Treating Depression With Online Optimism Intervention

Treating Depression With Online Optimism Intervention Does proneness to flow states affect effectiveness? Researchers of depression have often focused on the role of negative future-oriented cognitions in the development and maintenance of the disorder (e.g., Beck, Rush, Shaw, Emery, 1979; Abramson, Alloy, Metalsky, 1989). Beck (1967, 1976) asserted that depressed people possess a negative cognitive triad consisting of negative views of the self, world, and the future. Extensive research on depressed people revealed that they have more dysfunctional attitudes, report more negative automatic thoughts and hopelessness and adopt a more pessimistic explanatory style than people who are not depressed (Beck, Riskind, Brown, Steer, 1988; Hollon, Kendall, Lumry, 1986; Peterson Seligman, 1984). In addition, Gotlib, Krasnoperova, Yue, and Joormann (2004) found that depressed people process negative information more completely and efficiently than non-depressed controls. Over the last decade, proponents of positive psychology have highlighted that rather than focusing solely on negative painful experiences, we should also empirically study positive emotional well-being and human strengths (Seligman Csikszentmihalyi, 2000; Seligman, Steen, Park, Peterson, 2005). This gave rise to many positive psychology interventions (PPIs) which sought to promote positive cognitions, behaviours, or emotions to help depressed individuals. A recent meta-analysis of 49 studies of PPIs by Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009) revealed that these interventions are effective in reducing depressive symptoms and increasing well-being. One positive trait which PPIs have targeted is optimism. Current research demonstrate that some PPIs seeking to cultivate optimism in both depressed and non-depressed populations have reported some success at improving psychological well-being (Peters, Flink, Boersma, Linton, 2010; Layous et al., 2013; Sergeant Mongrain, 2014). Carver, Scheier, and Segerstrom (2010) define optimism as a positive outlook on life (both during times of success and adversity) and having positive expectations about the future. It has been widely shown that optimism is positively correlated with engaging coping strategies (Carver et al., 2010), mental health outcomes (Kawachi Berkman, 2001; Lench, 2011), better social relationships (Carver, Kus, Scheier, 1994), and a range of positive physical health outcomes (Rasmussen, Scheier, Greenhouse, 2009). Sharot (2011) pointed out that optimists possess the optimism bias- the phenomenon where individuals believe that they are less likely to experience a negative event compared to others even when their optimistic beliefs are challenged. On the other hand, other studies have shown that the optimism bias is absent in depressed people (Strunk, Lopez, DeRubeis, 2006). In addition, individuals with severe depression not only lack this bias but also have a tendency to view future outcomes more negatively than what they really are (Strunk et al., 2006). Achat, Kawachi, Spiro, DeMolles and Sparrow (2000) argue that if we uncover the mechanisms of this optimism bias, it can provide us with powerful insight into the development of depression. One of the most up to date studies by Sergeant and Mongrain (2014) tried to shed more light on the mechanisms of the optimism bias. They designed an online PPI to cultivate optimism and included pessimism as a trait moderator. The results supported their hypothesis that pessimistic individuals would gain more out of the intervention and report fewer depressive symptoms. Sergeant and Mongrain’s (2014) findings draw attention to the impact of individual differences (pessimism) on the success of the online PPI. In addition, other findings suggest that PPIs are most effective when there is a good fit between the activity and the individual characteristics of the user (Lyubomirsky, Sheldon, Schkade, 2005; Dickerhoof, 2007; Mongrain, 2009). For example, Lyubomirsky et al. (2005) pointed out PPIs that emphasize social interaction may benefit people with high social needs to a greater extent. Therefore, it would be informative to look at how other individual differences traits play a part in the success of the PPI. This could possibly help us match PPIs to individuals according to their individual characteristics to gain the most out of the intervention. One other area which positive psychology focused on is the concept of flow. Csikszentmihalyi and Csikszentmihalyi (1988) described psychological flow as an experience of low self-awareness, full concentration and enjoyment of the task at hand. In addition, there is a positive channelling of emotions associated with learning and performing into the task one is doing (Csikszentmihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, 1988). Asakawa (2010) found positive associations between flow proneness and active coping strategies as well as better mental health. As such, Csikszentmihalyi Csikszentmihalyi (1988) called for a better understanding of flow states to assist development of PPIs. De Manzano, Cervenka, Jucaite, Hellenas, Farde, and Ullen (2013) looked at neuropsychological evidence underlying individual differences in flow proneness and found a positive correlation between dorsal striatum dopamine availability and flow propensity. Similarly, it was found that dopamine plays a role in the optimism bias, affecting belief formation by reducing negative beliefs about the future (Sharot, Guitart-Masip, Korn, Chowdhury, Dolan, 2012). As such, it seems that optimism and flow proneness could possibly be related quite closely. However, no research so far has looked at proneness to flow states being a mediating mechanism for the outcomes of an online optimism PPI. As such, this study would like to investigate that by following up on Sergeant and Mongrain’s (2014) experiment. The findings would have important implications in two key areas which were discussed earlier: 1) helping us better understand the mechanisms of the optimism bias and 2) helping us better match PPIs according to client characteristics so as to treat depression more effectively. The present study has two hypotheses: (1) Following the completion of the exercise period, participants in the optimism condition were expected to report significantly greater and longer lasting improvements in psychological well-being than the control condition. Psychological well-being was dependent on a few measures- the endorsement of having an enjoyable, purposeful, and engaging life and low levels of dysfunctional beliefs and depressive symptoms. (2) Dispositional proneness to flow states was expected to be a significant moderator of the relationship between exercise condition and psychological well-being over time. Individuals who were most prone to flow states were expected to gain the most benefit from the optimism intervention. This is because if the individual is more prone to experience flow, he is therefore more likely to get absorbed in the intervention and gain more out of it. 2 A possible Method Include: research question, IV, DV, overview of stimuli, design procedure Exclude: method-style description for replication, specific hypotheses Overview of procedure Psychology undergraduate students will participate in the study for course credit. The whole study will be conducted online. Participants will receive a specific link through their email to sign up for the study. After obtaining their consent, they were then asked to provide demographic information such as age, gender, ethnicity, history of psychopathology and treatment with psychotherapy. After that, participants completed the Swedish Flow Proneness Questionnaire and a series of baseline psychological well-being measures (OTH, CES-D and DAS-14- see below for more details). They then undergo a 3-week intervention period (optimism PPI or control intervention) before completing another set of psychological well-being measures. Participants were followed-up 1 and 2 months later to assess their psychological well-being using the same measures to check for any enduring effects of the intervention. Nature of study This leads to a 2 (exercise condition: optimism, control) x 2 (flow proneness: low, high) mixed within and between participants experimental design. Independent Variable Participants were randomly assigned to either the optimism PPI condition or a control condition. The optimism PPI condition used two alternating exercises to train participants in two key components of optimism. One exercise sought to train participants to view one’s goals as feasible and meaningful while the other exercise sought to train participants to focus on and recollect positive experiences in one’s life (Segerstrom, 2006). On the other hand, the control condition consisted of two alternating neutral diary-writing activities. The first exercise asked participants to describe their experience of the last day. The second exercise asked participants to describe what they thought the next day would be like. Participants engaged in the exercises for a 3 week period. Owing to the length constraint, please refer to Sergeant and Mongrain’s (2014) study for full details of the activities. Dependent Variables Swedish Flow Proneness Questionnaire, SFPQ, (Ullen et al., 2012). The SFPQ is a 21-item self-report measure of proneness to flow states measuring flow during work, during maintenance and during leisure activities. Subsequently, data will be split for analysis into two groups, high or low flow proneness. Orientations to Happiness, OTH, (Peterson, Park, Seligman, 2005). The OTH is an 18-item self-report measure of endorsement of three ways to be happy: pleasure (minimizing pain and maximizing pleasant feelings), engagement (taking part in engaging activities that produce flow), and meaning (use of valued skills and talents to achieve success). Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, CES-D, (Radloff, 1977). The CES-D is a 20-item measure developed to identify depressed mood and depressive symptoms in the general population. Dysfunctional Attitude Scale–14, DAS-14, (Mongrain Zuroff, 1989). The DAS-14 is an abbreviated version of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (Weissman Beck, 1978). The DAS is a well-validated self-report measure of maladaptive beliefs which are characteristic of depressed individuals. Ethical considerations Informed consent will be obtained from participants. Participants would be fully debriefed after the experiment. At any point of the experiment, participants possess the right to withdraw their participation and/or data without incurring any penalties. All data will be maintained confidential.

Porters Diamond Essay

â€Å"Critically discuss to what extent Porter’s Diamond is a useful concept in explaining home and host location strategies of international business? Illustrate your answer with references to at least two case companies† The main aim of International business is to build and sustain competitiveness for economic value creation in both domestic and overseas markets (Besanko et al. 2007). Internalisation business theory however has a variety of models that can identify the environmental analysis of specific countries. These models are used for companies to internationalise and find the right location(s) overseas by taking; institutional, cultural fit and success opportunities into consideration. These models also give in-depth information on locations that the companies have chosen. A very well-known framework is the Porter’s Diamond which was found by Michael Porter in 1990. This report will discuss the advantages and disadvantages to determine a company’s home and host location decision by analysing two high street retailers – French E.Leclerc and UK’s Sainsbury’s. Porter’s Diamond Model (1990: 73 ) states that nation’s competiveness depends on the capa city of its industry to innovate and upgrade this however depends on the productivity level of the nation. From a company’s point of view a national competitive advantage means that it would have to depend on the nation to implement a home base to improve their existing products and services such as; technology, features, quality as well as being able to compete with international industries. Therefore, the advantage of this model is that it identifies the four factors that develop the essential national environment where companies are born, grow and as mentioned above sustain competitive advantage (Porter,1990:78). The idea of this model is useful because it allows organisations to carry out the necessary research and identify which countries would be good enough to internationalise. As you can see from the Porters Diamond diagram the first factor is the factor condition, this factor is about production such as land, raw materials, capital infrastructure etc. these are not i nherited, but developed and improved by a nation for instance skilled labour (Porter, 1990:79). In order to sustain competitive advantage it will depend on the factor creation ability. For instance, E.Leclerc started as a small rented warehouse â€Å"Leclerc established a chain of outlets across the country, single-handedly changing  the landscape of shopping in France†(www.independent.co.uk) Abstracted from Keith Points The second factor is demand condition this is the existence of sophisticated and demanding customers that pressure companies to develop new products that meets the increasing buyer’s needs (Porter, 1990:82). Thus, companies set a strong trend and surpass buyer’s expectations by innovating. This actually was the case of Leclerc when pioneering in 1956 the â€Å"hypermarket† concept allowing customers to buy â€Å"from groceries and petrol to clothing and jewellery as well as holidays, all at competitive prices† ( www.independent.co.uk). However, mature demand and saturated markets should be an encouragement to innovate. According to Retail Detail, last year French consumers’ purchasing power declined for the first time in three decades (www.anxietyindex.com). Leclerc took this into consideration and introduced a comparison website, app and in-store devices to prove its lowest price claims; â€Å"We are the least expensive†. The following facto r is related and supporting industries, which represents the presence of e.g. capable supplies, also competitive on a global scale (Porter,1990:82). This means that companies are as strong as its business environment. Without strong suppliers it can become very hard for a firm to compete at a competitive level. However it’s not just strong supplies but also the communication, coordination and the combined development that makes them competitive. Nevertheless those industries rely on each other during the whole of the supply chain for their profits. For example Sainsbury’s has put Pepsi back on the shelves due to tough negotiation between suppliers and retailers according to Financial Times 2011, this was because of the higher prices demand of the supplier. This shows that communication may mean tough negotiation between retailers and suppliers in order to stay competitive. The last factor is firm strategies, structure and rivalry. This factor determines the organisational structure, style of managers and the domestic competition (Porter, 1990:82). On an internalisation point of view this factor depends if the characteristics of the company matches the industry they have entered. E.Leclerc operates as an ambidextrous organization. Their strategy is to make employees feel and act like â€Å"owners† of the organization yet own no stock; the whole organization behaves like one big  family yet is a money-making machine (www.strategy-business.com). Sainsbury’s owned a chain in US and Egypt but like other UK retailers they failed to expand due to the arrogance and poor preparation, failing to understand the surprising differences between US and British shoppers (The Guardian 2012). On the other hand, rivalry should be seen as positive as it creates competitive advantage, it pushes organisations to visualise trends and satisfy non-existing need s while also seeking new international opportunities. A great example would be Apple it’s iPhone, iPad etc. Looking at this model it highlights how home locations influences companies to grow and develop competitive advantage as mentioned their own nation gets them â€Å"ready† for internalisation. Hence why the Porters Diamond helps you recognise the home-based advantages before applying them overseas. In addition companies may sometimes have to step back and reconsider their core competences at home as it is an example of Sainsbury exiting the countries in US and Egypt and focused on opening programme for its small-store â€Å"convenience† division in the UK (The Telegraph 2010). France as a home base has proved to E.Leclerc a good place to get them â€Å"ready† to expand to similar markets such as Spain, Portugal etc. This shows that it’s very beneficial for an organisation to test its new or differential products at home first. For example Leclerc After 50 years of bringing lower prices to the French consumer, has now successfully expanded to Spain, Portugal and Italy Leclerc now hopes to be able to do the same for the rest of the world(www.fundinguniverse.com). Moreover the Diamond does not really discuss the power of the government even though they are mentioned in Porter’s book. However, the government can play a big part in all of the factors through e.g. regulations, trade barriers etc. For example new law introduced on the French retail scene effectively ended one of Leclerc’s favourite practices by prohibiting stores from taking losses on some of their items according to Association des Centres Distributeurs. Government sh ould be taken into serious consideration as they play a big role in factor creation e.g. education, healthcare etc., as this could influence the internalisation process of company. Sainsbury’s now have a team to look into opening a chain in China said The Telegraph(2010) and E.Leclerc both defiantly have to consider the government for its nations business protection and competitive advantage because in order to join the Chinese  market they must first joint venture with a Chinese company as they are not really keen on wholly owned subsidiaries according to Journal of World Business. Nevertheless the Diamond should add culture as a driver; because that has a massive impact on the way a business operates as well as it defines the nation. For example in the model the demand condition and on customer’s needs are mainly influenced by culture like McDonald’s in India is has only vegetarian food options as they believe vegetarian societies are more harmonious and sustainable (Vivek Vaidya). So culture differenced should be considered when going overseas in order to see if the needs at home can be transferred overseas or localisation is needed. A great tool to use is Hofstede’s dimension, an illustration of that would be E.Leclerc expanding to countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy as they are culturally similar locations and they had similar scores on Hofstede’s dimension. This proves that culture has a massive impact on host locations. To conclude this, in order to understand whether to choose a home or host location Porters Diamond Mo del should only be an offset of the environmental analysis like it should look into; macro, meso and micro level and use analysis like Porter’s Five Forces, cultural analysis etc. (Hollensen, 2011: 104). Yet it can be very costly and time consuming but these should be essential steps to take because making the right decision of location is crucial for international success. Failure could occur if these steps are not taken seriously and it would be even more expensive as in the case of Sainsbury having to close down its chains in US and Egypt. This is why other models should be combined to gather more information on needs and industry characteristics so they can know what’s behind the company’s decision on location. However no model can be exact just based on the fact that countries and companies change and a generalisation is hard to tell. Environmental analysis tends to have missing considerations. Nevertheless what’s really important is that companies s hould choose the right models that fit their needs and capabilities for good results. Porters Diamond however has not got enough factors to make a company decide where it should internationalise. In saying that it’s a very good starting point to provide basic selection criteria in recognising home and host locations as well as achieving competitive advantage. References: http://anxietyindex.com/2013/07/frances-leclerc-backs-price-claims-with-website-app-and-in-store-devices/ http://unctad.org/en/docs/iteiitv1n1a6_en.pdf http://vivekvaidya.com/why-so-many-indians-are-vegetarians-2/ http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cb83415e-3a04-11e0-a441-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2lgrTUOqs7 http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/association-des-centres-distributeurs-e-leclerc-history/ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/edouard-leclerc-businessman-who-built-a-shopping-empire-8160892.html http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/48/Association-des-Centres-Distributeurs-E-Leclerc.html http://www.strategy-business.com/article/03306?tid=27782251&pg=all http://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/dec/09/fresh-not-easy-tesco-british-failure-america http://www.utdallas.edu/~mikepeng/documents/Peng12JWB_SunRenYan_47_4-16.pdf Journal of World BusinessnVolume 47, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 4–16 Focus on China Special Section http://usjmba.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/porters-diamond.html

Title Critically discuss the ways UNICEF engage media techniques in their communications’ strategy.

Introduction Communication strategies are designed to help governmental and non-governmental organisations communicate effectively to meet core objectives. In the new digital age, communicating through the media has become an effective way of targeting audiences and persuading them to act by either providing support or giving money (Goodman and Hirsch, 2010: 2). The non-governmental organisation (NGO) UNICEF provides an example of how the effective use of persuasive media techniques in a communications strategy can help to generate capital and support. UNICEF uses a number of different techniques, which all help to raise awareness of the objectives that are trying to be achieved (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 673). With particular focus on children, UNICEF is able to communicate with audiences to obtain humanitarian assistance. A higher degree of financial independence is acquired and subsequently used for humanitarian and development activities (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 673). It is unlikely that such assistance would be obtained without the use of various media techniques. This essay will critically discuss the ways UNICEF engage media techniques in their communications’ strategy. Media Techniques and Political Communications The main objective of most media messages is to persuade or encourage the audience to believe or do something (MLP, 2014: 1). In doing so, a number of different techniques are used to grab the audience’s attention and to establish trust and credibility (Erwin, 2014: 104). One technique that is used by the media is the use of direct quotations from identified sources. This makes the reader believe the story being told and is often used as a powerful motivator to encourage the reader to act, for example, by giving money or purchasing something (MLP, 2014: 1). Where direct quotations are used, it is more likely that the message being conveyed will be successful received as the audience will believe what is being said. Such techniques are referred to as the â€Å"language of persuasion† and are essential media literacy skills (Changing Minds, 2013: 1). This was recognised by Lippmann who believed that persuasion had become a â€Å"self-conscious art and a regular organ of popular government (Denton and Kuypers, 2007: 1). Persuasion is thus a way of creating consent from individuals about a particular premise and is capable of modifying political communications in a very influential way. Unless communications are persuasive, it is doubtful that they will be effective since persuasion is the main communication tool that is required by the media. Governments use persuasion as a means of obtaining consent from the messages being conveyed, also known as political communication. Political communication is considered to have the following four elements; 1) short-term orientation; 2) based upon specific objectives; 3) primarily mediated; and 4) audience centred. Political communication is not exclusive to the political world as non-political actors also use this type of communication as a way of communicating messages to the public. This is generally done by organisations that have a political objective such as; non-governmental organisations (NGO’s). An NGO is an organisation that is separate and distinct from governments and profitable businesses. Although NGO’s can be funded by governments and businesses, they are usually set up by ordinary citizens to further an agenda (Welch, 2000: 1). Whilst the agenda’s of many NGO’s will differ, the methods of communication that are used will be similar in that they will all seek to effectively communicate their objectives to the targeted audience. The primary objective of most NGO’s is to ensure that human rights are being fully protected. Although NGO’s from different jurisdictions will not always have the same goals, they will still be structured in a similar manner. This is because NGO’s generally seek to promote human rights worldwide, which requires them to co-operate with governments and the United Nations (Wong, 2012: 37). NGO’s are also important in helping to bring public interest matters before the courts (Wadham, 2001: 1). The ma ss media is a useful tool that allows political communications of NGO’s to be effectuated, yet social, cultural and psychological problems are usually associated with media content and use (Perse, 2001: 1). It was stressed by Young that modern society engulfs its members through the media, education and participation within the marketplace (Young, 1999: 82). The media is capable of articulating beliefs by adopting various ideological approaches. It has been said by Croteau and Hoynes that the media do not promote a singular perception of ideology and instead communicate a number of different ideological perceptions (Croteau and Hoynes, 2012: 154). They noted that social ideologies are more domineering of society than mainstream ideologies because of the fact that people pay as much attention to street scenes, housing and clothing as they do to the commentary when watching international news (Thompson, 1995: 176). Arguably, it is clear from these assertions that the media is e xtremely powerful in influencing the minds of individuals, which is why it is a form of communication that is commonly used by NGO’s to further their agenda’s. The media is capable of shaping an audiences subjectivity through the representation of ideological belief’s. NGO’s thereby benefit from using media techniques to persuade their targeted audience to act in a certain manner. The media is extremely powerful in persuading the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of society through the use of propaganda. Propaganda is a form of communication that influences an audience to act based on a particular agenda. Propaganda is used as a means of generating emotional responses to messages that are produced to influence societal attitudes towards a particular cause or position. NGO’s often use propaganda to fulfil their objectives and are thus considered effective cultural propaganda disseminators (Cull et al; 2003: 193). NGO’s have been considered politics of the poor on the basis that they represent political ideologies (Karim, 2001: 92). Political ideology is a set of ideas which represent the objectives, expectations and actions of a political party. A broad range of belief systems exist within different political parties and have generally been acquired from doctrines, ideals, myths, principles and social movements. Ideology is a system that is made u p of values and beliefs â€Å"regarding the various institutions and processes of society that is accepted as fact or truth by a group of people† (Sargent, 2008: 2). Political ideology therefore comprises the views of political parties on how the world should be. This allows political parties to allocate social values (Easton, 1971: 129) and determine what is considered an ‘ideal’ world. There are different views and opinions of ideological theory, though ideology is largely driven by competing groups in society who strive for hegemony (Hall, 1997: 13). Hegemony happens when the most dominant in society promotes, through the media and culture, a set of ideals that members of that society must conform to (Allan, 2004: 6). This is beneficial for NGO’s who use the media to establish an ideological perception of the rights in which they are trying to protect. In deciding whether certain behaviours conform to society, the set of ideals that have been created wi thin that society will need to be considered by the media when deciding what messages need to be conveyed. Many believe that this is unfair and problematic as ideology only serves the interests of one segment of society over all other segments (Curra, 2000: 6). This prejudices many parts of society as certain groups may not benefit from the established ideals that are created. As pointed out by Brown et al; ideology may only be beneficial to certain ethnic groups, genders or religions (Brown et al; 2010: 9). This does not provide an accurate reflection of the whole of society and whilst ideals are necessary in helping people to identify what is right and wrong, it seems unacceptable to segregate certain parts of society. This may, however, be necessary when protecting the rights of certain individuals. Political ideologies are subject to further critique on the basis that they do not consider the needs of modern society (Stankiewicz, 2012: 408), yet as pointed out by Selinger; †Å"There is no politics without ideology† (Selinger, 1975: 99). In effect, this appears to demonstrate that all political communications will have some element of ideology as moral judgements will be contained within them. Effectively, the objectives of NGO’s will be based upon ideological beliefs and will mostly have a political objective. An example of this can be seen in relation to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which is an NGO that provides humanitarian and development assistance to mothers and children in underdeveloped countries. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) created UNICEF on the 11th December 1946 to provide food and healthcare to children that had been affected by World War II. Although UNICEF is not operated by the government, it like many other NGO’s largely relies upon governmental support and political communications. NGO’s have, for some time, relied upon the mass media to expose violations of human-rights and encourage governments to put pressure on those found to be abusing them (Thrall et al; 2014: 3). This is intended to discourage human rights abuses from taking place and to help the perpetrators be put to justice. The effectiveness of this is arguable, though it seems as though greater support is being acquired by the likes of UNICEF as a result of this. Since the advancement of modern technology UNICEF is now able to establish new communication strategies for channeling information politics via the internet (Chadwick and Phillip, 2008: 3). It is arguable whether the strategies that are being undertaken by UNICEF are effective in persuading audiences to support their cause, though it seems likely given UNICEF’s use of the med ia. The media is largely proficient in influencing society of certain ideological perceptions through television programmes, newspapers, magazines, films and radio programmes (Long and Wall, 2009; 285). These forms of communication are used in a way that manipulates societal values and beliefs and will continue to influence the ways in which we think about things whether consciously or subconsciously (Kenix, 2010: 1). Not only does the media send out ideological messages to the public but media systems have also been intertwined into society’s ideological framework. This highlights the power of the media in shaping individuals values and beliefs within society. UNICEF’s campaigns are mainly in the form of mass media, radio programmes, posters, street plays and localised outreach (UNICEF, 2014: 1). Because of this, a wider range of support will be acquired. UNICEF is reaching out to a broader audience, which will generate a huge amount of support and funding that would not otherwise be available. Arguably, it is imperative that the media techniques being used in UNICEF’s communications strategy are effective in helping to shape ideological views on the rights of children. UNICEF is an advocate of children’s rights and so it is necessary for UNICEF to communicate how these rights are being violated and what protections need to be in place. This will help UNICEF to gain support and the message UNICEF is trying to put across will be better received by the public. Communications Strategy The communications strategy of UNICEF is vital in strengthening human development and avoiding missed opportunities. An ineffective communications strategy will generally yield poor results and stifle the development of UNICEF (UNDP, 2014: 1). UNICEF’s targeted audience will not receive the message that is being portrayed. This will prevent UNICEF from developing, which will impact its success.. Effective communications are important skills NGO’s need to survive and be successful (KDID, 2013: 28). To make an impact, UNICEF will thus be required to use effective means of communication to ensure that their views and opinions are heard. In doing so, they will most likely face a number of difficult challenges because of the fact that it has become increasingly difficult to deliver to society complex humanitarian crises. It is also difficult to explain to society who is involved in certain humanitarian crisis’ because of how widespread they generally are (ICRC, 2005: 673). A huge amount of NGO’s currently strive for media attention, thereby highlighting the need to have effective communication strategies in place (Thrall et al; 2014: 19). UNICEF must adopt a coherent and credible approach when conveying public communication so that its message can be heard. It has been said that in order to understand political communication, one must understand how consent is created (Denton and Kuypers, 2007: 1). UNICEF will thus be required to communicate messages in a way that allows consent to be obtained, which will need to be included within the communications strategy of UNICEF. A good communications strategy will help to certify good organisational branding and positioning, which will help to attract staff, donors and volunteers (KDID, 2013: 28). Successful branding through media communications will put an NGO in a desirable position within the community, which will help to garner support and belief from the public. This will require NGO’s to be completely transparent so that the messages in which they are trying to put across can be clearly communicated (Thrall et al; 2014: 19). Unless UNICEF adopts a transparent and clear approach, it will be difficult to gain support and belief from the public (Lilleker, 2006: 4). Public support is, however, crucial to the implementation of change (Rabinowitz, 2013: 3). Without public support, it is doubtful that UNICEF would be as successful as they are. It is debatable what the best techniques for gaining public support are, though an effective communications strategy that takes into account UNICEF’s agenda and identifies points that will require persuasive communication will most likely prove successful. It is important that the communications strategy identifies the appro aches and tools that are needed to make a particular event more effective. In developing a communications strategy, it first needs to be established what UNICEF is trying to achieve. Subsequently, it will then need to be considered what communications objectives will most likely support the objectives of the project (McManus, 1994: 58). The communications objectives of UNICEF will be those that are capable of being reached through various means of communications. Such objectives will also need a target audience. This will require UNICEF to consider who they are trying to reach. In reaching out to the target audience, UNICEF will need to develop appropriate messages which highlight the relevant issues; the actions that needs to be taken by the target audience; and the benefits of such action (KDID, 2013: 28). Once this has been done, UNICEF will then have to consider how these messages will be delivered. Different methods of communication will be considered depending upon the type of event that is being promoted such as; media conferences, social media, interviews, marketing, advertisements and news stories. Given that UNICEF targets underdeveloped countries, it is likely that difficulties will be faced when considering the political objectives of various countries. Political communications are likely to vary from one country to another, which will create a number of problems. An effective communications strategy will seek to address these difficulties, though it will remain arguable whether they will prove sufficient in achieving certain objectives (Thrall et al; 2014: 19). In Africa, for example, the media seems to control those in power by reporting to citizens. Whilst this demands a degree of institutional independence from the political system, it has been said that there is actually a â€Å"clear interdependence between the media and political systems† (Windeck, 2014: 17). Information from political systems is usually exchanged for coverage in the media system and vice versa. The media consequently rely heavily on the supply of information from politics, whilst political bod ies rely on the media to spread their messages and objectives (Windeck, 2014: 17). Political communication is an important tool in the political process, and will continue to influence politics. In effect, the political communications of certain countries will be driven by cultural and political factors, which may be difficult to overcome. Female genital mutilation is one area that UNICEF continues to campaign against, but is faced with many political objections from countries where FGM is prevalent; Asia, the Middle East and some parts of Africa (Gaber, 2007: 219). UNICEF are resultantly required to implement a strategy that is capable of strengthening the political commitment of governments. UNICEF’s Communications Strategy There are three components of communication that are used by UNICEF to garner support and funding. These are; advocacy, social mobilisation and behaviour change communication (UNICEF, 2008: 7). Advocacy is used to inform and motivate leadership so that a supportive environment can be created. This will allow the objectives and development goals of the program to be achieved. Social mobilisation seeks to engage support and participation from various institutions, social and religious groups, and community networks. It is intended that the development objectives of UNICEF will be maintained through the use of social mobilisation and that greater demand will be generated. Behaviour change communication involves face to face discussions with a number of individuals and groups to motivate, inform, plan and problem-solve. It is anticipated that by using this technique, the objectives of UNICEF can be met (UNICEF, 2008: 7). Various conceptual models are used by UNICEF to implement communica tion including ACADA, P-Process and COMBI. The ACADA (Assessment, Communication Analysis, Design, Action) model is frequently used by UNICEF to use systematically-gathered data to link communications strategies to development problems. The P-Process model, developed by The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs (CCP), is used for the strategic planning of evidence based communication programmes and contains the following five steps; 1) analysis, 2) strategic design, 3) development and testing, 4) implementation and monitoring, and 5) evaluation and re-planning (UNICEF, 2008: 7). The COMBI model uses a ten step process for communication planning, which are; 1) overall goal, 2) behavioural results/objectives, 3) situational market analysis, 4) results strategy, 5) plan of action, 6) management structure, 7) monitoring, 8) impact assessment, 9) scheduling, and 10) budget (UNICEF, 2008: 7). All three of these models seek to establish an effective communications strategy by analysing the different approaches that can be taken and considering the necessary steps needed. Analysis is integral to an effective communications strategy as it will enable any underlying issues to be identified and thereby dealt with accordingly. UNICEF undertakes a comprehensive analysis comprising of; the situation, the programme, the participants, the behaviours, and the communication channels (UNICEF, 2008: 7). The situation section describes the issues that are being addressed by UNICEF such as; child poverty, disease, malnutrition and trafficking. This is based upon data that has be en collected from local knowledge, programme documents and research. The data highlights the underlying social and cultural issues by demonstrating what changes need to be made to social structures and practices. The programme section is designed to establish where the objectives of UNICEF can be achieved by communication. The participant section establishes what people are required to achieve UNICEF’s objectives. The behaviour section focuses on setting behavioural objectives and analysing the behaviours or practices that have been selected for change. Finally, the communication channels section considers the available communication channels that are applicable in achieving the objectives. Once the analysis has been completed, UNICEF will have identified the participants, behaviours and channels of communications that are needed to encourage audience participation and accomplish its goals (UNICEF, 2008: 7). In order to ensure that the objectives of UNICEF are being met by changing the attitude and behaviour of individuals, knowledge alone will not be sufficient. Instead, a supportive environment will also need to be established (UNICEF, 2008: 37). Therefore, whilst the communications strategy of UNICEF will need to instil knowledge into the community so that support can be acquired, a supportive environment will also need to be created. This will involve creating policies that improve access to services and by using leaders that help to promote social and behaviour change amongst various members of society. Resources will also need to be allocated for the programme activities that are to be carried out and positive change will be effectuated by using a combination of communication techniques. UNICEF believes that communication goes way beyond providing information to the targeted audience and instead argue that communication is vital for development (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 673). UNICE F has therefore set up a development programme, also known as C4D, which aims to engage communities through understanding people’s beliefs, values and social and cultural norms (Lenni and Tacchi, 2013: 16). This is achieved from listening to adults and children, identifying issues and working out solutions. This is considered a two way process that allows individuals to share knowledge and ideas through the use of various communication techniques that empower communities to take action in improving the lives of children (Lenni and Tacchi, 2013: 16). Advocacy is one technique UNICEF engages in its communications strategy, which is the â€Å"act of supporting a cause to produce a desired change† (Save the Children, 2014: 1). Advocacy is capable of influencing governments to effect change by communicating with the media, elected officials and influential leaders. Advocacy is able to encourage leaders to implement various changes such as; legal reform, policy decisions, addressing social and political barriers, and altering funding priorities. Advocacy efforts being used by UNICEF occur at global, national and sub-level and seek to influence the decisions of policy makers as well as political and social leaders. This is done through the creation of an enabling policy and legislative environment and by allocating resources appropriately to create and sustain social transformation (UNICEF, 2011: 1). For example, in 2010 when polio resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there existed a lack of awareness of the disease and how it could be prevented. Influential leaders, such as Marco Kiabuta, did not believe that the vaccination of polio was necessary. After a number of debates with community mobilisers and leaders Kiabuta came to realise just how vital a vaccination was. This example demonstrates how effective communication techniques ca n make a huge difference in implementing change and possibly saving lives (UNICEF, 2011: 1). Advocacy is used by UNICEF to target political, business and social leaders at national and local levels. It is not used simply to create mass awareness but is also used as a means of generating change and leading to a specific action that is to be taken (UNICEF, 2010: 20). UNICEF uses advocacy to inform and motivate appropriate leaders to create a supportive environment by changing polices, speaking out on critical issues, allocating resources and initiating public discussion. Communication is a powerful tool, which is why it is important for various media techniques to be adopted by NGO’s such as UNICEF. Social mobilisation is another method of communication that is used by UNICEF to enlist participants, community networks, and religious groups to strengthen participation in various activities. This helps to engage and motivate partners and allies to raise awareness of UNICEFâ€℠¢s development objectives through face-to-face dialogue. Partners and allies subsequently work together to target audiences and convey certain messages. Social mobilisation is used as a way to facilitate change through a range of players that are engaged in interrelated and complementary efforts (UNICEF, 2012: 1). An example of this can be seen in relation to the training community health workers in Madagascar received from UNICEF. The health workers were trained to provide outreach to families on various issues including, hand washing, vaccinating children, and not defecating in the open (UNICEF, 2012: 1). This is clearly an effective communication technique that is used by UNICEF as it allows certain individuals to be trained up so that they can pass their knowledge onto others. This has a domino like effect and will enable the views of UNICEF to be conveyed to a wider audience than that which would have been possible through advertisements alone. Social mobilisation is therefore an effective way of spreading messages to targeted audiences and helping to achieve the objectives of UNICEF, which is to provide assistance to mothers and children in underdeveloped countries. Behaviour change communication is another method that is used to address knowledge, attitudes and practices that are linked to programme goals. This is done by providing participants with â€Å"relevant information and motivation through well-defined strategies, using an audience-appropriate mix of interpersonal, group and mass media channels and participatory methods† (UNICEF/INDA, 2012, 1). Behaviour change communication strategies focus on the individual to effect change. In order for behavioural changes to happen on a larger scale, social change communication needs to be employed. This technique helps to define and address social influences in life and is currently being employed by UNICEF through the Social Ecological Model framework† (UNICEF/INDA, 2012, 1). The media techni ques that are currently being used by UNICEF do appear effective in helping to persuade audiences to provide support. The more UNICEF does to spread its message, the more successful UNICEF will be in achieving its aims. The Meena Communication Initiative in South Asia gives an example of how mass media and interpersonal communication is used to enhance the self-esteem and self-worth of children by enabling them to become familiar with life skills that are essential empowerment tools. The programme is primarily school based and is centred around a nine-year old girl called Meena who seeks to fight against the stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS (UNICEF/INDA, 2012, 1). A radio station called ‘Meena Radio’ was launched in 2010 to communicate with children, their parents, educators and community leaders. This provides an effective means of communication and provides a platform for UNICEF’s political beliefs to be heard. It is intended that the radio station’s audience will be persuaded to act so that the voices of children and communities can be heard through the power of communication. This helps to promote child survival, development, protection and participation (UNICEF, 2014: 1 ). It is clear that UNICEF uses a number of different media techniques in its communications strategy to achieve its objectives. Without the use of such techniques, the voices of children and communities would not be heard and UNICEF’s message would not be delivered to its intended audience. It has been said that UNICEF â€Å"raises considerable funds and carries out strong communication on its own through its national committees, press centre and media team† (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 683). This signifies the importance of having an effective communications strategy is in place as it can generate a significant amount of funding that would not otherwise be available. UNICEF also uses high profile figures to be its ambassadors who have been considered a highly effective in persuading society (Stromback, 2011: 42). Conclusion Overall, an effective communication strategy in an important tool for helping governmental and non-governmental organisations communicate effectively to meet core objectives. Given that UNICEF relies on voluntary donations from members of the public, government departments, charitable trusts and event organisers, it is important that they are capable of successfully communicating their objectives. In doing so, they will be required to persuade or encourage their audiences to provide support or funding so that UNICEF’s end goals can be achieved. Given that UNICEF uses a number of different media techniques in its communications strategy, the approach that is currently being undertaken does appear workable. The media is a powerful tool in the art of persuasion, which is what UNICEF needs in order to survive. The use of media techniques will help to raise awareness of UNICEF’s objectives and obtain humanitarian assistance. It is unlikely that such assistance would be obtai ned without the use of various media techniques, which is why UNICEF’s communications strategy does appear largely effective. References Allan, S. (2004), News Culture. Bukingham: Open University Press. Changing Minds. (2013). Persuasive Language, [Online], Available: http://changingminds.org/techniques/language/persuasive/persuasive.htm [07 July 2014]. Chadwick, A. and Phillip, H. (2008). 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Media Violenca and Its Effects - 1668 Words

Media Violence It’s Effects The lives of our youth are being ruined because of the violence in today’s media. This is the view held by many people in our society today. Many psychologists believe that violence on television, movies and other forms of media have a negative effect on children, while others believe media violence has no effect on children. The reality is that children tend to emulate the behavior that they see in the media they are exposed too. The media can have a powerful influence on young impressionable children. Their minds are sponge-like, absorbing all that they are exposed to. Their feelings and emotions become more imminent once they begin to go through adolescents; children often acquire the ability for†¦show more content†¦When children watch violent media, they see violence without consequences. In many story-lines, the hero of the story uses violence to fight the villain and in the end they are often rewarded. Many times, viewers don’t see the injured people going to the hospital or the crying mothers of the dying children. This will often give children a false sense of reality. According to the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, the average American child will spend an average of four hours a day watching television (2011, para 1). It is said that prolonged exposure to violent behavior results in an increase acceptance of violence as a tolerable behavior, also known as desensitization. Many studies have found that the child may become ‘immune’ to the horror of violence. On September 11, 2001 many Americans gathered around their television to watch the World Trade Center’s crumble to the ground. Not only adults, but children watched as bodies were pulled from the ruins. Author and Ph.D. Matthew Tull wrote, â€Å"Even people far away from the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon were exposed to upsetting and traumatic images. This was largely due to the extensive television coverage of the terrorist attacks† (2008, para1). Today’s media coverage has made people extremely