Ethics issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethics issues - Essay Example The development of financing interests for the project began in the 1920s by governments and businesses. The first design for the project was developed by Joseph Strauss and David Steinman who presented a suspended bridge. Due to suspicions that Steinman was not capable of raising sufficient money for the project, the chamber of commerce in Tacoma resorted to terminating its contract in the year 1931. Fresh interests however developed in 1937 with the creation of the Washington State Toll Bridge Authority by Washington State. Using the revenue from the tolls of the bridge, the authority conducted a practicability study. In the end it became clear that the design and construction of the bridge was not possible through the toll revenue finances alone. Another interested body in the building of the bridge was the United States military. The military required a route to directly link the Bremerton’s Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to Army’s McChord Field and Fort Lewis on the si de of Tacoma. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard was on the Pierce County of the Narrows (Board of Engineers Appointed to Report on the Failure of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Othmar Hermann Ammann 143). It was also in the interest of the federal agencies to create more job opportunities amidst the Great Depression. This set up the political and economic forces that later on contributed to the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. ... Deep truss girders that were 25 feet supported the roadway to stiffen it. Therefore, the Eldridge design was submitted to the Federal Public Works Administration (PWA) by the Authority. The requested fee was $ 11 million. This prompted Leon Moisseiff, a renowned New York to submit a proposal to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) and PWA for the design of $8 million Bridge. As compared to other initial projects, this implied a huge and significant savings. The costs saved came as a result of the 25-feet deep roadway through the replacement done by Moisseiff. These supported the truss girders with that had a depth of 8-feet. This design was not only slender and elegant but also reduced the bridge’s stiffness (Cronn-mills 11). The bridge’s cost savings and the reputation of Moisseff together slender and beauty of the design led to awarding of the contract to Moisseff and the engineering firm that was associated with him. The engineering firm was called the Moran & Proctor. Apparently, this engineering firm was favored instead of Washington Department of Highways and Eldridge. By the month of June 1938, PWA had permitted $6 million for the project. The remaining cost was paid with proceeds from the toll revenue. By the end of the project, a total of $6.4 million had been spent on it. It took 19 months to complete the project that began in September 1938. Characterized by the major span of 2800 feet, this became the third highest bridge on suspension. In July 1940, the bridge was opened. However, it collapsed in November of the same year (Scott 273). Sequence of Events The Moiseiff design began with the theoretical underpinning that was published in a 1933 paper with the help of Fred Liehard. The Moisseiff

Physical wellness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Physical wellness - Essay Example Proposed fitness plan: Diversify cardio activities if possible through different activities - running on treadmill, swimming, spinning, step aerobics, kick boxing. Increase cardio activity to 40 minutes at least 3 days a week. Intensify by using weights - ankles, waist, or specially designed weight jacket. Goals: Maintain weight through cardio and strength training. Proper and regular eating habits will be instituted. 4 - 5 small meals each day will be used to maintain energy. Fruits and vegetables can be eaten for healthy snacks between meals. Avoidance of high sodium, high carbohydrate, and high fat foods. Consistent water intake of at least 64 ounces a day for optimum body functioning will be needed. Avoidance of energy drinks and caffeine. Drinks containing electrolytes should be careful consumed, assisting in the body maintaining homeostasis. Proposed plan: Alternate upper body and lower body work-outs in minimize fatigue of larger muscle groups in each area. For each exercise, a total of 12 -15 reps, and a total of 3 sets of reps should be followed. Work major muscle groups and smaller muscle groups to maximize the workout. Circuits can provide cardio during strength training - this entails moving from one exercise to the next with little to no rest in between. Free weights and exercise bands can be used for resistance training. Less weight more reps for lean muscle and less reps higher weight for creating heavier muscle mass should be taken into consideration. Exercises to be used: To work large muscle groups within the legs, squats and lunges should be used, with or without weight. Arms: bar bell bicep curls - allows for heavier weight usage and is easiest in technique; alternate dumb bell bicep curls, allows for one arm to rest while another arm works; use of bands with these exercises - use one foot or both feet to hold the band in place while pulling the band in the same motions used with free weights. Abs: standing abdominal work will reduce the stress that is placed on the back while doing crunches in a lying position - the basic standing tuck position works the abs by having the person tuck their hips while maintaining a straight back. Bending from side to side will work the obliques in concert with the abdominals. Goals: Increase muscle tone through gradual weight increments and usage. Increase the amount of weight that can be used during workouts before exhaustion sets in. Use of strength training equipment at Planet Fitness Gym and/or exercise instructional videos for wide variety of exercises. Stress Management Plan: Part 3 Current stressors: Full time college student, living at home with parents, working 3 -4 days a week as a secretary. Inable to sit for long periods of time. Constant stress and high anxiety levels present. Current stress relief activities: Use of sports/exercise; playing piano. Proposed plan: Using time effectively, both exercise and relaxation techniques could be employed. Yoga, pilates, and the newest combination called piyo can be used for stretching, strengthening, as well as for meditative purposes. Receiving a full body massage monthly will help reduce muscle fatigue and lower stress levels by fully relaxing the entire body. A hot bath will also relax the body and help reduce muscl

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle Essay Example for Free

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle Essay Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, three men considered to be the quintessential basis of ancient Greek philosophy. Not only were they responsible for Greek enlightenment, but also foreshadowed the coming of Christ in there speculations. Plato, the protege of Socrates, became the first to document the philosophy of his teacher, which in turn is passed down to Aristotle. This process of mentoring aided ancient man in the intellectual evolution of politics and religion, known as the linear concept. Socrates, the Athenian native ex-hoplite and his successors more often than not focused on three main schools of thought, religion, politics, and the spiritual essence. Socrates was not a defender of the gods, and by no means an atheist, which he will later, in part, be put to death for. Through Socrates many years of philosophizing religion his most notable accomplishments were; mans existence on two planes and the immortal soul. He believed man existed on two planes, a physical plane, the human form in which people carry out their lives, and the spiritual form, the more concentrated immortal essence that is internal to all. Perhaps more significant is the spiritual form or soul, Socrates described as the seat of the mind and knowledge is closely related to it, and that only after death would the soul be released. Following the soul release, one could then have the opportunity to see truth more clearly then ever before. Socrates was the first to speculate in relation to the soul, and the first to deem it immortal exclusive of any ritual or practice. In terms of democracy Socrates faith slight, he had his doubts, primarily because he did not condone empowering the uneducated. He felt that some were not educated enough and were ignorant to political and social complexities, therefore should not have the equality of a greater mind in the matter. He was later tried and convicted for corrupting the youth and atheism, not before passed all his philosophy to his prized student Plato. Plato carried on Socrates unique approach to philosophy and extended it one step farther. He expanded largely on Socrates works on immortality of the soul, truth, the existence of man on two planes, and why, only after death, one could see truth more clearly in one of his most acclaimed works, the Doctrine of Pure Form and Ideas. The doctrine of pure form and ideas illustrated how man was deceived by his senses and that they masked the real truth. In fact, Plato argued that a man would see a horse for example, in a whole new light after death, because only then could he see the pure form after the mask of his mortal senses was lifted. Furthermore, he believed that a pure form, in other words an essence that can see all for its genuine truth created the world, which many consider the true beginning of monotheism. On the other end of the spectrum are his political contributions, whereby he took Socrates criticism of democracy to a new level. Plato considered democracy to be the worst form of government; moreover he thought people should be guided by a guardian class or group, much like the oligarchy of Sparta, which he idolized. In addition, Plato contemplated the removal of superior children from their specifically mated parents at birth, after which they would be raised by the state and all its citizens as children of the state as a whole. Lastly Plato was one of the first minds to encourage the integration of women in government, perhaps building the foundation for female suffrage. Lastly, Aristotle, a man of great virtue and notorious genius, the last piece of the ancient philosophy jigsaw puzzle, appends the studies of his ostentatious predecessors. Being the understudy of Plato, Aristotle found much ado in mans essence and politics. Aristotle took the thought of pure form and pure beings to its pinnacle by concluding that of all pure forms one is unquestionably the purest, and is therefore all good and is god. On the other hand, Aristotle did not always agree with Plato for example, Aristotle disputed Platos theory of human senses. He in turn felt strongly regarding the importance of the senses and argued they should not be denied; furthermore that change is not an illusion but rather an important phenomenon. Change, Aristotle felt, was the process all organisms experience toward a particular end, an end determined by the unmoved mover or the supreme cause of existence. Aristotle much like Plato also frowned upon democracy, suggesting it to be mob rule. However, he was no advocate of oligarchy or monarchy either; in fact he condemned Sparta for empowering women, and felt that government should be run by wealthy men who have been trained by philosophers. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are among the greatest philosophers of all time; their ideas have been passed through the ages and have been integrated within many modern day societies. As stated, the three men continually added toward the growth of religion, politics and the human soul in a process which is known ads the linear concept, constant changes and evolution toward the birth of many religions and political ideologies.

The Possible Causes Of Sick Building Syndrome Environmental Sciences Essay

The Possible Causes Of Sick Building Syndrome Environmental Sciences Essay The World Health Organization defines Sick Building Syndrome as a complex of sub-chronic symptoms that occur while occupants are in a building and generally decrease when they leave. The EPA defines it as phenomena used to describe situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. The discomforts faced by the occupants are usually of the dermis, the nervous system and the mucous membranes (Brinke et al., 1998). Typical symptoms may include itchy eyes, itchy and/or dry skin, irritation of the nose, throat, difficulty in breathing, headache, nausea, fatigue, chest tightening etc. (Apter et al, 1994). The problem may not necessarily be one related to the place of occupation, but studies that describe it refer almost specifically to occupation related disorders. Sick building syndrome is a by-product of building related illness which itself is an extension of indoor air quality. SBS is hard to diagnose as the symptoms that accompany it are not mutually exclusive to it, and may also be the manifestations of other illnesses. Previous studies and surveys conducted on office buildings in the U.S and Europe indicate that at least a 5th of the healthy individuals in the building experience symptoms related to SBS (Pickering et al.,1992) . Usually however, the symptoms disappear if the person leaves the building. 2. CAUSES OF SBS The following are the possible causes of sick building syndrome: 2.1. Ventilation (or lack thereof) In the mid 1900s the building ventilation standards were set at approximately 15 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of outside air for each building occupant, primarily to dilute and remove body odors (US EPA). As a result of the 1973 oil embargo, however, national energy conservation measures called for a reduction of the amount of outdoor air provided for ventilation to 5 cfm per occupant, which in most cases were found to be inadequate. Inadequate ventilation may also occur if heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems do not effectively distribute air to people in the building(US EPA). To maintain adequate indoor air quality, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recently revised its ventilation standard to provide a minimum of 15 cfm of outdoor air per person (20 cfm/person in office spaces). ( ASHRAE Standard 62-1989). 2.2. Contaminants Contaminants are of a varied nature and varied origin. They can be broadly categorized into two categories on the basis of their composition i.e. chemical and biological; and their origin i.e. indoor and outdoor. 2.2.1 Indoor chemical contaminants These originate inside the building. Examples could be chemicals/fumes from the paint, carpeting, wood products, upholstery, copying machines, computers, cleaning agents. Such chemicals are usually classified as Volatile Organic Carbons. Other chemical contaminants can be the CO2 exhaled in totality, the fumes/chemicals in cigarette smoke. Heating systems especially the old ones can give rise to combustion byproducts such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxides, aerosol particles, ozone etc. Various studies have been conducted on almost all of the above mentioned chemicals contaminants and their ill effects have been well documented. 2.2.2. Outdoor chemical contaminants As the name suggest, these originate outside the building. These also include VOCs, gases like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, oxides of sulfur, ozone, etc. However, the basic difference between this and indoor chemical contaminants is that outdoor contaminants arise due to vehicular use outside the building, which gradually pervades inside the building. 2.2.3. Biological contaminants Bacteria, molds, pollen, and viruses are types of biological contaminants. These contaminants may breed in stagnant water that has accumulated in ducts, humidifiers and drain pans, or where water has collected on ceiling tiles, carpeting, or insulation. Sometimes insects or bird droppings can be a source of biological contaminants. Physical symptoms related to biological contamination include cough, chest tightness, fever, chills, muscle aches, and allergic responses such as mucous membrane irritation and upper respiratory congestion. One indoor bacterium, Legionella, has caused both Legionnaires Disease and Pontiac Fever (Apter et al, 1994). 3. EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SICK BUILDING SYNDROME Several studies have been conducted on the Sick Building Syndrome, and the effects related to it. These studies had employed questionnaires which depended on self-reporting by the subjects, and indoor quality measurements. The first of such surveys/studies which focused primarily on building related sickness or complaints was done in the United Kingdom for humidifier fever by Anthony Pickering (Pickering et al, 1992). The same method was utilized by the subsequent researchers, with some modifications in the study design or questions. The studies were usually comparative, i.e. there was a test group in which the subjects worked/resided in not so well ventilated buildings, and the control group in which the subjects were in well ventilated buildings. Self reporting was usually a component of the study design (Redlich et at, 1997), and by its very nature the most likely to introduce bias in the study. Subjects usually reported nasal symptoms such as congestion, pruritis, rhinorrhea etc. , eye related symptoms such as tearing, dryness etc., and others such as tightness and congestion in the chest area, nausea etc. (Apter et al, 1994). When comparisons were made between the two groups, it was seen that the prevalence of all these symptoms was higher in the subjects that were in the test group. This would help to draw the conclusion that there was some factor in the building, possibly the ventilation or lack of it that contributed to these symptoms. Though building related factors are not the only variables in such studies, age, gender, environmental factors also account for a lot. A study conducted by Ooi et al. suggests that building related health complaints were reported more frequently by people who handled/dealt with visual display units. A majority of the researchers conducting these studies agree that these symptoms could also be manifestations of work related stress, which obviously plays a major part in todays work environment. Stress related disorders include headaches including migraines, peptic ulcers, high blood pressure, bronchial asthma etc. When these are considered in conjugation with building related health complaints, there is a very high degree of overlap. Indoor air quality measurements usually help to somewhat pinpoint the origin of these disorders, if not accurately predict them. Air quality measurements with respect to building related disorders prove that inadequate ventilation is usually a major cause of the disorders. Inadequate ventilation fails to dissipate the concentration of the chemical and biological contaminants, and may even lead the increase in their concentration over time. Sources of these contaminants will be discussed further. 3.1. Sources of the Contaminants A).VOCs: Volatile organic compounds are usually aerosols of hydrocarbons. They arise from various sources and are present in a variety of compounds present indoors. Such sources are paints, coatings, caulks, carpeting, Office products such as type-writer correction fluids, photo-duplication and laser printing toners and their thermal degradation products, and carbonless copy paper release. In addition, perfumes, emissions from dry-cleaned clothes, and other products associated with human beings may give of VOCs. Also certain microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi may emit VOCs (Brinke et al, 1998). B). BIOAEROSOLS: As the name suggests, these are released by biological sources such as micro-organisms and even humans. Plants also emit bioaerosols. Inadequate cleaning services and moisture control may lead to the proliferation of microorganisms. Furthermore, dust may collect in vents and in between carpeting (Apte et al., 2000). Workers may even carry them in through their clothes, and these are the major ways how organisms such as dust mites, cockroaches and even bed bugs are transported and subsequently propagated. These compounds usually give rise to respiratory illnesses and can increase the incidence of asthma, though their epidemiology is not much supported by previous studies. C). ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE: In most U.S office buildings, smoking is prohibited. However, already present outside smoke may pervade in through doorways and windows through wind patterns. Usually tobacco smoke is not much of a problem in the United States; however, it is so in many other countries especially developing countries. Such a factor may increase passive smoking, and increase the incidence of asthma, and other respiratory diseases. D). OUTSIDE AIR POLLUTION: Vehicular exhaust, factory exhaust and other outdoor pollution factors can pervade indoors gradually. This is seen in buildings which are near busy roadways and city centers. The compounds in such are usually VOCs and aerosols which cause a huge variety of problems (Brinke et al, 1998). E). PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS: Work stress is a psychological factor that can exacerbate already existing health problems and/or make a person more susceptible to them. Furthermore, several studies have proved that gender and age play a big part in the prevalence of the disorders. Typically, women and older workers are more susceptible to sick building syndrome disorders (Brasche et al, 2001). 4. POSSIBLE REMEDIATION OF SICK BUILDING SYNDROME Sick building syndrome is different from building related illness in the sense that it is reversible, i.e. most people report alleviation in their symptoms if they leave the building. This improvement in their health is more or less fast, and it is this factor that makes SBS somewhat easy to manage. The following solutions can be used in combination or separately to remediate these symptoms. 4.1. Elimination of contaminants This method is the best remedy if the sources are known and it is economically feasible to remove them. A well maintained HVAC system can automatically help to eradicate some or most of these pollutants. The EPA suggests the following procedures to help in eliminating the contaminants: 1. Periodic cleaning or replacement of filters 2. Replacement of water-stained ceiling tile and carpeting 3. Institution of smoking restrictions 4. Venting contaminant source emissions to the outdoors 5. Storage and use of paints, adhesives, solvents, and pesticides in well ventilated areas, and use of these pollutant sources during periods of non-occupancy 6. Allowing time for building materials in new or remodeled areas to off-gas pollutants before occupancy. 4.2. Increasing ventilation rates Improving ventilation and the general air distribution greatly impacts the indoor air quality of a building. It is usually the most economically feasible options of counteracting SBS. HVAC should at the very least meet the minimum standards of local and/or national building codes. The ASHRAE suggests operating HVAC systems at their design optimum which is usually better and higher than the generic codes. The most optimum and the best option to operate HVAC systems is to the ASHRAE standard62-1989. If there is a large proportion of outdoor pollution pervading indoors, the exhaust systems have to operate to their most optimum capacity so as to continually eliminate such contaminants. Another plausible but far less economically plausible option could be to avoid such congested areas altogether, and build new buildings in comparatively more open spaces, however, this could lead to the reduction in a places green cover, and would be ultimately counter-intuitive to the purpose of elimination of air pollution. The EPA recommends local exhaust ventilation to remove pollutants that accumulate in specific areas such as rest rooms, copy rooms, and printing facilities. It also recommends that the HVAC systems must bring in adequate amounts of outdoor air to dilute and eventually remove indoor contaminants. 4.3. Air cleaning Air cleaning is usually a good remediation option if the SBS is too much, or the indoor air quality is too deteriorated. It is more of a cure than a prevention strategy. Like most mechanical cures, this option also comes with a lot of limitations. Particle control devices such as the typical furnace filter are inexpensive but do not effectively capture small particles whereas high performance air filters capture the smaller, respirable particles but are relatively expensive to install and operate. Mechanical filters do not remove gaseous pollutants. Some specific gaseous pollutants may be removed by adsorbent beds, but these devices can be expensive and require frequent replacement of the adsorbent material (Wargocki et al, 2000). 4.4. Proper Communication and Education These are one of the most important measures in remediation and prevention of SBS. The top management needs to keep in mind the health of its employees and should communicate measures to help them. All the levels of the management must work in tandem to maintain good or rather excellent indoor air quality. The EPA eloquently puts it as When building occupants, management, and maintenance personnel fully communicate and understand the causes and consequences of IAQ problems, they can work more effectively together to prevent problems from occurring, or to solve them if they do. 5. CONCLUSION Sick Building Syndrome is increasingly becoming an issue in the workplace and there are documented proofs that it results in reduction in productivity. However, thankfully, it is a reversible and easily remediable phenomenon, and if the employers and employees work together in eliminating it, it can truly be eradicated.

The Unrecognizable Role in a Family Essay -- Literary Analysis

It is extraordinary to see how much the world has prospered through the ages. History means the period of time after writing was invented. It is seen through many of history’s works such as Romeo and Juliet, the everlasting story of love, and even through the eighteenth century’s SNL in Gulliver’s Travels. These classics define the meaning of history, but one novel that is easily forgotten with many others is The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. In his novel Steinbeck establishes himself as a true futuristic thinker. Steinbeck borrows straight past the abolition of slavery and harks upon the equality of human rights. Essentially, in a time of a failing economy, it is first expected that there is a minimum sense of hospitality with the basic needs (food, water, and shelter), and are seen through the mercenary minor characters in Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck suggests a radical difference in the Joad family to the rest of the world. This dissimilarity in the main characters of the novel is a benchmark of people should be like in the Dust Bowl era. Before the Joad Family began their journey, the individual roles had merely begun to open up, and much of the importance of the characters was not yet realized. Pa Joad is a good, thoughtful man, and he plans the family’s trip to California with great care and consideration. This serves as one his only leadership roles throughout the novel. The stereotypical Man of the family in this era is found in Pa only in the beginning of the novel. â€Å"Who’s there? Tom intimidated by his bulging powerful muscles† (Steinbeck 71). This leadership role is later transferred to Ma Joad slowly throughout the novel with events such as the journey through the desert. The changing of role... ...n nobody travel back east, and the ragged man that the Joads meet at the campground confirms this fear. Even worse than a crowded labor market is the fact that the presumed opportunities because jobs are a fraud; inducing too many workers in order to drive down wages. The ragged men even suggest that the Joads will face a worse fate in California than they did in Oklahoma. Steinbeck really highlights the imperfect world that tags along with the Dust Bowl. It can definitely said that Steinbeck can be seen as a futuristic thinker as well as a hopeful author. By placing the imperfect world in our minds as the environment in the Grapes of Wrath, he allows a little light to flourish from the Joad family that symbolizes the perfect world. Much like Ma Joad’s leadership over Pa Joad the perfect world has overtaken the inhospitality or imperfect world in today’s society.

ISO 9000 :: Business Companies Essays

ISO 9000 Introduction In order to stay competitive, businesses have to be the best at what they do. Company's must be efficient and presise in all aspects of the job. (Metcalfe 1). ISO 9000 is made up of management's responsibility, the producers involved in the Quality Management System, the contract review, the design control, document and data control, purchasing, process control, inspection and testing, control of non-conforming product, corrective action, handling, storage, packaging and delivery, internal quality audits, training, servicing and statistical techniques (Prasanna 1). Quality control and quality assurance is very important there are certain requirements that take time and money to be met but in the end there are benefits. Types of specifications are very significant and the documentation of those is even more. Manufacturers and purchasers have major responsibility in the process of being successful. The quality of a product is so important, especially to the customer. A company's quali ty management system must become the documented proof of a firm's commitment to quality management. A plan put together with quality procedures and work instructions is provided to help companies design their own quality management system. After completing the quality procedures, companies are audited and then determined if they should be certified for ISO 9000 or not (Parsanna 2). ISO: International Organization of Standards Founded in 1947 in Geneva Switzerland, ISO developed international standards and helped exchange goods and services worldwide. It is made up of over 90 countries including the US, which is called the American National Standards Institute. The name ISO came from the Greek word, "isos," meaning equal (Henkoff 2). ISO was created by business men (Henkoff 2). These business men knew what businesses needed to become more competitive and how they could get higher customer satisfaction, so ISO was developed. ISO is not government regulated, but is ran by organizations like the US Registrar Accreditation Board. Such organizations authorize registrars which issue ISO certificates (Barrier 2). In Europe some organizations are government regulated. The American National Standards Institute runs the ISO in the US and authorizes the US Registrar Accreditation Board (Barrier 2). ISO's job is to set standards for companies all over the world so that their products come out efficiently and to the best quality. This helps the customers who receive the exports know exactly what they are getting and are satisfied with the product. Setting these standards is done by ISO members at assembly meetings.

Bandura theories social cognition Essay

Albert Bandura`s social learning theory places learning in a social context. Bandura and his colleagues take the position that personality is acquired, or learned behavior. In particular, Bandura`s insistence that behavior can be learned from mere observation is a significant departure from Skinner’s behaviorist position. An original empirical demonstration of observational learning was presented in a study by Bandura, Ross, and Ross (1993). Nursery school children were allowed to watch an adult’s unusual aggressive actions against an inflated Bobo doll – the kind that pops back up after it has been punched or knocked down. The adult models hit the doll with a hammer and kicked it, tossed it in the air, and even sat on it and punched it. After merely observing this behavior, the children were later allowed to play with toys that included the Bobo doll and hammer. The children who observed the adult model, either live or on videotape, hit the doll more frequently than a control group who had not seen a model. They also tended to hit the doll the way they had observed the adult model do it. Bandura interpreted this study as demonstrating that the probability of behavior can be strengthened through observation. Indeed, in Bandura`s approach to personality, much of one’s behavior is learned and strengthened through imitation, which is a kind of social cognition learning. In this term paper I address the difference in the effectiveness of using simulation intervention program based on a Bandura`s Social learning theory. Moreover, to find out if the program improves either or both the quality and speed of the learning process of students enrolled in a highly technical training program. This term paper focuses on using simulation based learning environments in vocational training program. In this paper, the experimental methodology and instruments are described, results and findings presented and finally discussed and concluded. METHODOLOGY Doing my research on Bandura`s Social learning theory in complex simulation-based learning environments, I experienced a large difference in how learners reacted to my learning material (Kluge, in press, 2004). Complex technical simulations involve the placement of the learner into a realistic computer simulated situation or technical scenario which puts control back into the learner’s hands. The contextual content of simulations allows the learner to â€Å"learn by doing. † Although my primary purpose was in improving research methods and testing procedures for evaluating learning results of simulation-based learning, the different reaction of the participants were so obvious that I took a closer look. I had two different groups participating in my learning experiments: students from an engineering department at the University, mostly in their 3rd semester, and apprentices from vocational training programs in mechanics and electronics of several companies near the University area in their 3rd year of vocational training. Most of the students worked very intensively and concentrated on solving these complex simulation tasks whereas apprentices became easily frustrated and bored. Purposes of the Study Although my first research purpose was not in investigating the differences between these groups, colleagues and practitioners showed their interest and encouraged me to look especially at that difference. Practitioners especially hoped to find explanations why apprentices sometimes are less enthusiastic about simulation learning although it is said to be motivating for their perception. As mentioned above, my primary purpose when I started to investigate learning and simulation based on Bandura`s Social Cognition theories was focused on improving the research methodology and test material (see Kluge, in press, 2004) for experimenting with simulation-based learning environments. But observing the subjects’ reactions to the learning and testing material the question arose whether there might be a difference in the quality of and speed of the learning process of students involved in my study. Research Design A 3-factor 2 ? 2 ? 2 factorial control-group-design was performed (factor 1: â€Å"Simulation complexity†: ColorSim 5 vs ColorSim 7; factor 2: â€Å"support method†: GES vs. DI-GES; factor 3: target group, see Table 2). Two hundred and fifteen mostly male students (16% female) in eight groups (separated into four experimental and four control groups) participated in the main study. The control group served as a treatment check for the learning phase and to demonstrate whether subjects acquired any knowledge within the learning-phase. While the experimental groups filled in the knowledge test at the end of the experiment (after the learning and the transfer tasks), the control groups filled in the knowledge test directly after the learning phase. I did not want to give the knowledge test to the experimental group after the learning phase because of its sensitivity to testing-effects. I assumed that learners who did not acquire the relevant knowledge in the learning phase could acquire useful knowledge by taking the knowledge test, which could have led to a better transfer performance which is not due to the learning method but caused by learning from taking the knowledge test. The procedure subjects had to follow included a learning phase in which they explored the structure of the simulation aiming at knowledge acquisition. After the learning phase, subjects first had to fill in the four-item questionnaire on self-efficacy before they performed 18 transfer tasks. The transfer tasks were separated into two blocks (consisting of nine control tasks each) by a 30-minute break. In four experimental groups (EG), 117 students and apprentices performed the learning phase (28 female participants), the 18 control tasks and the knowledge test. As said before, the knowledge test was applied at the end because of its sensitivity to additional learning effects caused by filling in the knowledge test. In four control groups (CG), 98 students and apprentices performed the knowledge test directly after the learning phase, without working on the transfer task (four female participants). The EGs took about 2-2. 5 hours and the CG about 1. 5 hours to finish the experiment. Both groups (EGs and CGs) were asked to take notes during the learning phase. Subjects were randomly assigned to the EGs and CGs, nonetheless ensuring that the same number of students and apprentices were in each group.