Analyzing a job Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analyzing a job - Assignment Example The Corporation also runs 108 discounts in 8 states (Ross Dress..., 2012). The corporation is appealing for store security specialists to afford a visible appearance on the stores’ exits and entrance. The spot will mitigate fraud and theft while upholding a secure and safe environment for customers and sales personnel (Ross Dress..., 2012). A job description refers to a list, which a person may use for wide-ranging tasks, or responsibilities, and functions of a title. It may habitually comprise to whom the title reports, stipulations, for instance, the credentials or skills required by the individual in the profession, or an income range (Mader-Clark, 2010). A Job description is typically narrative, however, some may as an alternative encompass a simple listing of proficiencies; for example, strategic human-resource planning practices may be employed to work out a competency structural design for an company, from which profession descriptions are fabricated as a pick out of pr oficiencies (Martin, 2011). How and when would you determine the need to create a job position? Ross Stores Company is opening up a number of new shops and it will require store security experts (Ross Dress..., 2012). ... What strategy would use to outline the positions details? Strategic personnel planning would be employed to outline the required positions. This will ascertain how many personnel the company will need to fill in the required positions. The in-house personnel could as well be used if required (Mader-Clark, 2010). What would the duties be? The responsibilities of store security expert will be maintaining a secure and safe environment for store associates and customers. Responsibilities will furthermore include monitoring exits and entrances for dubious conduct (Mader-Clark, 2010). They will also be accountable for welcoming clients as they come in the shop as well as be ready to answer client’s questions if required. Store security experts will bear a firm’s vest with inscription to discourage theft by displaying a strong real presence and notifying clients they the security experts are there for security. The security personnel will erratically walk about the shop to asc ertain and tackle any prospective theft and conceivable fraud indicators. Security specialists have the capacity to communicate effectively with the shop managers and exchange ideas on theft and loss prevention (Martin, 2011). What would the performance requirements for the position be? Personal stipulations for the title of store security experts will include particular special skills and qualifications. All candidates must be no less than 21 and should have high-school edification or corresponding, a related degree is ideal. The candidates must have had no less than a year of merchandising supervising experience or comparable training is preferred. The applicant must have the capability to work efficiently with associates and customers in a client based environment (Martin, 2011). The

Chromatography Experiment Essay Example for Free

Chromatography Experiment Essay Aim: To identify different unknown amino acids, within given substances. Apparatus: List 1 List 2 * 2 test tubes * Test tube rack * 2 bungs * 2 pins * 5 known amino acids: * Proline * Leucine * Lycine * Asparagine * Arginine * 1 unknown amino acid * Paper Chromatography * Paper Solvent * Pencil * Ruler * Tweezers * Paper Towel * Pipette * Ninhydrin * Incubator * Scissors * 1 Jam Jar * Treated Orange Juice * Untreated Orange Juice * TLC * TLC Solvent * Pencil * Ruler * Tweezers * Pipette * Paper Towel * Ninhydrin * Incubator Diagram 1: Diagram 2: Method (Part 1): * Cut 2 strips of paper chromatography using tweezers and scissors while resting on paper towel * Measure 1cm from bottom of strip and draw a line across * Draw a cross in the centre of this line * Attach a pin to the top of the chromatography paper, and put pin in bung * Place inside test tube, and measure 5mm from where the bottom of the paper lies, draw a line across the test tube * Do the same with both strips * On the cross put 10 drops of a known amino acid, wait for each drop to dry in between * On other strip put 10 drops of unknown amino acid * Pour paper solvent into both test tubes up to line drawn * Put bung in both test tubes, let solvent work its way up chromatography paper * When near top of paper, take out, and draw line across where solvent has reached. Method (Part 2): * Place TLC on paper towel, draw line across at 1cm from bottom * Draw 2 crosses each 1/4 way across line * On 1st cross put 10 drops of treated orange juice, letting each drop dry in between * On second dot put 10 drops of untreated orange juice * Pour TLC solvent into bottom of jam jar * Using tweezers place TLC into jam jar * Let TLC soak up solvent * When nearly at top take out and draw solvent line across Method (Part 3): * Take the results of method part 1 and 2 and spray all with ninhydrin spray * Place in incubator until amino acids can be seen * Draw lines across where colours end, and work out Rf values for all lines Results Chromatograms: Results Table: Rf value = distance moved by solvent / distance moved by solvent front My Results Solvent Front Substance Front Rf value Treated Orange 4.6 1.8, 2.8, 3.3 0.39, 0.61, 0.72 Untreated Orange 4.7 0.5, 2.0, 2.6, 3.0 0.11, 0.43, 0.55, 0.64 Leucine 7.9 4.7 0.59 Unknown 7.0 4.2, 4.8 0.60, 0.69 Class Results Calculated Rf value Average Actual Rf Proline 0.76 0.87 0.82 0.48 Leucine 0.79 0.59 0.69 0.73 Lycine 0.41 0.45 0.43 0.14 Asparagine 0.26 0.54 0.40 Arginine 0.53 0.53 0.2 Conclusion and Evaluation: From these results I can say that in the unknown substance, were two amino acids, and from what my results tell me, I can predict that they were Arginine and Leucine. The Treated orange juice appeared to have three amino acids in it, my results tell me that these are Asparagine, Arginine and Leucine. The untreated Orange Juice seemed to have four unknown amino acids, my results tell me that these were Asparagine, Lycine, Arginine and Leucine. I could tell this as I matched up the Rf values with the ones that seemed to be the closest match. I know that these results were not that accurate as I know the Rf values for four of them. For Proline the real Rf value is 0.48, but our class results got 0.76 and 0.87 with an average of 0.82. This is clearly wrong. Therefore anything that I have predicted to have Proline in, might not have it in. For Leucine the real Rf value is 0.73, and our class results are 0.79 and 0.59 with an average of 0.69. This is a very close result, so it is quite accurate. So it is likely that if I have predicted it to have Leucine in it, it probably does. For Lycine the real Rf value is 0.14, and our class values are 0.41 and 0.45, with and average of 0.43. This is not a very good match. From this I can tell that anything I have said to have Lycine in it, probably does not have it in. For Arginine the real Rf value is 0.2, and we only have one class result for that and it is 0.53 which is clearly wrong. This shows us that anything I have predicted to have Arginine in, probably wont. For Asparagine, we are not sure of the real Rf value, so I can not tell if our results are right, but guessing from the rest not being accurate, it probably is not. Saying this, not only could our results from the known amino acids be wrong, but also so could our results from the unknown amino acids, and the treated and untreated Orange Juice. This tells me that our results could have been wrong on both accounts, and so could possibly be right! We can not be sure, but we do know that the results for the known amino acids were not as accurate as they should have been. These errors could be down to a number of things. Firstly if we had touched the paper chromatography or TLC at any time we would have left our own amino acids on it, and so our experiment would have been inaccurate. It was very hard not to touch either of these while cutting, or moving to place in test tubes or in jars. It could have been very easy to accidentally touch it, thus messing up the experiment. Another way these errors could have occurred could have been down to making the amino acid drop too big, due to not waiting until it is dry enough to put another drop on. This would have meant that when put in the solvent, the dot would have been emerged in it, and made our results inaccurate. Another way an error could have occurred could be not making the dots as concentrated as they should have been, not counting enough drops of the amino acid onto the paper or TLC. This would have changed our results. Another way would be if when put in the solvent the test tube or jar moved, and splashed the paper or TLC, making the solvent front longer then it should have been, so our calculations would be inaccurate. Another way could be putting too much TLC or Paper solvent into the jar or test tube, thus emerging the dot, making more inaccuracies. If the paper chromatography had been touching the side of the test tube while the solvent was working its way up, then this would have made our results inaccurate as well. All of these errors would make our results inaccurate and less reliable. One way of making our results more accurate would be to get rid of all these errors, which is very difficult as there are so many errors that could be made during this experiment. If I were to do this experiment again, I would start by wearing some rubber gloves, so that if I did touch the paper it would not matter as much. The second thing I would change would to be more accurate when putting the dots on the paper or TLC, making sure that they are dry properly, and that they do not spread too far. Another improvement I would make would be to make sure the paper was not touching the side of the tube, to not move the tube once the paper is in, and to make sure I draw my lines as accurate as I can. Also when I measure them, I will be more precise so that my results will be a lot more accurate then they were this time round.

A Problem By Society Children And Young People Essay

A Problem By Society Children And Young People Essay Limited scholarships and seats for admission in schools and colleges imply a rise in the competition level. Overcrowded schools lead to indiscipline and a lack of control. Teachers are unable to cater for the individual needs of children. This issue has been further discussed under the heading entitled School. According to Pearson (1983), intervention of social welfare services have a big role in crime prevention. They detect and help abused and ill-treated children. However, in disorganized areas social welfare officers have many families to look after. The cry for help of many children and parents in these areas remain unheard. It is only when the issue has become serious that the authorities intervene. It is often too late. Some end up being traumatized for life or victims of un-repairable damage do. Since there is much insecurity in these localities, businesses to move away and investors refrain from putting their money in developments occurring. This increases problems of unemployment. It is hard in itself to live in suburbs and when employers see that a job applicant comes from a badly reputed region, the chances of the later getting the job diminishes considerably. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, most youngsters coming from these areas already have police records, poor academic knowledge and without legitimate means of obtaining success, they feel social and psychological strain (Merton;1920s). Furthermore, as French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu said: Parents occupation and level of education have significant effects on the life chances of their children. From an economic perspective, these youths breach the law for their financial well being. This rational choice seems acceptable from the youngsters point of view when we consider the lack of proper educational system, equal and legal job opportunities. It is his survival strategy just like it had been for his family members and neighbors. (See School failure) Aggressive and violent youth Another problem which arises when there is a high rate of teenage population is a demographic area is that of violent crimes. Their poor problem-solving skills, overly sensitive or emotional personality and explosive temperament combined with their biological and physical predisposition of being violent and aggressive because of their age; make them apt of committing aggressive assaults and crimes. Small discussions and debates can end up into bloody attacks. Indeed, disorganized neighborhoods suffer from social incivility. It is common to hear swearing words and see people fighting on the streets, to see graffiti, broken window panes, young children roaming till late on the road, and sex workers almost everywhere. Family disruption Community fear, lack of social facilities, unemployment and bad quality of education for the children create a lot of fuss and stress on parents. Also families, in these areas of high violence rate, have disrupted social relationships. It is common to find families which have financial problems, depressive and stressed parents who adopt drinking and other bad habits and who have problems in growing up their children. This has been further discussed in Family. Social mobility Residents of these areas try to get used such disorder and atrocious crimes that occur on the streets around them. They lose trust in authorities and feel abandoned. They rarely report offences they witness or are victims of. On the contrary, fearing for their life and security they join gangs and peer groups which will protect them in case of difficulty. This leads to the development of criminal areas and generations of criminals. Many families want leave these deteriorated communities and look for a better place to grow their children into better adults. This social mobility leads to limited collective efficacy. There is weakened social control. Neighbors might not know and trust each other. This is constant fear and insecurity and no cohesiveness among inhabitants. Government policies and initiatives taken up by NGOs do not work since residents do not stay for long to implement them. Indiscipline in schools, the lack of individual care for needy students, availability of drugs and arms and a troublesome family life can result tragic incidents. On December 14, 2012 Adam Lanza shot 20 children and 6 staff members in a school in Connecticut. Growing up in a disorganized and less privileged society is tough enough without having to be worried about being killed while going to class. Unfortunately, events like these occur because of a multitude of factors which are not always controllable. Duncan and Murnanes book, Neighborhood and Family Impacts on Schools, examines à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦how factors as family functioning, neighborhood conditions, school quality, and local labor markets impact schools ability to improve academic and educational attainment of disadvantaged students. We have seen how the education system favors academic learning and neglects personality development. Where a class is supposed to be a team of young learners, with each and every member being valuable, it has now become competitive environment in itself where making others lose seem to be synonym of victory. Some students find this sort of system challenging and do their best to be toppers in exams but on the other hand students who have, since their very young age, been exposed to severe and prolonged stress, are likely to have developed learning disabilities and emotional and behavioral problems which make is difficult for them to successfully go through the educational system. These students have to undergo a lot of pressure from members of their family, school and society. They may have attention deficit disorder, a lot of anxiety and can be depressive. However, instead of being spotted as care-needing students, teachers and also other students often labeled as stupid and lazy an d antisocial. Teachers do not actively listen to their problems. They simply lecture and maintain peace and order in classrooms. Teaching techniques are not adapted to the needs of children. There is no individualized care and support. Teachers who do not encourage students to succeed and condemn them because of their learning disabilities fail in their traditional role as gurus, guides and role models and add on to the distrust that children and youths have in adults. Subcultures Children tend to do what we do rather than what we say to do. To understand how a violent community affects teenagers and how it is related to youth crime we to take the social learning theory developed by Bandura, the differential learning theory developed by Matza, Sutherland, Cressy and others, and theories on subcultures. According to Gottfredson and Hirschi, family environment is the most important institution which has to foster self-control, good values and manners in a child. However as demonstrated by Bandura in the Bobo Doll experiment, there are different ways through which a child learns how to be aggressive but the main one is through observation and interaction with others. Parents living in a violent society cannot fully restrain and protect their children from all negative influences. Children can do both good and bad and discipline should be appropriately used for the former to prevail (Anderson; 1980). Parents cannot be held sole responsible for the social and moral education of their children. Other institutions have a crucial role to play. As seen earlier, the failure of one institution can lead to the failure of all the other institutions. Children who are abused and neglected by parents, experience school failure, rejection from society and have a low self-esteem are more likely to join gangs. We have seen under School failure and Indiscipline in schools how gangs form and function in schools. In a violent community, there are considerable numbers of gangs which operate. Sutherland and Cressy suggest that criminal behavior is learnt through criminal association. Criminal motives, techniques, attitudes and rationalizations are developed through interaction with others. Moreover, as Cohen suggests crime is collective in nature. Moreover, in most subcultures the violation of institutionalized and traditional behaviors is seen as normal as they have their own street rules and regulations. It is true that protective factors like social bonding and self-control mitigate the risk of offending but studies have proved that it is highly probable for children who grow up in violent environments to learn deviant behavior at home or at school or on the streets. In the longitudinal study of 400 London school boys, West and Farrington (1970) suggested that delinquency arises from a complex interaction between individual home atmosphere, the personal qualities of the boy and the circumstances in which the family lives. Hutchings We have also observed that inner controls can be a strong protective factor but it has to be fostered by not only parents but also teachers and society, who have to act like role models. Social controls, like attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief (Hirschi; 1970) are also protective factors which stop youth from acting delinquently. To conclude we can say that young children in violent communities are most likely to grow up as aggressive adults. The period of adolescence is characterized by physical changes, cognitive development, mood swings and social reorganization having as aim to grow into maturity and help fulfilling social and cultural expectation of becoming a responsible adult. Love, support, care and right education are more than essential for adolescents. A cozy environment can make all the difference. Unfortunately, for children who are in stressful environment, their life experiences will affect their personality, perspective and the type of adult they end up being. If parents, schools, peer networks, neighbors and other social welfare services are work in strong coordination and collaboration the duty of rearing children into responsible adults, not deviant ones, is like to be fulfilled. Since long, the responsibility of growing up a child into a responsible citizen has been bowled from the shoulders of parents and families to that of the government. Their transition from puberty to an age of maturity should be eased with love, support and care. Nowadays, the concept of childhood is being slowly wiped out. The transition period between childhood and adolescence and adolescence to adulthood seems to be shortening as years go by. Children and adolescents are partaking in adult activities at very early ages. Fashion brands, celebrity magazines, tv serials, advertisings and other bla bla are marketedly directly to them. Where media can be used to sensitize children, it is being used to provoke certain behaviors. Tv serials like Gossip Girls and Teen Mom, among among many others, promote dangerous sexual behaviors and pregnancies. Cognitive development- less reasoning ability Despair of parents/ cry for help should be heard by authorities + social welfare services appropriate actions should be taken each family has its own concerns and problems- tailor-made programs

code of conducts :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  GUARDIAN AD LITEM CODE OF CONDUCT The Guardian ad Litem shall: 1. maintain high standards of conduct in carrying out his or her duties and obligations; 2. diligently represent and be guided solely by the best interests of the child; 3. report honestly and impartially to the court on what is in the best interests of the child; 4. respect the privacy of the child and family; 5. hold confidential all information obtained in the course of service as a guardian ad litem, as required by law and these Standards; 6. decline appointment, withdraw, or request assistance when the volunteer recognizes that he or she may not have the time or ability to effectively advocate for a child; 7. affirmatively advise the Program if he or she is charged with or convicted of a criminal offense, or becomes involved in any other court proceeding, as this may cause a conflict of interest or adversely affect the guardian ad litem’s ability to effectively advocate for a child; 8. report any new incident of child abuse or neglect to his or her supervisor and the abuse hotline; 9. comply with local circuit Program policies; 10. notify the Program director if the guardian ad litem or any member of the guardian ad litem’s immediate family becomes involved in a case with allegations of child abuse or neglect; 11. discuss all recommendations concerning the case with Program staff prior to submitting recommendations to the court; 12. obtain review/approval from Program staff before submitting any document to the court or other parties; 13. monitor the child regularly pursuant to any policies established by the local Program; 14. return identification cards and all case files and related materials to the Program office upon discharge from the case or dismissal from the Program; 15. discuss case progress and guardian ad litem activity at least every sixty (60) days with Program staff and regularly submit case activity sheets; and 16. complete six hours of inservice training annually. Guardian ad Litem staff and volunteers shall not: 1. take action which: a. endangers the child, a party, a witness or other person; b. is outside the powers or role of the guardian ad litem; or c. Violates state or local law, court rule, Program policy or court or Program procedure; 2. contravene staff or court direction; 3. repeatedly or significantly fail to perform a responsibility as a guardian ad litem; 4. falsify or fail to disclose information on the guardian ad litem application form, misrepresent facts during the screening interview or commit an act which results in a substantial alteration of the individual’s qualifications to serve in the GAL Program;

The Harbour – Creative Writing

The harbour begins to wake as the rhythmic chug of boat engines slowly return. The waves explode like bombs against the harbour wall. Fog is dispersing to view a fantasy of narrow streets strung with captivating souvenir shops and sophisticated restaurants. Morning darkness fades, slowly the clouds drift, revealing a pure, spotless blue sky. The town hall strikes 8 o'clock, shop shutters rattle as they raise, doors bursting open with a helping hand awaiting to welcome the customer with an embrace. A pungent smell of fish fills the air. A gust of wind full with repulsive odour lingers. Sun-kissed light pours from the sky, the reflection upon the water blinding. Solitary streets are now animated. Harmony is no more but the day is still premature. Exhaust fumes float as workers withdraw from their homes and start up their engines. The traffic is solid throughout the town. People barge their way to local banks and supermarkets through overflowing pathways. Tourists disembark upon the harbour, beginning the long awaited holiday. An enchanted wonderland of fair attractions sit upon the end of the pier, slowly they complete their circuits. Breakfast bars open in the car parks serving up crisp bacon sandwiches dripping with butter and blistering coffee. Along the harbour front, fishermen sit mending their nets as though they are knitting. People drift in and out of streets, some white, some red, some tanned; the sun's violent rays causing skins pigment to discolour. Young and old take a morning stroll along a beach like stretch of empty space. The view is cleared, what you see sends shivers down your back, the sea's elegance and harbour in almost complete perfection. Slowly a frying fragrance finds it's way up your nostrils. Yes, lunchtime rush, takeaway shops and restaurants are in full flow. The beach is filling; young children begin to play their electrifying games. Everywhere you roam there are fish and chips. Lightly battered fish, so crisp when you take a bite. Slowly the batter falls down your oesophagus leaving succulent flakes of cod warming your lips and tongue. Chips so soft, your first taste is sea salt and malt vinegar, secondly the slight grease tickling the back of your throat. A taste of potato whirls as your teeth chew, and then all matter of food disappears from your mouth. Guilt in your mind about the fat content but the taste takes it away. Squawks are amongst the crowds as gulls swoop down for scraps. Gently relaxation occurs. Youngsters run with slight indigestion, the smouldering crisp sand making their young feet so sore. Afternoon falls. The beach is still packed with sunbathers and children. A drowsiness dawns. Some people sit upon the harbour wall watching waves ripple in. Sticks of rock go crunch, candyfloss melts and fudge just makes you chew. A confectionary wonderland! Laughter is surrounding showing every sign of full enjoyment. Deeper into the town humanity is all common, drifting to and fro from high street designers to leather stenching shoe stores. Streets littered with cake wrappers from the bakery, sandwich boxes from the deli bar and general junk here and there. Coke cans crunch beneath your feet as you walk and a gorgeous perfume aroma wafts and asthmatics begin to choke. Calmness never seems to occur. Moving back through the town and down to the harbour, the beach is slowly beginning to clear and the tide is creeping close. Bath taps drip as parents eagerly attempt to untangle their children's sandy locks. Light is fading cautiously as evening draws in. Couples appear arm in arm. Shop shutters once again rattle as they close. Restaurants' distinct smell is inviting. Open bars serve up crisps, nuts and cold beverages, alcoholic or not. Glasses chink as drunken chatter begins. In sight is a beautiful sunset, the red glow inspiring just like a painted picture but all fades when darkness gradually descends. Soothing music from an unknown live band rings in your ears. Fishing boats begin to proceed out to sea. Hard workers wander down their local pulling out the pennies to achieve a taste of real ale. All that is recognisable in the darkness is faint outlines of people and places. Ping! Pier lights turn on in their own unique brilliance. Club beats compose vibrations throughout the floor. People dancing and laughing makes the world seem blissful. So many people are having a good time. Slowly the volume creeps louder almost making your ears burst. Bang, tequila slammers hit the table hard, barely touch your lips but soon make you intoxicated. Jazz and liquor is no combination for anyone who is angelic and always seems to be composed. ‘Ring a ding ding', bells sound. Last orders it's time to go home. An emanation of alcohol is upon everyone. Silence in the end. As the lighthouse flickers like a candle the glimpse of a silent shadow tumbles to its death. Anyone still awake, outside can only smell sea-salt and waste grub. The harbour is never always in tranquillity.

Richard Layard stated that ‘happiness comes from outside and within’ Essay

Happiness is described as a positive feeling that ranges from Joy to contentment. Everybody would like to be happy. It is believed that people who are happy are more successful, productive, have better relationships and better health. We would like to maintain these feelings when we have them. Richard Layard uses the terms ‘outside’ and ‘within’ to describe where happiness comes from. ‘Outside’ factors include influences like relationships, social identities and culture. ‘Within’ looks at influences such as biology, thoughts and feelings. So the ‘outside’ relates to social influences and ‘within’ relates to personal factors inside the individual. This essay aims to find evidence of these multiple influences in order to explain Richard Layard’s statement. First it will address ‘within’, next it will look at the ‘outside’, finishing with a conclusion. A key biological factor of happiness is linked to a healthy lifestyle and eating the right food. Exercising and eating right increases the body’s level of endorphins, which naturally gives us a boost. Certain foods stimulate the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin regulates mood, appetite and sleep, and is what produces the feelings of happiness and satisfaction within us. If we have low levels of serotonin we feel depressed and anxious. Judith Wurtman (1996) (cited in starting psychology 2011) found a connection between low levels of serotonin and a diet low in carbohydrates. People on high fat, high protein, low carbohydrate diets reported feelings of depression anger and tension which were unusually high. Foods that stimulate serotonin contain a chemical called tryptophan. Foods like fish, nuts, beans, eggs, oats and chocolate all contain this mood boosting chemical. So what we put in our bodies can affect our level of happiness. When Layard states happi ness comes from ‘within’ he is drawing on these biological factors. But are some of us born with a genetic predisposition to be happier than others? Richard Davidson et al. (2000) (cited in starting psychology 2011) used an EEG to measure where the brain is active when we are happy. It found that happy people show more activity in the front of the brain on the left  hand-side than the right and vice versa when people are unhappy. Some people naturally use one side of their brain more than the other, using the left side more means you are likely to show higher levels of happiness regardless of your experiences. This theory was tested on babies and toddlers. Both left hand-sided babies and toddlers showed less distress when separated from their mothers and were better at new situations than babies and toddlers who were right hand-sided. This shows some level of happiness is genetically inherited again a ‘within’ factor of biological evidence to support Layard’s theory. Davidson teamed up with Jon Kabat-Zin to see if mediation had any effect on the right and left front brain activity. They carried out an experiment on a group of high pressure workers. The group was divided into two and one group was taught how to meditate, the other was told they would start later. Eight weeks later the group who learned to meditate were significantly happier, coped better with stress and had greater immunity when given a flu vaccination than the group who had not yet started. It also showed that their level of brain activity had shifted to the left. So although the brain and how it works is fundamental in how happiness is produced you can effectively train your brain to work in a different way by altering its plasticity. (Starting Psychology 2011) All these biological factors contribute to our level of happiness and is what Layard meant by ‘within’ influences. These are not the only influences on our happiness; relationships and environment play a large role too. Richard Layard’s (2005) research into happiness identified a list of seven factors that promote wellbeing. The list states family and close relationships are the number one factors for happiness as they are emotionally sustaining. This tells us that the ‘outside’ influences of relationships that Layard refers to are essential. (Starting Psychology 2011). Relationships start in the womb and continue throughout life. Early relationships influence the emotional development of children and a securely attached child is confident, has high self-esteem and knows it is loved and valued, creating happiness. The findings from Mary Ainsworth (1978) (cited  in Starting Psychology 2011) when she observed one year old babies in her experiment ‘the Strange situation’ confirms this claim. Children played in a room and their reactions were recorded when the parent left and a stranger entered. Securely attached children were happy to explore and play whilst the paren t was present, but became distressed when left. They were easily comforted when the parent returned, however when a stranger entered the child could not be comforted and resisted the stranger. Insecurely attached children were less confident in exploring, were indifferent to the presence or absence of the parent and indecisive about whether they wanted comforting or not. A recent UNICEF report (2007) showed how significant relationships with family and friends are in producing happiness in children. This report was about children’s wellbeing in twenty-one developed countries, and the UK found itself at the bottom of the list, behind poorer countries. The reason for this ranking seemed to be poor quality relationships with family, friends and peers. It emerged that being loved and supported by family and friends was the most important elements for a happy childhood. (Starting Psychology 2011). In adulthood people who manage good communication are happier than others. Robert Lane (2000) also argued we gain happiness from people’s affection and acceptance of us and it is this feeling of being valued that influences our mood. When we are with people we exchange positive non-verbal communication. Our body language promotes friendly interaction which leads to laughter and happiness. Also several large studies have shown a link between expressing gratitude and high feelings of happiness according to Seligman (2005). When we thank someone we not only make the person feel good it increases our mood. All these examples show evidence of what Layard meant by ‘Outside’ influences on our happiness. (Starting Psychology 2011). In conclusion many contributing factors make us happy. These few examples are biological and social influences confirming Richard Layard’s opinion that ‘happiness comes from outside and within’ It seems that a combination of influences are essential in contributing to our overall happiness, there are  many other factors that also play a part in our happiness, but it is clear from this evidence that a person’s biological state and close personal relationships directly affect levels of happiness.