labor on German television and also invited an employee from IKEA to have a live discussion in the TV program. Marianne Barner, the leader of IKEA, must find a great solution to this serious issue to both save her business and the corporation’s brand image. In this issue, IKEA was not the one who produced products, so they might not realize the use of child labor in the process of production. In addition, child labor†¦show more content†¦Moreover, customers will trust IKEA’s products because the label can indicate products are produced without child labor. However, working with the third party is also of some risk. For instance, if IKEA allows Rugmark to monitor the process of production, t hey will learn about some internal information about IKEA, such as the way to manage suppliers. The foundation has members such as manufacturers and retails. If they know this kind of internal information, they might utilize it. To be worse, if this information is leaked to IKEA’s competitors, IKEA will be uncompetitive. Another disadvantage is that if the third party asks IKEA to pay for supervision, it might be costly. Another way is to stop the relationship with these suppliers which use child labor and find some other partners. In this method, it can help IKEA get rid of the blame for using child labor. When IKEA does not sell the products which are produced by child labor, the issue will not hurt IKEA any more. But it is also of high risk. Child labor is a social issue embedded in Indian culture. If IKEA would like to find some suppliers without using child labor, it is almost impossible for IKEA to find suppliers in India. As a result, IKEA must target at other countries such as China or Vietnam which might have cheap labor force. However, searching for suppliers is very time consuming. In addition, if the labor force in other countries is not as cheap as that in India, theShow MoreRelatedIkea Case Study620 Words   |  3 PagesIKEA case study 1. Firm specific advantages IKEA has a variety of firm specific advantages since its business approach appeared to be very unique for the furniture industry. First, IKEA’s most important specific advantages were its good value for the money. IKEA used this advantage for its expansion plans all over the world. IKEA when they failed in the USA had to highlight this specific advantage to bail them out of the financial difficulty they had gotten into. Second, the most innovative decisionRead MoreIkea Case Study1030 Words   |  5 PagesI. 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IKEA’s mission statement describes the purpose and distinctive advantages of the company clearly. (See appendices â…  ) It can also motivate management by saying ‘create a better everyday life for people’ because employees